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- Written by webmin
Earlier this week Polaris Industries announced that the company has purchased the rights to produce Indian motorcycles and intends to shortly resurrect the 110-year-old marque.
Polaris bought the name and logo from Indian Motorcycle Limited, the latest entrepreneurs who attempted to revive the brand. IML had owned the Indian production rights since 2006. Polaris CEO Scott Wine stated in the company’s press release, “With our technology and vision, we are confident we will deliver the classic Indian motorcycle, enhanced by the quality and performance for which Polaris and Victory are known.”
No word yet on what Polaris will build to deliver a classic Indian; however, we are pretty sure they won’t be carting an aftermarket frame, six-speed and S&S V-Twin over to Paul Senior’s for an episode and a $60,000 price tag. Polaris is already in the heavyweight cruiser market with their Victory bikes, and it is unclear whether they will produce a secondary Chief model to supplement the Victory line or branch Indian out into their own entity and maybe revive the Scout, Chief, Prince and Arrow model names. You probably won’t see singles, inline-fours, Papoose or board-track racers but maybe a Clymer-style dirt bike would be a neat plaything. With collaboration from the likes of Arlen Ness, who has been on board sculpting the Victory Visions for several years, you never know. At least Indian production will remain in the United States, where it belongs, and shame on Harley-Davidson for missing out on this opportunity. No doubt the go-no-go they experienced with MV Agusta recently and the state of the economy made them a little head-shy?


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The following items were taken from Northbrook Police Department reports, news releases and records. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Antonio J. Valverde of Orlando, Florida, was charged with financial identity theft and unlawful possession of fraudulent identification Oct 27. He was arrested after police responded to a call from an automobile dealership in the 1800 block of Holste Road about Valverde trying to purchase a vehicle with false identification. He was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in Cook County court Nov. 14.
Mona Nubani-Dabbah of Northbrook was charged with driving while license suspended and speeding Oct. 27. She was stopped driving 47 mph in a 30-mph zone in the 1100 block of Voltz Road Oct. 27 and police learned her license was suspended. She was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in Cook County court Nov. 18.
A resident in the 2200 block of Mayapple Lane reported an unknown individual or individuals entered their home and stole several pieces of jewelry. Police did not observe any signs of forced entry.
A resident in the 1800 block of Thornwood Lane reported an unknown individual or individuals entered the residence through a garage door and stole several items including electronics, cash, jewelry and clothing Oct. 23.
A resident in the 2600 block of Audrey Lane reported an unknown individual or individuals forced the front door open and took both cash and several pieces of jewelry Oct. 25.
A resident in the 2700 block of Crabtree Lane reported an unknown individual or individuals forced entry into the home and taking cash and jewelry Oct. 25.
A person reported dropping their wallet while shopping at a retail business in the 1500 block of Lake Cook Road Oct. 21. Video surveillance showed an unknown individual picked it up. Subsequently there were attempts to use credit cards contained in the wallet.

domain: news


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by Anton Shilov
12/09/2011 | 02:58 PM
Hewlett-Packard on Friday ended the history of webOS and Palm. The company decided to contribute the webOS platform to the open source community. HP expects hardware makers to use the operating system for their devices and evolve it as well as software makers to develop new applications for webOS.
HP plans to continue to be active in the development and support of webOS. The hardware and software giant expects that by combining the innovative webOS platform with the development power of the open source community, there is the opportunity to significantly improve applications and web services for the next generation of devices.
“webOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable. By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer.
According to HP, the webOS offers a number of benefits to the entire ecosystem of web applications. For developers, applications can be easily built using standard web technologies. In addition, its single integrated stack offers multiplatform portability. For device manufacturers, it provides a single web-centric platform to run across multiple devices. As a result, the end user benefits from a fast, immersive user experience.
HP will make the underlying code of webOS available under an open source license. Developers, partners, HP engineers and other hardware manufacturers can deliver ongoing enhancements and new versions into the marketplace.
HP will engage the open source community to help define the charter of the open source project under a set of operating principles:


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by: WTNH Employees, Kent Pierce
Posted: / Up to date:
ORANGE, Conn. (WTNH) — Neighbors in Orange spoke out Wednesday night time on whether or not hashish must be legalized of their group.
The city has already mentioned you possibly can’t smoke marijuana on city property. Now the query is, will anybody be capable to legally promote marijuana anyplace on the town?
The Zoning Division introduced individuals with three choices on the best way to cope with leisure hashish throughout the public listening to.
Choices embody: regulating hashish, banning hashish industries from the city, or imposing a moratorium to revisit the problem later.
One citizen had this to say on the hearings: “My concern is…when the legislation was proposed by some city representatives, there was controversy overwriting the bill because it favored one Westport person. Not only the danger of a pathway of addiction, [but also] you had those early feelers of corruption. If people want to buy marijuana, there are already state-mandated retail opportunities in the Connecticut cities.”
Orange selectman, Mitch Goldblatt, pointed to the enterprise alternative for the town: “I’m sure that our neighboring towns will take advantage of this and the people are gonna drive through our town to get to the others…There’s no reason why we shouldn’t have that one in our town.”
The Board of Selectman in Orange not too long ago banned smoking marijuana, tobacco, and vaping on town-owned property.
Actually, New Haven goes to have authorized hashish companies. The state legislation that legalized the trade was written to permit marijuana shops in main cities. The pondering is, these communities hit the toughest by the decades-long warfare on medicine must be those to profit probably the most from the legalization of a type of medicine.
However Orange doesn’t have an inner-city. What it does have is an extended stretch of Route One with a lot of strip malls.
The query city leaders face now could be whether or not to permit this new trade to arrange store there.


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Zippin, the leader in checkout-free concession stands in sports stadiums, formalized its most popular format by labeling it the “Zippin Lane,” and announced four new locations of the format at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
According to a press announcement, Zippin said the Zippin Lane versions of its checkout-free stores — which are a prefab model designed to fit into previously empty or otherwise unused concourse spaces — are both quick to deploy and fast on ROI return.
Zippin, which also has built its technology into existing concession spaces at stadiums and into larger stores, said the new Zippin Lanes (which it had previously called “Drink Lanes”) at Allegiant Stadium had shown faster service, increased sales and an increase in available SKUs over traditional walk-up concessions stands that had been in the same areas last year.
According to the Raiders, the stores offer more than a dozen types of beer, canned cocktails, seltzers, non-alcoholic beverages and snack selections. Zippin said the Allegiant Stadium stores have been open in a “soft launch” mode during the NFL preseason.
Zippin said the prefab Zippin Lanes can be installed into a venue in a week, a much faster deployment time than other placements that might include retrofit construction needs (like restructuring ceiling heights for camera placements). According to Zippin its turnkey design uses an average of 240 square feet per store.
“We are always looking ahead to what can make our fan experience even better, and Zippin’s advanced technology offers guests a speedy service, with a variety of great options in four easy-access locations on the 300 level of the stadium,” said Sandra Douglass Morgan, President of the Las Vegas Raiders, in a prepared statement. “With no checkout process, guests don’t have to worry about missing the next big play.”
Though Zippin said it cannot officially name and place all its new stands due to contractural promotion restrictions, it did claim that it now has 20 Zippin Lane stands in nine different NFL stadiums, including the five new stands previously announced at Nissan Stadium in Memphis, and some previously installed at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. Zippin also said some of the Zippin Lane stands are at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., and at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
According to our unofficial count, Zippin now has 34 stores using its technology announced or deployed at stadiums around the country, which puts it ahead of Amazon, which recently announced its 15th stadium store which opened at Lumen Field in Seattle Monday night. AiFi, another competitor in the checkout-free category, has said it has new stadium stores it will announce soon, including at NFL venues. AiFi recently opened a “drink lane” format store of its own in England, showing that the quick-deploy, limited-footprint version of these types of stands may be an increasingly popular option for venues.


