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Anyone who works in the mobile app development industry, whether they focus on developing iOS apps in London or launching Android apps for a US audience, knows it’s constantly changing as new trends emerge. Successful apps account for these shifts. On the other hand, apps which don’t leverage the newest technologies are less likely to impress users.
That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the following trends. They’ll play a major role in mobile app development this year.
The Rise of AI
Artificial intelligence innovations like machine learning dramatically improve the capabilities of apps. For instance, an e-commerce app equipped with AI could analyze customer behavior to recommend products an individual user might be interested in.
Surveys indicate customers want this type of personalized service. Businesses should take advantage of the opportunities provided by AI in 2019 to meet this expectation.
More Accelerated Mobile Pages
The average internet user is now more likely to browse via a mobile device than a computer. With accelerated mobile pages, developers can ensure websites perform as reliably on smartphones and tablets as they do on computers.
Augmented Reality’s Applications Expand
Augmented reality isn’t just for gaming. Although the success of Pokemon Go! proved users are interested in the potential of this tech, 2019 will prove AR has useful applications in marketing, customer service, and much more.
Wearables Offer More Features
Don’t assume wearable devices are merely useful for tracking various fitness metrics. Uber, for instance, lets users request rides via smartwatches now. As an increasing number of consumers are able to access these devices, more brands will focus on developing apps for them.
Chatbots Will Be More Commonplace
Chatbots (both text-based and voice-based) have the potential to improve mobile apps in many ways. They can handle customer service tasks, alert users when an event is triggered, facilitate improved searches, and more. Expect developers to begin experimenting with them to an even greater degree in 2019.
Mobile Wallets Will Replace Cash
Don’t expect cash and credit cards to completely disappear anytime soon. However, mobile wallets and payment options will make them less relevant.
Customers appreciate being able to purchase items with their smartphones. This year, more retailers will adapt to accept such payments to meet customer demand.
Mobile wallets and other fintech products are becoming popular very quickly. That said, they also handle sensitive user information. Coupled with recent data breaches, it’s easy to understand why developers will focus on building enhanced security measures in 2019.
Instant Apps Become More Widespread
Did you know most consumers download a grand total of zero apps each month? Convincing users to download a new app isn’t easy.
Luckily, it won’t always be necessary. Instant apps are accessible without requiring users to download them. They’re also smaller than most apps, while still performing reliably. Businesses who want to offer app-based features without asking users to download a new product will be able to leverage them accordingly.
Beacons Will Be Everywhere
Beacons are potentially very useful to organizations. They allow for location-based targeting, customer behavior monitoring, cross-selling, and much more. Businesses will want to take advantage of them in 2019, and developers will respond by creating beacon-based apps.
More On-Demand Apps
On-demand apps have dramatically impacted the way consumers do everything from scheduling a car service to ordering food. Business owners know that offering this degree of convenience is essential if they want to remain competitive. As a result, even more on-demand apps will emerge this year.
This is all good news for consumers. Developments in mobile app technology result in improved products. Thus, offering users the best service possible involves experimenting with these new innovations sooner rather than later.


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Low Gallery is joining the ranks of art spaces that are moving to more-affordable Barrio Logan.
Located in a small retail space on 30th Street in North Park for a little less than a year-and-a-half, the contemporary-art space is setting up shop at 1878 Main St. inside an old building accessible through an alleyway off Cesar E. Chavez Parkway. The building is the former home of The Roots Factory, which has set up its art and screen-printing studio at Bread & Salt in Logan Heights. The next show at Low Gallery's new location will be held on Feb. 28, during the monthly Barrio Art Crawl.
Meegan Nolan, who runs the gallery with partner Doug Trieschman, says the move is partly financial and partly a response to changing demographics.
"We wanted a bigger space and cheaper rent," Nolan says. "And I like what's going on in [Barrio Logan]. It seems like North Park just keeps on getting more and more beer bars . It's just, like, the football-watching neighborhood. That's how it started to feel, anyway. A lot of the art stuff has been moving out."
Write to email@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.org.

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WINNIPEG–Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Friday difficult economic conditions led to declines in both revenues and profits during the second quarter.
The Winnipeg-based company reported net earnings of $30.1 million or 47 cents per share, down from year-earlier profits of $38 million or 58 cents per share.
Quarterly operating revenue dropped to $464.3 million from $486.4 million the year before, with an 8.9 per cent decline in revenue from the enterprise services division offsetting a 1.4 per cent gain from the consumer markets segment.
"Our overall results reflect the impact of difficult economic conditions seen across Canada but we are well supported by a growing Manitoba business, and we have concluded key agreements on wireless which have strengthened our long-term strategic position," chief executive Pierre Blouin said in a statement. "Our predominantly Manitoba-based Consumer Markets division is providing a solid foundation for our business in challenging times, posting what we believe are best-in-class results. Our national Enterprise Solutions division xperienced more recessionary pressure in the second quarter than we anticipated at the start of the year, but it continues to be positioned to benefit from a recovery in enterprise spending once the economy improves."
The company also said it is on target to reach the lower end of its financial guidance for the year.
Manitoba Telecom is the main telephone company in Manitoba, a province that generates about 70 per cent of the company's cash flow and profits. It also owns MTS Allstream Inc., a provider of business telecom services nationally which has been restructuring its operations to cut costs.


