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Here you will find the latest news and most recent developments on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 2, with regular updates and all the information you need.
Samsung launches at least one new smartwatch every year. After launching the Galaxy Watch in 2018 and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in 2019, the South Korean firm is planning to introduce another smartwatch later this year. The upcoming smartwatch is already in the works, and it has gained a Chinese certification ahead of its […]
It was less than a month ago that we first heard that Samsung is working on a new Galaxy smartwatch. The absence of any leaks means there's little chance that this new smartwatch will launch in the near future. It will probably make an official appearance alongside the Galaxy Note 20 in the second half of […]
Samsung followed up the excellent Galaxy Watch – its last with a physical rotating bezel – with the Galaxy Watch Active in 2019. It ditched the physical rotating bezel but Samsung struck a compromise with the Galaxy Watch Active 2, that arrived merely six months after its predecessor. The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has a […]
Just last week we learned Samsung is working on its next Galaxy Watch generation. Now, the codename of the upcoming smartwatch seems to hint at a classic, rather than sporty, design. Galaxy Watch 2 codename: Noblesse Recently, news broke that Samsung has started work on a new device in its Galaxy Watch lineup, carrying model […]
It's been more than a year since the last Galaxy smartwatch with a physical rotating bezel was launched. The Galaxy Watch is highly regarded by those who purchased it, and many have been waiting for a proper Galaxy Watch successor to hit the market. What they got, however, were the Galaxy Watch Active and Galaxy […]
Samsung is preparing the launch of two new wireless chargers. The first confirms the arrival, hopefully soon, of the Galaxy Watch 2. The other is Samsung's next wireless fast charging stand that is likely to go on sale following the launch of the Galaxy Note 10. FCC reveals Galaxy Watch 2 charging cradle Over at […]
It's about time that we started hearing about the successor to the Galaxy Watch. Samsung switched to the Galaxy branding for its smartwatches with the Galaxy Watch last year. It was expected to arrive as the Gear S4 but the company decided to bring its wearable devices under the Galaxy umbrella. We hear that Samsung […]
With Samsung apparently having tried to develop a key-less design for the Galaxy Note 10, a recent trademark application caught our eye. In South Korea, the company has filed paperwork for the mark Digital Bezel. Update June 19: in addition, trademark applications for Touch Bezel and Touch Wheel have also surfaced. Samsung Digital Bezel Late last week, Samsung filed an […]
Samsung is working on the successor to the Galaxy Watch according to information we've received from our sources. After the Galaxy Watch, Samsung released the Galaxy Watch Active, a fitness-focused follow-up similar to how the Gear Sport followed the Gear S3. Like the Gear Sport, the Galaxy Watch Active comes in just one screen size (1.1 […]


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The City of Los Angeles, does not support street vending as an entrepreneurial opportunity of advancement for our community. As we speak street vending is a crime leaving families and women vulnerable to the law and business owners without a permit program that allows them to do their work without fear of harassment or extortion. Conservative figures estimate that over 10,000 street vendors are operating on the sidewalks of Los Angeles. Although street vending is a central part of Los Angeles culture and economy, government agencies continue to enforce anti-street vending laws throughout the city. Los Angeles Municipal Code 42.00(b) bans the use of sidewalks for food vending, imposing fines of up to $1,000 and/or 6 months in jail on street vendors, regardless of their compliance with LA County Health Department’s food preparation standards. The current approach to enforcement stretches agencies thin, wastes millions of taxpayer dollars each year, and does little to regulate vending.
THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE
ELACC, community residents, and partner organizations have now come together to form the “Legalize Street Vending Coalition” to push the Los Angeles City Council to implement a policy that provides a licensing process for vendors to sell foods without the fear of criminalization. The coalition has already conducted numerous town halls throughout Los Angeles neighborhoods where there is a high concentration of street vendors, in order to begin educating and engaging these local entrepreneurs on what the City’s first comprehensive vending policy could look.
