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Apple agreed to a preliminary settlement Monday for a class-action lawsuit that claimed the company knew the MacBook’s “butterfly” keyboard was defective but kept selling it. Apple admits no wrongdoing but agreed to pay up to $50 million, most of which will go to customers who had to replace the faulty keyboards.
This is good news for people in seven U.S. states who experienced problems with their MacBook butterfly keyboard.
A Federal judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit accusing Apple of putting defective keyboards in various MacBook models made between 2015 and 2019. These laptops all use the butterfly keyboard design which uses a key mechanism that is allegedly prone to sticking.
The world might finally wave goodbye to Apple’s controversial and much-hated MacBook butterfly keyboards by summer, according to a new report, published Thursday, by respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In his latest research note, Kuo writes that Apple will launch new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models featuring the scissor switch keyboard design. Apple laid the groundwork for the return of the scissor switch Magic Keyboard when it ditched the butterfly keyboard for its 16-inch MacBook Pro upgrade late last year.
Actors love to have some political message to impart to viewers at award shows. At last night’s Oscars, Taika Waititi, winner of the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit, voiced his own passionate plea — for Apple to change its MacBook keyboards.
“Apple needs to fix those keyboards,” he told reporters. “They are impossible to write on; they’ve gotten worse. It makes me want to go back to PCs. Because PC keyboards, the bounce-back for your fingers is way better … Those Apple keyboards are horrendous.”
Apple’s smart keyboard cover for the iPad could get a major design upgrade in 2020.
Digitimes reported today that Apple may release an updated keyboard for the tablets featuring the new scissor-switch design that resolved Apple’s keyboard woes on the last few generations of MacBook Pros.
A U.S. federal judge rejected Apple’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit today. That sets up the company for a big legal showdown with customers trying to prove Apple knew about serious problems with the keyboard — but kept selling it anyway.
There’s a great Steve Jobs story that somehow seems relevant in a 2019 MacBook Pro review. You probably know it, but I’ll tell it anyway. After the iPad launch, Jobs supposedly walked into a meeting with the Mac team, carrying an iPad. He woke up the iPad, which happened instantaneously. Then he woke up a Mac, which took a while to come out of sleep. Then he asked something like, “Why doesn’t this do that?”
Today, he might take the iPad Pro, and the brand new top-of-the-line MacBook Pro, start them both editing a few images, and wait for the fans to spin up on the Mac. While it cranks up to leaf-blower levels, he’d point at the silent iPad, and make some scathing quip.
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is an incredible computer that’s let down by the red-hot Intel chips inside. Apple’s cool, fast, super-powerful A-series ARM chips can’t come to the Mac soon enough. Using this Intel machine after using an ARM-powered iPad for several years, the Mac feels like there’s something wrong with it. And yet, barely 24 hours into owning one, I absolutely love it.
Since I wrote about Apple’s ongoing MacBook disaster last week, and then offered a bunch of alternatives to the current MacBook lineup, several readers got in touch to ask which — if any — older MacBooks we’d recommend. I haven’t bought a MacBook in years, so I did a little research, and asked around the Cult of Mac crew.
So, let’s find out which is the best (old) MacBook you can buy today.


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It's official - Stamps.com has decided to start seeing other couriers.
In their Q4 2018 earnings call, Stamps.com announced that expected adjusted earnings per share would be a lot lower than analyst expectations, sending Stamps' stock price down almost 50% in after hours trading.
It was mentioned that these adjusted earnings were partially due to the effects of their exclusive partnership with USPS, prompting them to end their partnership so they can begin working with other couriers.
Why did Stamps.com end their partnership with USPS now?
According to Stamps.com CEO Kenneth McBride, "Our customers can no longer survive on just the USPS, and we don’t see that as a viable option for the next five years... this company can no longer be exclusive given the trends in the shipping market."
Clearly, consumer behavior around delivery preferences are being recognized by retailers. Customers maintain high expectations on delivery time frames and costs, viewing same day, 2-day shipping, and free shipping as required offerings at checkout.
These expectations cannot be met by the US Postal Service alone. By breaking their exclusivity agreement, Stamps.com is hoping to create partnerships with UPS, FedEx, and Amazon in order to provide the best solutions for their customers.
What does this mean for Stamps.com customers in the near-term?
While Stamps.com users will gain access to more services, it's possible that they may see price increases for USPS rates on the platform, as Stamps are no longer selling USPS rates exclusively. However, this isn't to say that online retailers will stop using USPS completely, now that other options are accessible.
USPS still provides competitive rates for domestic and international shipping, making it a popular choice for cost-conscious customers who are willing to wait for their deliveries.
Our thoughts on the Stamps.com breakup
From Day 1, Easyship has always seen the value of SMBs working with multiple couriers in order to provide the best delivery experience for their customers.
With the hundreds of couriers that exist worldwide, it's inevitable that certain companies will be able to provide shipping solutions that service specific markets better than a postal service can.
That's why our courier development team maintains partnerships with over 50 different shipping companies - so SMBs and crowdfunding campaigns will be able to find the best courier solution to any destination worldwide in the most cost-effective way.
For example, we partner with SF Express, a regional courier that specializes in delivery to Mainland China, and Aramex, who specializes in delivery to the Middle East and Africa.
US-based merchants who want to take advantage of these competitive rates from these regional couriers can do so through our multi-leg solutions. By choosing this option on our dashboard, USPS conveniently handles the first mile delivery, hands over to these regional couriers at a major US port, and the regional couriers in turn handle the last-mile delivery to the overseas destination.
Stamps.com's move away from exclusivity confirms our view that working with multiple couriers will be the best way for eCommerce businesses, regardless of size, to scale their business worldwide.
Are you a journalist looking for more insights on this topic for a story you're working on? Contact us at [email protected] and we would be happy to help out!
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You still have an opportunity to run wild with the hogs. Harley-Davidson (HOG) has room to run and i...
Is Housing's Slide as Bad as It Looks?
08/27/2010 4:32 pm EST
Based on the numbers released August 24, sales of existing homes may be even scarier than they look.
Scarier than a 27% drop in July to an annual sales rate of just 3.83 million? Scarier than the lowest annual sales rate in the 15 years this number has been tracked?
Well, yes. Because this figure suggests that all our worst fears about the housing market and the US economy may be absolutely correct. And I think that interpretation of the housing numbers is a major reason that on August 27, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke just about promised the Fed would go back to its policy of buying Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to support the economy.
The fears start with the possibility that this huge drop shows the government’s recently-ended tax credit of $8,000 to homebuyers didn’t do a thing to actually stimulate the housing industry. Instead, the huge plunge suggests that any gain in sales while the stimulus was in effect came out of future sales.
While the tax credit was in effect, peak sales of existing homes soared to a 6.49 million annual rate in November 2009.
And now that the stimulus program is over, the industry faces an extended period of really low sales as it makes up for those borrowed sales. Economists had projected that sales of existing homes would fall 13% from June’s 5.37 million annual pace.
It might take quite a while to pay back that borrowing, too. The number of existing homes on the market climbed by 2.5% to 3.98 million. At the current rate of sales, that’s a 12.5-month supply. (And, not surprisingly, that’s the highest level of inventory since 1999, when these numbers start.)But that’s not the worst conclusion you can draw from this number. If the housing industry wasn’t able to build a real recovery out of a temporary stimulus program, then maybe the economy as a whole won’t be able to build a lasting recovery out of the $787- billion stimulus package passed by Congress in February 2009.
Certainly that’s a fear worth entertaining—especially now that the effects of that $787- billion package are starting to wear off without any appreciable surge in job creation that would demonstrate that the stimulus created a self-sustaining recovery.
In examining that fear, though, it’s important to note the ways in which the much bigger total stimulus package is similar to and different from the home-buying stimulus effort.
Parts of the overall package did indeed resemble the “demand-pull” emphasis of the home-buying subsidy. The “cash-for-clunkers” car-buying program, for example, pulled current sales from future sales just as it looks like the home-buying subsidy did.
Some parts of the bigger stimulus—such as the infrastructure spending in the package—are clearly not demand-pull programs, but actually add to economic activity in the present without pulling from the future.
Unfortunately, as critics of the stimulus have pointed out for a year and a half, most of the package went to tax cuts and entitlement spending. Only $275 billion, or 35% of the total, went to contracts, grants, and loans that could in even the loosest sense be called infrastructure spending.
The good news in that category is that only 50% of that $275 billion had been paid out as of August 13, 2010, according to the Recovery.gov Web site. There is still some stimulus money in the pipeline. (In contrast, 77% of tax cuts and 63% of entitlement spending in the package have been paid out.)
At the least, the housing numbers should revive a real debate about whether the US economy needs a second stimulus—and one that’s structured to make up for the deficiencies in the original package.
Of course, with the electoral silly season just about upon us, a serious debate about stimulus and the economy is exactly what we won’t have any time soon.
Which leaves me hoping that existing home sales numbers aren’t as bad as they seem right now.
Full disclosure: I don’t own shares of any company mentioned in this post.
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- CHARITY BENEFIT
Look for the giant, digitally-animated fireworks display in Times Square. The display debut on Wednesday, June 27th on One Times Square as the ultimate tribute to Independence Day. The giant, 130-feet digitally-animated fireworks is another new holiday tradition for the “Crossroads of the World.” Featured on Toshiba Vision screens and the TDK screen on the building where the New Year’s Eve Ball descends. The iconic Ball will be lit in patriotic red, white and blue for the debut.
The digital fireworks will follow in the footsteps of the celebrated Times Square digital Christmas tree, which debuted last year at the same location. The Christmas tree was recently recognized by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS(TM) as a new achievement: the “Tallest animated lighting decoration is 39.66 m (130 ft 1 in) tall and it was also created by Toshiba Corporation and TDK Corporation. Both are Japanese owned companies.
Rising 400 feet above street level, the 130-feet digital fireworks display utilizes state of the art graphic designs, with a background of a starlit sky. As the countdown gets to “1,” digital red, white and blue fireworks, including rockets and roman candles, surround a rising American flag, with the iconic New York skyline. A shimmering “Happy 4th of July 2012″ then appears to complete the patriotic display.
Joining in the launch of the fireworks will be Yoshiaki Uchiyama, Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR and Corporate Planning, Toshiba America, Inc.; Kazuyoshi Onishi, Assistant Vice President, TDK U.S.A. Corporation and Jeffrey Straus, President, Countdown Entertainment.
The digital display which began on June 27th runs through July 8th, appearing on the screens every 11 minutes, 24 hours a day.
On July 4th, the digital fireworks will run continuously as the only featured programming on the Toshiba Vision screens and the TDK screen, as a special salute to the day.
“We are thrilled that our digital Christmas tree was recognized by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS(TM) as the world’s tallest animated lighting decoration,” says Yoshiaki Uchiyama. “It is with great pride that we bring the millions who will be visiting Times Square another digital marvel, our Independence Day fireworks display on One Times Square.”
“TDK is proud to be a part of what we hope will be another new tradition in Times Square, the magnificent digital fireworks display, especially created to set the summer holiday mood for all,” says Kazuyoshi Onishi.
Now this is International relations at it’s best.