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Drug Markets Dark Web
Gehl RW (2022) Weaving the dark web: legitimacy on Freenet, Tor, and I2P. a qualitative analysis of novel drug markets in the Nordic countries. The drugmarket's design is clunky and its pages load slowly because re-routing web traffic in such a way as to hide who's who takes time. It would also explain why, according to the Global Drug Survey and Christin's research, they are the largest share of the dark-web market. The. Drug traffickers using the dark web feel a sense of security with the anonymity to sell their poisons throughout the world, said Doug. Whether because of fentanyl adulteration or the present pandemic, buying drugs from the dark weba term for sites in the unsearchable. Before navigating markets on the dark web, you will need to install the TOR invisible to normal browsers, and notorious for hosting drug markets and.
These websites, accessible only via a browser that ensures anonymity, are used to peddle drugs, guns, hacking services and countless other. In a special section of their report, 'The dark net rising', researchers found that globally drug markets dark web per cent of participants had bought drugs off. More recently, a collaboration of the FBI, DEA, ICE, and Homeland Security Investigations has shut down two major dark web markets, AlphaBay and. It was after 2022 that the popularity of dark-web drug marketplaces began dark markets lithuania to grow in Russia. Supplying people with illegal drugs was. Hydra accounted for 80 percent of all darknet market-related cryptocurrency transactions last year, according to the drug markets dark web. Justice Department. The website made 1 billion in sales before it was shut down in a joint operation of the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Dutch police and.
How do people buy drugs on Darknet Using Darknet Markets has come more and more popular in recent years. People buy what they need on these ". Silk Road was a black market digital platform where users conducted illegal transactions like buying drugs using bitcoin. The first truly. By M Mirea 2022 Cited by 40 R11: 'Well, it is understandable when the most famous page form the Darknet is a black market, selling drugs, weapons and other illegal things. Fighting crime in the deep webgraduate degrees Norwich, Available: drug-markets-dark-web-offline-dreammarket-684064. Drug traffickers using the dark web feel a sense of security with the anonymity to sell their poisons throughout the world, said Doug. It would also explain why, dark markets liechtenstein according to the Global Drug Survey and Christin's research, they are the largest share of the dark-web market. The.
80 of all dark web market-related cryptocurrency transactions last year. and drug traffickers," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. Fighting crime in the deep webgraduate degrees Norwich, Available: drug-markets-dark-web-offline-dreammarket-684064. DarkFox Market is a new innovative dark web market. Step 3: Now click on the join button. telegram @COCAG dark web drug links 2022 news stories - get. However, many probably don't know much about the global flows dark markets latvia of drugs, weapons, and other illicit items traded on darknet marketplaces like. In a special section of their report, 'The dark net rising', researchers found that globally drug markets dark web per cent of participants had bought drugs off. Opioids, including the highly potent synthetic opioids fentanyl and carfentanil, are commonly sold on illicit cryptomarkets or Tor darknet.
The 12 dark web marketplaces surveyed by Legitscript Marketplace drug markets dark web Address Drug Listings Opiate Listings Dream Market. By A Bracci 2022 Cited by 18 The online shadow economy is as old as the Internet. The first reported illegal online deal involved drugs and took place in 1972 36. The. The offering of substances for sale online is also not new. There are many websites that list pharmaceutical drugs for sale without a. Fighting dark markets korea crime in the deep webgraduate degrees Norwich, Available: drug-markets-dark-web-offline-dreammarket-684064. How do people buy drugs on drug markets dark web Darknet Using Darknet Markets has come more and more popular in recent years. People buy what they need on these ". That means the fight against online drug sales is starting to resemble the war on drugs in the physical world: There are raids. Sites are taken.
Another study from the RAND Corporation analyzed the size and scope of the firearms trade on cryptomarkets. According to rankings by numerous dark web forums, the largest darknet markets in terms drug markets dark web of volume are the following: Dream Market, Wall Street Market, Tochka, Rapture Market, CannazonI, and Berlusconi. Australian dark web market vendor who, with the assistance of others, supplied NSW with $17m worth of imported drugs. He would then secure the transactions through sites on the Dark Web, accepting Bitcoin as payment for the pieces. He and his family were very hopeful of a pardon by Trump (whom it was reported was seriously considering it), but it didn't happen. Highlights include an API for real-time stock drug markets dark web market news data and an API for automating shipping and logistics workflows. Empire was paying a hacker $15,000 a week to leave them alone, before shutting up shop and fleeing with user funds.
“Bei den Durchsuchen in den Wohnungen der drei Männer seien die Rechner, über die die Plattform betrieben wurde, sichergestellt worden.”
Stephen A, Toubia O (2009) Explaining the power-law degree distribution in a social commerce network. Bypass Mega bandwidth limit completely given you have a VPN or are able to switch IP addresses on the fly. You know about Facebook, Google, Netflix and Amazon and maybe the millions of other websites that you can access from your usual web browser. When you visit the Torrez Market you will be redirected to another website called. Cybercriminals are no longer resorting to shotgun blast-type mass attacks in the hopes drug markets dark web someone will fall victim; they are doing their homework, choosing victims, coming up with targeted and contextual campaigns, and executing their plans. Please remember to ensure these terms are fair and reasonable for both parties. Although Terbium Labs has seen child data for sale before, researchers said this was the first time they had seen infants’ data for sale. Dream and similar markets were charged Monday with conspiracy to distribute meth, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine, U. And until the issue is resolved in the chat, the seller will not be able to receive your funds. Bavarian State Criminal Police concluded that Munich rampage-shooter David Sonboly, 18, purchased a 9mm Glock 17 through a dark web marketplace. It might not come as a surprise to learn that Google dominates almost every aspect of digital, but it’s still interesting to quantify the company’s position. Once checkedout drug markets dark web is completed you will be given a payment address and amount in BTC.
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The popularity of salad items of all shapes and sizes has some players in this segment wilting. Despite the increased competition, resilient players in this segment are starting to bloom.
Consumers' increasing interest in healthier, lighter fare translates into a growing number of salad-based chains taking root in the foodservice industry. As a result, a number of innovative salad-based restaurants have enjoyed impressive growth in recent years.
For example, Tender Greens, a fast-casual chain with eight California locations, saw unit growth of 75 percent and sales increases of almost 38 percent between 2010 and 2011, according to Technomic, a Chicago-based foodservice market research firm. Choice Greens, which has two locations in Tucson, Ariz., experienced a 23 percent sales increase during this period. Another success story is Snappy Salads, which has two sites in Dallas and one in Plano, Texas. This salad and wrap restaurant grew sales 17 percent from 2010 to 2011.
Despite these results and consumers' strong interest in better-for-you menu items, the salad segment of the restaurant community is not as green as it could be. "The soup-and-salad category has not been a growth area," says Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst for New York City-based NPD Group, a market research firm. "Starting in the last four years, traffic has been on the decline. Even though QSR visits are up 1 percent, restaurant visits are flat overall."
Main-dish salad sales at fast-food restaurants rose 7 percent in 2011 with the introduction of new items, but went up only about 1 percent in the year ending June 2012, according to NPD Group. Increased competition from fast-casual and other fast-food chains continues to impact growth in this area. One reason for the lagging sales is the fact that consumers still seek value in this tough economic climate. This translates into people becoming more discriminating in terms of service. "Self-serve salad bar restaurants charge close to $8, while consumers can purchase a salad at a fast-casual chain and get waited on for the same price. Also, fast-food restaurants are offering nice salads for half of this price," Riggs says.
In addition, consumers continue to become smarter and more sophisticated in their pursuit of healthier meal options. "People have come to realize that salads can easily end up containing a lot of calories," Riggs says. "Everyone wants to get their money's worth, [but in this case it may be at the expense of a healthier meal]."
NPD Group has noted the impact of population trends on this segment as well. Baby boomers, for instance, visit restaurants more than other groups, according to NPD Group. "This demographic is going for lighter options, food that can be shared or downsized entrées," Riggs says. "These consumers are not taking advantage of salad bar-type restaurants because they feel they are not getting their money's worth."
Members of the Millennial generation, now moving into their heaviest restaurant-using years, seek fresh ingredients, quality food and balanced food groups, reports NPD Group. Yet, like baby boomers, this group is not inclined to patronize salad bar-type eateries, because they pay more attention to portion sizes. "The challenge for salad bar-type restaurants is the increased competition and the composition of the population," Riggs says.
An NPD Group study examining the decline of combo meals revealed that consumers across all age groups prefer to order one or two smaller items as opposed to a full meal. This is in line with the trend toward more snacking and eating on the run.
"There is an opportunity to develop quality salad dishes that are low in fat and calories," Riggs says. "The industry has come a long way in terms of creating healthier food that tastes good. In the end, it's all about pricing and positioning."


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Apple is #4 in Barron's 500 for 2011
Earlier we told you that Apple claimed the #35 spot on the 2011 Fortune 500 list. That's pretty impressive in and of itself, but what's even more impressive is that Apple sits at #4 on the Barron's 500 list of America's top companies that was released last week. The rise to the fourth spot means Apple shot up 55 places over last year's position.
Unlike Fortune, which ranks companies solely by revenues, Barron's assembles its list based on factors such as revenues, cash returns, management strategies, and operating successes.
Barron's Jacqueline Doherty writes of Apple's 4th placement: "Apple, ranked No. 4 this year...has generated stellar sales growth and handsome profits from the iPod, iPhone and related products, and its shares have rallied 321%, to 347, since the stock market bottomed in March 2009. Yet the stock, which trades for only 12.2 times next year's expected earnings, still isn't richly valued."
The three companies that came in before Apple were Fidelity National Information Services, a payments processor, at #3; jelly maker J.M. Smucker at No. 2; and Oshkosh, a truck maker, at #1.
[via Apple 2.0]
Software Updatesmore updates
- Apple Remote Desktop updated with Yosemite support
- OS X Yosemite 10.10.2, iOS 8.1.3 updates now available
- Sports Illustrated 120 SPORTS channel comes to Apple TV
- Logic Pro X update brings AirDrop support, new effects, tools, and more
- Parallels Access 2.5 released, adds file manager, computer-to-computer remote access
- The Google Translate iOS app is about to get a lot smarter


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Campaign Seeks to Turn Kosher Foods Mainstream
By Stuart Elliott
THE NEW YORK TIMES
The leading marketer of kosher foods, Manischewitz, is expanding efforts to reach mainstream shoppers with what the company is calling its first campaign aimed at the general market as well as at consumers who traditionally buy kosher products for religious reasons.
The multimillion-dollar campaign, now under way, carries the theme “Simply Manischewitz.” It includes online advertising, at manischewitz.com and Web sites like foodnetwork.com; ads in a general-market publication, Cooking Light magazine; ads sent to consumers as e-mail messages; and a cook-off with prizes provided by a mainstay brand, General Electric.
The campaign is being created for Manischewitz, part of the RAB Food Group, by Joseph Jacobs Advertising in New York, the Manischewitz agency for three decades, and IMC, an interactive agency in Holmdel, N.J. The goal is to encourage consumers to ask grocers and other retailers to stock Manischewitz items not in the smaller kosher sections of stores, but in the more heavily trafficked aisles devoted to broad product categories like soup, crackers, noodles, sauces and candy.
Kenneth Lay, Former Chief of Enron, Dies at 64
By Jeremy W. Peters and Simon Romero
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Kenneth L. Lay, the former chairman and chief executive of Enron who was convicted of fraud and conspiracy in the giant energy company’s collapse, died Wednesday at his home in Aspen, Colo. He was 64.
A spokeswoman for the Lay family, Kelly L. Kimberly, confirmed reports of Lay’s death but declined to discuss specifics. In a prepared statement, Kimberly said: “Ken Lay passed away early this morning in Aspen. The Lays have a very large family with whom they need to communicate. And out of respect for the family, we will release further details at a later time.”
Lay was convicted in May on six counts of fraud and conspiracy and four counts of bank fraud, and was free on a $5 million bond while awaiting his sentencing, which was scheduled for this fall.
Each count carried a maximum sentence of 5 to 10 years, so he faced the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
Israelis and Palestinians Fight Fiercely in Gaza
By Steven Erlanger and Greg Myre
THE NEW YORK TIMES BEIT LAHIYA, GAZA STRIP
Israeli troops and Palestinian militants waged their most intense battles Thursday since Israel re-entered the Gaza Strip last week to secure the release of a captured soldier and stop rocket fire into Israel.
At least 12 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed in sometimes fierce fighting involving shootouts, artillery fire and airstrikes. Most of the deaths were in northern Gaza, although two Palestinian militants were killed in southern Gaza.
After days of sporadic clashes, Israeli forces pushed further into northern Gaza, moving south from the destroyed former Israeli settlements to the outskirts of Beit Lahiya, in the northwestern corner of Gaza, where Palestinian fighters had been preparing earth barricades, explosive charges and shooting positions.
Israel’s defense minister, Amir Peretz, said that although Israel pulled out of Gaza last year, “no one should see that as a guarantee that we cannot reach territory in which we feel we have no choice but to operate.”
Heavy fighting erupted in and around Beit Lahiya, especially in the western neighborhoods of Atatrah and Salatin, closer to the sea.


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Kathmandu: Realme, a smartphone brand, has announced that their upcoming flagship smartphone will support the 240W fastest charging speed under Type- C standard.
Realme will be the industry’s first smartphone brand to launch 240W fast charging technology globally, it said.
“The cutting-edge charging solution is set to ensure safe and fast charging, enhancing the overall user experience. Innovative 240W charging architecture features a safe, low-voltage charging solution supported with a super high power conversion rate of 98.7%. Taking a leap ahead realme would also be launching the world’s first 12A charging cable, the highest standard cable in the industry and the world’s first 240W dual GaN charging solution,” it said in a statement.
“Realme is taking fast charging to another level, following its spree of offering the best in fast charging technology. Introducing fast charging to the mid-range segment, realme came up with 67W fast charging in 2021 with its number series. realme was also the first brand in the industry to introduce 150W fast charging in early 2022 with one of the most popular realme GT Neo 3, achieving a groundbreaking 20-minute charging time from 0 to 100%,” the statement reads.


