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An Arcane Analysis report has revealed that Bitcoin every day buying and selling quantity has dipped to the bottom level of 2021.
Bitcoin Exercise Appears To Be Slowing Down
As BTC’s worth continues to stagnate, the every day buying and selling quantity on the main spot exchanges has dropped to the bottom it has ever been within the 12 months 2021.
Here’s a chart that shows how the Bitcoin every day buying and selling quantity has modified over the previous one 12 months:
Actual BTC Every day Quantity (7-day common) | Supply: Arcane Analysis
The above graph reveals that the BTC every day buying and selling quantity on exchanges is now the identical because it was in mid-December of 2020.
Associated Studying | TA: Bitcoin Prints Bearish Technical Sample, Why It May Revisit $32.2K
One other notable factor from the chart is that the very best spike was when the BTC market was probably the most unstable. Which is sensible, as extra folks transfer their investments when the worth goes up or down.
In the meanwhile, the 7-day common of the Bitcoin every day buying and selling quantity stands at round $four billion.
The information is backed by the truth that the worth of the all exchanges circulate ratio, one other BTC indicator, has hit a 9-month low.
What May It Imply For The Value Of The Cryptocurrency?
There could possibly be just a few potential causes for the slowdown of Bitcoin’s exercise. Probably the most distinguished one may be the stagnating market.
For just a few weeks now, the coin has been caught between the $30okay and $35okay worth factors. The market is behaving as a rangebound one the place traders purchase on the help line and dump on the resistance level.
Associated Studying | Bitcoin Eyes $36Okay As Wyckoff Degree As Altcoins Put together To Surge
Many traders aren’t fascinated by shopping for BTC in such an atmosphere, and that has result in the low exercise on exchanges.
On the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating across the $34okay level. It’s down virtually 6% up to now 7 days.
The market has proven no indicators of bettering from the just about 50% crash that it suffered after China reiterated its crypto ban. The foreign money has additionally suffered just a few minor crashes afterwards brought on by the nation’s crackdowns on BTC mining hubs.
Here’s a chart displaying the development of the cryptocurrency over the previous 6 months:
Bitcoin's worth does not appear to be going up | Supply: BTCUSD on TradingView
Not too way back, the worth of BTC fell beneath the $30okay mark, however earlier than a bear market may take maintain, the crypto was pumped again into the $30k-$35okay zone.
It’s unclear when Bitcoin will be capable of escape this zone, and it’s additionally exhausting to say what lies forward. There could possibly be a bear market ready. Or maybe, one other bull run could possibly be taking place.
Featured picture from Unsplash.com, charts from TradingView, Arcane Analysis


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During the 2022 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer media backgrounder last month, brand CEO Christian Meunier briefly touched on how the iconic American SUV brand has the “ability to help others,” and there are currently plans in the works to make this ethos more of a legitimized movement among owners going forward.
“This is still a concept that we’re working on several different avenues,” said Meunier in an interview with MC&T. “I think the values of Jeep work very well with (helping others). I think we have a role to help the communities.”
In other words, there could be a fleet of Jeep Wrangler SUVs ready to respond to a crisis, although the brand CEO stopped short of detailing exactly what we can expect.
“There’s a lot we can do… we have some very good ideas, we’re getting close to nailing it and we have to get it approved by (Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares),” explained Meunier.
Even as these official plans await the green light, many owners already aid and lifted the spirits of their community.
“The Jeep owners do it already,” noted Meunier. “Jeepers getting together to help a little kid recovering from cancer… there are very, very powerful things that they can do today in the United States. And I think the responsibility of a brand like Jeep is to take it to another level. To bring the community to do something for the planet, to do something for communities.”
For example, in Southeast Michigan, a local Jeep group leads a yearly event during the holiday season where their vehicles are decorated with Christmas lights, parade around town, and visit nursing homes. Otherwise, Jeep owners, and especially Jeep Wrangler owners, regularly enjoy the outdoors. Meunier noted that this could possibly tie into what’s in the works.
“We’re working on some projects related to nature. Electrification can be a part of it,” he said. Of note, the American SUV brand recently announced its Wrangler 4xe charging network, focused at or near famous trailheads across the country.
“Our Instagram had images of (Jeepers) towing people out of the snow in Texas (in February),” added Jim Morrison, head of Jeep North America. “The Jeep Community just does that. Driving doctors and nurses to the hospitals. Towing people that had their Honda Civics stuck, the 2WD Fords, their RAV4… people just do that because they have the capability.”

domain: news


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Taylor Swift signs CDs for Nashville record store Grimey's
Taylor Swift's fans made a mad dash for an East Nashville record store on Thursday.
Why? The pop star and part-time local resident gave a surprise batch of signed copies of her new album "Folklore" to Grimey's New & Preloved Music.
The signed CDs were only available in store (or via curbside pickup), and sold out in less than an hour.
"Well, there is no doubt about it, #Swifties are SWIFT," Grimey's wrote on Twitter. "Thanks to you all for masking up & coming by for a signed copy of #folklore! And many thanks to @taylorswift13 for signing albums for our peeps.
Grimey's was one of several independent shops that received signed CDs on Thursday — others included Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis, Newbury Comics in Boston and Reckless Records in Chicago.
Now in its third location, Grimey's is widely considered to be Nashville's premier independent record store.
Swift made her fondness for the store known in April, when she gave an undisclosed amount to every full-time staffer as Grimey's was briefly shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic.
The subdued and introspective "Folklore" was released to glowing reviews on July 24.


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Apple could be planning considerable changes to the way it handles warranties on its devices, according to a new report.
The iPhone, iPad and Mac maker is said to be planning a revamp of its basic AppleCare warranty service to become a subscription that will cover all the Apple devices a user owns. AppleCare currently has to be purchased on a per-gadget basis. According to AppleInsider the company held a meeting about the changes on Thursday and plans to roll them out this fall.
The report also claims that Apple is working on some behind-the-scenes changes to the way it services iPhones in its stores, with plans in place to repair the same device that's brought in for repair if possible. That's as opposed to the current system, which frequently involves replacing the device entirely and requires a user to put their data back on it manually.
CNET has contacted Apple and will update this post when we know more.
The changes would come on the heels of criticism and regulatory issues with Apple's warranty services abroad. Apple recently made considerable changes to its warranty and replacement services in China, following staunch criticism from state-run media groups -- a move that included.
Before that,from the European Commission for what the group considered "unacceptable" businesses practices by not clearly indicating with its warranty products that customers were covered for the extra protection by local laws.
The AppleCare service, which runs anywhere from $29 to $349 depending on what Apple product you're buying, has long been one of Apple's main differentiators from its competitors. The company's add-on warranty service gives users a way to have their gadgets repaired by phone and in the company's retail stores. Apple extended that service in 2011 to include coverage for accidental damage with its AppleCare+ service.


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October 23, 2013 at 563 × 385 in Samsung Galaxy S 4 Mini coming to AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and US Cellular
Published October 23, 2013 at 563 × 385 in Samsung Galaxy S 4 Mini coming to AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and US Cellular
Subscriber content comes from Gigaom Research, bridging the gap between breaking news and long-tail research. Visit any of our reports to learn more and subscribe.
Amazon's first smartphone is essentially a smaller version of its Kindle Fire HDX tablet but makes phone...Kevin C. Tofel
The latest accessory for the Moto X is a set of NFC-enabled stickers meant to be worn...Kif Leswing
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Xiaomi has introduced the Redmi 6 Pro and the Mi Pad 4, two new Android devices to flesh out its lineup. The Redmi 6 Pro is a high-end to mid-range smartphone. The device will come in three variants, including 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, 4GB RAM + 32GB storage, and 4GB RAM + ... Read More »
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition was announced today with a transparent glass back, something that has been done before but not in such a good-looking manner. Read More »
Xiaomi has announced two new smartphones today, including the new flagship Mi 8. The device features a 6.21-inch AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, a 12MP dual camera system (that earned a 105 from DxOMark), a 20MP sensor on the front, ... Read More »
Most Tweeted This Week
Xiaomi, a smartphone manufacturer based out of China, is celebrating its eight year anniversary in 2018, and it will be launching a new smartphone to celebrate.
Xiaomi has a variety of smart products on the market, and the company has announced it is aiming to make them even smarter with a little help from Google Assistant.
Some manufacturers are starting to put a real focus in on the mobile gaming community, which has already been huge for years thanks to titles like Candy Crush that let anyone with a smartphone jump into a video game with a couple of minutes on their hands.
Razer wasn’t the first company to really jump on ... Read More »
Xiaomi, like some other companies, decided to announce a new smartphone today.
The Mi Mix 2S has been officially unveiled, featuring minimal bezels, a pair of rear cameras, and the latest and greatest when it comes to a high-end processor. Xiaomi did keep the design of the Mi Mix 2S similar to Read More »
While Xiaomi is teasing a new high-end smartphone, the company is also working behind the scenes to expand its market identity all over the globe, which includes a concerted effort to enter the wireless marketing the United States.
That’s the company’s goal, as it has been for quite some ... Read More »
The famous Xiaomi Mi Mix series is getting another update, and Xiaomi’s global spokesperson took to Twitter to tease it. Not only did we get another detail about the device, we also got its Antutu benchmark score.


