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Gaming is not mass market, though that could change one day. That's according to Electronic Arts chief creative officer Richard Hilleman, who told GamesIndustry International that television is the sector that drives the most demand.
"We have to make sure that game companies know what a mass market really is. We're not one yet," Hilleman said. "The closest thing we've had to a mass market, frankly, has been the social and mobile spaces."
"From my perspective, television is the mass market and we're the fringe," he added. "The challenge in front of us is does the customer think about it that way? Do they see us as so distinct we can't merge those two experiences?"
Hilleman explained that the game industry has a few lessons to learn about communicating with large audiences, the first of which is to steer clear of segmenting games into groups that are "too small to be relevant." Doing so puts companies at risk of losing player attention, he argued.
The connected TV experience is appealing to EA because of its mass market opportunities, Hilleman said. The TV is where gamers go when they put down their mobile devices, he said, making the platform an attractive business opportunity for the company.


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Denmark-based A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) has opened its first cold store facility in the UAE.
The 13,000-square metre cold store is located in Dubai Industrial City, a press statement from the business district said.
“The demand for perishables that require cold storage is rising in the UAE owing to the growing population and robust tourism resulting in increased demand for speciality foods without compromising the integrity of the product,” said Christopher Cook, Managing Director, Maersk UAE, Oman and Qatar.
With 12,500-pallet position space at the new cold store facility, Maersk aims to foray into the large and growing demand for frozen, chilled, and ambient storage in the UAE, the statement said.
Maersk will offer 24×7 B2B and B2C fulfilment operations, e-commerce solutions to retailers/distributors and FMCG brands, and value-added services such as co-packing, labelling, and repacking, cross-docking and last-mile delivery to retail outlets.

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The Dawn of Food Safety is Upon Us [Opinion]
One of the first things I worked on as an editor for American Fruit Grower® and Western Fruit Grower® was a piece on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). That’s right. The newest editor on the block got to work a piece about making sense of the complicated overhaul of the national food safety program.
And it’s no less complicated now that it’s finally being implemented. Although FSMA was passed in January 2011, there are still many uncertainties. Terms like “broad” or “sweeping” were used to describe the piece of legislation.
One thing I quickly learned is many of those tasked with enforcing the new rules had a difficult time nailing down exactly how they should work. Wording was vague and interpreting the rules could go many different ways.
For example, I struggled to understand why apples, peaches, etc., were considered the same as cantaloupe or cucumbers. Many growers still do.
But as the first of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule enforcement deadlines has come and gone—Jan. 28 for large farms with more than $500,000 in revenue — it’s a good time to start looking ahead to the future of enforcement.
While there’s still a lot to be seen as how enforcement is handled, there are a lot of bright minds interpreting how these rules and regulations will be applied.
Jim Gorny recently left the Produce Marketing Association to return to the FDA, where he’s going to work with experts to help implement the science and risk-based requirements of FSMA. It’s a good sign that implementation may come with some understanding of the inherent risks of farming. He recently spoke3 about his new role and how his experience will be beneficial.
“I saw first-hand how hard people are working in the produce industry to understand the new requirements and be prepared to meet them. We’re all in this together,” he says. “FDA has created a good framework to implement the Produce Safety Rule. Has every question about how it should work in practice been answered yet? No. Part of the challenge for FDA is that there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to produce safety, and applying a flexible approach to implementation takes time.”
Gorny says the priority of the FDA is to release guidance documents to provide clarity for growers who are preparing for compliance. He also says it’s important for the FDA to ensure imported produce will meet the same stringent requirements that domestic produce will.
Apples were in the news not too long ago for possible listeria contamination, and a bright spot in all of this is most of you have a food safety plan. And, apples did not remain in the news as a food safety risk, in part due to transparency of the packer and quick action.
And with more FSMA enforcement dates on the horizon, now is a good time to participate in On-Farm Readiness Reviews to make sure your practices are in compliance. It’s also a good time to check in with organizations to see how you can help bring your voice to the table on implementation. Last fall the FDA sought input on the agriculture water components of FSMA, and many organizations offered suggestions of constructive comments to help these rule makers understand the nuances of farming.
Food safety isn’t going anywhere, so it’s time to get prepared.


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For years, Matt Stinchfield brewed over an idea — literally.
After spending 30 years working on environmental cleanup projects in Nevada and a few other states, the Vermont native was ready to take his chemistry background in a different direction.
Stinchfield moved to Nebraska in 2010 after visiting the state a few years earlier and falling in love with the people and atmosphere.
“For 30 years I lived in places that were opportunity-based. Nebraska is more about quality of life,” he said. “It’s on the sign, ‘The Good Life,’ and it’s really true.”
Stinchfield is an avid craft brewer. He’s brewed beer in his garage for 15 years and has judged the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival. However, it wasn’t until Stinchfield’s girlfriend put his love of making beer into words that he realized just how much he valued his hobby.
“She said, ‘You always smile when you make beer. You should make beer for people,’ ” said Stinchfield, who remembers that phrase stopping him in his tracks.
It seemed a bit silly, he said, but then he started doing some research.
He discovered that Nebraska is the eighth-thirstiest state per capita in the U.S., and a typical Nebraskan’s drink of choice is beer.
Bingo, he thought.
Soon he was in the thick of writing his business plan for Ploughshare Brewing Company.
With seven signature brews, Stinchfield feels his brewery matches the Nebraska palate and appeals to a wide variety of beer drinkers. Ploughshare will also carry seasonal brews in addition to signature brews.
Then it was time to fund his business.
Stinchfield spent eight months raising the initial funding for his unique brewery and finding the right investors who believed in his concept as much as he did.
“Matt is surely an amazing entrepreneur and he really understands beer, both the art and science of it,” said Long, who is the co-founder of The Big Plate, a Lincoln project that helps the startup community. “There are a lot of people who start breweries and they start in their garages and some of them succeed and some of them fail. What they need to understand is the business side of brewing and Matt understands that.”
Long and Stinchfield quickly bonded over their mutual love of beer and startups, and the two talked for hours about the connections between tech startups and breweries.
Many tech startups function in a way that small breweries would do well to learn from, Long said. Whether it’s working to understand their customers, operating in a lean manner, innovating and even understanding pricing, tech startups keep all these elements in mind and Long encouraged brewers to do the same.
“It’s critical for the microbreweries to understand they need to put a story with their brand,” Long said. “Your label with get them to try it (your beer) once, but your story will get them to try it again.”
Ploughshare’s story is constantly on Stinchfield’s mind.
He wants it to be a place where people stop in for a drink or a good plate of food to compliment their beer.
He wants it to be marked with an “old-timey” feel that’s seen in the repurposed barn wood that’s part of the decor.
He wants it to be marked by genuine customer service.
What he really wants, is for his brewery to be a place where people want to hang out.
Stinchfield hopes his brewery, which is located at 16th and P streets, will create a unique atmosphere among the slew of bars in the area.
“You can go in there and you might have to have a conversation with the person you’re sitting by,” he said. “We want Ploughshare to have a loving vibe — you should go there and feel safe and well-fed and have your thirst quenched.”
There will be no TVs, Stinchfield said, just tables, chairs and an attentive staff. He wants to attract customers with the lure of a relaxing atmosphere and quality beer that’s crafted in a custom built brewing system from Canada.
Stinchfield explained that to make the kind of authentic beer he desired, he needed to use an old-world process that typically requires three different brewing systems. Instead, he has found a way to build one system that can accomplish all three processes in one machine — what Stinchfield calls “modern equipment with an old-world process.”
The system will take eight months to build to Stinchfield’s specifications, and it won’t be brewing any beer until this fall. However, Stinchfield said he’s still looking forward to opening Ploughshare in April.
He plans to serve craft beer from other local breweries for the two soft openings until he’s ready to showcase Ploughshare’s craft brews at its grand opening in the fall.
The sporadic openings weren’t part of his original plan, but that’s part of starting a business, he said.
“The hardest part are the things that you don’t have control over,” he said. “(But) we’re not interested in shortcuts.”
Stinchfield said it wasn’t easy to raise $500,000 to start Ploughshare. It wasn’t easy to find a home for his brewery, sign a lease or conceptualize the hand-crafted brewing system. But starting a business isn’t supposed to be easy.
“I think that Lincoln is in for a big surprise with Ploughshare. I’ve met very few people where the founder is so good at all facets of business,” Long said. “I’m just amazed at what Matt is bringing to Lincoln and I hope the community can get in there and support him.”


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Ticketmaster, a ticket sales and distribution company, has reworded its refund policy in light of the current Covid-19 crisis, and fans are outraged.
Thousands of live events have been canceled or postposed due to the novel coronavirus, causing many of those who purchased tickets to said events to seek refunds. But, it appears that Ticketmaster quietly changed their policy to only allow refunds for canceled events, not postponed or rescheduled events.
The New York Times captured images on Ticketmaster’s website that show the change that took place sometime after March 13. The original post read that refunds “are available if your event is postponed, rescheduled or canceled.” The page has been edited to say that refunds “are available if your event is canceled.”
Ticketmaster issued a statement to USA TODAY that claimed the company’s policy has stayed the same, but the wording was edited for clarity. The statement also said that the refund policy for postponed events has always been set by event organizers…not by Ticketmaster. The company said it is “focused on supporting event organizers in determining new dates and refund policies” in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, while rescheduling thousands of events.
As news of Ticketmaster’s policy change spread on social media, hundreds of angry fans voiced their frustration.
— Chris Ward (@cwardnet) April 14, 2020
BOYCOTT @TICKETMASTER!!! #BoycottTicketMaster!! They think that they can use this tragedy to make a quick unearned dollar from US? Ain't happening any longer. LIVE MUSIC SHOULD NOT BE HELD CAPTIVE TO A #MEGACORPORATION EVER AGAIN!!!
Let's get it trending!! #BOYCOTTTICKETMASTER
— Once #BlueNoMatterWho; Now #NEVERBLUE!! (@ezra_reis) April 14, 2020
@jaredtsmith I’m very disappointed with your decision on not allowing us to get refunds for shows. This will be the last time I use Ticketmaster.#EnjoyTheShow #QuaratineLife #firefighter #frontlineworker #ticketmasterrefund
— Fishing4Bitcoin Ⓥ (@Fishing4Bitcoin) April 14, 2020
If you are one of the thousands affected by event cancelations and purchased your tickets through Ticketmaster, the company states that you will automatically receive a refund to the card you purchased your ticket with (minus mailing fees) within to 10 business day.
If you purchased tickets for a postponed event, you will have to be patient. Ticketmaster will reach out to you when the event has been rescheduled. If the new date doesn’t fit your schedule, you may be due a refund if approved “by the artist, team, venue, or promoter.” Click here for more info.


