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INTERVIEW: Sotheby’s boss Tad Smith sees Saudi Arabia as important supplier and buyer in auction room
HOUSTON: When Tad Smith and I spoke early last week, we had one overriding thing in common: jet lag.I was one day into an ordeal that, on past experience of West-East long-haul air travel, would last at least a week.The 53-year-old chief executive officer of Sotheby’s, the international auction house, was midway through his torment, with the major part of a round-the-world tour of the firm’s main offices still ahead of him. “It’s a crazy week,” he said. I fuzzily concurred.Smith’s week had begun by ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, where Sotheby’s is the oldest listed company, to celebrate its 275th anniversary. Sotheby’s is older than the US, and older still than the UK, which it predates by 57 years. That is some legacy.The thrust of recent strategy, however, has been toward the East, the next stop on Smith’s world tour. Just a few weeks ago, the firm reported better-than-expected earnings figures for 2018, boosted by $1 billion in sales from its Hong Kong hub — the best performance since it started in Asia 45 years ago.It was achieved against some tricky macro-economic headwinds. “In the middle of the year the Chinese stock market softened a bit, and throughout the year expectation for Chinese growth softened,” Smith said.There was also the growing threat throughout the year of a looming trade war between the US and China, and the risk that Sotheby’s might fall victim to anti-American sentiment on the part of Chinese buyers. So do Chinese customers perceive Sotheby’s as an American organization?“I think they perceive us as a global company based in the US. We have literally centuries of British roots, so in so far as they think of it at all they also might think we’re in Britain,” he said.
We have a huge demand from our clients to buy modern Islamic and modern contemporary Arabic art.
Of course, Sotheby’s is offering Asia something more refined than soya beans or oil-rig equipment, which have become bargaining pieces in the trade war negotiations. Old masters, luxury jewelry and watches, and fine wines — $100 million worth of it last year — are its stock-in-trade. Up-market real estate and vintage motor cars are handled through franchise operations that use the Sotheby’s brand, or through partnerships.Smith explained the dynamic of the luxury auction business. “We’re encouraging people to provide us things that we then sell. We have both the need to get supply in, so we can fill our sales rooms, and the need to get demand in, so we can sell our items,” he said.Several factors determine that balance between supply and demand, such as the number of estates that become available, financial pressures on asset-rich people, and — sometimes — family feuds. But the most important factor, “the crucial marginal growth driver,” he said, was “discretion.”“If people are feeling their things will sell at acceptable prices, they’re more likely to sell and our sales will get larger. Anything that affects the psychology and dampens or conversely strengthens a prospective seller’s confidence that something will sell, will affect our business. If people don’t think trade wars or anything like that will affect them, they won’t sell,” he said.Smith was in Dubai, at the firm’s offices in the swanky art hub, the Gate Village in the financial center, to spread the 275th birthday cheer and to prepare for an auction of rare watches this week. A previous sale of precious time-pieces attracted $2.6 million of sales.“The Middle East is a very important part of what we do. When I came in four years ago as CEO we began the effort to invest in a permanent office in the UAE. We thought that having a very senior and more invested presence here would be important for our business, and we’re thrilled with the result. So, yes, the Middle East, all the way across the GCC countries, is very important for us,” he explained.Saudi Arabia will continue to be an important part of that strategy, both in terms of supplying works for sale and as a plentiful source of buyers.“Saudi Arabia has a rich archaeological, architectural and cultural history, and — with the establishment of MISK and the Al-Ula project — it is clear there is a keen focus, both on preserving that history, and on developing the artistic scene there. This kind of focus naturally means there is an interest in the range of works and services, including educational initiatives, that we offer,” he said.
1966, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
•Princeton University, BA
•Harvard Business School, MBA
•McKinsey & Co — Adviser
•BMG Entertainment — Corporate executive
•Starwood Hotels and Resorts — Internet executive
•Reed Business Information (Part of Reed Elsevier) — CEO
•Cablevision Systems Corporation — President, Local Media
•Madison Square Garden Company — President and CEO
•Sotheby’s — CEO
Are customers in the Middle East vendors or purchasers? “On balance, the Middle East is a significant provider of great objects to sell, but the most attractive portion of it for us is their buying. Mideast is a net purchaser, and that reflects their obvious wealth and financial importance,” he said.What are people in the region buying? “Well, how about a spectacular Rembrandt for the Louvre in Abu Dhabi,” he said, in reference to the work “Study of the head and clasped hands of a young man as Christ in prayer” by the Dutch master bought at Sotheby’s London for £10 million ($13 million) last year and recently unveiled at the UAE capital’s new center of culture.“They are buying beautiful art from all parts of the world. They’re buying amazing, dazzling watches, they’re buying incredible jewelry, with a really robust aesthetic and great taste. People with better taste than mine say they have great taste,” Smith said.The region also increasingly supplies the rest of the Sotheby’s network with art works from its rich cultural tradition. “We have a huge demand from our clients to buy modern Islamic and modern contemporary Arabic and Iranian art. In the past four years we sold over $125 million worth of Islamic and Middle Eastern art to clients from all over the world. That’s what’s interesting about the Middle East sales — it attracts clients globally. It’s a big market for us,” he said.It is also a rapidly changing global market place. The traditional image of an art sales room — a posh man with a gavel declaiming incomprehensibly in a smoke-filled baroque salon — is all in the past. “For one thing, it’s not necessarily a man, it can often be a woman,” said Smith, before outlining the rapid technological changes overtaking the art auctions business in the digital age.“Last year 37 percent of things sold worldwide were sold online. It was an important year. More lots we’re purchased online than by any other method, either in the room or on the phone.It was the first time in the company’s nearly three centuries of history. It’s grown gangbusters,” he said.Sotheby’s has already tested a new time-based bidding system, along the same principle as used by eBay, which could soon lead to an all-electronic auction system. “That is a gigantic leap forward where you have electronic buying and electronic consignments. You can take your phone, fill an electronic form on our website and you can consign things that way too. Electronic consignments and sales will be a rapidly growing proportion of our business in the coming years,” he said.Smith’s background is in keeping with the task of introducing 21st-century techniques to a business with 18th-century origins. A McKinsey alumni, he was an executive with various companies in the entertainment, leisure and information businesses, before joining the Madison Square Garden Company, the group that runs the iconic New York entertainment venue and other sports and leisure operations.As with the rest of the companies that Smith has worked for, Sotheby’s is entering the digital age in a hurry. “Each of them has a certain creative part of the business that is attached to another part that is a selling organization and the support services for that, and crucially all of them are increasingly dependent on digital marketing technologies,” he said, like a true digital executive.But the job with Sotheby’s appears to mean more to him than just another bit of Internet-age experimentation. “This really isn’t work, it’s a gift to be in an organization with these talented people and these beautiful objects and the ability constantly to learn. For the past four years I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about art and collectibles and jewelry and watches, and to see all parts of the world,” he said.The only frustration of the role? He thought for a brief moment. “Jet lag,” he answered.


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The financial scandal du jour involves leaked audio recordings that purport to show that regulators at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York were soft on Goldman Sachs. Say it ain’t so.
The news is being treated as shocking by journalists who claim to be hard-headed students of financial markets. One especially impressionable columnist calls it “a jaw-dropping story about Wall Street regulation.” The real scandal here is the excessive faith that liberal journalists and politicians continue to put in financial regulation. The media pack is discovering regulatory capture—a mere 43 years after George Stigler published his landmark paper on the concept.
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“This fall, Apple chief executive Tim Cook formally apologized for the company’s mistake-filled mobile map application, which became a national joke for its screwy geography. The misstep focused new attention on the legendary company and how it has fared since the death of Steve Jobs in October 2011,” Darrell Etherington writes for The Washington Post.
“Questions abound: Will holiday shoppers fill their carts, virtual and real, with as many Apple products as last year? Is the company’s future as bright as its past? Judging by its stock price of late, investors seem uncertain,” Etherington writes. “Here’s a look at what some are saying in the post-Jobs era and why those perceptions might need some fine-tuning.”
Five myths about Apple:
1. Without Jobs, Apple doesn’t know how to think outside the box
2. Apple’s innovation days are numbered
3. Apple wants to control everything — still
4. Apple doesn’t truly care about working conditions at the plants in Asia that produce its products
5. Apple’s growth isn’t sustainable
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Tom R.” for the heads up.]


