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National Small Business Week is ending and, again, the annual celebration of small businesses put a spotlight on how much they contribute to the economy. There are roughly 28 million small businesses in the United States, and the SBA says they account for 54 percent of all U.S. sales and provide 55 percent of all jobs in the country.
Earlier this week, Linda McMahon, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, recognized this year’s Small Business Persons of the Year and other national award winners at a ceremony and reception at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C. (For more on lessons to take away from the award winner, check out this BizTech article.)
Yet what do small businesses need to know about using technology? And how can IT help them become more profitable? A promotes its Technology Coalition, in which small businesses are directed to services offered by large tech companies that are specifically tailored for small companies. These services include content management, file sharing, cloud services, legal solutions, online marketing and customer relationship management.
Tech allows small businesses to grow, but because they often lack the resources of larger companies, small businesses need to approach IT strategically. Google is one high-profile member of the Technology Coalition that has an intimate view of how tech can help small businesses.
Small Businesses Must Prioritize IT Investments
Earlier this week, Google launched a series of tutorials built specifically for small business on Google Primer, a free mobile app that delivers short lessons about online and marketing skills; each lasts about five minutes.
Google partnered with trusted entrepreneurial experts to address the issues it hears from small business customers. One of the lessons came from John Jantsch, the author of Duct Tape Marketing and an expert on marketing.
He notes that technology allows small businesses to do many things more efficiently and achieve economies of scale, but that “it’s also the key to providing a better customer experience when employed as a way to free up your human resources to be more human.” Small businesses can take advantage of very low-cost, high-impact IT tools, Jantsch says. “The challenge many small businesses face is that they may not have the luxury of dedicating resources to fully use something like tracking software,” he says.
Small businesses need to prioritize their IT spending and investments. “It’s great to have a tool that can do everything you could possibly manage, but when you can only use 10 percent of the functionality, it might not make sense,” he says.
Unlike many larger competitors, small businesses have one big advantage: flexibility. “If a new tool or platform comes along, they may not be locked into hardware and software and processes that make it hard to switch,” Jantsch notes. In today’s world, small businesses can take advantage of marketing technology that allows them to “gain access to more complete buyer journeys and intent at every stage of the journey,” including competitive listening, search engine optimization, and marketing to activated websites that convert visitors into leads and customers.
Take Advantage of the Web and Cloud
Soo Young Kim, group product marketing manager for small business at Google, says there are various ways small businesses can take advantage of IT to connect with customers and run their business as efficiently as possible: for example, build a website, claim the online business listing, and use cloud-based tools.
While larger firms have larger budgets — which allow for more significant investments and resources to grow their business online — small businesses tend to operate without dedicated IT departments to manage technology, Kim notes.
“So the chosen technology must be reliable and easy to use,” she says. Using cloud-based apps like Google’s G Suite (Gmail, Docs, Drive cloud storage and Calendar) helps small businesses connect employees no matter the company’s size, Kim notes. Those tools can also enhance productivity and efficiency. Like Jantsch, Kim notes that small businesses can often be more nimble than larger companies, “reacting to and helping their customers more quickly.”
Small businesses often have a local advantage by being nearby customers. “We also often hear from small business owners who say that building relationships with their customers is one of their favorite parts of the job,” Kim says, and tech like social media and mobile devices can help small businesses stay connected and responsive to customers’ feedback and needs.
Google works with partner organizations across the country to host in-person workshops through the Get Your Business Online program, Kim says, and these workshops provide hands-on assistance to help small businesses improve and manage their digital presence. Businesses hoping to reach customers in their local service area can also use Google My Business, a free service designed to ensure that their online business listing is robust, accurate and includes photos, business hours, and phone number.
Kim says mobile will continue to grow in importance for businesses of all sizes, and that more than half of Google searches are done on mobile phones.
“It’s critical that small businesses can be found in those moments when their customers are looking to learn, discover, find and buy things,” she says. “As consumers increasingly turn to mobile, it will be increasingly important that small businesses have mobile sites that load quickly. Google’s free Test My Site tool provides insights into how well a site works on mobile, and provides an assessment on how to improve performance.”


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Asian Development Bank (June 2022) The report, part of a GIZ-ADB collaboration, reviews trends in social protection and recent pandemic responses. It discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) tools can fit into the social protection delivery chain. It reviews the functioning of the delivery chain during the pandemic to identify gaps in social protection systems along with emerging solutions that draw on digital technology. The report includes four case studies and suggests steps policymakers could take to foster an enabling environment for the use of AI in social protection.
Digital Economy Topical Cluster

domain: news


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As researchers consider whether or not to automate processes in their labs, what to buy and when to buy become primary concerns.
Automating processes makes life easier in a lab, but deciding what to buy and when creates a challenge. “A lab might have a proposal put forth that automates today’s assay, but next year the same lab could be on to the next big thing,” says Jason Greene, liquid handling product manager at BioTek Instruments in Winooski, Vt. “So customers want products that can be reconfigured.”
At the same time, customers want more-affordable products that work easily. That poses a tricky goal: Lab automation solutions must work easily today and handle other assays in the future—all for a lower price.
Handling the Liquids
Most assays in drug discovery and development require liquid handling. To meet a variety of needs, Hamilton Robotics in Bonaduz, Switzerland, developed its STAR line. “These differ in required work space and throughput,” says Carsten Etzold, PhD, Hamilton’s director of pharma and biotech. For example, the STAR line robotic liquid handlers can accommodate 25, 45, or 55 microplates. “The platforms can be used as standalone units or in integrated systems,” says Etzold. Moreover, pipetting in Hamilton’s STAR line works with volume ranges from as little as 10 nanoliters—when using a special head—to as much as 5 milliliters. To extend flexibility even more, Hamilton offers about 4,000 standard configurations, plus customized, complete solutions in drug discovery, genomics, proteomics, cell culture, and more.
Many customers want to connect a liquid handler with third-party instruments. As a result, says Etzold, “We have integrated our STAR liquid handlers with more than 50 different third-party devices. Furthermore, our software not only drives our liquid-handling robot, but it also acts as process management software to control processes containing numerous up and downstream devices.”
Other companies in the liquid handling business also forge relationships with other vendors. “We try to partner with as many automation partners as we can,” says Greene of BioTek. “It really benefits us all.”
Developing the best solutions depends on customer feedback. With BioTek’s EL406 Combination Microplate Washer Dispenser, for instance, Greene says, “We looked at what products our customers liked the most, and then asked what we could do with these.” The answers triggered a combination of BioTek’s ELx405 Washer with a three-reagent dispenser. “The EL406 is a full plate washer for 96- and 384-well microplates,” says Greene, “plus it includes two types of reagent-dispensing technologies: peristaltic pump and syringe drive.”
PerkinElmer in Waltham, Mass., also provides liquid-handling products. “We provide solutions that save money in terms of reagents,” says Michael Kealy, business manager for the automated liquid handling business at PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences. He adds that the JANUS workstation provides “a family of dispense heads that can be automatically switched in a single sequence of pipetting. You can also add our nanohead for very small volumes.” In addition, PerkinElmer offers serial-dilution tools that dispense into 96- or 384-well plates.
Processing the Samples
Beyond moving liquids, researchers worry about sample quality. “Researchers want more from high-throughput screening,” says David Harding, sales and marketing director at RTS Life Science in Manchester, United Kingdom, “but they also want quality control during the entire process to make sure that they are screening what they think they are screening.”
RTS provides several products that enhance quality control. For example, the RTS Automated Blood Fractionation systems can divide blood samples into plasma/serum, buffy coat, and red blood cells, processing up to 500 tubes a day. “It cuts the cost of biobanking and providing DNA to researchers,” says Harding.
RTS also developed its SmaRTStore, which has a relatively small footprint but holds 360,000 samples. It can store plates, tubes, and vials in the same unit. In the past, says Harding, only large pharmaceutical companies could afford sophisticated storage systems. Now, he sees research institutes and biotechnology companies buying the SmaRTStore because of its reduced size and price, plus the potential to incorporate SmaRTStore with external automation.
Qiagen in Hilden, Germany, also makes products that simplify sample preparation. The QIAcube, for instance, processes as many as a dozen samples in spin-column protocols that purify DNA, RNA, and proteins. “This automates a process that was always there, and makes the switch from a manual to an automated process convenient and easy,” says Wolfgang Leibinger, PhD, global business director of automated solutions at Qiagen.
In addition, Qiagen’s QIAsymphony SP combines Qiagen’s magnetic-particle chemistry with purification protocols for DNA, RNA, and proteins—handling up to 96 samples at once. “This system has so many process-safety features built in that it’s hard to do anything wrong,” says Leibinger. For example, the QIAsymphony SP includes a touch screen, reagent cartridges, and a bar-code reader. “You are guided through steps like it was an ATM,” says Leibinger. “I could give you an hour of training and you could run samples.”
Beyond preparing plates, researchers must also assess what’s in them. Consequently, BioTek developed its Synergy 4 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader with hybrid technology. This reader includes both filter-based and monochromator-based detection. “It covers virtually every wavelength under the sun without any sacrifice in performance,” Greene says.
Parts to Systems
In some cases, companies offer scalable systems that extend basic liquid handling into fully automated systems. For example, Caliper Life Sciences in Hopkinton, Mass., offers its Staccato series of systems, which consists of Caliper’s Zephyr or Sciclone liquid handlers, Twister II robots, and iLinkPro scheduling software on a family of modular building-block tables called iBLOX. “One of the biggest challenges in complex systems is often scheduling, making all the instruments operate in the most time-efficient manor to achieve maximum throughput,” says Kevin Keras, business unit manager for the company’s automation, consulting, engineering, and services (ACES) integration unit.
Many labs already have some automated instruments. So last year, Caliper’s ACES team introduced the Ensemble and Reprise integrated systems. An Ensemble system can consist of any vendor’s liquid handler, robot, or scheduling software, which Keras says, “results in the customer’s definition of best-in-class.” A Reprise system, on the other hand, enables scientists to build automated systems using instruments that they already own. Keras calls this “a growing trend due to numerous mergers, acquisitions, and lab consolidations.” He adds, “This unique suite of services provides customers with the ability to choose the best solution for their labs and tap our 25 plus years of integration expertise.”
Other companies also aim at complete systems. “The biggest challenge today from a customer’s standpoint is finding a complete solution,” says Kealy. “They’re looking to go from sample to results.” As an example of such a product, Kealy mentions the cell::explorer, which he calls “a complete solution for high-content screening.”
In addition, PerkinElmer developed its OnPoint Integration Solution services to help customers create specialized solutions. “Here we build a solution for a specific customer,” Kealy says. “We also back these up with OneSource, which provides managed maintenance, multi-vendor service plans, and so on.”
Putting together automated systems also requires software, and that’s the specialty of Advanced Chemistry Development (ACD/Labs) in Toronto, Canada. “The major challenge in software is consistency and portability of information,” says Mark Bayliss, ACD/Labs’ vice president and chief technical officer. Much of the problem comes from the format of the data, because vendors often use company-specific encoding.
That’s where the ACD/Automation Server can help. This software can pick up a file, move it, and read it. “Without destroying or corrupting the original data files,” says Bayliss, “our software creates output that can be picked up by another system.” For the most part, ACD/Labs focuses on analytical spectroscopy, such as infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance.
Even ACD/Labs’ software cannot read every format. “We have one of the largest lists of instruments supported,” says Bayliss, “but there are things that even we don’t read.” Nonetheless, the Automation Server can be customized.
Making the Move to Automate
The level of automation stills depends on dollars, especially among academic researchers. “For my younger colleagues,” says Thomas Cheatham, III, PhD, assistant professor of pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City, “it is typically a matter of cost. They need to build up basic infrastructure before they can move into automation.”
In addition, updating automation requires careful decisions. Rathnam Chaguturu, PhD, director of the high-throughput screening laboratory at University of Kansas in Lawrence, decides to update his automation devices “when I see a meaningful and critical improvement to the equipment or technology that we use in the laboratory.” In selecting specific products, Chaguturu considers several factors. First, the product must meet his lab’s current and expected future needs. Moreover, he only wants to purchase products that are “proven to be effective.” He adds, “I would not buy the newest toy that comes into the market.”
Greene at BioTek suggests that wise researchers “begin their automation with baby steps.” He recommends: “Find the rate-limiting step in your assay, and start there.” Like many other companies, BioTek helps customers select the best products for their needs.
With dropping prices and lots advice, scientists at most levels can find some way to simply lab life with automation.
This article was published in Bioscience Technology magazine: November, 2008, pp. 19-23.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery