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Strong Xmas sales of PCs and printers have seen a 25% rise in the profits of Hewlett-Packard (HP). Its net profit for the three months to 31 January totalled $2.32bn (£1.48bn), compared to $1.86bn for the same first quarter period a year earlier. Revenues were up 8% to $31.2bn, higher than market predictions. The company has subsequently raised its profit prediction for its current financial years, from its previous estimate of between $4.25 and $4.35 per share to $4.37 to $4.44.
The figures were read positively by analysts for the computer industry. “We’re seeing it right now in the numbers here,” said computer analyst Louis Miscioscia of Collins Stewart. “I think 2010 is going to be a good year for tech.”
Not, perhaps, for 6,700 ex-HP employees who lost their jobs last year in cost-cutting measures to strengthen the company’s profitability.
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The movie Blood Diamond is almost a decade old, and if you remember it, you know it was a gruesome portrayal of violence in the diamond trade during the Sierra Leone civil war. It also starred Leonardo DiCaprio, who played one of the diamond smugglers. Now, we’ve now learned that the award-winning actor and environmentalist has invested in a Santa Clara-based startup called Diamond Foundry, which says it can grow real diamonds in just a matter of weeks, offering an alternative to draw business away from the brutal conflicts that make warlords rich.
DiCaprio isn’t the only big investor in the startup. Reportedly, 10 billionaires have also recently backed the diamond maker. It might sound insane to think you can “grow” hundreds of diamonds in two weeks, weighing up to nine carats each, but that’s exactly what Diamond Foundry is promising. They grow “real” diamonds in a lab. Unlike synthetic diamonds, these would be created from ‘seeds’ consisting of a sliver of a natural, mined diamond. From there, the process is pretty similar to the ones used to make synthetic diamonds. The diamonds are grown layer-by-layer from a superheated plasma in chemical reactors that can reach more than 14,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is about 2.5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Related: Recycled diamonds provide an ethical choice for glittering milestone gifts
The jewelry market can be tough for consumers to navigate, especially if don’t want your gem’s origins keeping you up at night with guilt. Lab-grown or “ethical” diamonds aren’t new, but most are synthetic because they do not use a genuine diamond at the start. Synthetic or “cultured” diamonds emerged in the late 1800s, intended to be a lower cost alternative to genuine diamonds, and the products gained popularity in more recent years as media has helped educate people about the brutal violence within the diamond industry.
Diamond Foundry has spent more than two years developing its technique for diamond growing, and the company has reportedly raised less than $100 million to date after three rounds of financing. The startup publicly launched on November 11, and has created a marketplace with about 200 partnering designers who will take the diamonds and turn them into wearable jewelry. Since they are making ‘real’ diamonds, rather than the synthetic variety which tends to go for about 30 percent less than the cost of genuine diamonds, Diamond Foundry says its wares will cost the same, if not more, than their mined counterpart. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Via Business Insider
Lead image via Shutterstock, images via Diamond Foundry


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While some specific mobile app genres had better results than others, mobile made an overall comeback in 2023 after a one-year market slowdown.
According to a new report by mobile analytics company data.ai, consumer spending grew 3% year-over-year on average thai year, while the influence of AI flourished, the amount of time spent on mobile apps increased by 6% compared to 2022, and ad spend is set to climb due to the popularity of video-sharing apps.
Data.ai’s findings show social apps and the creator economy carving new avenues for monetization beyond advertising, with TikTok becoming the first non-gaming app to hit $10 billion in consumer spending due to its coins tipping feature.
In the U.S. TikTok now earns more than $1 per user, up from 67 cents per user in 2022. Discord came in second at 17 cents per user.
In 2024, data.ai predicts that direct consumer monetization in social apps is set to grow 150% to $1.3 billion as platforms start to prioritize in-app-purchases rather than subscription services. However, Snapchat increased its consumer spend 5x because of Snapchat+ subscribers.>
Engagement was more mixed across social media apps, but it did increase on Android phones, climbing 9% in 2023 to over 2.3 trillion hours.
For mobile gaming apps, downloads remained consistent, but in-game spending decreased to $107 billion, down 2% year-over-year.
Casino games proved to be the leading genre in the U.S., with strategy and multiplayer RPG games like Battle Royale and MMORPG now taking more of the market share, indicating a desire for connection and social experiences in the mobile gaming world.<p">Because “mobile phones are powerful enough to stand up to the ‘core’ game experience and enable cross-platform play,” the report suggests, “connected games are the biggest driver of overall consumer spend in games and we predict will be a key area of growth in 2024 and beyond.”
Artificial intelligence was also a star of 2023, serving as the foundation for all mobile apps, “permeating every sector and paving the way for a fresh wave of digital innovation,” says data.ai CEO Theodore Krantz.
Generative AI expanded by 7x in 2023, leading to the emergence of new sectors like AI chatbots and art generators, while also fueling embedded features across all mobile sectors. Notable apps that pioneered advances in AI include ChatGPT, Ask AI, and Open Chat.
Krantz believes TikTok’s use of AI will secure the China-owned app a spot as “the highest-grossing app in history.”
With consumers spending more time than they ever have on mobile apps, data.ai predicts mobile will continue to take a larger share of marketer’s ad spend, reaching $362 billion –– an 8% increase –– in 2024.
With 5.1 trillion hours spent on Android phones in 2022 and video-centric apps like YouTube and TikTok continuing to gain more consumer attention by average time spent per user than other social networks, data.ai says that “ad spend growth will bounce back a bit from the slower growth in 2023.”


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Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts plans major growth in Vietnam
9 July 2019
Asian hospitality company Centara Hotels & Resorts, part of Thai conglomerate Central Group, is looking to open at least 20 new hotels across Vietnam in the next five years.
Targeted destinations for the company include key economic hubs like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Haiphong, as well as high-growth areas like Danang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Cam Ranh and Hoi An. The company also sees “strong potential” in the southern coastal areas of Vung Tau, Ho Tram and Mui Ne due to new road infrastructure connecting the region with Ho Chi Minh City and the development of a major airport in nearby Dong Nai province.
Centara already is represented in Vietnam by the Centara Sandy Beach Resort Danang, and Central Group operates a range of retail brands across the country.
“Vietnam’s tourism industry enjoyed a great year in 2018 and we expect this to continue for many years to come,” said Centara CEO Thirayuth Chirathivat. “Boosted by booming intra-Asian travel, more relaxed visa policies and impressive improvements to transport infrastructure, the country is already well on track toward another record-breaking tourism year in 2019.”
International visitor arrivals to Vietnam reached a record total of 15.5 million in 2018, the majority of which came from Asia, and this surge is continuing. According to data from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, almost 6 million overseas travelers visited the country in the first four months of this year, and a buoyant economy is boosting domestic tourism, it reported.
Positive tourism trends are driving demand for new hotels and resorts and recent data from industry analysts STR shows more than 23,000 hotel rooms currently sate under construction in Vietnam.
Centara’s focus on Vietnam will form an important part of its global strategic vision, which includes the overall goal of doubling its total hotel portfolio by 2022, according to the company. It currently has 71 hotels and resorts with more than 13,000 rooms either operating or in the pipeline across Southeast Asia (including Thailand, Laos and Vietnam), the Middle East, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
The company recently added a new destination to its collection with the launch of the new-build Centara Sonrisa Residences & Suites Sriracha, owned by Smile Condo. The 145-room property, located 90 minutes from Bangkok along the coast of Thailand’s eastern seaboard in Chonburi Province, is the first Centara hotel in the town of Sriracha.
In May, the company announced plans to make its debut in Myanmar, renovating three hotels and building another three in the country.
In late 2018, Centara signed management agreements with Asia Investment, Development & Construction Sole for three new properties in Laos slated to open in 2020 with a combined total of 216 guestrooms.


