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If a foldable iPhone sounds crazy to you, just wait two years.
Apple is reportedly planning to release in 2020 an iPhone that folds, according to analysts from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (via CNBC), citing several Apple suppliers as sources. The analysts speculate that a folding iPhone may be able to open up and be used like an iPad tablet.
The design could echo 2017's ZTE Axon M, a dual-screen handset that folds out into a larger screen. That form makes some functionality possible, like multitasking, mirroring the contents from one screen onto the other, and enlarging an app to full the full display space.
ZTE's Axon M is a flip phone with twice the screens
Foldable phones are an important frontier in smartphone innovation. Being able to reconfigure the screen and phone body in multiple ways will let phonemakers experiment with new hardware and sensors. As one of the world' top two phonemakers, Apple's interest in a foldable phone could help validate and popularize the concept, lifting it from a niche curiosity into a serious market product.
Watch this: Apple applies for a foldable phone patent
Apple's first OLED iPhone, the iPhone X, also uses a flexible OLED display that bends around itself to minimize bezels and maximize screen space. Its possible that the 2020 foldable iPhone uses this flexible OLED to create a display that folds in on itself. We've seen Apple entertain this idea in patent applications.
The Merrill Lynch analyst note mirrors a Korean report from last year, which claims that Apple is working with LG's OLED division to supply foldable screens for a future iPhone. Interestingly, the Korean report also claims that the folding iPhone could launch in 2020.
Phones that bend or fold may seem like a throwback to old-school clamshell designs, but they have the potential to break us from our smartphone rut. Samsung, Huawei and Apple's early work could be a sign of what's to come.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
Watch this: ZTE Axon M is a quirky phone with double the display


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Toronto-based Molson Coors announced Wednesday that it would be entering into a joint venture with Canadian cannabis company The Hydropothecary Corporation (HEXO) to produce and sell alcohol-free cannabis drinks as marijuana legalization fully engages in the country. The venture will be structured as a standalone company, with an independent board of directors and management team. Molson will own 57.5 percent of the venture, while Hydropothecary holds 42.5 percent.
Hydropothecary would own the rest.
Closing of the transaction, which is targeted to occur before September 30, 2018, is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.More news: Weinstein lawyers ask court to toss sex case, citing emails
The move follows an announcement previous year by Constellation Brands, which revealed it would will pay CAD 245 million ($191 million) for a 9.9% stake in Canopy Growth Corporation, a Canadian supplier of medicinal marijuana, paving the way for it to launch a series of cannabis-infused alcoholic drinks.
The brewer is the latest to capitalize on Canada's decision to legalize recreational marijuana later in the year, a market industry watchers say could be worth $5 billion to $10 billion.
Molson Coors' foray into the Canadian cannabis market comes about nine months after Constellation Brands purchased a 9.9 percent stake in another Canadian cannabis company, Canopy Growth Corporation (WEED), for $191 million.More news: Apple Makes History As The World's First $1 Trillion Company
Beer makers may be spurred to pursue deals in the cannabis space as research shows alcohol sales have slumped in U.S. states where marijuana is legal. "Visibly intimidated, insular, and inherently conservative, large parts of the alcohol industry acknowledge and highlight the dangers to their penetration rates and profitability, but largely fail to see the huge potential behind the plumes of hazy smoke". Constellation Brands, the beer giant behind Corona, paid $191 million for a 9.9% stake in Canopy Growth, a Canadian marijuana producer, in October of previous year.
Recreational marijuana is set to become legal in Canada on October 17, but edible products infused with pot - including beverages - will remain illegal until specific government regulations are rolled out in 2019 at the earliest.
The Hydropothecary Corporation works in the medical cannabis space in Canada, and while it now operates with 300,000 sq ft of production capacity a 1,000,000 sq ft expansion is set to be complete by the end of the year.More news: Thibaut Courtois tells Chelsea to sell him this summer
Its stock closed up 11.03 per cent or 0.48 cents to $4.83 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.05.

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modechannel zeigt euch die neuesten Looks F/W 2021 der Michael Kors Collection
Die mega outdoor runway show seht ihr auf unserer Seite modechannel oben rechts unter: all eyes on. we love it **`
NEW YORK – Designer Michael Kors announced today that he will present his 40th anniversary Collection, for Fall/Winter 2021, via a multi-layered digital experience debuting across the brand’s social and digital platforms on Tuesday, April 20, 2021.
“When I was starting out at 21, I could never have imagined I’d be here, 40 years later, sharing my collection with the whole world,” says Michael Kors. “I’ve been fortunate to do what I love my whole life, and I want to use this celebration to spotlight another institution that means a great deal to me, and that could use our support—the New York theater community. I’m grateful and excited to share this anniversary collection, and to continue celebrating the city that made me who I am.”
Fotos: Michael Kors Public Relations Coordinator – EMEA /Roberta Dezza


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Shoppers are being encouraged to be more creative with their gift ideas this Christmas.
Making your own bath bombs or candle holders and giving “plant a tree” donations are just some of the ideas being suggested as the festive season approaches.
A hands-on art workshop showing people how to create homemade gifts and pick more eco-friendly or thoughtful presents was held at the University of Dundee’s Festival of the Future.
The event was organised by Gate Church Carbon Saving Project and the Scottish Cancer Prevention Network and involved scores of people trying various crafting activities at the Bonar Hall on Park Place.
Lynsey Penny, from Gate Church Carbon Saving Project, said: “We end up having a lot of unwanted gifts donated to us after Christmas is over.
“People feel under pressure to buy stuff for the sake of it and end up buying things that people don’t need or want.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with Evening Telegraph newsletter
“We wanted to show people how to recycle things and make their own gifts, things like glass candle jars or playdough which people will actually use.”
Joyce Reid, from Gate Church, led a hands-on crafting session to inspire the creative side of gift givers and talked about how to consider the environment when shopping by buying things with less packaging.
Annie Anderson, co-director at Scottish Cancer Prevention Network, also gave a talk encouraging people to be more thoughtful with their gifts, rather than giving chocolates or alcohol.
She said: “Many of us are really good all year round and then we end up with 10 boxes of chocolates at Christmas, or lots of bottles of wine.
“Scotland has a well-known problem with alcohol and two-thirds of our population is overweight, so chocolates and booze aren’t the best presents to give.”
The organisation has created a set of cards, available to view on its website, offering people alternative gift ideas which are more healthy and thoughtful.
Some of the suggestions include plant a tree donations, a “snuggle blanket” for loved ones or massage vouchers.


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Apple CEO pledges to put patients’ health before profits
Apple is looking at the broader healthcare ecosystem and not just those ventures that can make the firm money, according to CEO Tim Cook.
The remarks were made in an interview with Fortune, a day before the company launches its latest iPhone model.
Speaking on a variety of subjects, from the ever-evolving Apple Watch to its attempt to aid in the clinical research industry with ResearchKit, Cook hinted toward a busy future in healthcare for Apple.
“There’s much more in the health area. There’s a lot of stuff that I can’t tell you about that we’re working on, some of which it’s clear there’s a commercial business there. And some of it it’s clear there’s not. And some of it it’s not clear. I do think it’s a big area for Apple’s future.”
But the overarching theme of Cook’s answers centered on Apple being different to competitors in that it focuses on what will help people, rather than what will make the company money.
One of the biggest opportunities to do so is expanding into the healthcare industry, explained Cook:
“If you look at it, medical health activity is the largest or second-largest component of the economy, depending on which country in the world you’re dealing with. And it hasn’t been constructed in a way where the focus at the device level is making great products from a pure point of view.”
He added: “The focus has been on making products that can get reimbursed through the insurance companies, through Medicare, or through Medicaid. And so in some ways we bring a totally fresh view into this and say, ‘Forget all of that. What will help people?’”
Cook’s biggest example of exactly that is the iPhone based health research tool, ResearchKit. He said: “We put out ResearchKit and made it a source so that people could run enormous-sized studies,” he said. “There’s no business model there. Honestly, we don’t make any money on that. But it was something that we thought would be good for society and so we did it.”
Although plenty has been speculated about the Apple Watch – with potential features allowing diabetes patients to monitor blood sugar – little has been revealed in the way of the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X smartphones.
The announcement later today could include the rumoured Apple take on electronic patient records, plans of which were leaked by CNBC earlier this year.
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On the morning of August 30, the reporter walked into Chongqing Qinglan Industrial Co., Ltd. in Tongliang High-tech Zone. As you can see, the spacious and clean workshop could not hear the noisy sound of the machine. Five technical workers were operating dozens of intelligent machines. Machined products.
“The products developed by the company using modern intelligent technology have been adopted by Changan Ford, Volkswagen, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover and other enterprises, and some of them are exported overseas.” The person in charge of the company said that the national-level Zhibo After the convening of Chongqing, the company has strengthened its confidence in intelligently leading the development of industrial innovation, and will further increase the application of digital, network and intelligent in the production and operation of enterprises, and actively explore high-end joint venture brands and overseas brand markets to create The largest manufacturer of key components for passenger cars and passenger cars in western China.
The reporter learned in the interview that the company uses truss robots and joint robots to carry out 24-hour production operations, realizes automatic clamping, automatic processing, automatic loading and unloading; through the communication between robots and processing machine tools and testing equipment The digitization and informationization of parts processing ensures product quality and greatly improves labor productivity. At the same time, the automated robotic processing line saves space and saves labor costs.
In recent years, our district has vigorously implemented the industrial revitalization action plan, guided by the intelligentization of big data, vigorously promoted the development of industrial innovation, deepened the intelligent integration and innovation of big data, and introduced the new generation of information technology into the cultivation of new industries and the transformation of traditional industries. District industry has entered a fast lane of high quality and leaping development.
It is understood that under the guidance of big data intelligent thinking, last year, the numerical control rate of key programs of industrial enterprises in the region increased by 7% on average, and the intelligent rate of key industries increased by 13% on average. In the first half of this year, there were 48 industrial technological transformation projects in the region, including 28 automation and intelligent transformation; 330 industrial enterprises achieved a total output value of 22.822 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.6%; among the six industrial clusters, high-tech The company achieved a total output value of 5.231 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.5%. The strategic emerging industry enterprises achieved a total output value of 2.509 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.9%.
AnBiejie Group is a company that uses big data to develop medical products in the Tongliang High-tech Zone. It is the largest medical ultrasonic coupling agent manufacturer in China, together with a team of top ultrasound medical and clinical experts. Established the first professional team in China for medical ultrasound remoteization, intelligent theoretical research and application development, and successively launched the Anruida series of medical ultrasound informationization, remoteization and intelligent solutions, and extended the application field to all Medical Imaging Department.
Chongqing Yuanbo Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. is a national high-tech enterprise specializing in the design, development, production and sales of active and safe driving products for vehicles. The company invested 15 million yuan to introduce automatic and intelligent production and testing equipment with domestic first-class level, and implemented intelligent transformation of machine substitution for the production line. Originally, it required more than 20 operators' production lines. Now only three A worker can get the job done. At the same time that labor costs have fallen sharply, the efficiency of production efficiency has been effectively improved, and the product qualification rate has also increased to 99%.
“Recently, the main leaders of the district committees and district governments have intensively researched high-tech enterprises, and the district has issued the “Innovation-Driven Development Action Plan led by Big Data Intelligence (2018-2020)”, said the person in charge of the District Economic and Information Committee. In this plan, our district proposes to always take the intelligentization of big data as the main direction of innovation-driven development, and promote the integration of next-generation information technology with the Tongliang District Industrial Revitalization Strategic Action Plan, and strive to improve the intelligent manufacturing industry chain and innovation chain; Accelerate the development of intelligent manufacturing industry, expand the scale of intelligent industry, build an intelligent economic system, and accelerate the acceleration of various fields of economy and society from digitalization and networking to intelligentization, and create a competitive intelligent industrial cluster.
“Next, Tongliang High-tech Zone will accelerate the development of intelligent industries such as big data, artificial intelligence, software services, Internet of Things, intelligent manufacturing, promote the transformation of intelligent technology applications and product innovation, promote technology integration and business model innovation, and promote high-end industrial chain. Layout, create a competitive intelligent industry cluster.” Tongliang High-tech Zone Management Committee official said that by 2020, Tongliang will introduce more than 20 large data and intelligent manufacturing related enterprises, and strive to bring Tongliang High-tech Zone The smart park will be built to achieve a sales income of more than 20 billion yuan in the smart industry.