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The Dream of Eliminating Post-Processing is Finally a Reality: Introducing the Rize One Industrial Desktop 3D Printer
Case study after case study shows industrial 3D printing’s ability to make manufacturing faster, cut costs, and reduce material usage. It’s easy to believe, hearing the stories, that the technology is nothing short of magical: a machine spits out a perfect, shiny, ready-to use part, seemingly out of thin air. There may even be a puff of smoke involved. (Note to new users: your 3D printer should not be emitting puffs of smoke. If it is, unplug and call the repair guy.) In reality, there’s still a lot of work involved in getting a 3D printed part ready for use.
Many a manufacturer may consider post-processing the bane of their existence. In industrial 3D printing, most parts require supports, and removing them can take longer than the actual print job. Sanding the part, filing the part, immersing the part in noxious chemicals – it’s messy, tedious, and time-consuming, not to mention stressful, especially when a part is needed right now. Most manufacturers are resigned to it, however, as the trade-off for the other benefits 3D printing offers.
Now, however, there may no longer be a need for that trade-off at all. Woburn, Massachusetts-based Rize Inc. has unveiled a brand new industrial-grade desktop 3D printer that, they say, completely eliminates the need for post-processing. The Rize One, which will be commercially available later this year, promises to slash costs, reduce turnaround time by 50%, eliminate mess and excess materials, and take industrial 3D printing from the lab to the office.
“Post-processing has been 3D printing’s dirty little secret, as engineers and additive manufacturing lab managers wrestled with the reality that post-processing parts after 3D printing often doubled the total process time; added substantial costs; and prevented 3D printers from the desktop,” said Frank Marangell, President and CEO of Rize. “Rize One eliminates those sacrifices, opening a world of possibilities for designers and engineers to deliver prototypes and on-demand finished parts much faster and with stronger material – than before. Whether 3D printing helps you go to market, or create a market, Rize will fundamentally alter your production cycle.”
Rize has been quietly developing the printer for two years, impressively staying below the radar until now. While a new company, Rize is made up of a team of 3D printing veterans with solid expertise, experience, and over 20 patents among them. Marangell was the president of Objet North America prior to their merger with Stratasys. The company was founded in 2012 by Eugene Giller, who developed inkjet 3D printing technology at Z Corporation (now 3D Systems), and Leonid Raiz, who invented nothing less than 3D CAD software and founded Revit, now Autodesk.
“With its experience and pedigree in the industry, Rize has put together a dream team,” said Nilanjana Bhowmik, Partner at Longworth Venture Partners, which is backing the Rize One with a significant amount of seed capital. “This innovation will make a significant impact on the 3D printing industry.”
The key to the Rize One is the company’s patented Augmented Polymer Deposition (APD) technology and Rizium One filament, a watertight engineering- and medical-grade thermoplastic that, according to the team, creates parts that are twice as strong as parts printed with similar technologies. During the printing process (which produces zero harmful emissions), a repelling ink called Release One is jetted between the part and its support structures, so that once the part comes off the print platform, the user can simply snap off the supports as easily as taking apart Legos. The printer also features a “marking ink” that allows for text or images to be printed on the parts.
General specifications include:
- Printer size: 543 x 915 x 150 mm (21.4 x 36 x 25.4 in)
- Build size: 300 x 200 x 150 mm (12 x 8 x 6 in)
- Layer thickness: 0.25mm (250 microns)
“We run our 3D printers 24/7 to create the parts central to Reebok’s innovation, and, unfortunately, post processing has been a necessary but laborious and time-consuming process,” said Gary Rabinovitz, Reebok’s Additive Manufacturing Lab Manager. “An easy-to-use, zero post-processing 3D printer like Rize would dramatically improve workflow, enabling us to deliver parts as much as 50% faster than similar technologies, while reducing the cost of labor, materials and equipment.”
Discuss your thoughts on this new technology in the Rize One 3D Printer forum over at 3DPB.com.
Learn more about the Rize One below:
https://youtu.be/1F7pGjIKnqM[Images: Jon Chomitz Photography via Rize Inc.]
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Fear not, LeVar Burton fans. The “Star Trek” and “Reading Rainbow” alum gets to host a quiz show, after all.
Burton and Entertainment One are developing a TV game show based on Hasbro’s “Trivial Pursuit.” Hasbro bought eOne for $3.8 billion in 2019. Burton will host the program as well as executive produce, alongside Tara Long and Geno McDermott from eOne and LeVar Burton Entertainment’s Sangita Patel.
“LeVar Burton has been an iconic member of American pop culture for decades from ‘Roots’ to ‘Reading Rainbow’ to ‘Star Trek’ and beyond. His love for intellectual curiosity paired with his ability to connect with audiences worldwide make him the perfect partner to bring Hasbro’s beloved trivia game to households in a new and exciting way,” said Long, President, Global Unscripted Television, eOne.
“Trivial Pursuit is one of the best-known brands in the gaming universe. I am thrilled to have partnered with Hasbro and eOne to bring this beloved game to market as a premium show for television,” stated Burton.
“Trivial Pursuit” is currently available in more than 26 countries and 17 languages. Over 100 million copies of the game have been sold and it was named to the “Games Hall of Fame” by Games magazine. It is the latest of Hasbro’s games to be adapted into a film or TV show, joining “Clue,” “Dungeons & Dragons,” “G.I. Joe,” “Power Rangers,” “Transformers,” “Mouse Trap” and “Risk.”
Burton was one of the guest hosts for “Jeopardy!” this past season as that long running quiz show was searching for a replacement for longtime host Alex Trebek, who died last year. “Jeopardy!” is still looking for a permanent host and is currently alternating Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings throughout the rest of the year.


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Ahhh, to be so legendary you can wear a face mask with your name on it. Jennifer Lopez is in that camp, and she confirmed it on January 12 when she was spotted out and about with a “J.Lo” mask.
The singer-actor-icon was snapped in Miami wearing a powder blue mask with a star pattern and “JLO” splashed across it in large white letters. It’s honestly incredible. And the fact she paired this with a casual cropped hoodie and Alamour the Label sweatpants? Even better.
Check out the look for yourself, below. Also, yes to those huge sunglasses. More extra-large sunglasses in 2021, please.
Here’s a closer look at the mask:


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A collaboration between STACK Newcastle and Grey Goose brings Newcastle ice bar back to the city centre
The container park, located on Newcastle’s Pilgrim Street, is setting up the city’s sub-zero Ice Bar, replacing the much-loved Hadrian’s Tipi for the remainder of the winter months for the second year running.
Sponsored by Grey Goose, STACK’s Ice Bar will bring an experience like no other and take the visitors into the spring months in style. Guests will be greeted to the secluded bar with warm ponchos to wear in the sub-zero container whilst enjoying their alcoholic or non-alcohol shot, presented in a real ice glass.
Guests are welcome to spend up to 20 minutes in the bar, which will be decorated with ice sculptures, sculpted by the company that created the Game Of Thrones Ice Throne for HBO, Glacial Art.
Mat Foster, Director of Gacial Art said;
“The Grey Goose Ice Bar in STACK, Newcastle was the biggest project we have worked on in our 13-year history, so we’re delighted to be able to work with Danieli Holdings again this year. It’s an exciting exhibition of life-sized ice sculptures which will be suspended at minus five degrees for the next three months. I can’t wait for the people of the north to enjoy this exhibition as much as we have enjoyed planning it.”
After spending more than three months planning and designing the Grey Goose Ice Bar, the Glacial Art team will hand carve over 20 tonnes of ice into a dazzling display which people can touch, sit on and interact with.
The masters behind the idea, Danieli Holdings, brought Newcastle’s first container park to the city which has been a roaring success since its introduction in August 2018. With an interchangeable plaza area, STACK has been home to an Enchanted Summer Gin Garden, Hadrian’s Tipi, the Festival Stage and now the Grey Goose Ice Bar.
Neill Winch, Director of Danieli Holdings said:
“After the success of Hadrian’s Tipi year after year, we can’t wait to bring the Grey Goose Ice Bar to Newcastle again. Last years was a great success and our customers made it quite clear that they would want it to come back again. Our clientele expect us to bring creativity to the region and we hope that this ticks all the boxes and exceeds their expectations.
“We were proud to bring the first ever Ice Bar to the city last year so we look forward to dazzling our guests with spectacular ice sculptures again this year. Newcastle just got a lot cooler.”
A variation of packages will be available beginning at just £12. This includes entry, jacket and glove hire as well as a free alcoholic or non-alcoholic shot and a hot chocolate when leaving. Packages can be upgraded to include a glass of Prosecco or bottle of beer and private hire is available.
The Grey Goose Ice Bar will open at STACK Newcastle, on 23rd January 2020. For any booking enquiries please visit http://stacknewcastle.com/newyork-icebar.php


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10-minute grocery startup Gorillas is in talks to raise a new funding round led by US’s largest food delivery company DoorDash at a valuation far below what it had hoped earlier this year.
Two sources told Sifted that the Berlin-based startup was expecting to raise at a $2.5bn valuation, which is far below the $6bn that it had previously been aiming for. One source said they felt the deal was going to be on the “worst possible terms”.
Two sources said that Doordash may even buy the whole company for a “low billion USD amount” in what they both described as a “fire sale”. The potential DoorDash investment was first reported by the Financial Times.
Gorillas became the fastest European tech company ever to hit the $1bn valuation milestone earlier this year — just nine months after launch — amid a flurry of VC interest in on-demand grocery startups. While fast-growing startups, especially one growing as fast as Gorillas, often hit growing pains, Gorillas employees have alleged arbitrary firings, exploitation of riders and warehouse workers, as well as a hostile environment at the HQ. Gorillas says that the company has a culture of inclusion, employee care and dialogue.
DoorDash does not have a presence in Europe, and media have reported that the food delivery giant is looking for an acquisition in Europe. One person with knowledge of the negotiations between DoorDash and Gorillas said that the US company was looking to take advantage of Gorillas’s market share in Europe. DoorDash’s US competitor, Gopuff is also said to be in talks to acquire London-based 10-minute grocery Dija.
Other, older food delivery companies in Europe are moving into the on-demand space. Estonian startup Bolt raised €600m this week from Sequoia, Tekne and Ghisallo to move into the on-demand grocery business. VCs are betting that only a few, dominant players will emerge from the fray.