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Asian credit market looks forward with confidence post the pandemic, however, due to the Ukraine and Russian wars, there is a huge deal of volatility in the market which might impact the credit ecosystem. The conflict is a major blow to the global economy that will hurt growth and raise prices.
Impacts will flow through three main channels. One, higher prices for commodities like food and energy will push up inflation further, in turn eroding the value of incomes and weighing on demand. Two, neighbouring economies in particular will grapple with disrupted trade, supply chains, and remittances. Three, reduced business confidence and higher investor uncertainty will weigh on asset prices, tightening financial conditions and potentially spurring capital outflows from emerging markets.
Asia and the Pacific
Spill overs from Russia are likely limited, but slower growth in Europe and the global economy will take a heavy toll on major exporters.
The biggest effects on current accounts will be in the petroleum importers of ASEAN economies, India, and frontier economies including some Pacific Islands. This could be amplified by declining tourism for nations reliant on Russian visits.
For China, immediate effects should be smaller because fiscal stimulus will support this year’s 5.5 percent growth goal and Russia buys a relatively small amount of its exports. Still, commodity prices and weakening demand in big export markets add to challenges.
While some effects may not fully come into focus for many years, there are already clear signs that the war and resulting jump in costs for essential commodities will make it harder for policymakers in some countries to strike the delicate balance between containing inflation and supporting the economic recovery from the pandemic.
Emerging Market Trends
This is one of the most important reasons why everyone in the credit field is being careful and taking the necessary steps accordingly. However, on the innovation front, digital ecosystems have taken the market by hit and everything is now online post the pandemic. This has fuelled the consumer market growth. The development of fintech apps is a one stop shop for a range of financial services in the credit market expansion.
While super-apps in the financial sector first emerged in China, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam are currently home to some of the leading supper app players in the region. Banks in the regions are increasingly integrating embedded finance plays and banking-as-a-service platforms as they seek to strengthen their competitive edge in the credit market. Some of the major banks in India have already integrated their basic banking services on Whatsapp, thereby targeting more than one million users since its launch.
One of the biggest trends in the Asia credit market is the proliferation of e-wallet providers, credit card providers, and technology companies. The new entrants to the credit market are increasingly offering unique solutions that have enhanced access to loans and capital.
The Philippines’ credit rating is unlikely to be downgraded because the country’s debt, which has risen to 12 trillion pesos ($232 billion), remains manageable, central bank Governor Benjamin Diokno said. The 2020 e-Conomy report showed Indonesia posted a 44 percent on-year increase in the use of selected mobile banking apps for the January-to-September 2021 period.
However, the positive things happening are lifetime value. Kolonas said her platform targets first-time investors, with more than 80 percent of its users under the age of 30. The retention of users is really off the charts. So, once you really get a user onto your platform, the lifetime value is actually almost endless, she said.
Super app integration: Pluang has been integrated into Indonesian superapps, including ride-hailing player Gojek, payments company DANA, and e-commerce players Tokopedia and Bukalapak, which makes it more visible to a wider base of potential users. This shows that the financial inclusion part which used to be less has improved time and again.
Vietnam’s consumer credit market size is nearly 50 billion USD last year, and it is expected to experience continuous growth in the near future. Leading the market is FE Credit. After 10 years of operation, this credit institution gained a 52% market share in 2019, outstripping its two competitors, Home Credit (17%) and HD Saison (11%).
FE Credit informed that it has served 10 million customers and cooperated with more than 9,000 partners in more than 13,000 points of sale nationwide. Currently, this business has more than 4 million accounts using consumer credit services regularly. According to economic experts, there is still so much room for the development of Vietnam’s consumer credit market in the coming time. Therefore, in recent years, foreign capital flows from leading financial groups in the region have continuously poured in to reshape this potential market.
The booming economy in Indonesia has carved a clear path to leverage FinTech start ups and fintech in Indonesia became one of the most promising industries. The booming economy in Indonesia has carved a clear path to leverage FinTech startups and fintech in Indonesia became one of the most promising industries. There are several reasons for this being a boon. The following include: Customer’s behavior, Lower fees (To reach the under-served segments and provide everyone lower transaction fees, government enhance the access to financial services), Cash to Cashless.
In Indonesia, there are a lot of exciting trends driven by payment gateway providers such as DOKU, Midtrans, and Xendit, with hundreds of other FinTech innovations on the rise. The credit card as a preferred payment, for example, it is convenient because there is no need for consumers to search for an ATM or to have some cash on hand. A credit card is also a great way for record-keeping with regular transaction statements for expenses and spending tracking.
With the increasing use of e-money products, the volume of bank transfer and online transactions is growing in Indonesia, even though the preferred payment method is still cash. The growth has shown no signs of slowing with FinTech startups around the world, including Indonesia pushing for a cashless society.
Analysts said that the delinquency rates, though higher than last year, are still within limits. “Within unsecured, stressed loans are high in micro finance, followed by personal loans and credit cards. But there are no alarm bells as yet because it is still within range. In the secured category too the delinquencies are pretty benign. Moreover, most banks are sitting on excess provisions which can be used in case of any uptick,” said Manish Ostwal, analyst at Nirmal Bang securities. Cibil also said credit performance of banks has been stable through 2021.
While public sector banks led the resurgence in credit growth, Private and NBFCs have scaled significantly through the second half of calendar year 2021, according to credit market. The credit market indicator (CMI) a benchmark for gauging credit health of retail loans – by lender category reflects rapid scaling of growth in demand as well as supply by Private Banks and NBFCs, Transunion Cibil said. The BNPL sector is doing equally well and increasing its operations in the country with each new player being added.


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Today at a special Windows Mixed Reality event in San Francisco, Samsung announced their new headset, the Odyssey. The headset will retail for $499 and will start shipping on November 6th. Pre-Orders however have begun at the Microsoft Store.
The Odyssey will have built-in AKG headphones that will over spatial audio and has dual array microphones. The OLED screen in the headset will render at 2880 x 1600 at 90Hz. This is by far the highest resolution of the other Windows Mixed Reality headsets that are on the market. It will also have 110° of viewing angle. Motion controllers are also included with the headset.


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With another Apple keynote right around the corner, let’s take a look back at the hijinks from past keynote events.
On Shark Tank, Kevin O’Leary means business. Here’s what you need to know about the entrepreneur’s beginnings, family life and success story.
A new video has appeared online showing the evolution that the Apple logo has had since 1976. Watch the video here.
The first ever iPhone keynote has been posted online. Watch Steve Jobs and former Apple employee Eric Schmidt introduce the popular smartphone in this video.
The third-richest man in the world had some harsh words for both of these companies during a televised interview with CBS’ Charlie Rose.
Former Washington D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty is the new reported love interest of the widow of Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs.
Check out the second official teaser for Ashton Kutcher’s biopic, jOBS.
Check out the latest Breaking Bad parody of Steve Jobs pulling a Walter White.
The online auction for 10 Apple relics has officially closed, and the final tallies for the devices, like the Apple-1, have arrived. Here are photos of what was sold and for how much.


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Uh-Oh. Looks like there is some drama going down over Plants Vs. Zombies 2. The title was released for iOS devices back in August and is expected to make its way onto Android but we haven’t had a date. And now according to Frank Gibeau, the head of EA Labels, Apple allegedly paid the company to hold off on releasing the Android version of the game.
This news comes from some sources at Giant Bomb. Gibeau was quoted as saying that Apple gave them a “truckload” of money to delay the release of the Android version of the game. How much cash that equals is unclear. We also don’t know how long of a delay there was supposed to be.
Apple denies paying EA off. Of course! Take it with a grain of salt for now, but I would like to get some more details. Maybe it was a marketing agreement that got misinterpreted?


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Thursday, September 20, 2007
ON Networks Trials Content-Based Ads
Austin, Texas-based ON Networks Inc., a distributor of original, high-definition video programming, reported today that several advertising agencies have joined its partner program for testing new forms of content-based advertising. Among those are Carmichael Lynch, TPN, GSD&M's Idea City, Critical Mass and SicolaMartin, ON Networks said. The company explained that its advertising model employs a novel concept whereby advertisements are attached to its shows. As a result, the ads remain with the programming regardless of where or how it is displayed. ON Networks said Carmichael Lynch will be one of the first agencies to begin advertising as it trials a Jack Link's Beef Jerky campaign later this month during the show “Stump the Chef.” ON Networks is a privately held company backed by Austin Ventures and AT&T.


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London's Financial Times reported today that four bidders have submitted "final offers" for GE Plastics, valuing the Pittsfield, Mass.-based engineering thermoplastic supplier at up to $12 billion. According to the report, the bidders are Saudi Basic Industries Corp., Koch Industries (possibly working with private equity firm Blackstone), private equity firm Apollo, and polypropylene maker Basell.
A decision on the sale, part of GE's strategy of divesting commodity businesses to focus on higher-growth industries is due in the next two weeks. GE declined to comment.The potential buyers are the same ones that have been mentioned for several months (although India's Reliance seems to have dropped out, or perhaps was never a serious candidate). If the $12 billion figure is accurate, then it looks like this sale will exceed General Electric's expectations.


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Although Peacock products have been sold overseas in the past through limited-time promotions, this is the first time that it has been officially delivered as a brand to overseas retail chains.
|Peacock products are on display at a Market Place by Jasons outlet at the K11 mall in the Tsim Sha Tsui district, Hong Kong. (E-mart)|
The company inked an agreement with Hong Kong supermarket chain Welcome in March to begin exporting Peacock products to 57 Welcome supermarkets starting Friday.
The Peacock lineup in Welcome stores will include 107 ready-to-cook and ready-to-heat Korean dishes such as kimchijjigae (kimchi stew) and samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup).
According to E-mart, the company hopes to reach 600 million won ($530,000) in export sales to Hong Kong this year, and 4 billion won next year.
E-mart also plans to bring its No Brand and E-brand lines to all of Welcome’s 338 stores in Hong Kong and Macau starting in October.
In the United States, Peacock will sell its products under the brand “Emart PK,” which will be produced locally through an original equipment manufacturing company in the US.
Emart PK products will be sold in approximately 1,000 supermarkets in central and eastern US starting Monday, and will expand to 600-700 additional stores in western US next month.
By Won Ho-jung (firstname.lastname@example.org)