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“The allegations are disturbing,” a Mercedes spokeswoman, Donna Boland, said in a blunt statement after the company pulled its “O’Reilly Factor” ads. “Given the importance of women in every aspect of our business, we don’t feel this is a good environment in which to advertise our products right now.”
Lost revenue is one matter and tarnished reputation another. If the financial fallout from the O’Reilly backlash was relatively minor — many advertisers simply shifted their spending to other Fox News programs — it was difficult to ignore the public image of at least 50 major brands withdrawing support from the network’s most popular host.
Companies are “a bit on edge about how they engage and react in this moment,” said Rashad Robinson, executive director of Color of Change, an online racial justice group that encouraged its million-plus members to protest Mr. O’Reilly’s behavior.
“On the one hand, they’re trying to reach a broad audience, and on the other, they’re trying to maintain a loyal consumer base and loyal employees,” he said in an interview. “Placing their brands next to figures or platforms that don’t have to adhere to the same standards their employees do can often lead to problems.”
Numerous social-media-savvy groups are capitalizing on that to potent effect, both to expose where advertisers are placing their ads and to mobilize people into registering their concerns. The online boycott campaign #GrabYourWallet, aimed at brands tied to President Trump, has pressured companies like Nordstrom and T.J. Maxx to stop carrying products connected to Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter.
Uber, the popular ride-sharing app, came under fire after accusations that it tried to profit from a protest against President Trump’s executive order barring refugees and immigrants from certain countries from entering the United States. A trending hashtag, #DeleteUber, prompted thousands of users to dump the app; Uber’s chief executive later stepped down from a position on Mr. Trump’s economic advisory council.
In interviews, leaders of the online campaign to topple Mr. O’Reilly said they believed that while Fox News management would stand behind its star anchor, the network might be vulnerable to other pressures. Shareholders and the executives at its multinational parent company, 21st Century Fox, could be more attuned to the consequences of a large-scale advertising strike.
“You need to be able to mobilize supporters to mount enough public pressure that they feel they need to respond,” Angelo Carusone, the president of the liberal website Media Matters and a veteran of…


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The Huawei Mate 9 is still fresh in everyone’s mind, but that doesn’t mean that the ambitious smartphone maker isn’t working on their successor to the P9 – a phone with the dual 12MP Leica cameras on back, a powerful Kirin 955 chipset under the hood and 3GB of RAM inside – which has sold 9 million units in just 8 months.
Huawei has likely been working on the P10 for months if not years, at this point. As smartphones are generally worked on for at least a year or more, before they are actually made public. The latest information comes to us via GFXBench listings, where a Huawei LON-L29 smartphone has been spotted.
At first glance, the Huawei LON-L29 smartphone looks quite similar to what the Huawei Mate 9 offers. However, it features a smaller screen size. The smartphone which is expected to release as the Huawei P10 runs the Android 7.0 Nougat below the EMUI. The device offers the users with a 5.5 inched, QHD display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution. The Kirin 960 chipset is under the hood with an octa-core 2.3GHz CPU and the Mali G-71 GPU. 6GB of RAM is inside along with 256GB of native storage.
Huawei has said that you don’t need a QHD display on a smartphone, other than for virtual reality – even though they used one on the PORSCHE DESIGN Mate 9 earlier this month. So this could mean that they are looking to jump into virtual reality next year.
A 12MP rear-facing camera and an 8MP front shooter is included, although there is no indication that the phone will carry a dual-camera setup like the P9 does.
Huawei typically releases the P-series devices around the March-April time. We can expect the smartphone to release around the March of 2017. It could possibly be announced at the Mobile World Congress which is expected to be held late February.
The Huawei P9 is still selling well – it sold 3 million units in last two months – and Huawei just launched the Huawei Mate 9 which was well received, and did not blow up. Hence, Huawei has no reason to rush out the P10. Most likely, we will see the next model in the series unveiled in late March or early April next year.
Oh and as to why this LON-29 is supposed to be the Huawei P10, the Huawei P9 had the model number LON-19. Huawei has plans to overthrow Apple from the second spot within two years, and Huawei will need its momentum. However, with the iPhone 8 next year expected to bring along some big changes, we will have to wait and see how things unfold.


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Apple market director Jason Barlia has confirmed the company's plans to open a retail store at the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in Lower Manhattan, according to CNET. The store will be located in the Oculus transit and retail complex, and it is expected to open later this year.
The location will mark Apple's tenth retail store in New York City after its first Brooklyn store opens in Williamsburg this Saturday. Apple has another six stores in Manhattan, one in Queens, and one on Staten Island. The Bronx is the only borough that remains without an Apple Store within New York City limits.
Apple's plans to open a retail store at the new World Trade Center have been rumored since 2013, and an alteration permit confirmed the company's construction plans earlier this year. The store is said to be situated at the underground level, and it will reportedly span two floors with up to 10,000 square feet of space each.
Update: Apple plans to open its World Trade Center retail store on August 16, the latest projected opening date of the Oculus complex, according to multiple sources.
Top Rated Comments
Have you even been to the memorial site? (serious question)
[doublepost=1469744527][/doublepost] MOST of those skyscrapers existed prior to 9/11, and simply weren't brought down in the attack, or subsequently due to collateral damage. Where do you draw the line with your solution? Do you lower the entirety of Manhattan out of "respect to the victims?"
The best response to terrorism is to rebuild, bigger, stronger and more grandiose. Memorials are fine, but it shouldn't look like we're wallowing in sadness 15 years on. That just sends the message that their attack had an impact, and encourages more.
Here in the humble UK we pretty much have one per city, excluding London. Though our cities must seem like quaint villages :D


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Read Intego’s latest articles about ransomware on Apple devices.
A Dutch hacker has come up with a novel way to make a few euros. Realizing that jailbroken iPhones are generally accessible via ssh, he “breaks into” them, then sends an SMS alert to their owners, telling them the phones are insecure. For 5 euros, he’ll be happy to tell them how to secure their phones.
A bit of background. For those unfamiliar with the term “jailbreak”, it simply means exploiting a weakness in the iPhone so users can install unapproved applications. (Read Wikipedia’s explanation.) Many users do this to get access to iPhone apps that Apple won’t approve. When an iPhone is jailbroken, ssh, or secure shell, access is available over a network. However, this access uses a default password that most users don’t change. Since this password is easy to find (Google is your friend), it’s a cinch for anyone to hack into a jailbroken iPhone, if they can find it.
So this Dutch hacker “used port scanning to identify jailbroken iPhones on T-mobile Netherlands with SSH running,” according to an Ars Technica article that links to a Dutch-language forum thread explaining the trick. In other words, the hacker just scanned as many phones as he could find, and, in so doing, found those that were jailbroken.
He then directs users, by sending them an SMS, to a web page, where he asks 5 euros for instructions on how to make the phone more secure. This is not technically “ransomware” – malware that usually encrypts files, then asks a user to pay to get a password to get access to the files again – but it’s close.
This is not a complicated task. As Ars Technica says:
security researchers have done similar port scanning in the past, and downloaded users’ SMS databases as a “proof of concept.” However, this is the first time that it seems the technique has been used in the wild. It’s worth noting that the technique is fairly trivial and could be done by anyone with even a modicum of networking know-how.
So, if you have jailbroken your iPhone, you would do well to change the default ssh password. Again, Google will help you perform this simple operation. If you don’t, any enterprising hacker can get access to everything your phone contains. You don’t want that to happen…
How can I learn more?
Each week on the Intego Mac Podcast, Intego’s Mac security experts discuss the latest Apple news, security and privacy stories, and offer practical advice on getting the most out of your Apple devices. Be sure to follow the podcast to make sure you don’t miss any episodes!
You can also subscribe to our e-mail newsletter and keep an eye here on The Mac Security Blog for the latest Apple security and privacy news. And don’t forget to follow Intego on your favorite social media channels:


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Illustration: Nick Liefhebber
Aether uses CO2 sucked from the air to create their diamonds, providing the industry's most ethical alternative available to date.Spotted: Aether, a NYC-based startup, is creating what may be the world’s first carbon-negative diamonds.
From worker exploitation to deforestation and water pollution, traditional diamond mining is fraught with issues. Even lab-grown diamonds, which are marketed as a more ethical alternative, are typically made from fossil fuels.
Pioneering carbon-capture technology is used to pull C02 from the atmosphere, with multiple machines located on the rooftop of a power-generating waste incineration plant. After this, Aether refines it so that it can be used in a reactor and then turned into a diamond over the course of two or three weeks.
A two-carat Aether diamond can offset an impressive two and a half years’ worth of the average American’s emissions (on average, the carbon footprint in the U.S. is around 16 tons). However, the startup will incorporate the diamonds into a new line of fine jewellery with the aim to appeal to consumers based on design — not only because of their environmental message.
“We want to make sure that this is something that you’d buy on its face, just because of the way it looks, because of the way it makes you feel. The environmental element to this is really kind of the icing on the cake. Because at the end of the day, most Americans – most people in general – don’t know their carbon footprint,” said CEO Ryan Shearman.
Aether will start with limited production but believes the process will scale. The company will launch first with a waitlist and plans to begin selling products by the beginning of 2021.
From here onwards, every year there will be fewer and fewer diamonds produced through traditional mining methods. New mines are low in capacity, of short lifespan and are few in numbers. According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, compared to around 50 active mines available for production today, approximately only 15 new mines are expected to become operational in the next 40 years. Whilst we have a declining supply of mined diamonds, there is a growing demand for diamonds in general. For companies such as Climeworks, diamonds offer a financially attractive market. However, direct air capture is still a costly way of capturing carbon -- particularly compared to planting trees. Subsidies and further technological investment are needed.
Written By: Katrina Lane
16th October 2020


