text:
Canberra-based food tech company Nourish Ingredients is poised to redefine the landscape of alternative proteins by utilizing synthetic biology to craft custom-made, animal-free fats and oils. Armed with seed funding from industry giants Main Sequence Ventures and Horizon Ventures, Nourish is gearing up to revolutionize the taste profile of the next generation of alternative proteins.
The innovative minds behind Nourish, Dr. James Petrie and Ben Leita, identified a gap in the thriving plant-based protein market. While many products rely on vegetable fats and oils like palm and coconut oil, Nourish aims to take plant-based food to a new level. Their journey began in December 2019 while working at CSIRO, where they hatched the idea of using precision fermentation to create tailored animal-free fats and oils.
Nourish’s Co-founder and CEO, James Petrie said, “By combining our science with the process of precision fermentation, we can tailor the overall taste experience of animal-free fats and oils. Our goal is to elevate the taste of plant-based food – giving them that delicious, meaty, flavour and a mouthfeel of the real thing. The process involves the customisation of the DNA of yeasts and growing them in specially calibrated environments, to develop animal-free fats and oils, drawing upon decades of the team’s combined experience in the lipid engineering world.”
The key focus of Nourish is on fats, not proteins. Fat molecules are instrumental in delivering the taste, texture, and aroma that make food truly delectable. James stressed that their mission is not philosophical but practical: feeding the planet’s burgeoning population, which cannot be solely achieved through traditional agriculture.
While current consumer trends indicate that alternative proteins enjoy broad support from vegans and vegetarians, Nourish aims to capture the attention of meat eaters and engage them in the journey to expand the plant protein market. This market is projected to reach AUD $25 billion by 2030, according to CSIRO.
James clarified that alternative proteins are not intended to replace traditional animal agriculture. Instead, they view it as an opportunity to create new export markets and offer Australian farmers valuable diversification.
The journey to founding Nourish began when James and Ben were in the process of creating another startup. Their clientele’s inquiries about venturing into the animal fat space led to a pivotal question: “Why can’t we do that?” Running Nourish has been a learning curve, but they are resolute in their commitment to build a better solution for sustainable food production.
Nourish is making waves by mimicking the molecular structure of animal fats using synthetic biology, offering a spectrum of new flavors and experiences through fermentation. With a rapidly growing team of 30, the company has secured AUD$14.4 million in seed funding from distinguished investment firms, Main Sequence Ventures and Horizon Ventures.
James highlighted the importance of aligning with like-minded individuals and companies that share their values. The heart of Nourish’s mission is to sustainably feed the world while ensuring that food tastes exceptional. The journey continues with a commitment to making food not only nourishing but also extraordinarily delicious.


text:
Ruining the Magic
CheckPoint Live, now with correct seating orientation! Also, stories about SimCity, Germany and Microsoft.
Date: January 14, 2014
Story Graphics: Paul Saunders
CheckPoint Graphics: Graham Stark
Music: Bradley Rains
Want to advertise your game in Germany? Don't. This is CheckPoint.
- At CES, Pizza Hut announced that they had done over 1 million dollars worth of business through the XBox Kinect app that has been online for a month.
- Nintendo has finally won its drawn out legal battle with InteractionLaboratory, a patent troll, sort of.
- The video game writers nominees have been announced for the 2014 Writers Guild Awards.
- EA is going to update SimCity to allow for offline play and mods.
- GameForge, developers of Runes of Magic, were found guilty by the German Supreme Court for marketing in app purchases to children.
Dutch developers GameOven have created a two-player iOS dancing game called Bounden that features dance moves designed by the choreographer of the Dutch National Ballet. Because when I think of what a casual dancing game for my phone should be like, my mind immediately goes to the most physically demanding type of of dance a human is capable of doing.
| II |
◀ ●∙∙∙ So Brave, So Default Try These Ninten-dos! ∙∙∙● ▶

domain: news


text:
A new report estimates that sugary drink consumption will result in 63,000 deaths over the next 25 years while costing the system more than $50 billion.
According to the report released by the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) with research from the University of Waterloo, Canadians’ sugar consumption will lead to:
- More than 1 million cases of overweight people and more than 3 million cases of obesity.
- Almost 1 million cases of Type 2 diabetes.
- Almost 300,000 cases of ischemic heart disease.
- More than 100,000 cases of cancer.
- Almost 40,000 strokes.
The Canadian Diabetes Association recommends keeping sugar intake to less than 10 per cent of all calories. That’s about 50 grams of sugar (12 teaspoons) for a person consuming 2,000 calories.
While soda sales are down, other sugary drinks are gaining in popularity, the report states. Between 2004 and 2015, sales of energy drinks soared by 638 per cent, sweetened coffees by 579 per cent, and flavoured water by 527 per cent.
On average, Canadians purchase an average of 444 millilitres of sugary drinks every day, the report states.
The Canadian Beverage Association argues it’s simplistic to pinpoint one part of a diet when working to tackle issues such as obesity.
“While the beverage industry supports efforts to address serious diseases like obesity and diabetes, it is illogical to isolate one single ingredient or product as a unique contributor,” the statement read.
A recent Canadian study found added sugar in more than two-thirds of pre-made food in the grocery store.
While beverages are only one part of a bigger picture, it’s easy to overlook sugar and its accompanying calories in beverages, said Dr. Robert Nuttall, CCS assistant director of health policy.
While sugar doesn’t cause cancer, too much of it can lead to weight gain, which is linked to a number of health issues, Nuttall said.
“We know that a significant risk factor for cancer is body weight. Having a high body weight — being overweight or obese — can put you at risk of at least 11 different types of cancers.”
Those include breast, kidney and liver cancer, Nuttall said. Health experts say that maintaining a healthy body weight is crucial; getting people motivated is the hard part.
“It’s really trying to figure out, what are the best ways to address body weight?” he said.
In the simplest terms, Canadians need to balance the energy they consume through food and drinks versus how much energy they expend in order to maintain a healthy body weight. When you don’t expend enough energy, your body builds up fat tissue.
With a little awareness, Nuttall said, consumers can reach for better choices and be on the path to a healthier future.


text:
Morrisons has launched packs of doughnuts oozing with "green slime".
In honour of Halloween, the supermarket has announced a fun, festive twist on the popular sweet treat.
Called the Halloween Green Slime Doughnuts, the desserts are filled with green coloured jam.
Morrisons say the doughnuts are raspberry and pineapple flavour which tastes like a classic fruit salad.
They come in a pack of five and are made fresh in store by Market Street bakers.
Many fans have been taking to Facebook and Instagram to rave about the green doughnuts, which cost 50p for a pack of five.
Foodie Instagram account, Newsfooduk, thought the doughnuts tasted like a "fruit salad sweet" and raved about them to followers..
Posting on Instagram, they wrote: "New Halloween Green Slime Doughnuts at Morrisons with raspberry and pineapple flavoured jam!
"These are so unbelievably good! Absolutely love this flavour! Just think of a fruit salad sweet!"
And other doughnut fans agreed, one wrote: "These doughnuts are amazing and full of flavour."
Another added: "Weird, I want these!"
Looking for more Halloween food inspiration?
M&S has dropped a collection for spooky season, including a Meatloaf Mummy and a Creepy Crawly Colin the Caterpillar.
While Iceland gave us a first glimpse at their Scarily Spicy range launched especially for Halloween and Bonfire Night.
It includes a pizza, curry, and chicken that all come with warning labels.
Iceland also cautions that the foods in the range are "extremely hot" and should only be eaten under the supervision of a responsible adult.
The hot chicken strips and red-hot curry are both made using the Carolina Reaper chilli, which Iceland say measures in at over 1,500,000 on the Scoville scale.
While the pizza has been dubbed "far hotter than expected" by customers.


text:
Labor Shortage And Fall Weather Stack Up To Leave Apples Rotting In Orchards
Fujis and Pink Ladies are some of the most valuable and last to ripen apple varieties in the Northwest.
And this winter there are huge swaths of them left unpicked in orchards east of the Cascades.
The trees’ leaves have dropped, and now with a blanket of snow the tracts of unpicked acres glow red even from miles away. The left-behind fruit has many speculating: Trump’s tariffs? Unripe? Bugs? Foul weather?
The answer is a combination of two factors. There was a shortage of picking crews — the whole nation’s labor market is tight. Plus, an October freeze hammered Washington orchard managers, biting into thousands of still unharvested acres.
Experts say the Trump administration’s tariffs are not to blame for this one.
Morgan Rowe farms in the Yakima Valley, and lost about 600 bins — weighing about 900 pounds each — of his valuable Fujis to the cold.
He said he tried to save those apples. But many didn’t warm up enough to save after the first freezing night last fall.
“It’s just out of my hands,” Rowe said. “The weather is just not something that I can control. This, you know, chalk it up as a casino. It’s farming.”
Rowe says he and other farmers have knocked down some of the frozen fruit so it doesn’t damage the trees. But he says the loss is disheartening — especially after growing the fruit all year successfully, to lose it right at harvest time.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency reports that although thousands of acres were lost to the weather in Washington, it didn’t rise above a 30% total loss for the industry. That means farmers aren’t eligible for federal financial aid. Though some may have lost as much as millions of dollars, according to Dwaine Schettler, with the USDA in Spokane.
These startling-red orchards, and farmers’ financial bleeding, are highlighted this week against this eastern Washington’s muted winter pallet.
Benefiting from this bonanza of abandoned fruit are coyotes and blackbilled magpies.
As more old orchard land in central Washington is converted into housing developments and schools, there are concerns over legacy pesticides in the soil where children play and families live. That’s especially true in Wenatchee and Yakima.
Continue Reading Group Aims To Address Pesticides In Central Washington’s Soil
The apple in question is WA 2, known to consumers as Sunrise Magic. WSU claims that Yakima apple grower Pro Orchard Management and affiliated packer Apple King infringed on the patent by growing and selling Sunrise Magic without a license. Continue Reading WSU Sues Yakima Grower Over Alleged Apple Patent Infringement
After more than 20 years of development by the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research Commission, the Cosmic Crisp is ready to come to hit store shelves. The goal of new variety is to be attractive to consumers, easy to grow and easy to store over a long period of time. Continue Reading What Does It Take To Get A New Apple Variety To Market? A Lot. And Cosmic Crisp Shows It


