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Here’s a handful of interesting tech stories from around the web for Friday, May 25.
Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios lays off all staff [Boston Globe]
Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s video game company, 38 Studios, has laid off all of its employees in the wake of financial difficulties, according to a key company consultant.
The HP team responsible for Enyo — webOS’s HTML5-based application framework that debuted on the TouchPad — will be leaving the company and starting at Google shortly…
Security Expert Fools, Records Fake Antivirus Scammers [Dark Reading]
Fake antivirus scammers recently got more than they bargained for when they unknowingly dialed the home number of a Sourcefire security researcher who then lured them to an impromptu honeypot and recorded their activity on his machine.
Google names names on copyright takedowns; Microsoft is #1 [Ars Technica]
The data shows that, since July 2011, 2.5 million takedown requests have been filed on behalf of Microsoft. NBC Universal, the next highest, made only 985,000.
Cook had asked to be excluded from a recently instituted company program through which employees can accumulate dividends on their restricted stock units that are still vesting.
Former Mozilla CEO John Lilly watched Yang blow his top when presented with a browser that put Yahoo competitors front and center. Seven years later, Yahoo finally got around to launching a browser of its own.
How Google Can Beat Facebook Without Google Plus [The Atlantic]
Look, Google, we’ve got a plan to help you win on social. There’s only one catch: You have to give up on the notion that animates Google Plus.
PayPal strikes deals with 15 retailers [Reuters]
For retailers, the service may attract more shoppers, provide more information about consumers, and help reduce costs associated with credit card payments.
Is that smile real or fake? [MIT News]
Can you tell which of these smiles is showing happiness? Or which one is the result of frustration? A computer system developed at MIT can.
Google launched in-app subscriptions for Android apps on Thursday, copying, and in some ways improving on, a model carved out by Apple.
Recently on Techland:


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The first touch screen
Among all the turmoil surrounding RIM today (critics say the tech behemoth is falling from relevance because of its reluctance to change) was a very telling quote from Mike Lazaridis. As reported by a sprawling Boy Genius feature, the co-CEO was known to have said in 2005 that "there will never be a BlackBerry with an MP3 player or camera." At the time, his reasoning may have been fine - the U.S. government was their biggest client - but in hindsight the declaration seems woefully short-sighted. And perhaps it was because of such management strategies that RIM was late to market on a number of smartphone innovations, such as MP3 players and cameras (unveiled on BlackBerrys by 2006) and the touch-screen phone, which RIM wouldn't roll out until the 2008 holiday season, when it released the 9530 Storm, about a year-and-a-half after the iPhone began flying off shelves.
Fifty years ago, in 1964, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law, setting 54 areas aside for federal protection. It opened th... More Fifty years ago, in 1964, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Wilderness Act into law, setting 54 areas aside for federal protection. It opened the way for an American wilderness system that has grown to more than 110 million protected acres in which, the act says, "the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." More proposed areas await congressional approval, including the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana and the Columbine-Hondo in New Mexico. Read more about the legacy of the Wilderness Act online in National Geographic magazine: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/09/wilderness-act/kolbert-text
Date 6 hrs ago, Duration 3:50, Views 126
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The Government stated Monday it has actually made substantial headway in recouping debris from the Chinese spy balloon obliterated off the coast of South Carolina previously this month– as the White Home has yet to openly disclose the beginnings and objectives of the three newest items taken down above Alaska, Canada as well as Lake Huron this weekend break.
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We’ve all seen QR Codes. The real reason to blame for the slow growth of QR Codes are how people have implemented them. Here are some do’s and don’ts, when using QR Codes.
Keep in mind, there are a lot of new solutions available that are quite fascinating, which go beyond QR Codes. These general rules would still be relevant to any of those other options that help to bridge the gap between print and digital.
Here are simple steps to take to build an effective website.
Here are the initial numbers for an online buy. This campaign just started, which is why the impressions are small. However, the results are quite astounding.
Source: June 19, 2013 by MarketingCharts staff
The biggest change in how small businesses go about their work this year as opposed to 5 years ago is through their use – or increased use – of online marketing tools,according to results from a survey sponsored by Constant Contact. Indeed, compared to 5 years ago, the adoption of various online marketing tools has soared: 98% of survey respondents now use email marketing (up from 64% saying they used them 5 years ago), while 87% use social media marketing (up from just 10% 5 years ago). And while finding new customers remains the chief concern for small businesses today, among those who are finding this task easier, a leading 53% say that’s due to more affordable online marketing tools.
It’s not all rosy for small businesses, though. 59% of respondents said that it’s harder to run a business today than it was 5 years ago, with the leading reasons being the economy affecting their business (55%), it being harder to keep pace with technology (49%), and more direct competitors (40%).
Local business owners may have a leg-up on the competition, though: 51% feel that being locally owned and operated is a major reason why their customers support their business today.
Despite their challenges – which include a belief that customers expect more from them today – small businesses are keeping an optimistic outlook. In 5 years, 55% see their business as thriving, with more customers and/or more employees. Another 26% see their business as holding steady, with only 8% taking the pessimistic view of the business potentially being closed.
About the Data: The Constant Contact-sponsored survey was administered in May of 2013 to 917 small business participants in the Constant Contact Small Biz Council – a research panel of US small businesses recruited from the Constant Contact customer base. The survey was fielded to those panel members who have been in a decision-making role in a small business for at least five years, and they were asked their opinions on how operating a small business today differs than five years ago. Results include responses from respondents across a range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer industries.
Source: eMarketer, MAY 22, 2013
Ad execs think online video ads are equally or more effective than television ads at reaching audiences
The online video advertising ecosystem has gained both prominence and complexity, but that might be because buyers have found that the ads really work. A March 2013 survey of US advertising agency executives conducted by online video ad platform BrightRoll found that the vast majority of respondents (75%) said online video ads were equally or more effective than traditional TV. Nine out of 10 also thought online video ads had equal or greater impact than display ads.
Ad execs may be responding to US consumers’ seemingly endless demand for online video. Video monetization firm FreeWheel reported that in Q4 2012, total video views among US internet users climbed 23% year over year.
The popularity of digital video viewing is helping drive the expansion of the online video ad market. eMarketer estimates that video ad spending in the US will grow 41.4% this year, to reach $4.1 billion. BrightRoll found that the greatest percentage of advertising professionals—one-quarter—expected online video ads to see the highest growth rate of any ad category, with mobile video a close second.
The growing complexity of the online video ad market means that advertisers now have a variety of ways to measure return on investment. But which method is best? This year, 36% of ad executives indicated that their clients placed the highest value on gross rating points (GRP) or target rating points (TRP) to measure the size of their audience. Still, another 30% said clients valued the percent of impressions that reached their target audience, while 24% named the percent of unique viewers in target.
Ad buyers are faced with an increasingly complicated equation when it comes to online video ads, and they need to consider which sites to purchase ads on, what format the ads will take and how to measure their effectiveness.


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A WOMAN has been left in shock after spotting a Primark jumper being sold on Vinted for a ridiculous amount.
Lilly, from the UK, took to social media to share the disgraceful discovery she made while browsing the reselling app.
Lilly was shocked to find secondhand Primark selling for £50 on Vintedtiktok/@lileviex
The viral jumper cost just £17 to buy form the store outrighttiktok/@lileviex
She said: “I have a question, because I am in a bit of a state of shock.”
“I was just scrolling on Vinted, you know, seeing cute outfits,” she explained.
“But specifically I’m after some cute jumpers for winter because I don’t really own any, like, ones.
“Tell me why I see this?”
She then showed one of the listings she came across while browsing the app which showed a Primark selling for £50.jumper from
The jumper did go viral on social media, meaning it sold out of stores quickly – but Lilly was shocked to see the price hiked up.
It originally cost £17 to buy in store, but one jammy reseller decided to make a profit and Lilly couldn’t work out who would pay that much for a cheap jumper.
The fashion fan added: “Like I respect the hustle girl.
“£50 for polyester?
“TikTok has truly changed some of us into crazy people.
“If you’ve got that much to spend, like, please, I’m not hating on you, but I’m just like ‘what the hell’ when we all know for a fact that that jumper probably costs like 20p max to make.
The clip posted to her TikTok account @lileviex soon went viral with over 25k views.
“Some Vinted users need jail time,” she penned.
People were quick to share their thoughts in the comments section and many agreed that resellers were going to far when it came to price hikes.
One person wrote: “I think Vinted has become crazy overpriced anyway, like I get people are doing it to get some extra money on the side but it’s still second hand.”
Another commented: “I saw someone post a used coat fromfor £150! It’s mad, I’m so gutted this is happening to Vinted now.”
“I’m after them viral Primark pyjamas so I looked on Vinted … SOMEONE WANTS £44 FOR THEM,” penned a third.
“No wayyy that’s actually criminal behaviour,” replied Lilly.
Meanwhile a fourth said: “I have this jumper I payed £17 cos it’s lovely but it’s no worth £50 that’s crazy.”
“£50 FOR A PRIMARK JUMPER,” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “Yet I struggle to sell a bundle of kids clothes for £1.”
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Fashion – Latest Style News And Fabulous Trends | The Sun