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Over the past week three big stores based retailers - Debenhams, Arcadia and Bonmarche - have all gone bust. Although unsustainable stores were only part of the problem for these long-term struggling businesses, they contributed to their demise.
At the beginning of this year, Lush boss Mark Constantine told Retail Week if he had his way the ethical beauty business would focus on large city-centre stores like the one it had recently opened in Liverpool.
The retail business had also in recent years unveiled multi-floor experience-led stores in other major cities such as Birmingham, Munich and Shinjuku in Tokyo and Constantine was hungry for more.
“Would I like to only run large stores like Liverpool? Yes, I really would,” he said.
Constantine was not alone. Retailers ranging from Boots in Covent Garden to Primark in Birmingham were betting on large-format, city-centre stores to drive their business’ growth.
But a lot can change in 10 months, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has decimated trade and drastically decreased commuter, tourist and general footfall.
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Innovation and pioneering partnership will be at the forefront of a platform of sustainable solutions from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) at Intermat 2024 in Paris, France.
Volvo CE France, together with colleagues across Volvo Group, will showcase an all-inclusive decarbonization pathway for the entire construction industry that covers powerful battery electric equipment and commercial vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell prototypes, smart services and efficient charging solutions.
On a 1.500 m² stand Volvo will display today’s decarbonization in action. Alongside a number of new and existing innovations will be the 23-ton EC230 Electric excavator and the new L120 Electric wheel loader, as well as some of the smaller electric compact machines such as the EC18 Electric excavator.
The Volvo HX04 is the world's first articulated hauler hydrogen fuel cell prototype
Proving that multiple technologies are needed to support our industry’s transition, the world’s first prototype hydrogen fuel cell articulated hauler, the HX04, will also be highlighted, alongside other pioneering solutions such as those powered by renewable biofuels.
With services taking on a more prominent role at Intermat, 2024 Volvo CE will display Productivity Services such as Connected Map, Task Manager and its pioneering Equipment as a Service model, as well as Parts and Uptime Services such as the CO2 Reduction Program. Volvo Financial Services will be part of the Volvo stand to present its wide offer of financing solutions.
Volvo CE will present its pioneering Productivity and Parts and Uptime services
The electric transformation would not be complete without a demonstration of the company’s leading range of charging solutions and mobile power units, for both lighter equipment and heavy-duty long-haul commercial vehicles.
Knowing that the sustainability shift is a journey our customers cannot achieve in isolation, Volvo CE’s products and services will stand shoulder to shoulder with 100% electric solutions from Volvo Trucks and Volvo Penta.
It is a platform that proves that Volvo is a trusted brand when it comes to delivering a net zero future across different transport streams – and that it is more committed than ever to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
Through product and service innovation, it is demonstrating that electric construction equipment has the power to work seamlessly together with electric trucks, all the while supported by reliable and holistic charging solutions.
Davy Guillemard, Head of Market Area France, Volvo CE, says: “We are leading our industry transformation, both in France and around the world, with our unique and holistic offering of sustainable solutions. Our customers benefit from the expertise across Volvo Group, resulting in our broad range of electric products, charging solutions and smart services.”
It will be the first time Intermat has been staged since the 2021 event was forced to cancel due to the insurmountable challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Volvo CE at the last Intermat in Paris, France, 2018


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Amazon Prime Day
LifeStraw's water filter, our go-to for backpacking trips and emergency prep, is on sale for just $10 during Prime Day
LifeStraw is a safe and effective portable water filter that stole the show last year. It's on sale again for 50% off for Prime Day 2020.
Foreo's facial cleansing brushes remove 99.5% of dirt, and they're 50% off during Amazon Prime Day 2020.
Tuft & Needle ran a Prime Day deal on its popular mattresses last year — here's what you need to know for Prime Day 2020
Tuft & Needle's Original Mattress and Nod Mattress were on sale last Prime Day. Keep a lookout for mattress deals this Prime Day 2020.
The Ring Video Doorbell is more than likely to be heavily discounted for Amazon Prime Day 2020. Here are the deals we expect to see this year.
We're anticipating all the Twitch Prime perks that Amazon will be dropping for Prime Day 2020, from new content to live-streamed exhibitions.
Vitamix's new and renewed blenders were discounted for last year's Prime Day — here are the deals we hope to see again in 2020
Amazon Prime Day is a great time to get new kitchen appliances. Vitamix blenders were on sale last year. Here are the best deals we hope to see again.
Details about Amazon Prime Day 2020 aren't out yet, but here are the best kitchen deals from last year's event so you can create a plan this year.
During Prime Day 2020, Amazon shoppers will save hundreds on Chromebooks from Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, Samsung, and HP. Here are the deals we expect.
Amazon Prime Day 2020 will sure be high time to buy a new smart home device. Here are the smart home deals we expect — from the Echo to the Roomba.
Roomba vacuums were heavily discounted during Amazon Prime Day — here are the deals we saw last year
Take advantage of Roomba sales during Amazon Prime Day 2020. Here's what we saw last year, and what we expect to see in 2020.
I purchased a 6-month supply of toilet paper on Amazon Prime Day — and it was one of the best decisions I ever made
Most people use Prime Day as an opportunity to save on pricier tech items like TVs, speakers, and phones. I use Prime Day to stock up on toilet paper.
Prime Video includes a large selection of movies and TV shows you can rent or buy. Here are the Prime Video deals we expect on Prime Day 2020.
Here are answers to all your FAQs about Prime Day 2020, including what it is, when it is, how to shop, what to buy, and more.
Amazon Prime Day is a great time to buy gaming gear for less. Here are the best gaming deals we're anticipating for Prime Day 2020.
The best headphone deals we expect on Prime Day 2020 from Apple, Bose, Sony, Beats, Sennheiser, and more
Amazon Prime Day is a great time to buy headphones. Here are the headphone deals we expect on Prime Day 2020 from Apple, Sony, Bose, and more.
Online DNA kits have become massively popular and during Amazon Prime Day 2020, you'll find deals on kits from 23andMe and AncestryDNA.
Kindle Unlimited gives you access to more than one million books for $10 a month, and you don't need a Kindle to enjoy the service
Kindle Unlimited offers access to Amazon's massive library of books and magazines for $9.99 a month. When you sign up, you also get a free 30-day trial.
Amazon Prime Day is a great time to buy new audio gear. Here are the speaker and soundbar deals we expect for Prime Day 2020.
Amazon will likely discount MacBooks, Windows laptops, and Chromebooks for Prime Day 2020. Here are the Prime Day 2020 laptop deals we expect.
For Amazon Prime Day 2020, we expect a lot of top tech deals, including the Fire TV and Echo. Here's what we hope to see this year.


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Celgene assured investors that it had three promising drugs, but the complaint for this securities class action claims that its overly optimistic statements about them were violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
The class for this action is all persons or entities who bought Celgene common stock between September 12, 2016 and February 27, 2018.
Celgene creates therapies for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Its most successful drug, Revlimid, provided more than 60% of the company’s total net product sales in 2016. These profits have been sustained by price increases, the complaint claims, as the company has tripled its price to $20,000 per month.
Revlimid’s patent will expire soon, allowing cheaper generics to cut into its market, but Celgene claimed it had three promising drugs to take Revlimid’s place:
The company put out a five-year plan that predicted $21 billion in net product sales by 2020, nearly triple the amount for 2014. The plan included hundreds of millions in sales from GED-0301 and an increase in sales of Otezla.
On September 12, 2016, the start of the class period, the company put out data from an endoscopy trial of GED-0301 which it claimed showed “both endoscopic improvements and clinically meaningful responses and remission at an early timepoint…” Unfortunately, the complaint claims that the company had designed a flawed trial to dispel investor concerns and that it had not shown real efficacy.
During the next year, the complaint claims that the company continued to say that GED-0301 was promising and that its 2020 guidance would be met. It also made claims for its two other drugs, saying they could “literally, change the entire landscape” of how their target diseases were treated. On September 26, 2017, the company claimed that non-US sales of Otezla were growing “at a greater than 100% clip” and, again, that the 2020 predictions would be met or exceeded.
Less than a month later, on October 19, the company announced it would abandon GED-0301 and take a $1.6 billion impairment charge.
A week later, the company released its third-quarter results, showing that Otezla had slowed to only 2% growth in US sales. Although the company modified its 2020 projections, it raised its projections for Revlimid and other existing products. After that, the company touted its drug Ozanimod as having the potential for billions of dollars in sales.
On February 27, 2018, however, the company announced that the FDA had issued a Refusal to File letter for Ozanimod, stating that the information submitted was insufficient for review.
At each piece of news, the company’s stock fell, until at last it was trading more than 40% below its high during the class period.


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President Trump announced fresh sanctions on the Islamic Republic on Monday, following the downing of an unmanned American drone last week.Politicsread more
President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has presented a $50 billion investment plan for economic growth and peace in the Middle East that has been greeted with...World Politicsread more
Stocks should rally if the U.S. and China agree to new negotiations and a ceasefire in the trade war, but the economic impact of tariffs will continue.Market Insiderread more
The trade war between Beijing and Washington appears to have depressed Chinese property purchases in the United States. China's own actions may also be playing a role.Real Estateread more
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent out another email to his employees, pushing them to aim for a record number of vehicle deliveries to end the second quarter of 2019.Technologyread more
More than 300 companies are talking to government officials in Washington about how detrimental the trade war is.Marketsread more
Democrats want Mueller's testimony on his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump's efforts to influence it.Politicsread more
The Senate is expected to pass its own version of the border aid legislation, while the Trump administration has threatened to veto both bills.Politicsread more
Some 4 million people have fled the South American country since 2015 amid an economic meltdown.World Politicsread more
Japanese designer Undercover posted on its Instagram account a photo of protesters with the slogan "no extradition to China," the Financial Times reported.China Politicsread more
Powell stresses the central bank's independence in a speech that comes amid continuous pressure from the White House to cut interest rates.The Fedread more
Are those Chicken McNuggets real? Depends on whether you're wearing a McDonald's Happy Meal box on your face.
They'll be sold in Sweden for a limited time.
The company, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Happy Meal in Sweden, will roll out about 3,500 Happy Goggles at 14 restaurants in the Nordic country over the weekends of March 5 and March 12; each will sell for around $4.10, according to AdWeek.
McDonald's Happy Goggles will be paired with "Slope Stars" a 360-degree virtual-reality skiing game endorsed by the Swedish National Ski Team.
McDonald's, which declined to comment further, is just the latest business to jump on Silicon Valley's virtual bandwagon. Sony, Facebook, Samsung and Microsoft are among the major players in the virtual-reality game, however, last year, toymaker Mattel revitalized its View-Master as a virtual headset.
Of course, this new technology has faced some parental backlash over health and safety concerns. McDonald's says it hired two child psychologists to give recommendations for how the headsets should be used by kids.
Happy Goggles are only available in Sweden, for now. If successful, the company hopes to roll out the product in other countries in the future.