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WCSO warns of phone scam that references Amazon
Published 10:33 am Thursday, July 14, 2022
JONESBOROUGH — Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton wants to warn local residents about a phone scam where the caller claims there are charges on Amazon accounts.
In this new scam, residents receive a call from someone claiming to be with Amazon. The caller states that multiple charges were made on the resident’s Amazon account. The scammer then instructs the resident to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash, purchase prepaid cards and call them back with the card numbers. In one instance a victim was instructed to deposit funds with a money transfer company via an ATM.
“So far, we know of at least $18,000 lost to this particular scam since June,” said Sheriff Sexton. “In one instance, the caller transferred the victim’s call to an individual that claimed to work for the U.S. Marshals Service. No law enforcement agency will ever call and ask you for money.”
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, during 2021 there were more than $1.7 billion in losses tied to phone scams targeting those over age 60. That represents a 74 percent increase over 2020. The average dollar loss per victim was $18,246, but the FBI reports that over 3,000 victims lost more than $100,000 each.
Here are a few tips from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Trade Commission to keep you safe from scam calls:
• Scammers pretend to be from an organization you know. Common scams mention things like Amazon, utility companies and even government agencies like Medicare and Social Security.
• There’s almost always a problem or a prize. The scammer will say there’s a problem with your account, or that you or a relative owe a large sum of money. Other known scams include saying you’ve won a lottery or sweepstakes, but you need to pay a fee to get your prize.
• Scammers pressure you to act immediately. There’s always a sense of urgency to a scam call because they don’t want you to hang up and verify their story. Often the pressure will include threats of arresting you and charging you with a crime like money laundering.
• They want payment in a very specific way. They’ll tell you to withdraw cash from your bank account and then purchase prepaid gift cards or send money through a transfer company.
“Never give personal financial information over the phone if you didn’t initiate the call,” warns Sheriff Sexton. “When you get a call demanding money, hang up and call local law enforcement. We can put your mind at ease, especially if the caller threatens arrest.”
If you’re a Washington County resident and receive a call like those described above, you can contact WCSO at (423) 788-1414.


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IF you’ve been complaining about dry skin on the Internet, Vaseline may have heard you. With winter just around the corner, the brand is announcing a new advertising campaign for its Vaseline Intensive Rescue skin cream product, sold by Unilever. The campaign represents the first time Vaseline has used crowdsourcing to find product spokeswomen.
“The core of the idea here is to find women where they talk about this problem,” Anne Jensen, the senior brand building director for beauty care in the Unilever personal care division, said of the company’s decision to the scour the Web looking for women who were talking about their dry skin.
Vaseline worked with the New York office of the agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty on the campaign to restage the brand with things like new packaging and product improvements and to find women bloggers who could represent the campaign.
“Most Vaseline campaigns are rooted in real stories by real people. That’s what makes it authentic,” said Ashley Bekton, group business director at Bartle Bogle.
The agency worked with a subcontractor to crawl the Internet for conversations around words like “dry skin,” “lotions” and “skin issues,” and to scan blogs and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook for conversations people were having about those topics.
“We looked at everything that was out there,” Ms. Bekton said.
From there, the agency e-mailed a pool of bloggers and conducted interviews with about 75 women until it arrived at the final three bloggers with the most compelling stories.
One of the women, Kari Ellen Aceto from Green Valley Lake, Calif., who reviews products on her blog, A Giveaway Addicted Mommy, was writing about her son’s eczema and her own dry skin when she was contacted by Vaseline.
Ms. Aceto said her dry skin would stop her from participating in outdoor activities and told of once being given a bottle of lotion by a student when she was a physical education teacher. “It was a little bit embarrassing,” Ms. Aceto said.
She plans to chronicle the tour on her blog, and on Facebook and Twitter.
“To be picked from the Web based on things that I’ve talked about,” Ms. Aceto said, “I feel like there’s actually somebody listening.”
The bloggers were sent samples of the products and will now be compensated spokeswomen for the brand’s Dry Skin Patrol. The group will go on a Vaseline Intensive Rescue Mission Tour to promote the brand objective of one million good skin days.
“Women are very bothered by dry skin, especially in the winter season,” Ms. Jensen said. “Why don’t we reach out and literally try to rescue them?”
Ms. Jensen said the idea of using bloggers as representatives fits in perfectly with the Vaseline brand image. “It’s a brand that’s very relatable,” she said. “You don’t have to be a film star to be featured in a Vaseline commercial.”
The campaign strategy broke into three main components, said Ms. Jensen: searching and finding the right spokeswomen, kick-starting the mission to rescue women from dry skin and enrolling other women in that mission.
The tour will consist of four stops around the country. They are the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov. 21; the Aspen, Colo., Winternational women’s ski competition on Nov. 28; the Polar Bear Club swim in Coney Island on Jan. 1; and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth, Minn., on Jan. 29.
At each stop, Vaseline will have tents where consumers can get samples of the product and learn about skin care. At some stops, the bloggers will be joined by Wendie Malick, an actress on “Hot in Cleveland” on TV Land, and Dr. Jessica Wu, a dermatologist who appears on a microsite, DrySkinRescue.com, that Vaseline created with EverydayHealth.com to feature videos of each blogger’s dry skin story, skin care tips, free samples and product information.
Ms. Malick will also host a Web video series that chronicles the stops on the Mission Tour as an honorary member of the Dry Skin Patrol.
On Wednesday, Vaseline will unveil a Facebook page that will showcase videos of the women while on the tour. Visitors will be able to submit questions to the women, request samples, rescue a friend from dry skin by sending a virtual gift and enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to any of the destinations on the tour.
According to Kantar Media, Vaseline spent $51.7 million on advertising in 2009 and $22 million in the first six months of this year. The new campaign is estimated in the double-digit millions.
Other elements of the campaign include media banner ads featuring stories from the Dry Skin Patrol on Web sites like aol.com, weather.com and EverydayHealth.com.
Additional sample giveaways and product demonstrations will be held at more than 10,000 retail locations throughout the winter. Some of the samples will include $1 coupons.
A series of advertorials will begin in the November issues of magazines including People, Health and Real Simple, and will run through the spring. A partnership with the radio host Delilah to help promote the Mission Tour begins in December.


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- Lawsuit claims Purina sickens, kills dogs
- For show dogs, complex monikers are the name of the game
- Expect tiny tuxes but no real puppy love at doggy weddings
- Ten lives? A cat in Florida comes back from the dead (w/video)
- Dog uncovers bag of puppies in Bay Area park (w/video)
- Seattle dog takes solo bus ride to dog park (w/video)
- World Dog Awards honor star pets (w/video)
- Petco pulls all Chinese-made treat after pets get sick
- New York bans pet tattoos, piercings (w/video)
- Cat books: Purrfect holiday gifts for feline fans
The American Pet Products Association's annual report on pet industry spending says Americans spent $58 billion in 2014 on their fuzzy friends.
Random House Children's Books said Wednesday it will publish a recently discovered manuscript with illustrations called 'What Pet Should I Get' on July 28.


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SLDF’s 2012 will be held from 15th November to 18th November.
Big brands and bigger names; apparel celebrities at SLDF
A personality to look out for at SLDF 2012 is Britain’s lingerie queen; Michelle Mone (OBE), whose multi-billion pound lingerie brand MJM International, has won her the status of a fashion icon.
The dynamic duo Martin Raymond and Chris Sanderson from The Future Laboratory revolutionary trend forecasting, research and brand innovation consultancy who have presented thought-provoking ideas in UK, US, Germany, Australia, Denmark and several more countries across the globe will be speaking at SLDF.
Other influential personalities visiting Sri Lanka for the festival include Kurt Cavano – the CEO of TradeCard – listed among World Trade Magazines world’s 50 most influential people, Stephen Forte – Coats Thread Global Sales Chief, and Mike Todaro, AAPN’s Managing Director, along with David Burnbaum – renowned apparel strategist and author of books like ‘Importing Garments Through Hong Kong¾ – a Guide for the Perplexed’ and the monthly global newsletter ‘The Birnbaum Report’.
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) will also be part of SLDF sharing their progress in the ethical fashion sphere. SAC is an industry-wide group of over 60 leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, suppliers, non-profits, and NGOs working to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products around the world.
SLDF has had some big names taking part in it annually; M&S, Topshop, NEXT, H&M, Warehouse, Ted Baker, Asos and Whistles are just a few. Global supply chain giants taking part in SLDF 2012 include Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Coats Thread and TradeCard, while the top South Asian and local participants pioneering in technology and ethical initiatives while securing some big client names like Victoria’s Secret and Tommy Hilfiger; these include MAS Holdings, Hirdaramani, Brandix, Maliban, Star Garments and Penguin. 2012 has new additions to SLDF with retailers and international apparel makers including PVH, VF Corporation and Monsoon.
Regional solutions by global decision makers; South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum
With over 100 professionals in apparel manufacturing, supply chain services, ethical fashion, retail brands, media and opinion leaders, the second annual South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum (SAALF) will be held this November in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
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While Palm is busy warning Wall Street about lower than expected earnings, Apple, per usual, seems to be firing on all cylinders.
Last week, analyst Toni Sacconaghi raised his FY 2010 and 2011 earnings estimates for Apple to $11.67 and $13.73 respectively. Sacconaghi wrote in a note to investors revenue from the iPhone will soon account for nearly 50% of all of Apple’s revenue on account of higher sales (duh) and the fact that Apple’s margin on the iPhone (~58%) is significantly higher that the margin generated by average aggregation of their entire product line (~40.9%).
Looking forward, Sacconaghi anticipates iPad sales of 2.2 million units in 2010 and 6.8 million in 2011. As for the iPhone, Sacconaghi anticipates 45-50 million units sold during the 2010 fiscal year, which would more than double the 20.7 million iPhones Apple sold during the 2009 fiscal year.