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With the advent of platforms like ChatGPT and MidJourney, the volume of AI-generated text and images circulating online has exploded, raising concerns over the spread of false information. Meanwhile, publishers are increasingly focused on securing their intellectual property rights in the face of AI models trained using content scraped from the web.
Contemporary AI impacts producers and consumers of digital media in different ways, but all parties are united by the need for greater trust and transparency. In an effort to counter AI-generated fake news and help content owners retain control of their digital assets, Fox Corporation and Polygon Labs have developed Verify – an open-source protocol that records the provenance and ownership history of text and images on-chain.
For each piece of content registered with Verify, the platform issues a digital token referencing the content itself alongside any additional metadata. Tokens can then be bound to smart contract licenses that let publishers set conditions for how the content is accessed. For example, the smart contract could specify rules governing the use of copyright-protected text and images.
Verify’s developers conceive these programmable licenses as a way for publishers to manage how automatic web scrapers access their content. As well as helping to ensure text and images are properly referenced, Verify smart contracts could also create new commercial opportunities for media publishers whose digital content is routinely scraped for use as AI training data.
With firms like OpenAI crawling huge swathes of the internet to feed their AI models’ insatiable appetite for content, for media outlets like Fox, smart contracts that automatically manage access rights offer a new way to generate revenue from digital assets.
The emergence of tools like Verify reflects a pattern of online publishers staking a claim to the wealth generated by AI developers whose products are often built using huge databases of copyright-protected material.
For example, the New York Times recently sued OpenAI for using its articles to train the large language models (LLM) that power ChatGPT.
Accusing the technology firm of seeking to “free-ride” on the Times’ journalism, the lawsuit could potentially reshape the news industry’s relationship with AI developers. As the two companies prepare for a legal showdown, the case poses the question of whether or not using copyrighted material to train AI models should be considered fair use.
Of course, tracking the ownership and control of digital media isn’t just important for publishers looking to protect their business interests and intellectual property rights. It is also a concern for readers, listeners and viewers who want to identify whether a given source is trustworthy or not.
Blockchain platforms that use digital certificates to track goods as they change hands from one party to another have been used to verify the authenticity and provenance of everything from coffee beans to artworks , leveraging the immutability of on-chain records to increase transparency and trust.
Expanding the concept to digital media, Verify was developed against the backdrop of an online mediascape that has been rocked by the rise of fake news and AI-generated content in recent years. Using the new tool, “readers will know for sure that an article or image that purportedly comes from a publisher in fact originated at the source,” a Polygon blog post explained.
Ultimately, such tools connect users’ need to verify the source and authenticity of content they discover online with the interests of publishers seeking more control over the use and distribution of their intellectual property. As AI continues to transform the digital realm, blockchains could play an important role in the emerging economy of authenticity, where original works of human creativity are increasingly valuable.


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When word of union organizing reached the higher ups at Starbucks, they did what many large employers don’t even attempt to do: they turned on a charm offensive. Compensation for front-line workers started to increase, and the company directed their managers to meet with employees to see what they wanted.
“The workers told them they wanted a union,” says the local labor attorney coordinating the legal side of the effort to organize Starbucks’ workers in Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii. When the company replied, in effect, “No, no what do you really want?” the new breed of Millennial/Gen Z front- line staffers replied again, “We want a union.”
The lawyer that Philadelphia-based Workers United union hired to assume this role in the Northwest (and to deal directly with Starbucks Corporate here) is Dmitri Iglitzin. Iglitzin is a seasoned local labor attorney and a partner at the firm of Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt, well respected by the local labor community. As general counsel for the Washington State Labor Council, he has represented local, regional, and national unions for more than 25 years, including the Teamsters, longshore and maritime unions, teachers’ unions, the Service Employees International Union, the Machinists union, the Newspaper Guild, and others.
He is known to be “realistic” with his clients regarding the difficult legal hurdles facing unions who wish to “organize the unorganized.” But in a recent interview, Iglitzin was almost giddy with optimism regarding the Starbucks drive.
“This isn’t a case of a big union sending in paid organizing staff to meet with workers to get them to sign up. These workers are organizing themselves. The union doesn’t even have a structural presence in the Northwest. They are organized into districts in other parts of the country, but out here there is no structure and no paid staff,” Iglitzin said. “So, when they contacted me to help out the organizing efforts that were popping up in the Northwest and Hawaii, I discovered that they are relying entirely on the workers at the many Starbucks stores that are located here to self-organize.”
“I have to say, it’s extremely exciting to see these employees take matters into their own hands. When Starbucks’ charm offensive didn’t work, Starbucks did a 180-degree turn and tried to weed out the activists through counseling, warnings, and terminations,” Iglitzin commented.
“And they have offered a smorgasbord of benefits to non-union workers, while declaring that unionized workers won’t get those benefits. These actions could slow down or deter organizing locally and nationally.”
“But, I’ve never seen this level of determination in such a diverse workforce,” Iglitzin continued. “As of the end of July, Workers United had won 199 elections and been certified by the National Labor Relations Board as the union representing workers at 187 of those stores. Many more stores are in the process of unionizing.”
When asked if the union had reached any first contracts to represent workers, he conceded, “No, no not even close to that. We’re struggling to get them to the table. At the Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Capitol Hill, in fact, Starbucks is refusing to even acknowledge that the workers won their election, although the Labor Board rejected all of Starbucks’ appeals. We will likely have to wait for a three-judge panel of the United State Court of Appeals to rule on the case before Starbucks agrees to come to the table.”
But what about other locations? “Oh, at most (but not all) stores where the workers win their election, Starbucks is accepting the election results and telling us they are looking forward to bargaining. But they haven’t actually agreed to provide us any dates for bargaining, virtually or in person. That will be the next legal hurdle — actually getting them to bargain.”
Unions typically avoid store-by-store organizing due to the level of resources required to manage a campaign at each location. “Yes, it’s not typical for a union to focus on location-by-location organizing, when each individual location is as small as a typical Starbucks café or drive-through store. But again the employees are taking matters into their own hands. They aren’t waiting for a union organizer to come around to meet with them, and they are not asking permission. They are organizing themselves and then taking their overwhelming interest to the union. This is very different from what labor is used to.”
Isn’t the typical labor strategy with big national corporations to put enough pressure on the company in enough places that they finally agree to a master contract? “Sure, in my opinion, that would be a fantastic outcome, but we are a long way from getting there. Look, Starbucks is in the Five Stages of Grief — you know, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.
“Their denial stage was when they just couldn’t believe that their employees might actually try to improve their wages and working conditions; that resulted in Starbucks trying to sweet talk the employees. That didn’t accomplish anything, so now we’re at the anger stage, where Starbucks is lashing out, threatening and firing workers for having had the temerity to stand up for themselves. We need to force them to start bargaining so they can deal with the depression and get on with acceptance.
“But we are making some progress. In the recent store closures around Seattle, where Starbucks had declared that it was shutting down two unionized stores — one at 505 Union Station, one located on Olive Way — they actually met with us in person to bargain the effects on displaced employees. It took 14 ½ hours, but we reached an agreement that worked for the workers – and, we think, worked for Starbucks. So, hopefully, Starbucks will start to realize that it can have a genuine and productive partnership with Workers United and the workers we represent. It doesn’t have to be a war.”
What are the prospects going forward? “Well, we’ll have to see how management handles things once [CEO Howard] Schultz moves on. Hopefully, management will give a lot of consideration to the damage its knee-jerk opposition to unionization is doing to its hard-won reputation as a progressive company that treats not only its customers, but also its employees, with the respect they deserve.”
One has to wonder if there will be more grassroots organizing in other places, and at other companies. Amazon, REI, and Apple are all locked in their own battles with ground-up organizing drives. As this younger generation confronts the fallacy of “educate your way to prosperity,” perhaps old-fashioned union organizing will restore the economic vitality of blue collar workers. Coffee’s on! Stay tuned.


text: At the end of last year, China became the world’s second largest diamond consuming market. More Chinese people not only buy diamonds as a luxury, but also hold them as an investment. In the international market, the price of white diamonds has increased around 160% in the past ten years. But in China, prices of some diamonds in retail stores have remained almost unchanged compared to a decade ago. Michael Huang from Diamond Index Group says that since diamond prices are US Dollar denominated, the gradual increase of the exchange rate of the Renminbi against the US dollar is part of the reason that diamond prices in China have increased only slightly in recent years. But things have been different for the past several days. "In the past several days, the Renminbi has depreciated against the US dollar. As far as I know, the prices of some diamonds have already increased 5% over the several past days," Huang said.