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AimJunkies Countersues Bungie for Hacking and DMCA Violations
The legal battle between game developer Bungie and cheat seller AimJunkies has taken a surprising turn. The AimJunkies defendants, who previously distributed ‘Destiny 2 Hacks’, deny any wrongdoing and have now filed a countersuit. Turning the tables, they accuse Bungie of hacking, stealing computer data, and circumventing the DMCA.
Last year, Bungie filed a complaint at a federal court in Seattle, accusing AimJunkies.com of copyright and trademark infringement, among other things.
The same accusations were also made against Phoenix Digital Group, the alleged creators of the software.
AimJunkies denied the claims and argued that cheating isn’t against the law. In addition, it refuted the copyright infringement allegations; these lacked any substance and were ungrounded because some of the referenced copyrights were registered well after the cheats were first made available.
The rest of this article can be read on TorrentFreak.com


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Duplicate content in posts published by Google Business Profiles is now considered spam, according to an updated document on content policies.
Google added a line to its Business Profile posts content policy under the section cautioning users to avoid spam.
Among the list of content users should avoid posting on their Business Profile, Google added the following line:
- Duplicate photos, posts, videos, and logos
This update was discovered by Colan Nielsen, who shared his findings on Twitter:
Google just updated their help center article about Google posts to indicate a few more things that they consider to be spam. "Duplicate photos, posts, videos, and logos"https://t.co/gi0w7v2GM6
— Colan Nielsen (@ColanNielsen) August 5, 2022
It’s important to be aware of what this change means for your content strategy, so you don’t find yourself in violation of the updated policy.
No Duplicate Content In Google Posts
With this updated content policy, Google is sending a clear message that it wants businesses to post unique content.
Posting the same photo, video, or text block isn’t allowed.
If you’re not careful, breaking Google’s new rule is possible, even if you’re not trying to spam.
Let’s say you run a Google Business Profile for a restaurant and post the same graphics weekly to advertise your specials. That’s an honest use of duplicate content that could get you in trouble under Google’s new guidelines.
In addition, it sounds like Google wants businesses to limit their use of logos. Putting a logo on every photo, for example, may get you in trouble.
The best way to stay within the new guidelines is to ensure every post published by your Google Business Profile is unique.
If you do that and avoid having your logo emblazoned on every photo and video, you should be perfectly fine.
Featured Image: Piscine26/Shutterstock


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Home Team Marketing taps mobile to interact with teens
High school sports marketing company Home Team Marketing is using mobile to interact with sports fans, athletes and coaches during sports games.
Home Team Marketing is working with mobile technology provider Phizzle on the initiative. Over the coming months, Home Team Marketing will roll out mobile initiatives including SMS, mobile bar codes, branded applications and social media efforts.
?One of the biggest challenges of high schools is raising money, which this initiative will help with,? said Ben Davis, CEO of Phizzle, San Francisco
?This initiative follows suit with what we do in professional sports, which is to give fans information that they would not have otherwise and provide real-time interaction and stats that take place during sports games,? he said.
Home Team Marketing will now be equipped with mobile marketing capabilities across 10,000 high schools in the United States.
Twenty-one state association partners will also have the option to include mobile into their overall marketing mix.
The partnership marks Home Team Marketing?s move into mobile as it realizes that more teens are using their mobile devices to communicate with each other.
Examples of how mobile will be used to complement high school?s marketing initiatives include using an SMS program during a high school football game to give fans extra bits of information.
Real-time trivia and games to keep sports fans interacting during the games are also planned to be used during games.
Additionally, mobile messages from sponsors of high school sporting events could be brought into games, giving advertisers a way to directly target teens.
The mobile marketing campaigns will begin to be rolled out in the next few weeks.
The Phizzle and Home Team Marketing partnership points to the increasing number of teenagers using their mobile devices as their primary communication tool, which helps brands create tailored marketing campaigns to teens.
In particular, SMS can be an effective way for marketers to target teens because of its reach.
For example, nonprofit Do Something recently increased the number of its SMS programs after seeing that the text programs were effective in communicating with teens (see story).
?This is exciting really because major brands will have the opportunity to engage with students on their handsets, which is where marketers and brands should be,? Mr. Davis said.
?One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to get game information to parents, athletes and students instantly, and providing that information on their phones is really the only way to go,? he said.
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York


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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - As the White House prepares to push its huge "long-term" economic growth package through Congress (and Democrats prepare to push back), a key question remains: just what kind of push, if any, does the economy really need?
The answer to that question lies with the U.S. consumer, because consumer spending makes up two-thirds of the U.S. economy.
Tuesday's retail sales numbers give the latest reading on the health of America's households. Retail sales include everything from cars to refrigerators to restaurant meals to gasoline, and excludes spending on services, such as medical care, tuition and legal fees.
In December, retail sales jumped 1.2 percent. Not great overall, and if you take out automobiles (cars and light trucks jumped 5 percent), the sales level was unchanged. Department store sales were tepid (we knew that from the holiday shopping season), and sales of building materials and furniture were weak, a hint to some economists that maybe -- a big maybe -- the super-hot housing sector is getting a bit less steamy.
Watch the trend line
For the year as a whole, retail sales rose just 3.4 percent, the smallest annual increase since 1993, when the Commerce Department started tracking this series of spending figures. Strong auto sales played a big part in the annual figure, as did gasoline sales, which jumped more than 16 percent, owing mostly to higher gas prices.
(Like today, the United States in 1993 was in the throes of lackluster, post-recession recovery that was not creating many jobs -- not a good scenario for giving the consumer much confidence to spend.)
When it comes to the economy's "official" fourth-quarter growth rate (that's gross domestic product or GDP), spending is also stacking up to be pretty weak. The GDP measure of spending known as Personal Consumption Expenditures (or PCE) includes services, and Wall Street economists are talking about an increase of just 1.0 to 1.5 percent.
|Recently by Kathleen Hays
And the consumer faces a lot of challenges, like rising oil; the threat of war, which could mean no new hiring; and still-high debt levels.
That's why a lot of economists support the general push to get more money in consumers' pockets. This camp believes there's too many uncertainties and not enough momentum to guarantee a level of consumer spending that would keep the U.S. moving forward.
There's another camp that says the consumer is doing just fine, and it's businesses that need the extra help. But it seems highly unlikely that Republicans or Democrats, presidential hopefuls or incumbents, will be willing to trust that camp. From what we have seen so far in the economic numbers, politicians should find plenty of reasons to stimulate away.
Kathleen Hays co-anchors Money & Markets, airing Monday to Friday on CNNfn, and appears throughout the day reporting on the economy and how it affects financial markets. As part of CNN's Business News team, she is also a regular contributor to Lou Dobbs Moneyline.


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Ghana telecom strikes deal with Indian operator to offer IP-TV
Ghana’s telco incumbent Ghana telecom has struck a deal with Indian operator Wisenet to offer an IP-TV service to its broadband subscribers. Ghana Telecom provides the marketing and delivery and Wisenet provides the back-end technology and content, covering the costs of rights for the latter.
According to Redeemer Kwame, Head of Business Development for Fixed Network Services, the company decided “to take advantage of the technology. As we had broadband, we thought why not introduce IP-TV? The challenge is to be sure the copper is working fine but we’re getting much better at doing it.”
The deal initially splits revenue 70:30% and there is a two year review breakpoint. Ghana Telecom thinks that it will take four years to break even and it reaches that point with about 10,000 subscribers. Currently Ghana Telecom has around 15,000 subscribers for its DSL service (about 35-40% of the broadband market) but has a target of hitting 50,000 subscribers by 2010. Eighty per cent of current subscribers are in Accra and Tema. The set-top box for the service costs US$250 but they will be giving it away free to subscribers.
The service is currently in its pilot stage with eight channels but when rolled out customers will be offered three bouquets: the lowest at US$12 will give 10 channels and 10 movie downloads; the mid-range bouquet at US$27 will offer 20 channels and 20 movie downloads; and the premium bouquet will cost US$35 and will give 30 channels and 30 movie downloads. There will also be several FM radio channels that will be free to all subscribers. The back-end from Wisenet can handle up to 40 channels.
So what about Triple Play? According to Kwame:”We haven’t done IP Voice before but we will consider it. We would start with low price or free calls between broadband subscribers then extend this to anyone who is a GT subscriber. We’ll be implementing it in stages.”
Content will include the five local Free-To-Air channels, Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood and Ghanaian movies, South African musicals and news channels (Al Jazeera, CNN and BBC). It will show Premiership matches 24 hours after the event and classic sport like the recent Africa Cup of Nations. An interactive element will also be announced once the service is fully launched in May 2008.


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Digital transformation brings marketers into the boardroom
The Adobe 2021 Digital Trends Report revealed an increased demand for marketing to contribute to overall business strategy.
Three-quarters of senior executives said the role of marketing in setting strategy expanded in 2020, yet many businesses are still in reactive mode. Companies are looking for marketing to help respond to the burst of digital customers, but many have not yet committed to an experience-driven approach to growth.
Experience-driven organisations, where marketing teams have command of the data to understand the digital-first customer, were empowered by their agile response to the rapid change in customer behaviour.
I recently had the opportunity to discuss the changing landscape for marketing executives with Peter Weill, Senior Research Scientist and Chair of the Centre for Information Systems Research at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
We unpacked some of the findings from the 2021 Digital Trends Report, along with Peter’s own research into the ‘digital savviness’ of boards.
Here are three key takeaways for marketing leaders from our conversations.
Data is powering marketing’s move to the boardroom
According to the 2021 Digital Trends Report, CFOs at companies where marketing has strong capabilities in gaining accurate insights and testing them in the field were twice as likely to recognise the importance of CX compared to those with weak capabilities.
Most companies are rich in data volume, but only 23 percent of executives rated their organisation as very strong in their speed of gaining accurate insights.
Peter notes companies want three things from marketing: better customer experience, improved operational efficiencies in serving customers, and experimentation with new business models.
He shared an example of Singapore’s DBS Bank that has embraced digital transformation to deliver on all three of those objectives, helping its customers live more and bank less. The bank has put digital at its core, enabling it to innovate and enter new markets like India.
The ability for marketing to turn insights into actions at speed will be a key driver for success through 2021.
Collaboration across the C-suite is key to digital transformation
While we often talk about the burgeoning CMO-CIO relationship, Peter suggests there are six key executives that need to work together to deliver truly impactful experiences.
He says the CMO, CIO and CEO are the obvious drivers but also points to the influence and impact that the CFO, Compliance and Communications can have. Compliance, for example, plays a significant role in an area like ethical data use: “that’s an area that is very difficult to get right,” Peter says, “And so Compliance has a big role to say not just ‘no’ but ‘we could do it this way’.”
He also mentions the Head of Communications’ role in promoting, influencing and educating customers, investors and employees on the digital transformation journey and business impact shouldn’t be underestimated.
Now is the time to be bold and innovate
Customers now have higher expectations of integration than ever before, so innovation of the CX must now become the status quo.
“You have to be bolder than we have before, because doing defensive will just lead you to slowly reducing margins,” Peter says.
But he emphasised the importance of breaking down siloes within the organisation to maximise efficiencies and deliver impactful customer experiences.
“One of the downsides of this great innovation that has occurred from COVID is we’ve created more siloes and spaghetti.”
The pandemic didn’t create new trends so much as accelerate them. For years traditional companies have been under pressure from new customer behaviour and digital native competitors trying to exploit market inefficiencies.
Clearly, innovation is key to the future, not just for marketers but for enterprise organisations as a whole.