The only way to solve the street vending problem is for agencies, governing bodies and community organizations to work together to legalize street vending in the City and work toward paths of legalization that takes into consideration the needs of the community that we live in. The legalization of street vending is a viable bottom-up economic development strategy that will increase entrepreneurship opportunities as well as generate an increase in tax revenue for the city. We currently lead two citywide issue-based campaigns: The Los Angeles Street Vendor Campaign (LASVC), and our Metro accountability campaign. The LASVC is a coalition of 62 organizations advocating for legalization of the estimated 50,000+ street vendors who operate without a legal permitting system. In February 2017, the Los Angeles City Council voted on decriminalizing street vending in the Campaign’s push for a Citywide permit program. Through the integration of cultural arts organizing, we are expanding our work to include more interdisciplinary approaches to addressing social and economic injustices by engaging youth and adults in artistic placemaking activities and both traditional and contemporary methods of art production to assist in communicating and advancing our campaigns
OUR CAMPAIGN GOALS
The legalization of food vending on sidewalks in Los Angeles
Healthy food incentives for entrepreneurs who are committed to selling healthy food as part of their business
Develop a strong community-based, nonprofit infrastructure that supports these entrepreneurs
Build constructive relationships with City departments that support street vendors and helps them find ways to conduct business within the law
Create spaces for vendors to work legitimately at farmers markets in their communities. This supports the vendors in taking a step towards legitimate employment and small business entrepreneurship.
Define areas where vendors can operate through the Boyle Heights New Community Plan Update
HOW DO WE CHANGE LIVES?
Street vendors are hardworking people striving to create a better life for their families and themselves. The legalization of street vending in throughout the City will help local vendors with few employment options to earn an honest living and provide food, clothing, and shelter for their families. For more information contact Carla de Paz at 323-604-1979 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.

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Local & Regional
Mon July 7, 2014
Rogers County Sunday Liquor Begins
CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) — Rogers County restaurants served alcohol for the first time on Sunday.
Voters last month approved the sale of on-site beer, wine and liquor and county commissioners made July 1st the effective date of the new law.
Liquor stores in the county still must stay closed on Sunday.


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The classic three-stripe Adilettes have undergone reinvention after reinvention this year, and here are five of our favourites.
Released only this month, these luxurious velvet slides retain the trademark three stripes in two new majestically named colourways, Collegiate Green and Mystery Blue. They look great, but we’re not too sure how the premium velvet overlays will stand up at the beach this summer, though . . .
This collaboration with Belgian designer Raf Simons comes in two simple colourways — black and cream — featuring an embossed logo on the comfortable moulded midsole as well as gold printed detailing across the front strap. These sleek minimalist slides are more expensive than your standard sandals, retailing for US$142 (AU$190).
Adidas’ high-fashion take on a humble sandal best known for footballers wearing them in the shower, featuring a wooden midsole above a rubber outsole, as well as a polyurethane foot strap carrying the brand’s signature three stripes. Another pricier option at US$120 (AU$160).
Sneaker heads rejoiced when when style writer Jazerai Allen-Lord tweeted a picture of the much-anticipated Yeezy Adilettes in June, the first publicly available image of the concept. But Allen-Lord later confirmed the eggshell blue slides were just a sample, and a retail release is far from a guarantee.
Another interpretation that’s unlikely to see the light of day, but Ukrainian designer Oleksandr Shestakovych imagined what it would be like if Adidas applied its revolutionary Boost technology — the spongy PU material they’re using in runners’ soles — to their humble slides. Looks a little bit like a makeshift sandal fashioned out of a styrofoam esky . . .


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Baku, Azerbaijan, April 11
By Matanat Nasibova – Trend:
Next week, the Azerbaijani National Confederation of the Entrepreneurs (Employers’) Organizations will start to select business plans submitted by entrepreneurs as part of the Start Your Business project, which is implemented through the confederation, vice-president of the confederation Vugar Zeynalov told Trend.
"We will have to select about 40-50 among 250 business plans,” he said. “Afterwards, entrepreneurs who have passed the qualifying round will receive the funds to start a business. Over 250 entrepreneurs have been educated and informed about running an independent business."
Zeynalov stressed that during the project, entrepreneurs who gained the access to the initial stage of the business will receive $200,000.
He added that the project is being implemented with USAID’s support and assistance.
The Azerbaijani National Confederation of the Entrepreneurs (Employers’) Organizations was established on March 5, 1999 in Baku and passed the official state registration.
The confederation unites over 1,000 business entities in its ranks, including 35 associations and social-economic unions.