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This is the dramatic moment a driver smashed through the front of a shop at high-speed - destroying stock and 'causing £40,000 of damage'.
In scenes captured on the store's CCTV, a black BMW 3 Series reverses at high-speed into the shop, getting stuck in the aisle and sending shelves of stock flying.
Shop owner Shahid Chungtai was on holiday 4,000 miles away at the time but was sent footage of the shocking incident to his mobile phone.
Shahid, who owns the Premier Top Shop in Burnley, Lancs., told the Lancashire Evening Post: "It was awful", he said.
"I knew something must be wrong because when the call came through it was 3.10 in the morning in England.
"I looked at the pictures and CCTV footage on my phone; I couldn't believe it."
Shahid got on the first flight home from Pakistan to find his neighbours had been awoken by the sound of the car smashing into the shop.
He said: "They had reversed into the property - the car was inside the shop - and the shop was destroyed.
"It was ten seconds, the wall was down and everything was smashed."
Shahid believes £40,000 of damage has been done, and that the car was travelling at speeds of up to 60mph.
"Two cars had come on to the road and one of them did a U-turn," said Shahid.
"There was a silver VW hatchback, either a Polo or a Golf, and the BMW."
"They had parked across the road and then the BMW reversed into the shop. It must have been going at 60mph, and the driver did well to survive. He was very lucky."
Lancashire Police said: "We were called to Cog Lane in Burnley around 3.15am on October 22 after reports a car had collided with a shop front.
"Detectives believe a black BMW car was reversed into the front of the shop causing significant damage estimated at £5,500.
"The offender, a male, then made off in a white Volkswagen polo undetected.
"The man is described as Asian, in his mid 20s, of a slim build wearing a grey or white tracksuit and black shoes.
"Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting crime reference EF1509795."


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Deep Dave and Shivam Mahajan were international students at Dalhousie’s computer science program when they realized a universal struggle among their peers.
The lack of affordable meals that are fresh and nutritious meant many of didn’t have healthy eating habits.
“We were working as TAs and research assistant and also taking classes, but we didn't get much time to cook for ourselves and we were just eating noodles,” said Mahajan who is from India and has been in Halifax since 2017.
Dave and Mahajan, who were roommates at the time, tried ordering from food delivery apps or getting takeout but soon found that it strained their budgets.
Meal kits, such as Hello Fresh or Chef’s Plate, only delivered ingredients, which didn’t solve the problem.
After conversations with friends, they knew they needed to find a solution.
They eventually came up with Mealful, a meal plan subscription that collaborates with local restaurants and independent chefs in Halifax to provide reasonably priced food.
“We want to help busy students, working professionals and everyone to not go through the hassle of buying groceries … and then cooking so you can optimize your time better and spend it on things you want to do, or you have to do,” said Dave, who lived between the U.K. and South Africa before coming to Canada in 2018.
A one-month pilot
Deep and Mahajan pitched the project to the Halifax Innovation District, a Halifax Partnership initiative that aims at increasing the number of startups in the city and using innovation to address social issues such as climate change and food security.
The Halifax Innovation District provided them with the tools and mentorship to get the project off the ground. Mealful was launched as a pilot in June 2021 with plans to shut it down a month later.
With the project still in pilot, the co-founders were looking to fine-tune their business model and didn’t have a marketing strategy in place.
But Mealful quickly grew popular thanks to word of mouth. With unexpected high demand and continuously increasing sales, Deep and Mahajan decided to keep going.
“(Customers) told us not to stop it because they're already relying on it as an alternative to cooking. We had to do it for our beloved customers,” said Dave.
Through the website, customers can purchase a meal plan for one, two or four weeks. They can also choose the number of meals they want a week. A meal can cost between $7.50 and $8.50, depending on the plan.
“So, let's say you choose seven meals for two weeks, once you purchase, you'll get seven bill tokens into your account that you can use to schedule any day you like,” said Mahajan.
A token can be used to get any of the meals listed on their website.
Controlling costs, wastage
The platform has collaborated with 16 restaurants and independent chefs in Halifax and are hoping to add more. Some of the businesses currently offering meals through Mealful include Passage to India, Chef Abod Café and Catering, Backoos Korean Food, Al Hilal Meat Shop and Middle Eastern Cuisine, Freshii, and Pine House.
“It feels amazing to, you know, see people that are facing the same problems, as I did during my school years to to, you know, to be getting solutions … It's, it's truly a satisfying feeling. It makes me happy every day I wake up to work,”
- Deep Dave, Mealful co-founder
Dave said it was not difficult to convince businesses to work with them. The concept of bulk cooking, which Mealful relies on, has been used in catering for a long time. Mealful lets the restaurants and chefs know how many meals they need to prepare in advance, which helps them save on labour costs and decreases food waste.
Independent chefs who operate from cloud kitchens, which are delivery-only restaurants without a store front, can benefit from the startup, said Dave.
“We’re going to market them and help them build a brand. … We provide them with a logistics partner. We help them reach new customers around the city and handle deliveries for them. And on top of that, we promote their cooking, which is the best part.”
The platform also offers delivery twice a day.
“Using our … route optimization algorithm, we're able to do 10 to 15 more times deliveries than normal food delivery apps such as UberEATS and DoorDash which brings delivery costs significantly down which allows us to make food more affordable to our end customer,” said Dave.
He added that they make sure to pay their contracted delivery drivers a stable wage of $18 per hour.
Being international students, Mahajan and Dave had difficulties at the beginning understanding how things work in the Halifax business world.
With help from their mentors, they have found their footing and are hoping their startup will help find a solution to food insecurity in Halifax and beyond.
Mahajan and Dave are now applying for their work permits after graduating from Dalhousie University. They have also hired two people to support Mealful.
“It feels amazing to, you know, see people that are facing the same problems, as I did during my school years to to, you know, to be getting solutions … It's, it's truly a satisfying feeling. It makes me happy every day I wake up to work,” said Dave.
For more information on Mealful, you can visit their website at mealful.ca
Nebal Snan is a local journalism initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government.