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Cooking has changed during the coronavirus pandemic. Maybe you’re doing more of it than ever in an effort to stay home. Maybe limited supplies of staple items led to creative twists on beloved recipes. Maybe you decided to get really ambitious early on, like the rest of the country, and bake your own bread.
But perhaps no cooking venture has been as innovative as the one undertaken by Jago Randles, a 23-year-old chef from England who traveled to Canada to work in Whistler, British Columbia. The country has strict coronavirus regulations: Any traveler entering the country has to quarantine for two weeks in a hotel.
While quarantining, Randles got hungry — and “Isolation Kitchen,” a series of viral videos first reported on by the Washington Post, was born.
“I was in the hotel room and I thought, ‘What if I could try cooking bacon on the iron?’ because I wanted a bacon sandwich,” he told TODAY Food. He had an easy enough time making the bacon, and when he shared the video with friends, they encouraged him to post the video on TikTok.
Now, the videos he posts garner millions of views and thousands of comments. Gordon Ramsay even duetted one of his videos, where Randles cooks a chicken cutlet on the clothes iron, an egg on the coffeemaker’s heating plate and asparagus in the brew basket. Ramsay comments about the need for “salt, salt, salt,” but overall, says, “That looks like some decent food. Certainly some of the best food I’ve seen in any hotel.”
The meals have also gotten increasingly elaborate: One video shows Randles making an elaborate crème brûlée in the room’s Hamilton Beach coffeepot; another shows him using the iron to sear a piece of fresh salmon.
One of his most complicated meals relies on the room’s coffeepot to cook a sous vide bacon-wrapped chicken with mushroom cream sauce and vegetables. The coffeepot itself doubles as a pot, while the brew basket is used to steam potatoes and broccoli. Randles said he thought of that video as the “best one” he recorded.
“Anything where I was cooking actually using the coffeepot (as a pan) on top of the iron did take quite a long time, especially if I was reducing anything like the wine in the mushroom cream sauce,” he explained, referring to a cooking technique where liquid is simmered or boiled to a certain consistency. “It definitely takes a lot longer to reduce something on top of an iron in a coffee pot than it would in a normal pan.”
While Randles stuck to using the coffeepot and iron as his main cooking tools, his background as a chef meant that he had more tools than the average traveler might.
“I have a huge bag of knives and spatulas and cutting rings, everything you can see in the videos,” he said. “People might be like, ‘OK, why would you have that in a hotel room with you? That is why.”
Randles shared about a dozen videos during his time in isolation, but despite leaving the hotel a few days ago, he plans to keep up with the videos.
“I’ve actually just bought myself an iron and an ironing board,” he said.
While some comments in his videos criticized him for using the hotel appliances, saying that they might not be properly cleaned before the next guests arrive, Randles said that he never heard from the hotel about his activities.
“They’ve not said anything to me, and I made sure to leave no trace in the room,” he said. “I’ve had my deposit back; I’m not sure if they’re aware of the videos yet!”
When asked what exactly had spurred the idea, Randles blamed the boredom of isolation.
“I was in a hotel room for two weeks with not an awful lot to do,” he said. “A lot of the time I would be either just wanting to eat or be thinking about what food I could cook next and what I could cook well on an iron, because I didn’t have an awful lot else to do other than watch TV. It kept me quite entertained, to be honest.”


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SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) ? Chip maker Maxim Integrated Products Inc. said Thursday that its profit declined 20 percent in its fiscal second quarter, hurt by weaker sales as customers continued to reduce inventory.
Bookings began to pick up last month, however, so management forecast revenue will return to normal trends in the March quarter.
The company reported net income of $88.1 million, or 29 cents a share, for the three months ended Dec. 31. That compares with net income of $109.6 million, or 36 cents a share, in the comparable period last year.
Excluding the restructuring, severance and other special items, Maxim earned 34 cents a share.
On that basis, the company edged out analysts’ consensus forecast of 33 cents a share.
Revenue fell 7 percent to $591.4 million from $612.9 million a year earlier. Analysts were looking for $597.2 million.
CEO Tunc Doluca said in a statement that its customers maintained a cautious outlook during the quarter and kept reducing inventory, particularly in the distribution channel.
The company’s backlog at the start of the current quarter was $365 million. Based on that, Maxim anticipates its fiscal third-quarter earnings per share will range from 25 cents to 29 cents, excluding special items. It expects revenue will range from $555 million to $585 million.
Analysts are anticipating adjusted earnings of 33 cents a share on $583.7 million in revenue.
Maxim also said in its report that it will pay a dividend of 22 cents a share on March 7 to shareholders of record as of Feb. 22.
Shares ended regular trading down 19 cents at $27.37. The stock fell another 92 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $26.45 in aftermarket trading.


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Scribd launches in Australia
US-based reading subscription service Scribd has launched in Australia.
The platform, which charges $13.99 per month for unlimited access, offers access to two million ebooks and over a million audiobook titles at launch, as well as journal articles, magazines and sheet music, among other materials.
Local publishers with titles on Scribd at launch are Allen & Unwin, Murdoch Books, Simon & Schuster Australia, HarperCollins Australia and Fremantle Press.
Scribd said it has ‘localised the product experience’ for Australia, with editorial recommendations and curated reading lists for Australian audiences. The company is also investing in local advertising. It did not disclose how much authors with participating books receive from the platform, stating that the company has unique deals with partners and can’t share the terms.
Scribd vice president of content, acquisition and strategy Andrew Weinstein said: ‘We’re thrilled to be shining a light on great Australian authors and content.’
‘Scribd has a long history of building relationships with publishers, and we’re committed to helping drive incremental revenue to the local publishing ecosystem,’ Weinstein said. ‘We know reading ranks among the top three leisure activities in Australia and we look forward to helping nurture this love of reading.’
Scribd has more than 100 million readers worldwide, and recenty launched in Mexico.
Category: Local news


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Squawk Box Europe Express
Squawk Box anchors discuss the UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to seek another Brexit extension from the EU as she announces plans to reach across the aisle and hold compromise talks with Labour. Meanwhile, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager tells CNBC exclusively that a delay to Brexit is not something to be feared. Asian stocks surge to a fresh seven-month high on hopes of a US-China trade deal. Beijing’s chief trade negotiator Liu He is due in Washington for the next round of talks. And in an exclusive interview with CNBC, the IMF’s managing director Christine Lagarde says that despite global growth slowing, a rebound is due later this year.


text: Cecile Bonnefond may be the head of champagne maker Veuve Clicquot but she does not fit the criteria to enter her own company's annual award for businesswomen. To do this, a woman has to either have started or inherited her own business. 'We are looking for women who have the same profile as Madame Veuve Clicquot herself. She was only 27 years old when she took over her husband's business,' said Ms Bonnefond, who has been in Hong Kong promoting the company's Business Woman of the Year Award. Nevertheless, Ms Bonnefond has well and truly shattered the glass ceiling in her business sector - the international food and beverage industry. She is the first woman since Madame Clicquot to lead the French company in its more than 200-year history. In March, the award, which has had past winners from all over the world, will be held in Hong Kong for the first time. Ms Bonnefond said it was hard to find women who had taken over a business at a young age. 'But, of course, it happens and we've had candidates in the past. 'We opened a phone line where people can call and recommend their candidates. We'll have a jury of top business people, bankers and media, both male and female, to decide the winner. We've had all sorts of winners, which makes the award interesting. The jury may choose whoever they like. We give the guideline but they decide.' In 1972, one of Ms Bonnefond's predecessors set up the award to honour successful businesswomen. It was greeted with such enthusiasm that the award continued on an annual basis. Ms Bonnefond said the award was based on business success, leadership, audacity and innovation - all qualities which enable businesswomen to change the way their companies operate. 'The one thing the France-based jury must do is consider nominees from all over the world. We're not looking for well-known names but talented and audacious people.' Hong Kong will be the 13th country to host the award. 'We decided to come to Hong Kong because it is a vibrant city and the gateway to China.' She said Hong Kong had many successful businesswomen who had gone to the top and would surely have award candidates. Ms Bonnefond said today's generation of young businesswomen had to be grateful for those who had gone before. 'I know my numbers. Women are not yet there [full equality with men]. It's just a question of time. 'A lot of women have the right vision and right career paths. Their time is really coming. In Hong Kong, we found a pool of successful women leaders,' said Ms Bonnefond, who has had more than 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. 'I'm told that it's very difficult to do business in Asia as a woman. It's also difficult for women to do business in Europe but it is easier now than it was 20 years ago. I hope it'll be even easier 20 years from now.' She said the time when women wanted to be like men was over. 'I think that is great. I think a woman can now be a woman in her own right and be successful.'


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Soaring American Credit Debt: Credit card debt is in dangerous territory. How dangerous? Let’s put it this way: Our total plastic balance is very near recession level.
America’s credit card tab currently stands at more than $15.24 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest U.S. household indebtedness report.
The new figure represents an increase of $268 billion, or 1.9 percent, in the third quarter of 2021. Still, credit card balances remain $123 billion lower than they had been at the end of 2019. At the individual level, the average American borrower today has a balance of $5,313 and owns 3.1 credit cards, according to Experian’s most recent State of Credit survey.
The survey also highlights regional, generational and state-by-state average FICO scores. Washington D.C., for instance, saw the highest spike in FICO scores, with an increase of 10 points, whereas North Dakota had the lowest. Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, remain the most credit-active consumers with their generation having the highest number of credit reports on file.
The Central Federal Reserve also tracks credit card debt but reports a different, higher pattern of growth. Consumers are not paying off their debt fast enough, allowing interest to accumulate and keep them in debt. The share of consumers who became 90 or more days delinquent on their outstanding credit card balances has also been rising since Q3 2016, according to the New York Fed. Check out our article about the consumer debt in US and inflation and credit card debt.
How to get out of credit card debt? If you are struggling with unsustainable credit card debt, it’s time to consider ways to mitigate the problem, potentially with a credit card debt loan. Americor offers a FREE debt analysis and consultation to evaluate your current financial situation.


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Maggie Simpson – Director General at the Rail Freight Group – has been announced as the first keynote speaker at Rolling Stock Networking 2019 (RSN).
Tickets for the Expo and Conference can be obtained (CLICK HERE) and attendance is FREE OF CHARGE.
Maggie is one of seven leading industry professionals confirmed to take the stage at the Railbusinessdaily.com conference which is being held within RSN 2019 on July 11th. During the conference, speakers drawn from train operating companies, freight operators and the broader rail industry will share their knowledge, experiences and innovative working practices during a series of sessions throughout the day.
Rail Freight Group (RFG) is the representative body for rail freight in the UK – with the aim of increasing the volume of goods moved by rail.
In her role, Maggie has been leading work to ensure that Government and rail industry policy is supportive to a growth of rail freight.
Her job is to make sure the importance of rail freight to Britain’s economic success is never overlooked.
Maggie works on campaigns to ensure politicians and key decision-makers are as well informed as possible, allowing them to make the right decisions for rail freight and for UK logistics.
And as well as being an influencer, Maggie works to promote rail freight by highlighting its many advantages– such as reliability, speed, cost-effectiveness, the benefit to the environment and the positive reduction on congestion on the country’s roads.
Previously Maggie worked in a range of passenger and freight roles at the Strategic Rail Authority and OPRAF, including freight strategy development, and franchise management. She has also worked in consultancy.
Maggie said she hopes her presence at the Railbusinessdaily.com conference will increase understanding of the freight industry and encourage businesses to consider freight rail, and in turn, help her members meet potential new customers and business partners.
Maggie will reveal what the current market is looking like and discuss trends.
She will talk about where the investment and growth are currently coming from, and give a leading insight on the challenges, opportunities and disruptors facing the rail freight industry.
Maggie will also reveal how her team are able to stay ahead of environmental agenda.


