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The Kimberley Process, which aims to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the market, has proved to be very effective, Edward Asscher, President of the World Diamond Council (WDC), told Jewellery Outlook Editor David Brough. Mr Asscher was interviewed before attending the VOICE event in Vicenza, running from September 12-14, 2020, the first jewellery trade show since the start of the emergency. At VOICE, he will join a seminar organized by CIBJO-World Jewellery Confederation.
How effective is the implementation of the Kimberley Process currently?
EDWARD ASSCHER: The implementation of the Kimberley Process is at present very effective. There is only one country under partial sanctions, which is the Central African Republic (CAR). The system in place there allows for monitored exports from specific areas that are verified as being conflict free.
Of course, we are closely watching developments in some other countries, but at present the KP has no intention to intervene elsewhere.
Right now about 99.99% of all rough diamonds are guaranteed as being conflict free.
How is the market for natural diamonds evolving during COVID-19?
EDWARD ASSCHER: As we know from the figures published by the mining companies, the rough diamond market is currently under pressure. The slowdown in diamond jewelry sales at retail has a negative multiplier effect on the polished diamond wholesale market and even more so on the sale of rough diamonds.
The positive element in all of this is that inventories of rough and polished diamonds, which were considerable before the crisis, are shrinking and this ultimately will bring about an improvement in the financial situation of many companies.
How do you expect the lab-grown diamond segment to develop in future?
EDWARD ASSCHER: The World Diamond Council’s mission is to represent the diamond and jewelry sector in the Kimberley Process, helping ascertain that the supply of KP-certified rough diamonds is not contaminated with conflict diamonds.
Issues related to synthetic diamonds are outside the scope of our organization.
That said, I would personally observe that the market penetration of synthetic diamonds is slow and that prices for these goods are under pressure, because of the increased rate of production and the improvement of technologies.
You will be in Vicenza for VOICE, participating in a seminar organized by CIBJO. What is the contribution of CIBJO in the World Diamond Council?
EDWARD ASSCHER: CIBJO is a founding member of the WDC. Its president has always been a strong defender of our work and of responsible sourcing, as it relates to diamonds and other gemstones. As such, he is a valuable colleague and advisor to me.
What is the importance of the VOICE event for the global jewellery trade, considering that it will be the first physical jewellery trade gathering since before lockdown?
EDWARD ASSCHER: The first physical trade gathering since the start of the crisis is certainly of considerable psychological importance, providing a visible indication that, even as the pandemic continues, we are learning to manage the situation and continue doing business. But this does not discount the fact many companies are suffering under current market conditions.
That VOICE is an international event is also significant, for a remarkable and almost unprecedented feature of the current crisis is that it has influenced all markets at the same time.
However, as always, there is light at the end of the tunnel – smaller inventories, pent-up demand and a future during which COVID-19 will slowly disappear, leading to a market recovery.
It will be the task of industry leaders to show the way. We need to be optimistic, but at the same time realistic.


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Incident Of The Week: NiceHash Gets Bad Hack In $70M Bitcoin Theft
In the dynamic world of cyber security, breaches are both tightly guarded and, sadly, imminent.
Combing through data, market research and threat-defense efforts taken by enterprises can be a daunting task. Here at Cyber Security Hub, we both track the latest industry news and make it more navigable for the IT professional. CSHub coverage extends outwards – as it helps enterprises batten down their proverbial hatches.
In this edition of “Incident of the Week,” we examine the NiceHash bitcoin heist – in which hackers infiltrated the digital currency platform and made off with 4,700 bitcoins, worth nearly $75 million in Asia.
In a video statement on Thursday, the company’s CEO Marko Kobal said that at around 1 a.m. the previous day, hackers breached the system using a compromised company computer (credentials of a NiceHash engineer).
Late Wednesday, the Slovenian company opted to suspend its operations for 24 hours due to the nature of the breach. Restorative attempts to bring the system back online are still underway, according to CNN.
NiceHash, whose Twitter profile describes it as the largest crypto-mining marketplace, placed an official statement on its suspended website. Part of it reads: “Clearly, this is a matter of deep concern and we are working hard to rectify the matter in the coming days. In addition to undertaking our own investigation, the incident has been reported to the relevant authorities and law enforcement and we are co-operating with them as a matter of urgency.”
Slovenian police told Reuters on Friday that their investigation is ongoing.
To mine digital coins – the lifeblood of the NiceHash business – complex algorithms are used to harness computer processing power. Bitcoin is the most utilized cryptocurrency.
NiceHash allows users to mine for other cryptocurrencies (“altcoins”) and get paid out in bitcoin. Often, that is a large amount. Since its founding four years ago, the company has reportedly delivered $1 billion.
Just this week, news broke that Bitcoin’s value had skyrocketed – to $17,000. Following news of the NiceHash heist, Bitcoin fell on the Bitstamp exchange to $14,500.
With hopes of tracking or recovering the stolen money, NiceHash has informed other exchanges and mining sites.
The company said that because of the security measures in place and the way the hack was executed, the cyber-thieves appear to be sophisticated.
The statement said that funds inside the NiceHash Bitcoin wallet were stolen. It’s unclear if any user funds were affected.
To ensure the attack does not escalate further, NiceHash wrote, “While the full scope of what happened is not yet known, we recommend, as a precaution, that you change your online passwords.”
The company’s head of marketing, Andrej Skraba, told Reuters Friday that it “was probable” that the attack was delivered from an IP address “outside of the EU.”
NiceHash concluded its statement by writing, “We are truly sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused and are committing every resource towards solving this issue as soon as possible.”

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… Says VIN should be jettisoned
In the wake of the Tincan Island Port command of the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) declaration of 27.50 per cent increase in revenue collection in its 2022 half year report, maritime stakeholders have accused the agency of defrauding importers and freight forwarders to hit this figure. They also called for the discard of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) as soon as the automation of its operations is completed, saying that VIN is an intellectual fraud platform.
Stakeholders in the maritime industry have once again alleged that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is fraudulent in its collection of duties from importers and freight forwarders.
The aggrieved stakeholders made this allegation in a swift reaction to the Tincan Island Port Customs command’s half year report of N274,320,715,179.22 revenue translating to 27.50 per cent increase from last year’s collection of N229,321,865,091.16 within the period under review.
Customs Area Controller, Tincan Island Port Customs command, Adekunle Oloyede, while delivering the report stated that the VIN-valuation has helped the command to achieve an expedited clearance process due to predictability of value-assessment, increase in revenue generation, improved ease of doing business, generation of accurate statistics for the federal government and a host of others.
He explained that VIN-Valuation was deployed in March 2022 by the service which uses information obtained through artificial intelligence to assign values to an imported vehicle based on its unique identification number otherwise known as the chassis number.
However, reacting to the report, former Chairman of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Segun Musa said that increment or reduction in revenue collected by NCS was not an achievement alleging that 50 per cent of that revenue was fraudulently collected from importers through coercive measures.
According to him, what amounts to an achievement is the increase in their operational system; how they were able to enhance trade facilitation and ease of doing business at all border corridors.
His words: “Increase or reduction in revenue generation is not an achievement for NCS but what we look at is an increase in the operational system which includes how they were able to enhance trade facilitation and ease of doing business at all border corridors and also how they have been able to discipline their officers as a way of deterring them from corrupt practices.
“Also, part of it is how they’ve been able to help stakeholders in promoting government policies and encouragement to trading activity in the country as well as how much is being put in place to enhance utilization of customs processes. As they are trying to jettison manual operations these are part of achievements not revenue collection; it’s no achievement.
“Over 50 per cent of this money was collected fraudulently through coercive measures and the importers were left with no option than to pay those fraudulent additional fees or to abandon the shipment.”
Musa stressed that “it has always been a case of either you settle the customs officers or pay more than your genuine duty declaration.”
On the claim by Oloyede that VIN has helped the command in achieving expedited clearance process, the freight forwarder cum importer said “VIN is more of an intellectual fraud platform; a situation where you don’t consider the year of manufacturing, the condition of the vehicle and the origin of the vehicle. Hence, such a platform cannot be regarded as genuine to serve the interest of the country. So, VIN should be jettisoned immediately the NCS automation is completed.”
Also corroborating, a vehicle importer in Lagos metropolis who would not want his name in print said NCS’ dealings with importers had never been transparent and honest.
According to him, “I’ll just keep it short; NCS officers would always want to enrich their private pockets and if you don’t cooperate, you indirectly pay for it. Coming to announce to the public that you made an increase in your revenue generation is not a big deal because it is expected.
“But how have you truly worked to improve ease of doing business? It’s not a lip service, I mean in reality. I equally join the call for the discard of VIN; it has not helped my business neither that of my colleagues because a lot of things were overlooked.
Responding, the Customs Public Relations Officer, Tincan Island Port command, Mr. Uche Ejesieme stated that whoever gave this information to this reporter is either being biased, mischievous or completely ignorant of the leadership style of Comptroller Kunle Oloyede.
While pointing out that revenue collection was number three on the command’s order of priority, Ejesieme added that the major focus of the Customs Area Controller of the command was trade facilitation which according to him, ultimately led to higher turnover insisting that the command had removed all known bottlenecks to free flow of trade as this could be empirically verified particularly through compliant traders.
On revenue, he said, “If you look at our revenue chat, you will see that revenue from vehicles as being callously opined by the agent is less than 1% of the total revenue. Go and verify! Our major source is bulk cargo from multinational organizations and corporate companies who are mostly compliant traders.
“And so, attributing our revenue to extortion is a flagrant display of ignorance geared towards decimating the enviable records of the Customs Area Controller who has clearly demonstrated capacity and panache in administration.
“The source ought to have applauded the giant strides of the CAC as against attributing to VIN Valuation which contribution is quite infinitesimal. For your information, no importer has been defrauded in any way as being insinuated and if there is any proof of such, I challenge the person making such claims to come up with the specific issue and I can assure you that necessary steps will be initiated to ensure refunds because refunds and drawbacks are part of our extant laws.”
Photo: Comptroller Adekunle Oloyede, Customs Area Controller, Tincan Island Port Command.
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CPIA launches pro-plastic bag website
Canadian PlasticsPackaging Sustainability Flexible Packaging Packaging: Regulations Sustainable Development Strategies, Goals and Policies
The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) has gone on the PR offensive with a new website designed to counter some of the myths and promote the facts surrounding plastic bags in hopes of changing Toronto city councillors’ decision...
The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) has gone on the PR offensive with a new website designed to counter some of the myths and promote the facts surrounding plastic bags in hopes of changing Toronto city councillors’ decision to ban the bags.
In June, Toronto made the decision to ban plastic bags entirely effective Jan. 1, 2013. Since then, the CPIA has been arguing that revising the ban is responsible from a number of angles, including environmental.
The website – www.AllAboutBags.ca – says plastic bags are no worse than the reusable bags sold in grocery stores, and that in fact reusable bags can have a larger environmental footprint.
Because heavy-duty reusable bags take more resources to make and are not recyclable, they are only more beneficial if used frequently and for multiple purposes, according to the website. It also says paper bags a larger environmental footprint than plastic bags because of the resources required to make them.
“This is a complex issue; all bags, whether used as carry bags or to manage household waste, have environmental impacts,” said Marion Axmith, the Toronto-based CPIA’s general director. “Toronto’s decision to ban plastic shopping bags was made based on misconceptions about bags and the environment and without analysis of the facts and the consequences of a ban.”
The website also notes that total bans on plastic shopping bags that have been imposed on the public in other countries have failed; and that 90 per cent of plastic bags used in Canada are made locally, while 90 per cent of reusable bags are made overseas in countries like China – plastic bags, therefore, help provide more jobs for Canadians.