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Location-based entertainment specialist Hologate is known for providing custom, small footprint multiplayer solutions to over 300 location worldwide. Today the company has announced its next venture, a 1,200+ m² immersive entertainment facility called Hologate World.
Set to become the company’s flagship location, Hologate World will be located at the FLAIR urban marketplace in Fürth, Germany. The entertainment space will house a bar, lounge with food service, indoor and outdoor gathering areas, and, of course, Hologate’s virtual reality (VR) hardware. Guests will be able to enjoy competitive esports experiences, escape rooms and some exclusive content which will debut at the opening.
“We are very excited to be partnering with P&P Group on this game-changing project. With the introduction and inclusion of fresh, never-before-seen, immersive entertainment options, alongside our iconic ARENA and BLITZ systems, and all within a large, socially-focused, fun-for-everyone space, Hologate World presents the next level of immersive location-based entertainment for Hologate and the industry as a whole,” reflects Leif Petersen, Hologate CEO and Founder in a statement.
“Our goal with FLAIR is to create a dynamic social experience and to generate maximum attendance through the numerous offers. In addition to an excellent mix of tenants and innovative gastronomy concepts, we were looking for the ultimate entertainment highlight for this vibrant lifestyle location in the heart of the city. With Hologate World, we have found it and can thus offer a new, incomparable attraction that is globally one of a kind,” states Michael Peter, P&P Group CEO and Owner.
Currently, FLAIR Fürth is scheduled to open on 16th September 2021, with 18,000 m² filled with 60 stores, restaurants, cafés and service providers like Hologate World.
Hologate has not only been driving LBE adoption but in 2020 the company partnered with Cleanbox to create new Hygiene and Safety Standards for the industry in light of COVID-19. For further Hologate updates, keep reading VRFocus.


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- Distell challenged its competitor SAB about its labeling of Brutal Fruit Sparkling Ruby Apple Spritzer.
- SAB has agreed to replace “alcoholic fruit blend” with "ale" - but only by mid-December, due to the disruption of the second alcohol ban.
- This was not good enough for SA's advertising watchdog.
- For more articles, go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.
SA Breweries has until end-November to change the labels on its Brutal Fruit Sparkling Ruby Apple Spritzer product, SA’s advertising watchdog ruled.
Its competitor Distell challenged SAB about the wording on its labels – saying that it is simply an “apple flavoured beer”, not an “alcoholic fruit blend” as is claimed:
Distell contends that SAB can’t use “alcohol fruit blend” on the labels as it too closely resembled “alcoholic fruit beverage”, which according to the law must be produced by the alcoholic fermentation of fruit juice. An “alcoholic apple beverage” – which can also be a called cider - can only be produced by the alcoholic fermentation of apple juice (or with the addition of up to 25% pear juice or alcoholic pear beverage).
Distell says that the Brutal Fruit Sparkling Ruby Apple Spritzer is not alcoholic fermentation of fruit juice, but rather beer which has been flavoured with 6% apple juice.
SAB fought back, saying that the label was not misleading and described the product: which is ruby coloured, sparkling, alcoholic and contains 6% reconstituted apple juice.
However, at the end of June, it undertook to Distell to scrap the phrase “alcoholic fruit blend” and include the word "ale" by September 2020.
But that was before the second alcohol ban, announced mid-July. Given that it now had to contend with more unsold stock and labels, SAB said it would only be able to adopt the new labels by December 18th – four months after the lifting of the ban in August. (And assuming that there won’t be any further bans on alcohol sales.)
Distell then turned to the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB), to force SAB to adopt the new labels earlier.
SAB said that this was “an unnecessarily aggressive approach”, and that there wasn’t that much urgency given that the product has been on the market since 2018, without any complaints.
While the ARB was satisfied with SAB’s approach to change the labels, it found that December 18th would be too late – given that it would by then be nearly six months after it initially undertook to implement the changes.
“The only motivation offered by the Advertiser was that the product has not attracted any other complaints despite being in trade for more than 18 months, that it was caught offguard by the most recent ban on alcohol sales, and that it was unwilling to destroy labels currently in its possession,” the ARB found.
It ruled that the new labels should be adopted by November 28th – three months after its ruling, and that its members are advised to not accept the current packaging and labelling after that date.
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E3 might not be happening this year, but Summer Game Fest kicked off on Thursday and today is arguably its biggest event: the Xbox and Bethesda games showcase.
We already got some news on the company’s cloud gaming TV app early this week, and today we’re hoping to hear more about Starfield and Redfall — two Bethesda games that have been delayed into 2023. It’d be nice to get some more news on Elder Scrolls VI, which was announced almost exactly four years ago.
Away from Bethesda, Microsoft has a bunch of exclusives we’re waiting to hear more on.
Given it’s Xbox, there’s a 99-percent chance we’ll hear something about Halo as well. The stream is available on Twitch and YouTube, or you can watch it in the embed below.


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For higher or worse, what as soon as appeared magical—the web and its offspring—has change into ubiquitous. Now one other digital innovation is starting to really feel loads like social media did a decade in the past. Cryptocurrency’s advocates say it should change the worldwide financial system and earn cash extra personal and extra honest. What may presumably go unsuitable?
A decade after crypto’s invention, many individuals can’t resolve if it’s actual cash. (It’s.) However the world of digital cash is the Wild West and the Gold Rush suddenly. Anybody can invent a foreign money and strike it huge in the event that they rent a couple of programmers.
Crypto guarantees to fund new world economies—or unleash contemporary means of extortion, cash laundering and monetary scams. There’s an attractive view that crypto may pull the growing world into 21st-century commerce, enabling hundreds of thousands to emerge from poverty. It may imply entry to money and loans in components of Africa, as an example, the place banks don’t function however cell telephones—the one device essential to commerce crypto—are widespread. “Africa has casual economies—plenty of issues are accomplished peer to see,” says Akin Sawyerr, who performs a governance function for a digital foreign money known as Decred. He imagines folks in distant villages establishing and increasing companies.
Cryptocurrencies additionally attraction to these seeking to skirt present monetary-control programs. “What if governments are now not the last word arbiters?” asks Meltem Demirors, an government at CoinShares, which oversees greater than $500 million in digital belongings. Whereas I choose my currencies carefully monitored and managed, it’s simple to see the potential in crypto secrecy. Transferring funds throughout borders is fraught with paperwork and charges. International locations with weak currencies may achieve muscle. The Bahamas, as an example, is testing its personal digital foreign money, known as Sand Greenback, which it hopes will assist those that dwell in distant areas by offering dependable entry to banking in addition to assist battle crime by reforming a monetary system that’s been stricken by cash laundering.
We’re in a interval not not like the Arab Spring, that naive period when many believed the web would make the world freer and higher knowledgeable. Fanatics are going all in. House consumers are putting down funds with Bitcoin. Others are shopping for Lamborghinis and tremendous artwork with it, spending it on PayPal. Constancy’s Digital Property arm now gives crypto buying and selling to institutional traders.
However there are a number of causes all this could elevate the hairs on our arms.
First, the markets are notably unstable. Bitcoin’s 70 p.c market share ought to make it the gold customary for stability. But in 2019, the value of 1 Bitcoin tripled to nearly $13,000, then fell to about $7,000. Swings like that would convey a nationwide financial system to its knees.
Second, cryptocurrencies are rife with scandals. In 2014, hackers managed to steal $450 million value of crypto cash from Mt. Gox, a Tokyo-based cryptocurrency change. Then there’s Gerald Cotten, the founding father of QuadrigaCX, a Canadian crypto. Cotten died unexpectedly in 2018, taking to his grave the passwords for his purchasers’ belongings, presumably as a lot as $250 million. Ernst & Younger auditors mentioned Quadriga hadn’t maintained even fundamental accounting data. In December, traders demanded the exhumation of Cotten’s physique to show he actually is lifeless and never residing the life within the Caymans.
Lastly, there’s future affect. Mark Zuckerberg has proposed a coin that Fb would management. How we oversee these currencies, starting now, will play a essential function in who steers wealth and economies within the years forward. Do we actually need tech CEOs on the helm? Demirors says tech corporations are in the perfect place to achieve management as a result of they’ve the networks, engineers and information. “Tech corporations will change into financial-service corporations,” she says. “The concept of them having all our monetary information is terrifying.”
But sitting this out appears a poor choice. One among my intents this month is to purchase some Bitcoin. I take a look at it as investment-portfolio diversification. Additionally, I don’t need to be ignored. As I’ve procrastinated, the value of Bitcoin has yo-yoed. I’ll have to only shut my eyes and leap.