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WoodWing announces extensive support for new Adobe Digital Publishing Solution
Zaandam, The Netherlands, July 30, 2015 — WoodWing Software, one of the pioneers and thought leaders in digital publishing, today announced extensive support for Adobe Digital Publishing Solution (DPS). Adobe celebrated the global release of the completely re-imagined DPS at an event in New York City on July 29 – it will usher in a new era in digital publishing, offering a host of new features in the fields of content creation, analytics and monetization. WoodWing’s recently introduced HTML5 authoring tool, Inception, as well as its established multichannel publishing system, Enterprise, will now support DPS. At Adobe's DPS release event in New York, Qantas in Australia and the National Theatre in London already showcased stunning apps created with Inception and DPS.
At Adobe´s DPS release event in New York, Qantas in Australia and the National Theatre in London already showcased stunning apps created with Inception and DPS.
The digital publishing requirements of publishers and brands have continued to evolve over the past five years since the innovation of digital publishing in 2010. Key drivers for this trend include the reader´s desire for more attractive and interactive content, an ever-increasing variety of digital devices and the need to optimize the ROI in digital publishing.
Rebuilt from the ground up, the new Adobe Digital Publishing Solution addresses these needs. Apps created using Adobe’s new DPS deliver high-impact, interactive content to audiences in a uniquely intuitive way. Readers get instant access to the content they want and designers maintain complete control over how the content is displayed.
The apps run on smartphones and tablets using all of the major mobile operating systems: iOS, Android and Windows. In addition, Adobe expanded the tools that publishers and brands can use to create stunning content including InDesign-based workflows, as well as HTML design tools.
Inception and Enterprise support the new DPS
WoodWing’s recently announced cloud-based HTML5 authoring tool Inception enables publishers and brands to quickly and easily create responsive HTML5 content in an article-based approach for optimal reader-friendly presentation on any device. Once the article is designed, content providers can publish it directly via Adobe Digital Publishing Solution.
Inception is currently available as a public beta, which includes the basic feature set. The final version is scheduled to debut around the end of the third quarter. At the DPS event in New York, Qantas in Australia and The National Theatre in London already showcased stunning apps created with Inception and DPS.
Many publishers and brands worldwide have chosen WoodWing’s multichannel publishing system Enterprise to efficiently produce content for print, Web, tablets and smartphones, as well as social media, in one integrated Adobe InDesign-based workflow. WoodWing Enterprise has long supported the original Adobe Digital Publishing Suite, and that tradition will continue with Enterprise version 9.6’s support for the new Adobe Digital Publishing Solution. Users will be able to mix content from Enterprise and Inception in a single app.
“Adobe and WoodWing have worked closely together for many years to define how publishers and brands publish their content on smartphones and tablets,” said Nick Bogaty, senior director, head of digital publishing at Adobe. “We are delighted that this fruitful cooperation continues in the context of the all-new Adobe Digital Publishing Solution.”
“We see the industry is moving towards article-based publishing. The new DPS from Adobe is leading the industry with article-based publishing in mobile apps, to increase publishing frequency, shorten cycles and increase engagement. It clearly extends the range of options and the quality of results in the field of digital publishing. Users will achieve tremendous efficiency gains and their readers will benefit from the significantly higher appeal and timeliness of the content of their apps,” said the Roel-Jan Mouw, CEO of WoodWing Software. “Our solutions and tools will support our customers to further amplify these advancements and to seamlessly integrate digital publishing in their daily workflows.”


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After getting yet another price cut in India earlier this month, the Motorola Moto X second generation smartphone is being discounted yet again. The phone was previously retailing for Rs 24999, but can now be picked up for as low as Rs 21999.
The new retail tag is part of a special discount from Flipkart and this will be a limited period offer. There’s a good chance that the company might make the drop permanent and considering the number of times the Motorola Moto X 2014 smartphone has been discounted, we’re pretty sure the OEM wants to sell off as much stock as possible.
It’s no secret that a new flagship, possibly called the Moto X third gen, will go official in September during the IFA 2015 expo. The aforementioned amount is for the 16GB option, while the 32GB model will set you back by Rs 24999.
You’ll also be able to purchase the bamboo and leather options on discount as they’ve been listed at Rs 23999. Despite it being fairly old, the Motorola smartphone is still a great pick. It comes with pretty beefy hardware and also runs on the latest version of Android which is 5.1 Lollipop. The update was recently rolled out to the device.
Here’s a roundup of the Motorola Moto X second gen’s key specs:
– Android 5.1 Lollipop
– 5.2-inch 1080p AMOLED display
– 16GB or 32GB storage options
– 2.5GHz quad core Snapdragon 801 processor
– 2GB RAM
– 13MP main camera
– 2MP front shooter
– 2300mAh battery
While there’s no specified end date for the discount on the Motorola Moto X 2014 smartphone, we could see the promotion get closed tomorrow as Flipkart is holding a 2-day sale for other devices as well.


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No one is denying that "there's an app for that", as the ubiquitous slogan tells us. The question now, based on new research, is do people actually use them?
Not so much, according to a Pew Report released this week. The Internet and American Life Project study reveals that only 24 percent of adults actually use the apps on their mobile devices, and the ones that do tend to be young, affluent, educated males, with a slight skew toward Hispanics.
The report used a nationwide sample of 2,252 adults, and it also presented findings from a Nielsen survey that revealed that games were the most downloaded apps both in volume and in the percentage of adults using them. More popular activities than apps for mobile phone users were taking photos (76%), text messaging (72%), Internet, games, e-mail, video, music and instant messaging, all in the 30- to 38-percent range. When measured in popularity as a percent of mobile phone users, apps came in last at 29 percent.
An important statistic for developers is how many people have paid for an app they downloaded. Of the 29 percent of adult mobile phone users who download apps, just under half - 47 percent - paid for the software. That accounts for about 13 percent of all adult cell-phone users - all others say they only download free apps.
Unlike the differences between app users and non-users, the study found no major demographic patterns between those who pay for apps and those who do not.
I am a longtime content specialist with vast experience in ideating, creating and editing articles, infographics, books, ebooks, white papers, insights guides, corporate POVs, video scripts and more for omnichannel promotion and distribution on behalf of publishers, brands and creative agencies. My areas of expertise include financial services & fintech; retail & ecommerce; CPG marketing, sports, technology, lifestyle and more.


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This should appeal to the deeply rooted Xbox fan. Adidas and Microsoft have come up with a pair of Xbox shoes together.
This collaboration does not come out of the blue. Xbox is blowing out 20 candles this year. Adidas therefore wants to celebrate the console’s 20th anniversary with a special pair of shoes, conceived in collaboration with Microsoft.
For now it remains with an announcement and a small teaser. We can expect more information about these sneakers in the coming months. The design is a nod to the typical Xbox design from the past and present. The typical green color of the console, for example, is prominently reflected in the design.
It is the first time that Adidas has released shoes for Xbox gamers in this way. Presumably, getting these sneakers is even harder than an Xbox Series X itself. Why? Because Adidas will not just sell these shoes in the store.
Microsoft and Adidas are planning to let fans buy the Xbox shoes in a special way, how or what is not yet known. In addition, it has been announced that the first pair will be given away by Xbox via Twitter. Check the attached video to see the special Xbox shoes from Adidas.


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TOKENIZED SHARES OF APPLE AND TESLA COULD BECOME THE NEXT CRYPTO-HIT
On Monday, the Estonian cryptocurrency organization DX.Exchange has launched a trading platform that gives investors the opportunity to buy shares placed on the Nasdaq stock exchange via security tokens, such as Apple, Tesla, Facebook and Netflix shares.
Each token is backed by a company share and gives the right to receive dividends. DX operations Director Amedeo Moscato noted that “the crypto community has been talking about security tokens for more than a year” and now the company has managed to “make progress”.
Investors will be able to trade tokens 24 hours a day, even after the markets will be closed.
DX emphasizes that digital shares are classified as derivatives and that the platform is designed in accordance with EU law. Licensed in Cyprus, the company MPS MarketPlace Securities holds shares in a common account, and the DX platform is based on the Matching Engine technology from Nasdaq, which is used in more than 70 international markets.


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Indian House Analysis Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somnath on Monday stated that the launch day for Chandrayaan-3 for a gentle touchdown on the moon is July 13.
“We will do a gentle touchdown on the moon. The launch day is July 13, it may possibly go upto nineteenth,” ISRO Chairman S Somnath stated on the launch of Chandrayaan-3 whereas chatting with ANI.
He stated that the launch date could be July 13. Nonetheless, it might go as much as July 19.
Earlier on June 28, Chairman of the Indian House Analysis Organisation S Somanath revealed that Chandrayaan-3 testing is full and the window of alternative for the launch is aimed between July 12 and 19.
“Presently, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is absolutely built-in. We have now accomplished the testing and in addition mated with the rocket compartment… Presently, the window of alternative for launch is between July 12 and 19 and we are going to take the earliest attainable date, possibly the twelfth, possibly the thirteenth or possibly the 14th. We’ll announce the precise date after all of the checks are accomplished,” Somanath advised ANI.
Earlier in June, he additionally shared an replace on Aditya-L1 Mission which is India’s first mission to check the Solar and stated ISRO is aiming for August finish because the goal for its launch.
The ISRO chief additionally shared his views on Artemis Accords and believes that it is a chance for Indian industries which can be working within the area sector to work with the US firms.
“We’re Artemis Accord as a political engagement with the US. It’s a assertion of Intent that when the US is proposing collaborative work within the area sector, particularly the exploration of outer planets in a really cordial environment between totally different nations, we agree with that. So it has an enormous assertion. We want to work with the US, particularly on applied sciences that are high-end and area is one among them. It is going to open alternatives for Indian industries who’re working within the area sector to work with the US firms which can be equally working within the area sector,” he talked about.
“So the development of electronics, new processors, the centre takes place within the US and this entry to this new know-how to the Indian firm is so vital for them to innovate and convey up worth which is able to give a possibility to market them within the US market. That is exactly the target of the US. So we want to be certain the Indian firms contribute to the US area program. It isn’t an ideal factor now. So, the sooner the US sees it as a possibility as a result of Indian firms have the technological energy immediately, they’ve cost-effectiveness and so they have a decrease improvement cycle time which they wish to financial institution on. So it’s the goal that it’s collectively developed this complete accord signing is for the good thing about the US in addition to the good thing about India,” he added.
From the Nothing Telephone 2 to the Motorola Razr 40 Extremely, a number of new smartphones are anticipated to make their debeut in July. We talk about the entire most enjoyable smartphones coming this month and extra on the most recent episode of Orbital, the Devices 360 podcast. Orbital is obtainable on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate hyperlinks could also be robotically generated – see our ethics assertion for particulars.