text: Shark have released some strikingly unique new models to their range recently such as the Shark Raw Street fighter helmet. Shark have announced the release of the new Shark Vancore helmet, following the success of the raw. Also new is the Shark Explore-R, a versatile striking new modular full face helmet. The Shark Evoline 3 is arguably the most versatile and well designed flip front helmet on the market at the moment. Shark have also released the new Shark Skwal helmet with LED system. All Shark helmets are available with Free UK delivery.


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Macy's at Southridge Mall will officially open March 14, and it has named Jennifer Duffy its store manager.
Duffy has been store manager of the Macy's Port Huron, Mich., store since 2008.
Shoppers who purchase shopping pass tickets from participating organizations in the store's Charity Shopping Day can get a sneak preview of the store March 10. For details, send an email to MacysSouthridgeCSD@gmail.com or call (414) 471-3699.
Meanwhile, Macy's announced it will hire about 160 employees for the Greendale mall store. Those interested in a position should apply online at MacysJobs.com.
Macy's said in May it would open a 150,000-square-foot store at Southridge; it will be the mall's fifth anchor.
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- Franklin mayor recommends municipal tax levy freeze in 2015 budget
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- Adult Health & Wellness Day held today, free blood pressure screenings offered
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- Franklin Police Report: Sept. 25, 2014
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- News & Notes: Sept. 18, 2014 issue
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- Franklin digs deeper into quarry issues


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As restart operations accelerate around the world, just under 50 percent of the entire global cruise fleet is expected to be back in service by the end of August.
The data is from the August 2021 edition of the Cruise Ships in Service Report by Cruise Industry News.
The combined fleets of the nearly 90 active cruise lines currently account for approximately 410 cruise ships, according to the 2022 Global Cruise Ship Index by Cruise Industry News.
The 190 cruise ships returning to service through August 31, mean approximately half of the world’s fleet will be sailing commercially by the end of the month.
The number illustrates the positive trend for the cruising restart, which is fueled by various countries and markets reopening ports to the cruise vessels.
After eight months with a slim 20 cruise vessels in service around the globe, numbers began to grow in May – which ended with 55 ships operating revenue sailings.
After further growth in June, the number of ships sailing increased dramatically in July.
With the U.S. ports reopened for revenue sailings, 141 vessels were back in service by the end of the month. The additional 50 ships entering service in August mean a 150 percent increase of ships sailing with paying passengers in the last 60 days.
The number of berths are also on the rise, going from just under 26,000 in September 2020 to over 275,000 in service by August 31.


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Web surfers who Googled "Toyota Corolla Torrance" last week were in for a surprise. At the top of the first Google page was a link to a video from Scott Robinson Honda in Torrance, Calif., which just happens to be the hometown of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.
In the low-tech video, a smiling salesman stands in front of a Honda Civic and says: "Hi, guys, it's me again. Sorry to keep popping up on you. But the fact I'm popping up on you tells me you're still looking. You're probably looking for a Toyota Corolla. You may want to consider a Honda Civic."
The salesman lays out the virtues of the Civic, including fuel economy, design and an IntelliChoice recommendation. He urges customers to "come on down for a test drive." Then he waves goodbye. The whole thing takes just 37 seconds.
Sean Bradley, CEO of Dealer Synergy Inc., a Philadelphia consulting and training company, helped develop the campaign for Robinson Honda. Bradley says it's no coincidence that the campaign targeted Toyota's backyard.
The dealership started running the campaign well before Toyota's current troubles. The video was distributed to 17 search engines, says Bradley, who conducted a seminar on such tactics at the recent National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Orlando.
Says Bradley: "This is a very, very powerful way to conquest other franchises."


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The research firm’s Ultra HD via Satellite, 3rd Edition report claims that by next year, “almost all regions worldwide” will have access to Ultra HD channels, while developing regions will receive UHD content by the end of the decade.
NSR said that the “plunging price” of 4K TV sets accelerates interest and demand in the new format, with 4K TV penetration rates to risefaster than the initial introduction of HD TVs.
It also forecast that the satellite capacity required to carry bandwidth intensive Ultra HD channels will drive an added US$280 million in annual leasing revenues.
“Given the exponential increases we’ve seen on 4K TV shipments, introducing Ultra HD channels and packages is a key strategy to retain and grow pay TV subscriber bases in an increasingly competitive environment,” said NSR analyst and report author, Alan Crisp.
“Additionally, this is a vital competitive response to OTT platforms’ ever expanding online content catalogues. While in the short term DTH, cable TV and IPTV platforms will offer Ultra HD for ‘free’ with existing premium channel bundles, longer term Ultra HD will achieve higher revenue streams generated by increasing ARPUs and subscriber levels.”
The report said that though Ultra HD remains a small component of the video market, the impact to the bottom line of pay TV platforms and satellite operators is “disproportionately large” and will form a critical component of most platforms by 2025.