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Burrito Hero Bruce Wayne Finally Done After Eating Chipotle 500 Days Straight
A man with a fondness for burritos and the same name as one very enigmatic caped crusader has finally had enough Chipotle. Earlier this year, Tiffin, Ohio's Bruce Wayne entered the rarified air of Chipotle champions when he became the first person to eat at the chain for 426 consecutive days. Now, though, after spending 500 straight days gulping down copious amounts of faux-Mexican comfort, Mr. Wayne is ready to hang up his bat wings.
On Friday, he announced on Instagram that he was ending his prolific run after capturing the burrito milestone, but he did not go out without leaving an indelible imprint on fast food culture. Wayne described his 500-day stint as "an amazing journey." True to his name, he spent the last day at Chipotle wearing a full Batman costume, as if on a super hero's lunch break. He told local reporters that he ordered mini-quesadillas because "leather isn't very forgiving."
When he reached the 426-day milestone, Chipotle agreed to donate all the money Wayne spent at the restaurant to a charity of his choosing. Chipotle has since pledged a $4,260 donation to a cancer research group, in honor of the average $10 expense he paid during each visit.
Wayne embarked upon his journey on October 30, 2016, the same day that Chipotle announced it was opening a store in his hometown of Tiffrin, Ohio. Mr. Wayne found a way to adhere to his diet through Chipotle, and decided to become the company's unofficial mascot by beating the previous record of 425 straight days eating at the chain.
Free to pursue other avenues to gastronomic glory, Mr. Wayne can now take his bat-suit to another franchise restaurant, or perhaps the local mall.


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A mum has issued an urgent warning to parents after her child suffered severe burns from an overheated playground toy. Little Maddy was left with huge blisters on her feet after she stepped on a boiling hot metal toy on a hot summer's day.
The girl's mum, Joleen Kellams, from Washington in the US, shared photos of her daughter's horrific burns on Facebook to warn other parents of the dangers of hot playground toys – including metal slides. The warning is a timely reminder as the UK swelters in a heatwave.
Joleen wrote: "Dear people that have children or will be around children this summer,
Soon it will be hot. Super hot. I beg you, please don't just throw your children on metal toys at playgrounds, aquatic centers, backyards or anywhere! They get hotter than we know and can seriously burn their tender skin. Plastic can get really hot too. Please, please, please check the toys your child is going to be playing on and remember if it's hot to you, it's hotter to them. Even though Maddy wasn't burned on playground equipment, she was burned on metal I would have never thought about getting super hot. I don't want to see any other littles burned like she was. You don't want your child to go through something like this."
Has your child ever been burned by a hot toy on a summer's day? Let us know in the comments below.
Photos: Facebook / Joleen Kellams
Why this maternity brand from Finland grabbed 2 Golds in a row at the MFM Awards
Find out all about MadeForMums award-winning health and wellbeing brand Lola&Lykke.


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The Mac|Life 101 series is where you can come to learn new and simple ways to do things with Apple’s desktop and mobile operating systems. Whether you’re new to the platform, or just want to learn a new technique, then MacLife 101 is for you.
With the introduction of iOS 6 last fall, Apple introduced a new feature to many users that previously required a third party application. Panorama shots are all the rage nowadays, and the Camera in iOS 6 on modern devices supports the ability to capture stunning panorama shots with relative ease, and without fussing with any costly third-party apps. We’ll show you how to capture a panorama, as well as some of the lesser-known tricks this feature offers.
Let me say this first: I don't personally find jailbreaking to be a very good idea. A voided warranty, the possibility of using some potentially malicious, unauthorized app -- it's just not worth the headache. But all the same, I can appreciate why some iOS users may find the concept alluring. Today, a group of hackers have finally succeeded in releasing jailbreak software compatible with iPhone 5, iPad mini, and iOS 6.1.
Now that an official Google Maps app for iOS has arrived, Apple is likely feeling the pressure to improve its own built-in app even more -- and a new report this week claims they may get some help from Foursquare for doing just that.
It may not have been the shot heard 'round the world, but for tech fans, Wednesday night finally brought the triumphant return of Google Maps to iPhones everywhere, complete with free, voice-guided navigation.
The holiday season is in full swing, so it's no surprise to see that Apple is updating its various services with holiday-themed content. However, an eagle-eyed Apple TV noted the curious appearance of holiday apps in a place where they shouldn't be.


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Preserving Kwanzaa's Meaning: Blacks Find Refuge in Season but Fear Commercial Influx
Salmon, Barrington, The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
Robyn Miller and her husband, Quentin Driskell, concluded several years ago that Christmas - and the commercialism that comes with it - were spiritually and morally bankrupt for them.