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Mahindra Scorpio in its new-gen iteration will make its way to the showroom floors this year. Take a look at this rendering of 2021 Mahindra Scorpio to know how it will look like.
Mahindra Scorpio is on sale in the Indian market for almost two decades now and without any major change. However, the carmaker is currently working on a new-gen model of the Scorpio, which is currently in its final phase of testing. It is likely to go on sale by May this year. The new-gen Scorpio's test mule was recently spotted in its production-spec avatar. Sadly, it was heavily camouflaged and didn't reveal much of the car. But our in-house design artist – Shoeb R. Kalania has managed to create a digital rendering of the 2021 Mahindra Scorpio, based on his keen observation of the spy photos.
The Scorpio looks more modern and youthful in the above rendering than its current-gen avatar. While the design continues to packs in similar lines as the outgoing model, it certainly feels news. On the front, the 2021 Scorpio gets an upright and mean-looking face. In doing so, the larger grille flanked by equally-big headlamps helps it for sure. The headlamp units also get an upswept LED DRL with twin-pod LED projectors. The bumper is a new unit too and gets redesigned fog lamps housing which features C-shaped LED DRLs.
Moving over to the sides, the 2021 Scorpio retains the outgoing model’s boxy profile in this rendering, as seen in the spy shots. The designer has also added a black cladding over the wheel arches. Interestingly, the new-gen Scorpio is expected to come with 18-inch alloy wheels. However, the stepped roof is likely to be replaced with a rather flat one, while the chunky roof rails will continue to hold their position. At the rear, the 2021 Mahindra Scorpio will sport a slew of changes to harmonize with the front and side profile of the car.
Powertrain options on the 2021 Mahindra Scorpio will include a 2.0L turbo-petrol and 2.2L diesel. The mStallion turbocharged petrol unit will be the same, that does duties on the new-gen Mahindra Thar. It is expected to push out 190 PS against 390 Nm here. The oil burner, on the other hand, will continue to be the same 2.2L mHawk unit. These engines will be offered with two transmission choices – 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic. However, the 4WD layout will be offered as an optional extra.


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In what could be the saddest development of the last century, HuffPost reports that a Chinese billionaire has determined that there is now a market for soda cans containing air. Although I am not the first to point it out, this means that Spaceballs has officially become reality – life imitating art in the most depressing way possible. Those who scoff at the idea of air-in-a-can and think that no one would ever buy it should keep their laughter to themselves. This canned atmosphere raked in about $800 in sales during its first day on the market, which is no small feat for a product priced at roughly 80 cents per can. In other words, it is virtually flying off the shelves in the country that lays claim to some of the world’s most polluted cities.
On the bright side, the idea man behind the venture is donating all proceeds to charity. He hopes that the buzz surrounding his product will spotlight the issue of pollution in China.
So what does this mean? Should those who enjoy breathing avoid traveling to China? Should we combine our Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Heart to summon Captain Planet? What’s the difference between canned air and an empty, sealed can? We here at Abnormal Use do not have the answers. However, we do know that we who are fortunate enough to live an area where it does not cost to respire should take a deep breath while it’s free.
Feel free to speculate in the comments section about what we can expect in the way of canned air product litigation.


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A former Microsoft software engineer was arrested Tuesday and charged with mail fraud for allegedly stealing $ 10m in digital currency from his former employee, US prosecutors said today.
Volodymyr Kvashuk, a citizen of Ukraine residing in Ukraine. in Renton, Washington, initially worked for Microsoft as a contractor and was hired as an employee in August 2016, where he remained employed until he was dismissed in June 2018.
Kvashuk, according to the complaint of the prosecution [PDF] was presented at
The UST is the main commercial engine of Microsoft with the mission of bringing One Universal Store. The US federal district court UU In Seattle he was a member of Microsoft's Universal Store Team (UST), responsible for managing the company's e-commerce operations.
for all businesses at Microsoft, "explained Sam Guckenheimer, owner of the Azure DevOps product at Microsoft, in 2017." The UST covers everything Microsoft sells and everything that others sell through the com "19659002] As described in the complaint, UST members set up fictitious customer accounts with the Microsoft online store linked to the addresses of Specially created e-mails and tests Credit cards in production to make in-store purchases without generating a real charge Then team members make a white list of their test accounts to avoid security systems and risk mitigation from Microsoft.
& # 39; No safeguards & # 39;
But when designing its test system, Microsoft overlooked an important attack vector. "The test program was designed to block the delivery of physical goods ", explains the complaint." Microsoft did not anticipate that the testers would make digital currency test purchases ("Currency storage value" or "CSV") and, therefore, they were not implemented. preventive measures to avoid the delivery of CSV ".
Therefore, a tester could make trial purchases of Microsoft digital gift cards, obtaining a valid product key that could be redeemed to add value to a digital wallet associated with the buyer's account. The electronic funds credited could be used to buy digital or physical Microsoft products in your store.
Kvashuk allegedly purchased some Microsoft products on its own and also sold much of the currency (value of $ 10 million, claimed) to third parties, at a discount on face value.
GiftGhostBot frightens the cash of victims' gift cards with brute force attacks
The plan supposedly started in 2017 and intensified to the point that Kvashuk, with a salary Based on $ 116,000 per year, $ 162,000 was purchased at Tesla and $ 1.6m at his home in Renton, Washington.
Kvashuk, the complaint suggests, was undone by Microsoft's UST Fraud Investigation Strike Team (FIST), which observed a suspicious increase in the use of CSV to purchase subscriptions to Microsoft's Xbox game system in February 2018. researchers tracked the digital funds, which had been resold on two different websites, to two white-list test accounts.
From there, FIST We proceeded to track the accounts and transactions involved. With the help of the US Secret Service UU And the Internal Revenue Service, investigators concluded that Kvashuk had defrauded Microsoft, despite efforts to conceal his identity with false accounts and to hide transactions from the public blockchain using a Bitcoin merging service.
Provider records pointing to Kvashuk, the complaint states that the Microsoft online store uses a fingerprint identification form of the device called fuzzy device ID. It is claimed that the researchers linked a specific device identifier to the accounts associated with Kvashuk.
The authorities requested that Kvashuk be arrested, claiming that he could try to flee the country or obstruct justice. If convicted of mail fraud, the former Microsoft software engineer could face up to 20 years in prison and a $ 250,000 fine. ®
Balance consumerization and corporate control.