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The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art has just officially unveiled the theme of the Met Gala 2018: “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic imagination”.
For the Met Gala 2017, the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art chose Rei Kawakubo and Comme des Garçons but this year, it turns to the Church for inspiration with its “Heavenly bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” theme. Following Pharrell Williams, Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady and Katy Perry, the Met Gala 2018 will be hosted by Amal Clooney, Rihanna, and Donatella Versace. As for the exhibition, around 150 pieces are expected to be on display, including works by Coco Chanel and John Galliano. Stay tuned for more.
Photo: Dolce & Gabbana Fall/Winter 2013-2014


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How much of your pay is left?
New research by pensions advice specialist1, Portafina, has investigated the spending habits of the country; unveiling that Brits in full-time work spend a fifth (21%) of their disposable income within 24 hours of being paid.
Comparing the 2019 research to the results of the same study from 20172, the data from Portafina reveals how much disposable income is blown after payday and how the nation’s payday millionaire spending habits have changed during a period of financial insecurity2.
The average full-time worker in the UK is now left with a disposable income of £714 a month, up 27% from £560 in 2017. However, despite having more of it, the nation is, in fact, being more cautious with its money straight after payday, compared to two years ago.
The research shows that working Brits are better at budgeting their cash right up to payday than previously. Workers are able to enjoy an average of 24% of their disposable income in the last week before payday, compared to just 12% in 2017, highlighting that the nation is taking steps to better manage spending throughout the month.
The new findings reveal that in 2019, UK adults spend an average of 21% (£150) of their disposable income in the first 24 hours of getting paid (compared to 43% – £241 – in 2017), and an average of 30% (£214) in the first seven days – that’s 51% less spent than in 2017 (£454).
However, 25-34-year-olds are the most likely to indulge in the ‘payday millionaire’ lifestyle with 16% of Millennials spending more than 50% of their disposable income in the first 24 hours of getting paid, compared to 17% in 2017.
Jane Evans, The Lasting Life Change Coach commented on the research:
“For so many of us, payday means reward day! Working hard it makes sense to treat ourselves with that longed-for new gadget, break, or outfit. After all, we’ve been getting some helpful reminders in our emails and pop up ads of just how much we deserve it.
“Before long this slips into becoming a habit because we get caught in a reward-loop. The anticipation releases chemicals in our system that feel good and the excitement builds with the feel-good sensations. We finally hit the buy button and float about temporarily in a state of contentment. Unfortunately, it may not last. Because as the ‘dopamine hit’ dwindles we seek a new payday treat. Realising this doesn’t mean no more payday treats but having awareness and knowing we literally get a chemical pay off as well as the financial one can help us pause, breathe and just be extra sure this is the right time to press buy.”Jane Evans
When it comes to what people are doing with their hard-earned cash, promisingly, adding to their savings comes out on top, with earners putting an average of 17% (£118.60p/m) of their disposable income into savings every month.
Breakdown of how UK workers are spending their disposable income
- Put into savings £118.60 p/m – (£3.00 increase from 2017)
- Holiday/travel £92.10 p/m – (£21.10 increase from 2017)
- Shopping (not clothes) for yourself £83.70 p/m – (no change from 2017)
- Eating out £66.00 p/m – (£3.80 increase from 2017)
- New clothes for family/children £65.20 p/m – (£18.40 decrease from 2017)
- Treating the kids £62.80 p/m – (£49.60 decrease from 2017)
- Unexpected costs (e.g. car repairs) £62.00 p/m – (£4.70 increase from 2017)
- Things for the house £60.70 p/m – (£3.00 increase from 2017)
- Drinking in bars/pubs £59.20 p/m – (£1.50 increase from 2017)
- Going on days out (e.g. entry to zoo/stately home etc) £56.50 p/m – (£7.80 increase from 2017)
Commenting on the findings, Jamie Smith-Thompson, Managing Director of Portafina said:
“The fact that as a nation on average we now have double the amount of money left in the bank as we reach payday compared to two years ago is really encouraging. Budgeting doesn’t have to mean boring, and the further you can make your money go, the better. And spending wisely is clearly not holding Brits back as we make sure there’s enough in the pot to enjoy ourselves too.
“One of the biggest changes in spending habits has come from working parents who are choosing to spend considerably less on clothes and treats for their children than two years ago. More money is now being spent on making memories together, whether that’s taking a holiday or enjoying days out with friends and family. And rightly so! These memories are sure to last much longer than materialistic items.
“It’s also encouraging to see that better budgeting has meant savings remain the number one destination for our disposable income. Whether you’re saving for a rainy day, an emergency or your future, it’s always best to pop the money into your savings as soon as you get paid. And whatever your reasons for putting money away, being financially prepared will help reduce any stress and worries further down the line.”Jamie Smith-Thompson


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Apple postpones iPhone 5 shipping date
We won’t see infinite rows of Apple customers waiting in line to get the new iPhone5 for a while, as the company has pushed back the shipping date for pre-orders, mere hours after the phone was added to the list of Apple items for sale on their website.
According to the same web page where the iPhone 5 is listed, the phone will be in all retail stores on September 21, but another page also says that if ordered, all three models of the phone; the 16GB, the 32GB and the 64GB will be shipped within two weeks from the date they were ordered.
Compared with the 22 hours it took for the iPhone 4S to sell out during pre-order period and the 20 hours it took for the iPhone 4 to close out the same deal, the iPhone 5 sold out after just one hour, according to TechCrunch.com.
A report by USAToday.com says the new iPhone is also available on the AT&T, Verizon and Sprint websites, all three of which report that the phone has a delivery date of September 21.


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Hong Kong shares have ended 0.84 per cent higher on bargain-hunting following heavy selling over the past week, while dealers also took heart from a rally on Wall Street.
The benchmark Hang Seng Index on Thursday climbed 180.13 points to 21,704.78 on turnover of $HK50.70 billion ($A7.36 billion).
Hong Kong luxury retail stocks saw strong gains after Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the country plans to impose a tax on luxury products, raising hopes that mainland shoppers will spend more in the city's shops.
Jeweller Chow Sang Sang jumped 5.9 per cent to $HK20.90, extending recent gains to hit its highest level since mid-May. Fellow jeweller Luk Fook rose 3.4 per cent to $HK26.05.
Bank shares also attracted increased trading as China's largest banks continued to report first-half results.
Agricultural Bank of China rose 2.1 per cent to $HK3.26 after the company reported a modest increase in bad loans.
Chinese shares ended down 0.19 per cent. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipped 4.07 points to 2,097.23 on turnover of 105.3 billion yuan ($A19.35 billion).
"The market is likely to consolidate with an upward bias as the economy has stabilised after a deceleration in the first half," Capital Securities analyst Li Bin told Dow Jones Newswires.
Shares of resources firms led the declines, with Chengtun Mining Group down 4.60 per cent at 8.71 yuan while Jiangxi Copper dropped 3.45 per cent to 17.09 yuan.
Guizhou Panjiang Refined Coal fell 4.02 per cent to 9.30 yuan.
Shanghai-based firms extended recent gains after the central government last week approved a free-trade zone in the city.
Shanghai International Port surged by its 10 per cent daily limit for the fifth consecutive session to 4.11 yuan, while Shanghai Jinqiao Export Processing Zone Development also jumped 10 per cent to 12.87 yuan.