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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission wants to ‘level the playing field’ for media and news outlets.
The Australian government is taking steps that would see Facebook and Google share some of the advertising revenue that news content generates with media companies. In response, Facebook said it is “disappointed” about the move.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is developing a mandatory code of conduct that will apply to the relationship between news and media companies and tech platforms such as Facebook and Google.
According to ABC News, the code of conduct will cover issues including the sharing of data, ranking of news content online and the sharing of revenue generated from news.
Australian treasurer Josh Frydenberg said: “It’s only fair that those that generate content get paid for it.”
‘Level the playing field’
The ACCC said that while it has been working on a voluntary code of conduct, it advised the government that getting a voluntary agreement around the issue of payment for content was “unlikely”.
The idea for the code came from a 2019 inquiry into digital platforms, which found that companies such as Facebook and Google were taking a large cut of advertising revenue, despite the fact that much of their content came from media organisations.
Initially, the ACCC planned to work voluntarily with Facebook and Google to draw up a plan, but now the Australian government has decided to introduce a mandatory code, with penalties and dispute resolution processes.
‘Media companies are facing significant financial pressure and Covid-19 has led to a sharp downturn in advertising revenue across the whole sector’
– JOSH FRYDENBERG
Frydenberg said that a mandatory code would help “level the playing field” at a challenging time for media and news outlets.
Over the last few years, media companies have struggled to generate revenue online, with many outlets shuttering or cutting jobs as a result. Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, these challenges have been exacerbated and many media outlets around the globe are finding it even more difficult to survive.
“Media companies are facing significant financial pressure and Covid-19 has led to a sharp downturn in advertising revenue across the whole sector,” Frydenberg said.
“Digital platforms need to do more to improve the transparency of their operations for news media providers as they have a significant impact on the capacity of news media organisations to build and maintain an audience and derive resources from the media content they produce.”
The ACCC plans to release a draft mandatory code for consultation by the end of July. Facebook has already said it is unhappy about the Australian government’s attempt to introduce a mandatory code.
Will Easton, managing director of Facebook Australia and New Zealand, said: “We’re disappointed by the government’s announcement, especially as we’ve worked hard to meet their agreed deadline.
“Covid-19 has impacted every business and industry across the country, including publishers, which is why we announced a new, global investment to support news organisations at a time when advertising revenue is declining.
“We’ve invested millions of dollars locally to support Australian publishers through content arrangements, partnerships and training for the industry and hope the code will protect the interests of millions of Australians and small businesses that use our services every day.”
Google said it had worked with the industry, government and ACCC on the draft code and “will continue to do so in the revised process set out by the government”.
Frydenberg added that the ACCC “won’t bow to threats” and that this is a “battle worth fighting.”
He acknowledged similar efforts in France and Spain, but said Australia is “prepared for this fight” even though it is “a big mountain to climb”.
Australian communications minister Paul Fletcher said that European nations had failed to implement these measures by relying on copyright law to extract payments. Australia, on the other hand, plans to use competition law.
Fletcher said: “Competition delivers the best outcomes for consumers but when you have one set of businesses acquiring content from another, without the opportunity for a fair discussion about what they paid for it, then that is why we believe the ACCC needs to get involved.”


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AI agents for bitcoin management can also be created
Lightning Labs, developer of the Lightning Network (LN), the second-layer technology that enables high-speed Bitcoin (BTC) payments, today announced the launch of a new suite of tools designed for artificial intelligence (AI) development. Announced.
It allows developers to build AI infrastructures that are more accessible to both humans and agents (programs that run independently).
connection: What is “Lightning Network” that even beginners can understand | Explanation of features and mechanism
What is Lightning Network
An off-chain technology that uses Layer 2 to eliminate the transaction processing capacity of Bitcoin. By introducing the Lightning Network, transactions can be conducted outside the blockchain, which tends to be congested, leading to faster transactions and lower fees. If transactions are made faster and fees are reduced, it will be possible to make small payments, which is expected to lead to the creation of new products and services.
First, there is “LangChainBitcoin,” which uses the library “Langchain,” which simplifies the operation of AI agents.
It includes a set of tools called “LLM Agent BitcoinTools” that can call and leverage the newly released GPT functions of OpenAI.
With it, you can create an AI agent that leverages Lightning to manage Bitcoin. Agents can manage bitcoin balances, send and receive bitcoins on the Lightning Network, and interact with Lightning nodes.
In addition, the latest version of L402 protocol-related reverse proxy (an intermediate proxy server placed between the client and the server) “Aperture” has also been released. Any API can be turned into a pay-as-you-go resource and placed on the Lightning Network.
AI development and virtual currency
Lightning Labs also explained the background behind why they are combining the Lightning Network with AI.
First, because AI agents (programs that run autonomously) are not “business entities,” it is difficult for them to access fiat currency payment systems. On the other hand, AI agents also have to pay for using APIs and paid data sources.
At that time, payments such as bitcoin and the Lightning Network, which can be used around the world without permission and can be settled almost instantly, will be attractive to the creators of AI agents.
He went on to say that in order for the majority of people to have equitable access to the latest AI models, we need new ways that even those without the most advanced hardware can do it.
Lightning Labs developed the L402 protocol in 2020 to address these issues. It can be used by any internet-connected device or any entity with the ability to send and receive bitcoins, and can process large amounts of payments instantly.
Lightning Labs is updating the L402 protocol to make it more user-friendly for AI developers and others.
Raise 10 billion yen in 2022
Since 2016, Lightning Labs has been developing the Bitcoin L2 solution “Lightning Network”.
In April 2022, it announced a product “Taro” that enables the use of stablecoins in apps that use the Lightning Network.
At this time, about 10 billion yen ($70 million) was raised from Valor Equity Partners and others through Series B funding.
The post Lightning Labs Announces Development Tool to Connect AI and Bitcoin appeared first on Our Bitcoin News.


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By Dennis Abrams
Writing in the Korea Times, Kim Tong-hyung lays his cards on the table: “Korean’s don’t read books. Korean’s don’t read newspapers. Koreans go to the movies.”
“This is how members of the dead-tree industry would summarize the last couple of years as they cope with disappearing reading habits, manifested more clearly in the sluggish economy.”
One figure says it all. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism says that of Korea’s 42,157 publishers, nearly 94% did not release a new book in 2012, at a time when Korea’s book consumption dropped to its lowest point in more than ten years.
Still, as Kim points out, there is one company in the book industry that is doing well. “Aladin, a book retailer with a large online presence, has been enjoying a booming business with its chain of used-book shops, which have been magnets for bargain-hunting readers.”
Taking full advantage of its large sales network, the company is able to present customers with a larger selection of books than the typical independent second-hand bookstore. Combine that with “the impeccable interior of its shops,” (complete with comfortable couches and computers), and you have a store that’s tailor made to reach “the generation of customers who grew accustomed to reading at Starbucks.” Indeed, since opening its first store in 2011, Aladin has expanded to 16 self-proclaimed used-book stores, including one in Los Angeles that opened in July of this year.
But success brings with it criticism. Kim writes that “Some industry sources say that Aladin’s stores are encouraging a destructive price competition among publishers as they attempt to move larger volumes of their new books.”
The article points out that some publishers are stockpiling large numbers of their latest releases at Aladin stores, where they sell at a 50% discount, “in an effort to inflate sales figures.”
Kim argues that this behavior, which he calls “reckless and myopic” is damaging to the long-term health of Korea’s publishing industry, “which may depend on whether a Germany-liked fixed-price system on books, currently discussed at the National Assembly, will ever be allowed to be effective.”
The proposed law that is currently under debate would prevent retailers from offering discounts of more than 10%. The problem, says Kim, is that “such regulations would be rendered irrelevant when the more desperate publishers can just move their books at cheaper-than-allowed prices through ‘loopholes’ like the Aladin shops.”
What exactly entails a “used” book is seemingly an open question when large numbers of new books, many still in their vinyl coverings, are found at Aladin’s used book stores.
One company, Dong-Asia Publishing, recently said that it would no longer sell its books through Aladin’s network. The company’s president, Han Sung-bon, says that despite the risk, it’s the right decision.
“Aladin’s used-book stores are masquerading as second-hand book shops, but they are essentially discount shops aimed at moving new books. These shops have been encouraging twisted, unconventional discount activities that are hurting the health of the entire market.”
Not surprisingly, Kim Seong-dong, a marketing official at Aladin, downplayed such concerns, saying that new titles less than six months from publication date account for just 2% of sales at the company’s stores over the last six months. He also went on to deny accusations that Aladin is purchasing large quantities of new books from publishers at a reduced price.
“Our shops aren’t being used for dumping,” he told the Korea Times. “There are publishers who are desperate to reduce their inventories and they scramble to sell those books to different bookstores in exchange for quick cash. Some of those books reach our stores, but they account for just a small number of the books sold in them.”
Would a fixed book price law help or hinder Korea in the time of crisis? Let us know what you think in the comments.