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Kim Kardashian made her emotional return to Paris for the very first time for the Fashion Week after she had been robbed there at gunpoint. The reality star had $10 million worth of jewels stolen from her less than two years ago.
Kristin Stewart was smiling after she made up with boyfriend Robert Pattinson. The 22-year-old actress appeared in good spirits as she was seen at Balenciaga's Spring/Summer 2013 show at Paris Fashion Week.
The favorite of the ladies who lunch, Karl Lagerfeld presented a toned down, vintage-inspired collection for Chanel on Tuesday, whose grey and pink palette and classic shapes provided a refined counterpoint to the excesses of Fashion Week.


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Managed office space providers using innovative ways to generate revenue
Demand for co-working and managed workspace is back as leading players have reported up to 50% fresh leasing in July compared with the pre-Covid times.
Netflix signs deal with WeWork for Mumbai space
The transaction for 8,860 square feet, for about 320 seats, was signed on June 30, people awa...
IIT Guwahati in collaboration with Workspace Metal Solutions develops first-of-its-kind self-check Kiosk
The self-check kiosk has been developed by Dr. Senthilmurugan Subbiah, Associate Professor,Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, and P...
Correction in land prices will allow developers to build efficient offices: Experts
Industry expert said that significant correction in land prices will allow developers to build better and more efficient offices to make the entire office experience better. Experts also said that many organizations are looking at temporary re-designing of their workspaces as a way to save cost in the current situation.
Unlocking Economy Guide: Safely back to our workspaces
As India unlocks in this Covid-19 economy, India Inc looks for ways to bring back workers and ensure their safety at the workplace.
View: Workspaces must change, new production methods developed to get growth back
Such a thing has not happened in recorded history. How did that happen? Everyone is supposed to blame it on this collective fever called Covid-19. But what everyone suffered was not what god intended, as the finance minister stated, but what her government inflicted — officially called ‘lockdown’.
Wipro Ltd announces collaboration with Intel to enable Wipro's LIVE Workspace
This joint collaboration will help customers drive business continuity by enabling remote IT support and solutions, as they seek to keep employees productive amid social distancing boundaries and other remote-work limitations that have become the new normal.
Strong demand drives expansion across APAC and GCC for The Executive Centre
The firm saw sustainable revenue growth and profitability in the face of COVID-19 pandemic conditions. Total number of workstations occupied as of 30 June 2020 increased by 13.8% YoY. Client renewal rate increased to 62% in 1H20 from 60.2%
Dog-like robot, Fluffy, is helping Ford engineers upgrade the workspace
Controlled by an engineer, it can travel up to 4.8 kph for about two hours on its battery.
Co-working operators start witnessing fresh demand after five months
Covid induced lockdown had impacted the co-working operators the most as a Knight Frank study says that around 3.2 million square feet (MSF) of flexible space is expected to be vacated by these operators in 2020.
Embassy group looking to monetise warehousing biz at an enterprise value of up to Rs 2,000 cr
Bengaluru-based Embassy group, which had in 2015 formed a joint venture with private equity firm Warburg Pincus to build industrial parks, is in talks with few potential buyers to monetise completed and under-construction assets of the JV.
CBRE launches digital platform for commercial real estate listing
It will showcase listings across; small spaces to large buildings for office; high street, shopping centres and retail parks for retail to suit varying business demands across 10 cities in India.
Covid-19 crisis: Commercial real estate growth slows down
The report said Bengaluru led the market with 30% of the total gross absorption, followed by Pune (18% share) and Delhi-NCR (15% share). “Indian market is likely to see adverse impact from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic but is relatively better placed in terms of economic growth with GDP expected to grow at 4.4,” said Sankey Prasad, managing director and chairman, Colliers India.
Gearing up for post-Covid world: Workspaces need to be changed to support new realities
The study, titled ‘Re-Thinking The Office Space’, shares suggestions that will help in addressing the challenges faced by organisations planning to re-open offices. The research suggests a combination of people strategies, process interventions, and workspace changes.


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Millinium Capital Managers has announced that its Millinium Alternatives fund has made a significant investment in major Australian digital advice provider, Ignition Wealth to leverage “rapid growth” opportunities and reach the “85 per cent of Australians who are unadvised”.
In a statement yesterday, Millinium Capital Managers, the responsible entity of the Millinium Alternatives fund, said “The digital financial advice sector is set to gain significant traction in the next few years.
"Demand for a low cost, easy-to-use consumer experience coupled with the best interest legislation will drive rapid growth.”
The incumbent traditional advice industry has focused exclusively on the top 15 percent of the market, leaving 85 percent of Australians unadvised, the statement said.
This market gap provides a huge need and opportunity to leverage new technology to bring affordable independent financial advice to a mass market.
Managing director, Millinium Capital Managers, Tom Wallace said, “Globally, digital financial advice services are demonstrating rapid growth.
“We believe that Ignition Wealth delivers the best-in-class offering for the Australian market and provides the best opportunity for growth.”
Ignition Wealth has recently announced several business advancements including partnership with global fund administrator Link Digital Solutions and a significant investment from Class and Countplus chairman Barry Lambert, the statement said.
MLC Life has appointed the former CFO of AMP Bank as its new deputy CFO as it sees a period of “significant change” for the industry ahead. ...
Mayfair 101 founder James Mawhinney has been restrained from a number of activities following a Federal Court ruling. ...
One of Australia’s largest licensees says it is facing a crisis as risk advisers exit the industry, with its annual life insurance new business drop...


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A construction industry supplier has been bought out by a new management team for an undisclosed sum.
Nu-Style Products' sole shareholder Hugh Black has sold his stake to finance director Graham Cowie and new director James Hayton.
As a result, Cowie, who has been with the Aberdeen business for eight years, will become managing director while Hayton, previously with surveyor Doig & Smith, becomes sales and technical director.
However, Black, who staged his own management buy-out (MBO) of the business in 1990, is staying to take on a business development role.
The business employs 30 staff across roofing, metal fabrication and laminate fabrication divisions.
At its base in Bridge of Don, it manufactures and designs everything from gutters to shower panels and worktops for clients including local authorities and the NHS. It has a turnover of around £5 million.
Cowie said: "I'm delighted we've completed this deal.
"We are grateful to Hugh for everything he's done for Nu-Style over the past 30 years and for agreeing to stay on to support us through this period of transition for the business.
"We are buying a great business with a highly-skilled and experienced workforce. James and I are determined to grow the company further, both by enhancing existing customer relationships and breaking into new markets."
Stuart Roberts, head of structured finance with RBS in Aberdeen, which provided funding for the buy-out, said: "This is a significant milestone in the Nu-Style story and we are glad to have been able to play our part in the deal.
"The company has a great heritage and a bright future and we are looking forward to working with Graham and James."
The MBO team was supported by lawyers from Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace and accountants at Ritson Smith.