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For centuries, those in the East have scrambled to accommodate the needs of those in the West, but in the next decade things will change.
Introducing the world's most sought-after traveler: the Chinese tourist.
The UN World Tourism Organization predicted in 2005 that by 2020, 100 million Chinese citizens would travel outside of the country. With 70 million outbound tourists in 2011, 80 million expected in 2012 and an average growth of between 12 percent and 15 percent, the UNWTO has since revised its forecast and now says 100 million globe-trotting Chinese will troll the planet by 2015.
What that means is that in less than three years' time, China will become the single largest source of international tourism while simultaneously possessing the largest domestic tourism market in the world.
So is the industry ready? The answer is a resounding no, according to International Business Times.
A bath, slippers, twin beds and tea
It's clear now that China will play an outsized role in global travel and tourism, but those in the West are just waking up to the reality that they need to make changes in order to cater to the masses soon to arrive on their shores.
Roy Graff, founder and managing director of China Contact, said the growth of the Japanese market may have changed the industry slightly, but it "was just a drop in the ocean compared to what Chinese tourism can impact."
Japanese travelers, he said, compelled hotels to offer more rooms with twin beds or provide baths instead of showers. But the Chinese have their own unique travel habits.
"There are certain amenities they will expect in their room," Graff notes, "such as slippers, a kettle to make tea, instant noodles and chopsticks." They also expect a breakfast menu that has less cheese Danish and more meat and congee.
And these are just the basics. If a hotel really wants to attract Chinese customers, it needs to offer a Chinese-language TV channel and have printed information like maps and brochures in simplified Chinese. If it's a larger hotel, there should be someone on staff who can speak Mandarin. Going further, Chinese groups should not be allocated rooms on any floor containing the number four because it sounds like the Mandarin word for death. Also, red is lucky, but too much white is frowned upon.
Other modifications mentioned in a recent Hotels.com report include Chinese food menus, a hotel website in Chinese, Chinese newspapers and a China UnionPay partnership. The same report found that a shop, restaurant and bar are the most important facilities to Chinese visitors.
Frits van Paasschen, president and CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, said "as Chinese travelers begin to travel beyond their borders en masse, they, like their Western counterparts before them, will gravitate to the hotel brands they know from home.
"Just as our hotels in China have historically catered to American and European travelers with familiar amenities from home, now our hotels globally will provide the same services to Chinese travelers."
Those services at Starwood's Sheraton, Westin, St. Regis and other hotels include an in-house Chinese "specialist," Chinese-language collateral, familiar foods and the attendant tea kettles, slippers, instant noodles and assorted toiletries upon request.
Hilton, too, has a similar program, Hilton Huanying, which includes much of the same in addition to Chinese breakfast options, and is now available in 70 key hotels in 23 countries. Ritz-Carlton rotates its general managers and top staff through its Chinese hotels for three-year training stints, while Marriott held its annual meetings in Shanghai and Beijing this past summer.
Yet a shift toward more China-centric accommodation is not without its troubles. Whereas many Chinese travelers prefer louder areas, group meals and nearby shopping, many Europeans and Americans prefer more solitude, peace and quiet. Hoteliers, meanwhile, struggle to strike the right balance.
No Chinese in his hotel?
Thierry Gillier, founder and owner of the French fashion brand Zadig & Voltaire, spoke with Women's Wear Daily earlier this month about his company's first hotel, due to open in 2014.
"It will be a slightly private hotel, not open to everybody, with 40 rooms. We are going to select guests," he said. "It won't be open to Chinese tourists, for example."
This quote went viral though China's social media networks in a matter of days and, at Gillier's request, the magazine later changed the phrase "Chinese tourists" to "busloads of tourists."
Gillier's remark underscores a certain perception people, particularly Europeans, have about Chinese: They travel in big groups, rarely stop (save the quick snapshot) and see 10 countries in two weeks.
What he failed to realize is that, given Europe's faltering economy, without the guests from emerging markets like Asia, European luxury brands like his would already be out of business.
According to the World Luxury Association, Chinese consumers -- burdened by a 37 percent tax on luxury goods at home -- accounted for approximately 62 percent of Europe's luxury goods sales in 2011 (though much of this was spent on European goods available duty-free in Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia).
As the U.S. climbs out of a recession and Europe suffers through the doldrums of an economic downturn, the Chinese have emerged, and they're here to fill in the void.
A 2010 report by London University's School of Oriental and African Studies, in association with Hilton Hotels and Resorts, estimated that Chinese visitors to Europe would increase to 4.5 million by 2015 and 8.6 billion by the end of the century. With those kinds of figures, it's easy to understand why hoteliers and others are racing to adapt. They'll have to if they want to survive.
Last December, the European Travel Commission (ETC) took this information to heart and announced the launch of Travel Destination Europe and the visiteurope.com portal in China.
"We are incredibly excited about the huge potential for growing the number of Chinese visitors to Europe, so much so that we have made the decision to focus on China as one of our most important markets in our new ETC strategy," Petra Hedorfer, president of the ETC, said at the inauguration ceremony in Beijing. "With the launch of our new Chinese Web portal, visiteurope.com, today we declare our common initiative to focus on the Chinese market."
Across the pond, an estimated 1.1 million Chinese visitors hit American shores last year, contributing more than $5.7 billion to the U.S. economy. According to Commerce Department estimates, that number is expected to rise threefold by 2016. Moreover, the department figures that Chinese visitors will spend about $6,000 per trip, $2,000 more than the average international tourist.
The Chinese tourism boom is a relatively new phenomenon in the U.S., which, unlike its European counterparts, didn't receive the People's Republic's "approved destination" status for group tours until 2007.
Nevertheless, Chinese have arrived stateside in unprecedented numbers thanks in no small part to President Barack Obama's streamlined visa process. And it's not just business travelers; more Chinese are coming to the U.S. for fun.
A recent poll from the Wyndham Hotel Group of 4,300 business travelers found that Chinese were the most likely to mix business with pleasure, with 67 percent of Chinese respondents saying they've invited a spouse or family member to join them while away for work.
As Chinese consumers gain experience traveling abroad, more than ever before, they are looking into specialized leisure travel niches, and those who do the best to plant their foot in the market early will see the biggest rewards.
How to market to Chinese tourists
Let's say your company has a great social media department with thousands of Twitter followers and tens of thousands of Facebook likes. Your global marketing plan may work great for 80 percent of the world, but what about the 20 percent that live in China where Facebook and Twitter are replaced by state-controlled Renren and Sina Weibo?
"When companies talk about global marketing, they cannot say 'Well it's China.' It has to be an integral part," Graff said. "The issue is that if you have a global Twitter or Facebook marketing plan, you need a separate plan for their Chinese equivalents."
Offline, forging people-to-people connections in China is key.
"The change in Europe and North America is going to be profound. Chinese are going places many tourists didn't normally go, so it's kind of like a blank slate. You can create the story that attracts the Chinese consumer."
Armed with the knowledge that Chinese love to shop, the retail industry has done particularly well at this. They realized that while many European or American visitors list beaches or national parks as the highlight of their vacation, surveys show that many Chinese tour groups cite a mall.
Groups like Simon's Premium Outlets, which operates 72 malls globally including one in Camarillo, now send representatives to China annually to make sure their malls are integrated into tour bus itineraries.
"For the past six years, representatives from Simon have traveled to China to attend the China International Travel Market in Shanghai and Kunming," spokeswomen Michele Rothstein said, adding that her company was one of the first to do so. "We work with our area visitors and convention bureaus to support their efforts to attract Chinese visitors and implement a wide range of marketing strategies."
Chinese visitors, she said, are the company's fastest-growing international market segment, and Premium Outlets' malls have added appropriate language materials, currency exchange and staff that speak Mandarin to adapt to the growth.
Airlines have done considerably less than their retail and hospitality counterparts to lure Chinese travelers, though KLM and Air France both have a strong marketing presence in China. In the end, the companies that make changes now and build bridges to welcome Chinese will be the ones who float when the wave building out at sea hits.
Over time, growth may slow and Chinese will likely become more discerning with their money and choices, but one thing's clear: The Chinese are coming.
Are you ready?


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News has come through that 2K Games will be delaying their release of the next installment in the WWE 2K series from its usual October release window. Instead WWE 2K15 is scheduled for an early 2015 release of roughly March 2015, which would coincide with Wrestlemania 31.
So far very little detail has been revealed on the game other than the fact that development will be completely handled by Visual Concepts, the developer behind the NBA 2K series. This will be the first entirely developed WWE 2K game from Visual Concepts and as such we can likely expect some major shakeups with the game.
While no news has come through on what will replace the 30 Years of Wrestlemania mode, rumour has it that there could potentially by a ‘My Career’ mode similar to that in past WWE games and that featured currently in the NBA 2K series, with the player starting in the developmental territory of NXT and working their way up to the main roster and ultimately to championship glory.
Stay tuned for further information on the upcoming WWE 2K15 as it comes to light.


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According to a study by Inito, a Bengaluru-based medical technology company creating the next-generation portable diagnostic devices, 27.5 million couples are suffering from infertility and actively seeking children. Also, at least 10-15% of married couples are experiencing fertility issues.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Inflation Cools, Industrial Growth on Firm Ground
India’s consumer inflation eased to a five-month low of 6.71% in July on the back of a moderation in food inflation, firming up expectations that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may go for a softer increase in policy rates at its end-September review.I am a Chinese, not a Terrorist: Huawei India CEO to Court
Huawei Telecommunications (India) chief executive officer Li Xiongwei told a Delhi court on Friday, “I am a Chinese (national) and not a terrorist,” apparently borrowing a line from a Shah Rukh Khan movie.Chip Shortage in the Rear-View Mirror, Auto Cos on Launchpad
Automobile companies are gearing up for a record number of launches in the coming months as the semiconductor shortage that has plagued the industry eases.
ETPrime stories of the day
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How the CarData system works: It collects information from cars that have been registered by owners using the BMW ConnectedDrive app. BMW stresses that the CarData system will only collect data from cars if the owners give permission. This information is then stored on IBM servers and can be redistributed to companies to use for various services.
BMW and IBM provided a few possible examples of the services that could be provided or improved using CarData. One possibility would be quicker diagnosis and repairs of vehicles, since shops could access information on the car's condition before arriving. Another would be reducing insurance rates by sending insurance companies precise data on mileage and driving habits. Think of it like the little transmitter devices insurance companies such as Progressive and Allstate offer to monitor your driving for better rates.
BMW has only launched CarData in Germany to start, but the company plans to expand to other markets in the future. IBM also makes it clear that it's more than happy to provide the same type of cloud system for use by other car companies.


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State investigating photo of officer parked in handicapped spot
Mental Floss magazine recently published a list of odd facts found on grocery store shelves. Here is some of their list, along with some more things we found:
Who knew? Check out these odd facts about common foods on the grocery shelf.
Click here to see the list.
The teacher that was accused of push and grabbing one of her students is expected to resign, according to the school’s superintendent.