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Sun, May 22, 2022
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Global EV sales and battery capacity
May 20, 17:56
NEWS TAGGED JASON CHEN
Friday 20 May 2022
Acer enjoys robust commercial notebook sales
Acer has enjoyed robust commercial notebook sales despite the impact of inflation and the Russia-Ukraine war on its overall sales performance, according to company CEO and chairman...
Monday 16 May 2022
Qaunta, Inventec positive about 2H22 notebook shipments
Taiwan's notebook ODMs Quanta Computer and Inventec both have released positive outlook for their shipment performance in the second half of the year, though some market observers...
Tuesday 4 January 2022
Acer cautious about market changes due to long shipment time, says chairman
Acer takes a cautious attitude toward unpredictable changes in market conditions which are likely to arise from long delays in shipping products, according to company chairman and...
Wednesday 22 December 2021
Acer chairman eyes component supply improvement in 1Q22
Acer chairman Jason Chen believes component shortages will have a chance to improve significantly in the first quarter of 2022.
Monday 18 October 2021
Brand vendors under pressure to raise new notebook prices
Notebook brands are facing the pressure of reflecting the extra costs from components, production and logistics on the prices of their new notebooks, according to sources from the...
Friday 15 October 2021
Chip shortage causes uneven inventories, says Acer chairman
Notebook inventories held by Acer's channel distributors are pretty low. The PC vendor still has a large backlog of orders from international distributors as uneven inventories across...
Thursday 23 September 2021
Chromebook demand turns to 15-inch models
Chromebooks with 14- to 15-inch displays are currently having the worst shortages as orders from the education segment are shifting from the elementary to middle school levels - which...
Tuesday 24 August 2021
Chromebook demand remains strong, says Acer chairman
Chromebook demand remains strong, with sales set to outperform the overall PC sales in terms of growth, according to Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen.
Monday 5 July 2021
Acer eyes medical care business
Acer has been keen on making deployments in the smart medical care, antibacterial and eco-friendly product sectors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to company chairman...
Wednesday 2 June 2021
Micron intros 176-layer NAND, 1α DRAM technology
Micron Technology has unveiled memory and storage innovations across its portfolio based on its 176-layer NAND and 1α (1-alpha) DRAM technology, as well as what the company...
Monday 31 May 2021
Global top-5 notebook brands expect 2022 shipments to remain stable
Global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, expect demand for notebooks to stay robust in the second half of 2021 and believe notebook shipments are unlikely to experience...
Thursday 1 April 2021
Notebook ODMs express concerns about overbooking
Notebook ODMs have expressed concerns about overbooking by clients who continue to step up their pace of orders, according to industry sources.
Thursday 4 March 2021
PC supply to remain constrained until 3Q21, says Acer chairman
The global supply of notebooks and other PCs will remain constrained all the way to the third quarter of this year as components continue to be in tight supply, according to Acer...
Friday 23 October 2020
Acer expects replacement demand to drive notebook market growth in 2021
Replacement demand from the consumer sector, in addition to Chromebooks, will be driving the overall notebook market growth in 2021, according to Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen.
Thursday 24 September 2020
Acer eyeing bigger presence in non-PC field
Acer has seen sales generated from non-PC products climb as a proportion of company revenues to 20%, and expects the proportion to continue expanding thanks to its business diversification...
May 19, 12:09
Computex Focus: DataVan to showcase new retail solutions for new normal
Thursday 19 May 2022
STAr Technologies unveils one-touch memory test probe card
Wednesday 18 May 2022
Advanced vision AI eliminates potential risks in cleanroom environments for semiconductor and panel manufacturers
Wednesday 11 May 2022
NeoGene unveils novel ultra-thin heat-pipe-array vapor chamber technology for ultra-high-density power battery pack application
Notebook production in China unlikely to be fully restored until July
IC design houses under pressure to drop prices
Brand notebook vendors cut orders for 2022
YMTC sampling 192-layer 3D NAND chips
Datacenters to become biggest consumer of NAND flash in 2023-2024
Apple car team reportedly in talks with Korean and Japanese suppliers
AMD, MediaTek reportedly in talks to form JV
TSMC to raise quotes for advanced, mature process technologies by 10-20%
BYD Semiconductor takes major stake in Energen
Is GF a good buy for Intel?
EV penetration to rise to 30% in 2025, says DIGITIMES Research
Non-foundry IC segments gaining weight in HPC era, says DIGITIMES Research
DIGITIMES Research worldwide notebook shipment update – February 2022
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One in four consumers was given poor or misleading advice on how to invest their nest eggs by high street banks and building societies, an undercover probe by the City watchdog has revealed.
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) carried out 231 mystery shops at six major firms between March and September last year in order to discover the quality of advice given to customers looking to invest a lump sum.
Three-quarters of customers received good advice but in 15% of cases the adviser did not gather enough information to make sure advice was suitable. In 11% of occasions the advice was not appropriate.
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Santander confirmed it was one of those tested and said in December it took 800 investment advisers "off the road" for re-training. A bank spokesman said the move was prompted by the FSA's probe as well as industry-wide changes to the way customers pay for advice.
In the wake of recent scandals, the FSA said all firms should consider whether their incentive schemes increase the danger of people being mis-sold products which are unsuitable or too risky and put controls in place to prevent this.
The study found examples of advisers failing to recommend that customers should pay off their debts when this would have been the right option.
In one in 20 mystery shops they also failed to properly take into account the length of time a customer wanted to hold on to an investment for.
In some of the mystery shops, advisers gathered the information necessary to be able to determine what would have been suitable for the customer but still recommended an unsuitable product.
The report said: "We expect all firms to consider whether their incentive schemes increase the risk of mis-selling and to put in place adequate governance and controls to prevent this.
"We will carry out a review later in 2013 to see whether firms have acted on our guidance."
It said one adviser at an unnamed firm found a customer had around £9000 of credit card debt and was only making minimum repayments.
The adviser failed to recommend the customer repay his debt and instead recommended an investment which was not in his best interests.
A spokeswoman for the FSA said the mystery shopper exercise had led to enforcement action being taken against one firm, and it will be working with others which were found to be giving poor advice on ways they can improve their services.
Clive Adamson, director of supervision at the FSA, said: "Customers are not consistently getting the quality of advice on their investments that they should expect.
"While we are disappointed by the results of this review, we are encouraged by the action the firms involved have taken to rectify the situation for their customers."


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Are You Ready For The Latest ‘Pop-Up’ Restaurant Craze In Kalamazoo
The Pop-up restaurant craze is happening all across the country but now it's a hit in Kalamazoo Michigan!
Noel Corwin's club formally known as Kalamazoo Supper Club started the Pop-up restaurant trend about 4 years ago and on Sept 25th a Pop-up restaurant will appear at the Boatyard Brewing Company for just one night.
I adore the idea of the Pop-up Restaurant because it is simple and lovely. According to the National Restaurant Association...
"Pop-up dining involves "mini-restaurants that temporarily operate in parks, plazas, galleries, warehouses, event centers and larger restaurants,"
The Pop-up restaurants in our area have been gaining popularity, in fact the last one sold out. The cost of the meal/experience averages out to about $20 per person.
Mlive quoted Corwin as saying...
"It was an opportunity to host and serve guests in a different format."
To top off the next event Boatyard Brewing is making a special beer for the event, this could be a night to remember!
Below is a great example of a 'Pop-up' restaurant...excuse the pun...it's a little taste of what you can expect....


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NTT DoCoMo Inc. unveiled a prototype smartphone on May 21 that has a transparent display.
The user’s hand can be seen behind app icons and other images through the 2.4-inch display.
Touch-panel functions are available on both the front and flip side.
NTT DoCoMo said it has yet to decide whether to put such products to practical use, but is considering using the technology for games and other functions.
The prototype will be shown at the Wireless Japan 2012 telecommunication technology exhibition that gets under way in Tokyo on May 30.
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Princes commits to make bottles with 50% recycled plastic
Consumer goods giant Princes has pledged to increase the proportion of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in its plastic soft drink and oil bottles to more than 50% within four months, as part of an ongoing goal of using 100% PCR plastic in all its packaging.
The owner of Aqua Pura, Napolina and Crisp ‘n Dry will start manufacturing its bottles with 51% recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (RPET) this month (May) and expects to have transitioned all its branded and own-label products to at least 50% PCR by the end of September.
The company produces around 7% of the plastic bottles used in the UK annually – around 900 million a year. Its bottles are already 100% recyclable and its soft drink bottles were made with 25% PCR as of 2015, but Princes corporate relations director David McDiarmid said the move to increase PCR content is a further “significant step” for the firm.
“We want to increase the recycled content of all the plastic we use and have been working for some time to implement 51 percent RPET, as it’s by far our biggest area of plastic usage,” McDiarmid said. “This is a significant step for not only ourselves, but the wider grocery industry too as we will reach millions of households through our supply of brands and customer own brand soft drinks and oils.”
McDiarmid added that he wanted to commit to 100% recycled plastic in all its packaging “as soon as we can”, noting that Princes is sourcing its PCR from a UK supplier.
Turning waste streams into resources
Following the publication of a damning report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation which claimed that 95% of the value of plastic packaging material, worth $80-120bn annually, is lost to the economy, several big-name brands have made moves to incorporate more PCR in their packaging.
Ecover last year unveiled a washing-up liquid bottle made from 50% ocean plastic and this month launched a 100% PCR plastic bottle for its core washing-up liquid range as part of its vision to use 100% recycled plastic in all bottles by 2020.
The Procter & Gamble (P&G) Company has taken similar steps by moving to house its iconic Fairy washing-up liquid in bottles made completely from PCR plastic and repurposed ocean plastic. Its Head and Shoulders shampoo and conditioner range is similarly packaged in 25% PCR plastic bottles as the chain strives to reach a 2020 goal to double the amount of recycled material used in packaging – something it has been doing on a smaller scale for more than 25 years.
© Faversham House Ltd 2023 edie news articles may be copied or forwarded for individual use only. No other reproduction or distribution is permitted without prior written consent.