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Twitter apparently is preparing to update its iOS app with a new mute feature that allows users to block tweets and retweets from select people they follow. Mute is available in other Twitter clients like Tweetdeck, but it is not yet available in the official Twitter app.
Beats Music today hinted that an iPad app may be coming soon to the streaming music service. The company tweeted a photo with the headline “Something Big Is Coming” and added “THIS JUST IN: Your favorite Music App is feeling ready to grow in sizeâ€¦literallyâ€¦”
ComiXology removes iOS In-App Purchases to avoid paying 30% cut to Apple following Amazon’s acquisition
It has been just over two weeks since Amazon acquiredÂ ComiXology, theÂ cloud-based digital comics platform, and the companyÂ has released an update for its iOS app that removes in-app purchases, so you won’t be able to purchase comics from the app.
Apple aired a new iPhone 5s TV ad last night called ‘Powerful.’
The ad tries to convey the message that “with the iPhone 5s, you’re more powerful than you think”Â byÂ showcasing some of the things users can do with their iPhone such as creating music, playing games on a giant screen, tracking their health, taking photosÂ andÂ recordingÂ videos.


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Every year, on one beautiful day in spring, Frieze New York announces the list of almost uniformly delicious, relatively young downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn restaurants that it has brought onboard for its annual fair on Randall’s Island.
That day is today.
This year’s Frieze New York, which is open to the public May 14 through 17, will feature:
- Court Street Grocers
- Frankies Spuntino
- Marlow & Sons
- Milk Bar
- Parlor Coffee
- Prime Meats
- Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream
Many are by now old standbys at the fair, like Marlow and Roberta’s. Others are new to the game, like the beloved Lower East Side resto Dimes, which offers hearty and heartening salads (including a salade niçoise with pitch-perfect seared tuna), and Morgenstern’s, which is less than a year old, and does indeed offer some of the city’s finest ice cream, right around the corner from the New Museum. (It was the subject of a lengthy Alan Richman piece in GQ if you want to know more.)
The VIP lounge’s restaurant will be run by NeueHouse, its kitchen presided over by Chris Bradley, who’s an alumus of Gramercy Tavern and the Whitney’s Untitled restaurant.
If you don’t have lunch plans, I am going to recommend, very intensely, Court Street Grocers’ Italian Combo sandwich. Details here.


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McCann named one of region’s fastest growing companies
Published on July 18, 2019
McCann Central has been named one of the fastest growing businesses in the region by BDO in its annual Growth Report for Solihull and Birmingham.
The report identifies the top 50 fastest growing mid-market firms in each region based on turnover growth as well as analysis of sectors, employment growth and in-depth interviews with business leaders and ambassadors from the region.
Dean Lovett, CEO, said: “Achieving such growth is no mean feat in an industry such as ours but by broadening and deepening our services we’ve been able to attract some fantastic new clients as well as retaining some of the biggest brands in the Midlands.
“We’re very pleased to be included in this report but it’s also pleasing to see how strong the regional economy is as a whole, it’s certainly an exciting time to be based in the Midlands.”
View the full report


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Major boost to Miraa farmers as they find new market in Israel - AgriNews
After the ban of Miraa in Britain & Netherlands, Miraa farmers have received a major boost
With the start of exports to Israel.
Kenya expects to export an estimated 200 tonnes of Miraa per day to the nation
which is 2000 miles from Kenya.


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Domestic car sales slump
published : 23 Feb 2021 at 06:22
newspaper section: Business
writer: Lamonphet Apisitniran
Domestic car sales in Thailand declined 21.3% in January to 55,208 units from last year as the second-wave outbreak continues to drag down consumer confidence and purchasing power.
Passenger car sales decreased by 44.2% to 16,104 units year-on-year, while sales of commercial cars decreased 5.4% to 39,104 units. Pure pickups with 1 tonne size loads and pickup passenger vehicles dropped by 9.6% year-on-year to 30,107 units.
Surasak Suthongwan, vice-president of Toyota Motor Thailand, said customers are concerned the new wave of the pandemic will greatly affect the economy, businesses and job prospects, so potential buyers are avoiding purchases.
Whole sectors that employ local people, such as the tourism industry, are practically on standby, while the automotive industry has yet to recover from last year's contraction.
"Those factors caused domestic car sales to drop and the company is closely monitoring the economic situation and the pandemic," he said.
In January, Toyota's domestic car sales were 17,758 units or a decrease of 12.2% year-on-year. Toyota has a 32.2% market share in Thailand.
The company expects domestic car sales in February will continue to be affected by the pandemic.
Toyota expects the government's stimulus measures will relieve the economy and help boost consumer spending.


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If you think the map rivalry doesn’t extend beyond Google and Apple, you’re forgetting that there’s a third horse running in the race – Nokia, which has found a worthy ally in Amazon.
Now, the e-commerce giant has known to break ranks with Google, as evidently seen on how it uses a forked version of Android in order to sidestep some restrictions. Another slap in Google’s face is the fact that Amazon has chosen Microsoft’s Bing over Google Search. The snubbing continues with Amazon’s decision to introduce its own mapping solution on its Kindle Fire tablets, or is it really?
There were murmurs that Nokia was behind the recently released mapping API. Well, they aren’t not rumors anymore more since they have been substantiated by a spokesperson from the Finnish company.
Talking to The Next Web, Dr. Sebastian Kurme of Nokia’s Communications, Location & Commerce business units confirmed that it is licensing its Nokia Location Platform (NLP) to Amazon. Here’s more of his explanation:
Location is playing a central role in our strategy, and because of its global footprint, quality and completeness of performance (geocoding, routing, traffic) the Nokia Location Platform offers great opportunities for 3rd parties to build upon.
Amazon´s decision to choose the Nokia Location Platform is further proof point that our competence in this space is a key differentiator also for other leading players in the industry to offer great location consumer experiences.
Again, Google will have to miss out on the opportunity to mine tons of valuable data from what is bound to be one of the year’s best-selling tablets, after losing its spot on iOS devices.


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KUCHING: The Sarawak government has set a target of earning of RM8 billion from the export of timber and timber products by 2030.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said this has been outlined by the Sarawak Economic Action Council (SEAC) in its economic action plan.
“The way forward for our local timber industry is to transform its business operations for long-term sustainability in line with the Timber Industry Master Plan.
“Our local timber industry players cannot continue to rely on natural forest alone but to utilise more timber from planted forest,” he said when officiating at the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) special assembly today.
The deputy chief minister said industry players must move towards downstream high value-added activities.
“These are such as furniture and engineered wood products, employing Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) to enhance productivity and competitiveness. At the same time, they must also explore new markets beyond the existing traditional markets,” he said.
Awang Tengah said STIDC is now implementing the training programme to develop young designers in Sarawak.
“This is necessary to address the need to have talented and skilled designers for the furniture industry. STIDC’s target is to train 100 young designers by 2030.
“These are to aggressively promote the Sarawak Young Designers Programme (SayD’SignersSarawak), commercialise new designs developed by local young designers for export market and attract more investments in the furniture industry”.
Awang Tengah added that the young designers are able to showcase their talents and designs at the international expos in Dubai, Mumbai and Milan.
“This is indeed a great achievement for our young designers and I hope STIDC will continue to work closely with Unimas (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak), Institut Teknologi Bandung and POLI.design Milan, in close collaboration with our industry players in order to achieve greater heights”.


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This is something to keep an eye on; buried at the end of this Reuter’s article shows the possible plan — a joint Lexus /Mercedes-Benz auto?
Toyota (7203.T) is considering building derivatives of Mercedes-Benz’s (DAIGn.DE) A-Class and B-Class cars on its own so-called MC platform to better utilise its European plants in the long term, a German magazine said on Wednesday.
Citing sources at Toyota’s Tokyo headquarters, auto motor und sport wrote that the company was thinking about the generation of Mercedes compacts due to follow the upcoming version, which is scheduled to be introduced in 2011.
Typically, model lifecycle can last at least 6 years, so any production at a Toyota factory would not likely happen until at least 2017.
According to the article, the two companies could also look at sharing development costs and even examine the possible joint production of Toyota’s Lexus LS flagship luxury saloon and its Mercedes counterpart, the S-Class, the best selling car in its segment. – from Reuters
Alex has written for Vanity Fair, Barrons, Bloomberg and Condé Nast Traveler.