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Avicanna to Participate in Benzinga Biotech Small Cap Conference and the Virtual Life Sciences Investor Forum both taking place on Thursday March 25th
TORONTO, Mar. 25, 2021(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Avicanna Inc. (“Avicanna” or the “Company) (TSX: AVCN) (OTCQX: AVCNF) (FSE: 0NN) a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products is pleased to announce that Avicanna’s Chief Executive Officer, Aras Azadian has been invited to present at the Benzinga Biotech Small Cap Conference (the “Benzinga Conference”) and the Virtual Life Sciences Investor Forum (the “Life Sciences Investor Forum”).
Mr. Azadian will be presenting at the Benzinga Conference on March 25, 2021 at 10:40AM EST and will be participating in the panel discussion entitled “The Natural Solutions: Cannabis & Cannabinoids”. The Benzinga Conference is focussed on highlighting companies in the biotech space who are helping to bring the world back to normalcy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. To register and learn more about the Benzinga Conference visit https://www.benzinga.com/events/small-cap/biotech/.
Mr. Azadian will be presenting at the Life Sciences Investor Forum on March 25, 2021 at 2:00PM EST. The Life Sciences Investor Forum is the largest online investor conference series dedicated to the life sciences industry and features presentations from top executives and experts with live Q&A. To register and learn more about the Life Sciences Investor Forum visit https://www.lifesciencesinvestorforum.com/events/event-details/agenda.
Avicanna is a diversified and vertically integrated Canadian biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of plant-derived cannabinoid-based products for the global consumer, medical, and pharmaceutical market segments.
Avicanna is an established leader in cannabinoid research and development, which it primarily conducts at its R&D headquarters in the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centre, JLABS @ Toronto, Canada and in collaboration with leading Canadian academic and medical institutions. In addition to its developing pharmaceutical pipeline, Avicanna’s team of experts have developed and commercialized several industry leading product lines, including:
- Pura H&W™: an advanced and clinically tested line of CBD consumer derma-cosmetic products; and,
- RHO Phyto™: an advanced line of medical cannabis products containing varying ratios of CBD and THC currently available nation-wide across Canada in partnership with Medical Cannabis by Shoppers™, a subsidiary of Shoppers Drug Mart. RHO Phyto is the first strictly medical formulary of advanced “Cannabis 2.0” products, containing oils, sprays, capsules, creams, and gels, all developed with scientific rigour, manufactured under GMP standards and supported by pre-clinical data.
With ongoing clinical trials on its derma-cosmetic (Pura H&W), medical cannabis (RHO Phyto) and a pipeline of pharmaceutical products, Avicanna’s dedication to researching the important role that cannabinoids play in an increasingly wider scope of products has been at the core of the Company’s vision since its inception. Furthermore, Avicanna’s commitment to education is demonstrated through its annual medical symposium, the Avicanna Academy educational platform, and the My Cannabis Clinic patient program through its subsidiary company.
Avicanna manages its own supply chain including cultivation and extraction through its two majority-owned subsidiaries, Sativa Nativa S.A.S. and Santa Marta Golden Hemp S.A.S., both located in Santa Marta, Colombia. Through these sustainable, economical, and industrial scale subsidiaries, Avicanna cultivates, processes, and commercializes a range of cannabis and hemp cultivars dominant in CBD, CBG, THC, and other cannabinoids for use as active pharmaceutical ingredients. Avicanna’s Avesta Genetica program specializes in the development and optimization of rare cultivars for commercial production along with feminized seeds for global export. In June 2020, Avicanna made history with a shipment of hemp seeds to the United States of America by completing the first ever export of hemp seeds from Colombia.
SOURCE Avicanna Inc.
For more information about Avicanna, visit www.avicanna.com, call 1-647-243-5283, or contact Setu Purohit, President by email at email@example.com.
The company posts updates through videos from the official company YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5yBclNIsNf7VrE34iwt8OA.
Please join the conversation on our Avicanna supporter’s telegram group at https://t.me/Avicannainc.


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: McDonald's Malaysia's policy restricting customers from bringing in birthday cakes which are not halal-certified into its premises has gained Jakim's approval.
Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general, Tan Sri Othman Mustapha said the policy showed the fast-food company's strong commitment to serving only halal food in accordance with the Halal Assurance Management System (HAS).
"Generally, this is not something extraordinary as most food chains have the 'No Outside Food Allowed' policy which is well-accepted by customers," he said in a statement, here, Wednesday.
It was reported that McDonald's Malaysia had issued a notice restricting customers from bringing birthday cakes which are not halal-certified into its premises to maintain its halal certification.
The notice which went viral over the social media received mixed reactions from the public. - Bernama


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Latest OnePlus Nord 2 leak reveals its display, camera, and battery specifications
After weeks of teasers, OnePlus will finally lift the covers off the OnePlus Nord CE 5G later today. Ahead of the launch, a new leak about the next Nord device — the OnePlus Nord 2 — has surfaced online. The leak reveals key details about the device’s hardware, including its display, SoC, camera, and battery specifications.
A previous leak about the OnePlus Nord 2 suggested that it would be the first device from the company to feature a MediaTek chipset. A new report from 91mobiles corroborates this information and confirms that the phone will pack MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 1200 SoC. It further adds that the phone will feature a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and an in-display fingerprint scanner, 8GB/12GB RAM, and 128GB/256GB storage.
Unlike its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord 2 will reportedly feature a triple camera setup on the back. It will consist of a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP sensor secondary camera, and a 2MP tertiary camera. The main camera will likely use the same Sony IMX766 sensor as the flagship OnePlus 9 Pro. But that’s not the only detail it’ll share with OnePlus’ latest flagship. The leak suggests that the OnePlus Nord 2 will have a similar camera module design as the OnePlus 9 Pro with some minor adjustments. Over on the front, the device will feature an impressive 32MP selfie camera, which could be the same as the one found on last year’s model.
As far as the battery capacity is concerned, the leak reveals that the OnePlus Nord 2 will pack a 4,500mAh unit. That’s slightly larger than the 4,115mAh battery pack on the previous model. Thanks to the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chip, the OnePlus Nord 2 will likely also offer 5G support. OnePlus will likely unveil the device in July this year, and it might be priced around RMB 2,000 (~$313). At the moment, we have no further details about the device, but we’ll make sure to let you know as soon as we learn more.
Featured image: OnePlus Nord


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ANKARA, Jan. 2 (Mehr News Agency) - The volume of trade between Iran and Turkey hit $9.708 billion for the first 11 months of 2008, showing a 30.6 percent rise over the figure for the same period in 2007.
The neighboring countries hope to increase annual trade to $20 billion by 2011, IRNA reported.
The rise would have been greater, but the global decrease in the price of oil caused a downturn in the value of Iran-Turkey bilateral transactions in the last quarter.
Iran-Turkey trade exceeded $832.88 million for an 18.5 percent rise in October 2008 compared to the figure for October 2007, but dipped to $523 million in November 2008, a 63.64 percent decline.
Bilateral trade also dropped in December 2008, although the final figures have not been tabulated yet.
... Payvand News - 01/02/09 ... --


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Amazon's Prime Day promises Black Friday-beating sales
Amazon has announced Prime Day, an event for members of its free-shipping club starting at 2 a.m. CDT on Wednesday.
The retailer hasn't released details on products, pricing or motivation for the event, beyond celebrating its 20th birthday this month.
Writers at FastCompany and Motley Fool have speculated about Prime Day, and BestBlackFriday.com has issued a challenge. Prime customers spend more than other Amazon consumers, a report shows, and a 30-day free trial membership is available.


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Good morning. Venture capital investors in India have slowed investments in sudden and abrupt fashion, reflecting the anxiety that has entered global public and private markets. Indian tech startups raised $959 million in the final three months of last year, the WSJ’s Sean McLain reports. That is less than a third of the $3.2 billion they invested in the previous quarter, and roughly half the $1.9 billion invested in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to data firm Traxcn.
BlackBerry Ltd. said it would lay off about 200 employees at its Canadian headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, and at a satellite office in Sunrise, Fla.
Line Corp. on Wednesday said its users in Indonesia can now hail motorcycle taxis directly from its chat application, underscoring the company's push to grow its user base outside of Japan, where it dominates mobile messaging.
The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, is known as the Happy Slam because of its many perks. But this year may be the happiest of all: players get unlimited free food.
The controversial Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act that became law last month means companies should start to see increasing incentives for sharing hacking information soon.
Hubba Inc., an e-commerce startup, is on track to raise $45 million in new venture-capital financing, founder and Chief Executive Ben Zifkin said.
Oscar winning American actor Sean Penn detailed his interactions with notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in an article published Saturday by Rolling Stone magazine. It offers a unique window to the fugitive’s life in his isolated mountain stronghold.
Navistar International Corp., in an effort to extract value from data, says its remote diagnostics system monitors the status of trucks that it produces, as well as that of vehicles built by rival manufacturers.
BlackBerry unveiled new software to help improve the safety and operation of driverless cars at the Consumer Electronics Show.
The FBI is issuing a more direct challenge to technology companies in the wake of terror attacks in Paris and California, urging them to allow investigators to decrypt private communications during terror probes.
The fact that consumers can’t wrap their heads around going to physical stores is new and different. “There is a fundamental shift in consumer behavior under way,” said Bayard Winthrop, the chief executive of American Giant, an online seller of made-in-America apparel. Says Katherine Koepsell, a lawyer who lives in Beaver Dam, Wis: “I can’t wrap my head around having to pile the whole family in the car and then fight the crowds with the stroller, and what if they don’t have what you are looking for?” Online sales are rising, creating a challenge for logistics companies, and sales at the mall are declining. Pretty much every company will have to work hard to adjust to that shift, just as UPS and FedEx are today.
BlackBerry Ltd.’s turnaround effort got back on track in the latest quarter, as software and services revenue rebounded and its new Android-powered device brought its hardware business closer to breaking even.
BlackBerry’s software business is growing, but slumping handset sales still matter.
Among the companies with shares expected to trade actively in Friday's session are CarMax Inc., BlackBerry Ltd. and Lennar Corp.
BlackBerry is scheduled to report financial results Friday morning and the focus will be on what impact the smartphone company’s new Android-based Priv device is having on hardware sales.
Jabil Circuit, which makes parts for Apple, iPhone, posted strong results for its latest quarter as revenue climbed 14%.
This week’s events calendar includes a speech by the country’s finance minister, a number of key economic releases and quarterly results from BlackBerry Ltd.