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You are here
Canada seeks more trade with post-Brexit Britain: Trudeau
[OTTAWA] Canada will want to bolster trade with Britain after it secedes from the European Union, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured Wednesday.
"The United Kingdom remains a friend and ally and economic partner and we will, of course, work with them as they go through the transition that they're embarking upon," Mr Trudeau said.
"We'll continue to look for ways to create closer trade ties and opportunities for better jobs and economic growth that benefits both of our countries and we will continue to engage as friends and allies."
Britain is Canada's fourth-biggest trading partner, but would be excluded from a Canada-EU trade pact once it leaves the EU in two years - a deadline prompted when British Prime Minister Theresa May earlier Wednesday triggered formal divorce proceedings.
Parliament members in both London and Ottawa have called for swift negotiations on a separate bilateral trade deal in order to mitigate any trade disruptions.
Officials have suggested that the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) would be a good base for negotiations.
But Canadian Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne poured cold water on that idea, saying last week that it was "premature" to discuss a trade agreement with Britain at the same time as Britain was in EU exit talks.
Officially Britain cannot enter into trade talks until it has left the EU.
Until the divorce is finalised, however, Britain will benefit from Ceta, which will provisionally come into force in a few weeks.


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Funny story: I've known about this company, with its bath melts and shower smoothies, for a while. However, I first noticed the Charity Pot body lotions stacked by the cash register while Christmas shopping two weeks ago. Each lid featured a different photo of a nonprofit and a brief description of their mission. I paid for one and furiously took down the names of five other organizations I'd planned to
I had no idea just how far their reach was, though. Since 2007, 100% of the retail price of the body lotion that's available year-round has been donated to over 600 grassroots nonprofits and charitable organizations. In total, their Charity Pot grant program has allocated over $5.8 million to these groups. I don't know much about business, but I do know that giving 100% of the total price away sounds crazy, especially when you're also absorbing the cost of packaging and production.
“As a whole, it generates more customers and interest than money lost. People read about an organization close to their heart and we gain very loyal customers that way,” said Tricia Stevens, manager of the Charitable Giving
About 225,000 units of the body lotion that gives back were sold in North America alone last year, which translated to approximately $2.2 million in grants for 194 different groups, distributed equally; that number is expected to reach $3.8 million across 380 organizations in 2015. Over the past year, Darwin Animal Doctors, One Heart Mexico, and Wee Work, have received a boost in the form of internet campaigns, in-store promotional events, and yes, money to help them grow.
I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that one of the 2014 Charity Pot groups is the Beagle Freedom Project, a nonprofit that helps rescue test dogs from laboratories and helps them find forever homes once released. We'd written about them earlier this year, and, before that, had never heard of them. Seems like the "awareness" campaign has been working.
"We’ve used the funds from Charity Pot for our Legislative Action Campaign, which lobbies for the release of both dogs and cats from the research laboratories that receive State or tax incentives," said co-founder Shannon Keith. Funds will also support the Identity Campaign, a viral video to educate the public about animal testing via rescued beagles.


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The camera sounds interesting, but surely it’s time to say goodbye to the APS-C DSLR.
A recent report has suggested that Canon may be making a new APS-C DSLR that will combine two of their popular APS-C based cameras into one new shiny body. While the camera certainly sounds interesting, surely there has to be a point in time when Canon and others lay the APS-C DSLR to rest. Mirrorless cameras, especially in the flavor of APS-C have taken over the APS-C market, and most consumers (and many professionals) are picking Mirrorless APS-C cameras over DSLRs.
The report that was recently published on Canon Watch, suggests that instead of making a new 90D and a 7D Mk III, Canon may well combine both together into one APS-C DSLR that takes the best from both models and joins them together in matrimony. An APS-C DSLR that would have a full tilting, flippy screen, Dual Pixel AF from the EOS 80D, and a strong, rugged, weather sealed body, with the high burst rate from the 7D Mk II sure sounds good–but honestly, making this camera as anything other than a Mirrorless camera that can compete with offerings from Fujifilm and Sony would surely leave egg on the faces of Canon once again.
Current offerings from Canon in the Mirrorless world have left a lot to be desired. It’s almost as if they are afraid to really leave DSLRs behind. It’s this fear that has led Canon on the path to disappointment after disappointment. The once proud industry leader needs to embrace Mirrorless technology, and they need to stop putting out half measures to try and appease the Canon faithful who are yearning for more.
“An APS-C based Mirrorless camera from Canon that can take on the likes of the X-T3, and the offerings from Sony is exactly what they need to get their fans excited once again.”
APS-C DSLR cameras are dying a rather quick death now. Sony and Fujifilm have taken this market segment by storm with their A6xx series, and the X-T series of APS-C Mirrorless cameras. Meanwhile aging APS-C DSLR cameras are left to gather dust on shelves in stores all over the world, while Mirrorless cameras can hardly be kept in stock.
Consumers, hobbyists, and pros have all flocked to APS-C offerings from Sony and Fujifilm (myself included), and if Canon wants to stop hemorrhaging the largest part of their customer base they need to come up with something special; I don’t know, something like a Mirrorless APS-C based camera with insane video and stills capabilities that could take on say the Fujifilm X-T3? Yes. That might just work. A hybrid, Mirrorless 80D and 7D Mk II combined into a Mirrorless camera would be marvelous.
“Current offerings from Canon in the Mirrorless world have left a lot to be desired. It’s almost as if they are afraid to really leave DSLR’s behind.”
The idea of a Canon APS-C monster that combines incredible video performance, the ability to capture exceptional stills, and that has high burst rates for sports, all inside a small, tough weather sealed body has me (and i’m sure countless others) quite excited. Canon need to be careful though. If they release this camera, and it’s in the form of an APS-C DSLR, it will be dead on arrival. Mirrorless is the way forward, and while many may not like to admit it, DSLRs are on the way out. They may still be around for a little while, but honestly, if companies think they can hold on to past glories with new DSLR’s they are destined to fail.
An APS-C based Mirrorless camera from Canon that can take on the likes of the X-T3, and the Sony a6400 is exactly what they need to get their fans excited once again. Going forward they can transition other lines such as the Rebel series into low cost, Mirrorless based APS-C cameras too. Doing this would surely change their outlook on how the camera market looks to them. The APS-C DSLR is done, it’s finished, it’s dead, and a new APS-C DSLR from any manufacturer at this point would be a major misstep. Let’s hope Canon and others embrace Mirrorless technology and put APS-C DSLR cameras to rest.
How do you feel about APS-C DSLR cameras? Do you think their time is up thanks to affordable APS-C Mirrorless options from Fujifilm, Sony, and others? Let us know in the comment section below.


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Well, we can't say we're surprised!
The twosome have been linked since November after meeting on E!'s new dating show, Famously Single. HIGHlarious!
In an interview with E! News, the Danity Kane alum shared:
The hardest working woman in England!
The British Jessica Simpson, Jordan, is hawking yet another of her licensed products.
The glamour gal born Katie Price made an appearance at Blanchardstown perfume store in Dublin on Friday to promote her new perfume range "Stunning."
It smells like fake tan, fake hair and cheap beer!
[Image via WENN.]


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In an surprising flip of occasions, Switzerland’s Basler Kantonalbank (BKB) has introduced it shut down its cryptoasset-focused venture in a bid to deal with different sectors set out in its technique for the years 2022 to 2025. BKB has additionally determined to shut its fintech subsidiary Eager Innovation which has developed digital asset-focused options for the financial institution and its countrywide retail banking offshoot Bank Cler.
Final yr, Bank Cler introduced Alain Kunz on board as Head of Digital Property. The supervisor, who makes a speciality of blockchain-focused enterprise capital and personal fairness investments, was to develop the Swiss financial institution’s publicity to crypto. Bank Cler was to supply its prospects crypto commerce and custody companies this yr. Nevertheless, the venture was halted, and Kunz has since left the financial institution, native monetary information website MoneyToday.ch reported.
Patrick Riedo, Head of Communication at BKB, informed Cryptonews.com that it “is right that the BKB Group won’t proceed the ‘Digital Property’ venture, i.e. the deliberate introduction of a service for buying and selling and custody of digital property, in the mean time.”
“We have now set our strategic priorities, the Technique 2022-2025, otherwise and are specializing in present enterprise areas and strengthening them. Nevertheless, this doesn’t imply that we not take care of the subject in any respect. We have now constructed up know-how within the [distributed ledger] expertise and the regulatory framework and can carefully monitor developments out there,” Riedo stated.
Additionally, a spokesperson for BKB told monetary information website Finews.com that Bank Cler wouldn’t proceed with cryptoasset companies, and the transfer was a part of efforts by the group to reposition itself as a “good follower”. This means that BKB not needs to advertise improvements in banking, equivalent to integrating crypto-focused companies in a extra conventional provide, however prefers to adapt itself to developments carried out by its market rivals.
Bank Cler stated that, as of the top of the primary half of 2021, its prospects’ property totaled CHF 21.9bn (USD 24bn).
– Colombian Bank Begins Second Phase of its Crypto Pilot with Exchanges
– Think Tank Tells South Korean Banks: Start Offering Crypto Custody Services