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Email Us info[at]evirtualsummits.com
Call Us 646-480-0124
A Digital Marketing Event Exclusively for B2B Businesses
The future of customer experience is waiting for you.
IT Modernization Summit as they discuss ongoing efforts in federal IT modernization,
REDESIGNING WORK, REIMAGINING POTENTIAL
Navigating a Digital World 2.0
Meeting Challenges Head On: Maryland Nurses Respond
The Summit of the Americas in April 2021 will deliver exactly that, building on the successful virtual formula adopted at the inaugural Virtual Travel Retail Expo in October 2020.
Tap into Resilience


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Lake Geneva Getaway Package Being Auctioned Off on Thursday, Dec. 11
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
by Ana Carolina Jorge
According to the Lake Geneva Visitor Center, other than the requirement to wear masks, it is basically business as usual around town. That’s great news for those of us tempted to bid on the Lake Geneva Getaway that will be auctioned off live at the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s Virtual Fundraiser Auction this Thursday, Dec. 10, from 7-8 p.m.
The small town of Lake Geneva, less than 90 miles from Chicago’s northwestern border, boasts a wealth of activities that conform to basic safety measures during this pandemic. The weekend stay at Bella Vista Suites in Lake Geneva affords an opportunity to get out of your own shelter for a couple of days, and seek out new pleasures for a change. The winning bidder will also get a bottle of wine from Studio Winery and a gift certificate to Tuscan Tavern and Grill.
With a privileged central location, Bella Vista Suites provides a number of amenities to enhance your Lake Geneva experience, including spectacular views of the park or the lake, fully equipped rooms, a private pier on Geneva Lake, a swimming pool and a spa.
While hunkered down safely in your Bella Vista condo, you will have numerous options to explore the town. The local tourist website lists the various attractions in the area: beaches, family activities, adventure, golf courses, orchards and farms, parks and nature areas, hiking, biking, camps, retreats, rentals (boats, bikes, scooters, classic cars), resorts, laser tag, paintball, winter activities, water parks, a Clue Room, even hot air balloon rides and a safari. Thrill seekers can take yet another short trip to the Milwaukee area and go skydiving.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lake Geneva, like most places, is under some restrictions that have affected local businesses and tourists. Wisconsin currently requires the use of masks indoors and in enclosed spaces. Outdoor bars and restaurants, taxis and ride-share vehicles, public transportation, as well as outdoor park structures, stadiums or bleacher seating and boats open to the public are all considered enclosed spaces.
Still, a visit to Lake Geneva promises to be memorable. The Geneva Lake Shore Path, a must see, is open--visitors are just asked to follow social distancing guidelines. The winter Ice Castles, according to the Chicago Tribune, will open for the winter 2020-2021 season with safety precautions.
Of course, certain activities, like the ziplines and the ski slopes are seasonal, but beautiful and calm lakeshore walks and scenic sunsets over the lake…those you enjoy any day of the year.
The Lake Geneva Getaway package is one of three offerings being auctioned off during the Zoom fundraising event on Thursday. In addition, a spectacular custom-framed, signed Tony Fitzpatrick print will go to the highest bidder, as will an opportunity to get a cooking lesson from world class author Vu Tran, along with a signed copy of his novel Dragonfish.
Ana Carolina Jorge is a recent graduate of DePaul University with a Master’s degree in Writing and Publishing, specializing in non-fiction writing. She is currently doing an internship with the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.


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The M@dison Block was announced Monday night by some of Detroit’s business leaders. The block consists of 26 start-up companies in a state-of-the-art hub that promotes innovation and creativity which will hopefully provide a spark to the Detroit economy. It represents a hope that many have for the city of Detroit. That hope stems from the attempt to diversify the businesses in the area, moving away from the traditional auto industry that has defined the Motor City for decades.
Tag Archives | Detroit Venture Partners
Tune into WJR 760-AM tonight at 7 p.m. for an hour of Motor City love. We’ve got a great lineup tonight, so don’t miss out! Here’s a quick rundown of tonight’s show.
This is pretty simple. Yahoo! recently announced they are laying off over 2,000 employees. We recently announced we are hiring. So, why not get the folks from Yahoo! on a plane and get them them a job here?
Today, we officially took the wraps off the M@dison building, an entrepreneurial hub of creative and technology companies committed to ”WEBward” Avenue — a digital and web centered corridor of growth and activity.
Magic Johnson and Dan Gilbert Take the Winning Shot in Our Latest Commercial from Detroit: Watch-It Wednesday
From Motown to Your Town, Earvin “Magic” Johnson is taking the winning shot with Android phones in our latest promotion alongside Dan Gilbert and Jay Farner!
There’s Magic in the air in Detroit. Check out this week’s Watch-It Wednesday clip to find out about Magic Johnson teaming up with Quicken Loans and Detroit Venture Partners!


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TN cabinet approves ordinance to ban online gaming - Chennai News
by IANS | Updated Sep 26, 2022
The Madras High Court had struck down the state's ban on online games like rummy and poker with stakes, and the Tamil Nadu government had then appealed to the Supreme Court.
The state government had told the apex court stated that teenagers and youths were losing their entire earnings and savings by indulging in online games. In its petition, it also said that while rummy could be considered a game with skills, by placing stakes, it had turned into gambling.
The state government had constituted a committee headed by Madras High Court's retired judge, Justice K. Chandru to study the adverse effects of online games. The committee had submitted its report to the Chief Minister in two weeks, recommending a ban on online games with stakes.
The committee also recommended that the state government ban advertisements that encourage people to play such online games. Justice Chandru committee, in its report, also asked the state government to insist on the Union government enact a national-level law against online gaming with stakes under Article 252 of the Constitution.


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· UWS chocolate store Scharffen Berger has closed [Shophound]
· Paltry $125.1 million worth of art sold at latest Sotheby’s auction [NYT]
· How New Jersey mall owners plan to survive the holiday season [NYT]
· American Apparel's Dov Charney hit with another lawsuit [NYP]
· Henri Bendel has opened a series of accessories stores [WWD, subscription req]
· Roundup of chain stores killed by the economy [Labelscar]
For more stories from Racked, go to racked.com.


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SAN ANTONIO, TX — Tejano Nation, the news and media company dedicated to promoting and preserving Tejano culture, announces a partnership with Elicio Leal – Marketing Artists Promotions for national sales and marketing to develop new business opportunities and create customized solutions for clients of Tejano Nation’s digital, broadcast and podcast media.
E.L. MAP will maximize Tejano Nation’s connection to a growing audience to offer strong, meaningful solutions for corporate supporters. Tejano Nation is the primary provider of news in digital and broadcast programming to affiliated radio stations across the United States and produces a robust roster of original content, programs, podcasts, and events dedicated to Tejano music and culture.
E.L. MAP CEO Elicio Leal commented, “National advertisers kept overlooking our Tejano radio stations. Not because we didn’t work or produce results; but because we lost our collective voice. Now, E.L. MAP is that voice! We are Tejano and Proud.”
With the new partnership, Tejano Nation will benefit from the 23 years of sales and marketing expertise Leal has in broadcast and digital media. As an industry leader, Leal currently represents top Hispanic media talent, including Tejano Nation radio host Romeo, and the biggest cultural events in Texas and around the country.
“The continuous growth of the Tejano Nation audience gives a great opportunity for companies to present their brands and products with many customized solutions,” said John Henry Medina, Tejano Nation Digital Managing Editor. “We are excited to partner with E.L. MAP and give clients a significant return on investment for supporting Tejano Nation’s original content via our various platforms.”
Call Elicio Leal at 469.496.8081 or email at firstname.lastname@example.org to advertise or sponsor with Tejano Nation today!
About EL MAP
E.L. MAP is a full-service marketing company founded in 2022 by award-winning sales and marketing specialist Elicio Leal with over 23 years of creativity and media sales experience that has developed multi-touchpoint sales-driven marketing campaigns for a multitude of prominent brands and companies. www.el-map.com.
Follow Tejano Nation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with everything Tejano. Listen to new Tejano music first with our playlists on Spotify and podcast on iHeartRadio.
Los Arcos Hermanos Peña to be Official Showcase Artists at 2022 Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City
West Texas family band to perform at world’s largest gathering of folk musicians and industry on Thursday, May 19, 2022
The TelevisaUnivision program will include musical tributes and stories of her life.
The risk of dementia is lower among people who adhere to these healthy habits