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Phoenix, Arizona – SinglePoint Inc. (OTC:SING) starts Q2 with strong numbers and the focus on continued growth. After evaluating reports for Q2, SinglePoint’s Hemp vertical is on track to double sales in its second quarter alongside the launch of 1606 Hemp six-pack counter top display. 1606 Hemp has seen a sales growth rate of 133% this quarter over the previous, a 233% growth in sales up to this point of the month compared from the previous month at the same point. The company has placed a focus on self-generated in store placement by hiring professional sales representatives to acquire new stores for the sales of our products over the next four weeks. 1606’s goal is to grow by more than 250 retail accounts throughout multiple states.
“No more Tobacco Cigarettes for me, what a great alternative” – Ian
1606 Hemp Customer
As the company continues to see success, management believes 1606 Hemp will be able to provide approximately $2,750,000 to $5,500,000 in revenue selling to just 1,000 stores. As the roll out is successful and we achieve 250 accounts in the next four weeks, 1606 Hemp will bring on additional individuals to scale up to as many as 2,500 stores as quickly as possible in order to achieve reorders from 1,000 stores. Management believes the current total addressable market is approximately 125,000 locations or more.
“I’ve been trying to get friends and family to make the switch to hemp for years, your product is changing a lot of hearts. Thank you” – Al
1606 Hemp Customer
As new accounts have been established, we have received a noticeable increase in reorders and sell-through rates at stores as customers are becoming more familiar with the brand. In the past month, we have been able to grow our social media presence to over 10,000 followers and millions of impressions. The 1606 Hemp website has also had a major lift this month seeing nearly a 40% increase in new users and 33% increase in page views across the site. Users are also spending more time on the site than in previous months, leading to more conversion and engagement for the brand.
1606 Hemp is working to become the leading recognized brand in the combustible hemp market which is the second fastest growing market in the hemp category. The big differentiator for 1606 Hemp is the ability to place a countertop display unit at retailers across the nation. While others are working to dominate the online market, we have a general belief this type of consumable product will continue to be bought in convenience stores, smoke shops and bodegas throughout the nation.
“These have really helped with my nightly routine of winding down and getting a full night’s rest. Thanks so much.” – Rebecca
1606 Hemp Customer
BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research projects that the collective market for CBD sales in the U.S. will surpass $20 billion by 2024 while New York-based investment bank Cowen & Co, estimates that the market could pull in $15 billion by 2025. The combustible hemp market currently represents approximately 2% of the overall CBD market, but with a 250% growth from 2017 to 2018, Brightfield Group, a Chicago-based cannabis market research firm, identifies dried and combustible hemp flowers as one of the fastest-growing segments of the CBD market. With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill and the mainstreaming of CBD hemp, the market is growing rapidly. There is a significant need for reliable suppliers with the capacity to move products.
About SinglePoint, Inc.
Founded in 2011 SinglePoint, Inc (SING) invests in and acquires brands and companies that will benefit from injection of growth capital and the sales and marketing expertise of SinglePoint. The company portfolio currently includes solar, hemp and technology applications. SinglePoint is working to grow the company to a multinational brand.
Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.
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SinglePoint to Present at the Virtual Investor ‘Ask the CEO’ Event
– Specialized event intended to provide retail investors direct access to ask their questions to Wil Ralston, President –– Questions can be typed in live during the event or pre-submitted through the event website at virtualinvestorco.com –– The event is taking place on Friday, April 23rd at 1:00 PM ET – PHOENIX, April 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — SinglePoint…
SinglePoint to Present at the Benzinga Cleantech Small Cap Conference
– Live video presentation followed by interactive Q&A with President of SinglePoint, Wil Ralston on Thursday, April 22nd PHOENIX, AZ – April 14, 2021 – SinglePoint Inc. (OTC: SING) (“SinglePoint” or the “Company”), a company focused on providing renewable energy solutions and energy-efficient applications to drive better health and living, today announced that Wil Ralston,…
SinglePoint to Present at the Emerging Growth Conference
– Live video presentation with President of SinglePoint, Wil Ralston, followed by an interactive Q&A session on Wednesday, March 31st PHOENIX, March 30, 2021 — SinglePoint Inc. (OTC: SINGD) (“SinglePoint” or the “Company”), a company focused on providing renewable energy solutions and energy-efficient applications to drive better health and living, today announced that Wil Ralston, President of SinglePoint will…


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U.S. Soybean Export Sales Miss Targets
Export sales of U.S. soybeans fell well below the forecasts of grain traders, with old-crop sales being reduced for the week amid cancellations of previously announced sales.
In its weekly report covering sales for the week ended June 23, the USDA said that old-crop sales of soybeans were reduced by 120,200 metric tons, driven largely by the cancellation of 288,400 tons of previously announced sales to unknown destinations. New crop sales for the week only slightly offset this reduction, leaving the net total at 7,400 tons.
Grain traders surveyed by The Wall Street Journal this week had forecast total sales of soybeans to land anywhere from 200,000 tons to 600,000 tons.
Corn sales also fell below the forecasts of traders, with sales across both marketing years totaling 208,100 tons, versus forecasts of 400,000 tons to 1 million tons. Meanwhile, wheat sales totaled 496,700 tons, which is on the high-end of trader expectations.
Grain futures on the CBOT are down in premarket trading Thursday, with corn futures down 1.3%, soybeans down 0.6% and wheat is down 0.5%.
Source: Dow Jones


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3 Sept 2014
China Tops Target List for Korean Franchise Operators
Catering Sector Represents 60% of All Korean Franchising as Country Prioritises Globalisation.
China is the country most targetted by the Korean franchise sector, according to figures just released by the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Some 60% of all overseas Korean franchises are based on the mainland, with the majority of them in the catering sector.
Overall, though, franchising is still relatively in its infancy in Korea. Only some 3-4% of the country's businesses – some 509 companies – have established franchise operations. Of these, only 96 operate franchises outside Korea. Despite these comparatively low figures, the Korean franchise industry has grown significantly over the past 15 years, albeit from a very low base. The sector's growth was initially pioneered by fast-food outlets, with family-friendly restaurants, clothing chains, cleaning services, educational institutions and discount stores then following suit.
Overall, some 60% of Korean franchise companies focus on the food sector. In addition, there is also a huge gulf between the few large franchise operations and the middle-ranking players. In terms of overseas franchises, after China the next most popular areas of operation are southeast Asia, the US and Japan. According to the KCCI report, Korean businesses are – understandably – prioritising establishing franchises in easily accessible markets that demonstrate a degree of cultural compatibility.
In 2009, the Korean government passed legislation aimed at boosting the globalisation of the Korean franchise sector. The country's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) have both subsequently launched a number of initiatives aimed at supporting the country's businesses in any bids to establish overseas franchises.
Estelle Choi, Seoul Consultant