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In the ever-evolving landscape of streaming services, a fierce battle has emerged between two giants: Disney and Netflix. Both companies have achieved significant financial success in the third quarter, with Disney reporting a net income of $221.1 million and Netflix not far behind at $220.7 million. This article aims to analyze the factors contributing to Disney’s triumph in the streaming arena and explore its potential impact on the future of this industry.
Disney 221.1m Q3 Netflix 220.7m Disney remarkable success can be attributed to several key factors. Firstly, their extensive collection of beloved franchises and intellectual properties, such as Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar, has allowed them to attract a wide audience base. By leveraging these well-established brands, Disney has been able to create an impressive lineup of original content that resonates strongly with viewers across different demographics.
Additionally, Disney’s strategic decision to launch their own streaming platform, Disney+, has played a crucial role in their triumph over competitors like Netflix. With exclusive access to highly anticipated releases like ‘The Mandalorian’and ‘WandaVision,’they have successfully enticed subscribers into choosing their service over others. Furthermore, by bundling Disney+ with other popular platforms like Hulu and ESPN+, they have created an enticing package that appeals to a diverse range of interests.
As we delve deeper into the implications of this ongoing battle between Disney and Netflix for the future of streaming services, it becomes evident that competition will only intensify. The success of Disney’s approach highlights the significance of owning valuable intellectual property rights as well as creating compelling original content tailored to specific target audiences.
This article aims to provide an objective analysis of both companies’ performance while exploring how these developments might shape the future landscape of streaming services. By understanding the strategies employed by these industry powerhouses and their impact on consumer preferences and behaviors, readers will gain valuable insights into navigating this rapidly evolving digital entertainment realm that offers them freedom in choosing from an abundance of high-quality content options.
The Streaming Battle: Disney vs. Netflix
The ongoing competition between Disney and Netflix in the streaming industry is a subject of great interest and significance, with Disney reporting a net income of $221.1 million in Q3 compared to Netflix’s $220.7 million.
Both companies are vying for dominance in the streaming market share, constantly striving to attract and retain subscribers through their content offerings.
Disney has gained momentum by leveraging its vast library of beloved franchises, including Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar, as well as developing original content exclusive to their platform.
On the other hand, Disney 221.1m Q3 Netflix 220.7m Disney continues to invest heavily in producing diverse and high-quality programming across various genres.
This rivalry has resulted in an exciting race where both companies continuously innovate and adapt to meet the evolving demands of consumers.
As viewers increasingly turn to streaming platforms for entertainment, the battle between Disney and Netflix intensifies as they seek to capture not only market share but also the hearts of audiences worldwide.
Read Also Dealogic Microsoft Alphabet
Disney’s Success in the Streaming Arena
Disney’s strong performance in the streaming arena is evident from its quarterly net income of 221.1 million, surpassing Netflix’s 220.7 million. This achievement showcases the effectiveness of Disney’s streaming strategy, which has allowed the company to gain a significant foothold in the highly competitive market.
To engage the audience further, it is important to highlight key aspects of Disney’s success:
- Diversified Content Library: Disney has successfully leveraged its extensive content library, which includes popular franchises such as Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar, to attract a wide range of viewers. By offering a diverse range of high-quality content across different genres and age groups, Disney has been able to cater to various audience preferences.
- Original Content Production: In addition to utilizing its existing content library, Disney has also invested heavily in producing original content for its streaming platform. This commitment to creating exclusive shows and movies not only enhances the overall appeal of their service but also distinguishes them from competitors like Netflix.
- Synergy with Other Business Segments: Another factor contributing to Disney’s success in the streaming arena is its ability to leverage synergies with other business segments within the company. By integrating their theme parks, merchandise sales, and media networks with their streaming platform, Disney can cross-promote their offerings and create a more cohesive customer experience.
- Global Expansion: Lastly, Disney’s global expansion efforts have played a crucial role in securing its position as a major player in the streaming industry. Through partnerships and acquisitions with international companies like Hotstar and Star India, Disney has gained access to new markets and expanded its subscriber base significantly.
Overall, Disney’s strong performance in the streaming arena can be attributed to an effective streaming strategy that capitalizes on their extensive content library growth through original productions, synergy with other business segments within the company for cross-promotion purposes while also focusing on global expansion efforts that allow them reach audiences worldwide. By employing these strategies, Disney has not only achieved remarkable financial success but also positioned itself as a formidable competitor in the ever-evolving world of streaming.
The Future of Streaming: Disney’s Impact
Can Disney’s success in the streaming industry serve as a catalyst for the transformation of the entertainment landscape?
Disney 221.1m Q3 Netflix 220.7m Disney content strategy and global expansion have undoubtedly positioned them as a major player in the streaming market. With an extensive library of beloved franchises and intellectual property, Disney has been able to attract a wide range of viewers, from children to adults.
Their acquisition of companies like Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm has allowed them to offer a diverse range of content that appeals to various demographics. Additionally, their global expansion efforts have enabled them to reach audiences around the world, further solidifying their dominance in the streaming arena.
As a result, other traditional media companies are now following suit and investing heavily in their own streaming platforms. This shift towards streaming is likely to reshape the entertainment landscape as we know it, with more emphasis on direct-to-consumer models and an increased focus on digital content delivery.
While it remains to be seen how this transformation will unfold, Disney’s success in this space has certainly paved the way for future innovations and disruptions within the industry.
Read Also Dell Nike Best Buy Twitch
In conclusion, the streaming battle between Disney and Netflix has been nothing short of a monumental clash. With Disney’s net income of a staggering $221.1 million in the third quarter, they have proven to be a formidable force in the streaming arena. Their success is undeniable, as they have managed to surpass Netflix’s net income of $220.7 million.
Looking ahead, it is evident that Disney’s impact on the future of streaming cannot be underestimated. Their dominance in this market has set them apart as a true powerhouse, with no signs of slowing down. The numbers speak for themselves, solidifying Disney’s position as a force to be reckoned with.
In summary, Disney has emerged victorious in the ongoing battle against Netflix in the world of streaming. Their impressive financial performance and undeniable influence on the industry make it clear that their reign is far from over.
As we move forward into an increasingly digital age, it will be fascinating to witness how Disney continues to shape and redefine the landscape of streaming entertainment.


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The success started at RHS Chatsworth (7th – 11th June) with a 4 Rosette Award being given to the display in the Plant Village, designed and created by the team at Chatsworth Garden Centre.
This show also saw the launch of a brand new rose, "The Duchess of Devonshire", named on behalf of the Duchess.
Fryer’s Roses and Blue Diamond will be donating £1 from the sale of every "Duchess of Devonshire" rose to Helen’s Trust, a charity nominated by the Duchess.
At RHS Hampton Court Flower Show (4th – 9th July), a Silver Gilt was awarded to the display in the Festival of Roses Marquee as designed by Adam Leverett from Redfield’s Garden Centre and created by staff from various Blue Diamond garden centres.
Two new roses were also launched at this show. One on behalf of the charity "Tree Aid", called "Little Angel", and another rose named "Hope for Justice" on behalf of the charity of the same name. Again £1 from the sale of each of these roses will be donated to the respective charities.
RHS Tatton Park Flower Show (19th – 23rd July) in Knutsford, saw Fryer’s Roses celebrating even more success with Fryer’s being credited with another Silver Gilt Award for the display in the Floral Marquee as well as a 5 Rosette Award for Fryers’ display in the Plant Village.
At the show which is local to Fryer’s Roses, a new rose called "The Mayor" was launched on behalf of the former Mayor of Knutsford, Councillor Nicholson and the current Mayor of Knutsford Councillor Neil Forbes.


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If travel broadens the mind, thousands of schoolchildren got a lesson in the realities of Brexit without even leaving the country last weekend.
With the annual Easter peak for coach travel reaching pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the UK left the European Union, Dover ground to a halt in a spring squall.
Instead of heading for improving trips to European destinations, children were stranded for up to 18 hours, leading some schools to cancel their onward journeys altogether.
As teachers racked up £1,000 pizza delivery bills and the toilet queues traumatised, the chaos added new meaning to ending free movement.
Ferry operators are hoping to avoid a repeat this weekend by asking some coach travellers to delay their journey from the Good Friday peak, spreading bookings over the long weekend.
No solution to the central problem
That might avoid another meltdown but is no solution to the central problem, the need for every British passenger to show the French authorities a passport for checking and stamping.
That process, required only because of Brexit, may get even more onerous in November when a new EU security process that will require fingerprinting and biometric checks on every non-EU traveller.
By then we will have had another lesson in post-Brexit life, but this time the impact will be on goods coming into the UK, rather than British citizens trying to get out.
Imports are subject to many more checks than people, but for the last two years the UK has avoided disruption to food and wider supply chains by not imposing any.
While UK companies have faced full third-country customs processes on goods exported to the EU, European companies selling into the UK have enjoyed a practically free ride.
Changes to come and disquiet in the food trade
That will change in October, after the Cabinet Office confirmed that a new customs regime will finally be introduced almost three years after it was first scheduled.
Ministers have outlined what they called a “streamlined” border process for all imports to the UK.
They propose reduced checks for “low-risk” goods, a “trusted trader” model for regular importers, and physical checks will take place away from ports at border control posts, built at great cost for the original January 2021 deadline but largely unused since.
Some business groups have welcomed the commitment to simplify processes that have been hanging over British trade since 2016, but in the food trade there is deep disquiet.
More onerous paperwork will still be required for food and animal imports, and it is these processes that worry the industry.
To receive a sanitary and phytosanitary certificate – the regime that ensures food safety – EU exporters will for the first time need a vet to sign off shipments at the point of origin.
That means French cheese and Spanish cured meats will all need a local vet to sign them off, a process that could add prohibitive costs to small producers.
When UK companies faced the same requirements in 2021 the shortage of vets, and the £300 fee for every signature, forced some to stop exporting.
The UK remains a big market, but the recent tomato and salad vegetable shortage proved that European sellers have plenty of alternatives if the numbers don’t add up.
The government says the new system will be phased in, with paperwork required from October before physical checks begin in January next year.
In reality, the cost of the paperwork is likely to be the pinch point and we cannot know how exporters will react.
Ministers promise the new system will be “world-class”, and even cite an annual £400m saving for business compared with the notional cost of the original plan which never even happened.
A more realistic comparison is between the current regime, which for EU exporters means the same minimal processes as before Brexit, and a new system with new processes and new costs that have never been tried before.
As plenty of schoolchildren can now tell you, that does not always end well.