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31 Oct 2017
Quarterly sales and income hit all-time highs as customers in China and Europe drive fiber laser demand.
IPG Photonics’ sales of fiber lasers have risen sharply once again, with the Massachusetts company beating its own expectations and setting a new quarterly revenue record of $393 million in the three months ending September 30.
That total, driven by what CEO Valentin Gapontsev described as a “secular shift” to high-power products, represents a 48 per cent rise on the same period last year, and means that IPG has already posted sales exceeding $1 billion in only the first nine months of 2017.
IPG’s senior executive team highlighted how sales of fiber lasers delivering a power of 6 kilowatt or more had doubled year-on-year, thanks to customers looking for greater productivity in cutting and welding applications.
The boom was reflected strongly on the bottom line too, with Gapontsev reporting net income of $116 million – up 67 per cent year-on-year – alongside news that full-year sales are now expected to be nearly 40 per cent higher than the 2016 total of $1.01 billion.
If that increase in full-year guidance is proved correct, it would represent IPG’s biggest rise in annual sales for six years, Gapontsev told investors. While rapid sales growth in the key Chinese market will have been widely expected, a jump of around 50 per cent in European sales, where 3D printing was a significant driver, appeared to back up claims of wider economic recovery in the region.
And despite the CEO’s warning that a slowdown in spending related to consumer electronics production would put the brakes on growth in the closing quarter of the year, investors reacted positively, sending IPG’s stock up to $215 on the Nasdaq exchange - more than double its valuation at the start of the year, and now equivalent to a market capitalization of over $11 billion.
Gapontsev highlighted demand for lasers across cutting, welding and 3D printing applications, as overall sales of high-power sources rose 60 per cent on last year’s equivalent figure. Demand from consumer electronics production applications was behind a doubling in sales of IPG’s “quasi-continuous-wave (QCW)” laser shipments.
Taking the drop in average selling prices into account, the CEO estimated that unit sales were up by as much as 70 per cent year-on-year – providing IPG with an ongoing challenge to meet customer demand.
Gapontsev said that thanks to its ability to source all key parts internally, the company had achieved that without any increase to lead times, which are said to have remained at around six weeks.
While neither he or CFO Tim Mammen is prepared to predict a precise rate of growth in 2018 at this point, Gapontsev remains confident of a substantial further uptick in business and is preparing to invest heavily once again to meet demand.
The CEO expects sales of laser systems and ultraviolet fiber lasers to take off next year, but sees a slower ramp of ultrafast sources for industrial applications.
Gapontsev says that the current market for such lasers is limited by the continued high price of sources he describes as too bulky and complex to be truly “industrial grade”. IPG is seeking to remedy that with its own line of ultrafast fiber lasers, with the CEO confidently predicting another “revolution” once the company is able to force down prices to a level suitable for mass penetration.
That could be in two or three years’ time, with IPG looking to ship tens of thousands of ultrafast units per year in the longer term.
Despite the huge rise in sales over recent years, Gapontsev and Mammen still believe that lasers in general – and fiber lasers in particular – have lots of headroom to grow into in the machine tool space, which they say remains dominated by old materials processing technology.
Although data in the field is sketchy, Mammen indicated that lasers have still only penetrated around 15 per cent of the overall market for machine tools, and that as the price of IPG’s lasers continues to drop the more advanced technology will start replacing antiquated punch-and-press equipment.
Gapontsev continues to regard the automotive market as an “enormous opportunity”, with additional momentum from the growing move to electric vehicles as cities look to phase out petrol and diesel engines, alongside wider adoption of lower-bodyweight cars made from aluminum and high-strength steels.
“It isn’t just the batteries, and it’s not just the bodies – we will benefit from both,” Mammen told investors, with applications such as fine cutting and welding of battery casings coming to the fore.
“It’s a huge opportunity for laser technologies,” Gapontsev added.


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Passer à la section
One of the core content themes of our first-ever annual Operations Calling™ conference in September was around the new and evolving “ecosystem” — more specifically the idea that open ecosystems are the future of manufacturing.
From the Partner Pavilion that featured demos from 22 of our amazing Technology Partners to the insightful talk tracks of various ecosystem-specific presentations, experiences across the conference highlighted the real-life value of a frontline operations ecosystem.
One particular session that truly dove into this topic was “Future-Proof Your Operations With an Ecosystem Approach,” which featured Patrick Harrigan, Head of Global Partnerships and Alliances at Tulip; Mark Freedman, Ecosystem Lead at Tulip; and Matt Lowe, CEO and Co-Founder of ZeroKey.
Throughout this presentation, the speakers discussed everything from the evolution of the ecosystem to real-life use cases.
Here are three key takeaways from the session:
1. Industrial Operations Ecosystems Are Here to Stay
As Harrigan pointed out at the beginning of the presentation, we need to look no further than the cell phones in our hands to see how various contributors — from phone manufacturers to service providers to app developers — can come together to form an invaluable ecosystem that makes our daily lives much easier.
“If you look at the synergies that exist in the human sector… the example being your cell phone, versus what exists when we talk about an ecosystem for industrial or industrial operations, it’s really night and day,” Harrigan explained. “So how do we begin to bridge that?”
An ecosystem for industrial operations can have many different types of contributors, but some core examples include providers of the following: hardware and software, data acquisition/IoT services, enterprise applications, and connectivity and infrastructure services. While this type of ecosystem is not a new concept, Harrigan stressed that now’s the time when it can be truly effective and have a real impact — particularly due to the ongoing disconnect between expectation and reality when it comes to digital transformation for manufacturers.
As of right now, there are a lot of facilities with under 100 employees that “don’t have huge budgets, that have to really bootstrap solutions together,” explained Harrigan. “They can’t just go to one big industrial vendor and say ‘give me everything you got.’ They have to get creative with ways to solve these problems. They have to use things that the company’s invested in over the previous decades, whether it’s software, hardware, or a mixture of both. And quite often, going into these Brownfield environments… this ecosystem concept is what will make them effective, efficient, and provide quicker time-to-value for their end users.”
By adopting an open ecosystem approach, organizations at every stage of the digital transformation spectrum can integrate their new and legacy solutions faster than ever — ultimately empowering them to alleviate or eliminate unnecessarily manual processes, and make more informed decisions with real-time data and extended production visibility.
2. The Future is Composable Content and Sharable Resources
As Freedman highlighted, another major value driver of an open ecosystem is the opportunity for knowledge-sharing across the industry.
“I’m sure you see this at the factories where you’re at, where you have some really skilled person who uses the tools that they’re comfortable with — that are available to them — to create solutions, but when this person retire[s]… [the team struggles] to make incremental improvements off [these tools],” he shared.
As Freedman called out, today’s process engineers want a community to lean on when looking for solutions to these types of operations problems, whether they’re struggling to figure out how a custom-built Andon system works or trying to determine what company makes an existing stack light in their facility.
With an infrastructure built for open protocols and collaboration, manufacturers across different industries can find, share, and contribute to use case-focused curated content, device-agnostic support materials, demos, templates, tutorials, and more. For instance, at Tulip, all of this type of content is freely searchable in the Library.
As an industry, we’re moving toward a world in which it’s easier than ever to share resources and engage in discussions about the latest challenges — and an open ecosystem is how we get there.
3. Ecosystems Are Already Providing Real Business Value
“One of the things I really want to underscore is this [ecosystem] isn’t some theoretical value, this isn’t some conceptual idea, this is reality — actually driving value in businesses today,” stressed Lowe as he introduced a case study in which a traditional supply chain company was able to transform their processes overnight.
As Lowe reported, the shared ZeroKey and Tulip customer was able to leverage a frontline application for their warehouse staff to achieve a 1.85 times faster order fulfillment rate with 80% fewer fulfillment errors.
“This is only possible because we were able to take Tulip [and] ZeroKey and connect them seamlessly there with their frontline staff and ultimately provide a solution to the customer that they were comfortable with, that they were able to intuitively use for their particular environment,” explained Lowe.
Highlighting the real-life value of solution ecosystems in practice, Lowe called out that “ZeroKey on its own probably wouldn’t have been able to overcome… the customer barrier, the customer friction to adoption of a solution like that.”
More Insights on the Ecosystem of the Future
Interested in learning more about the new tech stack and other key industry trends affecting the frontlines of operations? The “Future-Proof Your Operations With an Ecosystem Approach” presentation was just one of over 60 sessions included in Operations Calling 2023.
Watch Operations Calling™ on Demand
Access on-demand recordings of some of our favorite sessions from this year’s event.


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OAKLEY - Facing tough competition in a market saturated with aggressively marketed fad exercise machines such as the Bowflex and Ab Cruncher, the Chipotle Tortilla Press (CTP) has made an explosive debut in the specialty home exercise market.
The unlikely shift from the lackluster food preparation business marks the first time a food prep machine has successfully crossed over to the higher profit fitness industry. This successful crossover has prompted fitness marketerstoexploreother crossover possibilities such as gardening equipment and car maintenance devices.
Ads boast the CTP delivers a whole body workout by easily adjusting to exercise the legs, abs, and back using the patented Chipotle Super Hinge. In addition, the unit reportedly can be operated wherever there is a steam outlet which can be installed by a plumber after purchasing a large steam boiler and applying for the appropriate engineering permits.
Chipotle Associate Rosa Gutierrez (see photo) discovered the CPT at work and has purchased one for her apartment. For workouts in her car, Rosa also purchased the Mini-CPT which has a convenient car adapter.
The makers of CPT are currently offering a year supply of tortillas and a free carrying case with every purchase.