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United Wardrobe launches program for brands to sell unsold stock
Dutch fashion marketplace United Wardrobe has launched a new service, allowing fashion brands to exclusively sell unsold stock on the platform. Dutch label G-Star Raw is amongst the first group of brands to use the service. Previously, the marketplace was only open to sales of second-hand clothes by individuals.
United Wardrobe said that the service is designed to prevent that clothing remains unused at the shelves of distribution centers and that it “fits the brand’s philosophy” to give clothing a new life.
Via United Wardrobe, members are able to offer used clothing, footwear and accessories by creating a virtual closet. At the moment, the start-up has about 3 million active members offering used clothing for sale.
In 2017, the Utrecht-based start-up received a €1 million investment from Dutch fund Peak Capital. With the funding, the company focused on the expansion of its reach by targeting new markets across Europe.
United Wardrobe was founded in 2014 by three students: Thijs Verheul, Thijs Slijkhuis and Sjuul Berden. The fashion marketplace has grown into the largest clothing marketplace in the Netherlands and Belgium in recent years and is available online and via an app. At the moment, 90% of women in the Netherlands aged between 16 and 24 use the United Wardrobe app. The Utrecht-based start-up aims to make second-hand clothing the norm, while encouraging social networking and sustainability.
The G-Star Raw collection will be available on United Wardrobe from 6 December.
Copyright © 2022 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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Gold has taken investors on a wild ride so far in 2020. From less than $1,500 per ounce in December, the price of the yellow metal soared to $1,700 by March. During the stock market crash, however, gold sank back to less than $1,500. But by April, gold futures spiked up to nearly $1,800 per ounce. But gold stocks have been about five times as volatile.
The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF (NYSEARCA:GDX) is up 74% over the past year and has more than doubled since its lows in March. The gold miners have been on a crazy run.
Right now, the gold mining industry is on cloud nine. The sector appears to be enjoying ideal conditions. Gold has reached its highest price in ages, while miners’ input costs have hit rock bottom. As a result, miners’ profit margins are expanding, and their earnings are increasing at a similar pace. It seems like everything is going as well as possible for gold stocks.
Propelled by the novel coronavirus, macroeconomic trends are boosting gold. With all the Federal Reserve monetary stimulus and the deficit spending by the federal government, some analysts are predicting a huge wave of inflation.
In theory, all that spending and money printing is going to lead to a big decline in the value of the U.S. dollar. That, in turn, is going to create a huge boom for gold and mining stocks, according to the theory.
The Inflation Surge Will Be Limited And Temporary
There’s a difference between a short-term inflation spike in one part of the economy and an overall surge. Right now, the prices of certain things, such as various food products, are soaring.
That makes sense. Take eggs, for example. With some Americans in quarantine, they are cooking breakfast for themselves more frequently, causing demand for eggs to rise. But the supply of chickens has not risen, so there has been an egg shortage. Egg prices have jumped so much that consumers may file lawsuits for alleged price gouging.
But if you want to profit from a food shortage, buy an egg producer like Cal-Maine Foods (NASDAQ:CALM) or a meat processor such as Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN). Gold stocks simply aren’t the right vehicle for a bet on agricultural commodity prices.
Excluding food, inflation is actually tanking. Consumer prices just declined by the largest amount in a single month since 2008. The prices of gasoline, airline tickets, and consumer services, among other things, have utterly tanked.
And that makes sense. With some people stuck at home, demand for a wide array of products has virtually disappeared. People may be buying more grocery staples, cleaning supplies, and home recreational equipment, but that hardly offsets the vast drop of demand and the prices of other products.
So far, the Fed’s efforts are merely preventing the deflation that would otherwise occur during a massive economic bust. If the government wasn’t pushing lots of money into the economy, we’d be at risk of entering a 1930s-style downward spiral of demand and consumer prices. And, as we’ve seen in both Japan since the 1990s and Europe since 2008, providing more cash does little to spark inflation, GDP growth, or economic activity if consumer demand is weak.
If the Fed keeps stimulating the economy after demand picks up, then inflationary conditions would drive a large surge of gold prices. But we’re far from that reality now.
Gold Stocks Won’t Protect Investors From a Crash
Another issue with buying mining companies’ stocks is that they are equities. And during stock market crashes, most equities tend to go down. Even defensive stocks, like consumer staples and utilities, got whacked during the stock market’s huge decline. And gold miners weren’t spared at all.
The VanEck gold mining ETF sent investors on a harrowing ride, with shares crashing from $30 to a low of just $16 between February and March. Of course, miners made back all those gains and more when the stock market recovered. But during the actual decline, miners fared even worse than the S&P 500.
In 2008, gold stocks also performed terribly during the market’s tumble. In that year, the ETF dropped from a high of $50 to a low of $17, representing a two-thirds decline. The shares recovered all their losses by November 2009, but the ETF failed to hedge against the market’s decline. In 2009, gold stocks only really rallied once the crisis had passed and people focused on the next anticipated inflationary boom.
The Verdict on Gold Stocks
As the recent gyrations of gold miners’ stocks have shown, there’s definitely a time and place for trading the shares. They have absolutely incredible volatility, which creates profitable opportunities. And miners’ profit margins are indeed climbing.
At this point, however, that’s all priced into the VanEck ETF and many individual mining companies stocks such as Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM). This is a great time for investors to do some research and put a few gold stock names on their watchlists.
But these stocks will be a lot cheaper following the next decline of the stock market. Gold miners simply don’t work well during downturns because during market slumps, people stop caring about inflation for the time being.
If and when the euphoria about the reopening of the economy turns into worries about persistent unemployment and falling economic activity, gold prices will likely drop again. That will be a good time to buy gold stocks.
Ian Bezek has written more than 1,000 articles for InvestorPlace.com and Seeking Alpha. He also worked as a Junior Analyst for Kerrisdale Capital, a $300 million New York City-based hedge fund. You can reach him on Twitter at @irbezek. At the time of this writing, he held no positions in any of the aforementioned securities.


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PUBG Mobile India’s Native American version, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), was released to Android users on July 2nd. Since its release, players have been waiting for an update to release the game on iOS devices.
Well, we come with good news as BGMI iOS may be released to Apple device users on August 20th. Game developer Krafton accidentally leaked information on BGMI’s official website that BGMI for iOS will be released on August 20th Report in Inside Sport will introduce Krafton BGMI to the iOS store when the bonus collection period expires.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Krafton has posted notes on the release date of Battlegrounds Mobile India for iOS.
Wooyol Lim, Head of Battlegrounds Mobile Division at South Korean gaming company Krafton, had previously said that the developers are doing their best to bring Battlegrounds Mobile India to iOS users in India as soon as possible. “We’ll be making announcements on our social media handles soon to keep our fans updated,” Lim told IANS.
BGMI, which renamed itself after PUBG was banned in the country last year, peaked in India at 16 million daily active users and 2.4 million concurrent users. “Our main focus is on delivering more and more engaging content, world-class collaborations and India-specific content,” said Lim.
In particular, BGMI has also surpassed 48 million downloads lately, which is also the first phase of its 50 million download rewards event in particular.


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Cambridge Satchel Company, the maker and retailer of traditional satchels in bright colours, has been named as the NatWest Startups Business of the Year 2011. The company founded by Julie Deane and her mother Freda Thomas in 2008, won the Product Business of the Year award at the 2011 Startups Awards, before beating 12 other winners to clinch the coveted overall prize.
The business has grown 350% in the past six months and is forecasting a turnover of £10m next year, up from £2m in 2011, as it expands into America. The brand currently makes 3,000 bags a week, which is sold to 86 countries via the company’s website and through stockists such as Harrods, Selfridges and ASOS.
Commenting on the award, Julie Deane said: "This has been an incredible year for The Cambridge Satchel Company. Our bags were the toast of New York Fashion Week. Bloomingdales called us "The Brit It Bag" and orders from the US and other overseas markets have poured in."
Steph Welstead, editor of Startups.co.uk , added: "The Cambridge Satchel Company’s phenomenal success is an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs. The founders have created a highly sought-after product in a notoriously tough industry to crack, while also going to great lengths to ensure their products are manufactured locally and to bring traditional craft skills – and jobs – back to the UK.”
The company, which started in Julie’s home in 2008, began with just £600 out of the desire to remove her six-year-old daughter from a school where she was being bullied. With no previous design experience, Julie created a range of Harry Potter-inspired satchels by visiting leather factories, which over the past five years has attracted a cult following. For 2012, the brand is planning to introduce a new bag shape as well as clutches.
Image: Cambridge Satchel Company


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Warehouse Pool Supply has leased 4,173 square feet of retail space at North Hills Town Center at Braker Lane and State Highway 183. The company, which specializes in swimming pool supplies, toys, equipment and accessories, is scheduled to open this week.
Warehouse Pool Supply is leasing the space from Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency Centers Corp., a national owner, operator and developer of grocery-anchored and community shopping centers.
North Hills Town Center, a 144,019-square-foot shopping center, is anchored by a 60,465-square-foot H-E-B supermarket alongside national retailers such as Jamba Juice, Subway, T-Mobile and Sally Beauty Supply.
As of June 30, Regency Centers (NYSE: REG), a self-administered real estate investment trust, owned 409 retail properties, including those held in co-investment partnerships, the company said. The portfolio encompassed 54.7 million square feet throughout the United States.
Regency Centers has developed 194 shopping centers since 2000, including those in progress, representing an investment at completion of $3 billion, according to the company.