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Saturday's attack is the biggest on Saudi oil infrastructure since Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.Energyread more
"Blaming Iran won't end disaster. Accepting our April '15 proposal to end war & begin talks may," Zarif said on Twitter.Energyread more
Oil prices are expected to jump as much as $10 per barrel after a coordinated drone strike hit Saudi Arabia's largest oil field, forcing the kingdom to cut its oil output in...Marketsread more
Apple's new iPhones can still send texts, download apps, and make video calls, but the company spends a lot of time and effort marketing its new phones as powerful photography...Technologyread more
Some U.S. manufacturers say tariffs, if targeted, will help address longstanding unfair trade practices like intellectual property theft.Traderead more
The trucking industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars per year. Uber is going after this market with Uber Freight, an online platform that matches truckers with...Technologyread more
Supporters of a $15 minimum wage ballot initiative in Florida argue the state's inflation-tied pay hikes have not gone far enough.2020 Electionsread more
Saudi Arabia shut down half its oil production Saturday after drone strikes hit the world's largest oil processing facility in an attack claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels.Politicsread more
Trusii's hydrogen water machines were supposed to help users with their health problems, but customers claim the company is involved in a giant scam.Technologyread more
The decoupling of the world's two weightiest economies seems as inescapable as its extent and global impact remains incalculable.Politicsread more
BlackBerry has reinvented itself to become a leader in securing mobile communications and in embedded communications. Next year it plans to roll out new products. CEO John...Evolveread more
Looking to ditch your stateside job and leave the country? Portugal might just be the place to land.
The country that shares its famous port wine with the world apparently also has the best quality of life for expatriates, according to Expat Insider 2017, a comprehensive report on expats. The report involved about 13,000 respondents from 188 countries or territories. A country needed at least 75 respondents to be included in the review published by InterNations, an expatriate-focused social network with more than 1.6 million members in 390 communities worldwide.
Respondents were asked to rate what it was like to live and work in 65 countries that are considered destinations for expats. The Expat Quality of Life Index used leisure options, travel and transport, health and well-being, safety and security, and personal happiness in its calculations.
Portugal landed the number one spot with only 4 percent of surveyed participants saying they had any dissatisfaction with their new life there, according to the findings. The report suggests the country's popularity with expats can be linked to its widely available leisure activities and temperate weather. In fact, not a single respondent said something negative about Portugal's climate and weather, according to the findings.
Taiwan ceded the top spot it held in 2016 to rank second to Portugal this year. Spain trailed in third.
Here's a look at the 10 countries with the best quality of life for expats:
9. Costa Rica


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The official launch trailer for Halo Wars 2 has dropped on the Xbox YouTube channel. It’s a pretty intense and cinematic trailer, setting up the story for the RTS sequel and introducing the key characters, including the evil Atriox. Check it out below: Halo Wars 2 is out on February 21 for Xbox One.
Ubisoft has revealed how Rainbow Six: Siege has performed over the past year and its plans for 2017. It has also been confirmed that there will be no new game modes to play. In an interview with PC Gamer, Siege’s creative director Xavier Marquis said introducing new game modes is “something that we do not […]
Today at the Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary event, Square Enix announced the release dates for some of Final Fantasy XV’s upcoming expansion packs. First up is the Booster Pack, coming in a Plus version for Season Pass folks and a free version for everyone else. The Booster Park will be a series of powerful items, […]
Deals with Gold Brings Variety in February Following deep discounts on some of the biggest shooters of 2016, the Deals with Gold sale is adding a little more variety heading into February. The Forza series has been featured heavily in recent weeks. This week Forza Horizon 2 takes front stage. The Standard Edition of Forza […]
Prey Out May 5 After sitting in development hell for 10 years, the follow-up to 2006’s Prey now has a release date. Now a reimagining of the original, Prey (2017), from Arkane Studios, releases on May 5. The release date was revealed in the latest gameplay trailer. This trailer highlights the alien threat of the […]
Showing Some Love Microsoft has announced their February lineup for Games with Gold. Players with an Xbox Live Gold subscription can download Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime and Project Cars Digital Edition for Xbox One, and Monkey Island 2: SE along with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for the Xbox 360. Both titles for Xbox […]
Putting the Gold in Deals with Gold This week’s Deals with Gold sale sends January out with a bang. With multiple shooters from EA, Microsoft is giving players one last chance to catch some of the holiday sales they may have missed. Players holding out for Battlefield 1 have multiple chances to jump in this […]
Yooka-Laylee Toybox Available Now Less than three months away from release, Playtonic has released their multiplayer reveal trailer for Yooka-Laylee. The new trailer introduces players to Rextro and the multiple game types they can play with friends. Part or Rextro’s Radical Arcade, players can choose from eight different mini-games. The games shown include a rail […]


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CEO and Founder of Tron, Justin Sun recently shared good news on the new official listing for TRX on Cryptocurrency exchange platform, Indacoin. His official message on Twitter stated that Tron is now available on Indacoin, “an exchange built on the basis of the anti-fraud platform”.
From the exchanger’s side the official announcement stated: “NEW UPDATE! We are proud to list Tron (TRX) on our platform! One of the most promising cryptocurrencies is finally available for a purchase with your credit card”. The message also provided the official link to the platform, where users are able to purchase the coin.
The official announcement also confirmed that as of now, users can purchase Tron (TRX) in major fiat currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, and RUB. Users are hence now able to use their personal Visa and Mastercard to make the transactions. Meanwhile the announcement informed that these cards need to support 3d Secure function. In addition, the acquisition of the coins is reportedly very time-efficient. As reported, the average time for acquiring the coins is from 15 to 30 minutes.
The official announcement also provided a brief description about Tron’s new partner exchange platform. According to the message, “Indacoin is an exchange built on the basis of the anti-fraud platform. It uses a cutting-edge technology to detect and prevent fraudulent attempts to purchase digital coins with banking cards. The system analyzes more than 30 different factors for client evaluation to make the most accurate client scores. The goal of Indacoin is the simplification of the investing process in digital assets. The company was founded in 2014 in London (UK) and has been working worldwide”.
The official message on the exchanger’s website confirms that Indacoin has also developed mobile apps. They are reportedly available for both iOS and Android. Here the users can not only “buy Tron using credit cards but exchange TRX to other cryptocurrencies and vice-versa and sell them. An awesome feature is the funds received after the sale of cryptocurrency can be withdrawn back to the banking card”, concluded the message.


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Cowen and Company has changed its full year sales predictions for Battlefield 3 from 8 million to 11 million. The firm said thanks to EA’s marketing campaign, the title is seeing pre-orders “comparable” to pre-order figures for last year’s Call of duty Black Ops. Earlier this week, UK retailer GAME said pre-orders for BF3’s closest rival, Modern Warfare 3, are outpacing last year’s Black Ops. The figures for both shooters should make for an interesting discussion once holiday sales are compiled an posted in January. Thanks, GI.biz.
Buy our t-shirts, yeah
They're far more stylish than your average video game website tat.


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Largest Flea Market in the State Kicks off Today
CANTON, Miss.- The Canton flea market opened Thursday morning.
There are about 1,100 vendors and they are expecting anywhere from 20 to 40 thousand people to show up.
This is the biggest flea market in the state and was voted the best in Mississippi by Mississippi Magazine in 2013.
It will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. today, but if you can’t make it out today, the flea market will return to Canton again October 9.


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UCSB students pay more for textbooks, on average, than any other UC, according to a new study released by the California Public Interest Research Group (CalPIRG).
The UCSB chapter of CalPIRG made the study public at a press conference Tuesday in the UCen. The report, titled “Rip-Off 101: How the Publishing Industry’s Practices Needlessly Drive Up Textbook Costs,” details the nationwide rising cost of college textbooks. The report states that the average UC student will spend $900 a year on textbooks. Second-year political science major Justin Pabian, the CalPIRG chapter campaign coordinator, said UCSB students spend an average of $960 per year – the most out of all UC students – on schoolbooks. At the press conference, Pabian said that the rising cost of college textbooks is caused by the greed of publishing companies.
“The bottom line is [that] textbook prices have skyrocketed and publishers are ripping off students by artificially inflating prices,” Pabian said. “This is an industrywide problem.”
The report said that textbook prices have increased at more than four times the rate of inflation since 1994, and publishers routinely and unnecessarily release new editions. The study based its findings on what it said were five widely purchased textbooks at 59 American colleges and universities.
In response to the CalPIRG study, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) – the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry – issued a press release saying the survey used “flawed methodology, selective use of data and lack of acknowledgement of research data that offer a different point of view.” Wendy Spiegel, a spokeswoman for the Pearson Education textbook publishing company, said the report is fatally flawed because it discusses wholesale, rather than retail prices.
“[CalPIRG] looks at a ‘rack rate’ for book prices,” Spiegel said. “We look at what students actually pay.”
Pabian used the textbook Calculus, Early Transcendals, 5th Edition – published by Thomson Learning and used by UCSB students – as an example of artificial inflation. The 5th edition cost $130 dollars, while a used copy of the 4th edition cost anywhere from $10 to $100, with a minimal difference between the two editions, Pabian said.
“The most significant change is that new math problems have been added,” Pabian said. “Is it really necessary for students to pay $40 or more for new exercises? New editions are often unjustified.”
Spiegel said CalPIRG’s claim that prices are being raised over time was not consistent with industry findings.
“Industry research says that textbook prices have gone up the rate of inflation – 2.5 percent per year,” she said, citing studies by Zogby International.
CalPIRG’s survey also found that textbook publishers charge American students an average of 20 percent more than overseas students for the same textbooks. For example, Pearson Education’s Calculus, 8th Edition, has an average price of $100 dollars in the U.S., but can be found for $38 on the United Kingdom (U.K.) amazon.com/ www.amazon.com website, the report said.
Bruce Hildebrand, AAP executive director for higher education, said CalPIRG’s claims about foreign textbook prices are shortsighted.
“We sell into foreign markets based largely on the income of the people in those markets,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand said the competitive publishing industry in the U.K. compels publishers to decrease prices in order to gain market share.
In the press release, the AAP said it is willing to work with CalPIRG, but the purchase of textbooks is ultimately the responsibility of professors and academic departments.
“PIRG knows, as we do, that the faculty make the ultimate decisions on what textbooks and instructional materials are best for their students’ education,” AAP’s press release said.