text:
The Polestar Precept Concept – a large electric saloon from Volvo’s sporty electric brand – will go in to production – but not until 2023.
Back in February, before the world closed its doors to try and contain Covid, Volvo’s sporty electric brand Polestar revealed the Polestar Precept Concept, destined for the Geneva Motor Show a few weeks later.
But the Precept never got to Geneva because, just three days after Polestar revealed it, the Geneva Motor Show was cancelled, the first high-profile motoring victim of the Covid lockdown.
But, perhaps an early indication of the importance of the Precept to Polestar, they were back with more photos and a video of the Precept in April. And now Polestar has announced the Precept is going in to production – but not until 2023.
Depending on when it actually arrives, the Precept could be the Polestar 4 – after the hybrid Polestar 1, Volvo-concept based Polestar 2 and the yet to arrive Polestar 3 SUV -but it could be Polestar 5, or Polestar 6 or…if it takes too long.
Aimed at the Tesla S – and similar in size – it will doubtless be based on the new SPA2 Platform Volvo will soon launch for its bigger cars, eschew ‘virgin’ plastics for stuff made from old bottles and fishing nets, a big battery, 300-mile plus range,a healthy power output and performance, an ‘Android’ interior and lots of tech.
Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, said:
‘Stunning. Spectacular. Cutting-edge. We’d like to see it on the road!’ – this is what the press wrote about Precept and the public said, ‘We want it’, so we decided to build it.
Now, Precept becomes an even stronger statement. We are committed to reduce the environmental impact of our cars and our business. The aim has to be climate neutrality, even though I recognise that is a long-term goal.
The Precept will be built in a new factory in China with the promise its production will have the lowest carbon footprint.
Expect more to come – for years before the Polestar Precept actually arrives.
Polestar Precept Concept Video


text:
The cybercrime economy is growing rapidly and thriving, thanks to online crooks employing different tactics and functioning in different roles within a group to convert stolen data into actual revenue streams.
Uri Rivner, head of new technologies for identity protection at RSA, the security division of EMC, said the online black market generates billions of dollars monthly and has evolved into a highly-developed ecosystem based on covert communication channels. Here, cybercriminals meet up to create virtual global teams and decide on how to conduct their crimes, he added in his e-mail
To gain a better understanding of the cybercrime universe, ZDNet Asia spoke to Rivner, as well as other security insiders, to uncover some of the most in-demand black hat skills and roles.
The exploit researcher
This group tend to be amateur attackers, also known as "script kiddies", who gather infected computers that can be used to host a phishing site or a spam relay, remarked Ronnie Ng, senior manager of systems engineering at Symantec Singapore.
"In some cases, the exploiters will break into credit card databases directly to harvest credit card data, skipping the phishing stage entirely," he added.
There are networks of bot-compromised PCs used to distribute spam and other malware for distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS), noted David Harley, senior research fellow of security at ESET. These botnets then facilitate fraud by impersonating as a Web referrer and send a huge volume of clicks to a Web page, which pays referrers on a cents-per-click basis, he explained. The person running these networks of malware-infected PCs are known either as "botmaster" or "botherder", and is a cog in the entire online fraud ecosystem, Harley noted.
The data analyst
RSA's Rivner pointed out that Trojans deployed by cybercrooks steal a large amount of data, from online banking sites and credit cards to social networks, e-mails and corporate information. Amid the deluge of data, he pointed out that business intelligence (BI) consultants will be necessary to help "find the needle in the haystack" and convert a lot of the unstructured data collated into a cyber treasure trove, which can be sold or shared on the online black market.
The encryption guru
Just as information generated by consumers are wanted by black hats, the latter's data is also highly sought after and considered valuable by other online criminals and law enforcement authorities, Rivner said. This is because criminals will want to cash in on the stolen data, while the police will want to use the information as digital forensic evidence to prosecute the criminals, he stated.
Thus, it is crucial for cybercriminals to know how to encrypt their data and the hard drives the information is saved on. There will always be a place for cipher builders as well as code breakers in such black hat markets.
The carder and dropper
Ng also identified "carders" as those who purchase goods using pilfered credit or bank card information. They usually siphon off information by skimming, Harley added.
The carders will then pass these merchandise on to "droppers", who will then pick these goods at an untraceable drop-off point, Ng added.
The money mule
Cybercriminals use "mules" largely for money laundering and direct scamming activties, Harley pointed out.
These people are persuaded to receive and pass on payments, making it harder for authorities to "follow the money", thus becoming "money mules", he explained.
He added: "Mule driving is hence, the acquisition, care and feeding of mules."
The mobile expert
Rivner also noted that consumers are moving away from traditional Web-based applications to smartphones and tablets as these devices proliferate the market. This means that more users are utilizing mobile devices to conduct banking transactions via such apps, too.
"There is hence a whole new digital frontier waiting for the creative minds of cybercriminals," he said. "The dark economy is starting to grow into the mobile space."


text:
At the end of June we told how 500,000 Android devices were getting activated every day. It was 200,000 more than the figure released 6 months earlier. Now, another 6 months on, there’s another increase of 200,000.
If this rate continues, we should see around a million devices activated daily by September 2012.
Andy Rubin posted the following tweet..
There are now over 700,000 Android devices activated every day.
Link – Twitter


text:
Having established a firm foothold locally, Eventfinder is taking its event marketing platform to the Australian market – and if its initial reception is anything to go by, promoters and organisers across the ditch are lapping it up.
Chief executive Michael Turner said the launch of eventfinder.com.au had so far blown expectations out of the water.
"After only two weeks we've listed over 4,000 events nationally across Australia," he said.
"It only took 10 days for the site to attract more than 1,500 visitors a day. That's extraordinary considering we haven't done any marketing yet".
Echoing the New Zealand model, the Australian version provides a nationwide service, including regional Australia as well as major metropolitan areas, and covers major concerts, sports, festivals and theatre events to pub gigs.
Turner said while many applications served a small part of the market, Eventfinder was the world's only integrated event marketing, syndication and ticketing platform, giving promoters, organisers, venues and artists the ability to list and manage their own event information, distribution and ticketing services.
It allowed them to sell tickets online without giving up control over customer relationships, and doing away with exorbitant transaction fees, delivery and convenience charges to end consumers, he said.
Eventfinder was founded in New Zealand in 2006 and media company APN acquired a stake in the business the following year.
It has more than 150 syndication partners in print and online, supplying content to Yahoo, MSN, NZ Herald and Fairfax among others.
The company, which makes money from premium placement, newsletter marketing, ticketing and overseas licensing, recently completed a funding round with a view to launching in the US and south-east Asia.


text:
Chainalysis Blockchain Data Platform to Integrate Lightning Network Coindesk
Credit: Source link
In a statement released on March 29, OKX announced its intention to expand its crypto services
Bitcoin Miner TeraWulf Reports 146% Increase in Revenue as It Ramps Up Operations CoinDesk Credit: Source link
Ad Crypto exchanges Coinbase and Kraken have stated that they plan to continue operating in Canada.
FTX Europe, the European subsidiary of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, has created a new website for