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VMS gains traction in acute needs spaces, natural
Consumers want results from the dietary supplement category.
That’s great news for retailers who benefit from the category’s steady sales, good margins and strong price points. But it also puts pressure on merchants to have a solid assortment of products, featuring a combination of today’s trendy items, the old favorites and some items for specific ailments and remedies.
In the end, the VMS category remains a key component of any retailer’s healthcare section, and retailers are well aware that they need to constantly fine-tune the section to maximize sales and profits. The opportunity, many have said, will only increase in the near future.
“Due to high healthcare costs and an increased emphasis on preventive care, consumers are spending increasing amounts on vitamins and dietary supplements in addition to their regular foods to maintain their health,” said Patricia Jones, general manager of sales at Mason Vitamins. “With an increased interest in healthy lifestyles, consumers continue to expand their consumption of vitamins and dietary supplements, particularly those targeted at systemic benefits like digestive health, immune system fortification, vitality and longevity.”
The best news is that it is not just older consumers who are buying into the supplement category. “Younger generations, including millennials, are taking a proactive interest in their health and are increasingly driving sales in the health-and-wellness industry,” Jones said. While millennials trail boomers in overall supplement use, an estimated 73% of adults ages 25-to-34 years old regularly take vitamin and mineral supplements. “Consumer research indicates that consumers of all ages are increasingly seeking out natural supplements to maximize their health and stay youthful.”
Those shoppers are hungry for supplement knowledge, suppliers said. “Consumers are more engaged in their health than ever before and want to create tailored regimens to address individual needs,” said Olly’s supplement brand manager Jessica Heitz. “Specifically, supplements that address acute need states like sleep, energy and stress are driving trial with new consumers. With respect to sleep supplements, millennials believe that sleep is a foundational pillar of health routines and are thus driving category growth. We expect the sleep category and other acute need states to continue to grow.”
That sleep opportunity, in particular, is representative of the trend toward natural. Many consumers who are tired of those same old OTC products and their associated side effects are finding relief in the VMS space. “Natural products are ideal because the consumer is currently looking for these products. Many of the old sleep brands are sleepy, and haven’t adjusted to the consumer trends,” said Jim Lacey, CEO of Healthy Ventures. “Increasing the space of natural sleep aids [and] decreasing some space for underperforming SKU’s of synthetic products will provide an excellent variety of products for the retailer’s shelf space.”
When those customers get to the supplement aisle, ingredient transparency across brands is becoming more and more important, putting pressure on suppliers to ensure they are educating both shoppers and retailers about their items. “There are a lot of proprietary blends out there and people really don’t know what they are truly getting out of a product, and if it is even an efficacious dose,” said Ben Benedict, national sales manager at Nutrex. “The supplement consumer is far more educated than what they used to be. More people are health conscious and are not only starting supplement regiments, but also making lifestyle changes. They are more conscious of what they are putting in their bodies and [subsequently] reading more labels.”
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Anglo African Agriculture's wholly owned spice manufacturing business, Dynamic Intertrade, has won a significant contract to supply a custom blended spice product to a leading South African food manufacturer for the 2017 calendar year.
The contract award calls for Dynamic Intertrade to supply up to 300 tonnes of specialty spices throughout the year.
This order is subject to supply chain volumes from the purchaser.
Chairman David Lenigas said: "This is a tremendous achievement for AAAP and a significant boost for the business as the company moves in to the 2017 year.
"Our outstanding service over the past year to this particular blue chip customer, coupled with excellent quality controls and the fact that AAAP's facilities are FSSC accredited cemented this achievement.
"This order now places the company in a good position to exceed last financial year's c.1,000 tonnes sold."
At 9:36am: (LON:AAAP) Anglo African Agriculture Plc Ord 0.1p share price was +0.3p at 1.65p


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The Eastman Kodak Company announced yesterday that it would pay $56.1 million for 51 percent of the CPI Corporation's Fox Photo Film unit, a chain of 550 photo-finishing stores. ''This gives us a core of stores that we can use to launch a retail identity program throughout the country,'' Jerome W. Johnson, general manager of Kodak's domestic Consumer Imaging business, said.
The deal will give CPI the financial resources to keep up with photo-finishing technologies. ''It requires extraordinary investments to be a major player in today's photo-finishing industry,'' said Alyn V. Essman, CPI's chairman and also chairman of the joint venture.
Both CPI and Kodak say they expect to maintain the joint venture indefinitely, but the contract provides for Kodak to take full control in 1999, if the alliance hits any snags.
Although Kodak has close to 16,000 overseas outlets, either owned or under licensing agreement, until now it has been content to sell through independent photo stores and mass merchandisers in the United States.
But lately, Kodak has experienced growing frustration with what it sees as a lack of marketing acumen at many retailers. For example, Kodak now has machines that can scan a conventional print, digitize it (translate the visual image into computer language), and enable a customer to enlarge it, print one part of it, or otherwise manipulate it.Continue reading the main story
Kodak complains that few stores promote such services well, or display frames or other products that would likely be impulse purchases for someone who has just made an 8 x 10 enlargement. It is particularly irked because it believes that greater use of the photo-manipulation machines would spur sales of film and processing paper, Kodak's highest-margin products.
''People who get more use out of pictures will take more pictures,'' said David P. Biehn, Kodak's president for consumer imaging, who says that only 2 percent of photographs are used more than once.
Of course, Kodak's competitors know that, too. A spokesman for Fuji Photo Film, which in June wrested away Wal-Mart, a plum Kodak photo-finishing customer, refused to comment on the Kodak-CPI deal, but analysts noted that competition among all the photographic companies had intensified. Thus, they say, Kodak may view having its own stores as an insurance policy.
''Kodak has good technology, but so do Fuji and others,'' said Jack L. Kelly of Goldman, Sachs. ''Kodak may want to be sure that any new products or services are assured a retail outlet.''
Wall Street apparently does not expect any major impact on Kodak for now. Eastman Kodak shares lost 87.5 cents on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday, closing at $77.375. The reaction was more enthusiastic regarding CPI; its shares gained $2.875, closing at $17.625.Continue reading the main story


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Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox said it will sell its Italian and German pay-TV businesses to British Sky Broadcasting Group for more than $9 billion.
The Delaware Supreme Court ruled that Walmart must turn over documents related to the company's investigation into allegations that it paid bribes in Mexico.
Despite turbulence in the industry, airlines are posting high-flying quarterly results.
The nation's automakers are reporting mixed quarterly results on Thursday, as Ford's earnings beat estimates but General Motors' profit hits the brakes due to recall costs.
European Union antitrust regulators may attempt to revise the terms of a proposed settlement with Google, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The smartphone market stands to get even more crowded on Thursday, with Amazon's release of its new Fire smartphone.
Professional golfer Rickie Fowler reveals the reasons why golf has been on the decline in America and how he's trying to lure players back into the game.
U.S. defense contractors General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman reported better-than-expected quarterly results on Wednesday, boosted by improved margins.
Shares of GlaxoSmithKline are lower on Wednesday after the drugmaker cut its full-year earnings outlook.
Retailer H&M is celebrating the open of its new store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, its largest in the world as it takes other fast-fashion retailers.


text: One of the most anticipated releases this year is the Apple Watch. News broke back in September that the smartwatch was coming in “early 2015” and now, we have an official launch date: April 2015. CEO Tim Cook revealed yesterday that the device will start shipping in April. The brand’s most personal device ever will do pretty much everything an iPhone does–yes, that includes making phone calls. So no more “I lost my phone” excuses. This thing won’t go anywhere when it’s wrapped around your wrist. Are you excited for the Apple Watch? Will you be getting one in April? Let us know in the comments below!


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BOULDER — Sphero Inc., the toy and robotics company that catapulted to success in 2015 with its make of the Star Wars BB-8 droid — has raised nearly $24 million in private equity and looks to raise another $19 million more, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The fundraising round is in anticipation of new products slated to release later this year, and will go toward general business operations, chief executive Paul Berberian told BizWest.
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Register today for the IQ Awards, recognizing local divisions of national/international companies that have been instrumental in developing the most innovative products and services.
Sphero’s success started when the company was involved in a Disney accelerator in 2014. During that time, Berberian said the company managed to spend some time with the CEO of the Walt Disney Co., who showed Sphero images from the new Star Wars movie.
“He said, ‘look at this character, it looks like what you’re doing with the Sphero ball,’” Berberian said. “He knew we knew how to build something that was balancing on a ball. We built it a few months later. It was a happy coincidence that we had the perfect product for that character.”
The app-enabled toy had massive success, selling out when the movie was released. Since then, Sphero has released a special edition version of the toy and a band that lets people move their BB8 droid by moving their hand.
Sphero said it’s collecting capital from multiple entities, including new and existing shareholders.
The funds will go to investing in the business, including expanding product lines, marketing and managing inventory.
Looking ahead, Sphero expects to release five major products this year.
“If you thought what we built before was cool and sophisticated, just wait to see what is coming out this year,” Berberian said. “BB8 is awesome and so is everything else. We’ve got some really cool stuff.”


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The follow up to their widely acclaimed iPad app Ninja Jamm.
Continuing to prove a pioneering platform in the field of electronic music, leading independent record label Ninja Tune and founders Coldcut have unveiled Jamm Pro, the sequel to their highly popular music performance app Ninja Jamm.
Designed by Coldcut’s Matt Black, who recently helped build Ninja Tune’s first hardware FX unit, the Jamm pro works as a production and live performance app for iPad just like its predecessor, with key features like multi-track recording, loopstation functions, slice sequencers and multi-touch tip control. The creators have also recognised users of the Ninja Jamm’s most requested feature, as Jamm Pro now offers the ability to upload and modulate your own samples.
Speaking on the app, Jamm Pro designer and former programmer Matt Black states that the programme’s realisation has been a 25 year journey “… equal parts dreaming, scheming, designing, remixing, djing, producing, gigging and jamming. The aim: to create the ultimate electronic music instrument.”
Watch a video of Matt demonstrating the Jamm Pro’s ability below.
Jamm Pro is priced at £19.99 and available for £9.99 over the app’s two-week launch.
More info here.


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NAPA – The young, Southern California-based hospitality company that finalized the purchase of the Napa Valley Marriott late last month has already begun preparations for about $6 million in updates, including reconfiguration of the site’s entry, lobby and other areas.
The Lighthouse Lodging Group of Pacific Palisades announced the purchase of the 274-room Wine Country hotel May 28, closing the sale for $36 million in cash with partner Privet Investments of New York. Previous holder Sunstone Hotel Investors purchased the property in 1998 for $21 million and will use the sale’s proceeds for a recently completed debt buyback.
Lighthouse Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mark Goeman said the hotel is the company’s largest purchase so far and was chosen for its potential for future growth. “In terms of answering why purchase now, the simplest answer is that it was listed for sale,” he said.
“We know the markets are depressed right now, but we liked where it is positioned in the marketplace and we see a healthy long-term growth. … We also saw the opportunity to buy at a really good price.”
Mr. Goeman said the company launched in 2007 has a general strategy of acquiring “undervalued products” and adding value either through construction-based operational or added-service improvements. Currently Privet is the majority stakeholder in the property and will continue as an equity partner for 10 to 20 years.