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Black Business Owners Agree with New Study
A majority of Atlanta’s small business owners anticipate that their revenue will increase next year according to a recent bank study — and many African-American small business owners agree.
Melanie Few Harrison, president and owner of Results Marketing & Media Inc. fully expects to see growth in her company in 2013 as does Michael Davis, owner/operator of Cartridge World in Camp Creek Market Place and Brian A.M. Green of F&G Event Production & Management.
“My company is expecting a slow but steady climb that will allow us to hire new consultants and increase our bottom line as the economy continues to improve,” says Few-Harrison.
The study also finds that while a majority expects their staffing needs to remain consistent, one-third plan to hire more employees.
These findings are the result of the 2012 Bank of America Small Business Report, a semi-annual study focusing on the concerns, aspirations and viewpoints of small business owners across the country.
The survey, which included an oversampling of small business owners across the Atlanta market, also found that a majority of Atlanta’s small business owners are planning on sustaining or growing their businesses, with more than one-third (36 percent) planning to hire more employees, while 50 percent expect their staffing needs will remain consistent.
The survey revealed 58 percent of Atlanta business owners surveyed anticipate that revenue will increase in 2013, while only seven percent expect revenue to decline. However, the report also indicates uncertainty among these business owners on the economy with only 42 percent confident that their local economy will improve over the next 12 months.
Other findings the survey revealed include:
The significance of Atlanta’s local economy
More than half (53 percent) reported that the majority of their customers come from their local community, compared to 36 percent who indicated that their customers come primarily from outside their local community but within the U.S. Few-Harrison, whose business is a faith-based entertainment consulting agency, agrees that “the local community is definitely a driver in the success of most small businesses.”
“Small businesses can tailor their services and marketing activities to the community, which in turn creates a loyal customer base,” she adds.
Black Friday has little impact on bottom line
The survey also found that Black Friday has little if any impact on Atlanta small business owners, with 76 percent also saying Cyber Monday is overhyped. Green notes, “These two days are about moving product for the holidays and is primarily geared toward the larger retailers. They have the dollars for the major advertising campaigns, and the staff and the flexibility to open their doors at extreme hours.”
Larger Business: asset or adversary?
Davis’ company is a specialty retailer of ink and toner print cartridges providing refilled and remanufactured printer cartridges. His business is seven doors down from mega office retailer Staples, which he views as an asset. “Being close to a major retailer like Staples actually has its benefits,” says Davis. “I’m within walking distance, which offers customers a convenient option, plus I’m able to adjust pricing or run specials at anytime, and I have more face time with customers, which builds trust and keeps them coming back.”
Only one in four (25 percent) respondents views larger businesses as their biggest competitors. Seventy-nine percent indicate they have larger businesses as customers, and 29 percent say that larger businesses motivate them to become better small business owners.
From a competitive perspective, Atlanta small business owners also cited similar factors as Davis that drive customers to choose them over larger businesses, including customer service (81 percent), quality (72 percent) and reliability/trust (70 percent). More than one in three (35 percent) Atlanta small business owners believe their customers choose them because they are local.
Who small business owners turn to for financial guidance
Forty percent of Atlanta small business owners describe themselves as “very savvy” regarding financial matters. When seeking advice, they tap into a broad network for help, including accountants/bookkeepers (71 percent), financial advisors (60 percent), their banker (50 percent) and other small business owners (48 percent).
However, Davis offers a different view. “Small business owners are turning away from traditional funding methods to non-traditional methods such as crowd-funding and sites like Kiva.com, which connects thousands of people to borrowers and partner institutions around the world, working together to create opportunity. I believe this is the future for financing a small business.”


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Today the market has been up and sideways basically, perhaps a little more defensive this afternoon,...
Sell stock pick McDonald's on cost squeeze, to raise cash
09/06/2013 7:15 pm EST
It’s hard for any company to raise prices in the current non-inflationary environment. But it’s especially hard right now for operators of fast food restaurants given the intense price competition in a very crowded marketplace. McDonald’s sales growth in recent quarters has been driven by the success of its Dollar Menu so raising prices in that segment are a big deal for the company. In addition, pushback from franchisees who say they can’t afford to refurbish their stores given higher charges from McDonald’s hits at one of McDonald’s key advantages in its market—it’s ability to refresh stores more frequently than competitors. A McDonald’s refresh at $600,000 on average, according to the company, costs substantially more than a remodel at Burger King (BKW) at $300,000 or Wendy’s (WEN) at $375,000 for the least expensive version. McDonald’s restaurants average $2.5 million in annual sales.
I don’t think those trends are fatal in the long run but they do present significant short-term headwinds for the stock. I’m looking to raise some more cash in case a volatile September and October creates some bargains—and longer term to put to work in emerging markets if I can see something that looks like a bottom. So I’m selling McDonald’s out of my Jubak’s Picks portfolio http://jubakpicks.com/ . As of the close on September 6, I have a 7.1% gain on these shares since I added them to that portfolio in My 2012. The company will pay its most recent quarterly dividend—the stock shows a current yield of 3.2%--on September 17 to shareholders of record on September 3.
The new Dollar Menu—to be called the “Dollar Menu and More”—has been under test in five U.S. markets. One test includes $1, $2, and $5 items; the other has $1, $1.79, and $4.99 offerings. Isn’t this just a price increase? Absolutely. But McDonald’s has run into the brute force rules of economics. Yes, the Dollar Menu increases traffic at its restaurants but the prices on that menu mean that extra traffic doesn’t generate much in the way of margins. That’s especially true for franchisees that pay fees to McDonald’s rather than collecting them. That arrangement lets McDonald’s make money even if franchise owners are seeing their margins cut to the bone and beyond. According to notes that Bloomberg saw from a meeting of franchisees, some franchisees are paying as much as 12% of store revenue in rent. That’s an increase from a historical rate near 8.5%. Revenue to McDonald’s from franchised stores, which includes rent and royalties, increased an average of 8% annually over the past five years, according to Bloomberg. Total revenue at the company grew by an average annual 4%
McDonald’s and its franchisees have been through this battle before. In the mid-1990s, for example, franchisees protested that the company was opening too many restaurants near existing franchise operations and cannibalizing their sales. In response McDonald’s slowed its rate of domestic expansion.
I expect that that the company will work through these latest difficulties on the cost and franchise fronts. I just think it’s going to take a while and during that time I expect that I can find better opportunities.
Full disclosure: I don’t own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this post in my personal portfolio. When in 2010 I started the mutual fund I manage, Jubak Global Equity Fund http://jubakfund.com/ , I liquidated all my individual stock holdings and put the money into the fund. The fund did own shares of McDonald’s as of the end of June. For a complete list of the fund’s holdings as of the end of June see the fund’s portfolio at http://jubakfund.com/about-the-fund/holdings/
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Featured Golf News
New York Golf Economy Report Shows Important Impact
On the heels of a similar golf economic impact report for Washington and other states, a similar analysis has been completed for New York that shows its link to golf history extends past its roots in popularizing the game within this country. New York also is a state where golf is a key industry contributing to the vitality of its economy from employment, capital investment, tourism, significant charitable donations and the export of goods and services.
Those findings and more are part of a New York Golf Economy Report, commissioned by GOLF 20/20 for the New York Alliance for Golf Task Force and prepared by SRI International. The study was released March 10, in Albany, N.Y., in conjunction with the New York State Turfgrass Association's Advocacy Day.
As the birthplace of the United States Golf Association (1894) and the PGA of America (1916), New York has 818 courses, 38 golf resorts, and it's hosted four U.S. Open Championships in the past decade and hosts as many as nine annual championships, including showcase events of the USGA, PGA of America, PGA Tour, Champions Tour and LPGA Tour - all which enhances the game as a benchmark in the Empire State's economy.
According to the New York Golf Economy Report, the golf industry generates a total economic impact of $5.3 billion, supporting nearly 56,600 jobs with $1.6 billion of wage income.
The golf economy encompasses the facilities and the other core industries that produce goods and services used to operate these facilities and play the game. At the same time, the charitable giving attributed to the game of golf in New York approached $125.6 million in 2007.
"Golf's impact in New York is a reflection of its passionate sports enthusiasts, who take pride in the game and recognize how the sport adds vitality to the state by providing thousands of jobs while at the same time preserving open space and addressing environmental concerns," said Jay Mottola, executive director of the Metropolitan Golf Association. "Golf has provided citizens of New York with a healthy industry that has a significant impact on economic growth by driving tourism, residential development and retail sales, while also generating millions for charitable causes meeting the environmental concerns."
The New York Golf Economy Report is supported by the New York Alliance for Golf Task Force is made up of following associations: Metropolitan and New York State Chapters of the Club Managers Association; Long Island, Hudson Valley and Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association Chapters; Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA); the New York State Golf Association (NYSGA); the New York State Turfgrass Association (NYSTA); the Central, Metropolitan, Northeastern and Western New York PGA Sections and certified public accounting firm Condon O'Meara McGinty & Donnelly.
In 2007, New York's direct golf economy of $2.9 billion made golf comparable to architectural services ($2.7 billion), women's apparel manufacturing ($4.4 billion), and semiconductor and electronic component manufacturing ($8.2 billion). Golf brings visitors to the state, generates retail sales, increased tourism, spurs new residential construction and creates demand for a myriad of goods and services.
The report, prepared by SRI International, was commissioned by GOLF 20/20. The continued health and growth of the golf industry has a direct bearing on jobs, commerce, economic development and tax revenues.
Among the findings in the New York Golf Economy Report:
. New York's 818 golf courses, 64 stand-alone ranges and 86 miniature golf facilities generated more than $1.5 billion of revenues.
. New York's 38 golf resorts and nine annual championships spurred $520.2 million of golf-related tourism spending.
. Out-of-state shipments by New York golf apparel and equipment manufacturers and magazine publishers were approximately $352.3 million.
. The total amount of charitable giving attributed to golf in New York approached $125.6 million.
For details of the complete report, visit www.mgagolf.org.
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Toronto, Canada-based prodco marblemedia has been keeping busy with the creation of a new department for working with broadcasters and brands to bring new programming to multiple screens.
Looking to help brands connect with consumers through Canadian entertainment, the department will focus on in-house projects and special initiatives with marblemedia’s partners – broadcasters, brands and other producers. And to help establish the new biz, Lisa Reis has come on board.
As director of brand integration, Reis comes to marblemedia with 18 years of experience in advertising and media. Revenue generated from these new initiatives will go towards creating stronger Canuck multi-platform entertainment.
The company is now in discussions with partners on branded entertainment initiatives, including Just Like Mom…and Dad, a remake of the classic Canadian family game show that teams up parents and their kids, which is currently in development. A corresponding online game allows the home audience to play along online.