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By Emily Laurence. Source: Well+Good.
Going to yoga at Athleta doesn’t seem all that strange, but unrolling a mat at Urban Outfitters or sweating through a boot-camp workout in the middle of Saks Fifth Avenue? It’s happening. From free classes to group meditations, stores are no longer just for shopping—and that trainer who you follow on Instagram could be teaching her next class at the mall.
Why? It’s no secret that in-store retail sales are down. When you think about the choice between waiting in line for a fitting room or shopping from your phone and trying things on in the comfort of your own bedroom, it’s not shocking that many prefer the latter.
Right now shoppers make 51 percent of their purchase online (up from 48 percent in 2015 and 47 percent in 2014)—but getting you in the door is still a top priority for retailers because the IRL experience is key for building brand loyalty, says trend forecaster Jane Buckingham. “Online, people are just looking for the product they want and the lowest price, no matter where they can find it.”
So where are people spending their time, if they’re not at the mall? You can bet your ClassPass subscription it’s at a workout studio. Retail sales may be down, but wellness is booming—big time. More than ever, people are spending their money on everything from healthy food to boutique fitness (which is a $24.2 billion industry).
Fashion brands large and small alike have turned to wellness to be their revenue savior in the past. (Remember a few years ago, when it seemed like every big-name designer got in on the activewear game?) Once again, they’re looking to the healthy world for a boost—this time by driving customers to stores not with leggings and sneakers, but studio-inspired workouts, yoga flows, and more.
The wellness revolution in shopping
How do you get people to put down their phones and go shopping the old-fashioned way? Offer them something else they’re into—preferably for free. “Wellness makes a lot of sense because it’s a huge trend right now, particularly among young women,” Buckingham says. “[Hosting a wellness event] tells them, ‘We don’t just want your money. We want to take care of you.’ And who doesn’t want to be taken care of?”
Recently, Lou & Grey started offering in-store meditations as a way to introduce more people to the brand, and also to get them to stick around the store for a while. “It seemed a natural extension to host events where [the shopper] can come in, relax, and take a breath—literally,” says Jenny Lilly, a spokesperson for the brand. And you can guess what happens the longer people stay in a store: Yep, more sales.
Urban Outfitters, meanwhile, is trading its rebellious-teenager reputation for something a bit healthier. You’re now just as likely to stumble upon a free reiki workshop or sound bath as you are a concert offering up buzz bands and beer. Take Space Ninety 8, one of the company’s concept stores: There’s a monthly yoga class, as well as DIY nail art, henna, and aromatherapy blending stations—all of which “builds a community connection,” says Cara Flaherty, the events and content manager.
She makes a good point: They’re the perfect thing to invite a friend to—and said friend might, after class, encourage you to buy those essential oils you were eying. And okay, that crop top, too.
Last month, Urban Outfitter’s sister company Free People started offering four weekly events at a new New York City pop-up store: Savasana Sundays (a free in-store yoga class), Movement Mondays (with every purchase customers are given a pass to a free fitness class), Wellness Wednesdays (typically panel discussions), and Self-Care Saturdays (free consultations).
So, has it driven sales? Absolutely, says Abby Morgan, Free People’s director of marketing—especially when it comes to beauty, since shoppers can try the products and learn what’s in them.
Big names are jumping on the trend, too
While department stores like Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom have gotten on board, hosting one-off fitness and meditation events, Saks Fifth Avenue is making a huge investment in the health-savvy crowd with its new Wellery Center, which opened this week at the retailer’s flagship New York City location. The 16,000 square-foot space takes up the bulk of the second floor, with 20 different concept spaces—all wellness-related in some way—filling out the prime real estate.
“We want our customers to use the Wellery as a wellness sanctuary—someplace to find peace and solace in the middle of our bustling city,” says Saks Fifth Avenue senior vice president and fashion director Roopal Patel.
Besides stocking up on Alo Yoga and Spiritual Gangster, you can get stretched out with Bendable Body, have your vitamin regimen customized by Care Of, squeeze in a quick detox session in a Breathe salt chamber, or get a vegan manicure while listening to a meditation—all in between visits to the fitting room.
And the high-end retailer doesn’t mind things getting sweaty; in addition to bringing in some of the biggest names in fitness and mindfulness to offer classes in a studio space (so far, Tracy Anderson, ModelFIT, Bari Studio, and MNDFL are all on the list), the Wellery is also home to ConBody‘s second bootcamp-centric location. (You will, however, need to pay for your mat spot.)
Next up: Wellness centers flip the script
Three years ago, makeup artist Juliet Silva-Yee had a vision during a massage (literally): She saw a place that truly was a shopping and wellness center, all in one. She had been hosting pop-up events to bring clean beauty brands, essential oils, and other wellness-related products to a bigger audience—but this idea was a full-on game-changer.
Now, it’s about to become a reality. Doing Living—a massive four-story complex near NYC’s Columbus Circle with fashion and beauty retailers, meditation, yoga, reiki healers, and even a resident shaman—who happens to be Well+Good’s resident energy expert, Alyson Charles—is slated to open in June. “It’s a new take on what a department store or mall can be,” she says.
But instead of using wellness as a way to get people through the door to shop, Silva-Yee is using retail as the catalyst, to expose them to all sorts of woo-woo goodness they might not know about yet. “It’s about mind, body, and soul,” she says. “Retail is just to get them through the door.”
So what does the future of retail looks like? If this is any indication, it’s about to get a lot easier to put together a pretty perfect Saturday—shopping, yoga, and an entire menu of self-care specials—all in one place.


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sap teched 2018
sap teched 2018 news search results
Developer news items we found relating to sap teched 2018
SAP Data Hub launched at SAP TechEd conference
Friday, October 5, 2018 by Christian Hargrave
SAP SE announced the latest release of SAP Data Hub, which helps build agile, data-driven pipeline applications that tap a single, logical data set representing an entire enterprise. The all-in-one data orchestration solution distills business value from all data for operational excellence and digital expansion. The announcement was made at the SAP TechEd conference, be...


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The year 2015 has seen significant changes or improvements when it comes to shipping emissions, pollution prevention and energy efficiency. More companies are opting for ECO-Vessels and different ways to cut down on emissions.
The French container giant – CMA CGM is one of the leading companies which occupies the headlines of any maritime news regularly.
Recently the company was announced to the first to carry cargo the “SMART” way with an automatic container tracking system and a mobile app to track the container shipments. You can read those news items and other details here:
- It Is Time For “Container Monitoring” – CMA CGM
- CMA CGM: A Mobile Application For Container Tracking..?
Now CMA CGM is once again on the news. The only French ballast water treatment supplier, BIO-SEA by BIO-UV, has signed a new contract to supply 3 systems for the 20600 TEUs CMA CGM biggest container vessels new building projects. The vessels will be equipped with BWTS BIO-SEA2100 (2100m³/h). The vessels will, therefore, be equipped with the latest environmental technologies and the BIO-SEA BWTS representing, therefore, one of the greenest goods transport means in the world.
Source: CMA CGM


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- Tipster Jon Prosser has revealed apparent Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S21 FE launch details.
- It’s believed the phones will be launched roughly a month apart.
We were initially expecting the Galaxy S22 series to launch in January, in line with the Galaxy S21 series. But we’ve also heard several rumors pointing to the Galaxy S21 FE coming in January instead.
Now, frequent leaker Jon Prosser has delivered apparent launch details for the Galaxy S21 FE and the Galaxy S22 family. These details include a launch date, pre-order information, and release dates.


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Shareholders in the UK have dealt a blow to Burberry over the retailer's "excessive" executive pay, with nearly a third voting against generous payouts that include a £5.4m (€6m) share award for former boss Christopher Bailey.
A tally of proxy votes showed that 31.48% of investors rejected the company's remuneration report at its annual general meeting.
It means the resolution provisionally passed with only 68.51% in favour of the pay packets.
One shareholder asked chairman Sir John Peace to explain the remuneration decisions for both chief financial officer Julie Brown and now-president and chief creative officer Chris Bailey, calling their pay "somewhat excessive".
"To be very clear, the board's intent, the remuneration committee's intent, is to do what's right for shareholders and what's right for the business. It's not just to do things to be being excessive, for excessive's sake," Sir John told investors at the annual general meeting in London on Thursday.
"What we try to do is make sure that we attract and retain some of the best people in the industry.
"Over the course of the past few years we've been going through quite a significant change ... moving from being a wholesale business into more of a retail and wholesale business and digital.
"So as we go through that transformation, bringing on board the right people for the future is very important as well as keeping the talent we have within the organisation."
Page 2: 13:48
In total, Mr Bailey received £3.53 million for the year to March 31, nearly double the £1.89 million he pocketed a year earlier.
Julie Brown, who joined the company at the start of 2017, was awarded £4.7 million, which saw her handed incentives for relinquishing her position as chief financial officer of Smith and Nephew.
Remuneration committee chair Fabiola Arredondo stressed that the company has to "compete on a global level for talent", and as a result has tracked pay benchmarks across the luxury retail sector and been "actively engaging with shareholders" over pay in recent months.
"We're also very socio-minded about public attitudes right now in the UK and we try to be good citizens in that context as well. We strike a balance," Sir John said.
"But if we don't have the best people, the team capable of driving this business forward in the future, I don't think shareholders would want that either."


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Activision and Bungie has finally revealed the first gameplay details for Destiny 2. The game is now coming to PC for the first time since it launched on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One back in 2014.
The reveal gameplay trailer showcased a all-out war as the players make their way through a chaotic battlefield while defending their friends from the onslaught of enemies. You can check it out below.
From the makers of the acclaimed hit game Destiny, comes the much-anticipated action shooter sequel, Destiny 2. Experience an all new cinematic story campaign, innovative cooperative gameplay, and intense competitive multiplayer as you journey across unexplored worlds to discover an arsenal of weapons and devastating new combat abilities.
Destiny 2 is currently set to launch on September 8th for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It will also feature a closed beta for those who will pre-order the game on either platform before its launch.
Destiny 2 is developed by Bungie who are known for their work on the Halo franchise. Destiny was their first major new IP that was a multiplatform project and it has proven to be a huge hit for Activision. The original game was played by more than 20 million users making it a smash hit for Activision and Bungie.
Let us know what you think about this gameplay reveal for Destiny 2 in the comments below.