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After suffering through a protracted decline in craft beer sales, Boston Beer (SAM 3.02%) might very well be on the verge of recording its first quarterly gain in five years for the Samuel Adams brand.
That it's apparently happening in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic makes it that much more remarkable, yet industry data suggests sales of the brewer's flagship brand are surging, and the performance pushed sales into positive territory for the year.
The power of seltzer's effervescence
The struggles of the Samuel Adams brand have been extensively reported, and it has only been consumers' new-found passion for hard seltzer that has kept Boston Beer growing.
The brewer produced 5.3 million barrels in 2019, a 24% increase over the year before, but most of that now comes from its Truly brand of hard seltzer. It was only because the Brewers Association changed the definition of a craft brewer to say a brewery merely had to produce some beer to still meet the criteria that Boston Beer could still be classified as a "craft brewer."
Yet Truly's phenomenal success now endangers its craft beer status in another way, because Boston Beer may soon bump up against the six-million-barrel production threshold. If hard seltzer continues to grow as it has -- and recent stats indicate it may actually be even more popular than it was -- the brewer may soon exceed those limits.
And now that Samuel Adams is also experiencing growth once more, Boston Beer just might blow through the confines of the definition faster than previously believed possible.
Crafting a new growth story
Data from industry analysts at IRI shows that over the four-week period ending March 22, sales of Samuel Adams Boston Lager surged 22.3% from the same period last year, and sales are now up 2.3% year to date.
All craft beer sales are rising, with off-premise retailers like package goods stores and supermarkets reporting a 15.2% increase in dollar sales (all alcoholic beverages, including wine and spirits, are up by double-digit rates during the pandemic).
Other brands besides Samuel Adams have also seen their sales prospects reverse course over the past month. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is up nearly 11% and New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale has risen almost 13%, but their year-to-date sales remain in negative territory, which is why Boston Beer's Samuel Adams performance is all the more noteworthy.
Bending the curve
Although Boston Beer doesn't report actual sales numbers for any of its brands, Samuel Adams or otherwise, it advises each quarter whether depletions, which are sales to distributors and retailers, and are considered an industry proxy for consumer demand, are positive or negative.
For five years running now, the brewer has indicated Samuel Adams depletions were negative, and there was no indication that was changing despite the brewer's attempts at new packaging, new product introductions, and anything else it could do to reverse course.
Apparently, though, having to sit at home and watch TV is causing consumers to renew their affinity for what has largely been the face of the craft beer industry for decades.
Don't start making toasts just yet
There are some caveats, of course. The IRI data is only measuring off-package premise sales. It doesn't take into consideration restaurant and bar sales, which were among the first casualties of the pandemic as they were the first establishments forced to shut down to help control the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
It may be that drinkers who normally would have consumed Samuel Adams while sitting at a bar or restaurant instead began buying the beer to take home with them, since they were required to practice social distancing.
The data is also measuring dollar sales, not volume sales, so pricing will play a more important role than production.
Even taking those factors into consideration, it bodes well for Boston Beer. Maybe Samuel Adams depletions won't rise when it reports first quarter earnings, but the trend is certainly better than the brewer has experienced in a long time.
And if it represents new drinkers discovering the beer, or includes fans who wandered away to try other brands, but have now returned again as they sit at home, we may see they'll stay for a while once more.


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HTC’s Desire 816, a mid-range Android smartphone unveiled at MWC 2014, is set to come in both NFC and non-NFC versions. “It’s listed as an optional feature in the official spec sheet, so it will likely vary carrier by carrier, country by country,” HTC told NFC World.
- YesTap tests NFC shopping wall in Amsterdam
- Core Jewels offers diamond rings with NFC
- Revolution Money founder raises funds for location-based marketing venture
- Ecuador’s central bank plans national mobile wallet
- Alipay Wallet hits 190m users


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Canopy Growth has announced it’s severing ties with Drake — a move that seems to have taken the market by surprise.
Here’s what investors should make of this deal.
Canopy Growth pulls the plug on Drake’s More Life
In November 2019, Canopy Growth and Drake announced the launch of More Life, a joint venture that would sell recreational pot and accessories in Canada and around the world. According to the agreement, Canopy decided to turn a Scarborough marijuana cultivation facility into a More Life location for a 40% share in the venture’s equity.
Indeed, it was a hot deal at that time. Companies like Canopy Growth were stumbling over themselves to make celebrity deals. Needless to say, this move garnered significant attention among investors and the media.
This March, Canopy terminated the deal it had in place with Drake. As a result, the company removed the minimum royalty obligations of nearly $33.7 million to More Life from its balance sheet. Canopy’s CEO said that the partnership was not progressing as they had initially intended it would.
Indeed, More Life continues to hold an active trademark for various hemp and cannabis products and accessories. However, I don’t think terminating this deal will be a big blow for this pot player.
Canopy’s mixed track record
Canopy has had a mixed track record when it comes to celebrity deals. Take, for instance, the Leafs By Snoop brand. This collaboration hasn’t really resulted in much. Leafs by Snoop has managed to put only a handful of products in the domestic market. Comedian Seth Rogen’s Houseplant continues to enjoy some success in the infused beverage space. Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is also closely associated with Canopy.
That’s a lot of celebrity names for one company to deal with. And these celebrity dealings have generated mixed results. Canopy Growth has a range of specialty branded products and cannabis-infused beverages as a result of these deals. And if more marketing becomes allowed in Canada, Canopy Growth’s portfolio of IP and branded partnerships is top notch.
For now, Canopy Growth is performing just fine, with or without these celebrity deals.
There’s no doubt Canopy Growth has gone mainstream. It’s clear the company isn’t in need of flashy branding deals as it once was. Indeed, Canopy’s cost-cutting efforts appear to be in full swing right now, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see other deals fall apart as a result. Canopy has significantly boosted its operational efficiency metrics, and lowered its SG&A by 41% of late, as a result of such moves.
This is broadly bullish for shareholders, and I think the dissolution of this partnership is largely a non-news event. Investors in Canopy Growth need to stay focused on the long term with this stock.
This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.
Fool contributor Chris MacDonald has no position in any stocks mentioned in this article.