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Slowdown in Europe’s Big 5 Markets as New Car Sales drop 2% in July
- France recorded the biggest fall, with new car registrations in July down 9.6% compared to the same period last year
- New SUV sales grew by 12.5% and accounted for more than a quarter of all registrations, with traditional segments continuing to lose ground
- Volkswagen lost more ground to its competitors as registrations fell 13.9% compared to July 2015
New car registrations in Europe’s ‘Big 5’ markets dropped by 2% in July, as market conditions halted the positive trend that had dominated over the previous 15 months. While Spain, Italy and the UK all posted modest growth in July, this could not fully compensate for the declines seen in France and Germany. Overall registrations for the month totalled 836,431 units, down from 853,701 units in July 2015. This slowdown is partly due to July 2016 having two fewer working days compared to July 2015. As Europe’s largest carmaker, the double-digit fall in VW Group’s monthly sales also had an impact.
The biggest decline was posted by France, with total registrations for July falling 9.6% compared to the same month last year, to 132,893 units. Sales in Germany, Europe’s largest market, fell 3.9%, taking its total registrations down to 278,878 compared to 290,196 last year. Spain grew 4.4% to 108,769 units and sales in Italy were up 2.6% to 137,368 units. Demand appeared to be cooling in the UK, which saw an increase of just 0.1% – this is as a result of exceptionally strong demand in 2015, and a continuing drop in private sales.
Volkswagen continues to be Europe’s largest brand, despite suffering the biggest market share drop of any of its competitors – 13.2% in July 2015 to 11.6% in July 2016. The decline shows that Volkswagen’s emissions issue continues to affect the company, with the car maker still being fined in some European markets. The biggest market share growth among the top 10 brands was posted by Fiat, this comes despite a fall in sales from the Fiat 500. Fiat’s sales were boosted by the new Fiat Tipo, and the continued growth of the B-SUV Fiat 500X. There was a good performance from the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra as the model continued to grab more market share in the compact segment, meaning that the Opel/Vauxhall brand was able to increase market share. Other big winners include Dacia, who posted double-digit growth in four of the five markets, thanks mostly to the Sandero hatchback, Kia’s new Sportage, and the good results of Land Rover’s updated Evoque. Infiniti posted the highest percentage increase (+233%) and was followed by Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Land Rover and Jaguar.
“Traditionally there is a drop in demand ahead of summer, but it is clear that Europe has started to feel the effect of Volkswagen’s emissions issue.” said Felipe Munoz, Global Automotive Analyst at JATO Dynamics.
In terms of segments, SUVs continued to grow their market share, with their registrations in July accounting for more than a quarter of the total market (25.8%). This growth is expected to continue as new important players such as the updated Ford Kuga, new Mini Countryman and Dacia Duster are unveiled over the upcoming months. The drop in traditional segments outweighed the growth of SUVs, with large/luxury cars, city-cars and MPVs posting the biggest losses of the month.
The Volkswagen Golf continued to lead as Europe’s favourite model, but its dominance is more vulnerable than ever. Its volume continued to decline as it awaits its first facelift, which is expected at the Paris Motor Show in October. New model releases have had a huge impact on Golf sales; in fact, while the current Golf (launched in 2011) posted a 24% fall, the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra grew by 17%. The Fiat Tipo was the best-selling compact car in Italy, and became the 12th best-selling compact car overall with 5,300 units. Among the top sellers, the biggest winner of the month was the Dacia Sandero which posted double-digit growth in four out of the five markets, and came in at 11th position with a volume growth of 27%. The Nissan Qashqai regained its place as the best-selling SUV in the big 5 European markets, after spending months behind the Renault Captur. In fact, the Captur was even outsold by the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka and the new VW Tiguan.
“Despite the slowdown in the market, the demand for SUVs is increasing, and is expected to keep growing, especially with new models being unveiled in the upcoming months,” concluded Munoz.
- CO2 Emissions Rise for the First Time in a Decade in Europe, as the Market Turns its back on Diesel Vehicles and SUV Registrations Rise
- European Markets grow moderately in March with SUV’s the main driver
- Peugeot leads the Volume Brands in Europe as average new car CO2 Emissions continue to fall
- Beyond regulation: staying ahead of the pack
- Global car market remains stable during 2018, as continuous demand for SUVs offsets decline in sales of Compact cars and MPVs


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Excerpts from the Journal of Commerce:
One major global shipper compared the container shipping freight market to a car dealership. “The basic product is not profitable, but if you can sign the customer up for a sufficient number of additionals, you’ll survive,” he told JOC.com.
[S]urcharges contained, among other items, terminal handling fees at both [...]
The Port of Los Angeles announced this week it will begin construction this summer on a two-year, $127 million project to improve the marine terminal operated by Yusen Terminals, so that it can more efficiently handle larger vessels.
West Coast marine terminals’ inability to handle larger vessels was one of the main contributors to port [...]
Cosco has reportedly ordered nine 20,000-teu ships, with an option for four additional vessels of the same size, according to several news media.
The ultra-large container ship newbuilding order comes just days after Maersk Line ordered 11 similarly-sized vessels of 19,630-teu each. That order came after CMA CGM confirmed it had ordered six 14,000-teu ships, [...]
From the Journal of Commerce:
The capacity of container ships ordered so far this year is up 60 percent on the same period in 2014, at just over 1 million 20-foot-equivalent units, driven by a wave of contracts for mega vessels, according to Alphaliner.
The surge in orders is largely focused on vessels above 18,000 [...]
”Things are going from bad to worse, with these threatened sackings and the use of navy sailors as strikebreaking mercenaries. Those kind of tactics would be unthinkable in APMT’s home country of the Netherlands, not to mention Denmark, home of its parent, the Maersk Group.” — Paddy Crumlin, ITF President
The International Transport Workers’ [...]
Hapag-Lloyd has ordered five modern container ships from the South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) for its South American trade. Each of the new ships is 333 meters long, 48 meters wide and has capacity for 10,500 standard containers (TEU). In addition, they are equipped with a highly efficient main engine, an optimized [...]
Lloyd’s Register has signed a contract with COSCO Zhoushan Shipyard in China and Maersk Line in Denmark for the classification of the shipping carrier’s seven new 3,600 teu containerships.
The vessels will be built to Danish Flag and have a length of 200 meters and a breadth of 35.2 meters, according to Maersk.
Maersk Line has announced that it has entered into Vessel Sharing Agreement (VSA) with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) on the Asia to East Coast of South America trade.
The news comes days after Maersk Line revealed it had turned in its best-ever first quarter result, with profit up 57.1 per [...]
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (May 22, 2015) – West Coast Longshore workers have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a tentative contract agreement reached in February with employers represented by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) voted 82% in favor of approving the new 5-year agreement that will expire [...]
Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. finished the first quarter of 2015 with an $11 million net profit, following a sharp drop in shipping costs, and despite a more moderate decline in its revenue. Zim, which last summer completed a huge debt settlement with its creditors, reported $792 million in revenue from cargoes and related services [...]
Cosco Pacific, the port unit of China Ocean Shipping Group, seems to be distancing itself from any involvement in a port privatisation plan in Greece, where a new leftist government has tried to shed austerity commitments, casting doubt on further investment by the Chinese firm.
“Any decisions related to [the bidding] of Piraeus Port Authority [...]
China Cosco Holdings pushed ahead with its fleet scrapping plan last month by dismantling two container ships and two bulk carriers.
The scrapping of the vessels incurred about renminbi 59 million ($9 million) in losses, according to a May 13 stock filing. … China Cosco is renewing its fleet and replacing older vessels with new [...]
From the Economic Times:
COPENHAGEN: AP Moller-Maersk reported a first-quarter net profit above forecasts, helped by strong performance in its container shipping segment and the sale of a stake in a bank, although still weighed down by low oil prices for its oil unit.
Denmark’s largest company by revenue said net profit rose to $1.57 [...]
VT Halter Marine has delivered the M/V Marjorie C combination container and roll-on / roll-off (ConRo) vessel to Honolulu-based Pasha Hawaii. The Marjorie C ConRo vessel was designed by Uljanik Shipyard in Croatia and built by VT Halter Marine. Courtesy of Pasha Hawaii.
Marjorie C will join its sister ship M/V Jean Anne, also [...]
Excerpts from The Guardian:
Iran has released a Marshall Islands-flagged container ship and its crew which were seized last week in one of the world’s major oil shipping lanes, the vessel’s operator has said.
The ship was diverted on 28 April by Iranian patrol boats in the strait of Hormuz, prompting the US to send [...]


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BCN + R Japan shows the sales volume of mirrorless cameras and the ranking of sales volume by model in February 2020. February sales are significantly lower than the previous year of 2019. Read More »
Olympus has officially announced the new PEN E-PL9 mirrorless camera today. It uses a 16MP Live MOS sensor as well as the same TruePic VIII processor found on the E-M10 Mark III. E-PL9 now finally has a built-in flash. E-PL9 also featured with 4K video capture (at 30p) and Bluetooth. The US price is not announced yet, it will be announced in next several days. Release date in Mid-March.
According to Bluetooth SIG, Canon EOS M50 and Olympus E-PL9 has just got registered. The Canon EOS M50 will be a baby EOS M5 mirrorless camera, and EOS M50 is likely to have another name KISS M. The Olympus E-PL9 has rumored for a long time.


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OMAHA, N.E.(WNAX)- While the latest survey of businesses in the nine state Mid America region indicated continued growth, there are also warning signs.
Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss says inflation is a key indicator.
Goss says those factors could slow business activity.
Goss says long term interest rates may actually back down.
Goss coordinates the monthly survey of businesses from Minnesota and the Dakotas to Arkansas.