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But today – given consumer trends – the AT&T acronym would be better translated as “American Telephone & Tablet” company, because according to reports of 3rd Quarter growth, consumers buying data plans to support tablets are fueling AT&T’s net subscriber growth, which is good news. But from a bottom-line basis, consumers who just buy data plans bring in less revenue, which is not such good news.
The trend has been reflected in what drives the Wireless Carrier category. According to our Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, the category that was once driven by “Brand Reputation and Technological Leadership” has shifted to “Equipment,” with tablets at the top of the list of technology consumers crave most. And “A Selection of Calling Plans” has changed to “Data Options,” including elements like daily data options for tablets and lower-data plans for smartphones. What hasn’t changed are consumer desires for “Larger/Faster/Uninterrupted Networks” and “Customer Service.”
As this is technology we’re talking about, it’s not surprising to find that consumers have very high expectations regarding delivery on these drivers, but particularly when it comes to “Data Options.” If we calculate the consumer Ideal at 100%, here’s how the wireless carriers’ own customers currently evaluate the major brands in meeting their expectations:
- Verizon Wireless 89%
- AT&T Wireless 83%
- Sprint 80%
- T-Mobile 79%
And apparently the primacy of contract calling customers for wireless carriers, too.
Connect with Robert on LinkedIn.
Find out more about what makes customer loyalty happen and how Brand Keys metrics is able to predict future consumer behavior: brandkeys.com. Visit our YouTube channel to learn more about Brand Keys methodology, applications and case studies.Share this:


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Financial crime might not be on the top of your list of things to worry about currently, given the daily challenges organizing personal health and safety, worries related to your work environment, taking care of family members, friends or neighbours.
But threats from financial crime and attempts from money laundering activities do not just disappear, on the contrary there is a high probability that stakes are rising.
Identifying new and emerging Money Laundering (“ML”) Risk
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network(FinCEN)1, the United States Financial Intelligence Unit is monitoring new tendencies in financial crime during the COVID-19 crisis. Key emerging trends identified are investment scams, product scams and insider trading.
The Financial Action Task Force2, the Paris based OECD body states that “Criminals are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to carry out financial fraud and exploitation scams, including advertising and trafficking in counterfeit medicines, offering fraudulent investment opportunities, and engaging in phishing schemes that prey on virus-related fears. Malicious or fraudulent cybercrimes, fundraising for fake charities, and various medical scams targeting innocent victims are likely to increase, with criminals attempting to profit from the pandemic by exploiting people in urgent need of care and the goodwill of the general public and spreading misinformation about COVID-19. National authorities and international bodies are alerting citizens and businesses of these scams, which include impostor, investment and product scams, as well as insider trading in relation to COVID-19. Like criminals, terrorists may also exploit these opportunities to raise funds.”
The European Banking Authorit3 points out that “experience from past crises suggest that in many cases, illicit finance will continue to flow. For example, there is already some evidence of increased levels of cybercrime, COVIG-19-related frauds and scams targeting vulnerable people and companies, of fake fundraising campaigns and of criminal networks selling rationed goods at a higher price. Furthermore, as criminals are highly adaptive, new techniques and channels of ML are likely to emerge”. Companies, banks (including Microfinance Institutions) should therefore
- Focus on identifying, and raise awareness of, new ML typologies when spotted;
- Stay alert to ML techniques that might change due to the economic downturn and where necessary, update the ML risk assessments accordingly. This might be financial products that become less attractive for ML due to diminishing returns, or MLO techniques that give rise to an increased risk of detection, such as early repayment of loans;
- Continue to monitor transactions and pay attention to any unusual or suspicious patterns in customers’ behaviours and financial follows. Financial institutions should take risk-sensitive measures to establish the legitimate origin of unexpected financial flows, where these financial flows stem from customers in sectors that are known to have been impacted by the economic downturn and CVID-19 mitigation measures. Examples of such customers include cash-intensive businesses in the retail sector, companies involved in international trade.
Crisis pressure can trigger desperate action
Company or business owners and their managers are facing extreme financial pressures and therefore might act differently to the normal conduct of business. Temptation to cut corners, incl. abusing government bailout schemes may also be on the table.
Another aspect is online business. Companies who have not previously operated online distribution channels are shifting towards such models in order to partially compensate for missing revenue and sales due to a lock-down situation. with this comes a potential increase in cyber security threats that need to be considered. Business owners in a lock-down scenario with little to no revenues might be exposed to attempts to accept illegal money for money layering purposes.
Staying alert during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic provides for new avenues of possible crimes. Money proceeds from these activities will face the fight of banks, financial institutions, regulatory and Financial Intelligence units and law-enforcing agencies which will adapt to the new types of risk arising.
Let us all together stay alert, especially during the pandemic!
1 FinCEN notices to Financial Institutions, https://www.fincen.gov/coronavirus
2 FATF President statement, http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/fatfgeneral/documents/statement-covid-19.html
3 EBA statement on actions to mitigate financial crime risks in the COVID-19 pandemic, 31,03.2020, https://eba.europa.eu/coronavirus


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Greener cloud gaming technologies first sprung up back in the 1950s, a new infographic shows, beginning with a theory by scientist Herb Grosch.
Grosch, the man behind Grosch’s Law, theorised the world would someday “operate on dumb terminals powered by just 15 large data centres”, the infographic states.
The infographic by Big Fish on how cloud gaming technologies were created takes readers all the way through to 2012 and beyond. By 2017, the streaming games market will grow nine-fold, reaching US$8bn, experts predict.
Things really got rolling in the late Sixties, though, when defence scientist JCR Licklider helped move along the development of ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) with his idea of an “intergalactic computer network.”
Today, that intergalatic computer network – the internet – allows the direct and on-demand streaming of games onto a computer which has come to be known as cloud gaming, or gaming on demand. Think video-on-demand and you’ve got the idea.


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Punit Balana relaunches Mumbai flagship store
Designer Punit Balana has relaunched his eponymous brand’s flagship store in Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda. The store has opened with an extended space and heightened Rajasthani inspired design.
The new Punit Balana flagship store in Kala Ghoda is larger and more opulent than before, the brand announced in a press release. The store launched with an exclusive event featuring guests and celebrity friends of the brand including Sussane Khan, Neha Dhupia, Angad Bedi, Anshula Kapoor, and Shamita Shetty, who all wore ensembles by Balana. The event also featured music by Farooque Latif Khan to create a Rajasthani ambience, reflecting the brand’s state of origin.
“When I first came to Mumbai, the idea was more exploration than expansion,” said Balana in a press release. “The purpose was to bring my personal cultural sensibilities to Mumbai. In our new Kalaghoda store, we have reimagined what the Punit Balana experience means - it’s chic, it’s minimal, yet so voluminous at the same time. Soft and elegant, yet makes a statement. Here’s me, inviting each one of you to come and visit our new store in Kalaghoda, Mumbai.”
Balana launched his original flagship in Kala Ghoda in 2018 to house his signature traditional wear designs. The luxury womenswear brand is known for its block prints and Mardi work ensembles in bright hues and with intricate detailing.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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(WALL STREET JOURNAL) – Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSM’s chips are everywhere, though most consumers don’t know it.
The company makes almost all of the world’s most sophisticated chips, and many of the simpler ones, too. They’re in billions of products with built-in electronics, including iPhones, personal computers and cars—all without any obvious sign they came from TSMC, which does the manufacturing for better-known companies that design them, like Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc.
Its technology is so advanced, Capital Economics said, that it now makes around 92% of the world’s most sophisticated chips, which have transistors that are less than one-thousandth the width of a human hair. Samsung Electronics Co. makes the rest. Most of the roughly 1.4 billion smartphone processors world-wide are made by TSMC.
The post A single company in Taiwan makes 92% of world’s most sophisticated chips appeared first on WND.