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Windermere volunteers all smiles as home takes shape
Agents from Wenatchee’s Windermere Real Estate have gone from helping sell houses to helping build them.
On June 20, a dozen Windermere agents donned sweat pants and T-shirts to paint hundreds of feet of trim — doors, windows and moulding for floors and ceilings — in a volunteer push to help complete a Habitat for Humanity home on Frances Court in south Wenatchee.
The effort was part of Windermere’s Community Service Day, an annual event in which the company’s agents in eight western states contribute time and energy to help complete a community project.
Last year, Windermere’s crew helped “spruce up the Bruce,” said agent and project organizer Sharon Ventrello, by giving the Bruce Hotel’s rec room a new coat of paint, new computer and new Xbox system. The Bruce is a nonprofit offering transitional housing.
This year’s Habitat for Humanity project marks 30 years of Community Day participation for the local Windermere office. Between brush strokes Friday, local agents figured that added up to around 1,500 volunteer hours over the last three decades.
“The community supports our business, and this is one way we give back to support our community,” said Windermere broker Russ Andrews. “We figure that if we have a strong community, we’ll have a strong business — and that’s good for everyone.”
Windermere volunteers worked Friday on a Habitat for Humanity home in a six-home project near Mission View Elementary School. So far, three of the 1,300-square-foot homes have been built, mostly with discounted or donated materials and volunteer labor.
Prices up, listing down in May’s housing market
The local housing market in May contained mixed signals as prices soared and listings shrank, at least when compared to the mini-boom of last year’s market recovery.
In fact, a person’s take on whether the Wenatchee market in May thrived or dived probably depended on where they stood in the home-buying equation:
If they were the seller: They can relax a bit. Since May 2013, average home prices have climbed 8 percent to $251,654, while the median price jumped 7 percent to $222,000. The number of homes sold year-to-date have decreased 4 percent to 299 from 313, but total dollar volume is up 3 percent to $75.2 million.
If they were the buyer: They need to stay alert. Competition remains stiff for homes priced $300,000 and below, and the number of homes on the market (down 15 percent from last year) doesn’t help matters any. Interest rates remain low, say brokers, and credit has loosened a bit. Special financing programs are available for low-income and first-time buyers, too.
If they were a broker: They need to keep juggling. Selling, listing, financing need constant attention like never before, say a few close sources. Low inventory means primo properties are selling nearly as fast as they’re listed. And buyers’ interest for those $700,000-dream homes is on an upswing, although closing a deal on a Big One still remains a tough task.
Pacific Appraisal Associates, a Wenatchee appraisal and consulting firm, provided May’s market numbers on Tuesday. The Wenatchee Market includes Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Malaga, Orondo and Rock Island.
Nick McLean has new home market analysis
The Nick McLean Real Estate Group has begun its own monthly, quarterly and annual examination of the local residential market. It’s called “The McLean Report” and is available online at sellingwenatchee.com. (Click on Blog to find the report.)
McLean’s report for May is loaded with analysis and details. A few tidbits:
In May, the highest-priced home selling in the Wenatchee market was a 2,965-square-foot log home with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths and 236 feet of Columbia River waterfront. Price: $762,900.
The average number of “days on market” (year-to-date) for a home prior to closing was 113.
The ratio of sold price to listing price stood at about 98 percent, which indicated that buyers weren’t haggling much over the asking price. This shows that buyers are feeling more confident that homes are priced right, said the report, and that the market will appreciate.
Black Diamond to sponsor half-marathon
Wenatchee’s Black Diamond Sports Therapy sprinted past all competition this month to grab naming rights to one of the area’s most popular running events.
What’s now called the Black Diamond Sports Therapy River Run — a four-year-old half-marathon with 10K and 5K runs — is expected to attract about 500 runners and walkers when it’s held Sept. 20 in Wenatchee. The event is organized by RunWenatchee, the local sports marketing group.
“We’re really excited to be part of this growing race,” said Black Diamond owner Mark Stockman. “September is an ideal time for running in the Wenatchee Valley.”
But what’s “naming rights” really mean for Black Diamond?
According to Run Wenatchee, Black Diamond has forked out $3,000 for the naming honor and, in return, receives all kinds of exposure to a prime group of possible customers.
Black Diamond will see its name on press releases, posters, online advertising, River Run’s website, social media, race gear (bibs and T-shirts) and in lots of local media,
This is a one-year deal with Black Diamond, says RunWenatchee’s Stephen Maher, but this type of sponsorship is becoming increasingly popular with local businesses. It’s an alternative to traditional marketing, he said, that puts a business’ name right where it can get the most notice.
Old gas station needs work, says planning commission
Public plaza? Meeting space? Visitor center?
The city’s planning commission liked all those ideas last month when they gave a thumbs-up to recommending redevelopment of an old Texaco station on a corner near downtown.
Called the Gateway Project, upgrades to the messy corner property — dubbed “an eyesore” by some planning commission members — would involve the lot’s purchase, redesign into a public space and construction.
“We’ve had long discussions on improving the old downtown,” said Lori Barnett, the city’s community development director, “and we can all pretty much agree that this property is the linchpin in designing a welcoming entryway to the city.”
The recommendation faces City Council approval, but won’t be on the agenda until next month, said Barnett. The city has earmarked $391,000 for the property’s purchase and initial development costs, but so far no cost estimates for the total project are available.
Redevelopment of the property — 20,500 square feet with three structures — fits into the city’s slowly evolving plan to revitalize the downtown, a two-block stretch of 1930s-era buildings that’s struggled in recent years as businesses have closed or relocated.
City planners envision the corner lot — redesigned into a public space — as linking a rejuvenated downtown, still in the dream stage, with the Pipeline Bridge and Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail.
Lots of interest, but no buyers yet for Red Lion Hotel
No takers yet for the Wenatchee Red Lion Hotel, which has been up for sale since last November.
But company spokeswoman Pam Scott said last month that potential buyers have shown lots of interest in the 149-room hotel on 3.5 acres near one of Wenatchee’s busiest intersections. Asking price: $4.5 million.
“It’s a great property with great business and a long history of serving the Wenatchee area,” said Scott. “But so far, no one’s bought it.”
The subject arose mid-June when the Spokane-based Red Lion company announced the sale of two more of its older, larger hotels — in Kennewick and Twin Falls, Idaho — to franchisees. Earlier this year, the company sold its properties in Yakima and Kelso-Longview, also to franchisees.
The franchisees will own the property and buildings but retain the corporate Red Lion name. As part of the purchase, they’ve agreed to update guest rooms, spiff up exteriors and make improvements to landscaping and parking lots.
Last November, Red Lion put six older properties on the market. Four sold fairly quickly, and two — Wenatchee and Pocatello, Idaho — are still up for grabs. The sales are part of Red Lion’s new growth strategy to trim away under-performing hotels in small cities and focus instead on franchise properties in larger metro areas.
Red Lion now owns 53 hotels across the Northwest with a total around 12,000 rooms.
State places moth traps in region’s vineyards
Watch out, all you grape moths.
State bug specialists began last month to place hundreds of moth traps in commercial and backyard vineyards across North Central Washington. It’s part of a statewide program for early detection of four destructive species.
“The goal is to protect Washington’s grape industry by preventing the establishment of these invasive moths,” said Mike Klaus, entomologist for the state Department of Agriculture.
So far, none of the moths have been found in any of the state’s 13 major wine-growing areas, he said, but since 2009 some California vineyards have suffered losses due to one or more species of the moths. As a result, a few California counties have been under quarantine.
Washington will place about 4,000 traps in wine-growing areas from San Juan County to Okanogan County to help find evidence of four destructive moths: the European grapevine moth, the European grape berry moth, the grape tortrix and the grapevine tortrix.
The state will also resume a limited survey for grape phylloxera, an aphid-like pest that attacks grape roots, which has caused limited damage in state vineyards since 2002.
For more info on the trapping project, call 800-443-6684.
State gathering comments on data center air pollution
The state Department of Ecology will gather public comment this month on draft permits protecting air quality from diesel generators and cooling towers at two Microsoft data centers here.
Questions and comments will be accepted until July 29 on Microsoft’s proposed Oxford Data Center (37 generators, 32 cooling towers) and upgrades to the existing Columbia Data Center (37 generators, 12 cooling towers).
A public hearing on the Oxford center will also be held on July 24 at the Quincy Community Center, 115 F St. SW. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the formal comment period starting at 6:30 p.m.
Backup generators for power and cooling towers to limit overheating can release particles at high enough pollution levels to cause health problems, said an Ecology news release.
Microsoft has proposed installing advanced equipment and improvements to reduce air pollutants beyond federal clean air requirements, the Ecology press release said.
Comments and questions on both projects should be sent to Beth Mort at email@example.com. Draft permits can be reviewed online at ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/quincydatacenter/ or in person at the Quincy City Hall, 104 B St. SW, or Quincy Library, 208 Central Ave. S.
Freytag named Produce Man of the Year
Tony Freytag, Crunch Pak’s director of sales and marketing, earned his industry’s top award Wednesday for “convincing consumers to crave a product they don’t even know they want.”
Freytag is the 2014 Produce Man of the Year, as designated by The Packer, the newspaper and website for the latest news on the fresh fruit and veggie industry. They’ve been reporting about cukes, zukes, apples and lots of other crunchies since 1893.
That quote about “convincing consumers to crave …” came from Packer editor Greg Johnson, who introduced Freytag at a big wingding in Chicago, and who praised Freytag as an innovator, collaborator and mentor.
Johnson quoted Freytag as saying folks thought he was crazy to concentrate on sliced apples. But “with the help of a couple of similar minded innovators,” said Johnson, “they worked out the technology for apple slices that wouldn’t turn brown, and then started marketing it.”
One of Freytag’s marketing innovations, said Johnson, was to link up with Disney and its subsidiary Marvel Comics. Pretty soon, Crunch Pak’s packs of apples, cheese and pretzels sported the likes of Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man and Captain America. “That’s as good a strategy as any to get sliced apples into the diet of kids across the country,” Johnson said.
Cashmere-based Crunch Pak produces more than 1 billion apple slices a year for its 43 snack products, which have been served behind-the-scenes at the Academy Awards and Super Bowl games and advertised in neon above Times Square in New York City.
Postal inspectors warn of email virus
A malicious virus hidden in bogus emails about package deliveries and postal charges could infect computers and steal personal info, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service warned last month.
Postal inspectors advised: Don’t open them.
The emails claim to be from the Postal Service and contain fraudulent information about an attempted or intercepted package delivery or online postal charges, said an agency press release.
The emails instruct readers to click on a link, open an attachment or print a label.
“Like most viruses sent by email, clicking on a link or opening the attachment will activate a virus that can steal information, such as your user name, password and financial information,” said the news release.
Postal inspectors advise deleting the messages without taking further action.
“The Postal Inspection Service is working hard to resolve the issue and shut down the malicious program,” the press release said.
To report a problem or get more information, call 800-275-8777 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
Ice factory to open in time for summer
Here’s a company that’s chillin’ out so we can party hearty.
Lynden Ice, a food-grade producer of packaged party and beverage ice, announced Monday it will open here a new freezing, crushing and bagging operation to serve customers in eastern Washington.
The new plant, set to open in mid-July, will employ nine to 12 workers to produce 210 tons of ice daily. That will surpass production of 110 tons daily at the company’s main plant in Lynden.
Lynden Ice currently serves about 300 customers in eastern Washington and northeastern Oregon and another 500 in western Washington. With increased production in Quincy, the company expects to boost its customer base in eastern Washington to 350 in the next 12 months and 600 in the next five years, according to company spokesman Darrell Honcoop.
Lynden Ice will install its plant in space leased from Columbia Colstor, which is located on Port of Quincy property.
Facelift for lakeside RV resort
One of the region’s favorite camping resorts has been reborn with a new name, new amenities and, say the new owners, a fresh new attitude that emphasizes families and fun.
Smokiam RV Resort & Campground, formerly the Soap Lake RV Resort on the lake’s north shore, sprung to life July 1 under ownership of Alanna and Brad Ellis. The Issaquah couple are a former banker (Alanna) and lawyer (Brad) who’ve been searching for a business opportunity that meshes with their love of travel, camping, hiking and other outdoorsy activities.
“We thought an RV resort would fit perfectly,” said Alanna. “We’re avid campers ourselves — love the RV lifestyle — and know what campers and RVers expect in a camping resort.”
Originally opened in 1975, the 20-acre resort has been closed for most of the last two years after a long struggle “with a faded image and declining business,” said Alanna. “We hope to put a fresh face on it and add some new energy.”
The resort boasts 900 feet of lakefront, 85 RV spaces with full hookups, 45 campsites with water and electricity, kids’ playground, basketball court and a lodge-clubhouse with outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room. A basic “grab-and-go” food service (coffee, pastries, some packaged foods) will also be open this summer, with a full-service bar and grill planned for the future.
The Ellises will also be replacing three nightly-rental “cabins,” actually time-worn mobile homes, with modern log cabins — 600 square feet, full kitchens, master bedrooms and upstairs bunk rooms. “They look like single-family homes,” said Alanna, “just cuter and more compact.”
Other new features now ready or coming soon: “Big rig” premium RV sites, a splash pad waterpark, a tepee village (yes, you’ll be able to rent one of 20 Indian dwellings for the night), new swim dock and boat launch, watercraft rentals (paddleboards, canoes, kayaks), remodeled restrooms and showers and a spiffed-up fitness center.
“We studied the market and found that other RV parks in the area do pretty well,” said Alanna. “We know we can offer visitors a good experience here.”
Details: Smokiam RV Resort & Campground, 22818 Highway 17 N., Soap Lake. For info, call (509) 246-0413.
Some residents now eligible for rural housing funding
Wenatchee and East Wenatchee have been added to a list of rural areas now eligible for federal home loans for low- and middle-income residents.
The two cities were designated eligible in June as part of changes to the Agricultural Act of 2014, or the Farm Bill, and adjustments to maps marking income and property eligibility across the nation.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office maintains the maps to note property eligibility for loan programs that fund or assist financing of home purchases, construction and repairs.
For more information or to prequalify for these programs, call 663-4019 or visit the USDA Rural Development office at 301 Yakima St., Suite 317, Wenatchee. Info is also available online at eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov.
Condotta honored by business group
Rep. Cary Condotta received a top honor last month from a national business group for his support of small business during the last two state legislative sessions.
The East Wenatchee Republican received the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business for his voting record during the 2013 and 2014 sessions.
Patrick Connor, NFIB state director, praised Condotta for his commitment to protecting and supporting small business in the state.
“As a small-business owner for over 30 years, Rep. Condotta not only understands the challenges facing employers, but what can be done to address them in the legislature,” said Connor. “He is a strong supporter of sound policies that will lead to job creation and improve our state’s business climate.”
To qualify for the award, state lawmakers must score at least 80 percent on the group’s key votes over a two-year period. Condotta scored 100 percent.
New owner spoons up small changes for Caffé Mela
Same baristas, same atmosphere, same in-house roasted beans.
But Caffé Mela’s new owner Kyle Hendrickson says new ideas for the downtown coffee shop are percolating, too. “My main goal is to not screw anything up,” he laughed. “But this is Mela 2.0, so there’ll be a few changes — mostly incremental at first.”
Hendrickson, chief financial officer for Foreman Orchards, is the public face of a local partnership that in April bought Caffé Mela from founders Darren and Emily Reynolds, who opened the restaurant in 2006 and quickly shaped it into a popular social hub for Wenatchee’s commercial core.
Over the years, the 4,500-square-foot restaurant expanded offerings to include breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, live music by headliner bands, monthly art exhibitions, short plays, readings and other performances. The cafe also introduced some of downtown Wenatchee’s first sidewalk seating.
“I come here almost every day and probably have been one of Mela’s best customers,” said Hendrickson. “I’ve seen it evolve into an important place for customers to socialize, network and do business. When I heard it was for sale, I immediately looked into the possibility of buying it.”
Hendrickson has split the original operation into two companies — Caffé Mela LLC (the restaurant) and Mela Gourmet Coffee Roasters (a coffee wholesaler) — and named longtime Mela employees to head-up each branch.
Seven-year employee Brian Bailey will run the roasting operation (in May, he roasted 2,400 pounds of green coffee beans), with outside sales handled by Darren Reynolds, who’ll continue to work with the company. Chaz McClaine, an award-winning barista and seven-year Mela employee, will oversee the coffee shop and its seven staffers.
Said Hendrickson, “I’ve practically no restaurant experience, so it’s important to have these guys as hands-on managers of all these different aspects. I can crunch the numbers, but they’ll be running the different operations.”
Tweaks to the business will start with expansion of food and drink offerings, said Hendrickson. Breakfast sliders (ham, sausage, egg on a small bun) have already been introduced and a couple of new omelettes are on the way. Sit-down lunches and weekend brunches are possibilities. And, on the roaster side, a new bean and additional coffee blends are in the works.
Other changes could bring a re-configured outdoor seating area and a remodel of the cafe’s upstairs into meeting and banquet rooms. An earlier opening each morning is being considered. Square Productions, a company run by Darren Reynolds, will continue to schedule live music for Mela’s indoor stage.
“We’re trying to make sure all changes are positive changes,” said Hendrickson. “Our team has tons of experience and lots of good ideas. We’re hoping to continue tradition but add a few nice touches along the way.”
Wenatchee cruises with fourth lowest auto insurance rate in Washington
Now we can stop whining about high auto insurance rates. Turns out Wenatchee has the fourth-lowest rate in the state.
An online company called ValuePenguin recently went through stacks of facts and figures to find that Wenatchee drivers pay, on average, about $586 a year for auto insurance.
That’s 18.8 percent below the statewide average.
“Wenatchee is without a doubt one of the cheapest places to insure a vehicle in Washington,” according to ValuePenguin.
Other cities with really low annual rates: Walla Walla ($569), Bellingham ($574), Pullman ($583) and Ellensburg ($588). Only a few dollars separate rates in various cities.
So who pays the most for auto insurance? Residents of Lakewood pay $907 a year, followed by Tukwila ($876), Federal Way ($869), University Place ($862) and Auburn (also $862).
ValuePenguin surveyed 54 cities around the state for a sample of insurance rates based on a 30-year-old single male driving a Toyota Camry about 15,000 miles a year. He’s got good credit and no accidents. They got quotes from five national companies to determine the average rates.
ValuePenguin.com researches financial topics — such as insurance, credit cards, mortgage rates — to determine where consumers will find the best value for their money.
Vacation rental company now offers concierge services
One of Lake Chelan’s top vacation rental companies has acquired the area’s only concierge service, execs from both businesses announced last month.
Sage Rentals, which specializes in short- and long-term vacation rentals, bought Chelan Concierge in March and, over the last two months, has merged the companies’ services and marketing efforts.
Chelan Concierge will provide Sage clients with complimentary concierge services, including restaurant recommendations and reservations, tickets to area attractions, arrangement of limo services and directions to wineries and tasting rooms.
The companies will continue to provide rental management, housekeeping and maintenance to local homeowners.
Sage Rentals is owned by Adam Rynd, who also owns Coldwell Banker Lake Chelan Properties. Chelan Concierge was owned by Cass and Weny Hania.
Charter switching to all-digital network
The area’s primary cable TV and Internet company will upgraded last month to an all-digital network that meant changes for some customers.
Charter Communications flipped the switch June 10 to provide 200 high-definition (HD) channels, better picture quality and twice-as-fast Internet speed, company spokesman Jack Hardy said.
Some customers needed to add Charter-issued set-top boxes to receive the new all-digital services.
The change eliminated old analog signals from the Charter system, said Hardy, which means homes plug into the new all-digital network through a set-top box on each TV.
About 90 percent of Charter customers already have one such digital device hooked up to one of their TVs, the company said in a press release. Depending on their programming package, customers can receive additional digital boxes at no cost for one, two or five years. After the introductory period, the box will cost $6.99 per month for each TV.
Charter sent notices to alert customers to the transition. The set-top boxes are available through direct shipment or at the Charter store, 145 Easy St.
For more info, call 888-438-2427 or visit charter.com/digitalnow.