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PILSEN — When Sonia Yañez ditched all the unhealthy soda at her first Pilsen grocery store, many customers were upset to the point of boycotting the shop.
The Coke is back at MeztiSoy, her new shop at 1757 W. 18th St., but now Yañez hopes it will be a means to introduce customers to other products at the store, which include organic and locally-produced items, fair trade products, and a small cafe with a juice bar in back.
Yañez and her husband Victor Perez opened MeztiSoy — a play on both the food and the Mexican verb “I am” — in August.
In 2006, when she opened Soy Organic, her first shop, Yañez said her focus was more on the organic products, in addition to providing healthy cooking classes for those in the neighborhood. They sold pop but stopped because Yañez worried about the effect it was having on customers' health.
“When we eliminated Coke, we got cursed. There was constant fighting and they would boycott us,” Yañez said.
But according to Perez, the soda and cheaper groceries are what bring in many from the neighborhood.
“Some of them, they just don’t care. And 75 percent of them, that’s our market. People who just want to buy groceries and don’t really care about whether or not there are pesticides,” he said.
Perez grew up on a ranch in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. over 26 years ago. He said he thinks many in the community are attracted to sugary drinks and cheap food for the same reason he was: for an immigrant working low-wage jobs, paying the rent can often take priority over food.
“The Mexican first generation like myself, I don’t think we’re very conscious of our food,” Perez said. “‘Cause it’s survival. My goal when I came in was not really to be healthy, it was to survive.”
In offering the cheaper more familiar products, the husband-and-wife team hope to build up a clientele that will ultimately become curious about the organic and fair-trade products.
MeztiSoy sells locally-made honey, bread, spices and jars of organic beans and quinoa. Yañez has been in talks with Edgewater’s Phoenix Bean and will soon carry their tofu, sprouts, soy milk and noodle products.
Like at her old shop, Yañez wants to offer cooking classes as a way to teach people exactly what they’re supposed to do with those products after they buy them.
“We don’t want to come in and do this impact on the community and just throw stuff at them,” she said. “A lot of ladies ask me, ‘How can I cook healthy?’ They see all these grains, they see all this beautiful food, they just don’t know how to cook it.”
Yañez said she hopes the shop will reconnect many Hispanic residents in the neighborhood to their culinary roots.
“We want to come here and just, remind everyone where we come from,” she said. “The community is our family, being raised and born here. God opened this door, an opportunity for us, and we came."


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IOS 2012 features more than two days of serious networking, strategic perspective sharing, and deal making. But it’s important to remember that all work makes for, well, all work. The Philippines offers far more, as Huffington Post and other media have reported in the days and weeks leading up to the International Outsourcing Summit, which takes place October 7-9.
The online publication recently featured Cheapflights.com’s “Top 10 Party Beaches around the World.” The Philippines’ Boracay came in sixth, besting such world-renowned beaches as Ibiza and South Beach. Boracay has certainly been top-of-mind this year. Travel + Leisure also named the stunningly beautiful island and its fabulous beach the world’s best island getaway.
Do business in the Philippines, and have the time of your life in October. As everyone knows, for both endeavors, It’s More Fun in the Philippines!


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Robotics is bringing a new level of automation and sophistication to the world. Here’s how this industry is impacting the insurance market.
Drones are hotter than ever. From Amazon’s plan to deliver merchandise to the Super Bowl’s electric halftime show, drones are here to stay! It’s predicted that there will be 7 million drones in the airspace by 2020 with 2.7 million of them dedicated to commercial use. But what exactly is a drone? What is their


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DUBLIN — Ireland’s economy could recover “quite strongly” from pandemic-related curbs in 2021, but employment is unlikely to bounce back for at least two years, according to the state-funded Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). In a report published on Thursday, the ESRI cut its earlier 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast from 5.2 per cent to 4.4 per cent, citing the likely impact of Ireland’s ongoing third lockdown, which was imposed in late December. The ESRI said the revised projection assumes “a gradual easing of restrictions” from next month and that Covid-19 jabs “will facilitate the broad relaxation of public health restrictions in the second half of 2021.” Ireland’s economy grew by 3.4 per cent in 2020 on the back of record exports in multinational-heavy sectors that have thrived during the pandemic.
DUBLIN — Before his recent resignation, outgoing Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern prefaced the annual St. Patrick”s Day pilgrimage to the White House by predicting “a hard year” ahead for the Irish economy. The banking crisis and credit crunch in the United States, as well as the falling dollar, worry Irish policy-makers. Ireland has 25 percent of its trade in dollars and has bet much of its recent economic boom on a 12 percent corporate tax rate — an enormous incentive for U.S. multinationals such as Intel and Microsoft to run pan-European operations out of Ireland. Google has the headquarters of its European and Middle East operations in Dublin. “The company is very pleased with how the Dublin operation continues to develop,” a Google spokesman said.


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The move to the new WLTP emissions testing system introduced from 1 April 2020 has led to an average car CO2 increase of 19.7%, according to Cap HPI, leading to average company car benefit-in-kind increases of £714 per year.
The company said that MPVs, upper medium models and superminis saw the biggest increases in BiK, rising by 3.5%, 3.3£ and 3.2% respectively, while at the other end of the scale, luxury executive models and supercars didn’t rise at all, as they were already at the top-end of the BiK scale.
Petrol hybrids rose by the largest percentage, up by 4.1% in BiK payments, while petrol and diesel were up by 2.5% and 2.5%. Petrol and diesel PHEVs dropped 5.0% and 5.5% respectively.
Average CO2 figures are up from 135g/km to 161g/km, according to the data expert. The Government has given company car drivers a two-band allowance on company car BiK to compensate for the change, which equates to a maximum of 14g/km depending on the model.
“The combination of the introduction of WLTP and a new tax regime aimed at encouraging private drivers and fleets to make greener motoring choices has driven up costs across the board,” said Jonathan Clay, head of vehicle identification at Cap HPI. “But it’s also clear that some sectors are more affected than others, which will undoubtedly drive a change in the shape of the UK car parc.”
VED rates also rise as a result of the switch to WLTP, which is designed to give a more real-world verdict on vehicle fuel economy and emissions figures. Cap HPI said that VED has risen by £546 on large executive models, with executive cars seeing the biggest rise, followed by executive and MPV models.
The company also warned that almost half of models move across different bands if optional extras are fitted, with 49% potentially changing BiK band and 41% changing VED band.


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Apple's M2 MacBook Air Geekbench results are now in. Here are the details on this.
M2 MacBook Air pre-orders are now live with shipping starting from July 15. Here are all the details on this.
Apple has today released a number of beta 3 updates to download as it works to get the tvOS 16, watchOS 9, and macOS 13 operating systems into a state where they can be made available to the public.
The M2 MacBook Air pre-order and launch date has just been announced by Apple. Here are all the details on this.
Here's M1 MacBook Pro Vs M2 MacBook Pro real-world speed test comparison that you may want to check out.
Apple reportedly still has plenty of new products in the works with five new M2-powered Macs set to be joined by a new Apple TV.
Here's FineCam app review which can help you turn your iPhone into an HD webcam for your computer for free.
Apple's Back to School 2022 has gone live around the world. Here are all the details on this.