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On today’s episode of the Tech Talk Tuesday podcast, Ryan McQueeney recaps the tech sector’s performance in Q2 earnings season thus far and highlights the upcoming reports of Apple (AAPL – Free Report) , Square (SQ – Free Report) , and Activision Blizzard (ATVI – Free Report) .
Remember to subscribe and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the show!
Tech stocks were battered again on Monday as investors continued to display hesitation in the face of some disappointing reports. Some sector leaders have impressed, and growth has been robust, but sluggish guidance and rising costs have hammered some of Wall Street’s top tech stocks.
Now, the focus turns to this week’s upcoming reports, which will include mega-behemoths and trendy growth companies alike.
On Tuesday afternoon, consumer electronics pioneer Apple will file its latest quarterly results, while popular payments firm Square will report on Wednesday. Later in the week, video game giant Activision Blizzard will get in on the action.
Quarterly revenue growth for Apple is projected to touch 15%, leading some investors to believe that this report will be the catalyst that sends the company to $1 trillion. Nevertheless, others are worried that Apple is losing ground in key markets.
Square is likely to continue its impressive earnings growth streak, and the company has already raised its own guidance for the soon-to-be-reported quarter, but trendy tech stocks were sold off hard on Monday.
Activision Blizzard has successfully rolled out its Overwatch League, which should increase e-sports revenue and brand notability. However, the company faces extreme competition from the likes of Epic Games’ Fortnite.
Ryan explores all of these pros and cons, and more, only on today’s Tech Talk Tuesday!
As a reminder, if you feel that we missed something, or if you want us to cover a different story, shoot us an email at firstname.lastname@example.org. Make sure to check out all of our other audio content at zacks.com/podcasts, and remember to subscribe and leave us a rating!
As always, thanks for listening to the Zacks Tech Talk Tuesday Podcast; we will see you next time!
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Payza, the online payment gateway, is launching direct credit card processing to online businesses and merchants in Europe.
The company aims to make doing business in Europe more simple, affordable and faster by allowing its business account holders to accept direct Payza e-wallet, bitcoin and low-cost payments from Canadian debit card network Interac Online in a single integration. Rates are based on the risk level of the industry and the merchant’s processing history and start at 2.9% + €0.30.
"Making it easier and more affordable to run a business online is what drives us at Payza," Firoz Patel, Payza's global executive vice president, said in a Sept. 22 news release. ”Our new low-rate direct merchant processing account is first being launched to European merchants because they face some of the most complex everyday barriers to running their businesses, like the costs of cross-border disputes, restrictions to selling cross-border within and outside of the EU, delivery costs, and taxation rules.”
Payza will also provide business account holders with secure payment portal to simplify the checkout process, tools for payment button and shopping cart integration, security and intelligent fraud protection and customer support guides.


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Bummer for compact SUV buyers eagerly awaiting the next-generation Hyundai Tucson: it won’t hit the market this fall as originally anticipated.
Following the release of EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2021 Tucson in the U.S., Motor Authority received confirmation from a Hyundai spokesman that the Korean crossover will return largely unchanged. Its replacement will now arrive next year as a 2022 model.
- Also: Please Make the Next-gen Hyundai Tucson Look Like This
- Also: The World will “Freak out” Over the Next-gen Tucson, Hyundai Says
The reasons for the delay have not been disclosed, however.
A little more than a year ago, Hyundai’s global vice president of design SangYup Lee said “the world will freak out over the next-generation Tucson.”
Things became even more interesting with the debut of the Vision T concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November and its subsequent appearance in Toronto in February of this year. Styling is quite a departure from traditional Hyundai SUVs and a plug-in hybrid powertrain is even part of the mix.
How much does it preview the future Tucson? We’ll have to wait a little longer to find out now.
In addition to a Tucson PHEV, we might also see new gasoline engines including one powering a hypothetical Tucson N or N-Line aimed at performance enthusiasts. Safety and interior room are likely to be improved, too.
We should learn more about the 2022 Hyundai Tucson by the end of the year. In the meantime, camouflaged test vehicles will no doubt continue to be spotted on the road somewhere.


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Date: Dubai, UAE. January 10, 2018
Eight of the 11 showrooms are going to be opened in the GCC countries
The company plans to add 50 more showrooms in 2018
Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ retail network now spreads to 208 showrooms across 9 countries
Malabar Gold & Diamonds plans to expand operations in the United States of America, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Brunei
Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor to be a part of the event celebrating the achievement of 200 stores
Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one among the BIG 5 jewellery retailers globally, is opening 11 new showrooms across six countries in one single day – Friday, January 12, 2018 – including eight in the Gulf region, taking the total number of outlets to 208 spread across nine countries.
This is for the first time that an Indian jewellery retailer has been opening such a large number of showrooms spread across six nations in a single day.
The new showrooms would be located in Al Khail Mall, Al Hazana Lulu, Al Buhaira Lulu, Sahara Centre, Ajman City Centre in the UAE, Mall of Qatar, Lagoona Mall in Qatar, Muscat City Centre in Oman, AMK Hub in Singapore, Ampang Mall in Malaysia, and Warrangal in Telangana,India.
“The opening of 11 showrooms in a single day across six countries reflects our strong conviction and confidence in the overall growth of the gold and diamond sector, despite challenging circumstances in certain markets. We are getting wide acceptance in the global market place. This is also one of the reasons we are expanding our global presence. Our core business values such as adherence to transparency, honesty, quality along with our value added services, product designs that suited to every class of customers’ taste cutting across age group are the key factors that give us global acceptance.
” MP Ahammed, Chairman of Malabar Group, told the media at a packed press conference in Dubai.
Currently, Malabar Gold & Diamonds has 197 showrooms of which 90 showrooms are in India and other 107 showrooms abroad. The rapid expansion of showrooms across geographies is part of the Group’s strategy to fast expand its global footprint. In FY2017 alone, Malabar Group has opened 27 showrooms across nations.
“Despite the bull-run of crypto-currency, introduction of GST in India and VAT in UAE and Saudi Arabia, we believe that the gold and diamond trade will sustain growth in the long run and will remain as the best commodity for investment and as a saving instrument in addition to being used as jewellery.As consumers adjust to the new tax regimes in different countries, we believe, the market will record stronger growth as people adjust their budgets for ornaments.” added Abdul Salam KP, Group Executive Director of Malabar Group.
“In 2018, we will be opening more showrooms as well as manufacturing units. This will fuel our vision to become the topjewellery retailer in the world.”
ShamlalAhammed, Managing Director of Malabar Gold & Diamonds’ International Operations, said, “In 2018, we will be expanding into new horizons, marking our presence in countries such as the US, Sri Lanka, Brunei, and Bangladesh. As part of its global expansion plans, Malabar Gold& Diamonds will be opening another 50 showrooms in this year in different formats in various countries.”
It has decided to organize a grand ceremony at Lulu Al Hazana in Sharjah to celebrate crossing the milestone of 200 showrooms globally.
The upcoming showrooms of the group are atAbbasiya (Kuwait),Mannarkad, Mall of Travancore (Kerala), Forum Mall – Bangalore (Karnataka), Himayat Nagar – Hyderabad, Kondapur -Hyderabad, Karim Nagar (Telangana), Noida (UP), South Extension (Delhi), Vashi – Mumbai, Thane – Mumbai, Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Rajkot, Surat (Gujarat) and Ludhiana (Punjab).
In India, the company currently operates manufacturing units in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra,West Bengal and in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE.
Asher O, Managing Director – India Operations of Malabar Gold & Diamonds, said, “The group is planning to set up more showrooms as well as manufacturing units in the country, eventually generating more employment opportunities and enhancing initiatives like `Make in India’ being implemented by the Government of India.
Malabar Group believes that the most successful companies are those which integrate sustainability into their core business. The group is always proactive when it comes to CSR activities right from the inception. The key focus areas of the CSR initiatives of Malabar Group are in the areas of Health, Education, Women Empowerment, Housing and Environment. The organization has kept aside 5% of its profit for the CSR activities in all the regions that they operate. The group, which currently has showrooms across GCC, India, Malaysia and Singapore undertakes several welfare activities with the association of like-minded organizations in the respective regions.
Malabar Gold & Diamonds is the flagship company of Malabar Group, a leading diversified Indian business conglomerate.
Established in 1993 in the Indian state of Kerala, Malabar Gold & Diamonds today has a strong retail network of over 200 outlets spread across nine countries, 13 wholesale units in addition to offices, design centers and factories spread across India, Middle East & Far East. With an annual turnover of $4.5 billion, the company currently ranks among the BIG 5 jewellery retailers globally.
With 11 cluster manufacturing units in India and GCC – the company currently has 9 jewellery brands to cater to the discerning needs of customers. With headquarters in Kerala and branches across India, Middle East & Far East, Malabar Group is best known for its activities in the field of gold, diamonds, silver and lifestyle articles.
The group also operates MGD – Lifestyle Jewellery, a retail concept offering trendy and light weight jewellery that represents the independent and the modern woman through its designs and collections.
The group, owned by over 1,700 shareholders excels in quality products and services, has more than 12,000 professionals working for its continued success.
Malabar Gold & Diamonds also features an online store – www.malabargoldanddiamonds.com providing customers the opportunity to purchase their favourite jewellery any time and on any day from the comfort of their home
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Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz issued the following statement regarding today’s decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which invited the plaintiffs in the Ciprofloxacin drug patent settlement case to seek further review by the full court of appeals because of the “exceptional importance” of the antitrust implications of pay-for-delay settlements:
“This is further evidence that courts are rethinking their approach to pay-for-delay settlements, which cost American consumers $3.5 billion a year in higher prescription drug prices. Hopefully, the courts will put an end to these deals. In the meantime, the FTC will continue to explain, in court and in the halls of Congress, why these sweetheart deals for drug companies are such a bad deal for American consumers and taxpayers,” Leibowitz said.
In “pay-for-delay” settlements, manufacturers of brand-name drugs pay potential generic competitors to stay off the market. The FTC has filed a number of lawsuits opposing these anticompetitive deals, and the agency supports legislation in Congress that would prohibit them.
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All year, carriers with the U.S. Postal Service deliver to residences far and wide. This Saturday is the one day of the year they’re asking for something in return.
The annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers is Saturday. Residents are asked to leave a bag or two of nonperishable food items by their mailboxes.
Rural residents are asked to hang the bags from their boxes since that will save carriers the trouble of getting out of their vehicles to retrieve them. All food items collected in Alamance County are distributed to agencies in the county whose mission it is to serve the needy.
“We’ve got people in our community who stay hungry – from children to the elderly,” said Tricia Loy who, along with Kay Johnson, organizes the local drive. Both women are letter carriers.
This is the 21st year of the drive. A year ago, more than 41,000 pounds of food was collected in Alamance County. Nationwide, residents donated more than 70 million pounds of food. More than a billion pounds have been collected since the drive began in 1992.
As Loy proudly pointed out: “It’s the largest single-day food drive in the nation.”
The event is held annually the second Saturday in May. It’s a time of year, organizers say, when food pantries at numerous charities are near-bare following the generosity of winter holiday drives.
Nationwide, letter carriers and residents in more than 10,000 cities participate. It’s a simple process – the carriers picking up the food while delivering the mail.
Loy said the day always involves a friendly competition among carriers as to who collects the most food items. The drive also involves donations from area businesses.
Loy said local Walmart stores have donated, as have several Food Lion branches. Raygo convenience stores, with branches on Edgewood Avenue and Snow Camp Road, donated almost $800 of food items to the drive.
Michael Snyder, a manager with Raygo, said the stores are owned by Payne Oil Co. and said the company’s owners have long felt a need to give back to the community.
“We just feel it’s the right thing to do,” Snyder said. “This is a very good cause. We try to help out as much as we can.”
Food items collected Saturday are carried to a drop-off point provided by Loaves & Fishes Christian Food Ministry. Volunteers will be helping unload the items. United Way is a co-sponsor of the drive – both nationally and locally.
Food items in particular demand include: tuna, oatmeal, rice, juices, fruit and macaroni and cheese. Food in glass jars or food that has been opened should not be donated. Out-of-date food and homemade items should also not be included in donations.