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Widespread app experiences its 2nd-very most sensible quarter for person growth since going public
Snap Inc.’s considerations it would safe off to a unhurried beginning up in 2021 uncover about to be misguided, with the Snapchat guardian firm reporting it added 15 million unruffled customers in Q1 and topped Wall Avenue’s sales estimates in the formula.
Snapchat’s person beneficial properties pushed the app to 280 million each day active customers total, up 22% from the same time remaining year. The 15 million unruffled customers marked the 2nd-very most sensible quarter for Snap with regards to complete customers added since going public in early 2017. (The firm added 16 million customers between October and December remaining year, which used to be a firm file as a public firm. The firm’s very most sensible quarter ever used to be 21 million customers added sometime of Q2 2016.)
Snap moreover posted income of $769.6 million — up 66% year-over-year — which without issue topped analyst estimates of about $741 million. The firm said it broke even, whereas analysts heading into Thursday afternoon expected Snap would lose 5 cents per fragment.
And presumably exquisite as indispensable on the monetary aspect, Snap’s free cash float reached $126 million in Q1 — making it the first quarter of sure free cash float for Snap since it went public.
“We began 2021 by achieving our highest year-over-year income and each day active person growth charges in over three years sometime of the quarter, and handing over sure Free Money Accelerate for the first time in Snap’s historic past as a public firm,” CEO Evan Spiegel said in an announcement. “The strength of our industry underscores our relentless heart of attention on product innovation and is a testament to our crew’s capacity to attain well together over the future.”
Longtime Snap followers can even safe noticed every other attention-grabbing camouflage in the firm’s letter to shareholders: For the first time ever, the majority of Snap’s each day customers got here from Android, in preference to iPhone. Totally a few years support, customers complained Snap’s Android app used to be clunky and 2nd-charge when when put next with its iPhone counterpart; the inappropriate opinions indirectly compelled Snap to revamp its Android app in 2018.
Snapchat’s unruffled Highlight tab, which highlights person-generated snaps, appears to be like to be gaining traction, too, with the firm asserting 125 million of us passe Highlight in March. Highlight launched in lifeless 2020, with Snap paying out $1 million per day to the customers who safe their photography and videos added to the tab.
Snap’s Q1 efficiency stands out after the firm’s top brass warned investors in February it could presumably also safe off to rough beginning up in 2021. CFO Derek Andersen said in February “we began the quarter slower than we would safe otherwise expected,” with some advertisers pausing their campaigns for 2 weeks following the Jan. 6 Capitol Rebellion. On top of that, Andersen said it used to be “no longer sure” how changes to the iPhone’s working gadget would damage its advert industry.
Snap’s fragment label jumped 4.6% in after-hours trading on Thursday to $59.65 per fragment. (Snap opened the year at about $50 per fragment and ran to a file closing high of $70.45 per fragment in lifeless February.)