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Giddy up Pflugerville, Amazon is coming to town with 1,000 new jobs. Amazon's new 820,000 square-foot fulfillment center is forecasting to have 1,000 new full-time roles. On Wednesday, July 15, Amazon announced the expected 2021 opening of their new facility.
Employees will work with robotics to ship, pack, and pick items. Along with the industry-leading benefits Amazon has to offer, minimum wage will begin at $15 per hour. There are currently over 20,000 "Amazonians" in the state of Texas.
“Pflugerville is a bustling area, and the addition of this fulfillment center with over 1,000 jobs shows that Pflugerville is the new frontier in Central Texas." said Mayor Victor Gonzales
Amazon will also invest more than $700 million in 100,000 employees for training in high demand positions for Amazon's tech hubs, corporate offices, retail stores, transportation, as well as opportunities to pursue careers other than of Amazon.
Check out KVUE's Boomtown 2040 feature for more information as well.
Related Categories: Economic Development Announcements


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It’s the second time in two days that someone has cracked the popular cough cough virus.
On Thursday, an individual from the US hacked into a virus security company called Quizlet Live, according to a security firm.
On Friday, a user from Germany broke into a site called Geek Quiz, which was selling fake antivirus certificates.
The hackers also breached the servers of three popular software providers, according a security company.
All of these attacks were apparently successful.
QuizletsLive, Quiz.com, and Geek Quit were not immediately available for comment.
On the Quiz Lets Live site, the hacker asked, “Can someone tell me where I can get the best cough cough viruses on Quiz?
It’s not on the internet.”
The hacker also wrote that he has a “high probability” of getting into QuizLet Live’s servers, and that he was able to “find out a lot of the secrets.”
On GeekQuiz, the user wrote that his computer was “not infected” with the virus.
A Quiz lets Live spokeswoman said the site was not impacted by the hacking attack, but said the company has been in contact with the hacker.
“We have reached out to him and are monitoring the situation and will make sure everything is ok,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.
On Geek Quotel Live, the spokeswoman wrote that the hacker’s “computer was not infected” and that the company was monitoring the issue.
On QuizLetsLive, the hackers posted, “We are still working on the situation.
We will post an update as soon as we can.”
The hackers posted photos of their hacks on GeekQuit.com.
The hacker wrote on QuizzletsLive that his username is “fuzzypaw.”
In a blog post published on Geek Quits Facebook page, he wrote that “fucking fukking stupid,” in reference to the name of the company Quiz Let’s Live.
Quid Pro Quiz’s website is down, but the hacker told Ars Technica that his site is still up.
“It’s just a big headache,” he said.
The hacking group Quizlett Live said in an official statement that the group has been hacked.
“Quizlet has been breached.
The hack is not real,” it said.
“However, we are investigating the situation.”
The group said it will provide “free antivirus protection to all our users” and said it has made several changes to its site.
“For now, we’re still working through this problem,” it added.
Quizzlet Live was not immediately responsive to a request for comment from Ars.
The Quiz Quiz website was down for about 10 minutes, then returned to normal.
In a post on QuikletLive, an official Quiz site, Quizzlett Live confirmed the hack.
“In an unfortunate incident, the Quik-Let Live.com site was hacked by an unknown individual on Friday, July 29.
As a result, Quiklets Live was offline,” the post read.
Quik let Live said it had notified QuizQuiz.
“This is a bug in the software we use to distribute Quiz-Quiz,” it wrote.
“Our staff is working around the clock to fix the problem and to restore the site to its previous state.”
Quiz let Live also told Ars that it had taken down its Quiz Site and QuizTalk forums, and said that it would refund all affected users’ funds.
The quizlet.com domain was registered by a group called the Quikset Group, which is a group that has previously used fake names to attack antivirus software.
QuiKets are also behind other attacks on antivirus vendors, such as one in July that targeted antivirus company Symantec.
Quibz, which has more than 6,000 users, is a popular cough and flu vaccine.
“There is a lot more to do to make sure that Quik lets Live does not happen again, and we would appreciate it if you could report any problems that you find,” QuikLet Live wrote on its blog.
“Also, if you want to help us in any way, please share any information you can on Quicksites, as we would love to hear from you.”


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A series of fires involving one of its European models has led Ford to delay production of two plug-in hybrid models that were originally supposed to go on sale this year until sometime in 2021.
The decision to postpone the launch of the Ford Escape PHEV will be accompanied by a similar pushback for the Lincoln Corsair Touring model, TheDetroitBureau.com learned. Both plug-ins share the same basic drivetrain, including the batteries, used by the Ford Kuga PHEV. That European crossover has been recalled because of a problem that could cause its batteries to catch fire.
“We are moving full scale production of Escape PHEV to the 2021 model year,” a Ford spokesman said, adding the company is working with its suppliers to address the issue.
This marks the second setback in the planned rollout for the Escape PHEV, which originally was expected to be on sale by now. The earlier delay was the result of the COVID-19 pandemic which forced Ford – like the rest of the U.S. auto industry – to shut down production for two months. The Corsair, however, was always scheduled for a later launch, with sales set to begin late this year.
Now, said a spokesperson for the Lincoln brand, “We, too, are moving our production to next year.”
Ford and Lincoln officials declined to provide specific details as to when the two U.S. plug-in hybrids will now begin production. The dates could be fluid, one company official said on background, depending upon the need to develop a fix for the problem.
Both the Escape and Corsair plug-ins will be assembled on the same assembly line at a Ford plant in Kentucky. They share the same basic drivetrain package with the Kuga that is assembled and sold in Europe. It pairs a 2.5-liter Atkinson Cycle inline-4 gas engine with a permanent-magnet-synchronous motor drawing power from a 14.4 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.
The problem with the Kuga appears to have been caused by a fault permitting its battery packs to vent gas which, in turn, could overheat and catch fire.
Such a problem is not unique to Ford. A number of other automakers have, during the past decade, experienced fires involving lithium-ion battery packs. That includes Tesla which was forced to harden the casing around its batteries to reduce the risk of damage during a crash that could cause its batteries to catch fire.
Just last week, Hyundai expanded a recall of its own to address a potential defect involving its Kona EV models — a problem that could cause battery fires. And U.S. regulators have launched a probe into reports of fires involving the Chevrolet Bolt EV.
According to Ford, seven fires have been linked to the problem with the Kuga PHEV, though there have been no injuries or deaths. About 20,500 of the plug-in versions have been recalled in Europe. The Kuga, in its various forms, is Ford’s most popular vehicle in Europe.
European motorists have begun embracing electrified vehicles in a big way, sales of plug-based models increasing to about 8% of the market this year, roughly triple last year’s share.
Demand for battery-based products in the U.S. is lower, but has been growing as more models come to market. Ford has been especially bullish about its electrified models, planning to invest $11.5 billion to develop hybrids, PHEVs and pure battery-electric vehicles through 2022. It was planning to launch an assortment of offerings this year, including the Escape and Corsair plug-ins, the bigger Lincoln Aviator Touring PHEV, and the all-electric Mustang Mach-E.
Neither the Aviator nor the Mach-E are affected by the issues involving the Escape, Corsair and Kuga, according to Ford.


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CONESVILLE, N.Y.—Sugarmakers are giving their reds more respect. A red maple revolution.
Following some breakthrough research from Dr. Abby van den Berg of the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center this winter, showing that red maples produce as much sap as sugar maples with nearly the same sugar content, sugarmakers are testing for themselves.
“I decided to do my own little experiment here,” said John Riedl, a sugarmaker in Conesville, N.Y. in the Catskills region.
Riedl, with wife Cathy, said he did an experiment on a small number of red maple trees located in an open area, and compared them to some sugar maples nearby.
“We have four large hard maples in our front yard and four large soft maples behind our house,” Riedl told The Maple News.
“I put seven buckets on the hard maples, which were facing south and east, and an equal number on the soft maples, which were also facing south and east.”
Riedl tapped the trees on Feb.16 and collected sap on them for the first time on Feb.18.
Here are the results:
(Gallons collected/Sugar Content)
2/18 8gal/1.9 7 gal/1.9
2/22 4gal/1.7 5 gal/2.0
3/6 2gal/2.9 2 gal/2.5
3/7 2gal/1.9 1.5gal/2.2
3/11 4gal/2.0 6gal/2.8
3/12 5gal/2.0 8gal/2.2
3/15 7gal/1.9 12gal/2.4
3/16 4.5 gal/1.6 4.5gal/2.5
3/17 4 gal/2.2 6gal/2.5
The Proctor Center is expected to release more findings on red maple research later this year.


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More than halfway through 2018, Tucows Inc. (TSX:TC)(NASDAQ:TCX) — the company best known for registering domain names on the interest but which also provides mobile phone services and fiber internet service in the U.S. — is having a bad year on the TSX. It’s down almost 11% — and 5% of that drop happened in the past month.
It’s been awhile since I’ve covered Tucows stock, so I thought I’d revisit the $800 million market cap to see if now is a good time to buy on the dip.
The latest earnings
Tucows reported its first-quarter earnings in early May, which were solid with revenues and adjusted EBITDA up 38% and 64% year over year, respectively, to US$95.8 million and US$10.4 million.
Here’s how its major services did in the quarter by revenue:
Wholesale domain services were up 46% to US$62.9 million, or 66% of its total revenue. This business does the actual registering of your domain names. Ting Mobile services saw revenues increase 22% in the quarter to US$21.9 million. Ting Mobile saw the number of subscribers grow by 2.1% year over year to 286,000 with decent margin growth.
Retail domain services, which include Hover and eNom, generated US$8.4 million in revenue in the first quarter, or 32% higher than a year earlier.
Ting internet revenues rose by 35% in the quarter to US$1.7 million. At the end of April, Tucows announced that Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, would be the next town to get high-speed fiber internet service. Currently, Ting is in four U.S. towns with Centennial, Colorado, and Fuquay-Varina next on the list.
The year ahead
Echelon Wealth Partners analyst Ralph Garcia was recently quoted in The Globe and Mail as suggesting that the company will spend $30 million in 2018 expanding its Ting internet services in the U.S. Garcia believes that profits should begin to accelerate in 2019 as all six cities go online.
In the year ahead, the company’s domain services should remain a very stable revenue and profit generator, with Ting Mobile experiencing some margin contraction offset by the gains in fiber internet.
I see the Tucows business model as very sensible. It’s not trying to be the biggest internet company out there; it’s merely trying to fit into a few niches it can exploit, which in my opinion makes it an attractive small-cap stock.
The bottom line on Tucows
Fool contributor Ambrose O’Callaghan recommended Tucows stock in mid-April, suggesting that the continued online penetration happening around the world — the number of global internet users between 2015 and 2020 is expected to grow by 37% to 4.1 billion— means plenty of opportunity ahead for companies like Ting Mobile.
I first recommended Tucows stock in August 2017. It had a good track record of outperforming the TSX and felt it would continue to do so.
The company has had its fair share of ups and downs since then, but investors can use the volatility to their advantage by buying on the dips. It’s why I again recommended that investors should buy in February, when its stock was down almost 30% in six weeks.
Buying this stock in the $60s is a recipe for long-term success. That said, if you’re willing to hold for the next 3-5 years, buying in the mid-to-high $70s won’t kill you financially.
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 Will Ashworth has no position in any stocks mentioned. Tom Gardner owns shares of Tucows. The Motley Fool owns shares of Tucows. Tucows is a recommendation of Stock Advisor Canada.