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Baird Capital Invests in Appdetex
Today, Baird Capital announced that its venture team has completed an investment in Appdetex, a global brand protection leader and expert in online detection, assessment, and enforcement of online infringements. Baird Capital led the $12.2 million Series C financing to fuel the company’s growth, team, and market opportunity. Appdetex’s existing investors, First Analysis, Origin Ventures, and EPIC Ventures, also participated in the financing.
Four of the top five World’s Most Valuable Brands, along with hundreds of other brands, depend on Appdetex’s brand protection technology and expertise to defend their customer relationships, revenue, and reputation. With this additional investment, Appdetex will enhance its patented technologies and grow its sales and service teams to service its fast-growing customer base and a burgeoning list of partners.
"Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, adoption of digital technologies and services has accelerated, with most consumers and businesses now relying heavily on digital channels for work, school, entertainment, shopping, communication and almost every aspect of their lives," emphasized Jim Pavlik, Partner with Baird Capital and newly appointed Appdetex board member. "Seeing an opportunity to profit on that reliance, malicious actors have increasingly attacked brands and their customer relationships in those same channels. With the cost of this ill-intended activity damaging so many companies, we are excited to partner with the Appdetex team and support their efforts in defending brands and ensuring customer trust in the digital buyer journey."
For additional details on the announcement, the full press release is available here.


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Samsung, Canon and Panasonic have ranked second, fourth and fifth in the list of top fifty recipients of US patents in 2009. Panasonic, which makes greater use of the international patents system, topped the list of International Applications with Samsung and Canon coming in seventeenth and twenty seventh respectively. Fujifilm and Ricoh which both have interests beyond cameras also feature in the top 20 of the US list, while the smaller Nikon comes fifty-second in terms of international applications. Canon's lofty position in the US list, despite operating in fewer product areas than the two consumer electronics giants, prompted it to issue a press release highlighting its performance.
CANON MARKS A DECADE OF INNOVATION WITH 2,204
NEW PATENTS IN 2009
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., February 10, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, is proud to announce that for the 10th consecutive year, Canon Inc. has ranked as one of the top five corporate recipients of U.S. patents. Covering a broad spectrum of digital imaging innovations, consumer product enhancements, and leading-edge technology, Canon's commitment and investment in research and development resulted in 2,204 patents in 2009, bringing the Company's total to nearly 20,000 patents in the last decade.
These patents have contributed to the successful introduction of many innovative products and technologies currently in the marketplace today. The EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR camera, introduced ground-breaking full High Definition video capability to the DSLR market, the Canon imagePRESS C7000VP and imagePRESS C1+ digital printing presses delivered extraordinary quality and productivity to the production and graphic arts markets, and the CXDI-50RF Dynamic and Static Digital Radiography (DR) Sensor, was the world's first portable dynamic and static sensor, capable of viewing both dynamic images and capturing static X-ray images.
"Since our inception, Canon has put enormous emphasis on building a legacy of innovation and growth, which is sustained by our commitment to research and development" said Seymour Liebman, executive vice president, chief administrative officer & general counsel, Canon U.S.A. "This commitment allows us to continually enhance our current products, and develop advanced new technologies that allow us to venture into new areas of the marketplace to better serve consumer needs."
Further demonstrating Canon's commitment to research and innovation, the Company announced as part of its $640 million expansion of Canon Virginia, Inc., that it will establish a center for the research and development of automated and robotic manufacturing technologies for the Americas region and will expand cartridge production and recycling, as well as reclaiming of toner cartridges.
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Nikon's D850 development announcement is extremely light on details, so we assembled a wish list of upgrades and features we'd love to see.
Nikon has announced the development of the long-awaited replacement to its full-frame D810: the D850. Nikon says that the D850 will build on the strengths of its predecessor and offer 'new technologies, features and performance enhancements.'
Lens manufacturer Voigtlander has introduced a 65mm F2 macro lens for Sony E-mount that it says "rates as one of the finest in the history of Voigtländer."
The UK released a preview of their upcoming drone safety regulations, and it looks like drone pilots will have to both register their device and pass safety awareness tests.
National Geographic photographer Bob Holmes talks about light, and why you need to learn how to 'see' and not just 'look' at your subject.
Photographer Alessandro Barteletti shares the story behind his National Geographic Italia cover, shot with a 10-year-old DSLR and an iPhone flashlight.
Fashion catalog photographers in China have some next-level models to work with. In this video, you see one model hitting 30 poses in 15 seconds as the photographer snaps away.
Photographer Paul Adshead breaks down 11 photography-related smartphone apps he couldn't live without—from a pocket light meter to a lighting diagram app.
Fast-growing Chinese flash brand Godox is teasing a brand new flash trigger... for smartphones. The Godox A1 is a 'phone flash system' that can act as both flash and 2.4GHz trigger.
On July 12, Canon opened its newest Technology and Support Center, designed to serve the motion picture industry, in Burbank, CA. DPReview got a sneak peak and takes you behind the scenes.
The Sigma 14mm F1.8 Art is truly one-of-a-kind. It offers the fastest aperture of any lens that shares its focal length, produces beautiful sunstars and is incredibly sharp to boot. If you're in the market for a fast ultrawide prime, this looks to be the one to get.
In this article, expert macro photographer Thomas Shahan shares advice for successful closeup photography of bugs, insects and small animals.
DJI's new firmware makes it difficult to fly in restricted airspace, even when you have proper clearance. Is DJI placing themselves between professionals and the FAA?
Go behind the scenes with National Geographic photographer Renan Ozturk and see what it takes to capture a dangerous, harrowing, stunning Nat Geo photo essay.
Erez Marom tells the story behind this ominous photo of the sand 'reaching up' towards the mountains at Skagsanden beach in Norway. He calls this photo 'Torment.'
DPReview staffer Carey Rose has taken the Panasonic Leica DG 15mm F1.7 along for everything from a city-side boat ride to a bachelor party across the mountains. Find out how the little Leica fared.
Canon just unveiled the largest 12-ink printer on the market. The new imagePROGRAF PRO-6000 printer can make prints from 17 all the way up to 60 inches wide.
"Standing in one of the holiest places on earth, I felt uneasy," writes Wired's Jason Parham. "Most of my fellow visitors, I realized with a brief bloom of nausea, were taking selfies."
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk has been receiving great reviews, but it's a challenge to see it in its full glory. This handy infographic reveals the aspect ratio chaos that is wrought as the industry retreats from film.
Anti-bullying organization Ditch the Label's Annual Bullying Survey 2017 reveals yet again that Instagram, more so than any other social network, has the worst effect on youth mental health.
It's been a crazy day for innovative patent news. Apparently Sony is thinking of developing a medium format curved sensor camera.
An update to the Silkypix Raw converter fixes some bugs and adds support for several popular new cameras.
This crazy custom-built underwater camera shoots 8x10 large format film. It's supposedly "the first successful underwater 8x10 ever made," and it can be yours for $5,800... plus shipping.
Blackmagic just reveled a new accessory for their Cintel Film Scanner. The Cintel Audio and KeyKode Reader can capture KeyKode data and high-quality audio from film in real-time as it is being scanned.
A new Nikon patent shows a lens designed for a curved full-frame sensor. Could this be the high-end Nikon mirrorless camera people are hoping for?
The ability to shoot images at 1,000 fps first appeared in a Sony smartphone sensor. Now the Japanese manufacturer is using the same feature for industrial applications.
Astronomy expert and photographer Dr. Tyler Nordgren thinks you should "see your first eclipse, photograph your second." But if you do plan on taking photos this August, here are a few tips from someone who's been there.
How confident are you that you can spot a manipulated photo? A recent study at the University of Warwick shows that many people are pretty bad at it.
If you purchased a Leica TL2, do NOT attach Leica's Visoflex electronic viewfinder. Leica is working on a fix, but for now, it's possible the viewfinder will break your camera.
Google just released Motion Stills for Android. Unlike the iOS version, the Android app uses a redesigned video processing pipeline that processes each frame of a video as it is being recorded, creating instant results.


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With the new series of TOWIE set to launch this weekend, spas and salons are still supporting a sales surge in glamorous beauty treatments. Sales of self-tan are up 19% at John Lewis, as ladies seek to get that Essex glow in the winter months.
Best-sellers include Fake Bake, Bliss, Clarins, St Tropez and Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess.
In-spa tans are also on the up, as are long-lasting manicures such as glitter Shellac and eye boosters such as lash extensions.
At the end of the last series, it was reported that fake eyelashes are the most popular of the three TOWIE looks with more than half of all searches for the three products (61%) on Alibaba.com. TOWIE star Lauren Goodger has since released her own range of lashes and tans, Lauren's Way.
But nail treatments are also popular as consumers aim to emulate the long, bejewelled talons of the show’s stars.
Hollie Gordon, owner of Forever Gorgeous at the Queens Hotel and Spa, said: "We offer all sorts of pampering treatments but it's the glam party treatments that everyone wants at the moment.
Best-sellers at Forever Gorgeous includ Sienna X tan (£15), glitter Shellac (£15) and Crybaby long-lasting mascara (£45).