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Over the past eight years, the growth of consumer prices in the countries that belong to G20, decreased to a minimum. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing data from the Organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD).
Thus, experts have calculated the OECD, inflation in June 2016 was only 2%.
As the newspaper notes, lower values were observed in October 2009, when the index of price growth was at 1.7%.
We will remind, earlier the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has stated that in June inflation in annual terms has reached a peak this year, after which it is expected to be a gradual decline.


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By John Ryan2013-08-16T16:28:00
Tesco has unveiled three versions of its new generation Extra stores at Watford, Purley and Coventry over the past few weeks which are, in subtle ways, all different. Retail Week takes a look at the differences.
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Oculus Quest 2 might function physique monitoring sooner or later
While the Oculus Quest 2 is already one of the best VR headsets around, a recent update to Meta’s Unity development resources point to plans to make the affordable headset more competitive with high-end devices. An option for ‘Body Tracking Support’ was found by UploadVR, listed within the Oculus SDK – a page that was quickly removed after the leak had been spotted.
Full body tracking does exactly what it says on the tin, and is already employed by premium HTC Vive headsets through separate Vive Trackers. However, the technology is yet to filter down to mainstream headsets like the Oculus Quest and PlayStation VR – though there are rumors of the system heading to PSVR 2.
(Image credit: UploadVR)
Oculus Quest 2 isn’t currently set up to offer full body tracking, though – with only head mounted sensors available. Meta may be planning on releasing its own body tracking add-on in a vein similar to that of HTC, or we could be looking at some early features heading our way in the next Oculus Quest 3.
The Oculus Quest 2 is just over a year old now, and other than a new 128GB model hasn’t had a significant feature update or peripheral release in its lifetime. That said, with all signs pointing to Oculus Quest 3 being firmly on the horizon, it’s likely that Meta will be keeping its biggest developments for the next evolution of its virtual reality empire.
If you’re keen to get started with the world of virtual reality, check out the latest Oculus Quest 2 deals available right now. For something to run a more high-end system, though, we’d recommend checking out the best gaming laptops and the best gaming PCs on the market.
Today’s best VR headset deals


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The face of the brand Gerber (one of the largest companies in the world of baby food) was a year and a half Lucas Warren, according to Time. “Amazing smile of Lucas and his cheerfulness conquered our hearts,” said company President bill Partyka.
Lucas was selected from more than 140 thousand applicants. For winning the competition, the boy and his parents will receive a prize of 50 thousand dollars. Now Lucas Warren will advertise the company’s products Gerber throughout 2018.
“Every year we choose a child who best demonstrates the long legacy of Gerber and Lucas is perfect for this role, – said the President of the company bill Partyka, amazing smile Lucas and his cheerfulness conquered our hearts”.
Father Lucas, Jason Warren didn’t hold back tears when he learned that his son would become famous all over the world. “Like any father, I want my child to go to learn and succeed in life,” he said. Jason said that the prize money will be spent on the education of Lucas.
Previously, we reported that 22-year-old Mikayla Holmgren from Stillwater, Minnesota, became the first person with a disability who participated in the contest “Miss USA”. Girl with down syndrome became a participant of the contest “Miss Minnesota” – the regional stage on the way to the final of the contest “Miss USA”.
We also wrote about how participation in the models with down syndrome became one of the highlights of Petite Fashion Week in Madrid. Children with down syndrome appeared on the catwalk together with their normal peers.


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The powerful Shark stick vacuum stands up to kids, pets and more – and it’s currently 30% off
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Erin Cavoto is the associate commerce editor at BabyCenter, the world's number one digital parenting resource. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she enjoys trying new recipes, adding to her bookshelves, and volunteering at a cat cafe. She’s excited to create content that will help parents and parents-to-be find the best products.


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Amazon recently held its annual Prime Day Sale and the company stated it was its biggest shopping day in the platform’s history, with sales well above what the retailer says it experienced during Boxing Day 2016.
If you’re still looking for deals, Amazon and select sellers have cut the cost of a number of Class 10 microSD cards from SanDisk, Lexar, Polaroid, Verbatim, and Samsung.
- SanDisk 256 GB Ultra microSDXC UHS-I/Class 10 for $225.19 (Savings of $34.80)
- Lexar Professional 633x 128GB SDXC UHS-I Card for $59.99 (Savings of $14.00)
- Sandisk Extreme Pro 64 GB Class 10 UHS-I 95 Mbps for $59.94 (Savings of $15.06)
- 32GB Ultra Fast Micro SD Card, U3 Class 10 UHS-1 SDHC Memory Card with Adapter for $20.99 (Savings of $9.00)
- Samsung 32GB EVO Class 10 Micro SDHC upto 48MB/S with Adapter for $22.49 (Savings of $2.51)
- Verbatim 32GB Tablet microSDHC Memory Card, UHS-1 Class 10 for $23.28 (Savings of $8.72)
- Kingston Digital 64GB MicroSDXC Class 10 Flash Card for $35.99 (Savings of $14.00)
- Sandisk Extreme Pro 128 GB MicroSDXC Memory Card Plus SD Adapter for $107.99 (Savings of $42.01)
- SanDisk 64GB Ultra Class 10 Micro SDXC up to 48MB/s with Adapter for $35.99 (Savings of $9.50)
- Sandisk Extreme Pro 64 GB Class 10 UHS-I 95 Mbps Read U3 V30 for $59.94 (Savings of $15.06)
Source: Amazon Canada
MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships and at times we include these link in our posts. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.


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The other 2% of customer funds, held online, are covered in the event of a breach of Coinbase's online storage. Also, Coinbase holds all customer fiat currency in custodial bank accounts, on behalf of customers. So, if you have fiat currency in Coinbase, in a USD wallet, it is covered by FDIC insurance up to $250,000 (just like a "regular" bank). This protects customer assets (so long as they have been converted to fiat currency) even in the event of Coinbase becoming insolvent.
don’t use coinbase. They held my funds and I couldn’t use my bitcoins until their value dropped by 1/4. this company is awful. I verified my ID, bank account, email, and everything and they lied and said initially it takes 3-4 days for funds to be available. once the bought the bitcoin they said it will take one week. and that is still a lie because after one week the funds are NOT available. liars !!!!
CCN.com, also known as CCN Markets, is a news site reporting on U.S. Markets, Gaming & Sports. Op-eds and opinions should not be attributed to CCN Markets. Journalists on CCN Markets follow a strict ethical code that you can find here. You can contact us here. You can read more about us here. Find our journalists here. U.S. Office: New Jersey, USA. Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Youtube.
Coinbase requires you to link a bank account, or credit or debit card to your Coinbase account to purchase cryptocurrencies. Using a bank account allows for higher limits ($100/transaction, $2,500/week), but it also takes longer to verify transactions, so you will not see money in your Coinbase wallet for two to four days (depending on your bank). And when selling Bitcoin, once the sale is confirmed, it takes two to four days for the proceeds of that sale to show up in your bank account. With a credit or debit card, limits are lower ($200/week), but you can purchase digital currencies by simply transferring funds from that bank account to the site. For these transactions, Bitcoin shows up in your Coinbase wallet instantaneously. You can also sell Bitcoin to your PayPal account, effectively cashing out, as your Bitcoin will be exchanged for local currency. This transaction, too, is instantaneous.
Coinbase has two core products: a Global Digital Asset Exchange (GDAX) for trading a variety of digital assets on its professional asset trading platform, and a user-facing retail broker of Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ether, Ethereum Classic, and Litecoin for fiat currency. It also offers an API for developers and merchants to build applications and accept payments in both digital currencies. As of 2018, the company offered buy/sell trading functionality in 32 countries, while the cryptocurrency wallet was available in 190 countries worldwide. On March 26, 2018, Coinbase announced their intention to add support for ERC-20 tokens.
Bitcoin is the world’s first cryptocurrency which works on a completely decentralized network known as the blockchain. The blockchain network consists a link of blocks that are secured using cryptography and record all the transactions. Bitcoin was first presented to the world in 2009 by an anonymous identity known as Satoshi Nakamoto. As Bitcoin works on a decentralized network, it is completely free from the involvement of third-party financial institutions or central banks. The Bitcoin blockchain facilitates instant peer-to-peer transactions at minimum transactions fees required to maintain the network. The total number of Bitcoins is fixed at 21 million with its smallest unit being referred to as Satoshi. Each Satoshi represents a hundred millionth part of Bitcoin which means that 100,000,000 Santoshi = 1 BTC. Additional Bitcoins are generated by a process known as mining. Bitcoins are mined by professional miners solving complex computational equations. For each Bitcoin mined, the miners are rewarded with either more coins or transaction fees. The miners also validate all transactions on the Bitcoin network as well as look after the network security. Bitcoin can be exchanged with fiat currencies or other digital currencies. There are over 100,000 merchants and vendors accepting Bitcoin all over the world.
Coinbase was founded in June 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam. Blockchain.info co-founder Ben Reeves was part of the original founding team but later parted ways with Armstrong due to a difference in how the Coinbase wallet should operate. The remaining founding team enrolled in the Summer 2012 Y Combinator startup incubator program. In October 2012, the company launched the services to buy and sell bitcoin through bank transfers. In May 2013, the company received a US$5 million Series A investment led by Fred Wilson from the venture capital firm Union Square Ventures. In December 2013, the company received a US$25 million investment, from the venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures (USV), and Ribbit Capital.
In 2014, the company grew to one million users, acquired the blockchain explorer service Blockr and the web bookmarking company Kippt, secured insurance covering the value of bitcoin stored on their servers, and launched the vault system for secure bitcoin storage. Throughout 2014, the company also formed partnerships with Overstock, Dell, Expedia, Dish Network, and Time Inc. allowing those firms to accept bitcoin payments. The company also added bitcoin payment processing capabilities to the traditional payment companies Stripe, Braintree, and PayPal.
Bitcoin (BTC) is the world’s first decentralized digital currency and payment system and is by far the most known and valuable cryptocurrency. It was created in 2009 by an anonymous person or group called Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin enables transactions to be sent peer-to-peer without passing through a central authority. The transactions are recorded on a decentralized public ledger called the blockchain and each payment acquires a small transaction fee to cover the cost of the network. The total supply of Bitcoin is 21 million and it’s smallest unit of bitcoin is called a Satoshi, it’s a hundred millionth of a bitcoin – 0.00000001 BTC. The creation of Bitcoin’s is happening through mining. Miners have the task to validate transactions and keep the network secure. Their efforts are rewarded by new minted Bitcoins and transactions fees. Bitcoin can be exchanged for fiat or other cryptocurrencies, products and services. Over 100,000 merchants and vendors accepts bitcoin as a payment.