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26 Oct 2014
New Delhi: Over 400 incumbent Lok Sabha members including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Lal Krishna Advani and Rajnath Singh have not yet declared their assets and liability details, according to an RTI reply.
19 Feb 2014
New Delhi: Launching its first handset in India after a nearly two-year hiatus, Motorola has managed to grab the attention of the Indian smartphone users with Moto G. The smartphone claims to give the users a premium smartphone experience for a third of the price of the current high-end phones.
06 Sep 2014
New Delhi: Motorola Mobility unveiled the second generation of its popular Moto G in India in an exclusive partnership with homegrown e-tailer Flipkart.
05 Apr 2014
New Delhi: To attract more customers and boost its sales, e-commerce website Flipkart has introduced an exchange offer on the purchase of Moto G smartphone. Customers can now exchange their old smartphones for a brand new Moto G handset.
25 Oct 2014
New Delhi: In an antithetic move Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Fiji on November 19, a day after a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Tony Abbot in Canberra. This will be the first time in three decades that an Indian PM will be touring Pacific Islands.
05 Sep 2014
New Delhi: Motorola Inc intensified smartwatch war with the launch of its Moto 360 on Friday.
05 Sep 2014
New Delhi: Riding high on the success of its affordable handsets, Motorola Mobility on Friday unveiled the second generation of its popular Moto G and Moto X in India in an exclusive partnership with homegrown e-tailer Flipkart.
22 Jan 2014
New Delhi: Motorola is all set to announce Moto G launch details in India. The company revealed it through official Motorola twitter account that Moto G India launch details will be declared on 5th February.
21 Oct 2014
New Delhi: Delhi Police, probing the mysterious death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, said it will provide all details sought by a panel of AIIMS doctors so that it can give a "conclusive forensic" report to the investigators.
25 Oct 2014
Hyderabad: BJP in Telangana on Saturday came down heavily on Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, blaming him for farmer suicides and power crisis in the State, which came into existence over four months ago. State BJP President G Kishan Reddy accused Rao of ignoring the plight of farmers and sought to debunk his promise of building a "golden Telangana".


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Nintendo has been doing a fantastic job updating its extendable limb-based fighting game ARMS, adding a number of new characters and modes to keep players on their toes. But just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean that the team is taking it easy
The publisher has hinted at yet another new update that will be coming to the hit Nintendo Switch title before year’s end, dubbed “Version 5.0”. Though it didn’t reveal what all the update entails, one thing is for sure – the cast will be shaken up with the addition of yet another new character.
As you can see in the trailer below, the character has a freaky-ish sort of appearance, with neon green hair and some very thick golden arms that look like they could do a great deal of damage. The music playing in the trailer indicates that, whoever this is, players are going to have a handful going up against him – or a field day playing as him.
A date hasn’t been given on the new update just yet, but it’s likely going to drop after the holiday season, since Nintendo’s busy with trying to get Nintendo Switch systems out the door and all. They could surprise us sooner, though, so we’ll see.
ARMS is available now for Nintendo Switch.


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James Beard Foundation’s 5th Annual 'Blended Burger' Project Seeks Entries
Calling all burger joints and restaurateurs—the James Beard Foundation’s “Blended Burger” project is back, and you can start registering now. If you’re unfamiliar with the project, it challenges chefs to create burger recipes with at least 25 percent of the patty made of “finely chopped fresh mushrooms.” That doesn’t necessarily mean beef patties, either—any ground protein will do, according to a statement. The idea is that guests want to have more plant-forward menu options (indeed, over one third of Americans want to eat more plant-based food), and it’s better for the planet, too.
From May 27 (Memorial Day) through July 31, participating chefs add these blended burgers to their menus, and fans can vote for their favorites online. Then, come August, a panel of food experts will judge the top 25 contenders based on “culinary creativity, flavor profile, and presentation.” The grand prize? Since this is the fifth year of the project, five chefs will win $5,000 (each!) and get the chance to serve their burgers at the James Beard House in New York City—attendees will then pick the ultimate favorite, to be honored with a “People’s Choice” recognition. To enter, submit your restaurant details here, encourage your patrons to vote online—and start firing up the grill now.
“The Blended Burger Project lines up with our restaurant’s—and our customers’—philosophies,” 2018 winner Fiore Moletz of Burgh’ers in Pittsburgh said in a statement. “We seek creative takes on the iconic burger, while our guests want to be served food that lines up with their health-conscious, sustainability-minded, and active lifestyles. We call our burger #theblend, and it now generates 10-15 percent of weekly revenue.”
In other plant-forward burger news, Applegate recently debuted a new lineup of products at the Natural Products Expo West, including the “Great Organic Blend Burger”—made of humanely-raised organic meat mixed with “sustainable, organic mushrooms,” according to a statement. There are two varieties—organic 100 percent grass-fed beef, and organic turkey—and they’re out this month.


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SXSW 2017: Is a Mega Artist Going to Stand Up For Hi-Rez Music?
The panel also examined the issue of people actually paying for high-resolution tracks as opposed to buying or stealing MP3s. Questions were posed about why music fans will pay exorbitant fees for concert tickets yet will balk at paying slightly more for much better sound. Another audience member asked why record labels don't just eat the cost of taking down the MP3s they have for sale across their entire catalog and put up high-resolution tracks of the same material instead? However, another audience member wondered aloud if anyone in the audience could even tell the difference between a well-mastered 16-bit audio file and a well-mastered 24-bit audio file? And of course one gloom purveyor was sure none of this mattered if you listened to your music through Beats headphones.
While everyone agreed that although Pono's timing was bad, it was still a valiant effort that pointed the music industry as a whole in the direction of higher-resolution music.
But by the hour's end, the panel, led by Peter Downton of 7digital and Lisa Sullivan of MQA Ltd., still wondered aloud whether any artists would stand up and shout "Hi-Rez" and lead this much-needed campaign?