The D.C. residents embraced Kwanzaa instead, with its emphasis on family, community and strong moral values, and its ties to African heritage and traditions.
"This is a period of reflection, basically of what you've been through during the past year," said Mr. Driskell, 47, a lawyer who values the time Kwanzaa gives him and his family to pause. "You give thanks to the ancestors for having made it, ask for their help and guidance, and reflect on what needs to be done in the coming year."
But as their family tries to hold on to the simple rituals and symbolism of Kwanzaa, others see the unmistakable creep of commercialism into what began as a way for black families to create handmade gifts and to use their creativity in the celebration.
In recent years, mainstream giants like Hallmark and American Greeting Cards have developed their own lines of Kwanzaa cards. J.C. Penney now carries Kwanzaa kinaras - candleholders - mats and other symbols.
And large grocery stores like Giant and Safeway, card shops and bookstores are now vying for the growing market. They offer a range of Kwanzaa-related items as more people of African descent seek an alternative to the frenetic pace that now epitomizes Christmas.
"I'm surprised at the popularity, but I'm not pleased with that growth," said John El-Badr, a native Washingtonian and director of the Heritage Gallery International art gallery.
"We are supposed to make a gift which is handmade, something of that nature," said Mr. El-Badr, 52, a father of five who's been celebrating Kwanzaa for 24 years. "Usually when I see Safeway and larger stores having kinaras, it means that it will get a little bit too commercial."
Kwanzaa, which means "first fruits" in Swahili, was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, head of the black studies department at California State University at Long Beach. It was intended to help black Americans resurrect and celebrate African traditions that have been lost during their long sojourn in this country.
Kwanzaa is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 and is embraced by an estimated 15 million to 18 million blacks around the world, according to a recent study by the Smithsonian Institution. While it begins the day after Christmas, celebrants say Kwanzaa is neither religious nor anti-Christmas.
Black Elegance magazine reported that some groups last year protested Kwanzaa ads by Kmart, and resisted the involvement of Safeway and Hallmark. But Mr. Karenga took issue with that stance, calling it "incorrect and diversionary." He said the best way to counter Kwanzaa's commercialization is by "African people keeping the spirit of the holiday, which is one of internal focus and cultural grounding."
William D.C. Clark, owner of Afro in Books in Miami, said people shouldn't be surprised that some are capitalizing on Kwanzaa's growing popularity.
"Obviously where there is money to be made, the big boys will find a way to get in and capitalize," he said.
"Several firms that didn't know the meaning of the word Kwanzaa, much less its intent, are involved. J.C. Penney sells mats, cups and kinaras, though in the past, most of that stuff used to be handmade," said Mr. Clark.
But he believes people adhere to Kwanzaa "because they want to get away from the crass commercialization," and he is heartened by that resistance.
"In a way there has been some commercialization, but due to the fact that gift-giving isn't a big part of it [Kwanzaa], I don't see it rivaling Christmas," he said.
At a workshop at the Anacostia Museum this month, educator Marjani Dele and storyteller Bill Grimmette said the potential for Kwanzaa's commercialization is something to be wary of - but not afraid of. …


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Some day, all our homes and office buildings will turn off the lights when we’re not around, make sure the coffee pot’s off, adjust our thermostats for maximum comfort and energy savings, and generally be the responsible energy users we have failed to be. It’s the promise of the smart grid.
In order to do that, we’re going to need a whole lot of wireless sensors that talk to wireless transmitters and switches — and all those gadgets will need energy, too.
That’s where ultra-low-power devices and energy harvesting come in.
Energy harvesting technology allows for the design of items such as sensors, transmitters and switches with extremely low power requirements. They need so little power, in fact, that they can simply “harvest” what they need from sources such as sunlight, the glow from a light bulb or vibrational energy from electrical cords.
As the buzz around smart grid technology and the market for home and building automation systems has heated up, so too has the world of energy harvesting, and along with it, a fight over technology rights.
Netherlands-based GreenPeak announced yesterday the close of a $19 million round of funding. GreenPeak designs wireless remote control technology with extremely low power requirements that it intends to fulfill via energy harvesting.
In addition to enabling the creation of battery-less remotes, the company’s technology could break remotes free from infrared sensors. As CEO Cees Links puts it, “how ridiculous is it that in this day and age you need to be pointing your remote at a particular spot on your cable box in order for it to work?”