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Capital investment in information communication technologies (ICT) generates a 7% premium over other forms of investment, the European Commission’s digital agenda commissioner claims.
Neelie Kroes says the higher return on investment is only achievable in conjunction with higher funding for intangibles including people, skills and digital literacy, and adds that it is up to all players in the value chain – governments, enterprises and society as a whole – to make the digital economy work.
“We…must make that investment for the future and skill up to face new challenges,” Kroes told delegates at the Digital Inclusion Conference in Poland yesterday. The commissioner added that all citizens must be included in digital plans “so that we can all benefit from ‘smart’, innovation-based economic growth.”
Kroes says IT literacy is becoming as fundamental a skill as reading, writing and math, and notes that ICT must be integrated into all aspects of professional and personal life. “Soon, 90% of jobs, whatever the sector, will require some level of digital literacy,” she states.
However, there is a long-road to achieving Kroes goal of widespread digital abilities. She notes around a quarter of EU citizens have never used the Internet, with usage particularly low among the “elderly, the poor, the lower-skilled and the unemployed” – all groups that “stand to gain the most from getting online.”
The Commission can only do so much to boost digital skills, Kroes argued, noting that a joint effort between government, public and private sectors, and technology innovators is needed. Education is another key element in ensuring consumers are confident using new technology, she said.
Kroes plans to prioritize digital literacy in future EU funding schemes, and to develop a common framework for ICT staff certification to boost training efforts.
“I am ready to fight or bang heads together, whatever it takes to get the right political support,” she said.


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Shares of USA Graphite (OTC:USGT) have been trending higher ever since the company issued an 8-K related to the appointment of Wayne Y. Yamamoto on November 13, 2012. Yamato was the former President of Call/Recall and the Chief Technology Officer of W&W and has also served on the board of directors for a number of startups including Arbor Software, Photonic Storage Systems and ResTech.
Ever since the company issued a news release about the appointment of Mr. Mamamoto there has been an increasing number of company news, independent articles and mentions on twitter. For instance, yesterday Josh Hutheson published an entry on The Motley Fool Blog Network section of TheFool.com titled: “Tesla Motors In Rally mode As EV Buzz Grows” that highlights USA Graphite (OTC: USGT) and how the company believes that its property “could host a multi-million ton graphite mine. The article concludes that Tesla Motors will benefit from the rapid industry drivers in the graphite marketplace including graphene.
A separate article on Seeking Alpha written by Hutheson expands on the market for grapheme, a material found within graphite. According to a profile in The Economist, grapheme has been proven to be 40 times stronger than steel with an electrical conductivity 1,000 times better than silicon’s. The article goes on to say that the price of graphite has steadily risen mostly because of demand from China.
Several days later the company announced the acquisition of a 100% stake located in the Pershing County, Nevada area. The Blue Wing Mountain Graphite Property is comprised of approximately 1985 acres. The acquisition will cost the company $3,000,000 in a combination of cash and stock as well as a 2% net smelter return. “We are pleased with our initial acquisition in the graphite space,” stated President and CEO Wayne Y. Yamamoto.
These material events have resulted in an increasing amount of trading volume. Prior to November 12, 2012, shares of USA Graphite stock had not traded a single share. Since then, over 250,000 shares have traded with an increase in price per share from $0.40 to $0.48. With the demand for graphite and grapheme increasing steadily as new uses are found this trend in USA Graphite (OTC: USGT)’s stock may continue of the company continues to execute the business plan.
For consideration of being featured on WallstreetPR, contact: firstname.lastname@example.org


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Hong Kong luxury department store Lane Crawford has opened the doors of its largest flagship in Shanghai.
Located at Times Square on Huai Hai Zhong Rd, the new store encompasses some 14,000 sqm over four floors, with 500 international brands across women’s fashion, beauty and fine jewellery, menswear and home and lifestyle.
The store cost Lane Crawford 400 million yuan ($65.4 million) to build.
“Lane Crawford is invested in creating the future of global retail, in the market of the future,” said president Andrew Keith.
“Global retail leadership is now coming from China, and the China customer is at the forefront of fashion. We set out to create the ultimate luxury fashion and lifestyle destination – the largest selection of luxury brands in an innovative, highly visual space, offering world-class service at a scale never before seen in Shanghai,” he said.
The Shanghai store was designed in collaboration with international architecture firm Yabu Pushelberg, who have worked with Lane Crawford on four previous stores. The store’s design has what the company describes as “a modern gallery approach” to retail.
Keith said the collection of products was selected by a buying team of 85 experts based on a deep understanding of their Chinese customers and close relationships they have with brand partners globally.
Featured brands range from international designers including Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Lanvin, Saint Laurent Paris to new generation designers including Alexander Wang and Sacai, and contemporary collections including Alice & Olivia and the introduction of J.Crew in China.
“When we opened our first store in Beijing in 2007, we introduced more than 300 new international brands to China for the first time. In Shanghai, we’re building on that portfolio with greater depth, and driving innovation through an elevated service proposition that includes specialist personalised services not seen before in this market,” Keith said.
Approximately 1800 sqm of the store has been dedicated to personalised services in beauty, fashion and lifestyle conducted in luxurious, private styling areas for a unique, tailor-made experience for customers and delivered by 65 stylists and concierge staff.
As part of Lane Crawford’s connected commerce strategy, the Shanghai flagship store and Lane Crawford’s online store are connected to provide a seamless shopping experience both in store and at home. Customers can order online and collect or return their orders at a special Online Shopping Concierge in the store, another first in the market.
Approximately 278 sqm is designated for creative displays. A space called The Hub aims to support emerging creative talent in fashion, art and design, by showcasing their work in the heart of the store.
Lane Crawford entered China in 1872 when it opened on Nanjing Rd. The department store now has eight stores in Greater China.


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This story has been updated to include how much medical marijuana businesses could have in the restricted areas.
A proposal to amend Seattle’s land use code would restrict the production and distribution of medical cannabis in certain parts of the city, including Pike Place Market.
Goals include giving those in the legitimate medical marijuana community certainty in how and where they can operate, and preventing the business from becoming a tourist trade.
The plan would restrict, but not ban, medical marijuana businesses in residential areas and tourist neighborhoods, such as the market, Pioneer Square, the International District and the central waterfront.
In addition, the size of indoor growing operations in manufacturing and industrial areas would be limited to no more than 10,000 square feet.
Medical marijuana is legal in Washington, but all pot – no matter what the use – is illegal under federal law. Caught in between are local governments, such as Seattle, where medical marijuana businesses have been sprouting like kudzu.
Even though there are around 145 dispensaries in Seattle, according to city data, there are no cannabis-specific requirements in the land use code.
This lack of regulation could spell trouble, said City Councilmember Nick Licata, who thinks that while most businesses are legitimate, some operators are “unscrupulous businesspeople out to make a quick buck.”
To head off the problems these people could create, the city has been trying to get ahead of the issue by meeting with medical marijuana businesspeople to come up with a regulatory framework.
Regulating marijuana will become a bigger issue if Washington voters approve Initiative 502 in November. It would legalize and heavily tax all marijuana sales at state-licensed stores to people 21 and over.
One operator that city officials have met with is Oscar Velasco-Schmitz of Dockside Co-op in Fremont. “The city is asking very important questions,” he said.
Velasco-Schmitz said laying out the ground rules will help create a safer trade that provides medical marijuana patients the access they need. He thinks the city’s effort is “a great thing.”
The Housing, Human Services, Health and Culture Committee, which Licata chairs, will take up the issue early next year. Before then, Licata and Council President Sally Clark will talk to community groups about the proposal.
The proposal would restrict the size of medical marijuana businesses in terms of how many pot plants and ounces of cannabis a business could have. A business would be limited to 45 cannabis plants and 72 ounces of useable cannabis.
Outside the restricted areas, medical marijuana businesses would still be regulated.. “It isn’t like, go hog wild outside these zones,” Licata said.


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Scouring automotive news today, you may have read that Toyota’s production “fell by more than a third in September,” because the company is “hurt by disrupted access to semiconductors and other key auto parts that’s weighing on Japan’s automakers.”
What you did not read (until this moment) is that on the global leader board, Toyota is more than a million units ahead of second-placed Volkswagen, and that year-to-date, Toyota’s worldwide sales are up 19.3%, compared to Volkswagen’s 6.9%. That simply because the supply chaos is weighing on all automakers around the world, not just the ones in Japan. In September, Volkswagen’s global deliveries were down 32.3%, while Toyota’s sales dropped 16.9%. (Toyota reports production and sales, Volkswagen only reports deliveries.)
Some people are prone to ignore auto sales other than battery-powered, and those should be impressed by Volkswagen. Year-to-date, the company more than doubled (+38.2%) its global BEV sales to nearly 300,000 units. Toyota more than tripled its BEV output – from a paltry 3,346 BEV in all of 2020 to 9,298 BEV sold worldwide Jan-Sept 2021.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is found another million units further down the list, with Renault up 2.6%, Nissan up 8,7%, and Mitsubishi Motors up 24.5%. With all three contestants separated by a million units, it is safe to say that Toyota will be World’s Largest Automaker 2021, followed by Volkswagen, and the Alliance.
And now for the usual disclaimer: Daily Kanban is now ranking global automakers by sales. We used to rank them by production, because this was how the global automaker umbrella association OICA had done it in the past. OICA seems to have thrown-in the towel, and you no longer will find any recent automaker rankings on the previously authoritative OICA website, neither by production, nor by sales. Reliable production data are harder and harder to come by, forcing us to switch to sales/delivery data published by automakers. Be aware that “deliveries” can be a rather elastic term. Deliveries can be sales to end users, or cars dumped on dealer lots, or cars “delivered” to sales organizations, or combinations thereof.
Also, please note that Mitsubishi Motors does not publish global sales, only domestic sales in Japan. For that reason, we are forced to use Mitsubishi’s published global production data as a proxy. Speaking of the Alliance, their number reporting is not allied at all, and a common picture requires considerable Excel machinations. Nissan and Mitsubishi report sales and production, Renault only reports deliveries. Mitsubishi does not report global sales, Nissan does.