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In the latest report from the front lines in the high-definition format wars, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have both jumped with both feet into the HD DVD camp, the companies announced Monday.
The commitment by the companies, both of which are owned by Viacom, will include all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment.
“The combination of Paramount and DreamWorks Animation brings a critical mass of current box office hits to consumers with a lineup of live action and animated films that are perfect for HD DVD,” said Brad Grey, chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures.
Focus on Costs
“Part of our vision is to aggressively extend our movies beyond the theater, and deliver the quality and features that appeal to our audience,” Grey added. “I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable, high-quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount.”
HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc are competing formats to replace today’s current DVDs. Both are designed to offer better quality, and each have each won exclusive support from different camps. Among the movie studios, Blu-ray had been apparently in the lead prior to today’s announcement, as it had the support of every major studio except Universal Pictures, which had committed to HD DVD exclusively.
Paramount and DreamWorks previously had supported both formats.
‘Shrek’ in Favor
The companies cite HD DVD’s market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs as the key driving factors behind their decision to support HD DVD exclusively.
Blockbuster comedy hit “Blades of Glory” will launch Paramount Home Entertainment’s exclusive HD DVD program on Aug. 28, followed by two of the biggest grossing movies of the year: “Transformers” and “Shrek the Third.” Together, those three first titles alone represent more than US$1.5 billion in box office ticket sales worldwide, Paramount said.
“We decided to release ‘Shrek the Third’ and other DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively on HD DVD because we believe it is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience — families,” said DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.
“We believe the combination of this year’s low-priced HD DVD players and the commitment to release a significant number of hit titles in the fall makes HD DVD the best way to view movies at home,” he explained.
The only movies not included in the announcement are those directed by Steven Spielberg, which are not exclusive to either format, the companies said.
Only about 105,000 homes had purchased Blu-ray players by early July, compared with about 150,000 homes that had chosen HD DVD players, according to Adams Media Research.
Yet Blu-ray gained another vote in its favor recently from Blockbuster, which announced in June that it would be supporting the Blu-ray format in all its stores.
The timing of the companies’ announcement will likely play a critical role in its overall impact.
“Being able to take advantage of the technology as we are heading into the fourth quarter will be very important from a marketing standpoint,” Ken Graffeo, executive vice president for high-definition strategic marketing at Universal Studios and copresident of the HD DVD North American Promotion Group, told the E-Commerce Times.
“Looking at player pricing today, this will let consumers really see what the HD DVD interactive experience is like, beyond just the picture and sound,” Graffeo added.
Pricing Will Be Key
Indeed, HD DVD players are priced significantly lower than Blu-ray players, with some already below $250 on the market and sub-$200 machines expected in the next few weeks, Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst with Enderle Group, told the E-Commerce Times.
As soon as that happens, “sales could almost go vertical,” he said.
Another factor helping HD DVD could be disappointing sales of Sony’s PlayStation 3, which supports Blu-ray. There are currently about 2 million of those in consumers’ homes, according to Adams Media Research, but few consumers reportedly use them to play movies.
“That was supposed to be the lead that was supposed to tip the scales in favor of Blu-ray,” Jim Nail, chief strategy and marketing officer with Cymfony, told the E-Commerce Times. “Now Blu-ray doesn’t have that kind of wedge to lead it in the market.”
A Quick End to the War
Ultimately, Paramount and DreamWorks are “clearly voting for the fact that the consumer won’t see enough difference to pay a premium for a Blu-ray player,” Nail said.
As the holiday season approaches and prices drop, bringing an end to the format wars could be the companies’ chief concern. “The only thing that could prevent strong sales is if consumers are worried about choosing the wrong standard,” Enderle explained.
Ultimately, the studios don’t even care which format wins, as long as one does take the lead soon. “It’s become clear to them that this will end up in the HD DVD camp,” Enderle concluded. “So they might as well make it happen sooner rather than later.”


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- Twitter recently revealed its when you look at the-software matchmaking function in the us, and you can are scheduled in order to release it during the Europe the day just before Valentine’s day.
- Although not, Twitter Dating’s Eu rollout might have been put-off, since first advertised by the Wall Path Diary.
- Privacy bodies into the Ireland – in which Facebook’s Eu head office are found – said the company failed to bring enough paperwork one to Twitter Relationships try staying with the fresh new Eu Union’s the brand new analysis confidentiality statutes, also known as GDPR.
- Irish privacy government together with said it visited Facebook’s workplaces into the Dublin this past week getting an enthusiastic „inspection” so you can facilitate the entire process of the company handing over related data files.
- Visit Organization Insider’s homepage to get more tales.
Regardless if Myspace users in america experienced use of the fresh new app’s dating ability for almost half a year, optimistic romantics in Europe will always be wishing.
Even if Myspace Dating is actually performing in more than just 20 nations, the company has been lacking many pages all over Europe
Facebook Dating, their inside-software matchmaking feature, was initially set-to roll-out so you’re able to European profiles to the March 13, the afternoon before Valentine’s day. not, the brand new rollout has actually just like the become defer so you’re able to a not known go out just after confidentiality bodies elevated issues about Fb Dating’s compliance to help you new studies privacy regulations about Eu.
With its launch in america during the September, Facebook Relationship might have been lauded as massive technical organizations answer on the roaring business out-of matchmaking currently ruled by the apps particularly Tinder, Matches, and you may Bumble.
However, Fb users into the Europe will continue to hold off. Once the very first reported of the Wall structure Roadway Record, privacy authorities have increased questions more if Twitter Relationships is compliant which have new research confidentiality legislation instated throughout the European union, known as GDPR. GDPR, and this went toward feeling into the 2018, was created to bring some body additional control more the private information and you will regulate how much availability organizations must it.
Twitter don’t share with confidentiality bodies regarding their timeline to possess introducing Facebook Matchmaking up to ten days ahead of the scheduled release, centered on a statement from the Irish Study Coverage Payment, that legislation given that Facebook’s Eu head office are located in Dublin.
In response, „several inspectors” generated a call Friday to help you Facebook’s Dublin practices to try to obtain the best suggestions, the fresh fee said.
„We had been really worried one [March 3] was the original one we’d read of Twitter Ireland about it new feature,” new Irish Study Coverage Fee told you. „Myspace Ireland advised all of us past that they have delayed the brand new roll-out of this ability.”
Twitter was moving back towards the confidentiality regulators’ statement. A facebook spokesperson informed Providers Insider in the an announcement this had complied with GDPR and you may privacy regulators’ requests.
Further, Irish authorities told you Fb didn’t submit the necessary data files, and additionally research safety feeling examination, about Twitter Dating’s privacy practices
„It is very important that people get the launch of Fb Dating right so we was taking more time and energy to create sure the merchandise is prepared on the Eu sector,” the fresh new Twitter spokesperson said. „I have did very carefully which will make solid privacy protection, and just have shared this short article towards the IDPC prior to the Eu roll out.”
It’s unknown how long Myspace Dating’s introduction from inside the European countries would-be defer. As the more youthful profiles get-off Twitter, Twitter Relationship may be a good way the firm is wanting so you can entice millennials returning to its point app.
Twitter Matchmaking is sold with an element titled Magic Crush, and therefore allows you to privately select 9 present Facebook Family relations you has a romantic need for. The brand new function along with gets to Instagram, taking a hold of its young, cold listeners which repeated almost every other relationship applications and networks.


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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has banned all financial technology companies (FinTechs) from providing payment or transaction services to online money lenders as part of its investigation.
Identified FinTechs such as Flutterwave, Opay, Paystack and Monify are allegedly operating payment systems and providing services to these online lenders under investigation or failing to operate with applicable regulatory approvals.
This comes several months after the commission ordered Google and Apple to force the removal of these money-lending apps from their stores where evidence of inappropriate behavior or use of the app in violation of consumer rights has been established.
This was made known by the Executive Chairman of the FCCPC, Mr. Babatunde Irukera, during a conversation with journalists during a law enforcement exercise on some of the digital money lenders on Thursday in Lagos.
Irukera said the commission also ordered telecommunications and technology companies, including mobile network operators (MNOs), to stop providing servers, hosting or other key services such as connectivity to such disclosed or known lenders.
The news continues after this announcement
What the FCCPC Executive Vice President Says
Irukera said, “Information available to the commission demonstrates that Soko Lending appears to be the largest digital money lender with multiple apps and brand names.
“He covers a significant portion of the digital or online lending market and one of the most prolific players in violating consumer privacy, fair lending terms, and ethical loan repayment/collection practices.
The news continues after this announcement
“Prior to this operation, the commission had previously, on March 11, 2022, taken similar enforcement action against several lenders; whose action and continued investigation have reduced the unethical, heinous and unscrupulous operating practices previously high and growing in the industry.”
The FCCPC boss noted that some of those online lenders who have been investigated have developed methods to leverage technology and other financial service alternatives to circumvent money freeze orders. account and application suspension.
He said, “With today’s operations, the commission expects a significant further reduction in these unacceptable practices.
“The commission also issued new orders today that will disable or diminish the ability of violators to devise circumvention efforts or alternative mechanisms to circumvent the purpose of investigating and protecting citizens.”
Going further, he said the order requires authorization to proceed with digital lending and provides a limited moratorium period for existing businesses to comply in order to continue digital lending.
Irukera added, “The guidelines also oblige different service providers in the relevant ecosystem, such as banks, access/download platforms or stores, technology providers and payment systems, to require regulatory approval before providing services. .
“The commission expresses its gratitude to the victims and citizens who provided information or contributed to the investigation; and welcomes the continued commitment that provides relevant information or intelligence through the channels already established and made public.”
In case you missed it
- Recall that on March 11, the federal government, in a raid through its Joint Committee to Investigate Rights Violations and Unfair Practices, shut down some illegal online money lending banks to prevent not have registered with the Commercial Affairs Commission (CAC) and engaged in activities against the rights of Nigerians. consumers.
- These online banks have charged interest rates that violate the ethics of how loans are made and have been involved in whistleblowing and shaming, which is a violation of people’s privacy regarding how these lenders collect loans, among other violations.
- Lending companies offer short-term loans to help subscribers meet urgent needs, but resort to unprofessional measures of harassment, cyberbullying and data privacy breaches of their customers who may have defaulted on loan repayment. ready.
- Some of the relevant online money lending banks include; GoCash, Okash, EasyCredit, Kashkash, Speedy Choice and Easy Moni.
- Earlier in April, the FCCPC blamed Google for its inability to track down the owners of some failing online money lending banks for violating consumer rights and said it may be working with security forces. the order in the United States, to provide them with the necessary information to get those behind the digital lenders.