text:
QSR has been reporting on the largest companies in the quick-service segment for nearly 15 years. For many of those years (now more than a decade), we’ve also delivered a top-level ranking called the QSR 50 each August.
The QSR 50 is a ranking of the most successful quick-service and fast-casual companies in the country. The brands are ranked based on their domestic systemwide sales, and we also report average unit volumes, unit counts, franchised unit counts, and in-depth analysis of every chain listed. It’s an all-out horse race to the finish, with companies like McDonald’s, Subway, and Starbucks jockeying for top position. That No. 1 spot has always been held by McDonald’s, a company that boasted nearly $33 billion in U.S. sales on the most recent QSR 50.
In 2012, QSR is looking beyond the borders of the U.S. While the $167.8 billion domestic quick-serve industry is nothing to sneeze at, we recognized that the segment has become increasingly international. Just last year, for example, Subway, the Milford, Connecticut–based sandwich company, became the biggest restaurant company in the world. It easily dwarfed both global fan favorites Starbucks and McDonald’s with its more than 35,000 restaurants.
In addition, one of the industry’s largest players, Yum Brands International, announced that it was reorganizing its $15 billion business to focus more on India. The company already made notable inroads into China and in 2010, the India business surpassed its 100th KFC, with strong unit growth and excellent unit margins. In addition, Pizza Hut is in 34 Indian cities with 175 restaurants.
Subway’s international explosion, Yum’s reorganization, and many other similar moves by the industry’s biggest brands were all signs. The QSR 50 was only telling a portion of our industry’s story. Beyond our borders, there was a world of opportunity. Our readers were recognizing it, and this issue is QSR’s first foray into calculating just how large those opportunities are.
The February 2012 issue is the debut of the Global 30. It’s meant to be a guide to international expansion for domestic companies looking to grow, as well as a directory of the world’s strongest brands for potential international franchisees looking to tap into a perfected system.
Like our domestic list, the Global 30 ranks quick-serve and fast-casual companies by systemwide sales. For the international list, however, the sales are only from non-U.S. units, and the companies are all U.S.-based.
This year, the top position belongs to McDonald’s, the Oak Brook, Illinois, burger concept that has about 1,300 stores in China alone. The company continues to leverage its international presence to help its U.S. performance, and has even shared menu items among its U.S. and international markets, which increases efficiency.
That type of streamlining resulted in $44.9 billion in international sales, and an average unit volume at an estimated value of $2.4 million.
Perhaps the most surprising international fact about the reigning quick-serve champ is the country where it has the highest number of stores outside the U.S. Japan is home to more than 3,302 stores—the most of any country, not including the U.S.
Originally, when QSR set out to gather the Global 30 data, we did it the same way we did the domestic numbers. We offered brands the opportunity to report their own figures in an online submission form that readers can find in the online version of this story.
As with most things related to international expansion, it became quickly apparent that there would be complications. Brands were either hesitant to report their international systemwide sales or felt they did not have enough units outside the U.S. to compete with the likes of the brands mentioned before. As a result, QSR began researching the numbers on our own.
We combed through hundreds of pages of financial reports from the brands listed in the domestic QSR 50 to track down numbers some of their communications executives either couldn’t find or didn’t want to share.
That research proved more rewarding, and the Global 30 began to take shape.
Through our research, we found enough data to make sound estimations. For example, Yum’s fried chicken concept KFC has a strong international presence with 3,244 stores in China. The company earned $14.7 billion in systemwide sales in 2010 and reported 11,798 units outside the U.S. From there, we used that data to estimate that KFC’s international AUV was about $1.2 million.
In other cases, we had to rely on the data collected for our original QSR 50. While not ideal, this proves the need for this type of report in our industry. Domestic figures are easy to come by from either companies themselves or third-party analysts. But gathering international stats can often feel like the wild west of research reporting.
As a result, there are several places noted in the chart on Page 54 that denote these types of estimations. For the figures marked with a #, QSR used the domestic AUV figures we had from the traditional QSR 50 because the company was not disclosing the information, the financial reports were not publicly available, and more detailed estimates could not be made.
This is the case in nine of the 30 chains listed in the accompanying Global 30 chart. Beyond No. 30, the international presence was either too small to report or all international units were on U.S. military bases. As a result, we reported the strongest brands, but not all of the brands with international stores.
QSR would like to continue to report this type of data next year. However, we need your company’s help. Since we understand we are the first to ask you for such information, we’ve developed an online submission process that will be open throughout the year. As new stores are added to your systems outside of the U.S., please visit QSRmagazine.com/Global30 to add or update your company’s information.
Each quarter, we will update the document for online visitors.
By creating a living document, we’re hoping QSRmagazine.com becomes your source for reliable international development news and stats, the same way it is for domestic research and headlines.
We anticipate that our new Global 30 report will gain the same type of industry interest as our domestic QSR 50 ranking, and you’re witnessing its debut. We’re looking forward to seeing your sales numbers, AUV, and unit counts roll in between today and February 2013.
But, for now, please take your time with the ranking by clicking here. It’s full of wonderful stats on companies you can expect to see from Detroit to New Delhi in the near future.


text:
During the week I share the latest marketplace lending news on Twitter as it happens. Then every Saturday I take the most interesting news items and blog posts from the past week and share them here.
Re-Banked from deBanked – An excellent review of the many fintech-bank partnerships with commentary from many industry leaders.
An obscure regulatory debate has put the entire U.S. fintech community on edge from Techcrunch – While I wouldn’t say the fintech community is on edge about it the new OCC Charter is a big deal.
Weekly Industry Update: Credit Trend Through Delinquency Rates from PeerIQ – In the latest PeerIQ newsletter they dig into credit card delinquencies.
UK digital lenders can harness growth opportunities with more tech innovation from S&P Global Market Intelligence – In the UK S&P Global has a new report out covering marketplace lending, showing 101% growth over past 5 years.
CFPB’s ‘project catalyst’ failed. Fintech deserves better from American Banker – One of the best articles I have ever read on what’s needed for #fintech regulation by Congressman Patrick McHenry.
CommonBond Launches Direct Student Loans For Undergraduates from FastCompany – CommonBond has expanded beyond refinancing student loans to offering loans to all students at non-profit colleges. [Read more…]


text:
Galgorm Resort & Spa has been crowned a winner in Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual Chamber Business Awards for 2017.
The Ballymena resort and spa received the ‘Excellence in Customer Service’ award from Northern Ireland’s largest business network, which represents over 1,200 businesses across Northern Ireland.
The Chamber Awards is a highlight of the business calendar, showcasing the pivotal role local businesses play in the UK’s continuing growth story.
Galgorm Resort & Spa will now compete with other regional winners in the national finals in a bid to win the top UK business accolade in their category.
The national winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Chamber Awards Gala Dinner on November 30 at the Brewery in London.
Colin Johnston, General Manager at the Resort, said: “We were absolutely delighted to receive this award as it rewards the emphasis we have always placed on striving for excellence in Customer Service at the Resort.
“To be recognised by NI Chamber as excelling in this area across all industries in Northern Ireland is especially validating for our team.”
Ellvena Graham, President of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “Businesses are the backbone and driving force of the economy. Even in the face of uncertain times, they continue to show their resilience and strength – creating opportunities for employment, investment and growth.
“Recognised for its focus on customer service and care Galgorm Resort & Spa demonstrates excellence and commitment in the ever important area of customer service.
“Our judges are always impressed by the high standard of submissions, and the calibre of entries this year was no different. The finalists in the Chamber Business Awards represent the best of this country’s entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and hard-work.”
A Highly Commended award for ‘Excellence in Customer Service’ was claimed by Armagh-based McElmeel Mobility Services.


text:
Mobile accounted for more than half of digital ad spending in 2015, and marketers continue to see increased value in mobile advertising. While there are benefits, there are challenges too, according to Q3 2015 research.
According to AdRoll, 41% of US marketers said the lack of attribution transparency was one of the biggest challenges of mobile advertising. Additionally, more than a third of respondents said that users or consumers not converting on mobile is another challenge.
Lack of analytics tools and the inability to connect mobile and desktop users were also some of the biggest challenges of mobile advertising, according to marketers.
Mobile devices—smartphones in particular—are not the easiest screens to monetize. In fact, the smallest screen is the one that cause the most trouble, according to September 2015 research from AdMonsters.
Two-thirds of US publishing professionals said that smartphones caused the most monetization trouble. Tablets and over-the-top (OTT) and TV screens also caused issues for a fair number of respondents, but were not as much of an inconvenience as smartphones were.


text:
MoveOn.org sees a chink in Rupert Murdoch’s armour, and the liberal organisation is jumping at the chance to take the News Corporation CEO down.
Politico grabbed an attack ad created by MoveOn, which asks:
“Rupert Murdoch controls and influences a huge amount of all American media but is he running a company…or a crime syndicate? Enough is enough.”
It also asks those watching to call Congress and demand an investigation.
Expect more ads of this variety in the near future.
Moveon.org is fundraising specifically for an anti-Murdoch and News Corp. campaign. From an email sent out on Thursday:
We’re launching a new campaign to build unavoidable public pressure for full investigations.We’ll start tomorrow with a hard-hitting new ad asking whether Murdoch is “running a company or a crime syndicate.” But first we need to the raise the money to get it on the air and ramp up the campaign.
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.


text:
Forward of its launch in early spring, Bandai Namco has launched a brand new teaser trailer for Tekken 7’s subsequent DLC.
Introduced in the course of the Japan Preventing Recreation Writer Roundtable #2 livestream, DLC 18 will function the Prime Minister of Poland. There’s not a lot to go off of within the 35 second trailer, however these seeking to glean some insights can test it out under.
TEKKEN 7 – DLC 18 Teaser Trailer
Tekken 7’s plot places the highlight on the occasions main as much as the ultimate battle between Heihachi Mishima and Kazuya. New components to the combating system embody Rage Arts and the Energy Crush mechanic, and characters like Road Fighter’s Akuma and The Strolling Lifeless’s Negan have since been added.
The sport is now accessible for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC by way of Steam, and also will come out for the Xbox Collection S/X. You’ll be able to learn our overview of the bottom recreation right here (we gave it a rating of 70/100).
Supply: Press Launch
Forward of its launch in early spring, Bandai Namco has launched a brand new teaser trailer for Tekken 7’s subsequent DLC
The staff at Atlus West has launched a launch trailer for his or her hack-and-slash Persona 5 Strikers
Benefit from a slew of latest items, bonuses, and extra this week in Rockstar Video games’ GTA On-line
The primary full Direct in additional than a 12 months, at this time’s Nintendo Direct featured 50 minutes of details about the largest titles coming to the Nintendo Swap. Make amends for the highlights with our recap


text:
SHAH ALAM: Engineering services provider Serba Dinamik Holdings Bhd is targeting to achieve sales of RM150mil to RM200mil for its information technology (IT) segment this year.
In comparison, the group’s IT segment achieved sales of RM8mil last year, and for the first four months of 2019, the group garnered revenue of RM25mil.
Group CEO Datuk Karim Abdullah said the target would be driven by its consumer IT products, particularly the cashless payment solution QwikPay which now has 50,000 users. Additionally, Serba Dinamik has RM50mil worth of IT projects in hand.
“We are confident of achieving our sales target. Going forward, IT will be an important business for Serba Dinamik. We will tap into our geographical network in the Middle East, Asia and Central Asia to grow this segment.
“The upcoming Beyond Paradigm Summit 2019 will also provide a marketing opportunity for our IT products,” he said at a briefing.
In line with Serba Dinamik’s push for IT and technologies of fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), the group is organising the Beyond Paradigm Summit 2019, which will feature social humanoid robot Sophia for the first time in Malaysia.
To be held on July 17-18 at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre, the summit will showcase advanced technologies encapsulating the core ideas of digitalisation and data exchange surrounding IR 4.0.
“We are preparing ourselves for the challenges by embracing the advanced technologies of IR 4.0 that include what is called Smart Maintenance and Manufacturing.
“It is the new approach to combining traditional maintenance and manufacturing processes and technology, such as the Internet of Things, to improve automation, communication and use of real-time data,” said Karim.