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Fast-talking former FedEx pitchman John Moschitta returns
John Moschitta, who gained global fame for his advertising commercials with FedEx, supposedly shot a series of ads with airline company JetBlue 30 years to the day of his original 1981 blockbuster commercial for the shipping and logistics company.
Moschitta became a global icon after his FedEx shipping and logistics commercial was released 30 years ago. The ad, titled “Fast Paced World” is considered to be the most award-winning commercial in the history of advertising and earned six Clio Awards, including a Best Performance award for Moschitta himself.
Moschitta’s FedEx shipping and logistics bit has been considered among the most effective campaigns in the history of advertising, with Moschitta as the most effective spokesperson. The 40th-anniversary issue of New York Magazine named Moschitta’s FedEx commercial “The Most Memorable Advertisement Ever,” with Advertising Age ranking the ad No. 11 in their top-100 ad campaigns of the 20th century.
SEE OTHER TOP STORIES IN THE WDM NETWORK
The new line of ads show an older Moschitta, but he hasn’t lost anything off his rapid-fire voice. If nothing else, the new commercials should replace JetBlue’s old line of customer-tormenting ads, like the one seen here.
In addition to FedEx and JetBlue, Moschitta completed over 750 television and radio commercials for companies like Northwest Airlines, Olympus Camera, Post Cereal, Burger King and HBO.
Moschitta even marketed his own board game “Motor Mouth,” known in other countries as “Tongue Tangle.”


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If Nismo Festival is for the best of tuned up Nissans, then Fuji 86 Style is for the finest hotted up Toyotas. Held recently at the famous Fuji Speedway in Japan, Fuji 86 Style served up one of the world’s largest gatherings of customised Toyota- and Lexus-badged vehicles. But the star of the show is none other than the Toyota 86 and its Subaru-badged twin, the BRZ.
Since its introduction in 2011, the Toyota 86 has been the darling of the automotive world, and when it’s done up in its native land of Japan, a country where car modification and aftermarket tuning is essentially a way of life, wonderful things happen.
Lines of Toyota 86s and Subaru BRZs packed the trackside car park, resembling a holding area for cars fresh off the production line, except that they are all tuned or modified, in one way or another.
A small contingent of Toyota AE111 and AE86 also turned up for the event, giving visitors a glimpse of Toyota 86’s roots and history. And of course, no car show in Japan is complete without the strong turnout of top-tier aftermarket brands and big name tuning houses, showcasing everything from turbo upgrade kits to track-spec’ed suspension components.
There were also interviews with drift king Keiichi Tsuchiya and racing driver Nobuteru Taniguchi, as well as a drift demonstration tied to the Formula D Japan event happening on the same day.
Check out a selection of photos from 2016 Fuji 86 Style.
Photos via: Clicccar


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Flaming River Industries, a maker of automotive parts in Middleburg Heights, is gearing up to move to a new headquarters in Berea this fall. The company broke ground last month for a 20,000-square-foot building off Poertner Road that will house offices, manufacturing operations and a showroom for product display. The building, which is scheduled to be completed in October, is more than twice the size of Flaming River's current location at 17851 Englewood Drive. Flaming River, a producer of steering systems and performance accessories for the motorsports, consumer and heavy trucking markets, will add five production workers to its staff of 12 when the new building is completed, said executive vice president Jeanette Ladina. 'There will be additional production once we move into the new facility,' Ms. Ladina said. The new building will be Flaming River's third location since the company was founded 11 years ago. It will be across the street from the company's original location on Bagley Road. The manufacturer's sister wholesale automotive company, International Marketing and Research Co., will share space at the new building. Ms. Ladina described the new building as 'a multimillion-dollar project,' but she declined to disclose a specific cost figure. Flaming River is banking on further expansion and hopes to double the size of the new building to 40,000 square feet within the next three years, Ms. Ladina said. 'We do add new product lines on an annual basis, but we anticipate increasing our production space mostly to handle further market penetration and expansion of current product lines,' Ms. Ladina said. Dan Jarvis, Berea's economic development director, said Flaming River's new building will help fuel the suburb's industrial growth.
AUTO PARTS MAKER FIRED UP FOR NEW BEREA HOME
Recommended for You


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Toyota (TM) is recalling about 650k cars in Japan due to defective airbags made by Takata (TKTDY). This expands a prior recall involving 2.14M vehicles in April 2013. The additional 650k vehicles have been announced today since the serial numbers Takata provided last year were incomplete.
The defect involves a problem with the airbag inflator, which could possibly explode and injure the driver or passengers.
Honda and Nissan are now examining if their vehicles contain the malfunction.


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The Moto G5 has been shown off in a few new leaked images this afternoon showcasing even more of the phone than what's been seen up til now. That being said, the Moto G5 has already leaked a number of times in recent weeks in other live images as well as press and promotional renders so there isn't much left to the imagination about the device that Moto and Lenovo are expected to announce at Mobile World Congress within the next week. The leaks do however lend more credence to the past leaks as well as specifications as there is at least some specification info listed here.
While the design itself is nothing that hasn't already been seen in the previous leaked images, there are a couple of screenshots that show off the device's "about phone" menu, and although the language is set to Spanish, you can make out the name of the device which is listed as the Moto G5, and you can also make out the Android version which is listed as Android 7.0 Nougat. Other than those two details there isn't much else to see it looks like in terms of information from the images themselves.
In the images you can clearly see the fingerprint sensor on the front which as stated in previous posts is more rounded this time around as opposed to having the square-shaped fingerprint sensor that can be found on the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus. It's also been stated with this leak that the Moto G5 has a removable back cover that's made of metal, and in addition to the back cover being removable the battery is stated as being removable as well. Users should expect the Moto G5 Plus to have a removable back cover and battery since the design of each device is the same, and the only things that should be different between the two are a few of the hardware specifications such as the screen size, and the amounts of RAM. Moto and Lenovo are expected to announce the Moto G5 and the Moto G5 Plus within the next week during their Mobile World Congress press conference.


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Refrigerator Survey Provides Food For
NEWTON, IA It’s one of the most-used items in a household yet,
beyond keeping orange juice cold, how do Americans really use their
refrigerators? Do they actually use the crisper compartments for
vegetables? And just how many people use in-door water dispensers
instead of filling up at their kitchen sink?
These were just some of the questions in mind when Amana
officials conducted a nationwide survey aimed at understanding
refrigerator usage. The Newton, IA-based appliance manufacturer
recently released the results of the survey, which revealed that
refrigerators are not just for food storage any more.
In fact, while most people do use their refrigerator for food
storage, a surprisingly large number of surveyed Americans said
they also use the appliance as a message center to communicate with
“A significant number of people, 34% of those surveyed, use the
outside of Amana refrigerators to communicate important information
to the rest of the family,” said Amana brand manager Janel Dufek.
“[In addition], more than half of those questioned responded that
they regularly keep written notes and calendars on the outside of
the refrigerator simply to keep track of [family members’] busy
Among the other significant findings of the Amana survey were as
Batteries, medication and film are the most common non-food
items stored inside refrigerators.
85% of those surveyed report storing foods in the compartments
designated by the manufacturer.
7% of the survey respondents say that they keep items such as
cereal boxes on top of the refrigerator.
72% of the people polled reported not having a water dispenser on
Water dispensers that are too small to fill larger or odd-shaped
containers are the greatest source of inconvenience to those
Dispensers that didn’t filter the water, or ones that dribbled
water down the front of the refrigerator, were also common
complaints among those surveyed.
Dufek said that Amana officials see a growing trend toward
refrigerators that feature improved water dispensers. Officials
also reported seeing a move toward electronic systems that feature
a built-in voice recording function, allowing household members to
record important messages and eliminate the hassle and clutter of