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Pic Courtesy: etb2bimg
A mutual understanding has been established between India and Indonesia with the signing of a memorandum to interconnect their rapid payment systems, India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and its Indonesian equivalent. This linkage will enable cross-border transactions through these two systems, which are notably well-received in their home countries.
This agreement was inked by the Reserve Bank of India and Bank Indonesia at the third G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meet in Gandhinagar, India. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati were present as witnesses during the signing.
According to Sitharaman, the agreement will spur trade and investments between India and Indonesia. It is also anticipated to advance the application of local currencies for cross-border dealings.
The UPI is an immediate payment system that permits users to make instant transactions to businesses and individuals via their bank accounts. This system is the leading payment system in India, boasting over 500 million users.
The BI-Fast Payment System, launched in 2021, serves as the Indonesian equivalent to the UPI, providing real-time payment capabilities.
The integration of these two systems will make possible real-time cross-border transactions, trimming down costs and time associated with international payments. It is also set to simplify cross-country trade for businesses and individuals.
The pact between India and Indonesia is part of a wider initiative to encourage the use of domestic currencies in cross-border transactions to minimize dependence on the US dollar and foster financial stability.
This progressive step of India and Indonesia towards strengthening cross-border payment systems in the region holds immense potential to stimulate trade and investments, and to encourage the use of domestic currencies in cross-border dealings.


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Microsoft Unveils Windows 10, HoloLens, and Surface Hub at Highly Anticipated Jan. 21st Event
On Wednesday at its campus in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft unveiled the much-awaited Windows 10. The software giant also introduced an intriguing HoloLens hologram device and a massive smart whiteboard called the Surface Hub. We've got the scoop on all this below:
The Surface Hub is an Awesome Smart Whiteboard
What exactly is a “smart whiteboard,” you ask? Think of an 84-inch tablet with a 4k resolution. It is intended to serve as an enterprise product geared towards businesses that need the best smart technology for their conferences and presentations. The Surface Hub comes equipped with some nice speakers, a high-quality built-in camera, and of course it is WiFi-capable as any smaller tablet would be.
Free Windows 10 Upgrade Confirmed But No Release Date Given
Microsoft also confirmed the rumor that users of Windows 7 or 8.1 would be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free within the first year. We assume this means that other Windows users will have to wait until next year to get the upgrade for free, or they may have to purchase Windows 10 outright.
For now, there's always the Windows 10 Technical Preview available for free, and you can run that in a virtual machine if you want to get a sneak peek of what the new operating system can do.
Unfortunately, Microsoft still did not give an official release date for Windows 10, nor did we get a release date for the awesome HoloLens goggles that are expected to come out this year as well. Fortunately, you can get a sneak peak of the headset in action by checking out Wired's hands-on with the HoloLens, and there should be new Windows 10 builds released in the coming months as well.
The new browser called Spartan
A couple weeks ago we covered a leak about the features of Microsoft's next-generation web browser Spartan, which will replace the struggling Internet Explorer in Windows 10. The goal with this new browser is to create a web surfing experience that feels similar across all devices, from smartphones to laptops to desktops. Microsoft apparently wants mobile users to utilize their mobile browsers just as often as desktop users browse the web.
Currently, mobile browsers act and look very different from desktop browsers (they're minimalistic in comparison), and because so many people find it easier to navigate the full desktop version of a website, most choose to use their desktop browser far more often than their mobile browser.
The Spartan browser is an attempt to unify the experience so that companies don't have to produce limited mobile versions of their site and visitors don't have to be using a laptop or desktop to access certain areas of the site. Overall, the philosophy is that mobile users should be able to enjoy a web that is as full-featured as the internet they see on their PC, all under the umbrella of Windows 10 of course.
HoloLens Steals the Show
One of the most exciting announcements was the confirmation that Windows 10 will indeed be able to run on nearly all modern devices. While most of us expected the operating system itself to be the main topic of discussion at the event (and for the most part it was), surprisingly enough, an entirely different device came to steal the show with the illustrious power of holographic imagery.
The revolutionary new HoloLens headgear (which will also run on Windows 10) can project holograms onto a lens in your goggles, giving the appearance that the projections are actually holograms existing in the world around you. This may disappoint some people who were expecting to see full-blown holograms in their living rooms, but still, it makes for one extremely interesting mixed reality device – mixed reality combines virtual reality and augmented reality.
There is no keyboard, mouse, joystick, or any other tangible control unit; the holographic computer is completely wireless and utilizes only hand and voice gestures for control. So developers will ave to make sure they get the controls perfect before releasing it to the public, as the user won't be able to resort to using a secondary input device (like a keyboard) if they're unable to properly command HoloLens.
The user can use HoloLens as a holographic phonepad, watch holographic televisions, and design and create 3D holographic objects. The HoloLens is even compatible with 3D printers, so you'll be able to print your holographic creations as well. It will be interesting to see what modern architects will be able to do with a combination of holographic headsets and 3D printers in the near future. Recently, the first 3D-printed apartment building was constructed in China.
There was also news that there will be holographic versions of Minecraft and Skype, and of course it will be very interesting to follow the development of holographic games. Exploring maps, interacting with images, and viewing online media would all be completely new experiences with holograms, which give the viewer the impression that they can reach out and touch the projected object in front of them.
In the long-term, holographic devices may even prove to be more useful than the more immersive, enveloping, and obstructive virtual reality headsets, as holograms have been shown to produce highly accurate imagery (take this Tupac hologram concert for example).
So far, 2015 is shaping up to be a tremendous year in tech. There's the gradual advent of wearables and virtual reality with the upcoming iWatch and Oculus Rift on the horizon. Then there's a slew of new 3D printers and even worthy glasses-free 3D displays coming out as well. To top it all off, Microsoft is going all out and crossing device platforms in Windows, while also introducing one of the first powerful consumer holographic products in commercial technology. The combination of virtual reality, holograms, and a headset like HoloLens entering into society, could catapult us into a future sci-fi-like existence a lot sooner than you might imagine.


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Finale Trailer Released for Life Is Strange, Launches October 20
Life is Strange is a popular episodic series released by Square Enix earlier this year. Four episodes have been released so far, with the fifth and final installment now scheduled for an October 20, 2015 release date. Since it debuted in January, the series has surpassed over one million sales to date.
The final episode is titled ‘Polarized’ and a launch trailer has been unveiled ahead of the release. Check it out below:
Max learns that time is impossible to control as she moves inexorably towards the most agonising decision of her life. Arcadia Bay, meanwhile, is preparing to weather a huge storm as Life is Strange comes to a gripping and gut wrenching conclusion.
Life is Strange is available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