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Hemos from the good-riddance-to-bad-rubish dept.
KjetilK writes "Ananova reports in an article that two spammers have been jailed for two years after sending 50 million e-mails. According to the story, 12,000 people bought their scam. May they be served SPAM every day in jail."
I'm always looking for a new idea that will be more productive than its cost.
-- David Rockefeller


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The two largest mobile players in South Korea recorded strong 5G subscriber gains in Q2, with revenue growth driven by their mobile and enterprise units.
KT’s 5G subscribers grew 49.2 per cent year-on-year to 7.5 million, accounting for 53.6 per cent of its total user base which declined 2.9 per cent to just under 14 million, excluding MVNO
Mobile revenue increased 2 per cent to KRW1.6 trillion ($1.3 billion), aided by a 3.2 per cent rise in ARPU to KRW32,308. Handset sales were down 7.1 per cent to KRW641.7 billion.
Net income fell 2 per cent to KRW363.4 billion, with operating revenue up 4.7 per cent to KRW6.3 trillion. Revenue from its MNO business was rising 1.6 per cent to KRW2.4 trillion.
Its media and mobile platform units posted a 2 per cent increase in sales to KRW554.4 billion, while its B2B division grew 6.8 per cent to KRW529.9 billion.
SKT’s 5G subcriber base increased 51.8 per cent to 11.7 million, accounting for 38.6 per cent of its 30.3 million customers.
Mobile revenue rose 2.1 per cent to KRW2.6 trillion, with ARPU flat at KRW30,656.
Metaverse platform Ifland registered 8.7 million total downloads with monthly active users at 1.6 million.
Net profit dropped 67.7 per cent to KRW258.1 billion due to the spin off of its chip business SK Hynix in 2021, with revenue up 4 per cent to KRW2.3 trillion.
The enterprise business, covering data centres and cloud, grew 13.8 per cent to KRW374.3 billion.


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Calm waters appear to have been restored with JLR’s latest resolution to wipe the slate clean and rebuild Jaguar from its most fundamental foundations all the way to its unmistakable feline trademark with a huge investment of £15 billion over the next five years.
This departure from the past and drive towards an uncharted and radically different future will be ushered by a four-door, all-electric £100,000 GT that will be the progenitor of Jaguar’s refreshed line-up, which will also contain two crossovers. Shockingly, it seems that Jaguar have no intention of revitalising any of their existing models to complement their novel image, with the Jaguar phoenix rising from the ashes of the brand they have become.
This all-electric GT will be based on the bespoke JEA (Jaguar Electrified Architecture) platform that has been designed to accommodate vehicles with a longer wheelbase and allegedly enable this new GT to be Jaguar’s most powerful production vehicle ever made, far outstripping anything that has come before. Additionally, range is expected to stand at 435 miles (nearly 150 miles in excess of the current I-Pace), with 200 miles able to be replenished in 15 minutes with rapid charging.
Both Jaguar and JLR’s most senior officials are not shy in voicing their conviction that the JEA platform will be game-changing for the firm. Nick Collins, who is the Executive Director of Vehicle Programmes at JLR has stated that “JEA is being developed specifically for the exuberant Jaguar brand. There’s not a single vehicle architecture anywhere in the world that could create something as exuberant as what Gerry and the team have created”.
Exuberance, alongside fearlessness, progressiveness, and uniqueness (Jaguar have not been sparing with grandiose and extravagant vocabulary) will form the vertebrae of Jaguar’s new design language. JLR’s Chief Creative Officer, Gerry McGovern, has pledged that all upcoming Jaguar models to see production, in words echoing Jaguar’s founder Sir William Lyons, will be a “ copy of nothing”, with the revolutionary yet gorgeous designs of the E-type and XJS being particularly inspiring for the creative team.
The design scheme that saturates Jaguar’s new range was selected through an internal competition that saw the entirety of JLR’s creative force divided into three teams, who were each instructed to devise three vehicles that were idiosyncratic yet sharing in a common genotype. Christened as Project Renaissance, the combined effort of the three teams produced a staggering 18 full-size clay models in only three months, with the judging panel of stakeholders unanimously deciding upon the victors.
Adrian Mardell, who is the new CEO of JLR, has lauded the designs concocted by the triumphant team as “jaw-dropping”, with McGovern affirming that the new Jaguars, as per their heritage, will arouse both shock and awe. Jaguar’s pivot towards more emotive and spectacular design motifs reflects the brand’s shift upmarket and away from their unfruitful attempts to open themselves to mainstream currents and acquiesce to safer, more mass appeal designs that have characterised the past few years.
In returning to its luxury, avant-garde roots, Jaguar will be targeting lower sales volumes in favour of greater cost per unit, with a predicted entry-level of £100,000. As such JLR expects the new Jaguar range (with all models being constructed at the firm’s Solihull production plant) to sell approximately 50,000 vehicles a year. Jaguar’s homecoming to the premium sector will also be partnered with a completely revised business and retail model. New vehicles will exclusively be sold alongside Range Rovers, Defenders, and Discoveries at a reduced number of dedicated retailers, with the potential of standalone sale points.
The new Jaguar electric GT will be officially revealed in either the April or May of 2024, meaning actual specifications cannot be attached to the vehicle as of yet. If Jaguar’s timescales are met, the new vehicle will go on sale in 2025, with successive models arriving at the rate of one per year.
From AutoExpress’ exclusive image, the GT will be distinguished by a mix of straight lines and dynamic angles, with a noticeably broad posture, large diffuser, and attenuated rear lights. Aside from these features, nothing more has been broadcast concerning the design of the new vehicle, although, when prototypes begin to prowl the roads at the end of this year, the veil of mystery may be lifted somewhat.
Jaguar’s restructuring and abrupt reversals of policy in their migration to the upper tiers of the luxury segment is happening against the backdrop of a complete JLR makeover that hopes to set apart its constituent brands and season them with their own defining flavour. Jaguar have openly confessed that their return to unconventional and eccentric designs and sharp deviation away from their previous strategies, especially as the brand turns electric, may prove to be controversial at first. However, Jaguar ultimately believes that their decisions will secure their longevity in the EV market and reinstate their reputation as a byword for luxury, culture, and “exuberance”.


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MSUFCU reworked its online membership application to reduce abandonment rates and improve the member experience.
Positive results from the new application have prompted the credit union to plan enhancements to home banking options.
CU QUICK FACTS
Data as of 03.31.19
HQ: East Lansing, MI
12-MO SHARE GROWTH: 9.2%
12-MO LOAN GROWTH: 11.6%
The member experience is a powerful motivator. According to recent statistics, nearly 75% of respondents identify experience as an important factor in purchasing decisions and 65% say a positive experience is more influential than great advertising. Research from Walker says experience is on track to overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator by next year.
Michigan State University Federal Credit Union ($4.2B, East Lansing, MI) aims to build a positive member experience by meeting, and exceeding, its members expectations. To do that might require introducing new products or services to meet new needs, but in the case of its online new membership application, MSUFCU knew an update was necessary.
We last touched it in 2010, says Sam Amburgey, MSUFCU’s chief information officer. We needed to revise it.
So, in 2017, the country’s largest university-based credit union dug in to overhaul the process and introduce the ability to apply for loans. MSUFCU formed a focus group composed of stakeholders from across the organization. The credit union knew how applicants used the existing application and what pieces of information that process wasn’t capturing like the ability to originate loans but including different stakeholders from payments, branches, compliance, lending, e-services, and more helped Amburgey and her team tap into a different kind of insight.
What were these individuals hearing from members? Amburgey asks. What did each department need to include in a new application?
MSUFCU created personas to better understand how different members might experience the new application differently. Just thinking about the member journey helped the credit union better grasp the various steps in the process and identify the functionalities it most needed to include and improve.
Sam Amburgey, Chief Information Officer, MSUFCU
By February 2018, the credit union was ready to design and code a new application.
Once They Shop, They Don’t Stop
In building the new application, now referred to as the Online Member Loan Application (OMLA), Amburgey had two clear objectives. The first was to reduce the abandonment rate. The second was to create a better user experience. But for the credit union to really address the former, it had to tackle the latter.
MSUFCU was working with a new member application process that was too long and missed several key components. For example, members couldn’t apply for loans, sign electronically, or electronically transfer money to fund a new account. Instead, members had to write a physical check or transfer money over the phone. Additionally, members had to navigate some 20 screens when inputting personal information.
To improve the experience, the credit union shortened the application, modernized the feel, and added functionality such as the ability to apply for loans and, for new MSUFCU members, the ability to immediately create online banking credentials. Once someone starts the application, the credit union doesn’t want them to stop until they’re set up and fully able to use their accounts.
We want them to get in and engage, Amburgey says.
As important as functionality is, so, too, are the look and feel of the application. To make sure this was on-point as possible, MSUFCU leaned on the research and understanding of the user experience designers on its IT staff.
We tried to model UX best practices in our design, Amburgey says.
One best practice is to follow set standards in website accessibility. For that, the credit union carefully considered color, text, and screen action, among other things.
Another best practice is to test, test, test.
We tested internally with our e-services employees, Amburgey says. Were they looking at what we wanted them to? Did they get our calls to action? Did they see where to click? What were they paying attention to?
Ultimately, MSUFCU’s goal was to create a retail-like shopping experience with clear messaging that led new members through the application process. Today, members can shop the credit union’s website and add products like a checking account, a VISA card, or an auto loan to their wallet, and check out all through the OMLA experience.
To start the new membership application, members are prompted with a well-known retail-like functionality: Add to Wallet.
Many of our members are familiar with the online retail experience and adding that was something we thought could help them finish our application process, Amburgey says. Members select what they want, fill in their information, and check out.
Launch, Reception, And Feedback
For maximum impact, the credit union needed to launch its OMLA by June 2018, before the start of the new university year. MSUFCU opens accounts for nearly half of the freshman class, and June, July, and August are the busiest months.
MSUFCU uses the Agile Method to manage IT projects. The technology team works in sprints, pushing for a quick release of a minimum viable product and making improvements in subsequent iterations.
In this case, though, the minimum viable product was still a pretty big lift.
There was a lot we needed to include initially, Amburgey says. And there were features we wanted to add after that first release.
Included within the first iteration of OMLA, MSUFCU rolled out the ability to apply for a specific bundle of products that made sense for students. Students could open accounts for the credit union’s core deposit products including certificate, checking, and savings accounts as well as apply for a credit card, signature loan, or auto loan. To complete the process, they also could sign and fund their accounts through the new online process, move through onboarding, and set their preferences for automated email communications.
For three months, the credit union tested the effectiveness of its revamped online application. It tweaked the design and caught bugs. However, it didn’t want to make a slew of changes just as students were getting used to the process.
In September, the credit union added GAP coverage and other insurance products that were initially nestled under a learn more option. In March 2019, MUSFCU added youth accounts as well as products and services tailored to the credit union’s affinity groups.
After we launched, we focused on member feedback, Amburgey says. We wanted to find the pain points for people going through the process.
Perhaps counterintuitively, MSUFCU was able to gauge the effectiveness of the improved OMLA digital experience by monitoring in-branch transactions.
Students tend to open new accounts online in June or July before moving to campus in August. Previously, students had to visit a branch to complete the account application they started online. That’s not the case anymore.
Students were able to finish the application digitally instead of coming in to a branch, Amburgey says. We knew we’d improved the process when students opened accounts and showed up to school.
Feedback from stakeholders and members also has helped MSUFCU refine and improve the process. For example, the credit union has increased the visibility of the online application icon and has added language to reduce the number of members who mistakenly use OMLA to create additional accounts.
A number of existing members were using this application instead of signing into their account, Amburgey says. We interpreted this as the application being much easier and more streamlined than the process we have available elsewhere. We adjusted OMLA and have planned enhancements to our home banking options.
In its first 10 months, OMLA has proven even more successful than the credit union had anticipated. According to Amburgey, the abandonment rate for online membership applications has decreased 31%, and new online account openings have increased 74%. Amburgey attributes much of this to OMLA and the credit union’s willingness to rethink processes and modernize experiences.
There was almost a surprise in the increase in volume, Amburgey says. But I think these two numbers are reflective of the changes we made to the process.