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Loup Ventures, the venture capital firm founded by former Wall Street tech analyst Gene Munster, recently surveyed Unity Software (NYSE: U) developers to get insight on possible increased revenue for the company going forward.
What The Survey Showed: The survey showed that 81% of Unity developers plan on spending more with Unity over the next 12 months. Unity Pro and Enterprise users were even more likely to add additional subscriptions over the next 12 months, with 95% expected to add subscription seats.
The survey also showed a higher attach rate of 4.1 additional Unity operate solutions added to accounts. Loup Ventures was expecting this figure to be in the low 3s. Operate solutions are typically monetized on a pay per usage basis according to Loup.
Unity competes with the Unreal Engine, owned by Epic Games, a Tencent Holdings (Pink: TCEHY) company. The survey showed that the platform of choice is
Samsung has reportedly beat Apple to first place in the US.
This is apparently the first time Samsung beat Apple since Q2 2017.
Samsung is the world’s number one smartphone manufacturer, regaining its spot in Q3 2020 after briefly losing it to Huawei in the previous quarter. Now, it looks like the third quarter held even more good news for the Korean brand.
Strategy Analytics reported (h/t: Korea Herald) that Samsung beat Apple to first place in the US market in Q3 2020. This reportedly marks the first time since Q2 2017 that Samsung has managed to beat the iPhone maker.
The report noted that Samsung achieved 33.7% market-share in the US during this period, compared to 30.2% for Apple and 14.7% for third-placed LG. It’s believed that Samsung’s budget phones are responsible for the growth, although devices like the Galaxy Note 20
Computer Programs and Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPSI) defied analyst predictions to release its quarterly results, which were ahead of market expectations. The company beat both earnings and revenue forecasts, with revenue of US$68m, some 7.0% above estimates, and statutory earnings per share (EPS) coming in at US$0.36, 54% ahead of expectations. This is an important time for investors, as they can track a company’s performance in its report, look at what experts are forecasting for next year, and see if there has been any change to expectations for the business. We thought readers would find it interesting to see the analysts latest (statutory) post-earnings forecasts for next year. NasdaqGS:CPSI Earnings and Revenue Growth November 8th 2020
Taking into account the latest results, the current consensus from Computer Programs and Systems’ nine analysts is for revenues of US$282.2m in 2021, which would reflect a satisfactory 5.2% increase on its sales over the
Salesforce has long been the dominant name in customer relationship management software. But the CRM industry was actually invented in the 1990’s by billionaire Tom Siebel.
Now Siebel’s current company, a startup called C3.ai valued at $3.3 billion, has joined forces with Adobe, and Microsoft to take on Salesforce with industry-specific, AI-backed CRM.
Siebel tells Business Insider he’s confident he can win this market because Salesforce has “been talking about AI for about a decade,” he said. “It’s all marketing and very little technology.”
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
In 1993, Tom Siebel launched Siebel Systems. Soon after, in 1995, the company introduced Siebel Sales Enterprise, the world’s first customer management software — a tool that at-the-time helped salespeople keep track of interactions with current and potential clients.
It was the start of what would become a growing $80 billion market called “customer relationship management” (CRM) — one
Shares of Square surged 13% on Friday after blowing past Wall Street’s expectations for the quarter a day earlier.
The San Francisco-based payments company reported a 140% increase in net revenue to $3.03 billion in the third quarter. Adjusted earnings came in at 34 cents, more than double what analysts polled by Refinitiv expected.
AMD has beaten Intel’s performance advantage in desktop PCs with its new Ryzen 5000 series CPUs. That’s the verdict from a range of reviewers this week that have been testing AMD’s flagship $799 Ryzen 9 5950X with its 16 cores and 32 threads. Even the entry level Ryzen 5 5600X offers some impressive performance at just $299.
AMD’s Ryzen 9 5950X steals the performance crown from Intel in gaming in most tests. Tom’s hardware has the 5950X beating Intel’s Core i9-10900K comfortably in an average of eight games at 1080p and 1440p. Some other games are closer, but AMD’s latest Zen 3 chips beat Intel’s equivalents for single-threaded performance too.
Anandtech saw similar gaming performance results, with the 5950X beating the i9-10900K in the majority of its gaming tests at a variety of resolutions. HotHardware also put the 5950X up against the i9-10900K in a variety of gaming benchmarks, and
Shares of exercise technology vendor Peloton slipped in late trading this afternoon even though the company’s fiscal first-quarter results topped Wall Street’s expectations for both revenue and profit per share, and its outlook for the full year was higher.
The company’s total subscriptions at quarter’s end were up 137%, at 1.33 million, Peloton said. It’s paid digital subscriptions rose 382% to 510,000, it said.
Total member count grew to over 3.6 million.
Peloton expects to have 1.63 million total subscriptions by the end of this quarter, it said. For the full year, it projects 2.17 million “or more” Connected Fitness subscriptions. That would be higher than consensus for 2.08 million.
In a letter to shareholders, the company said sales results were “driven by strong Connected Fitness Product sales and continued low Average Net Monthly Connected Fitness Churn of 0.65%.”
Its member engagement, Peloton said, “eased modestly from the prior quarter’s
Paycom Software (PAYC) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.70 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.56 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.70 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 25%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this maker of human-resources and payroll software would post earnings of $0.60 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.62, delivering a surprise of 3.33%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.
Paycom, which belongs to the Zacks Internet – Software industry, posted revenues of $196.53 million for the quarter ended September 2020, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.35%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $175.01 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.
Shares of Qualcomm (QCOM) – Get Report were rising sharply after hours Wednesday after the company reported 2020 fiscal fourth-quarter results that significantly topped analyst estimates.
The San Diego-based semiconductor maker reported earnings of $1.45 per share on revenue of $6.5 billion for the quarter ending Sept. 27. Analysts were expecting the company to report earnings of $1.17 per share on revenue of $5.94 billion.
“Our fiscal fourth quarter results demonstrate that our investments in 5G are coming to fruition and showing benefits in our licensing and product businesses,” said CEO Steve Mollenkopf in a statement.
Revenue rose 35% year-over-year while earnings jumped 86% from a year ago.
Qualcomm shares were rising 9.7% to $141.50 in after-hours trading on Wednesday.
The company said it expects fiscal first-quarter revenue to range between $7.8 billion and $8.6 billion with earnings expected to be between $1.95 and $2.15 per share. Analysts


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In a world where smart rings are getting smarter by the day, Oura takes the lead with its groundbreaking Pregnancy Insights feature, set to revolutionise women's health monitoring in 2024.
With big-ticket launches just over the horizon, including the Samsung Galaxy Ring and the rumoured Apple Smart Ring, the brand seems to be doubling down on new features to strengthen the company's market leader position.
Part of an exciting women's health roadmap, Pregnancy Insights on the Oura Ring offers expectant mothers a comprehensive view of their pregnancy journey like never before.
Debuting today, March 12 2024, the new smart ring feature provides pregnant Oura members with information on gestational age, weekly pregnancy insights, and educational resources to understand sleep patterns and vital signs throughout pregnancy.
The brand says its science team has leveraged aggregate and de-identified member data to understand how pregnant women's biometric markers change throughout their journey.
This information, kept confidentially to protect member privacy, has been utilised to offer personalised insights and educational resources tailored to the unique needs of expectant mothers.
This milestone follows Oura's recent expansion onto Amazon US, making the Oura Ring more accessible than ever before. With Pregnancy Insights, Oura reaffirms its commitment to promoting body literacy and empowering women to monitor their health throughout all stages of life.


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Time launches platform to help companies tackle climate change
Wonderful header image from Axios, and one that speaks to some of the financial reasons for going green. Time is launching what is effectively an independent division – one that doesn’t sit within the company’s newsroom or business department – to help fund climate-friendly endeavours and experiments.
CO2 by Time essentially aims to become a “surrogate sustainability team” for companies, said Simon Mulcahy, Time’s president of sustainability, who is leading the new division as CEO. “Because the climate market is full of so many junk quality projects, they’re just risking throwing money away,” he said.
Look, I know it’s easy to be cynical. But the reality is that the allure of cash money is probably what will eventually tip more companies towards sustainability. It’s not the best reason to go green, but the ends justify the means. Time is smart to be getting in on this relatively early.
For Gen Z, TikTok is the new search engine
I’ve written a few times now about how TikTok is the go-to for recommendations and discovery among Gen Z. But this longer exploration from the NYT is interesting for what it says about the future of Google. Will we eventually hear cries of ‘make TikTok pay for journalism’?
Spotify launches audiobooks business
Not content with trying to own the entire podcasting market, Spotify has finally formally launched its audiobooks business – as an à la carte model. This isn’t strictly a publishing story, but inevitably this shake up will alter the balance of power between all the big digital players.
Shares in Marie Claire publisher Future plunge as chief announces departure
Wowza. You’d feel pretty bloody special if the announcement of you leaving a company wiped over a quarter of a million pounds fromits value. Yet more than £300 million has been stripped from Future’s market value after the announcement that Zillah Byng-Thorne is to step down.
This content originally appeared in The Media Roundup, a daily newsletter from Media Voices. Subscribe here:


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For a long time Apple Stock (AAPL) has been widely been considered an automatic BUY for most people when they discuss the tech giant. Apple over the years has innovated so much in the marketplace, so why not? Apple has had strong sales and major popularity with a range of devices including iPods, iPads, and of course iPhones over the past 10+ years.
On Monday, November 12th, Apple shares dipped by 5% eroding $40 billion or so off its market value following news by supplier Lumentum that it’s largest customer had reduced orders, this customer is widely believed to be Apple.
Many Apple iPhone suppliers, such as Lumentum have tempered expectations on their earnings, mainly due to lower orders from Apple, this has many people wondering why. Lumentem supplies 3D sensing components used in FaceID for some iPhone models. The following day, Qorvo also scaled back their forecasts for Apple orders. Qorvo supplies radio-frequency chips for iPhones. Qorvo reduced its projected revenue for the December quarter by 8%. Between the Qorvo and Lumentem news, Apple’s share price hasn’t responded well.
Have people began looking to other phones? Are people tired of the high prices Apple are charging? As we enter peak shopping season, many people are asking these very questions. There are certainly some reasons for concern. Apple has had flat annual sales of the iPhone since the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launches.
Apple is known for their great innovation on their hardware products, such as iPhones, but should Apple now look more to services? Many believe this would be a good idea so that Apple isn’t so dependent on iPhone sales. Apple currently has 59% of revenue coming from the iPhone, while services account for just 15%.
So what does this mean for Apple’s share price? Perhaps the best course of action might be to wait for next quarter’s earnings to see what impact the drop in iPhone sales has on revenue and earnings. Due to Apple’s reliance on the iPhone the shares can be punished heavily once fears of declining iPhone sales gather steam, under similar circumstances back in 2013 the shares declined 40% over a period of 6 months as investors feared the iPhone had passed its peak. Apple eventually eased those fears once the iPhone returned to growth. If we’re looking at a similar scenario this time around further falls could be on the way with the shares currently only 17% off their peak.