text:
The Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday announced the plans to to attract tourists to the Sultanate from new markets. The ministry has collaborated with the Royal Oman Police to facilitate procedures for tourists who are coming from China, Russian, Iran and even India. A presentation detailing the electronic VISA project, that explained the desired goals and ambitions of the Ministry of Tourism, with regard to their importance in attracting more tourists was also made.
The most important promotional campaigns which were carried out by the Ministry of Tourism were also presented at the Forum, the most prominent being the – ‘Discover Oman’s Beauty’ campaign, that was carried out from January till September last year.
It focused on the colloboration of tourism institutions and establishments to promote tourism sites in the Sultanate to the GCC as well as Oman, and has achieved a remarkable success, as the sultanate witnessed more than 5,500 bookings within 20 weeks of its launch. The same also resulted in the acquiring of a revenue of over Omani Rials Half a Million from just hotel establishments. In addition to this – efforts to find innovative ways to promote the Ministry by using social networking sites and digital platforms were also reviewed.


text:
After bugs and glitches for the game went viral, PlayStation has begun offering refunds to players who have purchased WWE 2K20.
2K Games’ latest release in their well-known wrestling franchise has seen a lot of attention online, but not for beneficial reasons. Glitches and bugs in the game have proven to be so funny that they’ve become a phenomenon on social media, showcasing just how broken the game is.
While some issues surrounding the game are quite serious, such as items missing from the collector’s edition, others relate to graphical problems that can catch players off guard in hilarious ways. One example of a glitch is a character’s hair color bleeding into their face in a pixelated line reminiscent of MS Paint.
Since Tuesday, fans have been using #FixWWE2K20 to try to convince the developer to release a patch for these widespread issues. This is where many of the funniest glitches and bugs were first found.
2K games support responded to one Tweet stating that they were receiving more tickets than usual. They asked players to bear with them while they worked through the tickets and documented every issue that had been reported to them.
In August the developer of 2K Games’ wrestling franchise, with 20 years experience making wrestling games, Yuke’s ended their partnership with 2K Games, and stopped work on WWE 2K20.
Visual Concepts, a California-based developer, took over work on the franchise soon after Yuke’s departed. The studio has worked alongside Yuke’s for the past 14 years on the franchise, meaning that they should know what they’re doing.
No explanation for Yuke’s departure has been given as of yet, making it seem even more curious because of the proximity to WWE 2K20’s launch. In May this year Hiromi Furuta, Senior Vice President and Producer for Yuke’s, told the press that the developer was planning on creating a new team internally, which would also be working on wrestling games, in order to create some internal competition.


text:
Facebook has released new statistics on its service Watch. More than 720 million users per month and 140 million people per day watch at least one minute of video on the Watch platform. Users spend an average of 26 minutes on Watch daily.
Compared to the total number of Facebook users, this is not a big number, but given the newness of Watch, which Facebook launched worldwide less than a year ago, the platform is growing in popularity.
Facebook has prepared a lot of new features in Watch over the past year and continues to develop the platform:
- In March, Facebook launched a new funding program for Watch, and announced that their are preparing many new shows featuring stars such as Will Smith, Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick and Jessica Biel.
- Recently, Facebook introduced a way to find groups based on the videos you watch. Next to the video, you’ll see its official group, so you can connect with other fans and talk about videos.
- Now Facebook is also testing a new section that would highlight the content popular with your friends.
- Advertising breaks are available in 40 countries and Facebook continues to expand into other areas. Facebook newly launched advertising breaks in Canada and added five more languages to support them.
- The number of pages that use advertising breaks has tripled over the past year.
Facebook states that the main idea of Watch is to connect people through watching videos, where they have unlimited possibilities and can comment on video content, share profiles, groups and news, create polls and express responses. And in the spirit of this strategy, Facebook is preparing all of these new features for the Watch platform.
Facebook has also recently changed the video rating criteria and introduced Brand Collabs Manager and a fan subscription to Europe.


text:
Watch Ezra Roizen General Manager, Advsr, LLC on Thursday 10am-10:40am ETRead more...
Brands use HipLogiq software to find relevant tweets, then respond to them with deals and coupons
For agencies, brands and businesses, having a lot of followers doesn't amount to more than bragging rights if all of those people don't actually lead to higher sales.
Twitter marketing company HipLogiq helps businesses respond directly to potential consumers, and it has now raised $7 million in Series B funding, it was announced on Monday.
The funding came from Hadron Global Partners, a joint venture owned by Ray Bartoszek, principal of RLB Holdings, and Anthony Lanza, principal of Carriage House Partners.
The company received $5 million in first-round funding in May of this year, with a majority of the capital also coming from Hadron Global Partners.
The vast majority of the money will go toward enhancing the marketing side of the business, HipLogiq CEO Bernard Perrine, told me in an interview, double its number of employees from 25 to 50 starting at the beginning of next year.
"95% of the funding will earmarked for sales and marketing," he told me. The rest will be used "to continue to enhance the product and grow the network."
The Dallas-based HipLogiq is an enterprise solution for social media marketing that uses Twitter to extend the reach of brands.
Here's how it works: HipLogiq sells software to brands and agencies that allow them to scour Twitter to look for relevant tweets. Once they find those tweets, the businesses can respond to them directly, offering them a reward, such as get 20% off, or get a free product or buy one get one free.
The user also receives an incentive two days later to share with their friends, which will get if someone they have shared it with redeems the offer.
HipLogiq offers three ways to reach consumers, Perrine told me.
One piece of software is called SocialCompass, which allows brands and agencies to reach customers. Either they can have HipLogiq send out the responses, or there is an agency mode, where they send out the tweets themselves, he said.
"The agency has existing clients, for example they might have Coca Cola, Ford or BMW, and they can provide the service to those clients that already use them.
The difference between these two models, Perrine said, is who is doing the work. The technology finds the users based on keyword and location but "a human being has to know to respond."
The company also offers SocialCentiv, which launched in March of last year, and is used by 2,000 small to medium businesses (SMBs).
Founded in 2008, HipLogiq has a number of notable clients, including Papa John’s, Dunkin’ Donuts and 7-Eleven. It counts over 2,000 SMBS as clients, and the agency model, which it only launched two months ago, already has 50 customers.
And these business are seeing high conversion rates by using the software.
For example, "Papa Johns sees a 54% conversion rate," Perrine told me. "And this is in an industry that celebrates a 19% failure rate."
"Try to find another marketing tool for that level of conversion."
ROI is very important to the company, he said. And by using the software businesses are also able to captue consumer information, and grow their databases.
"We don't want to create a product just because its cool," he said, "but because it adds value to business and consumer."
He also said that the company will be continuously evaluating new networks and tools to help agencies extend their reach. Right now the company focuses primarily on Twitter, but will be expanding to new networks, including Pinterest, very soon.
(Image source: https://www.hiplogiq.com)
Read more from our "Trends and news" series
VPN provider Hotspot Shield makes seeing restricted content a breezeRead more...
Making your room fit your styleRead more...
Related Companies, Investors, and Entrepreneurs
Joined Vator on
We are a marketing technology company whose mission is to improve on traditional methods of doing business by creating products and services designed for the way the empowered consumer lives today. We do this by fundamentally changing how businesses and brands reach and engage with people.
Our powerful, patented social marketing software – SocialCompass and SocialCentiv – recreates 1-to-1 marketing on a mass scale to help businesses of all sizes actively reach, engage and reward consumers based on their expressed need for a product or service, the time of day and location.


text:
By Ony Anukem
London’s only Vegan fried Chicken shop opened on Saturday 14th January 2017 and the hype on line has been crazy. Healthista’s Ony Anukem went to chick’ out whether the taste really matched the hype … London’s array of restaurants and
by Ony Anukem
Gourmet tea with a unique twist is shaking up British tradition, and Healthista is sharing the best ten on International Tea Day...
Looking for the best organic wines for your healthy loving party guests? Vanessa Chalmers has been testing wines around Healthista Towers and brings you the nine best So what actually is organic wine? EU laws state that it is made from grapes
Confused about units of alcohol? So were we. W've constructed a guide to how many units are in your favourite drinks and guess what? Baileys and Prosecco come out pretty well - we'll drink to that!
byCarly Jade Cochrane
Are you getting enough protein? Ever wondered what is the most effective way on how to get more protein in your diet? Don’t let those hours of exercise get wasted. Nutritionist Rick Hay reveals all. Rick Hay is a big believer in plant
We've had the avocado phase, now sweet potatoes are the new hot Healthista trend of the moment. Lorna Van Baar has 17 surprising ways to use them
byLorna Van Baar
As experts now claim it’s sugar not fat that’s behind our obesity crisis, editor Anna Magee has found some practical ways to eat less of the white stuff, without feeling deprived
It seems every day delivers a new story about someone who has cut back on sugar, lost weight and generally felt better for it. But it’s not always easy if you crave sweet tastes. Editor Anna Magee shares her favourite sugar alternative
With experts warning that it’s sugar not fat that makes us fat, more of us are giving up the white stuff. These seven recipes use one of our favourite no-calorie sweeteners, stevia, so you get all the sweetness without the sugar
© 2017 Healthista Ltd.
Wellness Weekly New Arrivals Product Launches