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The recent coronavirus outbreak in China is certainly cause for concern. Many in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, as well as the surrounding province of Hubei, are staying indoors. And given the high contagiousness of the virus, traffic in public places in all major Chinese cities is bound to be muted for some time.
That will probably affect many retailers, and not only those based in China. Many U.S., European, and global retailers have a significant customer bases in China, whose rapid growth has driven global consumption ever since the global financial crisis.
Thus, the traffic slowdown could very well dent the results of the following top retailers, at least in the near term. However, any short-term sell-off is likely to prove a huge buying opportunity for Foolish long-term investors. Keep a watch on these three best-in-class names in February for further buying opportunities.
While foot traffic is likely to dent overall Chinese economic growth, it may ironically help the already booming e-commerce sector in the country. Think about it -- if you can't go out of your apartment, you're still going to need food, clothes, electronics, and other items. Out of necessity, Chinese citizens are probably on their phones, perusing top e-commerce sites right now.
That could greatly benefit a name like JD.com (JD 1.84%).
Unlike its pure platform competitors, JD's model has been to own its entire logistics chain and all of its own inventory. That has historically given the company lower margins than competitor Alibaba (BABA -1.23%), and also required huge investments to build out JD's warehouse footprint and technology capabilities. However, last quarter, JD's margins grew, as the company may now be reaping the fruits of all that prior investment. And in these troubled times, consumers are likely to flock to the high-quality goods and speedy delivery times JD is known for.
JD.com also has plenty going on in 2020, from the potential IPO of JD Logistics, the recent launch of group discount-buying site Jingxi, and the launch other technology services.
Though the coronavirus may dent physical retail traffic, JD.com recently reported a big surge in online orders during the outbreak in Wuhan and is using technology and best-in-class capabilities to satisfy the surge. If JD can perform amid difficult conditions, it may win over even more additional customers on top of last quarter's impressive 9.6% year-over-year customer growth.
An American retailer that may be rather exposed to a coronavirus slowdown is Starbucks (SBUX 1.55%). Starbucks has had a great 18-month run in its stock but has leveled off more recently.
China is Starbucks' other key market besides the United States. In fact, under new CEO Kevin Johnson, the company has basically sold off most of its non-core markets to franchisees and doubled down on China, the market with the most growth potential. Obviously, coronavirus puts Starbucks at risk in the near term because its core value proposition is its "third place" community coffee house and meeting ground.
In response to the crisis, Starbucks decided to temporarily close more than 2,000 stores in China, or about half its 4,292-store Chinese footprint. To get a sense of how much Starbucks is investing in China, that store count alone was up 16% year over year last quarter.
As was the case with JD, however, Starbucks' delivery capabilities may bail it out of the coronavirus blues. The company inked a partnership with Alibaba's Ele.me delivery unit last year to capitalize on the strong demand for coffee delivery in the country. However, last quarter, delivery made up only 9% of Starbucks' revenue, and it covers only 80% of Starbucks' store footprint. Therefore, delivery alone probably won't completely make up for lost store sales.
Nevertheless, on the recent conference call with analysts, management reaffirmed that the outbreak effect will be temporary and also reiterated its long-term forecast for double-digit growth in China. Management also said it would have raised full-year 2020 guidance if not for the outbreak, based on strong results last quarter. While Starbucks shares haven't been too badly dinged, should shares meaningfully drop in February, shareholders may wish to pick up some marked-down Starbucks stock for the long term.
LVMH Moet Hennessy
Over the past decade, the rise of affluent consumers in China has made up a significant portion of growth in luxury goods market. Thus, coronavirus also has the potential to hurt sales of luxury retailers in the country. For investors looking for opportunity, one of the highest-quality, most diversified luxury retailers around is LVMH Moet Hennessy (LVMUY 0.34%).
LVMH is a conglomerate of luxury brands, from its trademark Louis Vuitton handbags to Dom Perignon champagne and Hennessy cognac, Christian Dior perfume, Bvlgari and Tag Heuer watches, and cosmetics retailer Sephora, among others. Though it doesn't break out China revenue specifically, LVMH derived 30% of its revenue from Asia, ex-Japan, in 2019. However, Asia was also the highest-growth geography in 2019, up 14% ex-currency on the year.
At the end of last year, LVMH also agreed to buy Tiffany (TIF) in December, and Tiffany shareholders voted in favor of the acquisition Feb. 4. Though the acquisition was seemingly expensive, investors cheered the buy anyway, as Tiffany certainly makes a great strategic fit in LVMH's portfolio.
LVMH tends to garner high multiples in the market, as its brands cater to a very rich client base and tend to be insulated from economic downturns. Moreover, pricing power tends to enable LVMH's brands to grow revenue most of the time. In 2019, LVMH grew revenue 15% overall, though 3% was from favorable currency.
Any large retailer growing at that rate is very impressive, and the recent addition of Tiffany should add another leg of growth to LVMH's future. LVMH is down about 5% since the coronavirus scare began, but as was the case with Starbucks, investors should be at the ready to pounce on any further sell-off.


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Let the Good Times Roll: 7 More Years of No Internet Tax
October 26, 2007 1:59 PM
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Congress and the House decided once more to not tax the Internet!
The U.S. Congress and Senate once again agreed to a bipartisan resolution that extends the Internet tax moratorium.
The highly debated issue saw strong support for keeping the Internet tax free from both those in the industry and from grass roots movements. ISPs strongly opposed any sort of taxation as it would hurt their revenues by driving away customers. Users, who joined movements such as the "Don't Tax Our Web Coalition," did not want to be taxed either, as taxation would likely mean higher service charges.
A tax moratorium was originally instituted in 1998 Internet Tax Freedom Act. It was extended twice already, in 2001 and 2004, but has not been permanently passed into law.
The house and senate disagreed on the exact length to ban taxation. The House passed a resolution calling for a four year ban. The Senate wanted a seven year ban. Both legislative bodies saw strong bipartisan support for some kind of ban, though.
Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) was enthusiastic about the tax moratorium. He elaborated:
"The Internet has provided a powerful economic boost to our nation,and has become an important everyday tool for millions of Americans. By keeping Internet access tax-free and affordable,Congress can encourage Internet use for distance learning,telemedicine, commerce and other important services."
Sadly, the internet is not entirely tax free. The IRS is
pushing a proposal
as part of this year's budget proposal to track user income made on sites such as eBay. They plan to use this information to adjust people's income accordingly.
The proposal for extension of the 1998 Internet Tax Freedom Act will now go to a panel composed of House and Senate members which will iron out the differences between the House and Senate's passed proposals and submit a single proposal to the President.
Should the Internet be tax free? The answer according to the public seems to be overwhelming yes. However, your income from private Internet sales soon will be taxable.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
10/26/2007 3:25:59 PM
Even if they don't tax it now,there will come a day when the vast majority of the population will rely on internet for most of their everyday activities.And then,the way will be open for taxation,so let's enjoy it while it lasts...:P
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Nike released a commercial on Wednesday that looked like it was an ad campaign for the upcoming Olympics, but if you look closely, it has no direct relation to the games at all!
Since Nike is not an official sponsor of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, unlike their rival, adidas, who paid millions of dollars to sponsor the games, they are not allowed to mention the London Games or use any imagery related to the Olympic Rings.
Nike was then forced to get creative. They launched their Find Your Greatness campaign, which features athletes participating in sports such as soccer, swimming and running in places all around the world called London, except for the one in England.
The campaign is very clever and we love the message behind it! Check it out above!


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Students donate proceeds to charity
Forget The Parks Mall. Ditto Elementary School was the place to shop last Saturday.
Mini-entrepreneurs – aka Ditto third through sixth graders – filled the cafeteria with their budding businesses and offered all kinds of products and services for sale to the public.
There were jewelry stores, homemade juice bars, a coffee shop, sweet treats, art, candles, a car wash and even a booth where you could have musicians sing the song of your choice.
The third-annual Kidtrepreneur event was the culmination of lessons and a project on free market enterprise. Students planned a business, created products or services and then launched their businesses at the event. The project helped the students learn valuable problem-solving skills, conflict resolution, customer service skills, handling of finances, expenses vs. profit ratio and charitable giving.
“We had a phenomenal turnout,” said Ana Pinson, the Ditto third-grade teacher who spearheads the event. “Students showed up eager to represent their businesses with their family members right there to support and cheer them on. The community also showed up to support our Ditto Kidtrepreneurs! There were so many smiles and awesome experiences.”


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduced a humanoid robot called Optimus at the electric vehicle maker’s “AI Day” event on September 30.
The important thing is that Optimus will cost much less than a car.
According to The Guardian, the billionaire said the robot business would be worth more than cars and hopes to expand the business market beyond driverless vehicles, an area he has not yet realized despite repeated promises.
During the unveiling, a prototype of the Optimus robot walked onto the stage and waved to the audience. At the same time, the screen also showed a video of the robot lifting a box, watering plants and moving metal bars in the factory.
“Our goal is to create a useful humanoid robot as quickly as possible. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to refine Optimus and prove it,” said Elon Musk.
Mr Musk said current humanoid robots are “brainless” and they don’t have the intelligence to navigate the world on their own. They are also very expensive so they are produced in small quantities.
Tesla introduced a humanoid robot called Optimus at the electric vehicle maker’s “AI Day” event on September 30. (Photo: Reuters)
But Optimus will be an “extremely capable robot”, in the future will be produced in very large numbers, around millions of robots and is expected to cost much less than a car, ie. less than $20,000.
According to Reuters, Tesla said the company developed a robot prototype in February of this year. Representatives of Musk and Tesla acknowledge that there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve the goal of mass production of low-cost robots, using technology designed by Tesla that can replace humans at work.
Other automakers, including Toyota Motor and Honda Motor, have developed humanoid robot prototypes capable of doing complex things like playing basketball, and production robots from ABB and others are the mainstay. mainstay of automobile production.
But Tesla is alone in driving the market opportunity for residential robots and factory use.
A next-generation Tesla robot, moved by employees onto the stage, uses Tesla-designed components, including a 2.3 kWh battery pack, a system of chips and actuators to control the components. . The designed robot weighs 73 kg.
“This robot can’t move yet. But I think it will be able to walk in a few weeks,” Musk said.
According to Elon Musk, this event is to detail the process of Tesla designing the robotic hand and using simulated collision technology to test the ability of the robot to fall onto the face of the robot without breaking.
Musk said mass deployment of robots has the potential to “transform civilization” and create “a future of wealth, a future free of poverty”. But he believes it’s important for Tesla shareholders to be able to check the company’s operations.
“If I go crazy, the company can fire me. This is important,” Musk said.
Tesla also discussed its long-delayed self-driving technology at the event. Engineers working on self-driving car software describe how they designed the software to choose actions, such as when to merge into traffic, and how they sped up the computer-aided design process.
In May, Musk said that the world’s most valuable automaker would “be worth essentially zero” if it didn’t achieve full self-driving capabilities and faced technological hurdles.
Musk said he hopes Tesla will achieve full self-driving capabilities this year and mass-produce robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals by 2024.
At an “Autonomy” event in 2019, Musk promised 1 million robots by 2020 but has yet to deliver such a vehicle.