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OCBJ WEEKLY EDITION
Environmental Outfit Started By Allergan Founder Wants Global Brand
Scott Wilson says he still suffers from sleepless nights as chief executive of Regenesis, a privately held maker of environmental decontamination products in San Clemente.
New Line Launches in Time to Catch Buzz of Summer Olympics
It’s not your mother’s aqua aerobics, but both of you are welcome to join in.
REAL ESTATE: 130,000-SF lease fills out State Fund building
The California Department of Transportation is moving its local operations from Irvine to Santa Ana after signing one of the largest new office leases reported in Orange County so far this year.
ECONOMY: New unit of SCE parent in search of permanent HQ
Orange County will play a prominent role as the home field of Edison Energy Group, recently established by one of the world’s largest electricity producers as a launch pad of sorts, with specializations in consulting, engineering and solar-energy installations.
REAL ESTATE: Irvine-based investor adds 4,918 units at 15 complexes
Irvine-based apartment investor Bascom Group LLC has made the largest acquisition in its 20-year history, landing a nearly 5,000-unit portfolio of rental properties in and around Las Vegas.
International Fare Draws Clients Wherever He Goes
Chef Azmin Ghahreman, founder and owner of Sapphire Laguna restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, will be spending the next couple of months at patient-monitor maker Masimo Corp., tweaking the new cafeteria-style restaurant he opened at the company’s headquarters in Irvine.
Newer Loan Programs Join Loved Ones’ Help
A.J. Jafrey, founder and owner of Scoops N’ Scoops in Irvine, already had many of the elements needed to operate a franchise. He’d worked in a few franchises that his extended family owns, and he has an entrepreneurial education.
$225M Provided, Up 31%, In 440 Loans, Up 16%
Small-business lending in Orange County continued to grow in recent months, based on this week’s Business Journal ranking.
Last week’s annual OneOC Spirit of Volunteerism Awards luncheon at the Disneyland Hotel added humor, insight and style to the standard heartwarming fare of the nonprofit circuit, giving the crowd of more than 1,000 a mix that felt fresh as it highlighted the extraordinary levels of support the community of business provides nonprofit organizations that serve Orange County …
RESTAURANTS: Total to top 1,200 for family venture
Marwaha Group Inc. in Anaheim bought 500 Subway sandwich shops in six counties in the Houston market.
RESTAURANTS: Mexican specialist adds cheeky brand
A taco-and-tequila specialist with rock ’n’ roll credentials and a spot on the Sunset Strip has joined the ranks of Mexican-themed, casual dining chains run by Cypress-based Real Mex Restaurants Inc.
A couple of big consumer brands based in Irvine were among the top national television advertisers during the National Basketball Association’s 2015-16 regular season.
HEALTHCARE: New exec, overhead cuts for Praxsyn
Irvine-based drug distributor Praxsyn Corp. is reorganizing its operations as it copes with what it calls “a substantial working capital deficit.”
SPECIAL ISSUE: list will be centerpiece of June 20 edition
The Business Journal is preparing its annual list of privately owned companies for publication in June.
New Owner Didn’t See Value Of Growth Technology Sector
Broadcom Ltd.’s operation in Irvine is likely to shed more employees after the chipmaker sold its Internet of Things business last week for $550 million to Cypress Semiconductor Corp. in San Jose.
Irvine-based Quality Systems Inc. will cut 150 jobs, or about 6% of its U.S. workforce, as part of an operational realignment.
The University of California-Irvine School of Law launched a Civil Justice Research Institute to explore how to make the U.S. civil justice system more accessible.
Cypress-based Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. said the fuel economy data for its 2013 to 2017 models sold in the U.S. is accurate and unaffected by the testing irregularities its Japan-based parent revealed late last month.
Irvine-based Levyx Inc. closed $5.4 million in Series A funding. It develops technology to cut costs associated with applications for big data—amounts of information so large or complex that they overwhelm traditional data-processing applications.
South County is getting more sophisticated on the dining front.
South County is getting more sophisticated on the dining front.
Other items of interest Orange County Business Journal Vol. 39, No.18
Midlothian, Texas-based Ennis Inc. said it plans to sell Alstyle Apparel LLC in Anaheim to the newly formed Alstyle Operations LLC for $76 million in cash and $12 million to cover a 60-month equipment lease.
Make US Listing of Elite Cities, Including Aspen
The Luxury Market Report released April 7 by Coldwell Banker Previews International found that Newport Coast and Laguna Beach experienced big increases last year in sales in the $10 million-plus category.
May 2-11, 2016
This week's business and other event listings.
Aims to Use Proceeds To Pay on Revolving Credit
Irvine-based Sabra Health Care REIT Inc. continues its march toward the denouement of its long-running challenge with a major tenant.
Chain Takes Advantage Of On-Air Banter
Boot Barn Inc. in Irvine recently hired country music star Kelsea Ballerini as the face of women’s apparel brand Shyanne, but the real buzz is coming from its employee who is competing on NBC’s “The Voice.”
’16 Forecast Lowered Due To Glitches, Other Factors
The bumpy rollout of virtual reality headsets has led to some lower sales projections this year as the emerging technology has failed to match the hype in the early going.
Sales and leases of offices, industrial buildings, retail space and apartments
Newport Beach-based developer and operator of hospitality-related assets T2 Development renewed its lease at 2151 S. Dupont Drive in Anaheim on undisclosed terms.
The Orange County retail market had a strong start to the year with improvements recorded in nearly every sector.
Plans Come Amid $34M Buy Near Register
"Big Mike” Harrah doesn’t do small when it comes to development plans in Santa Ana.
No-Water Service Now Looks for Headquarters
A Gardena-based startup providing an on-demand car wash service swept the competition at the Get Started OC business pitch competition on April 20, hosted by Irvine-based Cox Business and New York City-based Inc. magazine.
You might want to think again if you think the situation over at the Register is settled under new owner Digital First Media. DFM is ultimately owned by N.Y.-based hedge fund Alden Global Capital, which gives no signs of a long-term interest in the publishing business.
REAL ESTATE: $30M buy as firm wraps up Tustin project
An Irvine-based commercial real estate firm with a growing investment and development pipeline in Southern California has made its largest-ever acquisition in Orange County, picking up an office park in Anaheim.
TECHNOLOGY: Firm showed phone-breaking tool to top cops
A low-profile company that’s involved in some of the nation’s top forensic investigations is testing a robotic arm to unlock the most common mobile phones used in crimes.
ENERGY: Nonregulated lines focus on resource management
Edison International’s bid for new markets and revenue will be conducted from Irvine.
MANUFACTURING: Sales up as ChromaDex makes deals
Irvine-based ChromaDex Corp. is like a surfer on the cusp of a huge wave. Its surfboard is its lead ingredient, Niagen, and the wave is what’s known as the “geroscience” market, which targets the relationship between aging and age-related disease.
Tight Worker Supply Brings Creative Challenge
Orange County employment agencies had solid revenue gains last year while placing essentially the same number of workers—a sign, they say, of an uptick in demand to find new workers for clients in their bread-and-butter businesses.
University of California-Irvine researchers have invented a unique kind of battery material that they contend can be recharged hundreds of thousands of times.


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General Mills Expects Single Digit Profit Gain in 2014Matt Townsend
General Mills Inc., the maker of Cheerios cereal, said profit would rise at a high single-digit percentage rate in fiscal 2014 and reiterated its earnings forecast for this year.
“We see stronger growth in our future,” Chief Executive Officer Ken Powell said in a statement today. Analysts project an increase of 8 percent to $2.90 per share, according to the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
In the fiscal year ending in May 2014, General Mills also plans to return more cash to investors through share repurchasing and dividend growth, Chief Financial Officer Don Mulligan said in the statement. Net sales from international operations are expected to exceed $5 billion in fiscal 2013, General Mills said.
General Mills, the owner of Yoplait yogurt and Pillsbury cookie dough, rose 0.9 percent to $44.99 at 8:19 a.m. in New York. The shares had gained 10 percent this year through Feb. 15, compared to an increase of 6.6 percent for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.
The Minneapolis-based company also reiterated its earnings guidance for the fiscal year ending May 26 of $2.65 to $2.67 a share before certain items. Analysts projected $2.68, on average.
General Mills and ConAgra Foods Inc. will be presenting at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York investor conference today.
ConAgra, the maker of Banquet frozen meals and Orville Redenbacher popcorn, forecast earnings per share excluding some items for the fiscal year ending May 31 of $2.15. Analysts projected $2.13, the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
ConAgra’s $5 billion purchase of Ralcorp Holdings Inc. will add 5 cents per share to earnings this fiscal year and 25 cents in 2014, the company said. ConAgra completed the acquistion of Ralcorp, which sells cookies and pasta under retailers’ own brands, on Jan. 30.
The shares declined 0.1 percent to $33.73 on Feb. 15. For the year, ConAgra advanced 14 percent.


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Epson and Left on Yellow announce strategic partnership
Retailers and restaurants can leverage real-time bi-directional data sourced from the Epson OmniLink receipt printer independent of their POS systems
Epson America, Inc., a leading supplier of value-added Point of Sale (POS) solutions, and Left on Yellow, provider of tailored integrations for retailers and restaurants, today announced their partnership at the Food Service Technology Conference, FSTEC.
Left on Yellow's "The Bus" solution, which provides a single point of integration for connecting POS systems to other technology platforms, will be able to source data and provide direct integration back to incumbent POS systems from Epson's OmniLink® Merchant Services (OMS) platform. The new solution will be demonstrated at FSTEC, Sep. 25 – 27 at the Sheraton Dallas, Dallas, TX, Booth 47.
"The addition of Left on Yellow as a key development and integration partner supporting our OMS suite of cloud and mobile applications gives users access to a single point of integration that connects POS systems to loyalty programs, online ordering, the next generation of offers and coupons, data warehouses, CRM platforms, and more," said Joel Doherty, global business development leader for Epson's Business Systems Division. "Our OMS platform works across tablets, mobile devices and multiple locations. With this solution, customers can leverage bi-directional data in real time sourced from the Epson OmniLink receipt printer data, independent of their POS system."
"Our technology removes the roadblocks of 'it can't integrate to our POS' and 'the integration is too complex' that plague technology projects across restaurant and retail chains," said Todd Michaud, founder & CEO of Left on Yellow. "Together with Epson, we offer our customers the freedom of not worrying about data integration and to have access to actionable data in real time, allowing them to focus on growing sales and improving their businesses."