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Acquisitive software supplier Sage has expanded into the German market by buying KHK, the largest supplier of branded PC accounting software in the country. The asking price is understood to have been...
Nearly 22 per cent of consumers who had never done any online grocery shopping before the pandemic are now doing so
Companies are challenging Amazon in retail and cloud
Cosmetics firm is undergoing a top-to-toe tech refresh with GDPR compliance thrown in
DFS resorts to cloud to help handle spikes in online demand
Economy and business performance not a problem, reckon small firms


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MILAN (Reuters) - Italian broadband operator Tiscali TIS.MI on Thursday replaced Chief Executive Tommaso Pompei with board member Mario Rosso and signaled it is up for sale.
Tiscali will “explore options to create value for shareholders connected with the process of consolidation taking place in the European telecommunications sector,” the company said in a statement.
Pompei completed his two-year restructuring of the company and will remain a member of the board until the company approves its 2007 results, Tiscali said.
Speculation that Pompei’s departure indicates the $1.2 billion company will soon be bought sent the shares higher this week. At 6:44 a.m. EST the shares gained 1 percent at 1.9 euros in Milan.
Though Tiscali has said several times in the last few weeks it has not been approached by buyers, the names of Italy's Fastweb FWB.MI and British phone companies Vodafone VOD.L and BT Group BT.L have been circulating in the market as potential acquirers.
After years of losses and cost-cutting, Tiscali expanded again under Pompei in what investors and analysts have said was an attempt to groom the company for sale.
BT’s broadband market share in Britain, around 35 percent, is low compared with other former monopoly operators, making it a potential buyer for Tiscali’s British business, with another company acquiring the Italian unit.
Vodafone has bought the Italian and Spanish fixed-line business of Sweden's Tele2 TEL2b.ST, but Vodafone Chief Executive Arun Sarin said this month the company had "nothing to say" on Tiscali.
Tiscali also said 2007 preliminary revenues rose 34 percent to 910 million euros ($1.37 billion) while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 60 percent to 160 million euros.
Reuters Breakingviews is the world's leading source of agenda-setting financial insight. As the Reuters brand for financial commentary, we dissect the big business and economic stories as they break around the world every day. A global team of about 30 correspondents in New York, London, Hong Kong and other major cities provides expert analysis in real time.
Sign up for a free trial of our full service at https://www.breakingviews.com/trial and follow us on Twitter @Breakingviews and at www.breakingviews.com. All opinions expressed are those of the authors.


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Chelsea Piers’ Pier 60 was the place to be last night for celebrity sightings and a charitable cause. And Gwyneth Paltrow was in the house to make a difference.
The “Sliding Doors” actress showed up to the 2008 Can-Do Awards Dinner for the Food Bank for New York City looking like she was ready to step onto a fashion runway.
Sporting a black printed dress and some Romanesque strappy leather buckle heels, Paltrow was the belle of the ball. And what’s more, it was all to help out the struggling Food Bank in a dire time of need.
A spokesman for Food Bank NYC told press, “We have less food in our warehouse. We’re practically seeing empty shelves every week in the warehouse, when we used to be brimming over and able to turn food around really quickly. What that means is that there’s less food in food pantries and soup kitchens around the city, and you literally have people standing in line for hours at a time waiting for food, only to be turned away because the food runs out.”
Enjoy the pictures of Gwyneth at last night's Can-Do Awards dinner (April 7).


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RadioShack to sell satellite radios: "RadioShack Corp. Thursday said it will start selling radios for Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. at its 7,000 stores this summer, prompting the satellite broadcaster to raise its subscriber forecast."
"RadioShack, Dish Network and Sirius plan to work together to provide advertising support for their alliance, the companies said."
"New York-based Sirius now expects to have 1 million subscribers at the end of the year. It previously expected 860,000 subscribers. It had 261,000 at the beginning of the year, far behind rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., which had 1.36 million."


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UPS® (NYSE: UPS), an industry leader in supply chain management and the world’s largest package delivery company, was recently recognized for third-party logistics (3PL) excellence. The awards were presented during eyefortransport’s (eft) 12th Annual North American 3PL Awards Summit in Chicago.
UPS received top honors in several key categories, including: Best 3PL forAutomotive Supply Chains, Best 3PL for Pharma/Lifesciences/Healthcare Supply Chains, Best 3PL for Sustainability Supply Chains, and Best 3PL for Hi-Tech & Electronics Supply Chains. UPS was also named runner-up in four of the remaining six categories. To view the complete listing, click here.
Each year, eft, a global supply chain business intelligence and networking organization based in London, recognizes those 3PLs that continually deliver excellence in logistics operations and superior service to their customers. Nominees are shortlisted by a panel of industry experts, and winners are chosen by North American 3PL customers — those manufacturers and retailers who depend on and work with logistics service providers daily.
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by our customers, those partners who know firsthand that UPS solutions and services can streamline often-complex supply chains and make them more efficient,” says Mike Delaney, UPS president of North America logistics and distribution. “From distribution and post sales services to transportation management and an array of value-added services, our people go the extra mile for our customers every day.”
About 600 senior-level logistics and supply chain executives attended this year’s summit, which included a “super session” focused on logistics-customer relationships. Last year, UPS received top honors in the Best 3PL for Industrial Supply Chains category.
“Customers have come to trust and rely on UPS’s full range of logistics solutions and industry-specific expertise,” said Alan Amling, UPS vice president of global logistics and distribution marketing. “We appreciate the confidence our customers have shown in UPS and remain committed to helping them win with outstanding customer service and industry-leading sustainability initiatives.”
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight, the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Headquartered in Atlanta, USA, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories. The company can be found on the web at ups.com® and corporate blog can be found at blog.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com.
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BlackBerry Ltd. has laid off dozens of developer relations employees, less than one week after the Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker inked a deal with Amazon.com to access its trove of Android apps
Human capital is often only tangentially considered during an acquisition, but leaving HR issues to the last minute can lead to major headaches for both parties. Here's how to avoid them.
The package for former Burger King executive Bernardo Hees includes $1.2-million incentive pay and $7.3-million in options awards
Zurich plans to remove management layers between the headquarters and the individual business units to reduce costs
Workers in New York, Vermont, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and North Carolina were fired yesterday; 7,000 expected to eventually go to Lenovo.
An internal employee group at IBM says Canadian and U.S. workers are set to be part of what one analyst believes will be as many as 13,000 job cuts globally at the computer-services company
Best Buy Canada is laying off another 950 employees as more and more customers migrate toward buying electronics online
Kitchenware designers says, 'Paying workers not to work is a luxury this country can’t afford' and sends the wrong message
Bombardier Inc. ( TSX: BBD.B ) said Tuesday it would lay off roughly 1,700 of its aerospace employees, after a delay to its CSeries program was announced last week and as declining orders for its other aircraft puts pressure on the company’s cash reserves
Apple Inc. has all but destroyed BlackBerry Ltd.'s business model and now it's after the Canadian company's decimated workforce
Added together, these three cities are responsible for a third of all sales in the country and almost half of the dollar value of deals
Apple announced that all iTunes users would get U2’s new album for free last week, but many users were angry about the sudden addition to their music library
‘So, your kids must love the iPad?’ I asked Jobs. ‘They haven’t used it,’ he told me. ‘We limit how much technology our kids use at home’
The sweatshirt seems to reference the 1970 shooting at Kent State University in which four unarmed students were killed by the Ohio National Guard during a protest
Though Chinese consumers have driven the e-commerce company’s financial success, they’ll largely be left out of the company’s stock offering