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INDONESIA: Nationwide strike pushes for higher wages
Workers across Indonesia took part in a two-day national strike at the end of last week, demanding higher salaries, health insurance and an end to what they describe as outsourcing violations.
The strike on Thursday and Friday (31 October and 1 November) was expected to attract more than 3m workers from 20 provinces, although local news reports claim fewer than 50,000 people took part.
The action covers a range of industries and occupations, including teaching, factory, airport, port and transport workers.
Indonesian trade unions are calling for a 50% rise in the minimum salary, and the introduction of laws to protect domestic workers.
"Employers are exploiting the millions of vulnerable workers with low wages, insecure employment contracts and lack of adequate health insurance," said Said Iqbal, president of the IndustriAll global union affiliate FSPMI and the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI).
He added: "We have been compelled to take to the streets since the government and employers have been unwilling to seek solutions to these issues with us in good faith."
Strikes organised last year by Indonesian unions led to a to 44% hike in the minimum monthly wage in the capital Jakarta and its surrounding region from January of this year.
The increase to IDR2.2m (US$229) from IDR1.5m (US$156) was described as "illogical" by the Indonesian Textile Association (API), which argued the country's garment and textile industry would be hit hard by the hike.
However, unions say the wage increases fell well short of a decent wage and that new regulations on labour outsourcing have not yet been implemented.
Indonesia has 2,869 textile and garment factories which employ 1.4m people, according to the API.
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Walmart is a go-to place for people to shop for anything and everything at a single store. With customers flocking to the store during discounts, instances of people taking undue advantage of their services often come to the fore. Recently, a couple in Georgia confused a Walmart cashier to walk away with goods worth $6000 without paying. The incident occurred in Grovetown on November 30.
According to the NY Post, two people loaded the Walmart cart with expensive items and tricked the cashier after going to the billing counter. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office reported that they made several transactions using their cards before confusing the cashier when asked to hit the “cash" button for their credit card to function. The tactic led to the merchandise getting rung up as if they paid the cash so that the credit card won’t be charged. They walked out easily with merchandise worth $3,400 and gift cards $3,000.
Calling it a “theft by deception", the Sheriff’s Office identified one suspect in the crime. A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that the investigators identified a 19-year-old, Jaylan Griggs, a native of Flint, Michigan, as the male suspect. However, the female suspect was yet to be recognised.
However, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon claimed that increasing retail theft could lead to store closures or a raise in prices. “Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been,” he said during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box". He further added, “If that’s not corrected over time, prices will be higher, and/or stores will close."
Recently, two thieves entered an Apple store in Palo Alto, California when they began stealing phones and iPads on Black Friday. The incident occurred in front of the large crowd as they watched them stealing and making their way to an alleyway next to the parking garage.
Read all the Latest Buzz News here


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LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (TAMO.NS) said it will cut 1,000 jobs and reduce production at two of its English factories as demand for diesel cars slumps in the face of higher taxes and a regulatory crackdown.
The company, which builds nearly one in three of Britain’s 1.7 million cars, will lay off some of its agency workers at its central English Solihull site and move just over 360 people to the location from its nearby Castle Bromwich plant.
“We are not renewing the contracts of 1,000 agency workers at Solihull,” a spokesman told Reuters.
Jaguar sales are down 26 percent so far this year whilst Land Rover demand dropped 20 percent in its home market as buyers shun diesel.
About 90 percent of Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) sales in Britain are diesel models, which compares with around 45 percent globally.
Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Michael Holden


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The anticipation and hype for Cyberpunk 2077 is going through some people's heads. Polish studio CD Projekt Red has tweeted recent findings about malicious emails that are spreading, intended to mislead and deceive gamers by offering to sign up for a non-existent beta. The studio calls for vigilance by recalling that no beta is on the agenda, and that if this was the case, we should only trust official channels and not third parties.
To find out if it's a malicious email that has managed to pass through your spams, check the sender: if it does not end with @cdprojektred.com, it's a fake one.
As a reminder, Cyberpunk 2077 is planned for release November 19 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.
Original content by Benjamin Cahot.
Five months out from the release of Cyperpunk 2077, we were able to try a prologue from Projekt RED's long-awaited RPG. Here's our main takeaways.
An English retailer accidentally revealed that the multiplayer of the franchise's newest installment might be free-to-play and run at 120fps on Xbox Series X.


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Considering a move? Take a look at this list of the top 12 fastest growing cities in America, according to Bloomberg Rankings.
Find out which cities made the list here.
Jean-Paul Pelissier / Reuters
Vincenzo Nibali became only the sixth man in history to win all three of cycling's major tours as he sealed victory in this year's Tour de France on the Champs Elysees Sunday.
A federal judge ruled that Washington, D.C.'s ban on the carrying of handguns in public is unconstitutional.
The food processing company accused of mishandling meat at its Shanghai, China plant says it will suspend sales and recall all food processed there.