GreenPeak’s low-energy wireless technology also has many other smart home applications: It could be used for wireless lighting products, and Link has also talked about wireless controls for door locks. “We have automatic locks on our cars, why not in our homes?” he says.
All great ideas, but GreenPeak may have a tough time actually using energy harvesting. That’s because there is a struggle raging in the market right now over who owns the rights to the technology.
Siemens spin-off EnOcean developed its technology over a decade ago and claims to have patents on all of the various methods of energy harvesting. The ZigBee Alliance — a consortium of companies that promote the open wireless ZigBee standard, the de facto standard of most wireless devices related to the smart grid — has begun working on its own standard for ultra-low-power devices. However, EnOcean has said that any company that makes a product according to the ZigBee standard will likely be infringing on EnOcean patents. As a member of the ZigBee Alliance, GreenPeak could fall into that category.
“I don’t understand why anyone would want to start throwing around lawsuits in a growing market — it doesn’t do anyone any good,” Links says.
“But if that’s the case, then we will still design ultra-low-power and people can use one battery for 15 or 20 years, which still drastically cuts down on battery use. Obviously battery-free would be the best, but …”
For their part, EnOcean insists that its EnOcean Alliance, formed a little over a year ago, is offering an open standard as well. CEO Graham Martin disagrees with ZigBee Alliance Chairman Bob Heile’s description of the EnOcean Alliance as a “proprietary user group masquerading as an open alliance.”
“The EnOcean Standard is emerging from a proprietary solution started by Siemens in the 1990s and continued by EnOcean from 2001, but due to the success of the technology and the availability of hundreds of interoperable products, key manufacturers in the field such as Siemens, Masco, Leviton, Osram-Sylvania, Philips-Ledalite, MK-Honeywell requested that it be turned into an open international standard,” Martin said.
That process is under way now, and the EnOcean Alliance is working with the International Electrotechnical Commission (the international standards board for the electronics industry) on an industry-wide open standard. The first step is the release of the first EnOcean Alliance Profile Spec to govern and standardize product interoperability.
EnOcean’s technology has already been used by over a hundred manufacturers to create products such as room temperature sensors and motion detectors that use motion, ambient light or sunshine as their power source. Illumira’s new key card reader for hotels, for example, generates its own power when a key card is inserted or removed, converting the motions into wireless control signals.
Links likens what’s happening with energy harvesting right now to what happened with the WiFi market back in the 1990s:
“It’s the Wild West because it’s a developing market and everyone is trying to be the leader, but it will evolve and mature into a normal market with multiple options.”
Smart Grid: Digging The Foundations
What’s Next in Smart Grid? IBM Picks 5 Companies to Watch
Four Months In, Cisco Moves to Dominate Smart Grid
2009 Smart Grid Rankings Are Out: California’s Sempra Energy in 1st
(Photos, top to bottom: nacaseven / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0; GreenPeak)


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BALTIMORE, MD.- Stacks Bowers Galleries
will offer an extremely rare $5 gold coin or half eagle worth millions of dollars in their upcoming auction, scheduled for March 20 in Baltimore, MD.
The first-ever 1854-S half eagle coin, struck in April 1854 just one day within of the opening of the San Francisco Mint, is the finest of just three examples confirmed to exist. It has been graded AU-58+, far finer than the EF-45 example that brought $2.16 million in August 2018.
To help deal with the overwhelming amount of gold discovered in California during the Gold Rush, the United States set up an official government Branch Mint in San Francisco in April 1854, the first such facility west of the Mississippi.
On the second day of official operations, the Mint struck 268 five-dollar gold coins called half eagles, with a total face value of $1,340. No more half eagles were struck in San Francisco in 1854, making this coin not only historically important as the first half eagle ever struck by the United States on the West Coast, but one of the most famous rarities in the world of American coins.
This example of the 1854-S half eagle has been off the market since it was last sold at auction in 1982 as part of the collection of Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., the so-called King of Coins, whose record-breaking collection was the most complete ever formed. Since that time, it has been in the D. Brent Pogue Collection, the most valuable coin collection ever built. Between 2015 and 2017, Stacks Bowers Galleries sold the first five parts of the Pogue Collection for over $100 million, shattering the previous record for the most valuable rare coin collection.