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DAO buys Ulbricht NFT for $6.2M, wants Silk Road founder released from prison
FreeRossDAO bought the first NFT from Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht’s Genesis, called ‘Perspective’, for 1,446 ETH ($6.2 million). The DAO is dedicated to freeing him from life imprisonment, CoinRivet reported. The organization is also devoted to advancing prison reform and protesting the injustices of the American prison system.
Founded on December 2 this year, the DAO has already raised 2,836 ETH ($12.2 million) from thousands of global contributors to support the effort. Part of the money was used to buy the landmark NFT.
About Ross Ulbricht
Ross Ulbricht was born on March 27, 1984. He created and ran Silk Road, the biggest darknet e-commerce website, from 2011 until he was arrested in 2013. The site used the Onion Browser (Tor) for anonymity. Bitcoin was the only currency allowed on the site.
Law enforcement officials established that Silk Road facilitated drug and other illegal sales. Ulbricht received two life sentences plus forty years without the possibility of parole on May 29, 2015.
Silk Road was highly significant for Bitcoin adoption
Bitcoin drew huge attention and gained influence, leading to its adoption as an asset. Ulbricht’s work was noticed by the Bitcoin community. Many people recognized his vision as an original catalyst for blockchain adoption.
The NFT auction attracted a lot of attention from the crypto community, including Kraken CEO Jesse Powell, due to the controversy surrounding Silk Road. According to Freeross.org:
The NFT auction is an opportunity to bring renewed attention to his plight and gain support from NFT communities and collectors.
What is ‘Perspective’?
The Perspective NFT is a graphite pencil drawing Ulbricht created in prison. It is the flagship NFT in a unique collection of 10 artworks. After the successful auction, it will be divided into ‘$ROSS tokens’ and distributed to different contributors based on a weighted model. The tokens represent governance rights, enabling owners to make decisions and vote on governance proposals within FreeRossDAO.
Sale is sixth-largest in history of NFT sales
The $6.2 million sale of Perspective ranks it the sixth-largest NFT sale in history after the ‘Ringers‘ NFT sale and three Cryptopunks. Ross Ulbricht won’t receive the funds raised from the Ross Ulbricht Genesis Collection NFT directly. The money will be transferred to a separate legal entity, which will then redistribute them towards the efforts to release him and the Art4Giving fund.


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It’s partnership at first sight for coffee giant, restaurant chain
The partnership that brought coffee’s gold standard to the country sounds like a love story, with the Philippines’ The Cravings Group (TCG) and Australia’s Di Bella Coffee (DBC) announcing “it’s a match.”
“We had very similar beginnings. [Phillip Di Bella] started from the garage of his house in Brisbane, roasting coffee,” said TCG CEO Marinela G. Trinidad during the announcement at Cravings Center on Oct. 28.
TCG began in 1988 as a small bakeshop on Katipunan Avenue. It was owned by Trinidad and mother Susana P. Guerrero.
“Coffee King” Phillip Di Bella, owner of DBC, said the partnership took shape when Trinidad met Giuseppe Molinario, a business development manager, at a DBC Roasting Warehouse in Melbourne.
“Something happened that day … that started the thought process. Then, fast forward, this is where we are now,” said Di Bella.
DBC—the best specialty coffee brand Down Under—is now available in TCG’s 36 cafes and restaurants: Cravings, Epicurious, Lucia Ristorante, Lombardi’s, C2 Classic Cuisine, B&P, The Blackboard by Chef Michel and The Coffee Beanery.
“The reason we were able to make this happen very quickly and very effectively is that the cultures are identical. The backbone of our success is our people. What makes this unique with Cravings is, [they] understand the same philosophy,” said Di Bella, referring to the culinary experience.
Di Bella’s DBC has been using the “crop to cup” philosophy since it began in 2002.
It is understanding the people involved in the coffee industry, instead of just the coffee bean, he explained.
“What happened in the industry is that a lot of people forgot about the consumers [who] drink coffee … [and] a lot of people were in the coffee business but did not know anything about the farmer,” he said.
“We’re making people understand that coffee from crop to cup is the best coffee that you can get.”
His philosophy is not fruitless. He earned Ernst & Young’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2008. He ranks 19th on the BRW Young Rich list, which traces wealth among rich Australians aged 40 and below.
DBC is growing in Asia. It has recently announced expansion plans in India with 50 new locations. It also launched stores in Indonesia and Singapore.
“The crop to cup concept actually fits into our culture itself,” TCG chief finance officer Jose Antonio Magtibay said.
DBC is a green company like TCG, the only one in the Philippine food industry with an ISO 14001:2004 for its environment management system.
Both companies also educate stakeholders. TCG offers courses while DBC is willing to teach its farmers, baristas and customers about coffee.
These are the reasons there is no termination clause in the partnership, Magtibay said. “It’s an open relationship … It’s built on trust.”
While TCG will exclusively distribute DBC products on wholesale and retail, Di Bella will help TCG’s manpower achieve the “ultimate coffee experience” for customers.
“Di Bella is intent on supporting TCG [to] educate and train local farmers in ethical, sustainable coffee bean-growing practices,” Trinidad said.
As the local pioneer in brewing coffee and among the first to use latte art here, TCG will require its baristas to undergo DBC training. The partnership also includes establishing plantations in the southern Philippines to ease the longstanding demand-supply gap in the local coffee industry.
Also, DBC will lend manpower here to fix machines and teach best practices in the workplace. It will introduce coffee flavors like salty caramel, tofi and hazelnut to address the Filipino’s love for milk-based coffee, Di Bella said.
“We are proud of being associated,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. My team is going to work very, very hard to make Cravings the No. 1 coffee in the Philippines.”
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The company reported 1.96 billion daily active users (DAU), which was higher than analysts’ estimate of 1.95 billion. Daily active users are a key performance indicator for attracting advertisers to the company’s platform.
Overall, the company’s total revenue rose by 7% to $27.91 billion in Q1, a few million shy of the $28.2 billion analysts had expected. The bulk of this revenue came from Facebook advertising.
The results, which also showed that the company recorded its slowest revenue growth in a decade, sent its stock soaring by 13%.
The increase in stock value is welcome news for Meta, which has seen its value decline by half since the start of the year. In February, the company’s earnings report showed a decline in daily active users for the first time, and it projected a gloomy quarter ahead due to factors such as increased competition from TikTok and Apple’s privacy changes.
“It’s good news that Meta somehow managed to eke out growth in DAU. It needed to show some sort of turnaround from last quarter’s performance,” Insider Intelligence analyst Debra Williamson said.
“However, growth in monthly active users is slowing quickly. A few quarters ago, it could count on developing markets to keep the growth engine going, but it’s likely that even these high-growth opportunities are starting to dry up,” she added.
Looking ahead, Meta expects second-quarter revenue to be between $28 billion and $30 billion, according to Reuters.


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NH Lottery has added a new iLottery game inspired by the great outdoors: Northern Wilds. Amid mountains and wildlife, players reveal cash prizes to win, with a grand prize of $30,000.
Ohio may become the eighth state to legalize online lottery sales, thanks to a clause in a sports betting bill on its way to the state Senate.
Lawmakers want to legalize online lottery sales, sports betting throughout Connecticut but can’t without an agreement with local tribes.
The Pennsylvania online lottery received a rare distinction for responsible gaming, the iCAP certification, thanks to its Scientific Games-run PA iLottery platform.
The MI Lottery’s new online game Holiday Cheer offers big prizes, a rewarding bonus game and plenty of, well, holiday cheer.
The Kentucky Lottery’s new holiday-season game, Merry Little Cash-Mas, has prizes on the large side, including a top prize of $200,000.
This holiday season, the NH Lottery is giving bettors Holiday Towers, a new gift-themed match game with lots of multipliers and bonuses.
The MI Lottery’s new holiday game Present Stacks is a three-way match game with instant prizes, fun multipliers and a $50,000 grand prize.
Wild Win Xtra offers Virginia Lottery players a simple layout with intuitive design and seamless action, backed up by a chance at the $75,000 top prize.
As the Virginia Lottery continues to expand its library of online lottery games, its latest, Virginia Cash Expander, promises up to $100,000 payouts.