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Latest News - December 2012
- AppleUnlocker Offers New Jailbreak for iOS 6 and iPhone 5
- 2012 Marks The Death of the Netbook, Asus and Acer Burn Off Remaining Inventory
- Microsoft Giving One Free Month of Xbox LIVE Gold to Members Affected by Cloud Outage
- Despite Record Sales, Tablets and Smartphones Won’t Replace PCs Any Time Soon
- Cisco and Aerohive Execs Offer 802.11ac Projections, 1.3Gbps – 6.9Gbps WiFi, Glorious Bandwidth
- Facebook Data Center Storage Cabinet Design Offers Unique Solution For Supporting Massive Amounts of Data
- Yahoo! Pulls Out of South Korean Market
- The Top Most Viewed Wikipedia Articles of 2012
- Malware Posing as Temple Run and Other Popular Apps Surface on Google Play
- Harsh Reality: Investors Overpaid for Apple Stock
- Samsung Shouldn't Fret Losing Apple Chip Orders
- FreeBSD 9.1 Delayed No More, Now Available
- China Cracks Down Again On Internet Regulations, Forces Users To Register Full Names
- Microsoft Research Guru Craig Mundie Plots Course For Retirement
All News for December 2012
Apple hates it when users jailbreak their iOS devices (you know, the ones that people paid good money for and own), but that’s never stopped anyone from doing it. Whether it’s using Flash, enabling tethering, unlocking video chat over a 3G network, or downloading apps otherwise forbidden by Apple, lots of folks get in on the jailbreaking... Read more...
You could argue that the end of the netbook has already happened. Despite a flurry of small, cheap, and generally sluggish notebook computers shipping between 2008 and 2010, very few companies have kept the ball rolling in 2011 and 2012. In fact, these things used to be so popular that U.S. wireless carriers were... Read more...
The Cloud Saved Games feature of Xbox LIVE went down on December 29th, which infuriated users, particularly those who were counting on some day-long gaming to pass the time during holiday family visits. Microsoft engineers scrambled to fix the problem, although the outage lasted until early this morning. “It... Read more...
Although iOS and Android enjoyed record device activations on Christmas day, tablets and smartphones running on these mobile operating systems aren't likely to replace personal computers any time soon. That's not to say tablets and smartphones won't change the PC landscape, however. According to Forrester Research... Read more...
It seems that each year, one or two major companies pause to take a look at how we can do things better. How we can do things faster, and how we can be more nimble. As 2012 draws to a close, Cisco and Aerohive are offering forecasts on what to expect in terms of wireless technology. The 802.11 standard has been long... Read more...
Facebook Data Center Storage Cabinet Design Offers Unique Solution For Supporting Massive Amounts of Data
Facebook is a huge, now-public company. With around a billion users, it has become far more than a social network. It's a bona fide destination on the Internet, for a variety of people, brands, companies, and marketers. It has evolved into something deeper than a place to share your most prominent feelings. It has... Read more...
Yahoo! has officially withdrawn from South Korea, as of today. The move is not a surprise, as Yahoo! announced in October that it would pull all business operations from the country by the end of the year. Yahoo!’s withdrawal marks a milestone in the turnaround plan of CEO Marissa Mayer. Yahoo! Corporate Offices. Image credit:... Read more...
It appears Internet users living in the U.S. are most interested in social networking, steamy books, and popular movies. That's one of the many conclusions you can draw from a Top 10 list of the most viewed articles on Wikipedia in 2012. Johan Gunnarsson, a former student in Computer Science and Engineering at Lund Institute of Technology... Read more...
In case you need yet another reminder not to go downloading Android apps willy-nilly, a developer was recently caught trying to spread malware by masquerading infected programs as legitimate software. This latest outbreak was relatively easy to spot for tech savvy users, as the dirty dupes were identifiable with the... Read more...
We hate to break it to investors who dumped barrels of cash into Apple over the last several months, but the bitter truth is it was a bad investment. Maybe in the long term they'll all look like savvy investors and the past three months will become a distant memory. Or maybe Apple was never worth as much as its share price suggested. To put... Read more...
As we look ahead to 2013, one of the more interesting story lines is that of the deteriorating relationship between Apple and Samsung. Things took a turn for the ugly between these two tech giants when the former won a patent infringement case against the latter and was awarded $1.05 billion in damages, but the war was far from over. The two... Read more...
If you follow the Linux scene, you might recall that FreeBSD 9.1 was originally supposed to be released around the middle of September. That plan got scrapped when the first Release Candidate (RC) arrived a month late, which also pushed back the RC2 and RC3 releases. There was then talk of a late October release, then mid-November, both of... Read more...
It's a well-known fact, outside of China's walls, that China is one of the tougher places to truly indulge in the full Internet. A nationwide filter prevents easy access to places like Twitter and Facebook, as well as certain images that the government deems unsuitable for citizens to view for one reason or another... Read more...
As 2013 ushers its way into existence, Mayans be darned, Microsoft will find itself planning to plug a hole that hasn't needed plugged in a very, very long time. The company's Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie has announced that he'll be turning in his badge in 2014, after some two decades dreaming up... Read more...


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Portland Pay Day winners announced
- Kathy and Jerry Litchfield selected as winners of $1,200 top prize
- Promotion kept $87,300 in Portland businesses
PORTLAND – The Portland Main Street program concluded another success Portland Pay Day promotion with the prize drawing on Aug. 28.
The program, now in its eighth year, rewards shoppers for making purchases in Portland. For every $10 that is spent in a participating Portland business, the purchaser receives one entry into the grand prize drawing.
Kathy and Jerry Litchfield were drawn as the winners of the $1,200 grand prize for this year. Keith Cook was the winner of $300. Kim Miller was the winner of $100 while Pauline Wikeman and Kathy Kavanaugh were each selected to receive a $50 prize.
Other prize winners were: Sally Platte, Beth & Mel McGrady, Shawn Wieber, Mary Gilpen, Mike Will, Alyssa Nichols, Evelyn Jensen, Tom Leik, Angela Laidlaw, George and Jeanne Rowe, Janice Bozung, Marlene Hitchcock, and Ed Filter. They received prizes ranging from gift certificates, hand bags, lawn chairs, and services for participating Portland businesses.
Shelley Perry, interim Main Street manager, said the shopping promotion was again a success.
"We had 8,730 entries, which means that $87,300 was kept in Portland-area businesses," said Perry. "Over the last five years Portland Pay Day has helped to keep over $427,240 in participating businesses."
For more information about the Portland Main Street program, including the Portland Pay Day promotion, visit www.portlandmainstreet.org.


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Fearing a run on banks and shops due to a faltering currency, the authorities in Belarus have blocked several news and e-commerce websites, according to reports. The Belarusian state-controlled economy is closely linked with that of Russia, and the slide of the Russian ruble has spooked the Belarusian authorities, who introduced a 30 percent tax on foreign currency purchases. On Saturday, the authoritarian state reportedly blocked more than a dozen online stores that raised their prices or priced items in U.S. dollars, and also blocked several independent news websites without warning.
VP of Research Jon Collins speaks with the brilliant Saahil Panikar about digital transformation in the COVID climate, and how to apply…Read More
The fundamental underpinning of an organization is its transactions. It must do them well, with integrity and performance. Not only has transaction…Read More
The business world is in a constant state of change. It’s moving faster than ever with more elaborate legal and compliance requirements…Read More
The world has changed. Almost overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of workers worldwide out of their offices and into their dining…Read More
This report examines the current state of digital governance, risk, and compliance within enterprise companies—an area that has recently seen dramatic shifts…Read More
GigaOm analyst Stowe Boyd joins us to discuss his new report on the Key Criteria for Evaluating Collaborative Whiteboards. GigaOm analyst Stowe…Read More


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MicroStrategy has announced an additional Bitcoin purchase worth $1.026 billion, days after finalizing another sale of convertible debt. The enterprise software company said that it paid an average price of $52,765 per bitcoin, including fees and other expenses. Its acquisition of approximately 19,452 bitcoins puts the company’s total holdings of BTC at 90,531. The latest Bitcoin purchase was conducted via Grayscale Bitcoin Trust.
MicroStrategy announced its first bitcoin purchase in August 2020 using existing cash on its balance sheet to acquire the flagship cryptocurrency.
Since then, the enterprise software company has completed two convertible debt offerings to raise funds for purchasing the cryptocurrency. Its most recent offering was processed just last week, generating roughly $1.03 billion in net proceeds with the notes bearing a 0% coupon rate.
The company has revealed that as of 24 Feb, it holds 90531 bitcoins acquired for $2.171 billion at an average price of $23,985 per bitcoin.
In its announcement statement, the company stated:
"The company now holds over 90,000 bitcoins, reaffirming our belief that bitcoin, as the world's most widely-adopted cryptocurrency, can serve as a dependable store of value. We will continue to pursue our strategy of acquiring bitcoin with excess cash and we may from time to time, subject to market conditions, issue debt or equity securities in capital raising transactions with the objective of using the proceeds to purchase additional bitcoin."
Shares of MicroStrategy were higher by more than 8.5 % in yesterday’s trading session. However, the company’s stock prices did drop down by over 20% on Feb. 23 as the price of BTC faced price corrections.
Despite this, MicroStrategy’s stock had been on a poor performance since the company announced its initial Bitcoin purchase in August. Since its investment in the flagship cryptocurrency, the company’s stock valuation has risen up by over 400%.
MicroStrategy's CEO Michael Saylor has become a leading bitcoin advocate, calling out other companies to add the cryptocurrency to its balance sheet.


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PrimaryBid signs agreement with London Stock Exchange
Online investment platform PrimaryBid has signed a strategic commercial venture with London Stock Exchange.
The agreement combines London Stock Exchange’s market infrastructure with PrimaryBid’s digital distribution engine.
The venture will see the two firms roll out the digital infrastructure that enables companies listed or listing on London Stock Exchange to include retail investors in share offerings on the same terms as institutional investors.
PrimaryBid will enable retail investors real-time access to share deals active on London Stock Exchange, including IPOs, follow-on equity capital increases and secondary block sales, and retail bonds.
PrimaryBid will be accessible via London Stock Exchange’s Issuer Services Marketplace.
Working in collaboration with market intermediaries, the solution is designed to enable investment banks and stockbrokers to service their clients better, create broader revenue channels and help foster a more efficient capital markets framework.
Charlie Walker, head of equity primary markets at London Stock Exchange said: “This agreement is part of our ongoing commitment to broaden the services available to retail investors. Individual investors and issuers will benefit from the additional capital and liquidity available through PrimaryBid’s platform, helping to make markets more accessible for all.”
Anand Sambasivan, CEO of PrimaryBid, added: “Issuers on the LSE can now access a broader pool of investors to augment capital formation and long-term trading liquidity.
“This is applicable to companies listed on AIM all the way to the FTSE 100. Having this gateway available during transactions unlocks historical inefficiencies and brings tangible benefits to the ecosystem as a whole.”
PrimaryBid recently closed a £7 million funding round to fuel its global expansion plans, led by Pentech and Outward VC with participation from new and existing investors.


text: Early this month, Apple came out with new 20- and 24-inch iMac all-in-one computers with INVIDIA graphics. While they’re definitely tempting to buy, the hefty price tag is usually enough to deter even the biggest Apple fans – if they care enough to be thrifty in a time of recession. Yesterday, however, a glitch on the US Apple store website revealed that they’ll be releasing 17-inch iMacs for $899. The 17-inch iMac isn’t on the site anymore, but there will definitely be one for sale as part of Apple’s program to provide more affordable computers to students. I suppose a $899 iMac is affordable for people in the US, but what with ridiculous taxes slapped on imported goods here, there’s probably not going to be much of a difference between that and the 66k 20-inch iMac.