The 1854-S half eagle made the news in 2018 when an example sold at auction after being discovered in New England. The coin brought the population to three total examples. A previously known example was stolen in a violent home invasion in 1967 and has long been presumed lost. The third example resides at The Smithsonian.
The Pogue specimen has sold at auction only twice, in 1946 and in 1982. It brought $187,000 38 years ago.
Joining this rarity at auction will be more than 500 additional lots of rare coins and paper money from the Pogue Collection. D. Brent Pogue died at age 54 in July 2019.


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Rather than take on Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo with its own dedicated video games hardware, Google is trying to upend the market with a potent service.
If it can deliver on its promises, Google's new Stadia game streaming service is a dangerous threat to console gaming. The ambitious platform has the potential to put the current console gaming landscape through some tremendous growing pains, and force its competitors to adapt or die (luckily Microsoft has planned for this scenario, but Sony and Nintendo haven't). With the convenience of high-def AAA gaming on any device and an open cross-platform community ecosystem, Stadia will break down the walled garden approach that consoles typically thrive off of.
With Stadia, Google aims to bring a new era of accessibility to gaming. Subscribers won't have to buy extra hardware or download anything to play games at up to 4K 60FPS (but a high-end internet connection is required). Ultra-powerful server networks wirelessly beam games from the cloud to devices. One example sees users simply turning on their TV, clicking on a YouTube link, and jumping right into a game. Start game on your desktop and want to continue on the go? Easy. Stadia brings all your saves, progress, and content to any device so you can pick right back up where you left off.
Today Google completely changed the face of gaming forever by announcing Stadia, a new ambitious game streaming platform.
Stadia is Google's new streaming platform, but it's much more than just another service: it's a new evolution that brings an era of accessibility, convenience, and ease-of-use to gaming. Gone are the days of needing high-end consoles and PCs, Google says: using Google's powerful datacenter network, Stadia will stream high-fidelity gaming up to 4K 60FPS to devices like laptops, desktops, tablets, TVs via Chromecast, and mobile phones via cloud technology.
Google promises Stadia will give instant access to its games, all within Chrome or YouTube. Users can launch games directly from YouTube trailers, bringing a new native connectivity to gaming. Trailers on YouTube can have a play now button, which brings the player right into the game in as "quick as five seconds with no download," Google's Phil Harrison said.
Atari is getting more serious about its new Atari VCS console hardware, and has packed in a beefier processor to back up its promises.
The Atari VCS will now be powered by an AMD Ryzen APU with two Zen CPU cores and Vega graphics, the company today announced. This is a nice jump from the Atari VCS' previous Bristol Ridge A10 CPU and Radeon R7 graphics, and the new 14nm Ryzen APU will offer power reduction, cooler temperatures, and greater gaming performance. Exact specs weren't revealed, however. Since Atari is taking a big bet with the VCS, it's important for the company to select a chip that's flexible and future-proof to withstand today's demanding gaming and 4K multimedia experiences.
"The Atari VCS will now be powered by a 14nm AMD processor featuring high-performance Radeon Vega graphics architecture and two Zen CPU cores," reads the announcement. "This new processor replaces the model from the Bristol Ridge family that had been in the plan since originally selected for the Atari VCS back in 2017. AMD's all-new Ryzen embedded chip will be faster, cooler, and more efficient, allowing the VCS to benefit from a simpler and more effective power architecture and thermal solution."
SEGA is gathering some feedback from its community through a brand new survey that will help determine "the next steps" for some of the companies most popular titles.
The survey consists of many practical questions that SEGA will be taking into account to determine which franchise should have the most time thrown into for future development. An example of the one of the questions is; "Which games do you want to see more new content for?". SEGA then proceeds to give selectable options for franchises such as; Sonic the Hedgehog, Yakuza, Super Monkey Ball, Bayonetta, Virtua Fighter, Total War and many more.
Follow-up questions that are included within the survey regard which titles fans would want to downloadable content made for, and which franchise could do with a remaster or a sequel. Other questions include what format (downloadable or physical) do gamers usually purchase their games in, and how often collectors editions are bought. SEGA will be taking the data from this survey on-board and it will certainly influence what the Japanese developer will be spending their time on in the future. If you are interested in giving some answers to SEGA, you can give some answers to SEGA here.
One of the most sought after releases in the gaming community is the third installment into the legendary Half-Life series. Now, Valve's CEO has just teased when that might happen.