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Dutch companies used cheap DDR labor
Wehkamp, Philips, Shell, Hema and C&A used cheap labor from East Germany in the 70s and 80s.
TV program EenVandaag reported last night that archives from the Stasi show that there were several Dutch firms that used the services of companies in the German Democratic Republic (DDR), the Cold War era socialist state also known as East Germany. The people that worked for these companies were political prisoners, dissidents and people who were caught trying to flee the DDR. They earned little to nothing for their labor. Since the EenVandaag broadcast, Wehkamp and Hema have been the only companies that reacted to the story. “We regret these types of practices and we condemn them, because they absolutely do not fit the way we do business today as wehkamp.nl.” Store chain Hema said it would investigate the matter, a spokesperson said. “But it can be a difficult matter to investigate. It’s so long ago and our ownership has changed so many times. But with the knowledge of today it is clear that we would never approve of this,” she said. Last year it was reported that Ikea was having many of its products produced by prisoners in the DDR, as did West German companies Volkswagen, Aldi, Karstadt, Otto and Neckermann. The DDR used to earn some 200 million marks from these practices.


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It used to be that buying a video game console meant having to put up with a lot of little inconveniences. First there was purchasing the disc itself. Thankfully, the PS4 and Xbox One freed games from bondage. Microsoft and Sony mostly nailed the digital buying experience. With all the things that the two companies have done to make digital games more palatable, a lot of users upgrading are asking themselves if now is the right time to get into buying games digitally. It’s absolutely the right time.
Because You’re Saving Yourself Gas
In an age when users can add tons of functionality to their Android, iPhone and Windows Phone with the push of a button; getting a new game means getting into your car and driving to a game retailer that keeps them behind locked glass.
That alone makes the process of buying a disc-based game absolutely inconvenient. If you head to a store like GameStop there are even more reasons to regret it. GameStop doesn’t just ask you if you have a Power Up Rewards card. Game advisers are also tasked with making sure that you don’t need any new accessories with your purchase and reminding you that GameStop buys and sells used electronics.
Used games are cheaper, but if it’s a relatively recent game users are only saving about $5 bucks on average, Not nearly enough to justify the horrifying experience.
With digital games on the Xbox One and PS4, getting the latest titles is a simple as a few button presses. Both Microsoft and Sony make games available on the same day as they arrive on store shelves. Since games take a bit to download, both also allow console owners to start playing when a certain percentage of the game has been downloaded.
Overtime the pricing gap spreads and used copies of games do become cheaper at retailers like GameStop, but it’s still not as convenient.
Because You Can Share Them With Friends
There’s nothing in gaming that is as honored as the sharing of a video game. Sharing games is important exercise in socializing. Sharing video games is the only way some people experience the latest titles. Seriously, its importance can’t be underestimated.
With the Xbox One Microsoft announced that in exchange for requiring users to be connected to the internet once a day, they’d be able to share games digitally with friends. This meant that users wouldn’t have needed to keep track of discs or worry about friends damaging their physical copy of Call of Duty. Unfortunately, Microsoft pulled the feature. Still, both the Xbox One and PS4 allow users to share their games in interesting ways digitally.
Whenever an Xbox One or PS4 user logs into a console, everyone on that console gets access to that user’s games. Users can play as long as they want on their account. The Xbox One takes this a little bit further by allowing users to set one console as their Home Console. From that point on anyone else can continue to play the digital games they’ve purchased.
No disc exchange, no unnecessary car rides and friends get access to every digital game you purchase as you purchase it. Best of all, your games are never in danger of being ruined. That’s definitely a win.
Because You Can Pre-Order on the PS4 Too
When the Xbox One and PS4 launched last year both consoles were neck and neck as far as digital game buying was concerned. Then, Sony added a pre-ordering system to the PS4 and everything changed. PS4 users can purchase digital video games ahead of their release. They can then have their console download the game before launch day so that they avoid the mass of people all trying to download the game at the same time. When release day arrives the digital download simply unlocks.
Sony simply nails the convenience factor here, solving the biggest problem digital game sales face today.
No one is arguing that digital game sales are going to eclipse physical disc sales anytime soon. They won’t. Internet service providers have introduced bandwidth requirements that could keep digital game sales from exploding. Microsoft and Sony also have yet to introduce some kind of system for lowering the price of digital games overtime. Even today, games that launched with both consoles still cost $59.99 digitally. By comparison, the same games have dropped to $49.99 and $54.99 at GameStop.
Still, all the pieces are in place, and digital video game downloads are more than just some pipe dream. Buying digital is how the world will get their video games. It’s already happening on smartphones and tablets and it’s only going to get more popular as these consoles mature and Microsoft and Sony add even more ways for users to take advantage of their digital library.
This article may contain affiliate links. Click here for more details.


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Photo Provided by Super Girl Surf Pro
World Surf League (WSL) QS3000 Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro powered by Celsius to celebrate its 16th year at the Oceanside Pier in Oceanside, CA on September 16-18, 2022. This event is the largest female surf contest in the world, with more than 90 of the world’s top pros scheduled to compete.
Some of the biggest names in women’s surfing are expected to attend, including surfing icon Bethany Hamilton and former Super Girl Champions Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks, Lakey Peterson, Tatiana Weston-Webb, Coco Ho, Sage Erickson, Courtney Conlogue, Caitlin Simmers (Oceanside), Alyssa Spencer (Carlsbad) and Samantha Sibley (San Clemente).
The elite-level women’s longboarding competition to include 48 of the top female pros and up-and-coming stars. World Champions Honolua Blomfield, Summer Romero, Soleil Errico and Jen Smith will headline the field alongside 2021 Super Girl Longboarding Champion, Kirra Seale.
In addition to world-class surfing, the event will host live performances from The Offspring, Smash Mouth, Hoobastank, The Expendables, Kira Kosarin, and more to be announced with 15 concerts in total.
Additionally at the Festival Village, there will be activities ranging from family-friendly activities to the annual Super Girl Gamer esports tournament. And other notable on-goings like an all-female DJ Competition; a women’s beach soccer tournament; free classes in fitness, yoga, Zumba, Pilates, wellness and dance; female comediennes; celebrity speakers; panel discussions promoting female leadership and sustainability; a female art exhibition; social influencers; autograph signings; a beer garden and food court; a military appreciation program; and a mentorship event for young surfers with 5-time World Champion Carissa Moore and her Moore Aloha Foundation.
Super Girl Series is a mission-based platform that includes four women’s action sports, esports and lifestyle events . It promotes female empowerment, inclusion and equality, and are centered around providing athletic, social, cultural, educational, and entertainment opportunities for young women in traditionally male-dominated industries.
“We are thrilled to have such an exciting and diverse lineup of activities at the event in addition to world-class surfing,” said Rick Bratman, CEO of ASA Entertainment, the event’s producer. “To have artists like The Offspring, Smash Mouth, Hoobastank, The Expendables and Kira Kosarin performing and using their voices to help promote Super Girl’s empowerment platform is absolutely incredible. On the surfing side, the Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro powered by Celsius is not only a showcase for the top-ranked surfers in the world, but also a springboard to help launch surf careers and provide unmatched mentorship between pros and newcomers.”
Supported by Nissan, in conjunction with its California Nissan Dealers, Celsius, the U.S. Air Force, White Claw, Jolyn, Frontwave Credit Union, the Mission Pacific Hotel, Visit Oceanside, Blenders Eyewear, Locals Only Vodka, Pura Vida, Perfect Hydration, Soapy Joe’s, Logitech, Sierra Nevada, Sambazon, Grocery Outlet, Javi’s Ranch Water, Remedy Kombucha, Pacifico and the U.S. Marines.
Celebrating the multi-year extension of its Title Partnership with Nissan and the addition of Celsius as its new Presenting Partner. Shawn Mirabal, regional vice president, Nissan North America comments, “Nissan is committed to the Super Girl Pro Series of surf and gamer events and its mission to celebrate female strength and empowerment. The series offers athletic, cultural, educational, business and social opportunities to young women in areas where they have been traditionally underrepresented. We look forward to continuing our support as title sponsor of Super Girl Pro Series for many years.”
The event will run daily Friday, Sept. 16 through Sunday, Sept. 18 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Access to the surfing, concerts, esports, panels, classes, speakers and all elements are free to attend.
??The event will be televised throughout November and December on Bally Sports and will be streamed live on September 17 – 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. via 15 digital partners, including at www.supergirlsurfpro.com/ and twitch.tv/supergirlseries.
For more information on the concert lineup, surfing, classes, schedules, esports and more, visit www.supergirlsurfpro.com. To connect via social media, follow @SupergirlPro on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter.
By Mercedes Romana
All Photos Provided by Super Girl Surf Pro