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On Tuesday, Uber announced that the company suffered a massive data breach in October 2016 that exposed names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers of 57 million Uber riders and drivers along with driver license numbers of around 600,000 drivers.
However, instead of disclosing the breach, the company paid $100,000 in ransom to the two hackers who had access to the data in exchange for keeping the incident secret and deleting the information, according to a report published by Bloomberg.
Uber said none of its own systems were breached, rather two individuals outside the company inappropriately accessed and downloaded 57 million Uber riders' and drivers' data that was stored on a third-party cloud-based service.
The cyberattack exposed the names and driver license numbers of some 600,000 drivers in the United States, and the names, emails, and mobile phone numbers of around 57 million Uber users worldwide, which included drivers as well.
However, the company said other personal details, such as trip location history, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers or dates of birth, were not accessed in the attack.
Uber Hid 57 Million User Data Breach For Over a Year
According to Bloomberg report, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick learned of the cyber attack in November 2016, when the company was negotiating with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on a privacy settlement.
So, the company chose to pay the two hackers $100,000 to delete the stolen information and keep quiet about the incident and finally agreed to the FTC settlement three months ago, without admitting any wrongdoing.
Uber Technologies Inc. only told the FTC about the October 2016 data incident on Tuesday, when the breach was made public by Bloomberg.
However, this secret payment eventually cost Uber security executives their jobs for handling the incident.
Now Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has reportedly asked for the resignation of Uber Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan, and one of his deputies, Craig Clark, who worked to keep the attack quiet.
"None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it. While I cannot erase the past, I can commit on behalf of every Uber employee that we will learn from our mistakes," Khosrowshahi said.
"We are changing the way we do business, putting integrity at the core of every decision we make and working hard to earn the trust of our customers."
Uber is notifying regulatory authorities and offering affected drivers free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
The company also says that it is monitoring the affected accounts for fraudulent activity and that riders do not need to take any action against this incident. It's likely that Uber will be forcing its customers to reset their passwords for its app.


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A supermarket chain in the US has shut its doors after union members refused to work.
The Gala Foods supermarket chain is one of the few remaining supermarket chains in the United States.
Gala Foods closed its doors at 11:00am on Saturday after union workers from the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) refused to join their employer, United Food & Allied Workers Local 1 (UFC1).
The union had earlier asked the employer to allow employees to work until 11:30pm.
Gladys McAlpine, the union’s executive director, said the decision to close the business was a “big disappointment” and the union would be taking legal action.
“We have been told by our union representative that the company is aware of the union action and is in discussions with the union to resolve this issue,” she said.
The company said it had been contacted by a number of union representatives, including members from UFCW, to explain the reasons for the decision.
“At this time, the company has not responded to our requests for comment,” the company said.
Galanco has been in operation since 2003 and is a major food retailer in the state of Texas.


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Samsung is gearing up for the Galaxy S21 FE launch. The upcoming Samsung phone is expected to launch in October in international markets. We can expect the device to launch later this year in India. Following the S21 FE launch, the next premium smartphone from Samsung will be its Galaxy S22 series. The next-generation Galaxy S-series flagship phone is expected to debut in January or February 2022. Ahead of the launch, some key details of the upcoming Galaxy S22 have leaked online. According to a new Geekbench listing, a Samsung Galaxy S22 series phone (possibly Galaxy S22+) is listed with the upcoming Exynos 2200 SoC. Let’s take a look at more details about the Samsung Galaxy S22+ listing on Geekbench.
Samsung Galaxy S22+ listing on Geekbench
Samsung Galaxy S22 series could debut in January or February 2022. Ahead of the launch, a Galaxy S22+ is listed on Geekbench. The listing reveals that the phone has the model number SM-S906B. The listing does not explicitly state that the device is a Galaxy S22+ series phone. However, reports have suggested that one of the models will have the SM-S906B model number.
The listing further reveals that the device has a processor with the model number s5e9925, which is the Exynos 2200. Samsung’s upcoming processor with AMD is said to debut in the Galaxy S22 series. The Geekbench listing reveals that the phone has a peak CPU clock speed of 2.59GHz. The other three performance cores have a peak clock speed of 2.5GHz, whereas the four efficiency cores have a 1.73GHz clock speed. It also reveals that the processor is paired with AMD’s RDNA2-based Mobile Radeon GPU and an integrated 5G modem. This new SoC was recently tipped to perform better than the Apple A14 Bionic on Geekbench.
The listing further shows that the phone will come with Android 12 out of the box. As expected, it will have a layer of One UI (mostly One UI 4.0 based on Android 12) on top. The variant listed on Geekbench has 8GB of RAM. We can expect it to have a higher RAM option upon launch.
The device scored 1073 and 3389 in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests. Other details of the device were not revealed. We can expect more information about the device to leak in the coming days.


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MILAN — “Welcome back, China.”
In a note released on Monday, Macquarie Research emphasized China’s rebound, following Prada SpA’s posting of its preliminary revenues in 2016. Comparing the Italian fashion company’s figures and those of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo, Kering and Compagnie Financière Richemont, Macquarie said the improvement at all the groups served “as strong supporting evidence of our argument that the luxury sector in China is recovering and we believe Prada is going to benefit significantly. Apart from an improving top-line, the company will enjoy better margins as China’s EBIT [earnings before interest and taxes] margin is highest among its regions.”
Macquarie cited LVMH, for example, which saw “a complete turnaround” in Asia and in China in June and July; Burberry, which reported “acceleration in mainland China, delivering high-single-digit percentage growth with better footfall trends and improved conversion,” and Richemont, which posted “strong performances” in Mainland China and Korea.
Prada clearly agrees. While the Asia-Pacific region was down 12 percent at constant exchange for Prada in the year, the area “was very dynamic” in the second half and China “resumed rapid growth in the third quarter,” said the Italian company, which is publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Hong Kong and Macau “saw reduced level of sales contractions versus past years” and Greater China reported higher sales in the last quarter of the year.
“We believe that Prada is no exception to the global luxury recovery trend, with China being the engine,” said Macquarie. “Success in new product launches, improvement in store efficiency and cost savings will bear fruit for earnings growth from fiscal year 2018, in our view.”
If the prediction proves correct, it will mark a much-needed turnaround for Prada. In the 12 months ended Jan. 31, the company registered a 10 percent decrease in sales to 3.18 billion euros, or $3.37 billion, compared with 3.54 billion euros, or $3.91 billion in the same period last year.
Dollar figures have been converted from the euro at average exchange rates for the periods to which they refer.
The company’s revenues were dented by a reduction in tourist flows to major markets ranging from Europe and the Asia-Pacific to the U.S. and Japan. However, the Italian fashion group said it saw a “clear improvement in the second half of the year” and “positive results in January.”
“This past year we implemented a profound phase of business process rationalization — still under way — and identified important strategies to secure the group’s future growth,” said chief executive officer Patrizio Bertelli. “This included revising our digital strategy with the creation of a highly skilled team with professional experience from the digital technology and new media industries.
“In the meantime, we are strengthening the retail management structure with the aim of integrating online channels with traditional channels in a truly innovative dimension. I am confident that this new global vision will enable our brands to fully express their strong potential, and generate sustainable growth: High-quality products, high level of creativity in both communications and customer relationships.”
The company has been focusing on technology and social media, from Instagram to Twitter, to engage customers and, starting last year, Wi-Fi service was made available in its network of Prada and Miu Miu stores to make products more accessible to customers. The goal was for Prada’s planned interactivity with customers to enable the company to acquire deeper insight into their behavior.
In the 12 months, sales in Europe decreased 5 percent at constant exchange, hurt for most of the year by the reduction of tourist flows, especially in Italy and France. The latter, however, showed signs of recovery in the fourth quarter.
Prada highlighted a “particularly positive” performance in Russia, with a double-digit increase, and the U.K., which reversed the decline of the first six months to end the year with strong growth.
Sales in the American market dropped 12 percent at constant exchange rates as it continued to be affected by declining tourist flows, as well as generally soft spending patterns. On the flip side, Mexico and Brazil showed growth despite ongoing softness in those economies.
Japan decreased 13 percent at constant exchange after five consecutive years of growth. The company attributed the drop to the reduced flow of tourists from China due in part to the yen appreciation.
The Middle East posted a 10 percent decrease in revenues.
Both the Prada and Miu Miu labels showed improving trends. The company cited an improvement in sales of ready-to-wear in the second half of the year and “excellent market response” to the latest footwear and leather goods collections. The group has been focusing on the shopping experience, elevating it and making it more “immersive.”
At current exchange, the retail channel decreased 14 percent to 2.63 billion euros, or $2.78 billion. The company has 620 directly operated stores. The performance improved in the second half of the year and in particular in December and in January.
Prada has been slowing the opening of new stores, and, as reported, last August said that it continued to optimize its retail network, targeting the refurbishment of better-performing locations. Last year, Prada unveiled its first flagship in Denmark, located in the Illum department store in Copenhagen; opened its first store in St. Barth’s; opened two stores in Macau, one in Korea, one in Amsterdam, and expanded and renovated its Hong Kong stores on Canton Road, to name a few.
The wholesale channel was up 13 percent to 504 million euros, or $534.2 million, lifted by “initial encouraging results” from the collaboration with e-tailers such as Net-a-porter, in line with a new business plan.
Last July, Net-a-porter launched its edit of Prada’s pre-fall and fall runway pieces as well as bags, shoes and small leather goods. The Net-a-porter introduction took place the same day Mytheresa.com, part of Neiman Marcus Group, unveiled Prada’s fall rtw collection on its online store. The launches have been long-awaited as Prada was one of the last luxury brands to sell online.
Licenses rose 3 percent, to royalties of 45 million euros, or $47.7 million, lifted by both the eyewear and fragrance categories.
Macquarie also emphasized that Prada has applied for benefits under the Patent Box regime, a tax reduction approved in Italy for intellectual property holders, which would enable the company to enjoy tax benefits. “We also increase our earnings forecasts by 13 percent for fiscal-year 2018 by factoring in the tax benefits, better sales and margin assumptions. Our fiscal-year 2018 earnings forecast is 15 percent higher than consensus.”
In a note issued ahead of Prada’s statement on its preliminary figures, Bernstein said it believes “that the new leather products of Prada, especially in the lower price points, have contributed to improved sales volumes. Shoes and especially rtw should continue to be the best-performing product categories in-line with the appreciation that the press has shown for the latest collections designed by Miuccia Prada. Miu Miu should benefit from the new store format which has been deployed in more than 20 locations in 2016.”
It also stated its belief that “the renewed creative effort of Prada will reverse the decline in underlying growth in the next year. The main operational issue of Prada is currently to reengineer the store network with selected closures-downsizing of stores to maximize sales densities and therefore we anticipate a slow margin recovery.”