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Save yourself the trip to Washington, D.C. — as if anyone wants to be closer to the heart of American politics right now — and book a table at the New York City pop-up of one of its most popular restaurants, The Dabney.
Owner/chef Jeremiah Langhorne has brought his restaurant — and staff! — to the city for a three-month residency at Nolita’s Chefs Club called The Dabney NYC.
“We are trying to bring the most important aspects of the restaurant to a new space and audience,” Langhorne says. “We have focused on making the experience for diners similar to the one at The Dabney in D.C. by doing things like bringing in our same plateware and similar décor and crafting similar menu items.”
Trained in Charleston by Sean Brock, the chef who kicked off a Southern food renaissance in 2010 at his restaurant Husk, Langhorne has received similar accolades for reviving Mid-Atlantic cuisine at The Dabney, which the Washington Post chronicled in a 10-part series. The restaurant earned a Michelin star in its first year.
Langhorne gets much of his inspiration from historic cookbooks with an emphasis on foraging — a product of his apprenticeship at Copenhagen’s now-legendary Noma restaurant — and seasonal produce from local farms.
“To me, Mid-Atlantic cuisine is all about showcasing the amazing farmers and producers in our region, whether that means fish, produce, pork, cheese, you name it,” he says. “The geography of the Mid-Atlantic encompasses the Chesapeake Bay, Appalachian Mountains and plains of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, so that creates an enormous range and bounty of products that we are able to utilize.”
At The Dabney NYC, expect some of Langhorne’s signature dishes and a few New York-inspired additions. Fried catfish sandwiched in a sweet potato roll, Eastern shore-style chicken and dumplings served with root vegetables, Cape May lobster and grits, and marinated pork loin are just a few of the menu highlights.
Langhorne is also trying something new, opening a wine bar version of his restaurant called The Dabney Cellar with small plates and cocktails with housemade vinegars and syrups, in addition to a sizeable wine list.
One difference between D.C. and New York will be how the food is prepared. Langhorne uses a wood-burning hearth and cooks his food on the glowing embers. “In NYC, we are using grills to try to bring aspects of the flavor the hearth creates to our food,” he says.
Langhorne is the second chef-in-residence since Chefs Club switched up its format. What began in 2014 as a showcase for dishes created by Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs has pivoted from short pop-ups to long-term residencies.
“In the fall of 2017 we decided to shift the concept and exclusively feature long-term chef residencies, where we’d pick a chef, and they’d completely take over the restaurant — décor, menu, music, service, etc. to whatever they want,” a rep for the restaurant tells Metro.
“We realized over time that our guests loved the visiting chef dinners, where they could actually see a great chef in action, or try a menu that they normally couldn’t unless they had to travel far.”
The Dabney NYC is open now at 275 Mulberry St. through the end of March, Mon-Fri 5:30-10:30 p.m. and Sat. 5:30-11:30 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 212-941-1100 or online through Resy.


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This deal will bring RebateMango’s total user base to over one million across Southeast Asia
The transaction details were not disclosed.
As per a press statement, this deal will bring RebateMango’s total user base to over one million across Southeast Asia. The company has presence Malaysia and Singapore, besides Thailand, where it was launched less than a year ago.
Additionally, this acquisition will allow RebateMango to cover almost 10 per cent of active e-commerce shoppers in Thailand.
Jesper Kauth, Co-founder of RebateMango, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for us to significantly expand our user base and push forward with our growth and development plans. DeeDee Cashback has done a fantastic job of growing their business since launch and we look forward to giving their users access to our many deals, offers and choice of rewards available through RebateMango’s web and mobile platforms. We will also continue to focus on our product offering to enable users to save in more places than ever.”
RebateMango.co.th features over 300 local and international merchants on its platform (website and mobile app). The firm gives its members the choice of reward, which includes air miles, for every purchase they make online. Members have the chance to earn extra points in the form of Mangoes to reach Yellow and Gold membership tiers and earn even higher rewards with their shopping.
Launched in 2015, DeeDee Cashback is the first cashback site in Thailand. Co-founder Anthony Quinn said: “After speaking with Jesper and the team about a collaboration it was clear that our paths were aligned and therefore made perfect sense to join forces. We really look forward to being part of a larger regional team to push the business forward even more.”
E-commerce in Thailand is expected to be worth US $5.3 billion by 2021 with online shoppers representing 24.5 per cent of the total population.
The post Online cashback platform RebateMango acquires Thai rival DeeDee Cashback appeared first on e27.


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As of late Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Eastern Time, Research in Motion had offered no explanation for the cause of the BlackBerry e-mail service outage that affected users in North America.
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Dell has stopped selling its Axim handheld computer line, and will not discuss rumours of a gearing up to introduce a smart phone product possibly by buying Palm, according to a spokesperson.
Palm will unveil a platform before the end of 2007 that runs the Palm OS on top of a Linux kernel, allowing the company to improve the performance and stability of its handhelds and smartphones, CEO Ed Colligan said Tuesday.
The Wi-Fi security protocol WEP should not be relied on to protect sensitive material, according to three German security researchers who have discovered a faster way to crack it. They plan to demonstrate their findings at a security conference in Ha...
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Mobile WiMax, hyped for years by Intel and other vendors, has turned a corner toward reality, according to industry observers.
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Per The Verge, Microsoft has added Intel's 8th generation processor and a new matte black finish to the Surface Pro 6. He claimed it would offer 13.5 hours of battery life. Following that launch, in the fall of past year, Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop, the Surface Studio and the Surface Book 2. As per a WinFuture report, Microsoft will launch the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 with some specification bumps. Other than a marginally-improved display and "redesigned" cooling technology, it doesn't sound like much else is changing between 2017's Surface Pro 5 and 2018's Pro 6. There's also a possibility to see a new Surface Studio at Microsoft's event on October 2nd.
The lack of ports is something you're either willing to live with or not, but the ongoing lack of USB-C support is just laziness at this point. The device is 85% faster than the previous model, at least according to Microsoft.
With Microsoft all set to host their annual launch event in New York City tomorrow, a new leak surfaced online.
The Microsoft Surface Headphones inside Microsoft's Human Factors lab. Surface Headphones make it easy to block out the world to get more done with adjustable noise cancellation, so you can focus on your task or just relax with your favorite music.
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President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Lotte New York Palace hotel on September 26, 2018, in New York . Blasey Ford has had a chance to tell her story, is outrageous", Feinstein wrote on Twitter . 'But let's be clear.
As mentioned above, the external design of the Surface Pro 6 remains largely unchanged thanks to the trademark hinge and aluminum casing.
That was my state of mind as I headed to Redmond last week to get an early, advance look at the new headphones.
The new Surface Pro 6 - Microsoft apparently opted to go back to numbered names for its Surface line - has notable upgrades from last year's Surface Pro.
Microsoft has not announced pricing it. Find it for pre-order in the Store here. The 2-in-1 device will run on Windows 10 and will also be equipped with Bluetooth 4.1. The alternative suggests that either the new Surface Laptops will cost more than $999 for the base unit or that MS is going to charge one heck of a premium to move from 128GB to 256GB of storage. You can charge them via USB-C and while they're US -only for now they'll ship later this year, Microsoft says.


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Motorola’s Moto G.
Motorola Do Some Work surprised the smartphone world utilizing launching its new Moto G cellular phone on its web page months early. Now, the software will also be sold on Amazon. The e-commerce giant began promoting both the 8GB and 16GB variations of the smartphone on Friday. The prices are the same as Motorola, which has 8GB going for $179 and 16GB at $199. Amazon says that the tool will begin shipping on December four, while Motorola will commence shipping on December 2.
The Moto G is a less expensive model of Motorola’s Moto X. The Moto X, which launched best in use previous this year, stands out to buyers because they may be able to tweak how the instrument seems with totally different colors and accents. The Moto G is being launched worldwide, which could mean it should promote better than its more expensive predecessor. It has just about an identical design to the Moto X and, in addition, bargains a host of colors, a 720p four. The 5-inch show and the Android Jellybean running device.
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Initially, Motorola stated it was once planning to launch the Moto G in us in January. On the other hand, the company stunned users utilizing debuting the software in America this week. In an interview, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside told CNET that early demand for the phone has been robust overseas, and the company was in a position to ramp up the manufacturing course faster than anticipated.