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By Laura Payne 09/03 Updated: 13/03 13:07
IN A CRUEL twist of fate a motorcyclist who campaigns for action against motorcycle theft had his own bike stolen from outside his Rugby home.
Paddy Tyson is the campaigns manager for the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), and works across the country calling for more to be done to combat motorcycle theft, which their statistics show accounts for 25 per cent of all vehicle crime. Police this week said Rugby was a motorbike theft hotspot.
Mr Tyson left his bike - a Suzuki GSF 1250 - chained to a lamppost, alarmed and with the steering lock on outside his house in Bilton.
Ironically, on the day of the theft he had attended a meeting of the national Motorcycle Crime Reduction Group, which included officials from the Police Stolen Vehicles Unit, to discuss theft prevention.
He decided not to put his bike in the garage as it had been broken into a number of times, but as a result it means the theft, which happened in the evening, is not covered by his insurance.
Mr Tyson told the Observer: "I couldn't believe it. The one thing which pops into your head is did I leave it somewhere else. I feel incredibly helpless.
"What makes me particularly angry is that some thieves think this is a victimless crime and that insurance will pick up the tab. In this case they have refused to because I can't give them the exact time of theft.
"My bike is my transport as I campaign for the rights of all motorcyclists and now that work is being severely curtailed.
"As with all MAG members, I'm in a position to offer a £1,000 reward for info leading to conviction, but that doesn't get me back on the road."
Even though Mr Tyson reported the crime straight away, he does not believe there is much chance of getting his bike back.
"I want to highlight the number of motorcycle thefts. Bikes are sold on, torched or the parts are taken apart, he added.
"You can buy frames and they take parts from the bike and put it together and then it's untraceable. It's a very organised system."
Between June and February 90 bikes were stolen from across Warwickshire, a rise of 20 on the same period 12 months earlier.
Paul Judson, Local Policing Inspector for Rugby, said there was a problem with motorcycle theft in the town and the force was working to highlight the issue with dealers and repairers.
He said: "We have had some reports of suspicious vans being seen at the scene of motorcycle thefts and it is believed that offenders may be actually carrying locked motorcycles away and loading them into vans to transport away.
"Wherever possible motorcycle owners should consider locking their vehicles to ground anchors or appropriate fixed objects such as cycle stands."
FOUR teenagers were arrested and one charged following
THE NUMBER of shoppers on Rugby's High Street
CROWDS in Rugby will be flocking to see
NOISE levels at Tesco's distribution site in Crick
THE Ricoh Arena company sold to indebted London Wasps in ...
SHAMED 'cleavage sparing mastectomy' breast surgeon Ian Paterson has been ...
BEING unable to make it into the office on Monday ...


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USA Technologies (USAT), a payment technology provider of cashless and mobile transactions in vending, kiosk, parking and other self-serve retail industries, announced Wednesday (April 19) that together with Ingenico, a player in seamless payment with 32 million terminals present in more than 170 countries, will be launching a combined cashless hardware and cashless payment services solution in the United States.
In a press release, USAT said that by offering Ingenico’s payment hardware, USAT’s customers will have the opportunity to add an EMV contact solution to their cashless payment portfolio. In turn, Ingenico Group would be able to leverage USAT’s Quick Connect or ePort Connect platform for use with its PCI-certified, EMV and NFC/contactless unattended payment solution — the iUC285.
“At Ingenico Group, it’s our goal to offer merchants the best payment solutions across a variety of verticals and provide consumers with fast, simple and secure purchasing experiences,” said Bruce Rasmussen, director of sales, Strategic Verticals at Ingenico Group/North America. “Further, we seek to provide the most innovative solutions to empower merchants, and by working with USA Technologies we’re able to meet our objective to expand the most secure payment options to the unattended retail market.”
With this combined offering, USAT said it plans on providing unattended retail operators the option of using Ingenico’s payment hardware via USAT’s cashless payment network. Merchants could gain access to automatic updates to payment software, settings, security and point-of-sale insight data through USAT’s ePort Connect network with the ability to layer on services like consumer engagement, loyalty programs and payroll deduct.
“By going to market with a leading global payment hardware provider, we are able to offer vending and other unattended retail merchants with the best-in-class payment solutions that accept new and emerging forms of payments like EMV, with USAT’s ePort Connect suite of cashless payment, consumer engagement and loyalty services,” said Michael Lawlor, chief services officer, USA Technologies, in the same release.


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The value of mineral production in the United States increased 9 percent in 2010 from that of 2009, suggesting that the nonfuel minerals industries, particularly metals, were beginning to recover from the economic recession.
The value of raw, nonfuel minerals mined in the United States was $64 billion
in 2010, up from $59 billion in 2009, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s
(USGS) annual release of mineral production statistics and summary of events
and trends affecting domestic and global nonfuel minerals.
“During the past year, we began to see increases in domestic mineral
production, after significant declines in 2009,” notes USGS Mineral Resources
Program coordinator Kathleen Johnson. “This report allows for timely research
and analysis of our nation’s minerals sector.”
The metals sector was marked by higher prices across the board, and a
substantial increase in tonnage of iron ore mined. The metals industries
supported the overall gains in the minerals sector, offsetting a 6-percent
decline in the value of non-metals in 2010.
The non-metallic minerals sector continued to decline in 2010, but at a slower
rate than in 2009. More non-metallic mineral commodities showed increases
in mine production and value than those that decreased, but the production and
consumption of dominant materials, particularly those used in construction, declined.
America’s dependence on foreign sources for minerals increased, continuing a trend
that has been evident for more than 30 years. The country relied on foreign
sources to supply more than 50 percent of domestic consumption of 43 mineral
commodities in 2010. The United States
was 100-percent reliant on imports for 18 mineral commodities in 2010.
Minerals are a fundamental component to the U.S. economy. Final products, such
as cars and houses, produced by major U.S. industries using mineral
materials made up about 13 percent (more than $2.1 trillion) of the 2010 gross domestic
product. Domestic raw materials, along with domestically recycled materials,
were used to process mineral materials worth $578 billion, such as aluminum,
brick, copper, fertilizers and steel.


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PayPal, eBay agree to pay $10 million fine
WASHINGTON -- Online payment service PayPal Inc. and its parent, eBay Inc., have agreed to pay a $10 million fine to settle allegations that they aided illegal offshore and online gambling.
According to the settlement, PayPal between mid-2000 and November 2002 transmitted money in violation of federal and state online gambling laws. As part of the settlement, PayPal must maintain a corporate compliance program for at least two years.
The settlement ends the government's case against PayPal and eBay, but doesn't limit investigation of companies or individuals outside PayPal and eBay who were involved.
"Offshore sportsbooks and online casino gambling operations which do business in the United States generally do so in violation of federal criminal laws," said U.S. Attorney Raymond Gruender. "Therefore, we will continue to investigate and pursue such activity."
Gruender commended the "cooperative, conciliatory approach of PayPal and eBay" in resolving the matter and their continued assistance to related investigations.