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- Razer unvails the future of gaming chairs at CES 2021
- Mark the date: S21 will launch on January 14
- Sony’s latest PS5 update will tell you if you’re playing the PS4 version of a game
- SEGWAY POWERSPORTS COMES TO CYPRUS
- Its Official: The boys are back!
- Samsung confirms stylus support is coming to Galaxy phones like the S21
- Lightyear Movie Starring Chris Evans Release Date Set For Summer 2022
- Apple AirPods Max are Apple’s first over-ear headphones
- Apple Event November 2020 – One more thing (How to watch)
- Apple’s Radical New iPhone Suddenly Takes Shape
Logitech G203 Lightsync Black Gaming Mouse
Make the most of your game time with G203 gaming mouse.


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Philips sinks teeth into profits
THE HAGUE — Dutch electronics giant Philips said Monday its net profit climbed by over 30 percent in the first quarter, thanks in part to a surge in sales of oral healthcare products including electric toothbrushes.
Profits jumped to 162 million euros ($180 million) from 124 million euros in the same quarter last year as operational performance improved and expenses declined, while overall sales ticked higher to 4.2 billion euros.
Taking care of your oral health is easy with the Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush. Select yours for better plaque removal, healthier gums, a brighter smile, or all three.#Philips #Sonicare #OralHealth pic.twitter.com/XqFFr30ONa
— Philips Home Plus (@PhilipsPakHPlus) April 27, 2018
“We had a reasonable start to the year, as we delivered 2.0 percent comparable growth sales and order intake growth, further building on strong growth on 2018,” chief executive Frans van Houten said.
Best known for its lighting business, Philips now focuses its business on high-tech medical equipment and services as well as lifestyle products.
Amsterdam-based Philips did particularly well in its personal health arm, driven by double-digit growth in its oral healthcare products business, which includes electric toothbrushes and flossing devices.
The company reaffirmed its 2019 targets of a 4.0-6.0 percent increase in sales on a comparable basis, plus an improved operating margin.
Faced with fierce competition from Asia, Philips pivoted from making electrical appliances and television sets to medical equipment and health technology as well as household appliances.
The group, which sold its first light bulb a few years after it was founded in 1891, listed its Philips Lighting division, known as Signify, on the Amsterdam stock exchange in March last year.
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Bottled water of India
Genie is out of the bottle. Indeed, the bottled water industry is one of the most thriving sectors in India. The market is growing at a whopping rate of about 55 per cent annually and is expected to cross Rs. 1000-crore mark within the next couple of years.
Almost all major national and international brands have taken a plunge. Parle's Bisleri that virtually monopolised the bottled water market is now vying with Nestle, Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Manikchand, UB and Britannia. According to a national-level study, there are close to 200 bottled water brands in India. Nearly 80 per cent of these are local brands.
There are arounf 150 domestic Indian Bottled Water Brands:
FineWaters represents the Fine Water category, educating the consumers and the media and F&B professionals about water not just being water. The Fine Water Society was founded in 2008 to create a global forum and to further enhance the visibility of Fine Water and convey the idea that water is not just water but a natural product with terroir and unique characteristics.
Bottled Water News
Bottled Water & Health


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This kind of article is usually part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive the idea weekdays.
Stuck at home, we’ve gorged on Netflix along with everything else on screens. is usually there any turning back?
He thinks his current love for an oddball “sport” shows we’re not picky about the quality of entertainment. along with, he suggests we should get ready to hit the movie theater without leaving home.
Shira: What’s surprising about people’s entertainment habits in This kind of pandemic?
Ed: I was surprised the lack of sports hasn’t significantly reduced TV watching. People are still tuning into live TV, mostly for news — yet also for old sports or weird sports. I caught something called “death diving” on ESPN. the idea’s big in Norway, apparently. I’m hooked.
yet we’re not going to watch marble racing along with goofball diving on TV forever. (I think?)
True. Most of This kind of fringe content will be forgotten, yet what the idea tells me is usually distribution is usually still kinda king. We’ll watch almost anything as long as there’s an “on” switch.
The quality of entertainment doesn’t matter? Isn’t which discouraging?
Remember when TV used to be only broadcast, everyone complained there was nothing not bad on, yet we all still watched?
today, arguably, there’s plenty of not bad stuff on television. yet the idea’s about which company can capture the most eyeballs to shove whatever they have at you.
What’s going to happen with sports, which rely on TV money? If sports will be weird for a while, why pay a zillion dollars to football leagues?
the idea’s like an arms race. If one TV company doesn’t pay up for a major sports franchise like the NFL, someone else will. The only way the arms race potentially ends is usually if younger people never develop a taste for live sports. which’s possible. Look at Twitch.
Yes, there’s a higher likelihood of some — emphasize some — films being released for home streaming instead of in theaters. Blockbusters like Marvel movies will still have theatrical releases.
Do people want This kind of? If I watch a movie at home, the idea doesn’t feel like an activity.
Not everyone. yet for some, the comfort along with ease of doing so … yes!! People have been willing to pay as much as $50 to watch a brand new movie at home.
Besides death diving, what’s your household’s pandemic entertainment?
We’ve been watching “Never Have I Ever” on Netflix, along with the latest season of “Killing Eve.” I’ve kept up with “Westworld” on HBO, yet my heart isn’t inside idea. I’m just watching the idea to watch the idea. The “on” switch.
The cost of fast along with free shipping
After I wrote This kind of week about the future of online shopping, a couple of readers pushed back on the idea which more neighborhood package hubs would likely mean more traffic along with pollution. Wouldn’t deliveries dropped off to everyone pollute less than all of us driving to stores?
yet Dr. Goodchild said which’s not a fair comparison because the idea’s not the reality of online shopping inside United States.
As more companies offer to ship online orders in one or two days, people are ordering more often. which tends to boost the number of times airplanes along with trucks have to head out, along with increases delivery miles traveled.
In January to June of last year, 94 percent of Amazon orders were for only one item, according to Rakuten Intelligence, which asks people’s permission to analyze their email receipts. Speedy deliveries also require more airplanes, along with compel companies to send out half-empty delivery vans.
E-commerce companies will likely become more efficient at bunching deliveries along with plotting transportation routes, yet the idea won’t solve everything.
Dr. Goodchild said the best practice for the environment is usually for people to buy less stuff in general, along with for shipping times to be slower.
Before we go …
“There’s Zoomd, Zoomi, Zumi, Zoomy, Zoomies, Zoomin, Zoomvy, Zoomly along with Zoomph.” additional than This kind of WONDERFUL newsletter, you will read nothing better than my colleague Erin Griffith’s Dr. Seuss-like tale of tech company names which suggest speed.
Your regular reminder to be suspicious of what you see online: The “Plandemic” video which was everywhere online was initially a coordinated effort by people who oppose vaccines. They’re trying to capitalize on our coronavirus fears to spread discredited conspiracy theories, NBC News reported. Facebook along with YouTube said they were deleting the video coming from their sites, yet versions of the idea are still popping up.
The dumb jokes are coming for you: The conspiracists (see above) along with the money-minded people always figure out how to game favorite online hangouts to get attention. My colleague Taylor Lorenz writes about the bombardment of TikTok, mostly known for its dance crazes along with skits, by financially minded networks which create visual jokes known as memes.
Hugs to This kind of
Staring at the planet Mercury is usually weirdly calming. Also, the idea’s science, so you can feel not bad about watching an internet video.
We want to hear coming from you. Tell us what you think of This kind of newsletter along with what else you’d like us to explore. You can reach us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aporia, the customizable ML monitoring platform, announced today the launch of the first self-serve monitoring platform for machine learning, free and available to the public. Aporia's new self-serve product empowers data scientists and ML engineers to begin implementing monitoring logic for early detection of issues like data drift, unexpected bias and performance degradation, and build their very own monitoring system for their ML models within minutes of entering the platform.
The reasoning for releasing this new self-serve product was to create a platform that is completely customizable and extensible at its core, with an API-first approach.
"Our new self-serve product is a build-it-yourself option that offers full transparency with zero hassle. You can maintain full control of your ML models in production, and you will be able to build your own customizable monitoring solution for early detection of any issues," says Liran Hason, CEO of Aporia.
Another reason behind deploying the brand new self-serve monitoring system is to address a common issue plaguing the current landscape of existing products in the AI market today. The digital experience of searching for a model monitoring platform is often confusing and misleading, driving users through a complicated sales process before they ever get the chance to test the product. For users, this creates a lot of grey area and uncertainty about the actual functionality of the solution that is being offered.
Using this new self-serve product, Aporia can ensure an optimal experience for data science teams who want to quickly monitor their machine learning models in production immediately. With a low touch approach, data scientists can easily sign up and be onboarded onto the platform in no time at all. Chat support is available if someone requires assistance, but there is no need to speak to anyone if users prefer not to. Furthermore, there is no tedious process to try out the platform. The entire experience is designed to be extremely simple, clear and transparent.
The platform offers 100% visibility in production and enables data scientists to easily build custom monitors for early detection of concept drift, data integrity and production issues in their models. Aporia's self-serve platform can be seamlessly deployed in under five minutes, and teams can choose from a choice of cloud or self-hosted deployment to ensure the highest level of data security.
Click here to get started with Aporia's self-serve ML monitoring platform.
Aporia is a self-serve monitoring platform for machine learning, used by Fortune 500 companies and data science teams around the world to monitor billions of daily predictions and maintain AI responsibility and fairness. Founded in 2019, Aporia is backed by TLV Partners and Vertex Ventures.