text:
- OnePlus Nord CE 5G will feature a 3.5mm headphone jack
- It will sport a thinner chassis than the OnePlus Nord 5G
- It will launch on June 10th in India
The OnePlus Nord CE 5G will include a 3.5mm audio jack. The company also confirmed that it will be sporting a super-slim design than last year’s OnePlus Nord 5G. The handset is all set to launch with the OnePlus TV U1S series at 7 PM on June 10th in India.
Rumours surrounding the OnePlus Nord CE (Core Edition) 5G have revealed that it will be positioned lower than the Nord 5G. The upcoming smartphone is expected to sport a 90Hz display, a Snapdragon 750 chipset, and a 64-megapixel triple camera system.
OnePlus Nord CE 5G to feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, 7.9mm chassis
Today, OnePlus confirmed that the OnePlus Nord CE 5G will flaunt a 7.9mm chassis. Despite featuring a slim chassis, the company has managed to cram in a 3.5mm audio jack on the device. In comparison, the OnePlus Nord 5G lacks a 3.5mm audio jack and measures 8.2mm in thickness. As shown in the above image, the bottom edge of the device has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone, and a USB-C port.
In March, reliable tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer shared renders of an upcoming Nord series phone codenamed as Ebba. The device was previously thought to debut as Nord N10, but newer reports have revealed that it will be launching as the Nord CE 5G. The below-shown CAD renders by Hemmerstoffer show that the handset has a punch-hole at the top-left corner, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a triple camera system on the back, a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a USB-C port, and a bottom-firing speaker.
OnePlus Nord CE 5G specifications (Rumoured)
Last week, Android Central reported revealed that the OnePlus Nord CE will feature a 6.43-inch AMOLED display that offers a 90Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 750G SoC will be fueling the device. For photography, it will come with a 16-megapixel front camera, while its rear camera setup will be headlined by a 64-megapixel camera. An Amazon India quiz listing revealed that the phone will come with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and it will be available in Charcoal Ink colour.
OnePlus Nord CE 5G price in India
The OnePlus Nord 5G is priced at Rs 24,999. Since the Nord CE 5G is expected to be priced lower than the Nord 5G, it may be priced between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 in the country. The pre-orders of the phone will be carried out on June 11th and those who pre-order it will get gifts worth Rs 2,699. Its open sales will begin on June 16th.


text:
Our credit cards are under control
Australians seem to have their credit card accounts under control. The latest Reserve Bank lending data reveals no overall growth in consumer credit balances in July 2015. Consumer credit card debt has grown only 0.9 per cent over the 12 months to July 2015.
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority figures show credit card balances fell for the sixth month in a row, down by 1.5 per cent in July 2015.
Source: Banking Day


text:
New research reveals pharma companies are more profitable than most S&P 500 companies
Large pharmaceutical companies are more profitable than most companies in the S&P 500 according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) titled "Profitability of Large Pharmaceutical Companies Compared with Other Large Public Companies." Pharmaceutical profits were closer to those of other research-based companies within the S&P 500 and were not higher than companies in the technology sector.
The study from the Center for Integration of Science and Industry at Bentley University is the first to critically examine the profitability of the companies that are responsible for the development, manufacturing, marketing and sale of most medicines. The results may inform policies to ensure both the affordability and availability of essential medicines now and in the future.
The study was undertaken in the context of public opinion surveys showing that 80% of respondents believe the profits made by pharmaceutical companies are a major factor contributing to the price of prescription drugs. "While there is extensive research on the health impacts of unaffordable drugs, there has been little research on the profitability of pharmaceutical companies," said Dr. Fred Ledley, director of the Center for Integration of Science and Industry, and the senior author of the study. "Developing policies to assure the affordability of essential medicines will also require an understanding of how reducing drug prices may impact the industry that makes these drugs available."
The Bentley University study compared the profits of 35 large pharmaceutical companies with those of 347 companies from the S&P 500 Index. During the period from 2000 through 2018, the pharmaceutical companies had a cumulative revenue of $11.5 trillion and cumulative net income of $1.9 trillion. Net income, also called "earnings," reflects the difference between all revenues and expenses and is a company's "bottom line" used in calculating earnings per share. Over this same period, the median net income margin (the percentage of revenue remaining after deducting all expenses) for pharmaceutical companies was 13.7% compared to 7.7% for S&P 500 companies, a difference of 6.1%. However, when comparing pharmaceutical companies to those S&P 500 companies reporting research and development expenses and considering the effects of company size and time trends, the difference in median profits was 3.6%, and pharmaceutical companies were not more profitable than those companies in the technology sector or healthcare companies developing non-pharmaceutical products. Over the past five years, from 2014-2018, there was no significant difference in net income margin between pharmaceutical and S&P 500 companies.
These estimates of pharmaceutical profit margins were lower than those used by the National Academies of Science in their 2017 report, Making Medicines Affordable: a National Imperative.
The Bentley study focused explicitly on large pharmaceutical companies, which provide the large majority of all medicines. In 2018, these companies had a combined market value of $2.4 trillion, directly employed 992 thousand people, and expensed $120 billion for research & development of new medicines. Pharmaceutical companies represent only one element of the pharmaceutical distribution system, which also includes pharmacy benefit managers, wholesalers, pharmacies, and healthcare providers as well as academic laboratories and biotechnology companies involved in basic and applied research leading to the development of new medicines.


text:
Orillia’s big comic convention is only a month away - June 23 and 24.
The comic convention is being expanded to two days this year because Orillia’s first Comic-Con, held last May, broke the attendance record for a single-day Orillia event. More than 7,500 people came out to meet celebrities, meet comic guests, compete in a cosplay (costume) contest, and visit vendors with comic books, toys and pop-culture items.
This year, the name also has changed, to Cottage CountryCon, because last year people came from the entire cottage country area surrounding Orillia. The new name reflects the fact that Cottage CountryCon serves all Simcoe and Muskoka areas.
“We have an amazing lineup of talent and attractions joining us in Orillia in June,” says Carmine De Santo, promoter of the Comic-Con. “We are very excited for the fans of Orillia and area.”
De Santo, who is the owner of Dr. Comics comic and pop-culture specialty shop in Downtown Orillia, says huge crowds are expected for the 2018 show.
“The 2018 Cottage CountryCon goes for two days, with triple the venue space and more than 300 vendors,” De Santo says.
The 2018 Comic-Con will be on Sat., June 23, and Sun., June 24, from 10am to 6pm, at the Rotary Place - Orillia Sports Complex Area, 100 University Avenue, Orillia, which has more than 120,000 square feet of show space.
“The Cottage CountryCon will be a collector’s mecca,” De Santo says. There will more than 300 comic book, live wrestling, retro toys, posters and pop-culture vendors from across North America.
The CountryCon also includes comic guests, actors, attractions, a cosplay contest and door prizes.
Confirmed feature guests and attractions in 2018 include:
- Kevin Eastman - Creator/Artist Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Jackson Bostwick - TV Actor - SHAZAM TV Series
- Jim Starlin - Creator of Thanos (Avengers Movie 2018) - Legendary Comic Book Artist
- Butch Patrick - Eddy Munster from The Munsters 1960’s TV Show
- Optimus Prime - Life Size Truck
- James O’Barr - Creator/Artist of The Crow
- Bob Camp - Creator/Artist of The Famous TV Cartoon Series: Ren & Stimpy
- Baby Vehicle from Super-Natural
- K.I.T.T - Famous Car from the Knight Rider TV Series
- Back to the Future Car - Delorean on Display at the Comic-Con
- Batman 1990 Movie - The BatMobile on Display at the Comic-Con
In addition, there is a special event on the Friday evening before the Cottage CountryCon. An Evening with the Crow, June 22, will take place at the Geneva Event Centre.
This will be an exclusive evening with the creator of the Crow - James O'Barr. There is a meet & greet with O’Barr, watch the famous Crow movie with him, followed by a Q&A session with O’Barr. Plus he will talk a bit about the new Crow movie coming out soon.
For more details and ticket information visit http://www.cottagecountrycomiccon.com
You can purchase tickets Dr.Comics (Downtown Orillia) or online at https://cottagecountrycomiccon.com/Cottage_Country_Comic-Con/Tickets.html


text:
The IMF trims its economic growth forecast again as the U.S.-China trade war continues, Brexit worries linger and inflation remains muted.Economyread more
Citigroup thinks Tesla investors hoping for a post-earnings rally later this week should scrutinize a pair of related financial metrics.Investingread more
Olive branches were extended from both China and the U.S. as the two nations are set to restart face-to-face trade negotiations after a monthlong truce.Marketsread more
Coca-Cola topped Wall Street's expectations for earnings and revenue.Food & Beverageread more
New disclosures show Facebook and Amazon each spent more than $4 million on lobbying activity in the second quarter of 2019.Technologyread more
Boris Johnson, one of the biggest voices in the Brexit movement, wins the Conservative Party leadership race by a 2-1 margin.Europe Politicsread more
Disney can nearly double its earnings by 2024, Morgan Stanley said in a note to clients on Tuesday.Investingread more
Amazon is expected to report its second-quarter earnings on Thursday.Investingread more
The largest residential brokerage company in the U.S. is partnering with the largest online retailer in a strategy to boost sales for both.Real Estateread more
Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on TuesdayInvestingread more
Canaccord Genuity's Tony Dwyer believes stocks are about to fall as much as 5% from their all-time highs.Trading Nationread more
China-based music streaming company Tencent Music Entertainment Group's has raised close to $1.1 billion in its U.S. initial public offering (IPO) after pricing its American depositary shares (ADRs) at the low end of its indicated $13 to $15 per share range, a source said on Tuesday.
The IPO shows how companies are defying a bout of stock market volatility with flotations. It tops off a bumper year for U.S. listings by Chinese companies, with $7.9 billion raised prior to Tencent Music's debut, Refinitiv data showed. That is the highest amount since 2014, the year of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's record $25 billion IPO.
Tencent Music's U.S. IPO is the fourth largest among Chinese firms this year. Video streaming company iQiyi Inc leads with its $2.4 billion listing, followed by online group discounter Pinduoduo Inc at $1.6 billion and electric vehicle maker NIO Inc at $1.15 billion.
With streaming apps QQ Music, KuGou, Kuwo as well as karaoke app We Sing, Tencent Music is China's largest online music platform boasting more than 800 million monthly active users. The firm is often compared with Spotify Technology SA, but offers more socially interactive services that make it profitable while its Swedish counterpart is not.
Tencent Music sold 41 million ADRs while existing shareholders sold a further 40.9 million, the source said, asking not to be identified ahead of an official announcement. The IPO gives the company a valuation of $21.3 billion.
Tencent Music declined to comment.
Tencent Music initially planned to launch the deal in October, but postponed because of a sell-off in global markets roiled by a U.S.-China trade war and fears of slowing global growth.
The final deal size is also smaller than the $3 billion to $4 billion that IFR, a Refinitiv capital markets publication, reported the firm had initially planned to raise in May. Tencent Music never confirmed fundraising figures.
One person close to the deal told Reuters the smaller figure was due to the company's valuation falling as a result of market volatility.
Tencent Music reported a 244 percent profit jump for January-September to $394 million. By comparison, Spotify lost a net $520 million.
Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley are the lead sponsors of Tencent Music's deal.