text: Latest News Oklahoma Retail Group Wins State Court’s OK to Move Ahead With Optometry Ballot Initiative By Staff Monday, February 12, 2018 12:21 AM OKLAHOMA CITY—A question around whether retail locations are appropriate and safe venues for practicing optometry in Oklahoma may end up being decided by voters later this year. The state’s Supreme Court ruled last week that a petition seeking to place this question on the state ballot in November does meet the requirements of Oklahoma’s constitution and can move forward. In Oklahoma, existing state law prohibits optometry practices from certain retail venues, according to the Supreme Court’s decision. That decision stated, in part: “Current Oklahoma law prohibits any optometrist or optician from practicing their profession within a retail mercantile establishment. The purpose of the prohibition is to ‘establish a minimum standard of sanitation, hygiene and professional surroundings.’ To this end, no optometrist may practice his or her profession within a room or part of a room occupied by a wholesale or retail mercantile establishment.”A retail group, the Oklahoma Retail Merchants Association, however, has been working to change the Oklahoma law and, as part of this effort, proposed placing a question about retail optometry on the ballot. Walmart is among the members of this organization, according to the retail association’s website.The Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians (OAOP), which supports the current state law, has sought to block the retail group’s efforts and challenged its ballot-question petition in state court last year. The defendants in the lawsuit included Kiley Raper, chief executive officer of the retail merchants group.The court’s decision last week allows proponents of the retail merchants’ position to begin a statewide signature-collecting process that could ultimately lead to their proposal being placed on the November ballot. According to the Supreme Court decision, the Oklahoma retail group’s proposal would amend the state constitution by adding a new section, which would “merge the rights and restrictions placed on optometrists and opticians, while eliminating restraints on the ability to practice their professions in retail mercantile establishments.” The court also noted that the OAOP filed a suit against the retail group “contesting the validity of the initiative petition as unconstitutional logrolling in violation of the general subject requirement mandated in Oklahoma.” “Logrolling,” in the legislative sense in Oklahoma, is the attempt to combine more than one general subject within a proposed amendment, according to the court. In its decision last week, the court concluded that the “proposed amendment embraces one general subject—the provision of optical care services within retail mercantile establishments—and therefore complies with Article 24, Section 1 of the Oklahoma Constitution. In so holding, the proponents of the petition may proceed with the remaining statutory requirements.”As a result of this ruling, the retail association can begin collecting signatures of Oklahoma residents who support this proposed change and want to see the question on the election ballot in November. The retail group has a 90-day window in which to collect the required number of signatures, according to OAOP chief executive officer Joel Robison, who spoke to VMAIL last week.Despite the setback in court, however, OAOP expects to aggressively challenge the retail group’s effort to place the issue on the ballot.


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One of the biggest global shopping festivals – Singles’ Day – took place from 11-13 of November. In the past, the Chinese marketplace usually dominated the celebration, but this year, more UK brands also joined the promotions. According to statistics provided by Admitad Affiliate network, this year, the number of sales of Chinese marketplaces in the UK has jumped by 3.8x compared to the regular period, and the value of orders has increased by 4.3x, setting a new record.
The Singles’ Day sale became a notable competitor to Black Friday in terms of sales volume. Note: Alibaba Group alone (which includes AliExpress) managed to make global sales of $84.5 billion this year. At the same time, growth has slowed down compared to previous years – in 2020 the Chinese giant reported that the number of orders doubled, but this year it has grown by only 8.5%.
Meanwhile, the average order value didn’t change a lot over the year – typically, Brits were ready to spend $13.1 on one order from the Chinese marketplace during the sale. Their item preferences remained almost the same as in the previous year. Only several of the most popular product categories switched their positions:
- Home and Garden – 28.3%
- Jewellery and Accessories – 21.9%
- Apparel and Footwear – 11.2%
- Health and Beauty – 8.7%
- Electronics and Home Appliances – 8.6%
- Toys and Hobbies – 7.6%
- Sports and Entertainment – 4%
- Others – 9.7%
Brands should pay attention to these trends because another important period is just around the corner – Black Friday. And these categories are quite likely to get similar sales shares during the upcoming sale.
It is of no surprise that it was only brands that had a chance to increase their profits, but also publishers (those who work with an online audience and traffic experts), who earned a reward for every completed order. For example, Admitad Affiliate publishers in the UK just in three active days of the sale on 11-13th of November increased incomes by 3.3x.
Let’s see how effective were different traffic sources in terms of attracting European clients:
The Global Shopping Festival proves again that many users are ready to spend more during sales. But people have slightly changed their preferences regarding product categories. The influence of the COVID-trends stars to vanish and people get back to their established interests.
The insights from the November 11-13 sale will help brands and marketing experts prepare for the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions. The most important thing would be to choose effective traffic sources and ensure the technical stability of your websites.


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Ever since the cash rate started falling four years ago, the task of finding the very best savings rate has become crucial to feathering your savings nest egg.
The Reserve Bank’s decision to lower the interest rate even further this month heralds even more pain for those who store their money in the bank, with most savings accounts now failing to keep pace with inflation.
The average rate on savings accounts is now less than three per cent, comparison website Mozo has found, with the rates of 30 accounts taking a hit since the start of the year.
“Savings rates have been taking a hammering for some time now, but following last week’s RBA decision, savers are set to suffer even more,” says Mozo director Kirsty Lamont.
Mozo’s review of 195 savings accounts has found the average savings rate is just 2.48 per cent when bonus offers are excluded, down from 3.09 per cent in February 2013.
Here’s how to scrimp a little more.
Hunt and bundle
Ms Lamont says savers need to bundle their savings accounts with other products, such as transaction accounts, to get “any sort of value”.
Banks are also looking to attract “sticky”, longer-term customers, says Ms Lamont, so take advantage of bonus and introductory offers.
But independent consumer advocate Christopher Zinn warns against getting caught in the bright lights of new offers.
“If you’re going to do it for the long term, I wouldn’t be too seduced by introductory offers,” he says.
Do your research
Mr Zinn says it is worth investing some time in learning more about “the world of savings”.
“It’s easy to do a little bit of research – the ASIC MoneySmart website is very handy – just to really check that you know as much as you need to,” he says.
One thing you might not know is that some online savings accounts compound interest every month, while others calculate every three months (quarterly).
Canstar finance editor Justine Davies says the “sad news” is that the difference is minimal (as little as 0.01 per cent), but every little bit counts.
Get advice for large amounts
If you are looking to squirrel away a substantial amount like $50,000, Mr Zinn recommends paying for some solid financial advice.
“There could be tax implications, there could be better options through super, there’s lots of different things that you could do as well as putting it into a savings account,” he says.
Do some wheeling and dealing
It is always worth asking for a better deal, says Mr Zinn.
“You can set these things up all online, but it’s always a good idea to pop into the branch network and ask.”
You have nothing to lose and potentially a higher interest rate to gain, Mr Zinn says.
Be wary of term deposits
Mr Zinn predicts that “many” savers who currently have their money locked away in term deposits are probably getting “really derisory returns”.
His claim matches analysis by comparison website Mozo, which has found that five-year term deposits are the only accounts beating at-call accounts right now.
Consumer advocacy group CHOICE has also issued some words of caution on term deposits via its spokesman.
“Term deposit rates have gone down recently which may mean that you could get the same if not a better deal with online savings accounts,” says CHOICE head of media Tom Godfrey.
If you do choose a term deposit, consider carefully before locking in for more than a year, and be mindful that new rules make it harder to access your money in the last month, Mr Godfrey says.