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Online gambling is any type of gambling that frozen gems is conducted online. This includes online casinos as well as live casinos and sports betting. The first online gambling site accessible to the public was the ticketing system at the Liechtenstein International Casino in 1994. Since then, there have been numerous online gambling websites.
Online gambling has expanded to the US. It has also become an important industry in the US and supports numerous well-known sites that operate across every state. The gambling industry on the internet is estimated to generate billions of dollars annually. The majority of these millions are spent on online gambling in states like Nevada as well as California. These two states account for over 25% of all gambling revenues in the world. These states do not just have a thriving online gaming industry, but also have highly-regulated online casinos and sports books.
USA Today recently featured Las Vegas Sands Corp.as one of the largest online gaming companies in the country in an article. Steve McKee, a journalist at USA Today, wrote the article. Mr. McKee went into great detail about the way in which the Sands Corporation controls its business and manages funds. M. McKee also stated that the Sands Corporation pays taxes on behalf of shareholders to the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, the Sands Corporation has an effective public gambling act that protects games of poker.
The gambling industry is a grey area of regulation between federal and state agencies. States such as Tennessee have attempted to pass bills to regulate online gambling however, they have not been successful. It has been pointed out that gambling on the internet is already illegal in many US jurisdictions.
One of the issues for online gambling in the US is the random number generators that are used in the majority of casinos. While the random number generators used in casinos are designed to guarantee fair play, certain random generators can be programmed to create unlimited cash for the owners of their machines. Random number generators used in casinos online are typically more vulnerable to external influences. For instance, an employee of the online casino could fail to win a casino game and obtain thousands of dollars in winnings. The casino then examines the “wins” it has and tries to make modifications to the software that governs the games at casinos. If they fail to make the needed modifications could be disastrous for games played online.
In the US there are three states that have enacted laws that prohibit casinos on the internet from using numbers generated by computers to be used for gambling. These laws are referred to as the “Gambling Reform Act”. New Jersey, Nevada, Connecticut and other states have passed laws that prohibit casinos online from using electronic devices to facilitate Internet gaming. In the past, the Internal Revenue Service and other authorities throughout the US have issued cease and desist orders to online casinos which were found to be in violation of law. This is commonly referred to fire joker gratis as the “ICCA”. Most gambling and poker rooms abide by these laws.
Online gambling gives gamblers an array of games than traditional casinos. Online casinos give players the chance to play for free in casino games such as tournament games, high-roller games. Most of the time, these online games can be played for no cost. Many gambling websites offer cash back promotions, where the initial deposit will be credited with a percentage of all ongoing gambling activity.
The internet has created an enormous number of people interested in trying their hand on the gambling scene online. There are numerous online gambling apps available to download from the Apple iTunes store and the Android Market. These apps allow you to not only gamble, but also to chat with other players while playing your favorite online games. It is easy to locate and study new websites for gambling online to register with and join the game. Be sure to follow proper gaming ethics to avoid being reported to the authorities.


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Company founders and leaders are unloading their stock at historic levels, with some selling shares in their businesses for the first time in years, amid soaring market valuations and ahead of possible changes in U.S. and some state tax laws.
So far this year, 48 top executives have collected more than $200 million each from stock sales, nearly four times the average number of insiders from 2016 through 2020, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the research firm InsiderScore.
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Detroit’s business sector is growing despite the economic downfall caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A local area mother, wife and First Lady is launching her fifth store in downtown Detroit and helping women dress like a boss but maintain their femininity.
Tenisia Evans has grown up in Detroit and has worked to give back to the city that gave so much to her. With a vision, the support of her family and direction from God, Girl Boss Fashions was birthed as a way to provide women with unique pieces for all sizes, shapes and ethnicities. As the First Lady of Divine Restorations Ministries on the city’s east side, and formally wearing a size 24, this entrepreneur sought a way to make shopping for full-figured women easier.
“There were a lot of First Ladies and they were like Barbie Dolls. I started a women’s clothing store years ago and it was called First Lady Fashions where I had curvy clothes, but it looked like church mother stuff,” says Tenisia Evans, founder of Girl Boss Fashions. “So, I started doing bling T-shirts.”
First launching in 2016, Girl Boss Fashions consisted of elaborately decorated T-shirts and accessories, but quickly grew to include individualized pieces for the everyday woman. The brand’s first location on Kelly Road served as the catalyst for several storefronts to follow. Expanding into Lakeside Mall, Macomb Mall and Partridge Creek, it was not long before representatives from Bedrock took notice and offered the opportunity for a pop-up shop location in the heart of downtown.
“Supporting creative entrepreneurs like Tenisia Evans is at the core of our retail strategy,” says Ivy Greaner, chief operating officer for Bedrock. “Girl Boss Fashions has a powerful mission and we look forward to connecting downtown shoppers to a Rockstar local brand.”
With catchy phrases like “the struggle is real but I make it look good,” which came from one of her husband’s sermons, and “I’m a jewel,” the Girl Boss owner is hoping to continue to inspire, not just the women of Detroit, but women nationally and internationally with her dream of being a household name and a go-to source for dressing women.
“My motto since day one as an entrepreneur is ‘all things are possible to those that believe,’” says Evans. “I believe Girl Boss Fashions will inspire women to live more confidently and I believe downtown Detroit is ready to experience our brand. Stop by our shop for one-of-a-kind pieces that are classy, trendy and professional, yet bossy at the same time.”
Since the pandemic, in addition to launching store locations across Metro Detroit, this entrepreneur is also motivating women to chase their dreams and launch their own businesses. With her mentorship program Girl Go Get It, Evans is showing up-and-coming businesswomen the ropes when it comes to launching a brand. Providing assistance on kickstarting and maintaining a business, the women in the program are able to see first-hand how the First Lady balances her obligations to her church, family and businesses. Often employing women from her church to work in the Girl Boss locations, paying it forward is helping to keep the ever-growing population of Black women business owners evolving.
“I get a lot of [messages] asking if ladies can put their pieces in the store and I tell them [they] can join our Girl Go Get It group and I’ll be more than happy to help you and show you how to do whatever,” Evans says.
Price points for the clothing begin at $30, but the owner is sure there is something every woman can afford and will help her look beautiful.
“I have moved more to a higher end, but it’s not enough to make you break the bank,” Evans says.
The newest Girl Boss Fashions location will be at 1232 Library Street on the ground level of the Z Lot. The founder released 50 butterflies during the Grand Opening signifying evolution, her age and the desire to be in all 50 states. The pop-up shop is expected to be in operation for at least six months.


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Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its stake in Visa Inc (NYSE:V) by 9.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,336,268 shares of the credit-card processor’s stock after purchasing an additional 210,500 shares during the quarter. Visa makes up about 1.3% of Two Sigma Advisers LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Two Sigma Advisers LP owned 0.12% of Visa worth $451,297,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new position in Visa in the 2nd quarter valued at $239,000. Wills Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Visa by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Wills Financial Group Inc. now owns 31,441 shares of the credit-card processor’s stock valued at $6,074,000 after acquiring an additional 1,023 shares in the last quarter. Private Portfolio Partners LLC raised its holdings in Visa by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Private Portfolio Partners LLC now owns 3,881 shares of the credit-card processor’s stock valued at $625,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. raised its holdings in Visa by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 429,246 shares of the credit-card processor’s stock valued at $82,917,000 after acquiring an additional 20,413 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Summit Trail Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Visa by 23.2% in the 1st quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 4,150 shares of the credit-card processor’s stock valued at $669,000 after acquiring an additional 782 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.74% of the company’s stock.
In related news, CEO Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.49, for a total transaction of $1,340,430.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 133,090 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $25,485,404.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Lloyd Carney sold 1,550 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.64, for a total value of $298,592.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,962 shares in the company, valued at $570,599.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 118,122 shares of company stock worth $24,683,231. 0.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Visa (NYSE:V) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The credit-card processor reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. Visa had a return on equity of 40.65% and a net margin of 51.37%. The company had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.37 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Visa Inc will post 5.01 earnings per share for the current year.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 13th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.58%. Visa’s payout ratio is 22.06%.
V has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Visa from $200.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Daiwa Capital Markets reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $204.00 price target on shares of Visa in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Visa from $190.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Wedbush boosted their price target on Visa from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Visa from $196.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-four have issued a buy rating to the company. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $213.34.
Visa Inc operates as a payments technology company worldwide. The company facilitates commerce through the transfer of value and information among consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, strategic partners, and government entities. It operates VisaNet, a processing network that enables authorization, clearing, and settlement of payment transactions; and offers fraud protection for account holders and assured payment for merchants.
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Nintendo U buyers will be able to take advantage of the company’s online component “Miiverse” as a “free to play and connect” option when the video gaming console rolls out later this year.
Nintendo announced the lack of a pricing plan during its annual shareholder meeting where company officials announced the lack of online pricing.
While Nintendo has had problems attracting third-party support in the past officials promised during the meeting that third-party interactions for the Nintendo Wii U were being handled differently from past attempts.
According to Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, the company doesn’t reject the possibility of an online paid service in the future, however the user base associated with Nintendo gaming is less likely to pay for such a system when compared to PS3 and Xbox 360 users. While Microsoft earns $50 per year for Xbox Live online gaming support the Nintendo audience tends to be younger and have less expendable if any disposable income.
When asked how the tech firm plans to attract third-party publishers Iwata said the company was working more closely with third parties during the development of the Nintendo Wii U, sharing key company information with third-party partners right when it was made available to the company’s own internal teams.
The Miiverse will offer users a general chat function, screenshot sharing and even the ability to leave tips for friends inside the games you play. Players can also work together to find a solution and can respond in either text or video through the Wii U GamePad’s webcam feature.