text: . October 23, 2006 SouthAmerica: On Wednesday, September 6, 2006 âBrazzilâ magazine published an article âWhile the American Dream Is Outsourced Brazil Drives the World into the Futureâ which is the information that started this thread and â Quoting from that article: â¦The Forbes Magazine cover story on the issue dated March 13, 2006 "Private Inequity," gives a detailed account of how the "private equity firms" or "leveraged buyout funds" operate in the economy as parasites, or blood suckers - and these companies are milking the American economic system dry, making their money by gutting these companies, pillaging everything in sight; including their pension funds, and by eliminating jobs and closing many parts of the business. And they do that on the regular basis, year after year. ********** But now "Business Week" magazine also decided to âraise the red flagâ about what is happening regarding the âPrivate Equityâ companies, and this major raping that is going on of our economic system. The cover story of the current issue (October 30, 2006) of Business Week said the following - âGluttons At The Gateâ Private equity are using slick new tricks to gorge on corporate assets. A story of excess. Three weeks after giant private-equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners agreed to buy an 80% stake of Iowa Falls ethanol producer Hawkeye Holdings in May, Hawkeye filed registration papers with the Securities & Exchange Commission to go public. The buyout deal hadn't even closed yet, but Thomas H. Lee was already looking forward to an initial public offering expected to generate a huge profit on its $312 million investment. The firm didn't just cross its fingers and wait, however: It took $20 million from Hawkeye as an advisory fee for negotiating the buyout and a $1 million "management fee"--and will soon take about $6 million to meet its own tax obligations. All told, Thomas H. Lee will collect payments of around $27 million by yearend--despite Hawkeye's having earned just $1.5 million in the six months through June. These are crazy times in the private-equity business. It used to be that buyout firms would spend 5 to 10 years reorganizing, rationalizing, and polishing companies they owned before filing to take them public. Thomas H. Lee couldn't have created much lasting economic value in the three weeks before the filing, but that didn't stop it from writing itself huge checks from Hawkeye's ledger. Thomas H. Lee and Hawkeye declined to commentâ¦.. You can read the entire story on Business Week about the "Private Equity" pillaging of everything in sight at: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_44/b4007001.htm .


text:
Sri Lankan food traders accuse the Rajapaksa government of selling everything to China, claiming that the country has nothing and has purchased everything on credit from foreign countries.
In Sri Lanka, prices for fruits and vegetables are soaring due to the country’s economic and political problems. Farukh describes himself as a fruit merchant “Apples were selling for Rs 500 per kg three to four months ago, but now they are selling for Rs 1000 per kg. Previously, the pear was sold for Rs 700 per kg; currently, it is offered for Rs 1500 per kg. People are cash-strapped.”
He said, “The government of Sri Lanka sold everything to China. That is the most serious issue. Sri Lanka is cash-strapped, having sold everything to China. Everything is purchased on credit from foreign countries.”
They showed their unhappiness and rage by stating that costs are rising every day and that they do not have any cash on hand. Raja mentioned another food vendor “There isn’t any money. Gotabaya is useless, and he must depart.”
In the midst of Sri Lanka’s unparalleled economic crisis, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has asked for the Executive Presidential system to be abolished.
“For nearly two decades, every leader has vowed to eliminate the Executive Presidency, but all they have done is strengthen it,” Premadasa said in a fiery speech in parliament on Tuesday, reminding lawmakers of the need to implement a new election system. Meanwhile, Ali Sabry, the newly appointed Finance Minister, resigned on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka is in the midst of a severe economic crisis, with food and fuel shortages affecting a substantial portion of the population. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy has been in free fall.
Sri Lanka is also experiencing a foreign exchange crisis, which has hampered the country’s ability to purchase food and gasoline, resulting in power outages. Sri Lanka was forced to seek aid from friendly countries due to a shortage of basic products.
Twenty-six members of Sri Lanka’s Cabinet resigned on Sunday, amid mounting public outrage over the government’s handling of the country’s economic crisis.
Meanwhile, the 36-hour curfew imposed on Sri Lanka on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. was lifted at 6 a.m. on Monday, but the country remains in a state of emergency.
On Saturday, India supplied 40,000 MT of diesel to Sri Lanka to help alleviate the island’s power crisis. This was the fourth consignment of fuel provided to Colombo as part of India’s US $500 million oil line of credit (LoC) with Sri Lanka.
In addition, over the last 50 days, India has delivered around 200,000 MT of gasoline to the island nation.


text:
The upcoming MacBook Pro 2016 has been gaining a lot of attention from tech freaks all over the internet. The buzz started when rumors and speculations about the device's specs and features emerged. Now, new reports are circulating suggesting the new laptop's release date.
According to several tech observers, Apple is planning for a big MacBook 2016 release sometime in fall this year. The release of the laptop is said to be followed by another big rollout of the iPhone 7, which is rumored to come out in the fourth quarter of the year. If rumors prove to be true, it could be a busy second half of the year for the Cupertino-based company.
In a report by 9to5 Mac, the new laptop is rumored to be sporting impressive specs and features not found on the previous Apple releases. One of the features includes the addition of a new OLED touchscreen, which will replace the old function keys located right on top of the keyboard. There are also speculations saying that Apple has a new revolutionary feature that may change the whole physical cover of the device. This is due to the company's plan to discontinue the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Other rumored features of the device include a USB-C support, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and a much powerful processor to be paired with a bigger RAM compared to its predecessors.
There are also speculations suggesting that the new 2016 MacBook Pro will carry the latest GPU technology from AMD called Radeon RX 400, which is expected to improve the laptop's graphics in a big way. There are also rumors saying that the device will have its own Cellular 46 connectivity.
One of the most interesting features of the device is its 5K display capability. According to industry experts, Apple is said to be making sure that the MacBook Pro 2016 has the ability to support the new 5K video technology.


text:
The Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) (http://www.philconstruct.com/) is again gearing up for the Philippines' biggest and most successful annual construction show - PHILCONSTRUCT 2016 to be held at 3 Venues, SMX Convention Center Manila | World Trade Center Metro Manila | WTCMM Extension Hall on Novenber 10 - 13, 2016. This mega construction industry exposition has been going on for 22 years now. Year after year, each succeeding show gets better as new technologies, products and services are introduced in the market for visitors, buyers and practitioners to view, appreciate, try and acquire for use to achieve greater economy, efficiency and convenience in their business operations. More than 25,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor space is reserved by more than 800 exhibitors who will be participating in this year’s biggest construction trade show.
"PHILCONSTRUCT 2016 is a world-class event with a network composed of the most respected decision makers and buyers, serving as a true catalyst for development in industry standards.” shared Levy Espiritu, President of PCA, organizers of the show, and Datem.
"This is the only event addressing the industry’s need to network, promote, and to do business. We are very proud of what the shows have achieved in the last twenty runs. Expect more in the coming years not only in numbers, but also in the quality of results as well", said Reynaldo Elepano, Jr., Overall Chairman of PHILCONSTRUCT 2015 and VP for International Business Development of DM Consunji, Inc.
PHILCONSTRUCT 2015 incorporates and will also showcase products, technologies and services of HVAC/R PHILIPPINES, INTERIOR WORLD and MINING ASIA. This means the upcoming event will be bigger and more comprehensive because it also includes allied industries that contribute toward the overall success of the construction industry. PHILCONSTRUCT is one of the few trade shows around the world that has been selected by the prestigious Conexpo organizers to partner with and feature in their mega shows in China and the US., according to Anthony Fernandez, past PCA President. It is not only an appropriate venue for displaying the latest products and services, but also an ideal platform to meet the decision makers. It is expected that over 50,000 trade buyers from all over the country are expected to visit the show.
BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION and ESTIMATING BILL OF MATERIALS books can be bought with discount at the Author’s booth (TAGAYUN ASSOCIATES) during the yearly PHILCONSTRUCT and WORLDBEX Exhibits.


text:
When the news came through that a baby had been shot in west Bend, the community's largest town, a sense of shock and anger swept over the town.The news that a little boy had been killed while playing with a toy gun sparked an outpouring of grief and anger.But it wasn't just the news of the death that made people angry.It was the way in which the news was presented, said West Bend resident, who wi...
Bose Cinema HD is set to debut this year in cinemas across the US, Canada and Australia.
The new movie theater-style audio player from Bose is set for release in November, and will cost $150.
Bose Cinema has previously released audio-only versions of its products including Cinema 4.0, Cinema 4K and Cinema 3D.
Cinema 3D has a large catalog of high-end video content that includes movies, TV shows, video games, music and more.