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Biofuels and agriculture interests are rallying behind a bill working its way through the Minnesota Legislature to mandate E15 in the state as it faces pushback from the gasoline retailer industry.
Concerns were raised during a state senate hearing on Wednesday that the bill would be too costly for stations to comply.
The bill would require all Minnesota gasoline retailers to comply with the mandate by July 2022. Retailers say it would be costly to comply and the deadline is too tight.
Lance Klatt, executive director of the Minnesota Service Station and Convenience Stores Association, told the Minnesota Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee it could cost gasoline retailers between $50,000 and $300,000 per site to upgrade infrastructure.
“The MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) can confirm a large number of gasoline retail sites are not compatible to sell E15, which we all wish they were,” Klatt told the Minnesota Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee.
“Many of them are my members. There are so many sites and would take multiple years to complete and would really fail to achieve the July 2022 date.”
“If the MPCA and the EPA would come out and say all sites currently selling E10 are grandfathered and are compatible to sell E15, that would be so great,” Klatt said. “But we follow regulatory processes.”
Many retailers in the state, he said, face uncertainty when it comes to the future when it comes to electric vehicles and other types of fuels such as biofuels.
Klatt said his association would like to see the state set the compliance date back to July 2030, to allow retailers to make other infrastructure decisions.
“A lot can happen in the next nine years,” he said. “This window allows fuel retailers to make decisions right for the businesses, whether to invest in biofuels, EV charging stations or both.”
Klatt said E15, also known as unleaded 88, represents about 30% of overall fuel volume sold in the state.
“E15 has validated consumers like the choice of fuel and use E15 on a regular basis,” he said, “benefiting from the lower emissions while saving pennies at the pump. We support the biofuels industry. We love supporting your local farming communities. We also believe we need to do this in the right way, giving fueling retailers a chance to adopt a great fuel without being burned in a window of uncertainty.”
Ron Lamberty, senior vice president of the American Coalition for Ethanol, said he understands why retailers are concerned about an E15 mandate.
However, he said he believes most of those retailers have equipment already compatible with E15.
Grain News on AgFax
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“I want to assure everybody that the ethanol industry has no interest in putting E15 in tanks that are incompatible with it,” he said.
“That would be counterproductive for us. But, one of the most important things for people to understand, if they own a station, the equipment they have is compatible.”
Lamberty said when pump and tank standards were first adopted for ethanol blends, E15 was selected by EPA as a test fuel. That’s because Underwriters Laboratory standards for unleaded gasoline was up to 15% ethanol.
“Most of the pump manufacturers going back to 2008 have been warranting their dispensers for up to 15% alcohol because of that UL standard,” he said.
“Again, I would applaud you for taking on this thing and Minnesota has always been a leader. Just to reiterate the fact that I understand why retailers and marketers and station owners would be uncomfortable, but we want them to know that for the most part they probably don’t need to be uncomfortable.”
Tim Gross, executive director of the Minnesota Petroleum Marketers Association, said his group supports the “spirit of the bill” but has concerns retailers would be unable to comply with the mandate by 2022.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency estimates there are about 3,500 retail facilities across the state, “and 85% or greater of those facilities cannot prove compatibility at this time,” Gross said.
Estimates from the three largest equipment providers in Minnesota, he said, show retailers would need to invest at least $771 million in infrastructure to comply with an E15 mandate.
In addition, Gross said retailers face a limited construction season in the state, a lack of enough service providers and equipment to meet a 2022 deadline.
HELPING FARM ECONOMY
Brian Thalmann, director of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, told the committee passing the bill would help state farmers to recover from the economic swings of 2020.
“Somebody asked if our state has sufficient production of ethanol to meet this 15% standard,” he said.
“Absolutely yes we do. After the standard is enacted we will still be exporting over two-thirds of our ethanol to customers beyond Minnesota’s borders. The corn is already also being produced in Minnesota. The time is right. The time is now. We can do this.”
Chris Hanson, general manager of POET LLC’s ethanol plant in Preston, Minnesota, said a statewide E15 mandate would help consumers.
“Not only can E15 protect consumers from unpredictable spikes in the price of foreign oil, it can help free farmers from uncertain assistance from Washington,” he said.
“Predictable demand growth for E15 would also support thousands of good-paying biomanufacturing jobs, attract new capital investment for plant construction, improvements, and equipment, and generate additional tax revenues in rural communities across our state.”
Last week, Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a plan to require gasoline retailers to sell fuel with at least 10% ethanol and 11% biodiesel.
Iowa is the nation’s largest ethanol and biodiesel producer. A study by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association showed the fuel mandate would generate demand to sell 117 million gallons more ethanol and 203 million gallons of biodiesel from 2022 to 2026. The plan would generate nearly $460 million in economic activity by 2026, the IRFA study stated.
Last year, the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Biofuels recommended Minnesota shift to E15 as “a near-term policy priority to accelerate progress toward the petroleum-replacement goal of 25% biofuel use in gasoline by 2030.”
Todd Neeley can be reached at email@example.com
Follow him on Twitter @toddneeleyDTN


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The competition between the two platforms is fierce—but who’s really winning the battle for young consumers? We tapped into our social media tracker to compare, and see which Gen Z and Millennials are using more…
For some time now, Instagram has been adding features that look remarkably like their competitor Snapchat’s—all in the name of the battle for young consumers. Last year, Instagram added Stories, a signature feature of Snapchat, and in April it was announced that Instagram Stories was beating out the app it was accused of copying, used by 200 million daily—more than Snapchat’s 161 million. And Instagram has continued to compete with its “rival” by mimicking the features that made it popular; they introduced ephemeral messaging, added geostickers, and other features that feel Snapchat-esque. In May, Instagram copied the last thing it can from Snapchat: face filters. Though the ability to add fun AR filters to selfies is clearly a clone, there are a few differences. Hashtags can be applied to stories to link to that hashtag’s page, and there’s also an eraser (though it can’t remove real-world objects like Snapchat’s) and a rewind mode. But these differences are small when looking at the overall trend: Instagram has been coming for Snapchat’s shiny crown, and some began to believe that they were winning it.
TechCrunch reported that Instagram reached 700 million active users a few months ago, and that the app hit the new user mark just four months after reaching 600 million. The introduction of Instagram stories may have been a major contributor to its accelerated growth…but of course those are overall users. Recently, eMarketer predicted that Snapchat will overtake both Facebook and Instagram among teen users by the end of the year, and the competition between the two sites is far tighter when looking at the much-coveted Gen Z and Millennial user groups. So which platform is winning out with these young consumers? We tapped into our most recent social media tracker to find out. Here’s what we saw when we compared their use side by side:
Looking at the young consumers who say they use each social site, Instagram is the more popular platform among Millennials and Gen Z, by a nose. But while Instagram has a solid 10% lead over Snapchat among Millennials, among Gen Z, Instagram use is only 4% ahead, so the tide could turn for either platform. There’s also evidence that Snapchat’s young users are more engaged. Interestingly, Recode reports that despite “taking some major heat from Instagram,” Snapchat’s users are spending more time on the app. BTIG Research found that users spend 32.8 minutes per day on the platform, a 20% jump over six months ago. Users under 25 are even more loyal to the platform, spending an average of 42 minutes per day in-app, 26% more than in Q4. How is Snapchat stacking up against their competition? Instagram’s latest metric showed their under-25-year-olds spend “more than 32 minutes a day” on the app.
When looking at the platforms that young consumers are using daily, Instagram and Snapchat are neck-and-neck among Gen Z, while Instagram again has a strong lead among Millennials. But for the platforms that they are active on daily (posting or commenting) Snapchat is clearly in the lead with Gen Z, and activity is tied up among Millennials.
So who’s winning out? Instagram looks to be capturing more overall users, but Snapchat is right behind among teens, and their users are highly engaged, which means time on the platform may be more valuable.
To download the PDF version of this insight article, click here.


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Apple holding ‘four days of special offers’ event for Black Friday through Cyber Monday
Apple is doing something a bit different for Black Friday this year. It is set to announce a four-day shopping event that stretches from November 23rd through November 26.You can click here to add the shopping event to your calendar. The event is obviously centered around the US Thanksgiving holiday, but offers will be available in many regions worldwide.Apple has not said what type of offers to expect. The page says ‘Mark your calendars’ to be reminded about the event kicking off on Friday.