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Last price47.94Prev Close48.34
Day Low47.71Day High49.39
52 Wk Low22.9052 Wk High54.22
If Only Zuckerberg Chose a Catchier Facebook Ticker Symbol
If only CEO Mark Zuckerberg had used a bit more imagination when cooking up the Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) ticker symbol, its stock might have fared a little better.
Sound crazy? Maybe, but several studies have shown that clever, pronounceable stock symbols - think Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) and Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) - do better in the market.
The phenomenon is particularly true for IPOs, with the "fun name halo" extending about 10 days out from the stock's first day of trading.
Companies that choose a ticker symbol that doesn't form a pronounceable word - yes, like Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) -- often struggle. Generally speaking, the more jumbled the letters, the worse a stock does.
"[Our] research shows that people take mental shortcuts, even when it comes to their investments, when it would seem they would want to be most rational," Professor Daniel Oppenheimer, who co-authored a 2006 Princeton University study of the subject, told Psych Central.
While the academics who have studied this have not conclusively nailed down the cause, most suspect it has to do with something called "fluency," or how easily a person can process information.
People are simply drawn more to a catchy ticker symbol like YUM than a drab one like FB.
"It is possible that [people] are initially more attracted to fluently named stocks, that they pay particular attention to those stocks, or even that they favor those stocks because they have developed an association between easily processed names and success," Adam Alter, Oppenheimer's research partner, told The Wall Street Journal.
The Science Behind Clever TickersNaturally, not every stock with a clever ticker symbol outperforms and not every stock with a subpar ticker symbol underperforms. But the broad data show a surprisingly strong relationship between a ticker and how well the stock does.
=To continue reading, please click here...
What Drove Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) Shares to a New Low
Since Facebook Inc.'s (Nasdaq: FB) debut as a public company at $38 a share on May 18, and the stock's peak at $45 on the same day, shares have tumbled nearly 50%.
Facebook stock hit a fresh low yesterday (Tuesday), with shares reaching $17.55 before closing at $17.73.
The slump came after a trio of brokerage firms slashed their price targets for Facebook shares. The firms cited the wave of expiring lockup periods that will flood the market with close to 1.7 billion shares over the next several months.
The first lockup period expired Aug. 16, freeing a first batch of some 268 million shares. In mid-October, 192 million more shares will be let loose, and on Nov. 14 a whopping 1.2 billion shares will be free to sell.
The total is more than four times the number of shares floating on exchanges before the lockup periods began expiring.
"It's like a train coming around the corner toward shareholders, so they better get out of the way," Francis Gaskin, president of research firm IPOdesktop told the Los Angeles Times right before the end of the first lockup.
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Congrats on One Billion Facebook Users… Who Buy Nothing
Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) is on the cusp of amassing one billion users, unarguably a milestone.
The last official tally of Facebook users was 955 million. Employees have become giddy in expectation of reaching the one billion mark any day now.
But, they might want to hold off tossing confetti, because the momentous occasion will also shine a bright light on the social network's shortcoming.
No matter how many users Facebook acquires, if it can't sell anything, the landmark number is useless.
As Owen Thomas of Business Insider wrote, "Bottom line: One billion users isn't cool. You know what's cool? Two billion."
Facebook Sales Estimates Slashed
The failure to monetize that many subscribers is a shame because Facebook's massive user base is an advertiser's dream if effective - but there have been no signs of future revenue growth.
That's why market research firm EMarketer Inc. recently slashed its projections for the Menlo Park, CA-based company from $6.1 billion in annual sales to $5.04 billion. Facebook continues to struggle for advertising growth, in particular the fast growing mobile market.
[ppopup id="70925"]That’s why Facebook stock should really be trading for this amount. [/ppopup]
An increasing number of Facebook users are now accessing their accounts via smartphones and other mobile devices, an area where Facebook collects a great deal less in ad revenue than it does on desktop access.
Facebook enjoyed an 88% revenue increase in 2011. EMarketer estimates Facebook revenue will rise only 36% this year and 31% in 2013.
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Facebook Stock Hits New Low, So What Now for Mark Zuckerberg?
Since Facebook's (Nasdaq: FB) hugely hyped and highly anticipated initial public offering on May 18 at $38, shares have been sliced in half, hitting a low of $19.01 in trading today (Friday).
Now, chatter is swirling that CEO Mark Zuckerberg should step down and let a more experienced executive take the helm.
"There is a growing sense that Mark Zuckerberg, talented though he may be, is in over his hoodies as CEO of a multibillion-dollar public company," Sam Hamadeh, head of research firm PrivCo, told the Los Angeles Times. "While in many cases a company founder can, and does, grow into the job, things are happening so quickly that there is precious little time here for Zuckerberg to do that."
Fueling the sentiment is Facebook's steady descent since its calamitous IPO. On Thursday, as the first lockup period ended, which allowed early investors and venture capitalists to unburden their portfolio of battered shares, the stock hit a fresh low.
Facebook's shares closed Thursday at $19.87, a far cry from its debut price and peak of $45 a share.
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Will Apple Buy Facebook? No, But It'll be More than a Friend
It's a question that was getting asked as far back as three years ago, and seems to pop up again every time the Facebook stock price hits another new low: Will Apple buy Facebook?
Some tech pundits think that because Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has so much cash -- $117 billion as of the June quarter - and lacks a presence in social media, buying Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) just makes sense.
Those with more level heads think such a move would be a spectacularly bad idea -- and extremely unlikely.
"I can see Microsoft making a stupid decision like this but not Apple - MSFT has a history of overpaying for questionable assets, being late to the game and having lost what truly innovative mojo they had under [CEO Steve] Ballmer's watch," said Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald.
"I think Apple knows that the Facebook model is kaput and that it's not profitable - very similar to Google in that regard, which has held off from really rolling out Google+," Fitz-Gerald added."Shareholders would revolt...and so would the institutional money."
But Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has strongly hinted at a cozier Apple-Facebook relationship.
Calling Facebook a "great company" at the D10 conference in May, Cook said, "We have great respect for them. I think we can do more with them. Just stay tuned on this one."
Why Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) Will Not Buy FBFacebook's shaky business model isn't the only reason Apple would shy away from buying the social media giant.
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Sorry…Facebook (Nasdaq: FB) is Still Only Worth $7.50 a Share
The technorati took me to task. So did Wall Street.
They were agitated by an article I wrote in May explaining why the world's most hotly anticipated IPO, Facebook (Nasdaq:FB), was worth a mere $7.50 a share at best.
"Out of touch," one of the critics said. A "luddite" charged another.
"Doesn't grasp the significance of so many users," one Wall Street insider opined--who happened not coincidentally to work for one of Facebook's investment bankers.
Since then the social media darling has fallen another 31% to nearly $22 a share. Ten weeks later, Team Hoodie hasn't done much to merit an upgrade either.
Sorry guys...Facebook is still only worth $7.50 a share - likely less.
The Cold, Hard Facts for FacebookAt the time I reasoned that Facebook's valuation simply didn't merit the 100 times earnings IPO price of $38 a share based on comparable figures from Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL).
But there were a host of other factors as well.
I cited falling revenues, a lack of control over the mobile market channel, increasing distrust from customers who were voting with their feet and the concurrent departure of major advertisers like GM which will cost Facebook an estimated $10 million a year in revenue alone.
I also posited the assumption that Facebook would be unable to maintain the 100% plus growth that many investors believed was baked into the proverbial cake.
Google couldn't. Apple couldn't. And both of them are real businesses.
That's the key...real businesses.
Fact is, Facebook still hasn't figured out what it wants to be when it grows up.
Despite the fact that CEO Mark Zuckerberg does have some excellent advisors, the company isn't going to be able to hide the fact that its "business" is nothing more than a colossal time-wasting collection of personal interest items for much longer.
Other problems abound, too. All of them point to a lower share price.
[ppopup id="70925"]To continue reading please, click here...[/ppopup]
The Lesser of Two Evils: Facebook vs. GM
If you had to buy either Facebook Inc. (Nasdaq: FB) or General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM), which are both down 40% from their recent IPOs, what would you do?
On Wednesday Money Morning's Shah Gilani appeared on Fox Business' "Varney & Co." to tackle that question.
With GM trading around $20 and Facebook stock hovering around $21, the share prices are both at or approaching 52-week lows, but which is the better value?
Gilani's answer may surprise you.
Watch the entire accompanying video to get a full analysis on each company.


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On January 14, 2020, a month and a half later, Microsoft will stop its extended support for win7. At that time, many enterprise users will consider upgrading to windows 10 (hereinafter referred to as win10). It's not easy to deploy and upgrade win10 in large quantities, but the government still provides a way for users of the active version of win7 / 8.1 to upgrade to win10 free of charge.
Many Win7/8.1 genuine users may remember that Microsoft offered these users a benefit to promote Win10,
This method failed at the end of December 2017, but only in the official sense. In fact, Microsoft did not completely block it, even two years later.
However, this upgrade does not support a new installation,Active win7 / 8.1 users need to use the official media creation tool tool and specific key to upgrade win10 system。
The engineer also pointed out that Microsoft's free upgrade tool for win10 is actually an advertising tool, which aims to make more Microsoft customers upgrade to win10 system as soon as possible.


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If you’re an EVE Online fan, you might have been a bit concerned that the internet spaceship sandbox started dipping its toes into the NFT waters during last month’s Alliance Tournament XVII, where a successfully struck final blow on an opponent would be minted into an NFT to commemorate the killmail. Consider your concerns well-founded as CCP Games CEO Hilmar Pétursson voiced his support of the technology and play-to-earn schemes in general in an interview with The Korea Economic Daily.
“Gamers hope that the values created from online games can also be used in reality. The online gaming content should have practical values in the real world. The gaming industry should evolve to allow gamers to make retirement plans by using the money they earn from games.”
In spite of this proclamation in support of what he calls a scheme in its infancy that will “grow as a key concept in the gaming industry,” Pétursson comes just short of declaring that EVE will connect to a blockchain wholesale, noting that introducing a play-to-earn system would divide the playerbase between those who are trying to earn money and those who just want to play a freaking video game, therefore complicating the social dynamic. “We have conducted research related to NFT and blockchain as they are based on a decentralized system. However, it is a little too early for us to entirely introduce NFTs or [play-to-earn],” he says.


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- May 2, 2011
The companies plan to offer iPhone 4 under both post-paid and pre-paid subscription plans.
In a statement, Aircel said that it will be selling 16 GB iPhone 4 version for Rs 34,500 and 32 GB version for Rs 40,900. Users will be able to recover the cost in monthly credits in their subscription accounts over 24 months, it said in a statement.
Aircel started its 3G services in the country in February.
Malaysia's Maxis Communications Bhd holds a 74% stake in Aircel, while India's Apollo Hospitals group owns the rest.
Apple's iPhone 4 was first released in the US and four other countries in June last year, with a starting price of $199.
Measuring 4.5 x 2.3 x 0.37 inches, 4 Apple's fourth-generation model comes with 3.5 inch display with 640 X 960 pixel resolution. Apple iPhone 4 has a 5 megapixel camera, up from 3 megapixel in the earlier version. The camera has an LED flash. Users can now shoot a video at upto 30 FPS (frames per second) with the front camera.


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Arthur Hayes: BitMex CEO, Believes Paul Tudor Jones Will Help Bitcoin Rise
BitMex's CEO: Arthur Hayes, anticipates that Paul Tudor Jones will attract wealthy investors by purchasing Bitcoin. Paul Tudor Jones, an esteemed hedge fund investor, brought on massive enthusiasm at crypto markets by revealing that Bitcoin (BTC) is a portion of his wealthy portfolio.
Marketplace players and dealers like CEO of BitMEX hope that this will attract enormous investors. Arthur Hayes, CEO of this planet's next most significant crypto exchange, BitMEX, claims Jones has only removed vocation chance from purchasing cryptos such as Bitcoin. "Expect a lot of beta fund managers to begin cooking some copypasta," he tweeted on May 7.
Paul Opens The Way For Other Hedge Funds Manager To Buy Bitcoin
Hayes isn't alone thinking that investors may probably follow Jones. On May 7, CNBC's Bitcoin baller, Brian Kelly also CNBC's Fast Money traders talked about the possible effect of the billionaire investor's Bitcoin information. Karen Finerman, co-founder & CEO Metropolitan Capital Advisors and a CNBC Fast Money panelist, considers that Jones is opening up the way for mainstream traders and also hedge funds manager to buy Bitcoin. Finerman summarised that traders are going to feel more secure purchasing Bitcoin as Jones has also bought it:
Nobody wants to get outed having owned Bitcoin if it completely falls apart. But if you can say that Jones owns it also, maybe that gives you a little bit of cover.
Brian Kelly Stated, Bitcoin Has More Potential As Compared To Gold
Jones reported that Bitcoin informs him of the critical purpose that gold played at the financial meltdown of the 1970s. As stated by CNBC's Brian Kelly, the two equally Bitcoin and gold could succeed from the latest financial environment as a result of their standard capabilities, including a restricted supply. However the CNBC Bitcoin adviser claims that Bitcoin will engage in with a much function from the environment because of its' decentralized nature & easy accessibility. Brian Kelly also summarised that Bitcoin comes with a "much more uptrend potential" plus also an improved risk-to-reward. On May two, leading United States' crypto market, Coinbase, released a study claiming the pandemic-fueled catastrophe is likely to make Bitcoin more advanced than gold.
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