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Wednesday, January 25 12:12:09 PM PST
HP today made a number of announcements regarding its plans to open source
the WebOS operating system. HP has released a detailed schedule for releasing components of the OS with the full source available by September.
In addition, the company has released version 2.0 of the Enyo developer tool. Enyo 2.0 enables developers to write a single application that works across mobile devices and desktop web browsers, from the webOS, iOS and Android platforms to the Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers – and more. The source code for Enyo is available today, giving the open source community immediate access to the application framework for webOS.
Thursday, January 12 12:29:26 PM PST
HP has released new round of webOS updates for the HP TouchPad, Pre 2 and even the officially unreleased
Pre 3 smartphone. The free updates are available now as on device over the air downloads.
TouchPad users will be receiving webOS 3.0.5. This TouchPad update offers users faster switching in Calendar views, IM presence indicators and faster scrolling in Email, support for HTTP Live Streaming, the ability to easily toggle auto-correction on or off, and an option you can set so that a period will be inserted when you press the space bar twice. Further details can be found here.
Unlocked Pre 2 and AT&T, Verizon, and unlocked Pre 3 phones will receive an update to. For Pre 2, this update brings improvements in Skype voice calling and messaging, and MAP for Bluetooth. For all devices, you'll find Messaging, Calendar, and Contacts enhancements.
Friday, December 9 1:28:06 PM PST
The dust has not even settled on today's mega-announcement from HP to open-source WebOS
and we already have some new info straight from the mouth of CEO Meg Whitman and board member Marc Andreessen (of Netscape fame) regarding a possible return to WebOS hardware in the future from HP.
The Verge conducted a sit-down interview in with Whitman and Andreessen earlier today about the future of WebOS, both as an ongoing open-sourced project and as the possible basis for future HP Tablet hardware.
For the time being, only a few excerpts from the full interview have been posted. In short, Whitman stated that yes, HP would indeed be revisiting WebOS tablet hardware but stopped short of committing to it in 2012 or later. She went on to state that the team is going to be reorganized in "a quite different direction than we've been taking it in the past". Presumably this will be a much sleeker, highly-competitive piece of hardware compared to HP's mediocre TouchPad that was seemingly launched as a barely-updated response to the 18 month-old first-generation iPad.
Friday, December 9 10:51:33 AM PST
HP has just posted a press release
detailing its decision on its future plans for the webOS platform. In short, the company plans to open source the webOS software but is noncommittal on any future hardware plans.
HP says they will make the underlying code of webOS available under an open source license. Their desire is for developers, partners, HP engineers and other hardware manufacturers to work on the project to deliver ongoing enhancements and new versions. HP also will contribute ENYO, the application framework for webOS, to the community in the near future along with a plan for the remaining components of the user space.
"webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable," said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer. "By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices."
Friday, December 9 10:21:49 AM PST
Every time HP announces a new update to their WebOS devices, the community breathes a collective sigh of relief that their devices are continuing to be useful and supported. So this week's news that a WebOS system update for both the TouchPad and the Pre 2 is definitely reason to smile.
First off, WebOSInternals has tweeted the news that select Pre 2 owners are reporting WebOS 2.2.4 is starting to trickle out. Skype support for non-VZW Pre 2 handsets is the main focus of this update, along with Bluetooth MAP support and sync improvements to the core PIM apps.
Thursday, December 8 6:44:48 PM PST
Coming as something of a surprise this late Thursday evening, Precentral brings word
of the breaking news that that HP CEO Meg Whitman has scheduled an all-hands meeting for Friday, December 9th. At approximately 10:30AM PST, the fate of WebOS in the hands of HP should finally be made clear.
Last week, Whitman told a French newspaper that a decision would be reached within the "next two weeks", though few expected an announcement this soon. Prior to this event, it was exactly one month ago at another all hands on meeting when HP decided to do take more time to determine the fate of the platform.
Thursday, December 8 6:05:27 PM PST
Just when you thought it was safe to start your holiday shopping for an Android or iOS-based tablet, HP has announced a curious return of the fire sale TouchPads
, albeit as a slightly less attractive offering than what was offered during the original August blowout.
Beginning December 11th at 7PM Eastern time, HP will make a limited quantity of refurbish 16GB and 32GB TouchPads available through their eBay store. In addition to the two tablet SKUs at the previous $99 and $149 price points, HP will be offering a bundle consisting of a case, TouchStone charging dock, and Bluetooth wireless keyboard for $79.The timing for this clearance sale is new especially intriguing in light of the announcement expected for Friday, December 9th on the fate of WebOS. Thankfully, the purchase of a companion HP PC is not required.
Thursday, December 1 1:38:44 PM PST
According to a new report from AllThingsD
, HP's CEO Meg Whitman is about ready to end the ongoing saga over the uncertain future of WebOS within the next two weeks. Speaking to a French newspaper, she reportedly revealed:
Q: What will you do with your operating system webOS?
A: We should announce our decision in the next two weeks. This is not an easy decision, because we have a team of 600 people which is in limbo. We need to have another operating system.
The original interview, in French, can be found here, or via Google Translate if you prefer.
Tuesday, November 8 2:45:57 PM PST
After nearly three months
, it looks like the other shoe may be ready to drop for HP's WebOS decision. A Reuters article reports
that HP is in talks to sell WebOS to any of "several" unnamed suitors. Assisting HP in the decision to keep or sell the WebOS/Palm GBU is Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Reuters does not mention a specific amount other than "hundreds of millions", which is far below the $1.2 Billion that HP originally paid for Palm
in April of 2010.
HP Holding All-Hands Meeting Tonight on WebOS Future
The story has just taken yet another twist as an anonymous tipster has revealed to Precentral.net that an all-hands meeting of the WebOS GBU has been called at Palm's Sunnyvale HQ. According to the report, HP's newly-appointed CEO Meg Whitman and current SVP Jon Rubinstein will both be in attendance, a move that some are speculating is a harbinger of some potentially positive news. Of course, HP may also simply decide to shutter all WebOS-related operations.
Saturday, October 29 8:46:27 AM PST
Even with an uncertain future facing the platform, HP has just announced a new TouchPad-related deal via a joint promotion with retail giant Best Buy. This latest "deal" offers consumers a $150 32GB TouchPad
(HP's standard, non-bundle clearance price) with the purchase of select HP or Compaq Desktop, Laptop, or all-in-one PCs at Best Buy.
This offer is set to begin November 1st, and will be available through Bestbuy.com and all brick and mortar retail stores nationwide. No word on the quantity of units available for this promotion or an effective end date for the promotion, though speculation is running rampant that these TouchPads are part of the "final batch" of TouchPads promised back in August.
Friday, October 28 1:50:11 PM PST
The UK's Guardian paper is reporting
that an imminent shutdown is looming for the last vestiges of HP's WebOS division. According to a new piece posted today by Charles Arthur, the report states that up to 500 jobs could be lost due to the closure of the WebOS division between now and November.
With yesterday's announcement that HP intends to keep its PC division, unconfirmed internal memos reportedly claim that there is a 95% likelihood that the end of WebOS as an operating and as a part of HP's portfolio is in sight.
Sporadic rumors continue to swirl about possible suitors for HP's Palm and WebOS-related IP, namely yesterday's report that Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer responded with "Never say never" in regards to an inquiry about acquiring WebOS from HP.
Friday, October 28 1:40:01 PM PST
Thursday, October 27th marked the end of a long period of uncertainty for the HP faithful, as the company announced via conference call to not spin-off their Personal System Group and personal computer business. A period of evaluating various strategic alternatives revealed the unsurprising analysis that spinning off the world's still-profitable #1 PC business would not be a cost-effective move for HP.
Meg Whitman, HP's newly-appointed president and CEO stated:
"HP objectively evaluated the strategic, financial and operational impact of spinning off PSG. It's clear after our analysis that keeping PSG within HP is right for customers and partners, right for shareholders, and right for employees," "HP is committed to PSG, and together we are stronger."
Of course, seeing as how WebOS and the Palm Global Business Unit fall under this division of HP, Executive Vice President of the PSG Todd Bradley said that HP is committed to WIndows 7 and 8-based tablets going forward and are still working to make a decision about "the long-term future of WebOS within HP over the next couple of months".


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What's open and closed Wednesday for Canada Day in Montreal
Canada Day 2020 has gone virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but organizers hope it will help set the tone for years to come as more organizations join forces.
MONTREAL -- Though Canada Day celebrations this year will hardly resemble those of the past, many Canadians are still able to benefit from a day off in the middle of their work week.
Whether you’re spending the day in your neighbourhood or heading out of town to find a river to swim in, here is some relevant information to note for Quebec and Montreal on Wednesday:
OPEN / IN SERVICE
Most SAQ stores will be open, except those already closed due to COVID-19.
Supermarket hours will vary – it might be best to call your store in advance if you’re planning on heading over.
Parking meters remain in effect on holidays.
Montreal’s 311 line will remain staffed.
The city’s Botanical Gardens, which reopened to the public just two weeks ago, will be open.
Garbage and other collection services will take place as usual in most boroughs, except in Outremont, where they’ll be postponed to Thursday and Montreal North, where green collection in sector three will be postponed by a day as well.
Ecocentres will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to their summer schedules.
Several sports and cultural centres have varied schedules depending on the borough, so the city is asking people to call in advance before heading over on Wednesday. The Sport Montreal 2020 centre will be open.
The city will be accepting emails on July 1, but responding to them in the week that follows.
CLOSED / NOT IN SERVICE
SQDC stores will be closed across the province.
Permit counters and municipal courts in Montreal will be closed.
Canada Post offices will be closed, but private post offices may be open according to the opening hours of the institutions they’re housed in.
Banks will be closed.
Montreal bus schedules will be modified and the STM is asking users to plan their trips by consulting schedules online.
The Vaudreuil-Hudson exo train will operate on the Sunday schedule and the Saint-Jérôme train on the weekend one, whereas the Mont-St-Hilaire, Candiac, and Mascouche trains won’t operate at all. The Deux-Montagnes/Bois-Franc shuttle won’t operate, either.
Longueuil and Laval’s public transit services will operate on their Saturday schedules.


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Fifty-one percent of people surveyed said that Apple should assist the FBI in attempts to access an iPhone 5C used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. Thirty-eight percent said the company should not helps agents access the device, and 11 percent did not respond with an opinion, according to Pew.
When it came down to iPhone owners, 47 percent said Apple should help out the FBI, while 43 percent said it shouldn’t due to security concerns.
Apple and the FBI have been engaged in an increasingly public battle that began in court documents and has erupted onto the national stage since last Tuesday.
FBI Director James Comey wrote in a blog post on Sunday that decisions about the conflict between technology and security “should not be resolved by corporations that sell stuff for a living,” nor decided solely by the FBI. Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote in a letter to employees on Monday that he had received messages of support from across the country.
And people are definitely talking about the story: Seventy-five percent of Pew respondents said they’d heard at least something about thehigh-tech spat, with 39 percent saying they’d heard a lot about it.
The Pew survey released on Monday was conducted between Feb. 18 and 21, days after a judge ordered Apple to assist federal agents in accessing the iPhone by building a tool that would circumvent restrictions on how many times a password can be entered into the device.