text:
Check the companies that make headlines before the bell:
Capri Holdings (CPRI) – The parent of luxury brands, such as Michael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choo, saw their stock rise 11% in the advance market after posting better-than-expected quarterly figures before returning almost all of these gains. Capri earned an adjusted $ 1.02 per share, 20 cents above estimates, and managed to expand profit margins in the face of pandemic-related issues. However, the company gave a lower revenue forecast than expected for the full year.
HP Inc. (HPQ) ̵[ads1]1; HP beat estimates by 3 cents with an adjusted quarterly earnings of $ 1.08 per share. The computer and printer manufacturer’s revenues also topped Street forecasts. HP increased its profit prospects, taking advantage of strong commercial customer demand despite supply chain disruptions.
Salesforce (CRM) – Salesforce increased 9.1% in the advance market after beating analyst estimates by 4 cents with an adjusted quarterly earnings of 98 cents per share. The business software giant also beat the revenue forecasts and raised its year-round guide amid continued strong demand.
Victoria’s Secret (VSCO) – Victoria’s Secret jumped 6.8% in pre-market trading despite a mixed quarter. The intimate clothing retailer’s adjusted earnings of $ 1.11 per share for the last quarter beat the consensus estimate at 84 cents, and earnings were in line with forecasts. The earnings guidance for the current quarter fell below some forecasts. The company was able to eliminate the bottom line of supply chain problems and curb consumption costs.
Weibo (WB) – The China-based social media company reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for its last quarter. The company added users and called its advertising business “relatively robust” in the face of the country’s Covid shutdowns. Weibo jumped 5.5% in premarket action.
Ambarella (AMBA) – Ambarella fell 3.8% in pre-market trading after the chip maker issued a revenue forecast for the current quarter under analyst estimates, due to the negative effect of China’s Covid shutdowns. Ambarella laid out a top and bottom line for its final quarter.
ChargePoint Holdings (CHPT) – ChargePoint’s adjusted loss for the last quarter was 21 cents per share, 2 cents more than analysts expected. The network operator for charging networks for electric cars topped the forecasts. ChargePoint also issued a lighter-than-expected revenue guide for the current quarter and full year, as it addresses global supply constraints. The stock fell 2.3% in premarket action.
Li Auto (LI) – The China-based electric car manufacturer delivered 11,496 cars in May, up 166% from the previous year. Li shares increased by 2% in the advance market.
Nine (NIO) – Nio delivered 7,024 vehicles in May, an increase of 4.7% from the previous year. The China-based electric car maker also said vehicle deliveries are up 11.8% for 2022 compared to the first five months of 2021. Nine rose 1.6% in pre-market trade.
Xpeng (XPEV) – Xpeng delivered 10,125 electric vehicles last month, 78% more than a year ago, with year-to-date deliveries more than doubling compared to the previous year. The China-based company’s shares increased by 1.3% in the pre-market.


text:
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Here’s potentially a positive record on pace to be set during this tumultuous year.
Kerrigan Advisors reported on Monday that the dealership buy/sell market continued to soar during the third quarter, putting it on track to surpass record transaction numbers established in 2015.
And with a flurry of mega dealer transactions and high dealership earnings, the firm’s Third Quarter 2020 Blue Sky Report also highlighted that blue-sky values shot to unprecedented levels during the quarter, too.
“As we predicted, there was no softening of this record-breaking market,” Kerrigan Advisors founder and managing director Erin Kerrigan said in a news release.
“A 94% year-over-year rise in dealership earnings in Q3 was driven by higher vehicle gross profit margins, reduced operating expenses, limited inventory (which drove up prices) and increased operational efficiency,” Kerrigan continued. “This created a perfect storm for a white-hot buy/sell environment, one that we predict will surpasses the historic levels of 2015.”
Kerrigan Advisors indicated 73 dealership buy/sell transactions were completed during Q3, pushing the total to 186 transactions for the first nine months of the year. That figure represents a 15.5% increase above the amount recorded during the first nine months of 2019, according to data from The Banks Report, Automotive News and Kerrigan Advisors’ research.
Despite periods of retail disruption due to COVID-19, Kerrigan pointed out that 2020 thus far has achieved the highest level of transaction activity since 2015.
“Of particular note were the high numbers of multi-dealership transactions completed in Q3, including mega dealer transactions, representing 25% of the buy/sell market for the first nine months of the year. We expect this trend to continue into 2021,” said Kerrigan, whose firm advised on the sale of 22 dealerships during the past quarter.
According to the Blue Sky Report, public and private dealership valuations exceeded prior highs.
The Kerrigan Index — comprised of the seven publicly traded dealership groups — hit record levels in the third quarter, with the publics’ average blue-sky multiple at the end of the third quarter at 7.6 times, making most private dealership acquisitions highly accretive to earnings.
“The resilience of auto sales in the face of the pandemic continues to drive high valuations,” said Ryan Kerrigan, managing director of Kerrigan Advisors. “Unlike other retail industries which have yet to rebound, auto retail barely missed a beat after the economic disruption in March and April.
“In fact, the industry’s growth rate accelerated in June, while its costs declined, resulting in incredible earnings growth,” Ryan Kerrigan continued. “As a result, buyer demand for dealerships is on the rise and dealers are bullish on their valuations.”
Reinforcing that bullish outlook is Kerrigan Advisors’ second annual dealer survey, which found a rising number of dealers expecting the value of their business to increase over the next 12 months.
The survey also showed nearly half of participating dealers are expecting a rise in buy/sell activity as a result of COVID-19.
The Blue Sky Report, however, emphasizes that, with 2020 earnings being the most volatile on record, buyers are pricing blue sky based on adjusted 2020 earnings, removing profit improvements deemed unlikely to continue in the future and adding back the one-time losses associated with 2020’s period of economic shutdown.
In the report’s analysis of specific brand valuations, Toyota continues to stand out as the most valuable non-luxury franchise.
The firm said Toyota dealers are more optimistic on valuation than any other franchise dealer body, and it commands the highest blue sky multiple amongst non-luxury franchises.
Another franchise showing positive trends is Ford. Kerrigan Advisors upgraded the Blue Oval’s multiple outlook from negative to steady.
“Ford’s third quarter profits were impressive,” Ryan Kerrigan said. “Our dealer survey revealed a significant uptick in Ford dealers’ expectations for valuation improvement. One cannot underestimate the recent impact of Jim Farley’s leadership on buyers’ confidence in Ford’s future.”
Sliding in the opposite direction, the firm mentioned the downgrading of Infiniti’s multiple ranges — from 3.5 on the high end to 3.0 and from 2.5 on the low end to 2.0 — as a result of the franchise’s continued weakness in buyer demand.
To recap, main highlights from the Third Quarter 2020 Blue Sky Report by Kerrigan Advisors included:
“Overall, today’s dealership buyers believe auto retail sales will outpace the country’s economic growth,” said Kerrigan, who added, “2020 marks a stunning reversal of trends that were thought to dampen demand for cars in the long term, including a steep decline in urbanization, ridesharing and public transit, all of which are contributing to sales growth projections for 2021.”
To obtain the complete report or more details about the Kerrigan Index, go to kerriganadvisors.com.
Kerrigan Advisors is honored to work with auto retailers throughout the US to enhance the value of their enterprise. Learn more about our services below:
Customized and confidential sell-side services for higher value dealerships and dealership groups nationwide, with a proven record of achieving the highest sale price per transaction of any firm in the industry.
Capital raising and partnership structuring for growing dealership groups, supported by the largest investor database in the industry.
If you are a buyer in today’s market, Kerrigan Advisors welcomes the opportunity to learn about your acquisition criteria and include you in Kerrigan Advisors’ proprietary Buyer Database.
We welcome the chance to learn more about your acquisition criteria so that we can contact you in the event a client matches your investment profile.
Contact us to learn more about Kerrigan Advisors’ client services, or to have a conversation about the buy/sell market. All of our conversations are 100% confidential.


text:
Domino’s is bringing two, hot, new additions to the menu – The Ultimate Spicy Sausage pizza and Loaded Wedges with Spicy Sausage. The new pizza features nduja sausage, salami and red jalapeños.
Loaded Wedges are baked in store, covered with mozzarella cheese, extra cheese sauce and nduja sausage.
Melanie Howe, Senior Spice Operator at Domino’s said: “It’s safe to say our Innovation Team have created a spicy masterpiece with this range.”
The Ultimate Spicy Sausage Range will be available to order online, through the Domino’s app and in Domino’s stores across the nation from Monday November 14. For more information head to www.dominos.co.uk.


text:
In an attempt to make a smart TV even smarter, the folks over at Hisense Group have teamed up with eyeSight Mobile Technologies to integrate its innovative Hand Gesture Recognition Technology into its upcoming Android smart TVs. Using gesture connected TVs, users will be able to perform various functions by using intuitive hand gestures thanks to the TV’s inbuilt 2D camera.
No longer will users have to worry about losing the remote control – just by waving their hands or making certain motions they’ll be able to switch channels, adjust the volume and more. Users will even be able to play games using hand gestures a la the Kinect (though I doubt the TV will have games as fleshed out as those found on the Xbox 360).
No word of when the TVs will hit the market on this side of the world, but they will be demonstrated at CES next year.


text:
There is a new site out there called SEO News. It is like the Hacker News for SEO. SEOnews.io.
For a web master, search engine optimization is one of the most important tools. If you own a website, you would obviously want more and more people to view your page. However, have you ever wondered about the most important source of traffic? Well, if you do not know, it is through a search engine. […]
Google announced and confirmed as many as 30 changes in a month in their search algorithms by the end of January 2012. Old timers are already used to the constant updates that Google endorses. For the newer crop of webmasters, already jittery with having to deal with the constant changing SEO environment, the move just […]


text:
There's A Huge Problem With The New iOS 11
Look, there is always, always a glitch with the first version of a new operating system and it sounds like iOS 11 is no different.
Unfortunately though, this sounds like a bug that Apple may not be able to fix.
According to users who have already updated their phones, the new system has substantially affected their battery life.
And we're not just talking a few per cent here either; tests run by Wandera show a 60 per cent decline in average running time.
"We looked at a subset of 50,000 moderate to heavy iPhone and iPad users in our network running iOS 10 and iOS 11 to compare the average battery decay rate over the past three days," they said in report.
The results show that while an iPhone running iOS 10 can be used for about 240 minutes before it shuts down, iPhones on iOS 11 last an average of 96 minutes.
It sounds like it might be worth waiting around until iOS 11.1 drops and skipping 11 altogether.
You have been warned.