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California cannabis leader continues multi-state expansion with the launch in Arizona in early 2023
SALINAS, Calif., January 04, 2023 — Lowell Farms Inc. (CSE:LOWL; OTCQX:LOWLF) is set to debut its award-winning cannabis products at recreational and medicinal dispensaries in Arizona. The California-born innovator in cannabis cultivation and creator of the iconic Lowell Smokes brand has partnered with cannabis operator The Pharm, LLC to launch multiple products in 2023.
“Arizona was the fastest state in the nation to begin retail cannabis sales after recreational use was legalized in 2020, and that speaks to the demand for quality products and celebrated brand for which Lowell Farms is known,” says Lowell Farms Inc. Chairman of the Board George Allen. “As we enter into 2023, Lowell Farms remains committed to multi-state expansion and putting our award-winning brand in front of every consumer as we work toward legalization at the national level.”
The strategic licensing agreement made between the two cannabis leaders will see Lowell Smokes at The Pharm’s two dispensaries: Sunday Goods Tempe and Sunday Goods Phoenix. Following its debut, the legendary Lowell Smokes products will be available to dispensaries state wide on a wholesale basis.
“Throughout our history we have sought to partner with brands that break ground in this industry, and we are very excited to welcome Lowell Farms and its celebrated brand, Lowell Herb Co. to Arizona,” says The Pharm’s CEO John Haugh. “This is an ideal partnership, as we share a common goal of delivering a one-of-a-kind cannabis experience for consumers while working together to bring about positive change and fairness in our highly regulated industry.”
Arizona in 2021 became the country’s second-most lucrative cannabis market, behind California, with $1.6 billion in cannabis sales. Lowell Farms’ entry into the market comes on the heels of its recent expansion into Massachusetts, Michigan, and Illinois, and the introduction of Lowell Smokes at Colorado and New Mexico retailers.
More information about Lowell Farms, Inc. brands can be found at lowellfarms.com.
ABOUT LOWELL FARMS INC.
Lowell Farms Inc. (CSE:LOWL; OTCQX:LOWLF)(the “Company”) is a California-based vertically integrated cannabis company with advanced production capabilities supporting every step of the supply chain, including cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, brand sales, marketing, and distribution. Lowell Farms grows artisan craft cannabis with a deep love and respect for the plant, and prides itself on using sustainable materials – from seed to sale – to produce an extensive portfolio of award-winning originals, including Lowell Herb Co, Cypress Cannabis, MOON, and Kaizen Extracts, for licensed retailers statewide.
ABOUT THE PHARM, LLC
The Pharm’s commitment to quality and integrity stems from its experience operating a 320,000-square-foot Dutch glass greenhouse in Willcox, AZ, one of the largest of its kind in the country. As the largest cultivator and purveyor of high-quality sun-grown cannabis in the state of Arizona, Willcox serves as The Pharm’s hub for continuous improvement through research and development. Here, The Pharm combines cultivation expertise and innovation with large-scale production, all while maintaining the highest quality, which uniquely sets them apart as leaders in the industry. The Pharm also operates two award-winning dispensaries in the Phoenix area called Sunday Goods. The Sunday Goods brand was recognized as a “Top 22 Brand of 2022” by High Times Magazine.


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AUSTIN, TX — Homeowners are exhibiting signs of “significant stress and deep concerns” over the rising costs of products, raw materials and services tied to home improvement projects, a major new survey has found.
According to the findings of the 2022 Homeowner Sentiment Report, a survey of more than 23,000 homeowners considering home improvement projects, 86% of surveyed homeowners reported that stressors such as surging prices, a potential recession, supply chain backlogs and political unrest are impacting their home improvement decisions.
The annual survey was conducted this summer by Modernize Home Services, an Austin, TX-based provider of marketing services for home improvement contractors in 15 segments, including bathrooms and kitchens.
According to Modernize, 61% of surveyed homeowners indicated that their levels of stress about decisions relating to their home were either “more than I can handle” and “a lot of stress; it’s tough to manage.” Some 57% of the homeowners polled believe that the current level of stress is “somewhat worse” to “much worse” than at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Almost 70% of the homeowners polled said the greatest barrier to their home improvement projects is the “high cost of supplies,” Modernize said. An additional 14% said the greatest barrier is “coping with managing the whole project.”
32% of surveyed homeowners have had to cancel or delay a project, in 2022 down from 45% last year, Modernize reported. This year, however, the reason for most cancellations (74%) is cost, the company said.


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- Another crypto that started as a joke, ELONGATE, has gained significant popularity of late.
- As per its website, ELONGATE’s goal is to grow a global movement that goes against traditional financial systems by linking profitability to positive social impact.
- The coin has become popular amongst Elon fans, and whenever Musk tweets, the price of ELONGATE rises. The impact is more substantial if Musk decides to tweet specifically about cryptocurrency.
- ELONGATE’s price stood at US$0.00000003913 at the time of writing, with a market cap of US$22.122 million.
Every day the world of cryptocurrency is branching out into new territory. What began as one cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has now become thousands - more than three thousand, to be exact. And new digital currencies enter the fray seemingly every day.
Most cryptos are developed to solve some kind of problem, perhaps a problem related to scalability, or a problem related to mining. Some, however, are simply created as jokes.
The most well known of these is Dogecoin – a crypto which was developed to satirise other cryptos like Bitcoin. The mascot for Dogecoin is the Japanese dog breed – Shiba Inu – which, at the time, was a popular meme.
Another meme coin developed earlier this year was a crypto by the name of ELONGATE. Much like its predecessor, Dogecoin, ELONGATE has garnered a fair bit of attention.
INTERESTING READ: Can Bitcoin again shoot past US$50,000 in 2021?
So, what is ELONGATE?
ELONGATE is a cryptocurrency on the Binance Smart Chain. According to the ELONGATE website, the goal of ELONGATE is to grow a global movement that goes against traditional financial systems by linking profitability to positive social impact. Simply put, the profits made from ELONGATE will go towards making positive social change. Pretty lofty ambitions for a meme coin. It achieves this by charging a 10% tax on transactions in which a majority goes to charity.
Source: ELONGATE website
ELONGATE is a deflationary cryptocurrency, which means there is a limit on how much can be generated. This is the opposite of Dogecoin, which is inflationary, meaning there’s an unlimited supply. The max supply of ELONGATE is one quadrillion. So, in case you were worried about them selling out…don’t.
The name of the crypto, ELONGATE, came from none other than Tesla billionaire and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
As such, the coin has become popular amongst Elon fans and whenever Musk tweets, the price of ELONGATE rises. The impact is more substantial if Musk decides to tweet specifically about cryptocurrency.
ELONGATE’s price, at the time of writing, stood at US$0.00000003913. It has a market cap of US$22.122 million.
Musk’s impact on cryptocurrencies
The esoteric businessman is tied very closely to cryptocurrency in popular culture. In fact, Musk’s tweets can sometimes bolster or crash the price of a cryptocurrency. The original meme coin, Dogecoin, is one of Musk’s favourites to tweet about.
Earlier this year, for example, Musk proclaimed, via Twitter, that he was the “Dogefather”, which sent the price of Dogecoin skyrocketing.
Image source: Pixabay.com
Musk has also been a thorn in the side of many Bitcoin investors due to his flip-flopping attitude towards the world’s largest cryptocurrency.
For example, in March this year, Musk announced that his electric vehicle company, Tesla, would be accepting Bitcoin as legal tender. Soon thereafter, Tesla added some US$1.5 billion in Bitcoin to their portfolio.
Of course, this sent the price of Bitcoin soaring as it moved Bitcoin from something which was considered somewhat underground to just above the surface of mainstream finance.
However, it was only a couple of months later, in May, that Musk decided Tesla would cease accepting Bitcoin due to the costly impact Bitcoin mining has on the environment. This was the beginning of a massive correction for Bitcoin as investors everywhere sold off their holdings, resulting in a price plummet from its record high of US$63,000, in May, to below US$30,000, where it dropped to last week.
Whether the crash can be attributed to Musk is debatable. Regardless, the enigmatic aspiring spaceman seems closely tied to the crypto space. Hence ELONGATE.
In March, Musk urged his Twitter followers if he was ever involved in a scandal to call it “ELONGATE”. The tweet went viral, and a few hours later, ELONGATE, the cryptocurrency, was born.
ALSO READ: Gaming with Crypto: Axie Infinity explained


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The switch to Voice over IP is in full swing, but only one in three…
Smartphones: Fingerprint sensors will continue to be a hit in 2018
Globally, more and more smartphones are being sold with fingerprint sensors. According to the Taiwanese portal DigiTimes, around 920 million units were delivered by sea in the past fiscal year. This value corresponds to a market penetration of a whopping 64 percent.
According to DigiTimes, the end of the successful market development of fingerprint sensors is far from over. For this reason, a shipment of 1.25 billion units is forecast for 2020, which would correspond to a market penetration of 75 percent. According to the report, the Gothenburg-based company Fingerprint Cards (FPC) is the world’s leading supplier of fingerprint sensors, which was able to increase its sales 650-fold from 2013 to 2016. The reasons for the rapidly growing market are led by new industry players, in particular from the USA, China and Taiwan.
A small downside for the providers: The growth led to a lower average selling price for the sensors, at FPC in 2017 by a handsome 53 percent. A trend that pushes the rate of profit among the Swedes, which is estimated at almost seven percent, after being 39 percent in 2016 and about 31 percent in 2015.
Competition from China
From China, FPC is getting more and more headwind, especially from its rival, the Chinese fingerprint sensor maker s Technology. Goodix also benefits from the sales boom and was able to increase its sales fourfold in 2016 within three years. DigiTimes expects Goodix 2017 to increase revenue by 25 percent over FPC. Thus, the Chinese could even run out of Sweden for the foreseeable future the rank of world market leader.
Goodix presented moobilux.com 2017 in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress, its vision of a screen-integrated fingerprint sensor. But even traditional fingerprint sensors promise the industry player as the most cost-effective biometric recognition method continues rosy business prospects. Because they are versatile and can be integrated in smartphones, tablets and notebooks as well as in cars, in smart payment or incoming control systems.


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Port of Riga, Latvia, Reports Forestry and Timber Industry Products Largest Group Transshipped in 2022
Forest Products Boom for Riga
According to Dry Cargo International (4-11-23), the Port of Riga, a major port on the east coast of the Baltic Sea in the capital of Latvia, reported forestry and timber industry cargo were the largest cargo group transshipped through the port in 2022.
The cargo was being handled at 15 stevedoring company terminals, and the 2022 transshipments included 5.5 million tons of wood products which accounted for 23% of the total cargo passing through the port.
The situation in the forest and timber industry sector of Latvia, as well as in the global markets, is accurately reflected in the performance indicators at the Port of Riga. In 2022, there was a 12% drop, but at the same time the growth indicators for the turnover in various cargos were different. For example, the volume of wood ships transshipped in the Port of Riga in 2022 increased 11% when compared to 2021. On the other hand, 2.09 million tons of wood pellets were transshipped last year, down 28% from 2021.
According to Kristaps Klauss, Vice President of the Latvian Forest Industry Federation, 2022 was a challenging year for all sectors. Klauss told Dry Cargo International that:
“All changes in the industry markets in 2022 are unequivocally caused by the Russian war in Ukraine. Before the war, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine provided Europe with 60% of birch plywood consumption, 10% of conifer board consumption, and one third of pellet market volume.”
FEA compiles the Wood Markets News from various 3rd party sources to provide readers with the latest news impacting forest product markets. Opinions or views expressed in these articles do not necessarily represent those of FEA.