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During the last legislative session, supporters of Mississippi’s beer law reform bills listed as one of their benefits the possibility of new breweries opening.
Raising the maximum alcohol content in beer from 5 percent alcohol by weight to 10 percent by weight, and letting breweries brew beer that would be illegal here for sale out-of-state, would encourage growth, they said.
That may turn out to be true, once each of the new laws takes effect July 1. But, it’s not why Crooked Letter Brewing Co. is opening in Vancleave. It’s merely a bonus.
“It just happens to be that over the past few years the state itself has made a lot of progress with beer,” said Paul Blacksmith, Crooked Letter’s general manager. “We started this project not counting on any of the legislation taking effect. We’ve gotten a lot of questions about if we’re doing this because of the legislation. The answer to that is no.”
Crooked Letter would become the state’s second brewery, joining Hancock County’s Lazy Magnolia Brewery.
Blacksmith and his wife, Wanda, who serves as the company’s CEO, decided three years ago that they would try to turn their homebrewing hobby into an occupation. “People have always enjoyed our beers,” Wanda Blacksmith said. “We’d take them different places (socially) and people would keep coming back for more.”
Using each of their backgrounds in marketing, the Blacksmiths started crunching numbers. What they found is that Mississippi’s craft beer culture has a lot of economic potential.
“Our market research alone – just from the coastal tri-county area to Hattiesburg, Mobile and New Orleans – tells us we have a fan base and we haven’t put out anything yet,” Blacksmith said. “We’ve basically taken a hobby that’s become a passion. Not just because we like to drink beer but because of the art and the craftsmanship that goes into it. We’re entrepreneurs anyway, so we decided since we have other businesses we ought to see if this one can thrive.”
The Blacksmiths hope to break ground on their building July 2, and have beer on the shelves this fall, perhaps in October or November. They said they’re close to finalizing contracts with distributors – they wouldn’t reveal which they’ll use because nothing is signed yet – within Mississippi and Alabama. There’s also the matter of procuring a few more pieces of equipment for their 30-barrel facility.
All of that will come together right before the start-up money loan closes, Blacksmith said. “We’ve got a lot of capital that we’re putting into it,” he said. “Of course, with what we want to open with, it is going to require some lending funds. That loan is supposed to close very soon. All the plans are set. It’s on at this point.”
Crooked Letter won’t be the only business the Blacksmiths operate. Paul has a real estate brokerage firm. Wanda, when she’s not working as a registered nurse, runs the family’s Gypsy horse breeding operation. They were involved at one time in the music business – both on the performing side, and on the marketing and promotional side.
“Of course, we’ve never put this much money up front into anything we’ve done,” Paul said. “We’re doing it out of love. We’ve got a lot of faith in it, a lot of research into it.”
What kind of beer they’ll make is not something the Blacksmiths are ready to reveal, citing proprietary concerns. They only hint they’ll offer is that one of the styles will be named for the Gypsy horse, a breed built like a Clydesdale but with a fuller mane and tail and more diverse color pattern.
“Otherwise we’d like to keep some suspense there,” Wanda Blacksmith said.
Whatever they produce won’t be confined to Mississippi. Paul Blacksmith said the plan is for Crooked Letter beer to be in neighboring states “shortly after the New Year.”
Rep. Hank Zuber, R-Ocean Springs, was one of the primary sponsors of the bill that raised the state’s alcohol content in beer, and the bill that allowed breweries to exceed that limit in beer made for sale out-of-state. Even though Crooked Letter’s opening isn’t directly attributable to the new laws, Zuber said it does satisfy one of their primary objectives. He added that it also serves to provide a measure of validation against those who had negative things to say about craft beer and those who appreciate it.
“The purpose was two-fold,” Zuber said. “It was to provide more consumer choice and to help upstart companies. And I can guarantee you that the people who had smart-aleck comments for me when I was presenting these bills to the House wish they had a small business growth sector starting up in their district.”
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Too old and too traditional to enjoy a bit of weed? The discovery of cannabis in limestone altars at the Judahite shrine at Tel Arad in Israel would beg to differ.
A study published in Tel Aviv, the journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University, reveals “the earliest evidence for the use of cannabis in the Ancient Near East.” According to the study’s abstract, material preserved on the upper surfaces of a monolith in a shrine (that dates from 760 BCE to 715 BCE) contained THC, CBD and CBN residue, along with an assortment of terpenes and terpenoids. All of which suggests that cannabis had been burned there.
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And it wasn’t just for its pleasant smell or medicinal qualities either. It is “feasible to suggest that the use of cannabis on the Arad altar had a deliberate psychoactive role,” the study notes. Since plenty of plants contain terpenoids, “it is likely that the cannabis burnt on the altar was not imported for its smell or therapeutic virtues, but for its mind-altering abilities, expressed only by heating.”


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At a market capitalization of only $7.5 billion, with earnings strong ($10.19 per share over the last 12 months) and growing (earnings nearly quadrupled last quarter) — and a bargain-basement valuation of just 5.6 times trailing earnings to boot — Evansville, Indiana-based consumer finance and insurance company OneMain Holdings (OMF) fits the definition of a "value stock" to a "T".
But would you believe OneMain is also a "Perfect 10" stock?
TipRanks' proprietary model for judging equity attractiveness, the "Smart Score" that incorporates factors including the opinions of analysts, bloggers, and TipRanks investors, as well as both technical and fundamental analysis, gives OneMain Holdings a top score of 10 out of 10.
It's no wonder, then, that Wall Street is also getting more positive on the stock.
In a note out Thursday, Deutsche Bank analyst Meng Jiao initiated coverage of OneMain stock with a "buy" rating and a $75 price target implying 30% upside for the $57 stock. In part, Jiao's optimistic because of things OneMain has already done. For example, the analyst notes that OneMain is a "market share leader" with returns on total common equity (ROTCE) that exceed those of its peers. OneMain also operates in "an unparalleled strong credit environment" in which consumers, who paid down a lot of debt during the pandemic, are now "re-leveraging."
And this analyst is also enthused about what OneMain will do in the future, and in particular, about its new subprime credit card, which the analyst believes will prove attractive and successful in a consumer finance market that is "fragmented" among multiple smaller competitors.
Currently, says Jiao, about 86% of OneMain's total revenues come from its traditional consumer finance and insurance businesses, but the company is now working "to build out/strengthen other revenue streams in addition to personal lending," including this new credit card that is "designed for the near prime consumer."
OneMain estimates that there is a $430 billion market for credit card customers with "near prime" (aka subprime, but not too "sub") credit — quite an attractive proposition for a finance company whose entire revenues over the last 12 months amounted to barely $3.4 billion. OneMain also has a guaranteed entrée into this market via its existing customer base. For example, the company received 12 million applications for personal credit over the past year, but approved loans for only 1.5 million of those applications — leaving 10.5 million potential customers who might be interested in subprime credit cards instead of loans.
In Jiao's opinion, this new credit card market "could represent quite an attractive opportunity" for OneMain. To gauge precisely how attractive, Deutsche Bank commissioned an online survey of 1,018 U.S. considers last month. Through this survey, the bank confirmed that "there is significant demand for the type of credit card product that OMF is rolling out currently" among consumers with FICO scores below 600 — and even ranging as high as 659.
This gives Jiao confidence that OMF's new card "will be met with strong customer demand as the company works towards a full rollout in FY22" — enough confidence to rate the stock a "buy." (See OMF stock analysis on TipRanks)
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Top Smart Score, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.


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BURGER giant Hungry Jack’s has cited the soaring cost of beef as one of the factors behind a shift into a new range of fried chicken burgers, launched nationally today.
The move represents the national burger giant’s first foray into fried chicken meals, in a strategy aimed at capitalising on growing demand in Australia for fried chicken and taking market share away from rival such as KFC, McDonald’s and Red Rooster.
A statement from Hungry Jack’s today said the new Jack’s Fried Chicken burger was put through over two years of rigorous testing, and will be “40 percent bigger” than its closest rival.
Hungry Jack’s says its own market research shows that the popularity of fried chicken burgers is on the rise in Australia, with its internal study of YouGov data suggesting over 2.2 million Aussies eat fried chicken several times a week or at least once a day.
It also claims a number of bizarre findings including that 21 percent of Australians “would give up sex” in order to have fried chicken.
In an interview with the Australian Financial Review Mr Cowin said the shift into fried chicken burgers was prompted by the rising popularity of chicken in Australian diets and the soaring cost of beef.
In recent years Mr Cowin has also invested in plant-based alternatives to meat, buying a stake in start-up v2foods which supplies Hungry Jack’s vegetarian Rebel Whopper.
He told AFR the Rebel Whopper had been making “steady progress” at Hungry Jack’s, but won’t bring about a transformation of the business just yet.
“It doesn’t revolutionise the business; the benefit of it is it brings a different customer” – those with a vegan diet, or wanting to eat less meat.
It remain a regular on the menu and “will continue and grow”, he said.
Hungry Jack’s three new burger flavours include Fried Chicken Spicy, Fried Chicken Classic and Fried Chicken Cheesy Bacon.
They have been trialled at selected stores in the ACT in Queanbeyan and in Goulburn in NSW for the last few months.
From today Jack’s Fried Chicken burger range is available from Hungry Jack’s 440 stores nationwide.