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Press Kit Description
The all-new Ford Kuga is Ford of Europe’s first entry into the highly competitive crossover market and promises a blend of rewarding on-road driving quality and surprising off-road capability.
The genesis for Kuga was first seen in the dramatic Ford iosis X Concept car which made its debut at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. John Fleming, the company’s President and CEO confirmed then that Ford of Europe would be developing a production vehicle inspired by the iosis X Concept for launch within two years.
At the 2007 Frankfurt Show, Ford demonstrated that this commitment was soon to become reality with a preview of the production model.
Signalling its significance as a new direction for Ford of Europe, the new model was given its own name. The Ford Kuga was born and destined to join the Ford of Europe model portfolio during the first half of 2008.
“With the new Ford Kuga we are keeping the promise we made at Paris in 2006, and delivering a highly capable, expressive and charismatic vehicle which will extend the Ford model range further,” said John Fleming. “I firmly believe Kuga will appeal to many loyal Ford customers looking for something a bit different, as well as repeat the success of
S-MAX in bringing new customers to the Ford brand.


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Smartphone giant Xiaomi became China's most valuable start-up after its valuation topped $46 billion in late 2014. That's roughly $10 billion higher than Sony's (SONY -0.71%) current enterprise value, and the equivalent of about 40 GoPros (GPRO -11.92%). Xiaomi competes with Sony in smartphones, wearables, and other electronics, and the company threatens GoPro by producing drones and selling Yi Technology's action cameras.
But as I mentioned in a previous article, Xiaomi's growth is slowing down. Sales rose just 5% to 78 billion yuan ($11.7 billion) in 2015, down from 135% growth in 2014. This means that it could struggle to justify its valuation, and other hot Chinese start-ups could soon catch up. One such rising star is Shenzhen-based DJI Innovations, the biggest drone maker in the world, which has an estimated value of $8 billion and big growth numbers under its belt.
Meet the 800-pound flying gorilla of drones
DJI was founded a decade ago, but it only achieved global fame after releasing the first version of its flagship drone, the Phantom, in 2013. The Phantom series was a hit among high-end drone buyers, and it helped DJI conquer nearly 70% of the global civilian camera drone market last year, according to IDC. The Verge praised the Phantom drones as "simple enough for beginners, but powerful enough to interest serious hobbyists, professional photographers, and filmmakers."
DJI is frequently called the "Apple of drones." It reportedly owns 70% of the consumer drone market and appeals to high-end tech shoppers. Apple even agreed to display DJI's new Phantom 4 drones in big "feature bay" displays at over 400 of its brick-and-mortar stores, serving as DJI's exclusive retailer during the drone's initial launch in March. DJI employees also visited select Apple Stores to provide training sessions to customers.
DJI's sales either tripled or quadrupled every year between 2009 and 2014, when it reported revenue of $500 million and $120 million in net profit. DJI claimed that its sales would double to $1 billion last year, but it hasn't officially updated that figure yet. The company employs about 5,000 people worldwide and has offices in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kobe, Rotterdam, and Los Angeles. DJI was valued at $8 billion after its latest round of funding last May, and expects to cross the $10 billion mark in the near future.
Xiaomi fights back with a very cheap drone
In response to DJI's rapid growth, Xiaomi recently launched the Mi Drone, a 4K drone which only costs $460, its entry into drones. That's less than half the price of most DJI drones, which cost over $1,000. The Mi Drone represents another way for Xiaomi to diversify beyond its core smartphone business, which has been ceding market share to low-cost rivals like Oppo and Huawei.
Xiaomi's main strategy is to sell devices with high-end hardware at low-end prices via an online model that eliminates brick-and-mortar markups. That causes it to run on paper-thin margins -- its last known operating margin was 1.8% in 2013, and that figure has likely declined due to rising competition in smartphones.
DJI is making 24% profit per drone, but those profits might decline if it has to match Xiaomi's aggressive prices. However, Xiaomi's Mi Drone still lacks HDR, burst shot, time lapse photos, and obstacle detection -- all features which are included in DJI's Phantom 4. Ambarella (AMBA -1.69%), which provides the image processors for GoPro's cameras, notably also provides the SoCs for Xiaomi's and DJI's drones.
Should Xiaomi be worth more than DJI?
Since Xiaomi generated nearly 12 times more revenue than DJI in 2015, it should logically have a higher valuation. But Xiaomi's sales growth has slowed down to the single digits, while DJI hasn't stopped posting triple-digit growth yet. Xiaomi is currently valued at about 4 times its 2015 sales, while DJI is valued at about 8 times sales. This indicates that investors are willing to pay two times more for DJI than Xiaomi, which is reasonable based on its stronger sales growth.
Moreover, Xiaomi has possibly become unprofitable since 2013, while DJI could be reporting double-digit profit margins for the foreseeable future. It's impossible to assign DJI a traditional P/E value since it's a private company, but we can assume that investors are willing to pay more for DJI since it's churning out sustainable profits.
However, DJI's growth could eventually slow down due to rising competition and new drone regulations, while Xiaomi's more diversified portfolio of mobile devices, consumer electronics, and apps could leave it less exposed to a single market. DJI might face the fate of high-growth single-product companies like GoPro, with sales abruptly peaking, while Xiaomi would merely experience slower growth more comparable to a tech giant like Sony.
Therefore, Xiaomi deserves a higher valuation than DJI based on trailing sales, but that figure should probably be a bit lower based on its mediocre margins. Since Xiaomi has stated that it doesn't need any more funding, its $46 billion valuation should stay the same while its sales and earnings gradually catch up. Meanwhile, DJI's valuation will likely keep rising with additional investment rounds, so it might close the gap with Xiaomi over the next couple of years.


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- Xiaomi 12 series and Redmi K50 series launch is expected soon.
- Model numbers of both these lineups have now leaked ahead of launch.
- This necessarily means that the launch is imminent.
Xiaomi is reportedly in the works to launch its flagship Xiaomi 12 series of smartphones, as well as its Redmi K50 series of smartphones. While little is known about either of the series devices so far, their launch dates are certainly approaching. As a matter of fact, we can expect the brand to unveil (some of) its Xiaomi 12 series smartphones and its Redmi K50 series smartphones as early as next month. Ahead of the launch, the model numbers of these two series smartphones and some unknown Xiaomi devices have popped up on the Internet.
Xiaomi 12 series and Redmi K50 series model numbers leaked
Starting with the Xiaomi 12 series, the leak suggests that the lineup will feature (at least) 3 variants – the vanilla Xiaomi 12 (model number L2), Xiaomi 12 Pro (model number L1a), and Xiaomi 12 Ultra (model number L1). The Redmi K50 series, on the other hand, is reportedly going to feature 4 devices, the names of which, are not mentioned in this leak. Their model numbers, however, sure are, and we are to see Redmi L10 (presumably Redmi K50), L10a (presumably Redmi K50 Pro), L11 (presumably Redmi K50 Pro+), and L11r (likely a Lite variant of sorts).
Other than these, there are as many as four Xiaomi smartphones that are lined up for launch. Below are their model numbers and the corresponding processors:
- L9 – (Qualcomm Snapdragon 778+)
- L9b – (Qualcomm Snapdragon 778+)
- L3 – (Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, 6.3-inch)
- L3a – (Qualcomm Snapdragon 870)
It is worth mentioning that though the leak looks pretty legit, there’s no way that we can confirm its authenticity for now, so readers might as well take things with a slight grain of salt till the time things become officially clear. Speaking of things becoming official, if at all these devices are to launch next month, we can expect teasers to start popping up anytime now. Plus, the top-of-the-line variants of both Xiaomi 12 series and Redmi k50 series are supposedly going to be powered by Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 898* processor, the launch of which, is going to happen in the first week of December. Whenever we receive any more information surrounding these devices, we will keep you posted on the same.
(*Qualcomm Snapdragon 898 might undergo a change in the nomenclature used by Qualcomm. We have heard rumours suggesting that it could be named Qualcomm Snapdragon 8xx Gen-1 for that matter. Therefore, 898 is a mere placeholder for now and should be treated as such)
|Expected Price:||Rs. 27,990|
|Release Date:||27-Dec-2021 (Expected)|
|Variant:||6 GB RAM / 128 GB internal storage|