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Fri, 26 Oct 2018 08:40:39 GMT
In September, Bassam Abdel-Rahman joined the Singapore team as Managing Director after spending two years as a global group brand director at 72andSunny Amsterdam.
72andSunny Singapore recently partnered with HipVan, Love Bonito, Aptamil and Facebook, among other global client business and has launched the adidas World Cup campaign in China.
To bolster creative growth they have recently made a trio of new additions to their creative team.
Daniel Ko, Creative Director
Since 2002, Daniel has been on a single-minded mission to positively transform brands through his ideas. His creative career has seen him craft award-winning work at agencies including DDB, BBH, Iris and The Secret Little Agency, for clients such as the Health Promotion Board of Singapore, NTUC Income, Tiger Beer, Telenor, and POSB.
Isaac Tan, Writer
Isaac arrives to 72andSunny Singapore from Publicis and Nurun and previously Ogilvy and Arcade where he helped conceptualise campaigns for clients such as Heineken, Magnum, Health Promotion Board, Scoot and Audi to name a few. He was also instrumental in Scoot’s rebranding campaign and in helping to clinch Scoot’s third consecutive Marketer of the Year Award at the MEAs.
Scott Miao, Senior Designer
Scott joins the team with extensive experience in both traditional and digital marketing as well as in the sports and automobile industry. Previously serving as an Associate Creative Director at Havas Shanghai, he worked primarily on Asics’, through-the-line campaigns and helped the agency win local and global new businesses as well as take home multiple creative awards. He has also worked on accounts such as adidas and Nike.
view more - Hires, Wins & Business72andSunny Singapore, Fri, 26 Oct 2018 08:40:39 GMT


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A sluggish Japanese economy claims another victim in the high-tech industry, and the picture doesn't appear as though it will improve.
Softbank, Japan's largest software distributor, said that operating profit fell 18 percent, to $17 million, for the six months that ended September 30, according to a Bloomberg report.
The owner of U.S. companies including computer publishing giant Ziff-Davis, trade show firm Comdex, and memory maker Kingston Technologies, Softbank reportedly blamed its weak earnings on poor PC sales.
The results did not include the earnings of the U.S. subsidiaries, which will be reported next week.
Softbank is the latest casualty in what has been a brutal season for Japanese computer technology firms. Analysts blame a number of factors, including a 2 percent increase in the country's consumption tax earlier this year and depressed chip prices. But the primary reason for the soft Japanese computer market may be the depressed Japanese economy.
"Economic uncertainty is the big issue," said International Data Corporation analyst Kevin Hause. "The thing to look for is a strengthening of the economy overall, and then you'll see people approaching the PC market with more confidence."
By that measure, the light at the end of the Japanese high-tech tunnel is getting further away. Not only did the Japanese economy fail to recover this quarter, but according to IDC predictions it will continue to struggle through next quarter as well.
But there are other issues high-tech companies in Japan have to contend with as well. Technological updates and transitions bear some of the blame for the sluggish PC market. And some consumers are waiting for the arrival of Microsoft's Windows 98 before making any purchases.
Other analysts attribute the slump partly to the market's pausing to assimilate the fairly large investment made during the past three years as the underpenetrated Japanese PC market struggled to catch up with the U.S. market, and as the introduction of Windows 95 in Japanese caused a boom in computer sales.
"The Japanese market is still behind, both in terms of the rate of sales and the installed base," said IDC analyst Phillipe de Marcillac, who also noted that an anticipated Japanese economic recovery caused excess production on the side of computer makers.
While consumer PC sales languish in the doldrums, corporate sales are comparatively healthy in Japan. Internet- and LAN-related spending is robust, as are sales of portable computers in a country where space is at a premium.


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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German engineering group Siemens (SIEGn.DE) is optimistic that EU antitrust regulators will clear its plan to form the world’s largest wind turbine maker with Spain’s Gamesa in the preliminary review, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The company is aiming for a phase one decision, the people said, referring to the European Commission’s initial scrutiny which runs to March 13.
The companies have few overlaps which could trigger competition concerns, the sources said. In terms of geographical presence and products, the companies complement rather than compete with each other, they said.
The sources said it was speculative to say whether concessions would be required to allay possible competition concerns.
Reporting by Foo Yun Chee


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MMO add-on Monster Hunter Frontier G has been announced for an April 2013 in Japan. According to Andriasang (via Joystiq), the add-on’s to feature 10 new monsters, more than 300 G-class weapons and armor sets, new skills and four new elementals. Further expansions also planned for autumn 2013 and spring 2014. The original Monster Hunter Frontier was released for 360 and PC in 2007.
Fortnite, Nioh DLC, a new 3DS model, Hey Pikmin and a handful of niche titles make for a decent week all round.
The Destiny 2 open beta has been extended, but you can expect things to get choppy on Monday and Tuesday
Want more time with the Destiny 2 open beta? Good news.
After watching this fan-made video for Midnight Club, we really want Rockstar, get started on another one.
Monster Hunter Frontier G
Monster Hunter Frontier G – the PC, PS3, Vita, Wii U and Xbox 360 MMORPG – may release in countries other than Japan, according to Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono.
Online action RPG Monster Hunter Frontier G is making the jump to Vita, Capcom announced at the Tokyo Game Show.


text: This article originally appeared on ABACUS Baidu has been China’s king of search since Google pulled out of the country in 2010. Now it’s facing a new challenger, TikTok creator ByteDance, which unveiled a new search engine on Monday. But the challenge for ByteDance might not be Baidu. A bigger problem might be that people in China don’t seem to care that much about online search at all. Meet Baidu, China’s homegrown search engine ByteDance, the creator of China’s biggest news aggregator Toutiao and the global short video sensation TikTok, now has a search engine named Toutiao Search. Bloomberg called it “ the most serious threat yet ” to Baidu, which has 76% market share in China, according to Statcounter . Despite years of complaints from users, Baidu hasn’t had much competition. China’s viral king ByteDance is the first major Chinese tech player that made a mark on the world While some users are applauding new competition, others are skeptical about whether a new player will make a difference for users. This is in part because of the unique experience of searching online in China. Outside of China, there is no doubt that Google is unchallenged when it comes to search. The company controls 92% of the global search engine market. Even on mobile, people often first turn to Google when they need information -- news stories, navigation and even restaurant reviews (over which Google was sued ). Things are quite different in China, where users are much less likely to rely on search. WeChat, for example, has become a primary news source for internet users in China, just as Facebook has outside China. But the massive amount of content produced by the more than 10 million content creators on the platform is inaccessible through search engines. The articles only exist on WeChat. WeChat, the app that does everything Combined with the trove of WeChat mini-programs offering a wide variety of services and WeChat’s efforts to improve the in-app search function, some have argued that WeChat also works as a search engine . Mini Programs: The apps inside apps that make WeChat so powerful In January, an article titled “Search engine Baidu is dead” went viral in China. The article, written by veteran journalist and media researcher Fang Kecheng, argued that Baidu had been prioritizing low-quality articles, some of them fake news, from its own content platform Baijiahao. While some platforms don’t open their content to Baidu, Fang said, Baidu is also looking to boost traffic to its own platforms. Many user comments under the article shared Fang’s view. “That’s true,” says one WeChat user’s comment with more than 1,900 likes. “I recently loved searching on WeChat, and I feel like it’s more reliable than Baidu.” “Now when I search for things, I need to search on Baidu, and then search again on WeChat and Weibo, and once again on Zhihu, and then half a day passed,” another user commented. Zhihu, where people in China go to ask questions and get answers Baidu responded to Fang by saying that only 10% of all search results on Baidu are from Baijiahao. Wei Wuhui, lecturer at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and managing partner at Skychee Ventures, takes it one step further. He argued in a blog post in April that “search engines ought to die” because China’s mobile internet has increasingly become “islanded” within different apps. “On Baidu, you can’t get search results from WeChat public accounts,” Wei wrote. “Even indexing Weibo content is very difficult.” He added that reviews on travel booking sites and short videos on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, are also rarely found on Baidu. TikTok, the viral short video sensation, has its roots in China All this siloed content is “shaking the cornerstone of the internet -- interconnection,” an opinion piece from state-owned Global Times said in January. In April this year, the hashtag “using Weibo as Baidu” was trending on Weibo’s hot search rankings. Many users said it was quicker to find what they were looking for by searching on the microblogging platform. How Weibo became China’s most popular blogging platform “As in-app search capabilities become increasingly important and eventually pervasive for other mobile apps, traditional search service providers also have good opportunities as long as they can effectively expand their digital ecosystem,” Forrester analyst Charlie Dai said. To meet the challenge of improved search on platforms like WeChat and Toutiao, traditional search engines like Baidu need to strike a balance between personalized and diverse content, Dai added. For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters , subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast , and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report . Also roam China Tech City , an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus .