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FIN24 / 30 AUGUST - 21:10 / KHULEKANI MAGUBANE
The Seed Academy has painted a bleak picture of the state of entrepreneurship in South Africa, after its latest survey found that 22% of entrepreneurs had to make do with revenue of less than R10 000 a year.
A further 26% of post-revenue entrepreneurs have revenue of R50 000 - R100 000 a year, the Academy said.
The survey collected data from 1 000 entrepreneurs around SA.
According to Seed Academy, the survey shows that entrepreneurs are not thriving, and the country's "entrepreneurial ecosystem" is in urgent need of intervention.
High rate of business failure
A decade ago, the Small Enterprise Development Agency conducted a study that found up to 75% of small businesses started in the country failed, giving SA one of the highest rates of business failure in the world economy.
Seed Academy CEO Donna Rachelson said the survey was conducted over four years, and it is SA’s largest and most referenced entrepreneur survey.
She said South Africa still battled with early stage funding and high-impact business support.
"We see small progress in terms of business survival rates, revenue increases and more women entrepreneurs, but what we really need is for stakeholders in the ecosystem to pull together and make major trajectory changes that support all entrepreneurs from seed through to scale-up stages," said Rachelson.
The survey summary said South African entrepreneurs, on average, employ between two and four people, but the environment they operated in remained difficult to navigate.
Entrepreneurs also report that they don’t know how to access available support.
"Key challenges for entrepreneurs include inability to raise funds, finding customers, wearing too many hats; followed by lack of guidance, slow sales, customers paying late and unpredictability of business conditions," the report said of support mechanisms.
Rachelson recommended that funders play a more active role in educating entrepreneurs about their processes of business support, and put in place interventions that assist entrepreneurs to become "funding ready".
Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER


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For the first time since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking music sales in 1991, the same album finishes as the United States' best-seller for a second year. Adele's "21" triumphed in 2011 and ruled again in 2012.
Industry sources are forecasting that Taylor Swift's latest album, "Red," is on track to possibly spend a sixth non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week. The album could move between 260,000 and 290,000 by the end of the tracking week on Dec. 23.
More than a year after its release, Michael Buble's blockbuster "Christmas" album is on the comeback trail -- and heading for No. 2 on next week’s Billboard 200 albums chart. It could sell upwards of 150,000 to 160,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Dec. 16, according to industry forecasters. But Taylor Swift's "Red” will likely spend a fifth non-consecutive week at No. 1.

domain: news


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Some new numbers from research firm Gartner show that Apple surpassed Samsung in worldwide smartphone sales during the fourth quarter of 2014, and become the world’s biggest smartphone maker. Samsung lost the number one spot to Apple for the first time since 2011.
Based on the post from the KoreaTimes.co.kr, they claim that Apple has been recruiting electronic experts that used to work for Samsung Electronics.What Apple is doing with the Samsung engineers or if they even hired them is currently unknown. However, it is rumored that the new employees will be working and supplying Apple with the new iPhone 6s DRAM “A9″ processor chip.
Apple is moving away from TSMC and back to Samsung to manufacture the chip which is the power-house behind the iPhone, which was reported by Recode. The source notes that Apple had “hoped” to rely more heavily on TSMC for the next-generation A9 processor. However, things didn’t work out that way due to TSMC’s limits in manufacturing.
According to the Korea Times, Apple and Samsung have struck a major ‘deal’. In this deal Samsung Electronics is said to supply Apple with a large majority of the application processors, these processors are used in the iPhone and iPad. Korea Times also notes that “Samsung will become a primary supplier of APs to Apple, pushing its chief Taiwanese rival TSMC back to second place”.
Samsung has hit back hard against the iPhone 6, even though it isn’t out yet. In fact, that’s the main target of their new promotion: that the wait for the iPhone 6 makes it easier to get a Galaxy S5.
Apple may have hit a rough patch in the sales department when it comes to the numbers of the iPhone 5C, but the iPhone 5S is still knocking down the charts and controlling the smartphone market in the US.


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Koodo has reduced the prices of three decent phones on its Tab Medium plan tier.
The Google Pixel 2 XL, Samsung Galaxy A8 and the Huawei P20 are now available for $0 at Koodo if you sign up for a Tab Medium plan. These phones were previously $150.
With this deal, the phone costs $0 up front, and you’ll pay $15 per month on top of your data and calling package to subsidize the cost of the device. That means throughout two years you’re paying off $360, which is the cost of the phone with this deal.
All of these devices can be paired with one of the carrier’s Lunar New Year’s deals while they’re still available.
While this isn’t the best deal, it does net you a relatively modern phone for essentially $360. The only catch is you have to pay it off over 24 months. If you choose to buy the phone outright from the get-go it costs $900.
Notably, Google is selling the Pixel 2 XL outright for $749 CAD. Sso if you wanted one up front, with no hassles that’s an option.
Although, it seems like you can get one of these phones for $360 with the Tab Medium sale. If you get a device on the Tab Medium sale and wait 90 days, then buy out of the Tab you are basically getting the device off contract for $360.
MobileSyrup has reached out to Koodo for clarification on this, but as far as we can tell it seems like a terrific deal.


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Sales of electric cars accelerated last year but the availability of critical raw materials such as lithium risked slowing the sector's growth, a report warned recently.
At 6.6 million last year, electric vehicles sales more than doubled and they now account for one in 10 new cars sold, according to the International Energy Agency's annual report on the sector. China alone accounted for half of those sales.
Electric vehicle sales continue to soar, rising by 75 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.
Public subsidies to lower the cost to consumers have been a major factor in the adoption of electric vehicles, and they doubled last year to nearly 30 billion euros ($32 billion) last year.


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Fortune Brands Inc., the maker of Jim Beam bourbon and Moen faucets, is now more likely to cooperate with activist shareholder William Ackman on a plan to split up the company's three business units, people familiar with the matter said.
There isn't any guarantee that efforts to spin off or sell the golf-equipment, spirits and home-products businesses will succeed, given the complexity inherent in untangling and valuing the three divisions, the people cautioned.
Fortune also may eventually decide against working with Mr. Ackman, whose Pershing Square Capital Management owns about 11% of the company, the people said. But the people familiar with the matter described the interaction between the two sides as "constructive" rather than confrontational.
Fortune's management is open to the idea of breaking up the Deerfield, Ill., company and sees Mr. Ackman's interest as an opportunity to test the market for the different assets, one of the people familiar with the matter said. Fortune also is more optimistic that its businesses will get better value if sold amid what it views as an economic recovery, the person added.
Mr. Ackman's hedge fund disclosed its stake in the conglomerate in early October.
If the two parties are able to reach an agreement they could avoid the costs and distraction of a proxy fight. Fortune could decide to adopt a "poison pill" or shareholder rights plan but has so far decided against it because it is cooperating with Mr. Ackman, the people familiar with the matter said.
Mr. Ackman often seeks changes at companies whose shares he feels are underperforming and has been involved in several high-profile proxy fights, Last year, he made an unsuccessful bid to win five seats on the board of Target Corp. TGT 1.12 % Mr. Ackman also disclosed a significant stake in J.C. Penney Co. JCP 1.95 % last month, prompting the retailer to adopt takeover defenses.
Several parties could be interested in the different businesses of Fortune and some have expressed an interest already, the people familiar with the matter said. Diageo DEO 2.80 % PLC and Bacardi Ltd., which compete with Fortune's spirits business, would likely take a look at the assets if they were put on the block, the people said.
The division is the largest by operating income and had $2.5 billion in 2009 annual sales.
A Fortune Brands spokesman said Friday that "we are always open to constructive dialogue with our shareholders, but we don't comment on the specifics of those interactions." Fortune has a market capitalization of about $8.2 billion.
A spokesman for Diageo said the U.K. giant would be an interested observer, but he declined to comment on what it would do. Bacardi declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the home and security business, which makes Moen faucets, Simonton windows and Aristokraft cabinets, could be shopped to private-equity firms, according to these people.
A spokesman for Callaway declined to comment. A spokesman for Nike didn't respond to a request for comment.
Industry watchers long have said that tax implications could complicate any talks to sell a business line such as the spirits division, which includes such brands as Maker's Mark bourbon and Sauza tequila.
Fortune reported that third-quarter earnings fell 17% because of diminished profit in its golf and spirits segments. Net sales grew slightly to $1.7 billion while net income fell to $104.7 million, reflecting a 16% drop from the same period last year.
—Paul Sonne contributed to this article.


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GfK, a consumer and market intelligence, analytics and consulting services, has announced the launch of gfknewron, an AI-powered platform. The platform will allow companies to access market, consumer and brand data from a single source. This is a step towards GFK’s transformation from a market researcher to an AI-powered data analytics and consulting platform.
According to analyst firm Forrester, data-driven companies grow by more than 30 percent on average annually, which is more than ten times the global GDP growth of 2.6 percent on average (2000-2020, World Bank). To make data-driven decisions, companies need immediate, reliable and accurate information on markets and consumers along with guidance on expected future developments.
As per the statement, gfknewron uses the latest analytics capabilities to enrich accurate data with intelligence, to offer strategic decision support, planning and forecasts. The platform will display three modules called ‘gfknewron Market’, ‘gfknewron Consumer’ and ‘gfknewron Predict’.
“The business intelligence platform gfknewron has been designed to provide all that information on one intuitive platform that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence. We will empower our clients to adopt a much more data- and analytics-centred way of working,” Peter Feld, CEO, GfK.
Sean O’Neill, Chief Product Officer, GfK has claimed that the company has enthusiastic confirmations from many leading companies in the Tech & Durables sector about how gfknewron is changing their ability to understand their markets, and use the predictive insights and AI-power forecasts to take decisive action on the opportunities for their brands.
He added, “In addition, this cloud-based software platform is continuously evolving and improving with feature releases weekly. Further modules as well as the inclusion of additional market data are already being planned. This is enterprise-grade insights with consumer-grade usability.”


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KUALA LUMPUR: Perodua has led the Malaysian auto market for over a decade, but the Rawang-based carmaker is showing no signs of complacency. On the product front, Perodua has just launched its best and most homegrown model yet in the 2018 Myvi, and with a full year of Myvi sales to look forward to, the company is looking at a 2-3% growth in sales this year.
The 2018 outlook was shared by Perodua president and CEO Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh on this morning’s BFM 89.9 Breakfast Grille. At the same time, the P2 chief says that 3-4% growth in total industry volume (TIV) for this year is possible. In 2016, Perodua sold 207,100 cars and recorded its highest ever market share of 35.7%. Moving forward, the company is not expecting much upside when it comes to market share. “If you look at the domestic market, we are about to reach maturity. 35%, it’s going to be tough going beyond that,” Aminar said, adding that the one million units TIV by 2020 bandied about some time ago by the Malaysian Automotive Institute (MAI) is “challenging”.
While the carmaker fully understands the responsible lending policy by the central bank and Malaysian banks, it wishes for more flexibility from lenders. Perodua has already been instructing sales personnel to not just collect as many bookings as possible, but to do some filtering of customers, in terms of their financial profile and capability. Higher quality submissions should improve loan approval ratings from the banks. Typically, ACBs and RCBs have better financial standing that FTBs. Exports is a question the media regularly throws at Perodua, and Aminar has always been consistent. “Export is not an easy business. It’s still something that we are learning. We want to bring ourselves more to global standards and hopefully that will be a launching pad for us to look slightly more into the export market,” he said, admitting that P2 has been focused on the domestic market.


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Microsoft is finally getting support from tech giants including Google, Apple, and Amazon as it gears up to fight its biggest battle against the U.S Department of Justice, which it sued in April 2016 for violation of customer protection.
Google, Apple, Amazon support Microsoft
The lawsuit was filed when Microsoft’s plea to inform customers about any information request from the government was rejected by the authorities citing national security. This issue has arisen because of the ambiguity of virtual data, which unlike physical data doesn’t quite require a warrant to be accessed. This is because it is stored in a company’s data center and not a physical storage cabinet.
Since the boom in cloud storage in the last couple of years, the government sees these virtual servers as a safe haven for illicit activities and more than 5,600 demands for customer access have been sent to Microsoft in the past 18 months. This repetitive violation from the government entities forced the Redmond giant to take this huge step towards consumer protection.
In the past few months, cloud computing companies like Google and Amazon have faced similar brunt from US agencies hence the support is evident in the lawsuit filed by Microsoft.
The other side of the argument is quite logical and persuasive too. The government has been trying to tighten the noose over loose regulations in the US since 9/11 happened. This is just one part of the entire plan by has since been brought down by whistleblowers like Snowden, who allege that the authorities misuse their god-like powers.
Apart from Microsoft, other news outlets like Fox News, the National Newspaper Association and The Washington Post, have also filed court cases against the Justice Department. These outlets actively use Microsoft’s cloud services and are equal sufferers of investigative requests.
The great news is that The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Electronic Freedom Foundation have filed documents in court that support Microsoft’s stance.


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On Sunday and Monday local think-tank Minnesota 2020 released their annual Buy Local report. The report highlighted questions that shoppers should ask themselves when deciding where to spend their money, including whether an establishment pays at least $9.50 an hour and provides benefits to their workers. The report was released at various small businesses around the state that were lifted up as doing right by their employees.
Group urges holiday buyers to shop local
Twin Cities Daily Planet
Made in Minnesota 2013: Fair retail wages strengthen local economies
Business Owners Ask Minnesotans to Shop Locally During Holidays
Fox 21 Duluth
Minnesota 2020: Shopping Local Can Help Raise Wage
MN Group To Black Friday Shoppers: Visit Retailers Who Pay Living Wage
WDIO ABC Duluth
Minn. Think Tank: Do Your Holiday Shopping Locally
On Monday workers from the Brooklyn Center Walmart were joined by Representative Keith Ellison as they walked off the job for a one-day ULP strike. The associates were joined by Rep. Ellison and faith leaders as they told their manager that they were speaking out for fair wages and the ability to express concerns without the fear of retaliation. Strikers spoke outside the store surrounded by community supporters who picketed to highlight the low wages at Walmart.
Walmart Workers In Brooklyn Center Walk Out, Protest Low Wages
Brooklyn Center Walmart Workers Demand Higher Wages, Walk Off Job
Twin Cities Daily Planet (repost from St. Paul Union Advocate)
Walmart workers go on strike in Brooklyn Center, kick off week of action for better wages
Grand Forks Herald
Higher-wage actions in Minnesota this week
Brooklyn Center Walmart workers walk out (WCCO Video)
Teamster Nation Blog
Walmart CEO quits as more workers strike in Miami, St. Paul
Wave of Black Friday Strikes Kicks Off as Walmart CEO Steps Down
Teamster Nation Blog
What real people really say about Walmart
Wal-Mart’s new controversy: Taps head of scandal-ridden division as new CEO
Christian Science Monitor
Wal-Mart announces new CEO. Protesting employees hope for change (Mention “Minneapolis” strike)
St. Paul Union Advocate
Bouyed by prayers, workers return to Brooklyn Center Walmart after one-day strike
Wave of Black Friday Strikes Kicks Off As Walmart CEO Steps Down (reprint from Common Cause)
Video: Walmart Workers Walk Out
Clergy stand in solidarity with striking Walmart worker, call for end to poverty wages
The recently formed Greater Minnesota Worker Center highlighted their growing strength by rallying in protest outside of Work Connection, a St. Cloud temp agency. The agency was highlighted, along with other temp agencies in the area, for their poor treatment of workers. Workers from the Greater Minnesota Worker Center and supporters led a delegation into the agency after the protest to call on Work Connection to treat their workers with respect.
St. Cloud Times
Protesters target St. Cloud temp agency office
Trying to Make a Better Life
Area activists protest for workers rights in front of work connection Tuesday
Greater Minnesota Worker Center rallies against unfair hiring practices
Airport workers who are paid poverty wages despite doing important jobs like transporting seniors and passengers with disabilities and cleaning planes came together Wednesday in an effort to Bring Dignity Back to MSP. The workers, looking to organize with SEIU Local 26, held a press conference with Representative Keith Ellison and other supporters before silently marching through the terminal with signs calling to end poverty wages and ending the event with a protest outside of the terminal, all on the busiest travel day of the year.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Workers Protest for Higher Wages
Kare 11 (NBC)
Hundreds of airport workers protest low wages on high travel day
WCCO (CBS) / Yahoo News
MSP Airport Workers Protest, Call For Wage Increases
St. Paul Union Advocate
At MSP Airport, workers use heavy travel day to rally for better wages
MSP airport workers rally for higher wages
Black Friday began at 5:30 a.m. as retail cleaning workers employed by contractors to clean stores like Target went on an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike. Cleaners from over 40 stores in the Twin Cities area, organizing with the worker center Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), walked off the job and picketed with allies in front of Target’s flagship downtown Minneapolis store. The strike came after calling on the cleaning companies to guarantee fair wages and the right to organize without fear of retaliation and not getting a response.
After the CTUL picket line in Minneapolis ended, worker and allies from all of the week’s campaigns joined together in St. Paul for a march to end poverty wages. Hundreds marched by Target and Walmart before 26 Minnesotans participated in non-violent civil disobedience to highlight the urgency of giving workers a raise and ending poverty wages in Minnesota.
St. Cloud Times (AP Wire Story used around the state/country)
26 arrested as low-wage workers march in St. Paul
26 arrested in St. Paul protest over low wages
Kare (NBC) 11
Hundreds march to protest poverty wages
Cleaning Workers Walk Out In Black Friday Protest
Minnesota Public Radio
Workers march University Ave. in St. Paul to protest low wages; 26 arrested
St. Paul: 26 arrested in Black Friday protests over low retail wages
KSTP 5 (ABC)
26 Arrested as Workers Continue to Call for Better Wages in St. Paul, Minneapolis
Fight For Living Wages Ends In 26 Black Friday Arrests in St Paul
Sheila Regan/Bill Sorem
Call to end poverty wages rings out from Black Friday protests in Twin Cities
Black Friday protests in Twin Cities show growing support for better wages
Duluth News Tribune
Protest with pizza: Activists target Walmart’s wages
Protesters expected near St. Paul shopping district
Wal-Mart arrests could fuel “a new political movement of the disenfranchised,” Grayson tells Nov. 29
Pierce County Herald
MINNESOTA NEWS ROUND-UP: Protests for fair wages take place in St. Paul Friday
Low-wage workers march in St. Paul
New report shows taxpayers picking up $7 billion-per-year tab for low-wage fast-food jobs
Labor, faith and community groups gathered at Minneapolis Wendy’s to highlight high public costs of low wages
Minneapolis, Minn. (October 15, 2013) — Community members gathered at a Minneapolis Wendy’s restaurant to bring attention to a new report by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley showing that the fast-food industry costs American taxpayers nearly $7 billion per year because their jobs pay so little. The report found that 52 percent of fast food workers are forced to enroll their families in public assistance programs because of their low wages.
“Instead of subsidizing poverty wages at corporations like Wendy’s and McDonald’s to the tune of $7 billion per year, we should be investing that money in public programs like K-12 education and healthcare,” said SEIU Local 284 Executive Director Carol Neiters. “These corporations bring in billions of dollars of profits each year, yet they pay their workers so little, forcing their workers to rely on government assistance.”
Fast-food is a $200-billion-a-year industry, yet the median wage for core front-line workers at fast-food restaurants nationally is $8.69 an hour. Only 13 percent of the jobs provide health benefits, compared to 59 percent of workers as a whole. The researchers said families of frontline fast-food workers are enrolled in public programs at more than twice the rate of the overall workforce.
“This report highlights that Minnesotans working in fast-food jobs can work full time and still not have enough money to provide for their families,” said The Reverend Grant Stevenson, clergy leader with ISAIAH. “It is wrong that these fast-food companies are raking in billions in profits while their workers are more likely to live in or near poverty and be in need of government assistance than workers in any other industry.”
Marc Doussard, one of the report’s coauthors and an assistant professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said the report also helps dispel the myth of fast-food workers as largely untrained teenagers.
“More than two-thirds of core frontline fast-food workers across the country are over the age of 20, and 68 percent are the main wage- earners in their families,” Doussard said. “And more than a quarter of Americans working in fast-food restaurants are parents, raising at least one child.”
The researchers found that the fast-food industry’s low wages and meager benefits, often accompanied by part-time hours, combine to create substantial public assistance needs, including:
Read the Fast Food, Poverty Wages report HERE.
Minnesotans for a Fair Economy
Minnesotans for a Fair Economy is a coalition of labor, community and faith organizations that are fighting for an economy that works for all of us.
Taking part in a national day of action on the four year anniversary of the last national minimum wage increase, workers and allies rally and deliver letters demanding fair wages
Minneapolis (July 24, 2013) — At a rally over the lunch hour, workers and allies from faith, labor and community groups came together at the Quarry Shopping Center in Minneapolis as part of a national day of action to call for a raise for low-wage workers living in poverty. The rally came on the fourth anniversary of the last increase in the federal minimum wage and on the day President Obama stated in a policy speech that “we need to raise the minimum wage because it’s lower right now than it was when Ronald Reagan took office.”
The event was led by workers who are part of Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL), a Twin Cities worker center. A delegation led by workers who are employed by sub-contractors to clean Target and Home Depot delivered letters informing the corporations about the wages and working conditions faced by janitors who work for contracted companies cleaning their stores. Workers are calling on their companies to give an immediate raise to lift workers and their families out of poverty and to give a boost to the local economy.
“I am a single mother with four children. $8 an hour is not enough to survive on – we have to share a trailer with other families to be able to afford rent,” said Maricela Flores, CTUL member and Carlson Building Maintenance employee who cleans a Target store. “As retail janitors we are surrounded by food and clothes every evening at work, yet we cannot afford to provide for our own families. I am organizing for fair wages.”
A report recently released by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found that a two-parent, two-child family would need to make $73,526 a year for a decent yet modest living in Minneapolis. The current minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, or $15,080 per year. According to the National Employment Law Project 2012 report “Big Business, Corporate Profits, and the Minimum Wage,” the 50 largest low-wage employers, 75% are earning more revenue now than they were before the recession, while the Federal minimum wage remains stuck at 2009 levels.
After the rally and delegations at Target and Home Depot in Minneapolis, workers traveled to Eurest Services Cleaning in Edina, where they delivered a letter to their employer outlining their ongoing demands around fair wages and respect in the workplace. Cleaning workers went on a one-day Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) strike in February and a two-day ULP strike in June to ensure their right to organize without fear of retaliation, joining a nationwide movement of low-wage workers taking similar actions in Seattle, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, New York City and Milwaukee.
“I work for Eurest Services cleaning a Home Depot,” said Luciano Balbuena. “I have cleaned the same store for three years, and I still only earn $8.50 per hour. We work hard, and we deserve fair wages – that is why we are organizing!”
Wednesday’s event was part of a national day of action calling on corporations and politicians to raise wages for millions of the country’s lowest-paid workers. Thousands rallied in 40 cities across the country.


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Zadig & Voltaire is reportedly in talks with restructuring advisers about the future of its UK store portfolio.
The French retailer has seven UK stores and an additional six concession stands in Selfridges, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, all of which were forced to close during the Covid-19 lockdown.
It is now seeking to draft in experts from RSM Restructuring Advisory to review its business, Property Week reported.
In January, private equity firm Peninsula made a strategic investment in Zadig & Voltaire.
Zadig & Voltaire remained majority-owned by its founder Thierry Gillier, while TA Associates exited its investment.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The retailer also said a new chief executive, Rémy Baume, would replace Jean-Jacques Guével, who left the business to become chief executive of Balmain.
Baume will also be a shareholder in the retailer.
Read the full article here – retailgazette.co.uk


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(Aaron Stanley – Coindesk)
IBM advanced its status as a blockchain leader Tuesday with the launch of a supply chain platform designed to streamline flows among buyers, sellers and financiers in the pharmaceuticals space.
The Yijian Blockchain Technology Application System – built in a partnership between IBM and Hejia, a Chinese supply chain management company – seeks to eliminate some of the financing problems faced by the country’s pharmaceutical retailers. Specifically, it targets the country’s underdeveloped credit evaluation system, which it argues can make it difficult to raise short-term working capital.
The platform is designed to bring greater transparency into supply chain networks by tracking the flow of drugs, encrypting trading records and offering an easier means of authenticating transactions. The end goal is to reduce the time small retailers must wait to be paid after delivering medicine to hospitals – which currently can be as high as 60 to 90 days. Click here to read more.


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The sales so far were considerably short of the $20 billion worth he promised over the weekend that he would sell.
Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, disclosed on Wednesday that he had sold about $5 billion worth of Tesla shares, in part to cover his tax obligations after exercising options on a large tranche of stock.
Mr. Musk sold about 4.5 million shares between Monday and Wednesday, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Tesla’s stock closed trading on Wednesday at $1,067.95, which would value the shares at about $4.8 billion, but some were sold for slightly higher prices.
In the filings, Mr. Musk said he had sold about a million of the shares “solely” to cover taxes on 2,154,572 in stock he picked up at $6.24 each. Those shares he acquired, for a total of $13.4 million, were instantly worth about $2.3 billion. Later Wednesday, he disclosed the sale of an additional 3.6 million shares.
Mr. Musk still owns nearly 17 percent of Tesla’s stock, shares worth about $180 billion. Tesla recently passed $1 trillion in market valuation.
Over the weekend, Mr. Musk posted a poll to Twitter asking his followers whether he should sell 10 percent of his stock, referring to a political debate over whether the wealthiest Americans should be taxed according to their wealth rather than their income. He said he would abide by whatever respondents chose, and about 58 percent said to sell.
Regardless of the poll, the disclosures indicated that Mr. Musk had put a plan in place in September to sell shares when buying options. Mr. Musk holds more than 20 million stock options, worth nearly $30 billion, that expire in August. Many of those options are unlikely to qualify for preferential tax treatment, meaning he could owe billions of dollars in taxes if he exercises all of them.
Tesla’s stock slid 16 percent in the two days of trading after his Twitter post, though it gained 4.3 percent on Wednesday before Mr. Musk disclosed his trades. Tesla’s shares were up in aftermarket trading following his disclosures.
Stephen Gandel contributed reporting.


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CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Farmer's markets are opening all over the area as demand for fresh fruits and vegetables continues to grow.
But there is one locally owned market that is celebrating 30 years in business.
"We must be doing something right for people to keep coming back," said Al Kirchgessner's wife, Betty Kirchgessner. The couple owns the market.
"Each year the business just seems to be getting bigger and bigger," Betty said.
Al's Farm Market, in Clarksville, is on Providence Way just down the road from Providence High School.
This time of year the market is filled with beautiful colors of fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of flowers.
The couple started the business in 1983, selling only strawberries that they still grow on their 40-acre farm in nearby Starlight, Indiana.
But customers started asking for other produce, so they began farming and selling a lot more product.
For 20 years, the couple had a second location in the Old Haymarket in downtown Louisville.
But to make way for the expanding U of L Medical Center, they had to move out of that location five years ago.
But many customers followed them to their Clarksville location.
"That really makes us feel really good," said Betty, "because they are following us all the way from Louisville, coming from over there to Clarksville to see us."
Running a farm and a retail operation require a lot of time and hard work, with few days off.
"For the last 30 years I haven't had a Mother's Day off," said Betty, "but the way I look at it I am making other mothers' Mother's Day special."
The couple is looking forward to selling their homegrown strawberries in a few weeks.
"We have two acres of strawberries that will be coming out during the last week of May or first week of June," says Al.
Al and Betty say the next two weeks will be among the busiest of the year with spring kicking into high gear.
Copyright 2013 WDRB News. All Rights Reserved.


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Adobe is testing a new feature to help verify the authenticity of NFTs.
Global computer software company Adobe has partnered with NFT Marketplace Rarible to support digital content. A beta version of Adobe’s new “Content Credentials” feature that helps verify and protect metadata of digital content will be launched.
Rarible announced the new feature on its site earlier this week. Content creators can now easily verify ownership of digital content created on Adobe platforms. These include Photoshop, Stock, and Behance apps.
Content creators will be able to link their social media profiles and wallet addresses to the app while using Photoshop to create NFTs. With this application, it will increase the certainty that the person who created the NFT is his own work.
The feature will be made widely available in the NFT world, allowing it to verify that the NFT was minted and created by the same wallet.
Adding an address to the work done on Rarible will be publicly viewed along with the content credentials metadata on the work listed on the platform. Attribution of ownership will seem much easier.
Rarible said the following on the subject;
Adobe’s “Content Credentials” project is part of the Content Integrity Initiative (CAI), which it co-founded in 2019. The project aims to combat misinformation in online images.


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Ubisoft released a new trailer for the upcoming sequel video game “Assassin’s Creed 3.”
The trailer features the different Americans in the call to rise against the British. The movie features a new protagonist to be set before, during and after the American Revolution.
“Assassin’s Creed 3” will be released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 30th, and Microsoft Windows on October 23th.
Check out the trailer below (ironically,it is the UK version of the trailer).
[springboard type="youtube" id="7N9gGK4-GI0" player="ltrv001" width="870" height="490" ].


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“I’m always happiest when I’m roasting coffee,” Samuel Bonasso said.
Fortunately for the South Park community, greater Morgantown area community and coffee lovers like myself, he also likes sharing good coffee.
When Samuel and his wife lived on the West Coast they enjoyed access to ethically sourced, freshly roasted coffee. They found a void in the Morgantown area when they returned to start their family.
To satisfy his cravings, Samuel tried roasting coffee beans at home. He said for just toasting them in an oven, they turned out a lot better than he expected. Subsequently, Samuel went through a series of equipment upgrades.
Since 2015, he and his wife have sold freshly roasted beans and brewed coffee at area farmers markets under the business name Quantum Bean Coffee. Encouraged by customers often asking where their cafe was located, Samuel decided to open a café.
“It took a really long time because we wanted to do it ourselves,” Samuel said of the year and a half it took him and his wife to set up their recently opened café.
Samuel said he loves their location on Kingwood Street, in the South Park neighborhood, where he lives. “I felt better knowing we were investing in our community.”
Samuel also invests in his product. His goal is to give customers a “farm-to-cup experience.”
While Quantum Bean Coffee carries some fair trade beans and brews, Samuel prefers direct trade. By working directly with coffee bean farmers, Samuel believes he can get the highest quality bean and do the most good with his business.
“It’s better for everyone,” Samuel said, adding that coffee roasters are trending more toward direct trade. Samuel connects with farmers at Specialty Coffee Association expos. He trades contact information directly with growers, and they let him know when they’re harvesting.
Samuel visited a farm in El Salvador from which he sources beans. He was especially struck seeing the beans picked by hand (Brazil is the only coffee growing location where some harvesting is mechanized). Samuel said there are more than 1,000 coffee beans per pound of coffee, a fact I found amazing.
Seeing kids and adults lugging heavy bags of coffee up and down steep mountains and knowing that profits are reinvested into farm improvements “makes me want to support them,” Samuel said.
His passion for coffee, from the farm to my cup, makes me want to support Quantum Bean coffee. Of course, it helps that they serve an incredible cup of joe.
Samuel said the customers he most wants to bring closer to those cups of coffee are right here in West Virginia.
“My heart is really at those markets,” he said. He plans to continue serving at markets, even though business at the cafe so far exceeded expectations. He’s hoping to get their coffee featured in other local cafes and restaurants.
To increase convenience for caffeine lovers, Samuel said he’s already contemplating opening more cafes around Morgantown and maybe even in other parts of the state.
“I really want to bring West Virginia up to the experience I had on the West Coast,” he said.
Personally, I think this is a wonderful mission — mostly for my own coffee preferences, but also because filling a void with freshly roasted, directly sourced coffee beans seems healthy for our state.


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BidaskClub lowered shares of Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note published on Friday, January 26th.
Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Micron Technology from $75.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 20th. Loop Capital reduced their price target on shares of Micron Technology from $48.00 to $47.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 13th. Goldman Sachs Group reissued a buy rating and issued a $43.00 price target on shares of Micron Technology in a research note on Saturday, September 30th. Nomura upped their target price on shares of Micron Technology from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, September 29th. Finally, MKM Partners reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $52.00 target price (up from $45.00) on shares of Micron Technology in a research note on Thursday, September 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, twenty-four have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Micron Technology has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $55.80.
Shares of Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) opened at $42.19 on Friday. Micron Technology has a 52-week low of $22.64 and a 52-week high of $49.89. The stock has a market cap of $48,780.00, a PE ratio of 6.64, a PEG ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 2.39 and a quick ratio of 1.83.
Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 19th. The semiconductor manufacturer reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.60. The company had revenue of $6.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.43 billion. Micron Technology had a net margin of 32.77% and a return on equity of 41.87%. Micron Technology’s revenue was up 71.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.32 EPS. sell-side analysts forecast that Micron Technology will post 10.12 EPS for the current year.
In related news, SVP April S. Arnzen sold 27,878 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.27, for a total transaction of $1,234,159.06. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 58,659 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,596,833.93. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Steven L. Thorsen, Jr. sold 60,921 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.40, for a total transaction of $2,583,050.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 173,470 shares of company stock valued at $7,420,480. 0.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. IHT Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Micron Technology during the 2nd quarter worth $1,056,000. SevenBridge Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Micron Technology by 87.5% in the 3rd quarter. SevenBridge Financial Group LLC now owns 2,550 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190 shares in the last quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Micron Technology by 76.0% in the 3rd quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 2,900 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 1,252 shares in the last quarter. Jacobi Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Micron Technology by 368.8% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobi Capital Management LLC now owns 3,305 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock valued at $135,000 after purchasing an additional 2,600 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Micron Technology in the 3rd quarter valued at about $204,000. Institutional investors own 80.66% of the company’s stock.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: This news story was originally published by Dispatch Tribunal and is owned by of Dispatch Tribunal. If you are viewing this news story on another website, it was illegally stolen and republished in violation of United States & international trademark and copyright law. The legal version of this news story can be viewed at https://www.dispatchtribunal.com/2018/02/13/bidaskclub-lowers-micron-technology-mu-to-sell.html.
About Micron Technology
Micron Technology, Inc is engaged in semiconductor systems. The Company’s portfolio of memory technologies, including dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), negative-AND (NAND) Flash and NOR Flash are the basis for solid-state drives, modules, multi-chip packages and other system solutions. Its business segments include Compute and Networking Business Unit (CNBU), which includes memory products sold into compute, networking, graphics and cloud server markets; Mobile Business Unit (MBU), which includes memory products sold into smartphone, tablet and other mobile-device markets; Storage Business Unit (SBU), which includes memory products sold into enterprise, client, cloud and removable storage markets, and SBU also includes products sold to Intel through its Intel/Micron Flash Technology (IMFT) joint venture, and Embedded Business Unit (EBU), which includes memory products sold into automotive, industrial, connected home and consumer electronics markets.
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Longtime Gastonia business owners make move downtown
Michael and Felicia Nelson spent almost seven years operating a successful business on the fringe of downtown Gastonia.
They never really thought about what additional benefits might come from being just a few blocks away, west of Broad Street and right on Main Avenue. But during an impromptu trip there a few months ago, they were struck by an ambiance they hadn’t noticed before.
“We had never discussed moving from our current space, but something about the windows, the lighted lamp posts and hometown feel of Main Avenue really piqued our interest,” said Felicia Nelson. “I follow a lot of organizations and downtown businesses on social media, so I know the downtown district is flourishing. And we decided we wanted to get in on it.”
The Nelsons recently made that switch official with their business, Gamer EMT. They moved from 316 E. Franklin Blvd. to 118 E. Main Ave., where the façade features four whimsical, stained glass panes that make the building stand out. The space there had been vacant for almost two years, after a brief five-month run as a boutique children’s clothing store in 2017.
Gamer EMT specializes in repairing electronic devices with affordable prices and fast service. The bulk of their business involves fixing cracked cellphone screens, along with replacing charging ports, repairing cameras and remedying water damage. But they also repair and service tablets, computers, video game consoles, hoverboards, and essentially anything that involves being plugged in, Felicia Nelson said.
They have also found success on eBay as a top seller of video game console and controller repair services, which involves them being mailed devices from all over the United States.
The Nelsons are originally from Chicago, but their connection to this area was established when Felicia Nelson’s parents retired and moved to nearby Grover 25 years ago.
“We came for holidays and when we wanted to eat out or go to the movies, we came to Gastonia,” she said. “We had our second son and Grandma said ‘If you would just move here, I would watch them.’”
That bait, and their fatigue with cold weather and snow, prompted them to move near Crowders Mountain 12 years ago.
Michael Nelson has always been handy with electronics, and he developed a penchant for repairing video game systems when the first Xbox was released many years ago. He soon realized it was a skill he could put to use for legitimate work, and expanded his repertoire.
“Then he was expanding into computers and anything electronic, like the motherboard and other charging boards,” said his wife.
After outgrowing an initial workspace in the garage of their home, the Nelsons moved the enterprise to the small retail strip on Franklin Boulevard. They moved to a larger storefront in the same shopping center after just a couple of years and have been coasting along there for a decade.
Their partner, Melvin Jefferson, is a disabled veteran from Baltimore who served in the Marine Corps, who now oversees repairs of computers and televisions.
Felicia Nelson, who handles accounting, marketing and other aspects of Gamer EMT, said their epiphany about downtown led to a whirlwind decision.
“Within one week, we had contacted the landlord, signed the lease and were moving within 30 days,” she said.
They never closed their old location while renovating the new digs. It necessitated doing some painting, pulling up old carpet and more, including getting the new decals on their windows approved by the city’s planning department. But they chipped away at it and finally put the finishing touches on it this month.
“It’s a great space with about 1,200 square feet,” said Nelson. “Everyone who has come in just loves it.”
Nelson said the move inspired them to finally join the Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce, and they’ve begun to get to know their downtown business neighbors in recent weeks. She likes the fact that the historic commercial district is largely made up of small business owners who are working hard to “make it.”
“I love the feel of it,” she said of the new location. “It’s great, but it’s also about the effort you put into it. You can’t just expect people to come to you.”
You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.


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Download Android 7.0 N on a Nexus device
Android is the most popular operating system in the world, installed on millions – if not billions – of devices, from smartphones and tablets to smart appliances such as TVs and fridges.
So it's always exciting when a new version is released, and Google is busy working on Android 7,0 Nougat.
Update: Google has announced the Android 7.0's official name is Android Nougat.
At the Google IO 2016 event, Google announced that you can now sign up...


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How Prime Day stacks up against other shopping holidays
While Amazon’s retail event has grown big enough to spur competitors to launch their own competing sales, it still falls far behind other big shopping days.
A study from Digital Commerce 360, a market research firm, breaks down Amazon’s multi-day event compared to others held around the world. Last year, the site says, Amazon took in an estimated $10.4 billion. That’s less than 15% of the gross sales of Alibaba’s Singles Day 2020, which came in at $74.1 billion.
Chinese shoppers often dwarf the totals of U.S. customers. JD.com’s big June sale, called 618, took in $37.99 billion last year. And the period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, known as the “cyber five” for the number of days it spans, saw $34.36 billion spent worldwide.
Admittedly, 2020 was an unusual year for retailers, given the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Day came late, which could have impacted its numbers. But if you’re curious how the event compared in terms of single-day sales to other single-day events, it fared a bit better, though not as well as you might think.
Cyber Monday is the king of shopping events these days. Boosted by the pandemic, when many people were unable or unwilling to go to brick-and-mortar stores, Cyber Monday 2020 took in $10.84 billion in just one day, according to the study.
Black Friday, not surprisingly, was close behind. The event netted just over $9 billion in sales. Prime Day came in third at $5.2 billion, which was just a hair more than Thanksgiving Day sales of $5.1 billion.
The big question for 2021 is: Since Prime Day has more separation from the other big shopping holidays of the year, will less looming competition result in sales that top last year? Or will buyers be less enthusiastic at the start of summer?
More must-read retail coverage from Fortune:
- “Ugly” produce is finally finding a second life on the shelves of major grocery chains
- “A love affair with Le Creuset”: How a staple of the French kitchen turned into a global hit
- Walmart stores will once again be closed this Thanksgiving
- The clean hair care brand rooted in Latinx heritage
- Macy’s is bringing back its July Fourth fireworks show in latest sign of NYC revival
Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.


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'Every Day is a Great Day To Own Your Money' Press Kit Available (Misc News: November 1, 2011)
With banks slapping on fees and thousands of people vowing to move their money to a credit union on Nov. 5, now is the time to spread the word: "Every day is a great day to own your money at a credit union."
Michigan consumers aren’t waiting until “Bank Transfer Day” – the national movement to protest increasing fees at the country's big banks – to make the switch to a credit union, and that’s why MCUL & Affiliates has launched a media campaign to make sure your story is heard.
This is a story with staying power, as the general undercurrent of frustration with big banks that is driving many consumers to credit unions isn’t limited to one day. We’ve prepared a press kit to help highlight new member inquiries and account openings at your credit union, and we’re ready to help you reach out to the media in whatever way you need. The kit contains a customizable press release, a Q&A for background, and talking points to help communicate our core message.
Don’t think the banks aren’t taking note of their former customers who have made the switch to credit unions. In a drastic about-face, Bank of America announced it is nixing plans to charge a $5 debit card fee starting in 2012, and Chase and Wells Fargo are backing away from some of their planned fees as well. At this point, regardless of what the banks decide it’s not likely to stem the tide of anger. The fees have been a public relations disaster for the banks and a golden opportunity for credit unions.
For assistance, please contact Mona Shand, MCUL & Affiliates public relations manager, at (800) 262-6285, ext. 246, or Mona.Shand@mcul.org. To access the materials online, click here. The link is password protected.


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Sep 26, 2018
Sony reveals Playstation Classic
Red Dead Online announced
Sony announces the PS Vita will end production in 2019, effectively killing the handheld console
Spiderman sells 3.3 million copies in three days, outpaces revenue of Homecoming, opens door for more Marvel games
DMC V to have microtransactions
Sep 19, 2018
AMD says they're working on "secrets" for both Sony and Microsoft
Nintendo Direct news roundup; all the games, announcements, and controversies: Smash Ultimate, Luigi's Mansion 3, Lots of Final Fantasy ports, Katamari Damacy, Town (Game Freak), and much more.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey coming to cloud gaming service...
Sep 12, 2018
TGS/Death Stranding Pre-talk
THQ Nordic picks up Kingdoms of Amalur; the game Rhode Island made
Next Zelda game still targeting the Switch
Some Switch games won't support cloud saves, will the paid-internet be worth it?
Tencent/China introduce new campaign to limit children's playtime, and also freeze game...
Sep 5, 2018
Games are being altered in Belgium/Netherlands to not allow purchase of lootboxes with real money
Nintendo forces takedown of Pokemon Essentials; a popular tool used to make fangames
Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida says no crossplay because "PS4 is the best place to play," Mike Ybarra from Xbox responds


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China Steel Corp (CSC, 中鋼), the nation’s biggest steelmaker, yesterday said that it would raise prices by 1.7 percent for next month's deliveries to reflect rising raw material costs.
The Kaohsiung-based firm said it would also increase prices for next quarter's deliveries by 8.3 percent, as market demand remains strong and production cost continues to rise.
CSC updates prices for products such as hot-rolled steel on a monthly basis to reflect market conditions, it said.
Photo: Lin Ching-hua, Taipei Times
The company updates prices for other products, such as automotive steel, on a quarterly basis, it added.
“Our principle is to set prices that are steady, gentle, opportune and balanced,” the company said in a news release. “We have taken the competitiveness of the steel industry, the cost of raw materials and price pressure on steel companies into account.”
CSC said that it anticipates strong demand ahead.
“The signs of a global recovery in manufacturing are clear,” it said. “Demand for automobiles, infrastructure projects and home appliances is rapidly increasing.”
“The World Steel Association predicts an increase of 4 percent in global steel demand this year,” CSC said.
On the demand side, companies have been slow to restore capacity to what it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“On the supply side, due to the impact of COVID-19 and extreme weather, some blast furnaces in Asia and Europe have been slow to return to production,” CSC said. “Together with disruptions in logistics, we have seen major delays.”
Downstream Taiwanese steel inventory “has reached the lowest point in years,” it said.
CSC cited high costs of raw materials, such as iron ore, scrap steel and smelting materials, for its increase of average steel prices.
“The cost of iron ore reached US$178 per tonne at one point,” the company said. “This is not too far from the all-time high of US$194.”
“Globally, steel companies are continuing to absorb the pressure of high raw material costs,” it said. “Going into the traditional strong season of the second quarter, there is clearly space for steel products that are priced each quarter to become more expensive, especially in cases where prices have fallen far behind monthly-priced products.”
Monthly-priced hot-rolled steel and cold-rolled steel are to rise NT$450 per tonne each, while electromagnetic coils are to go up in a range from NT$600 to NT$1,200 per tonne, CSC said.
For quarterly priced products, steel boards are to rise NT$2,500 per tonne, hot-rolled high-carbon steel by NT$2,800 per tonne and automotive steel by NT$2,800 per tonne, it said.
Semiconductor stocks on Friday took a beating after a grim profit warning from Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc sparked fresh worries about the US’ earnings power as the country is potentially heading for a recession. Despite a broader stock market rally, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index dropped 3.8 percent after Micron, the largest maker of memory semiconductors in the US, flagged that demand was cooling for chips used in computers and smartphones. The index — which is home to US chip giants Advanced Micro Devices Inc and Nvidia Corp, as well as Micron — is down 38 percent this year. Historically, semiconductor
WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY: Costco Wholesale said it expected the purchase of the remaining 45 percent stake to add 1 to 1.5 percent to its earnings per share US-based Costco Wholesale Corp on Thursday said that it had purchased the remaining 45 percent stake in Costco President Taiwan Inc (台灣好市多) for US$1.05 billion, making the local company a fully-owned unit. “We estimate that the purchase would add about 1 to 1.5 percent to [our] earnings per share,” Costco said in a statement. Costco President Taiwan was established as a joint venture with Kaohsiung-based President Group (大統集團), which held a 45 percent stake. Since the first Costco store opened in Kaohsiung in 1997, 14 outlets have been set up in Taiwan, company data showed. PROFITABLE Three Costco stores in Taiwan — in Taipei’s Neihu
MOBILITY SOLUTIONS: Tata Technologies’ participation marks more progress in Hon Hai’s efforts to expand its ecosystem through the platform, the Taiwanese firm said India’s Tata Technologies Ltd has become the latest member of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co’s (鴻海精密) MIH Open Platform to jointly develop sustainable mobility solutions for customers worldwide, the Taiwanese company said yesterday. It might include embedded and electrical, electric platform development and battery management system solutions, among others, Hon Hai said. Tata Technologies’ participation marks more progress in Hon Hai’s efforts to expand its electric-vehicle (EV) ecosystem through the MIH platform, it said. The open platform has about 2,380 members around the world, with an aim to jointly develop EV ecosystems and shrink the time to market for products. Hon Hai made the
SOARING PROFITS: Semiconductors and shipping have knocked automaking and construction out of the 10 highest paying industries, stock exchange data showed Mobile phone chip designer MediaTek Inc (聯發科) posted an average of NT$5.15 million (US$173,249) in annual compensation for non-managerial employees last year, marking the highest among all firms listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), exchange data showed. That is a 66 percent increase from the company’s average compensation of NT$3.08 million in 2020, as its earnings per share (EPS) expanded from NT$26.01 in 2020 to NT$70.56 last year. That is also three times higher than the average compensation of NT$1.7 million in the nation’s semiconductor industry, the data showed. The increases helped MediaTek advance its ranking from third in 2020, replacing


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Owners who are not lucky enough to damage the optics will have to pay more than five percent of the price of an electric car for repairs
Many are accustomed to the high cost of spare parts for premium cars, which have never been distinguished by humane price tags. However, the cost of parts for the GMC Hummer EV electric pickup truck is surprising, even considering all this circumstance: replacing the lights will cost $ 6,100. That is, instead of a set of rear optics, you can buy a Lada Granta in an “average” configuration.
According to The Drive, one of the owners of the GMC Hummer EV was unlucky enough to scratch the light of an electric pickup truck. In the service, he was offered to replace the damaged part with a new one for $4,040 , and this amount does not include the cost of work. The publication managed to find out the list price of the lamp: it is 3045.48 dollars. That is, for a set you will have to pay at least $ 6,100.
Such prices surprised even the dealer selling Cadillac, according to the publication. For comparison, for the long taillight of the 2022 Escalade SUV, the manufacturer is asking $1,312.
General Motors confirmed the cost of Hummer optics and explained what guided the pricing: each lamp has an integrated microchip that is responsible for animation separate from other elements of the optics. In addition, the Hammer did not have time to sell in large numbers, and therefore its spare parts are still more expensive.
In the summer, it was reported that GMC scored 77,000 orders for an electric pickup and SUV. At the same time, due to the lack of components, including the same microchips, and difficulties with deliveries, about a dozen cars a day roll off the assembly line. At this rate, it will take more than 17 years to assemble all the cars purchased.


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Xiaomi is one of the highly popular Chinese smartphone makers in India, which made its name by offering feature-loaded devices at compelling price tags. As far as the company’s flagship offerings are concerned, its previous flagship device the country was the Mi 4, which was released in late January 2015. After launching the Mi 4, the company shifted its focus towards budget offerings under the Redmi series, which have been a tremendous success for the brand in the country. Now the company is expected to unveil its next flagship under the Mi series, the Xiaomi Mi 5, in China. Since India has become one of the most important markets for Xiaomi, we expect the Mi 5 to be released in the country soon after its unveiling in China. If you are a Mi fan and eagerly waiting for the Mi 5, let’s take a quick look on the rumoured features of the handset.
Xiaomi Mi 5: features of the upcoming Mi flagship
Talking about the design first, the Xiaomi Mi 5’s predecessor offered a compact but sturdy design with a metal frame. The device offers a plastic design, but when it was released, it was considered as one of the best looking devices on the market. However, the brand’s new flagship, the Mi 5, as hinted by numerous rumours is expected to bring a new more appealing design than its predecessor with a glass rear panel. Dimensions of the handset are unknown at the moment, but the rumour-mill indicates towards a slim profile.
Display and OS
As for the display, as per a recent listing on an online retailer, the Xiaomi Mi 5 will flaunt a 5.2-inch display bearing 2K resolution (QHD) with a whopping pixel density of 565ppi, which will deliver rich colours and immersive media viewing experience. As far as the software is concerned, Xiaomi is slow at bringing the latest Android builds to its smartphones. So the Mi 5 is expected to run Android 5.1 Lollipop based MIUI 7, which is the brand’s custom user interface over Android with several in house software tweaks.
Coming to the performance, the Xiaomi Mi 4 was introduced running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, which is an octa-core SoC. However, its successor on the other hand will reportedly utilise the next-gen much more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. In fact, it will be one of the first phones to utilise this system-on-chip. The performance will be further enhanced by a generous 4GB of RAM. For storage, the phone is expected to be released in 32GB and 64GB internal memory variants. The phone will also pack in a fingerprint sensor for enhanced data security that will be embedded into the square home button, which is said to be the smallest in the world on a phone.
Talking about camera, as per a recent listing on an online retailer, the Mi 5 will sport a 16-megapixel primary snapper with phase detection autofocus, a dual LED flash and 4K recording. For the selfie lovers, the handset will be equipped with a 13-megapixel snapper. The phone’s camera app is also expected to come pre-loaded with enhanced software tweaks, which will let you alter the captured images the best possible way you want.
Connectivity and battery
Xiaomi is expected to not leave anything out of the box when it comes to the connectivity options of the Mi 5 flagship. The phone is expected to be able to hold two SIMs with dual standby, LTE support for global 4G networks including India, NFC, latest standard Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, and A-GPS with GLONASS. As far as the battery life is concerned, the Mi 5 will hide a beefy 3,600mAh unit under the hood. The battery will also support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology, which is a new charging tech standard from Qualcomm, one of the premium mobile chipset makers in the world, that offers much faster charging capabilities than the regular charging standards.
Coming to the verdict, the Xiaomi Mi 5 will no doubt will be an excellent flagship offering, since it’s been a long time since the unveiling of the brand’s previous Mi 4 flagship. The phone will sport the top of the class display that will also attract the people who like compact-yet-large enough to deliver excellent media viewing experience devices. It will be packed with the latest Snapdragon SoC, a meaty RAM, excellent camera specs, a large battery with fast charging, and a fingerprint sensor for enhanced security. Similar to the Mi 4, its successor is also expected to be offered at a competitive price tag. The Xiaomi Mi 5 is expected to be unveiled on January 21st, and will go on sale in the company’s home market of China after the spring festival.


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Five years after Dieselgate, VW USA wants to be the climate-friendly alternative
Just a few years after being hit with massive fines for its role in the emissions cheating scandal, Volkswagen is hoping to re-brand as the climate-friendly alternative in the American market, Astrid Dörner and Katharina Kort report in Handelsblatt. The U.S. plays a major role in the company’s strategy going forward, the article says, and Volkswagen sees an opportunity because the electric vehicle market in the U.S. is still relatively undeveloped: electric cars currently account for just two percent of the U.S. market. "There are not many competitors in the market," Scott Keogh, CEO of Volkswagen USA, told Handelsblatt. “"In the past we were often too slow to adapt to new trends. This must not happen this time. It is therefore a rare opportunity for us to catch up." Volkswagen is currently investing $800 million in a new plant in Tennessee to produce an all-electric SUV. In entering the U.S. electric car market, Volkswagen is going up against Tesla, which currently controls about 60 percent of the electric car market, Handelsblatt reports.
Under its current CEO, Herbert Diess, VW has embraced electric mobility more vigorously than any other major auto company, initiating a major transformation in its business in the aftermath of the Dieselgate emissions cheating scandal.


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When BlackBerry chooses to make its Priv smartphone official it seems there won’t be too much more to reveal. There have
If you’re one of the many people who have been following developments of the BlackBerry Priv smartphone (aka BlackBerry Venice) you may
Although BlackBerry’s fortunes have been declining in recent years there’s still plenty of interest in the upcoming BlackBerry Priv smartphone. There
For many months now there have been leaks about a device dubbed the BlackBerry Venice that has now been named the BlackBerry
There are still many BlackBerry fans out there, despite the fact that the company hasn’t been doing so well in recent times.


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On Tuesday morning, we learned that Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (NASDAQ:PPC) proposed to buy out fellow packaged food company Hillshire Brands Co. (NYSE:HSH). The company proposed to pay $45/share, or about $6.6 billion for Hillshire, which is a 22 percent premium over Friday’s close.
This announcement comes shortly after Hillshire Brands made an offer to buy out another packaged food company – Pinnacle Foods (NYSE:PF) — about two weeks ago.
As a result, the market bid up Hillshire Brands’ shares to a level slightly higher than $45/share, which likely reflects the company’s dividend payment, and the possibility that the company may receive a higher takeout offer. Shares of Pinnacle Foods dropped over 7 percent as Hillshire Foods will likely not be acquiring that company.
Clearly there has been a lot of M&A activity in the packaged food space. In fact, there was another big acquisition about a year ago when a Chinese company — Shuanghui International — purchased America’s largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods. Furthermore, there has been general investor interest in many of these companies. Shares of the companies mentioned in this article, as well as peer Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN), have all been relatively strong versus the S&P 500, and they have been even stronger when compared with the S&P MidCap 400 Index.
I think there are a few possible reasons for consolidation in the industry and investor interest above and beyond speculation on additional takeovers. Consolidation means two things — improved pricing power and shared technology leading to greater efficiencies. It is pretty obvious that when there are fewer competitors in an industry that these competitors have greater pricing power. It is less likely that another company will come in and undercut a major player’s prices, and the major players know not to rock the boat by starting a price war.
The technology aspect is less apparent, although if you had followed the Shuanghui International takeover of Smithfield Foods last year you would realize that one of the driving factors behind the deal was Shuanghui’s demand for Smithfield Foods’ technological expertise. A lot of research goes into maximizing meat production relative to input costs. Hillshire Brands also has technology that augments output, and Pilgrim’s Pride wants that technology. The combination of the two companies’ technological capabilities should improve overall efficiency for the new company. This is probably why Pilgrim’s Pride is willing to pay 25-times Hillshire Brands’ trailing earnings, and it is also why the market is bidding up shares of the former company despite the fact that companies’ stocks usually fall on the announcement of a large takeover.
From an investment standpoint, I think there are still opportunities in these packaged foods companies. Clearly it is too late for Hillshire Brands, but investors might want to look at other options such as Tyson (NYSE:TSN), which is the largest American company in the sector. Shares of Tyson are up 19 percent already this year despite the fact that shares trade at just 13.7 times 2014 earnings estimates and despite the fact that analysts expect earnings to grow. While Tyson is probably not a takeover target it is the leader in the industry, and it should benefit as the number of large competitors declines.
Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) — maker of Spam — is another potential beneficiary. The stock is down recently after the company reported earnings that missed analyst expectations, but it is still showing impressive earnings growth in the low double digits. Not bad for a defensive stock. The shares trade at 21.3-times 2014 earnings expectations, but analysts expect the company to grow its income over the next couple of years.
Ultimately, the packaged food business is changing. With prices rising companies are forced to either pass these increases on to the consumer and risk losing out to competitors, or they have to find ways to increase efficiencies in order to maintain their profitability and to please their shareholders. While we will see price increases we are clearly seeing these companies take steps to improve efficiencies as well. This is ultimately good from an investment standpoint, and I think that investors can buy shares of the companies mentioned in this article on weakness.
Disclosure: Ben Kramer-Miller has no position in the stocks mentioned in this article.


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Dual-interface NFC tags connects smartphones to any device Product News 4/6/2013 Post a comment Inside Secure has released an innovative near field communication (NFC) tag that creates virtually limitless possibilities for interactions between NFC mobile devices like smartphones and a broad range of medical, communications, entertainment and other electronic devices.
Hypervisor boosts 'bring your own device' strategies Product News 4/6/2013 Post a comment Green Hills Software has launched a major new release of its INTEGRITY Multivisor to allow enterprise and government mobile device users and administrators to take advantage of off-the-shelf, BYOD mobile phones and tablets for both personal and business use.
Video codec hardware IP doubles performance Product News 4/6/2013 Post a comment Renesas Electronics announced a multi-format video codec hardware IP product that supports low-delay processing for automotive information terminals supporting High Definition Television (HDTV), mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and industrial equipment.
Chip suppliers target vehicle complexity News & Analysis 4/2/2013 3 comments Chip makers are hoping a new breed of microcontrollers will begin laying the foundation for a solution to one of the auto industry's most vexing design problems -- electronic complexity.
3-D IC stacks pushed back to 2015 News & Analysis 4/2/2013 6 comments Globalfoundries reports on a functioning 3-D wafer-level stack with through silicon vias as the industry pushes out plans for such products to 2015 or later.
As data rates begin to move beyond 25 Gbps channels, new problems arise. Getting to 50 Gbps channels might not be possible with the traditional NRZ (2-level) signaling. PAM4 lets data rates double with only a small increase in channel bandwidth by sending two bits per symbol. But, it brings new measurement and analysis problems. Signal integrity sage Ransom Stephens will explain how PAM4 differs from NRZ and what to expect in design, measurement, and signal analysis.
January 2016 Cartoon Caption ContestBob's punishment for missing his deadline was to be tied to his chair tantalizingly close to a disconnected cable, with one hand superglued to his desk and another to his chin, while the pages from his wall calendar were slowly torn away.122 comments


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Hertz is looking to speed up the car rental experience with facial recognition tech.
The agency has teamed up with airport security service CLEAR to let renters check out their cars with just a look.
CLEAR members who link the feature to their Hertz Gold Plus Rewards account can just pick up their car, drive to a kiosk, give it a stare or a smile and drive away.
The feature is launching at Hartsfeld-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where Hertz says it cuts the check-out time from 2 minutes to under 30 seconds.
Over 40 additional airport locations will be added next year.
As part of the partnership, Hertz is offering Gold Plus members a discounted CLEAR fee of $129 per year, which is $50 off the standard price.


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Why Peter Thiel's Philosophy on Hiring Is Hurting Silicon Valley In a talk at Columbia University, the PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist discussed why startups need to go 'beyond professionalism.' But that may be the problem.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
PayPal was started by two groups of friends. Max Levchin had attended a lecture by Peter Thiel at Stanford University in 1998, and the next morning pitched him his idea for a startup. Thiel was immediately onboard, so much so that he decided to join Levchin as a co-founder.
"It basically started by hiring all these people in concentric circles," Thiel told Fortune in 2007. "I hired friends from Stanford, and Max brought in people from the University of Illinois." According to the article, they were looking for guys with a specific set of criteria: competitive, well-read, multilingual, with a proficiency in math. Men, in other words, like Levchin and Thiel.
"The goal Max and I had when we started PayPal [was] we wanted to create a company where some incredibly strong friendships would be formed," Thiel recalled, speaking this past Wednesday at Columbia University to promote his new book Zero to One (Crown Business, 2014). "We didn't only hire our friends, but [the question] was: Could we be friends with these people?"
This mentality – hire people you'd want to grab a beer with after work– is now de rigueur in Silicon Valley, a place where company culture is often touted as the key to success. Last week The New York Times ran a feature on the rise of 'tryouts' in the startup world, wherein job candidates are required to work for a week or two on a trial basis so the company can determine whether or not they are a good 'cultural fit.' "Now we're at about 150 employees, and just about every single one of them has gone through a trial week," web-hosting startup Weebly's CEO, David Rusenko, told the outlet. "It's turned into a cornerstone of our culture."
On the surface, hiring for 'cultural fit' is pretty innocuous. Early-stage startup employees exist in tight proximity, and work long hours: getting along is essential, and the existence of a 'company culture' appears to help on this front.
And yet, if you pause to consider the term, it's dangerously slippery and hard to pinpoint. What does 'company culture' mean, exactly? In Silicon Valley and the tech space more generally, it appears to mean hiring a workforce that looks and acts eerily the same.
Diversity is often thought of in terms of gender and ethnicity, but it runs deeper than that. If companies only hire people with the same educational background, the same hobbies, or the same opinions on big issues, diversity is lost. The pervasive and often unquestioned idea that companies can and should hire for 'company culture' or, as Thiel advises, hire based on whether or not a candidate is 'friend-material,' is the enemy of diversity, both in terms of ethnicity and less tangible traits.
Thiel, for example, implied that he wouldn't really consider investing in a company whose founder strayed too far from typical 'startup' wardrobe. "I think that if you are pitching a startup in Silicon Valley and you're wearing a suit, it looks like you're bad at sales and worse at tech," he told the audience.
Evaluating candidates by whether or not their clothing fits into the standard Silicon Valley uniform or by how well they'd chum it up with the company's founders is exclusionary and leads to a homogenous workplace. (Research indicates that we tend to form friendships with individuals who remind us of ourselves, with whom we share similar experiences, hobbies, even clothing choices. For better or worse, this is human nature; it does not, however, make a solid hiring principle.)
Unfortunately, this tactic isn't often presented as discriminatory; instead, it's extolled by one of Silicon Valley's most prominent investors to a room full of aspiring student entrepreneurs.
In a recent essay for Quartz, former Facebook engineer Carlos Bueno, who noted he probably couldn't get hired today because he doesn't fit the 'startup guy' mold, said it best: "We've created a make-believe cult of objective meritocracy, a pseudo-scientific mythos to obscure and reinforce the belief that only people who look and talk like us are worth noticing."
Silicon Valley, you can do better.


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Nike Air Vapormax Chukka Slip Price
Some in Brazil argue it breaks an anti online harassment and hacking law in place since April. The law is named after Brazilian actress Carolina Dieckmann, who had nude photos of herself leaked by hackers in 2012 after she refused to pay about $5,000.
While cheating in Brazil cuts both ways, the app is clearly marketed to women suspicious of their male Nike Vapormax Jewel
National Security Agency's overseas spying operation, with data from billions of calls and emails swept up in Washington's top secret surveillance program.
Grijo said the app began as a joke between him and his girlfriend but the idea quickly caught on among their friends.
However, similar apps popular on Google Play market themselves to parents as a means of monitoring how teenage children use the phone and where they are at any given moment.
Critics say even as advertised, apps like Boyfriend Tracker can violate privacy rights, and they warn that in the wrong hands they could be used for more sinister purposes, like stalking. Nike Vapormax Anthracite
Grijo set up for the app.
'Boyfriend Tracker' app raises stir in Brazil
Grijo insists his lawyer vetted the app and determined it does not violate any Brazilian laws. Despite being removed by Google, Nike Air Vapormax Chukka Slip Price it is still available via direct download from his company's website.
A disclaimer on that website stipulates the app is for "social and recreational use" and absolves the developer of responsibility for any misuse. The first line of the download instructions says a woman installing the tracker on her boyfriend's phone should do so "with his consent."
To install Boyfriend Tracker, suspicious partners have to get their hands on their loved one's smartphones and upload the app. A free version leaves the app's icon visible on the target's phone, while a version that costs $2 a month masks the icon.
partners, right down to the name. Postings on the app's Facebook page exhort: "Girls, share this."
"It's a different type of spying," she said of comparisons to the NSA surveillance program. "You're checking up on somebody you know intimately, not some stranger."
"We are waiting for Google's position on the removal of 'Boyfriend Tracker' from Google Play, which we consider an error," read a posting on a Facebook page Nike Vapormax Blue Mens
He acknowledged that "of course some people are against it, but on balance the response from users has been positive." He said he's received messages of gratitude from around 50 people who used the app to ferret out their partners' infidelity.
Yet when it comes to the cloak and dagger effort of catching philandering lovers, all high tech weapons appear to be fair game at least to the tens of thousands of Brazilians who downloaded "Boyfriend Tracker" to their smartphones before the stealthy software was removed from the Google Play app store last week, apparently in response to complaints about privacy abuses and its potential to be used for extortion or even stalking.
Functions include sending the person doing the tracking updates on their partner's location and forwarding duplicates of text message traffic from the targeted phone. There is even a command that allows a user to force the target phone to silently call their own, like a pocket dial, so they can listen in on what the person is saying. leaders about the spy program that was revealed by Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who has been on the run since May and was recently granted asylum in Russia.
"Brazilians are a jealous people, what can I say? Of course it's going to be popular," said Marcia Almeida, a 47 year old woman in Rio whose marriage ended seven years ago in large part because of what she said was her husband's infidelity.
Matheus Grijo, a 24 year old Sao Paulo based developer behind Boyfriend Tracker, says it has attracted around 50,000 users since its launch about two months ago, most since the site began attracting media attention two weeks ago.
Google spokeswoman Gina Johnson said by email that as a policy the company doesn't comment on why apps are removed.
The app, called "Rastreador de Namorados" (Portuguese for Boyfriend Tracker), promises to act like a "private detective in your partner's pocket."
"In Brazil, we have this culture of switching partners really quickly, so this is a way of dealing with that," said Grijo. "People really appreciate having a tool to help them find out whether they're being cheated on."
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Nike Vapormax Chukka Slip


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Whyte & Mackay, the distiller of Scotland's best-selling whisky brand, has been sold for £595m to UB Group, the Indian conglomerate behind Kingfisher beer.
The deal provides a windfall for chief executive Vivian Imerman, who with relatives including his brother-in-law Robert Tchenguiz, the property entrepreneur, acquired the business for £200m six years ago with backing from West LB. The bank's interest was bought out four years later.
As well as dominating the beer trade in India, UB Group already has a 60% share of the subcontinent's spirits market, which is heavily protected from competition by federal and state import duties. Whyte & Mackay's brands include the Isle of Jura single malt and the low-priced Vladivar vodka brand as well as its eponymous mass market whisky. It sold 9m cases in the last 12 months.
Vijay Mallya, the boss of UB Group, which has annual sales of 66m cases, said: "Until today, the only missing link in our portfolio has been scotch and due to the shortages and rapidly increasing prices of Scotch, we needed a reliable supply source to secure our future."
Multinational drinks groups have stepped up investment in scotch as demand, particularly for top-priced blends, has risen in the Far East.
Diageo boss Paul Walsh, announcing a £100m investment programme, recently predicted: "India will be a huge scotch market and Johnnie Walker will be the scotch of choice."


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After closing last Thursday evening for the last time, the will officially reopen as GIANT at 8 a.m. Sunday. The store, which includes an expanded kosher selection according to GIANT, will host several small giveaways on Sunday.
GIANT Food Stores in January. The sale in mid-June, and shortly thereafter, GIANT .
"With the remodels, key departments such as produce, bakery, deli, meat and seafood have been updated to provide a clean look along with an improved infrastructure to bring added quality, selection and savings to customers," a GIANT press release states.
GIANT says it has dramatically increased the variety of the produce department. Additionally, more than 2,500 frozen, dairy, grocery, gluten-free, and special diet selections will be available, the release states.
The Wynnewood store will feature an expanded kosher selection as well, according to GIANT.
"The Wynnewood store, under the supervision of the Community Kashrus of Greater Philadelphia, features an expanded kosher grocery selection, with more than 1,000 new items in the meat, deli, seafood and bakery departments. Among the new items include Pareve birthday and special occasion cakes in the kosher bakery and kosher fried chicken for a meal ready option," the release states.
The Wynnewood store will also include a pharmacy.
The grand opening giveaways are as follows:
- The first 200 customers will receive a six-pack of GIANT brand English Muffins and a GIANT reusable shopping bag.
- The first 500 customers who check out will receive a free loaf of Sara Lee bread.
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Social networking ‘all about the mobile’ says Nielsen and NM Incite report
Consumers spend more time on social networks than on any other category of sites, with Facebook the most-visited social network in the U.S., according to Nielsen and NM Incite's most recent social media report.
State of the Media: The Social Media Report 2012, gave an insight into the growth of social networks and how people were accessing content.
The use of mobile devices to access social media has increased 63 per cent in 2012, compared to the same period the previous year, with the report stating that more people are using smartphones and tablets to use these sites.
"With more connectivity, consumers have more freedom to use social media wherever and whenever they want," the report stated.
Mobile apps are noted to have become particularly popular, with the amount of time spent on these increasing a whopping 120 per cent, compared to the modest increases of mobile web (22 per cent) and PC (4 per cent).
The use of apps is also said to account for more than a third of social networking time across mobile devices and PCs.
The report also looked at the top ranking social networks with Facebook clearly the leader, followed by other websites including Twitter, Blogger, WordPress, LinkedIn and Google Plus.
The most growth in 2012 was found to be in content sharing service Pinterest which grew its unique PC visitors and mobile app audiences by over 1,000 per cent, and its mobile web audience by over 4,000 per cent!
Pinterest was said to have had the "largest year-over-year increase in audience and time spent of any social network, across PC, mobile web and apps".
The U.S. Pinterest audience were largely female (over 70 per cent) with a majority belonging to the age groups of 25-34 and 35-49.
The insights provided by the report may be helpful to your company in reviewing your social media strategy, to help adjust to changes and trending practices.
Posted by April Revake.


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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released details of expected soybean production in 2018/19 and the potential for increased imports to Argentina in a recently released report.
Overall, soybean production in 2018/19 is predicted to fall slightly to 56m tons stemming from a drop in the total area planted, the agricultural attaché said.
Weather has caused some planting delays for the upcoming crop compared to progress in earlier years, he added.
“As of late November, about 30% of Argentine soybean area had been planted,” he said. “Sowing is advancing in the production regions of south Cordoba, north La Pampa, and west Buenos Aires provinces with local estimates indicating 5.3m hectares planted, so far.”
However, imports for 2017/18 were increased from the previous year stemming from a period of drought in the country, he said. The forecast for imports in 2018/19 also has seen an “upward revision.”
Crop production highlights
Planting pace for the upcoming soybean crop is expected to accelerate through December until it ends in January, the attaché said.
“Producers expect a return to normal or average conditions which will support higher yields,” he said. However, producers of the feed crop are expected to see challenges from growing input costs, which could lead to reduced yield, he added.
“Based on an estimated harvested area of 18.5m hectares, Post estimates an average yield recovery to 3.03 tons per hectare, resulting in production of 56 million tons,” the attaché said.
China, the US and trade details
Soybean producers also have been watching the state of trade relations between the US and China and the influence of that relationship on global soybean prices and trade, said the attaché.
“Producers and local soybean industry hope that the situation may deliver them higher premiums,” he said. “Based on the current imposition of Chinese tariffs on US soybeans, Argentine producers, which are currently benefiting from a divergence in US and Argentina soybean prices, expect to receive an additional USD $10bn in soybean export returns, given these ongoing conditions.”
Argentina also has been increasing its own imports of soybeans, as domestic supplies were reduced last year by dry weather conditions, he said.
By September, Argentina saw its imports increase 135% from the previous year to more than 3.5m tons of soybeans, he said. In total, the country may have imported up to 5.5m tons during the 2017/18 marketing year.
“US soybean exports to Argentina reached nearly 450,000 tons during this same period, with expectations of greater shipments to come in the next few months,” the attaché said. “According to USDA export sales data, US soybean exports to Argentina should reach about 1.5m tons within the next few months.”
From June through September of this year imported of US soybeans increased from about 55,000 tons to almost 250,000 tons a month, according to USDA information.
Total imports for both 2017/18 and 2018/19 marketing years have been increased, the attaché said. Import estimates have been raised to 5.3m tons and 4.5m tons, respectively.
Exports also are continuing to expand, he said. “Initially this shift in trade and production flows was the result of Argentina’s drought in early 2018, which forced processors to import higher volumes to maintain crush volumes,” he added.
There has been an increase in the export of whole soybeans, which has been reducing interest in domestic processing, he said.
“As a result, Argentina is importing soybeans for processing from Paraguay, the United States, Brazil, and Uruguay an effort to reach historic crush levels,” he added.
Expected crush amounts for 2017/18 were reduced down to 37.6m based on increased supply competition from exports, the attaché said.


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Wednesday, January 11, 2017
By HIROKO TABUCHI, JACK EWING AND MATT APUZZO
The employees charged in the government’s emissions fraud case include a former head of the company’s brand as well as the head of engine development.
By MAGGIE HABERMAN, JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS AND ERIC LIPTON
Mr. Trump will not divest himself of his vast business empire as he prepares to assume the presidency, top officials with his company said.
By JUSTIN WOLFERS
In a meeting in Chicago, a fear that their advice will be ignored — and that the new administration’s policies could court economic disast


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Sawdust has created a new masthead design and icon for tech publication Wired UK. The designs are used across social media channels, and work alongside, rather than instead of, the incumbent Wired logo.
“We approached our friends at Sawdust as we were looking to run the word ‘Wired’ or a W without necessarily using the logo,” says Wired creative director Andrew Diprose.
“This piece didn’t have to have the same legibility as our masthead does, rather it was to sit as an image in a place where some might run an photo or logo, such as on social media ‘buttons.’ We were looking for the word as an image, with the same modern, clever and aesthetic values as Wired has as a brand.”
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- Things: the inspiring post that got us through the long hot summer nights of August


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Charlotte champion Dave Jones hands off CEO title at Peak 10
Dave Jones, who helped build one of Charlotte’s most successful tech companies, stepped down as CEO of the Peak 10 data-center business. His successor, Chris Downie, had been CEO of New York-based Telx, a data-center company acquired last year by Digital Realty Inc.
Jones co-founded Peak 10 in 2000 after working for GTE, MCI and other telecommunications companies. Among his early backers was Frontier Capital, a Charlotte-based venture-capital company. Since then ownership has changed hands a couple times among private-equity groups, culminating in the $740 million purchase by San Francisco-based GI Partners in 2014.
Peak 10 pioneered the business of offering client companies the opportunity to put servers in remote, secure cites, often acting as a redundant system in case of problems at their main locations. It’s now a well-established practice, but Peak 10 faced initial skepticism because of concerns over safety and privacy. Jones recruited an energetic staff, including Jeff Spalding, Mark Gates, Pat O’Brien and others who built the company’s reputation from scratch. Peak 10 now operates in 10 markets. Since the GI purchase, the company has added several veteran industry executives to its senior management group.
“It is an honor to be handed the torch by Dave Jones, who will be a valued mentor and steward of the business for a long time to come,” Downie said in a statement.
Jones has also served as mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs in Charlotte, constantly promoting the city’s need to be more welcoming to tech companies. He’s been a reporter’s favorite because of his accessibility and refreshing candor. A University of Virginia graduate, he’s commuted to Charlotte for years from his home in Athens, Ga. Jones is also an avid cyclist and co-owner of a bicycle store in the Georgia city.