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Discover Ely’s hidden gems at independent showcase event
- Credit: Archant
Independent traders from across Ely will help showcase the best of their business at a special Independents Day event in July.
The event, taking place on July 3, is part of a national campaign that promotes and celebrates independent businesses across the UK.
It will be the fourth consecutive year that Ely Chamber of Commerce has organised the annual event that raises awareness of independent businesses, many of which are hidden away in Ely’s side streets.
John Bridge, chief executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Independents Day offers a unique opportunity to shine the spotlight on independent businesses that are often hidden away or unknown to the local community.
“The annual event is undeniably important for showcasing the vibrancy of distinctive and unique independent businesses within the Ely area.
“By shopping local and sourcing services from independent businesses people can really help boost the local economy.”
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- 4 Grandmother paralysed by Covid slowly improving, judge told
- 5 Busy road near RAF Lakenheath reopens after five-vehicle crash
- 6 Frying High! National honours for Ely at potato awards
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- 10 Green bin collections suspended
Last year’s Independents day attracted over 30 local independent businesses. The event is a great opportunity for patrons to distribute samples, promote special offers and celebrate their independence.
For more information about Independents Day, call Karen Dawson on 01223 237414 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org


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Phillip Thomas Straniero, formerly executive-in-residence at Western Michigan University for the food and consumer package goods marketing program, died Sept. 8. He was 70
Straniero served as a part-time temporary employee from 2013 to 2018 and a part-time instructor who taught sales and marketing strategy from 2003 to 2017.
The Hickory Corners resident served as a member of the Food Marketing Industry Advisory Board for more than 30 years and also was a member of the Haworth College of Business Advisory Council.
Prior to his employment at WMU, Straniero worked for 31 years at the Kellogg Co.
Services have taken place.
Read Straniero's family obituary and message book.
Memorial gifts may be made online to the Phillip T. Straniero Scholarship Fund at WMU.
Mail scholarship fund checks to:
Development and Alumni Relations
1903 W. Michigan Avenue
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5403


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Intel has announced the specifications its 12 to 18 core processor series: Intel Core i9-7920X, Core i9-7940X, Core i9-7960X and the Extreme Edition Core i9-7980XE processors. First announced at Computex 2017, the Intel Core X-series processor family is claimed to be the most powerful high-end desktop platform offered by Intel. These processors are made to deliver performance demands for virtual reality (VR), content creation, gaming and overclocking.
The 12-core Intel Core X-series processor will be available starting on August 28 while the 14 to 18 core Intel Core X-series processors will be available starting September 25.
The Intel Core i9 Extreme Edition processor features 18 cores and 36 threads and can be scaled across 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4-core options. The Intel X299 chipset offers with improved I/O capabilities along with LGA 2066 socket for Intel Core X-series processor family. Intel Optane memory support offers additional system performance along with up to 68 lanes of PCIe 3.0 on the platform to expand with fast SSDs and multiple discrete graphics cards.
Intel is claiming up to 15 percent faster multithread performance over previous generation and up to 15 percent faster single-thread performance. “Content creators can expect up to 20 percent better performance for VR content creation and up to 30 percent faster 4K video editing3 over the previous generation. Gamers and enthusiasts will experience up to 30 percent faster extreme mega-tasking for gaming over the previous generation,” said Intel while describing the prowess of the new processors.


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The S&P 500 is up a solid 45% over the last year and many large-cap stocks are now trading near all-time highs. In our indicative theme of Stocks Poised For A Split, we’ve identified a group of over ten companies from the S&P 500 that are growing revenue quickly and consistently, with their stocks trading at high prices, potentially making them candidates for a stock split. Now, although splits don’t change the fundamental picture for a company, they typically cause a run-up in the stock price post-announcement as investors see them as a signal that management is confident that growth will remain strong going forward. Stocks in our theme include Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG), and Netflix (NFLX). Below is a bit more about these companies and how they’ve been faring recently.
Amazon (AMZN) stock has gained about 5% year-to-date and about 44% over the last 12 months, as revenue growth accelerated over the last year led by the e-commerce and Amazon Web Services businesses which saw demand surge through Covid-19. Amazon stock saw its last split about two decades ago and currently trades at around $3,150 per share. There is speculation that a split could be announced this year, potentially as early as Thursday when the company reports Q1 results.
Alphabet (GOOG) is up by about 18% year-to-date and by about 80% over the last 12 months, as the company’s core advertising business held up despite Covid-19, while its cloud business continued to gain traction. The company carried out its first and only stock split in 2014. The stock trades at over $2,300 presently.
- Forecast Of The Day: Amazon’s International Revenue
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- Company Of The Day: Amazon
- Forecast Of The Day: Amazon Web Services Revenue
- Forecast Of The Day: Amazon North America Revenues
Netflix (NFLX) stock has gained about 21% over the last 12 months, although it has declined by about -6% year-to-date. Although the stock appears to have lost some momentum, on account of weaker than expected Q1 subscriber figures, the longer-term outlook for Netflix is strong, as the company expects to generate positive free cash flows for every year after 2021. (Related: Will Netflix Become A Cash Machine?) Netflix has seen two stock splits in the past, the most recent being in 2015.
See our theme on Stocks Poised For A Split for a complete list of companies and the criteria we’ve used to pick stocks.
[Updated 12/3/2020] Stock Split Candidates
With the big market rally this year, many stocks are trading at around all-time highs. Considering this, high-profile stock splits have made a comeback, with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) splitting their shares in late August. These splits have helped to drive prices higher, for perspective Tesla stock has soared by almost 2x since its five for one split was announced. Although splits don’t change the fundamentals of a company, investors see them as a sign that growth could remain strong going forward. In our indicative theme of Stocks Poised For A Split, we’ve identified a group of large-cap companies in the S&P 500 that trade at above $500 per share, have seen strong revenue growth and significant price appreciation this year, making them prime candidates for future stock splits. While our last update in September included Nvidia (NVDA), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOG) , and Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), names that have been added include Align Technology (ALGN), Netflix (NFLX), and Charter Communications (CHTR). Below is a bit more about these companies and why they’ve been outperforming.
Align Technology is a company best known for its Invisalign dental aligners. The company has fared well despite the Covid-19 pandemic, with its Q3 2020 sales soaring by about 24.9% versus last year. Investors have also been cheering the company’s quick international expansion, with Invisalign shipments outside the U.S growing 34% last quarter.  The stock trades at about $504.
Netflix stock has also had a solid run, rising by over 50% year-to-date, as the company added about 28 million subscribers over the first nine months of this year, as people avoided public forms of entertainment and stayed home through the Covid-19 pandemic. Netflix also appears confident about its pricing power, despite the launch of lower-priced services such as Disney+ and Apple TV+, as it raised pricing on its popular tier in the U.S in late October.
Charter Communications, a major telecommunications provider, has seen its stock rise by 36% year-to-date driven by robust growth in Internet subscribers as the work and learn from home trend accelerated through the Coronavirus pandemic. Interestingly, the company also added cable TV customers over the last two quarters, defying the broader trend of cord-cutting.
[Updated 9/17/2020] Stock Split Candidates
Stock splits are back in favor this year, with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) splitting their shares late last month. Although splits don’t change the fundamentals of a company, they often cause a run-up in the stock price post-announcement as investors see them as a signal that growth could remain strong going forward. In our indicative theme of Stocks Poised For A Split we’ve identified a group of large-cap companies in the S&P 500 that have seen strong growth and price appreciation that could be prime candidates for a future stock split. The theme has returned about 37% year-to-date, versus 5% for the S&P 500. It remains up 113% since 12/31/2017 vs. 27% for the S&P. Below is a bit more about the companies in our theme.
Nvidia (NVDA): The maker of graphic processing units (GPUs) has seen its stock soar over 110% this year, driven by growing demand from data centers and its recent deal to buy chip designer ARM. The stock trades at a little over $500 and saw its last split about two decades ago.
Amazon (AMZN) also saw its last split about two decades ago and currently trades at around $3,080. The stock is up by 67% year-to-date, as the Covid-19 pandemic caused demand for its e-commerce and cloud services business to surge.
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) a company that develops products for robotic surgeries carried out its last stock split in 2017. The stock trades at about $690 currently and is up by about 17% year-to-date.
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) stock trades at over $1,260 presently and the company hasn’t done any splits to date. The stock is up by about 51% year-to-date.
Alphabet (GOOG) Google’s parent company carried out its first and only stock split in 2014 and the stock trades at over $1,500 presently. The stock is up by around 13% year-to-date.
What if you’re looking for a more balanced portfolio instead? Here’s a high-quality portfolio to beat the market, with over 100% return since 2016, versus 55% for the S&P 500. Comprised of companies with strong revenue growth, healthy profits, lots of cash, and low risk, it has outperformed the broader market year after year, consistently.