text:
In a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, the physicist expresses more concern about economic inequality than about artificial intelligence.
A psychology student wants to see if a certain vitamin can make sleepy people have more lucid dreams. Is it Vitamin Zzzzzzzzzzzz?
In the battle over whether its drivers are independent contractors or employees, Uber has lost another skirmish.
More than 160,000 drivers could be joining lawsuit for employee status against the ride-sharing giant.
With looming lawsuits and the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, disabled people ask whether Uber can do more to ensure they're not refused rides from drivers.
The grocery delivery startup is making the change as fellow on-demand service Uber faces regulatory scrutiny for not classifying its drivers as employees.
Commentary: CNET's Lindsey Turrentine draws on her own experience for insights into a surprisingly simple method for getting women moving along their career paths.
Spotify offers a free music tier that delivers a good portion of the service's paid subscription version. And that's exactly the problem.
The record-breaking auction highlights the demand for high-speed wireless service and signals strong promise for the upcoming auction of TV broadcast spectrum.
The Internet Party is slated to come to the US in 2015, according to Dotcom, who describes himself as an "Internet freedom fighter."


text:
Denver MMJ Industry Group Back in Business With Wednesday Meeting
The Medical Marijuana Business Alliance – a Colorado-based trade group for the MMJ sector – has been resuscitated after spending a few months on life support. The organization will host its first meeting in months on Wednesday night (Oct. 19) with a “state of the industry” presentation and a lineup of speakers that includes well-known consultant Matt Cook and key members of the Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division, including director Dan Hartman.
A networking event will kick things off at 6 p.m. at Casselman’s Bar & Venue, 2620 Walnut Street, followed by the main presentation at 7 p.m. The meeting is free of charge, but vendors can set up a booth for $250.
The MMBA, as it’s known, held monthly meetings earlier this year before abruptly stopping this summer. leading some people in the industry to wonder if it had folded. The organization’s website still lists a networking mixer from June as its latest event.
The alliance promotes itself as the first business group in the United States dedicated solely to the medical marijuana industry, claiming hundreds of industry professionals as members. Its meetings are tailored specifically to these professionals rather than patients and the general public.
For Wednesday’s meeting, attendees who want to ask questions must submit them in advance using this link or during the event via text message. It promises to be an interesting gathering, given the turmoil in the medical marijuana industry tied to the federal government’s crackdown.
Florida is having a hard time figuring out rules for its CBD industry. The state [click to continue...]
Dispensaries in Maine sold an estimated $16.2 million worth of medical cannabis last year, while [click to continue...]
Oregon could keep medical marijuana completely separate from recreational cannabis when retail sales begin next [click to continue...]
Missouri has joined the growing number of states legalizing CBD-based medicines. The state awarded cultivation [click to continue...]
Dispensaries and retail cannabis stores in Colorado sold nearly 150,000 pounds of marijuana flower last [click to continue...]
Recreational marijuana has dominated headlines out of Washington DC this week, as the use, possession [click to continue...]
A company that got turned down for one of the Illinois’ 21 medical marijuana cultivation [click to continue...]
A financial services firm that plans to serve the cannabis industry has secured $2 million [click to continue...]
Alaska marijuana entrepreneurs who want to specialize in infused products or extracts will have to [click to continue...]
With private marijuana use on track to become legal in Washington DC on Thursday barring [click to continue...]
Oregon is facing an interesting question tied to its medical marijuana law: Should evicted cannabis [click to continue...]
Institutional investors will put money into cannabis stocks this year, though many publicly traded MJ [click to continue...]
Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has sent a bill to state lawmakers calling for the establishment [click to continue...]
Canadian stock regulators have a word of warning for those investing in MMJ companies north [click to continue...]


text:
Hon’ble CM, Himachal Pradesh launched NIC developed ‘Crime Free Himachal’ Mobile App
February 17, 2020
Hon’ble Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh, Shri Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘Crime Free Himachal’ mobile App on 11 February 2020. It enables citizens to report any kind of crime to HP Police without disclosing their identity. The citizens have an option to disclose their name and mobile number, in which case, they will be informed of the action taken by the HP Police.
Shri Anil Khachi, Chief Secretary, Shri S.R. Mardi, Director General of Police, Shri Jagdish Chander, Principal Secretary (IT, PWD, Transport), Shri S.B. Negi, ADGP, Shri Atul Verma, DG (Home Guards), Shri Asif Jalal, Inspector General (SR), Shri Ajay Singh Chahal, SIO NIC HP, and Shri Prithviraj Negi, NIC HP were present at the occasion.
The Mobile App has been developed by Centre of Competence for Mobile App Development, Shimla. It can be downloaded from NIC’s eGovernance Mobile App Store at https://egovmobileapps.nic.in/, State Portal of HP Government at https://himachal.nic.in , Apple App Store and Google Play Store.


text:
Consumer prices rebounded 0.2% in April
Washington — Consumer prices rebounded moderately in April as energy prices climbed back up after a sharp decline in March.
The Labor Department says consumer prices rose 0.2 percent after a 0.3 percent drop in March, which was the biggest fall in more than two years. Energy prices rose 1.1 percent after tumbling 3.2 percent the previous month.
Core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, rose 0.1 percent. Over the past 12 months, inflation is up 2.2 percent. Core prices have risen 1.9 percent.
The Federal Reserve tries to manage the economy so that annual increases in inflation are around 2 percent. After mostly lagging below that target since the 2007-2009 recession, inflation has accelerated recently with the unemployment rate falling to 4.4 percent and energy prices rebounding.
The Fed cut its key interest rate to near zero in the wake of the recession and kept it there for seven years to boost the economy. It is now cautiously raising rates, with three-quarter point increases since December 2015. Analysts expect another hike in June.
Gas prices, which drove down the energy category last month, rose 1.2 percent after declining 6.2 percent in March and 3 percent in February.
Food prices rose 0.2 percent, driven by the fresh vegetable category, which rose 5.1 percent, its biggest increase since February 2011.
The cost of cell phone plans, which contributed to last month’s overall decline, fell again along with medical care, apparel, new and used vehicles and auto insurance.
On Thursday, the Labor Department reported that inflation at the wholesale level rose 0.5 percent, and there was some concern among economists that the sharp increase might carry over to the consumer level. But those increases were moderate and suggest that retailers have not yet passed on those costs to consumers.


text:
Pantech on Monday announced the Vega R3, a device the company is touting as “the best existing quad-core smartphone” on the market. The device is aimed at capitalizing on the phablet trend — following right behind LG’s Intuition — measuring in with a 5.3-inch Natural IPS Pro liquid crystal display. Will it be better than Samsung’s Galaxy Note II?
“I dare tell competitors to learn from Pantech,” vice president Lee Joon-woo said during the company’s Gangnam launch event. That statement obviously shows that Pantech is more than confident in the new Vega R3, which comes with features that promise to improve end user experience significantly.
Among other features, Pantech developed “best face,” which is similar to Nokia’s “Smart Group Shot” introduced over the summer. Other features weren’t shared, but the company did say the device will come in an LTE-only flavor to stay competitive with today’s top devices.
The only remaining spec included in the report is a 2600 mAh battery, which reportedly “outperforms those of locally released handsets.” Pantech said that it captured the number two spot in market share last year, and hopes to emulate that success when the Vega R3 hits in South Korea soon.


text:
Jun 21, 2022
Srini Krishnamurthy, associate professor of finance, shares his expertise on secured credit cards and answers consumers' most pressing questions about the card.
Jun 10, 2022
Bradley Kirkman collaborated with Tobias Dennerlein, assistant professor at IESE Business School, to share the future implications of workplace empowerment.
Jun 2, 2022
With the continued pandemic in China, Rob Handfield, professor of operations and supply chain management, says customers could see soaring prices and shortages in technology well into 2023 and 2024.
May 23, 2022
Nathan Goldman and Christina Lewellen joined the Financial Recon podcast to discuss their recent publication entitled "The Happiest Place on Earth? A Look Inside Disney’s Tax and Non-Tax Battle with the State of Florida" and the financial implications of the revocation of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
May 20, 2022
Richard Warr, associate dean for faculty and research, explains how shocks in the supply chain have shifted from production to distribution.
May 16, 2022
In a study conducted by the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative (SCRC) at NC State and GEP, research shows that there are disruptions in the supply chain caused by misalignment between procurement and supply chain operations.
May 12, 2022
Mike Stanko, associate professor of marketing, found in a recent study that social media messages that reach loyalty program members best differ from other customers.
May 9, 2022
Tim Kraft, associate professor of operations and supply chain management, explains how rising diesel fuel prices are drastically impacting truck drivers, consumers, and small business owners.
May 6, 2022
Christina Lewellen, assistant professor of accounting, recently authored a paper on a study from NC State which found that companies incorporated in tax havens are more transparent than those in countries that are not tax havens.
Rob Handfield, professor of operations and supply chain management, explains the background behind the delay in the U.S. regaining control of manufacturing by building new plants.


text:
Contact centre Ventrica has attracted a £9 million investment from Mobeus Equity Partners. Ventrica provides intelligent, multi-lingual and omni-channel outsourced customer service to a range of global ‘blue-chip’ brands.
Rising importance of on-line customer service fuels outsourcer’s growth
Southend-based Ventrica was founded in 2010 by Dino Forte and has undergone rapid growth, doubling in size over the last two years. Ventrica is an innovation leader in the changing sales and customer service sector. As e-commerce continues to grow, especially in the retail space, and customers expand their communication channels from the phone to email, social media and webchat, companies are increasingly looking to specialists to provide around the clock customer-facing support. Ventrica works closely with its clients, leveraging its people, technology (including support for Artificial Intelligence and Automation) training and resourcing expertise to provide a high quality service, across multiple channels, that supports their brand and their values.
Ventrica is already one of Essex’s top employers and now plans European expansion