Valve's CEO, Gabe Newell has decided to answer some fans questions through his email. Surprisingly enough Newell answered quite a few questions from fans, some examples include; What is your favorite toothbrush? what is your favorite pokemon? how was the process of working with 343 and Microsoft to get Halo on Steam? Answers in respective order are; Black, Snorlax and "The credit for this goes to Phil Spencer and his team at MS. They made it happen, so, yes, it was simple for us."
Included within one of Newell's emails was a question regarding the existence of Half-Life 3 and whether or not the person asking would see one before their life ends. The email read; "Was just wondering, will I be able to play a new chapter of half life before my life ends? Im 32 now." Newell answered quite simply, saying "Just don't die in the next 5 years or so ;)". Now that is quite the tease, could this be a next-gen Half-Life 3 that everyone has been patiently waiting for? Or a rebooted Half-Life VR game? Who knows, but we are sure to find out within the next 5 years.
The release of Mortal Kombat 11 is just around the corner and to prepare the game for launch NetherRealm Studios is holding a closed beta. Here is what is required for you to enter.
MK11 online stress test is done. Thanks everyone.... Your feedback will absolutely help us make #MK11 better for when it launches next month!— Ed Boon (@noobde) March 18, 2019
Next up is the Closed Beta which begins March 28. You can find details here...https://t.co/U8hf9HUkAdpic.twitter.com/P2xEmBZOn1
Firstly, Ed Boon, NetherRealm Studios' Director has posted to his Twitter detailing the closed beta and also a recently completed stress test. According to Boon, the Mortal Kombat 11's closed beta will be beginning on March 28th and will be running for 3 days. The beta will be following a recently completed stress test which has provided feedback for NetherRealm that is going to make Mortal Kombat 11 much "better".
The post from Boon also details the upcoming closed beta. We can see from the image released in the Twitter post that only certain regions will be able to enjoy the beta. The details for what is included within the closed beta have not be disclosed but according to the FAQ for what the closed beta is players will experience "an early sample of Mortal Kombat 11 before the game launches." A requirement to access to the closed beta will be the full purchasing of one of three variants of Mortal Kombat 11. The Mortal Kombat 11 beta is planned for March 28th and March 31st, it will also only be available on PS4 and Xbox One. PC players have been left out and will have to wait until the release of Mortal Kombat 11 on April 23rd.
The official gameplay trailer for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has been released onto the PlayStation YouTube Channel and showcases what it is going to be like to step into the shoes of a Shenobi.
Just last week FromSoftware and Activision released the launch trailer for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and now just a couple of days out from launch we have the official gameplay trailer. The gameplay trailer gives us a great synopsis of what players can expect from the main protagonist 'Wolf' and the story that surrounds him. The trailer is broken up into three separate parts; story, the shinobi prosthetic and combat.
Starting off, the trailer explains that players will be sworn to protect a character named the 'Divine Heir' at any cost, even his life. Just touching on what the story contains we jump straight into the prosthetic arm and the capabilities that surround it. We learn that players will be able to customize their arm to suit their play-style. Options include; grappling hook for versatility, heavy axe to break shields, spear to drag enemies closer, shurikens to stagger enemies, firecrackers to confuse enemies, and the ability to be able to deflect attacks with the shield umbrella.
Google's new game streaming platform could change the world of gaming forever with one feature.
Google plans to reveal its new gaming platform at GCD 2019 tomorrow, but sources have revealed some new info ahead of the event. Key sources tell Kotaku's Jason Schreier that Google's service, which is centered around its cloud-powered Project Stream subscription, may let viewers interact with their favorite live streamers in a way that's quite revolutionary.
The service could essentially let streamers share their save files and in-game progress with viewers, letting fans pick up right where influencers leave off or jump right into the segment that the streamer is playing in real-time. This feature would effectively let viewers play along with streamers on their own consoles, laptops, desktops or phones, and could even match them up with influencers in online multiplayer games.
Bethesda has made its E3 2019 showcase official, where we should see more about their next game 'Starfield' but also a deep-dive into DOOM Eternal is being promised.
Start speculating! Refresh @WalmartCanada. Most importantly... save the date! #BE3 is coming on Sunday, June 9th (5:30 PM PT).— Bethesda (@bethesda) March 18, 2019
More details -- including registration -- are coming soon. Can't attend? We will be streaming the whole thing live! #E3 https://t.co/6No81maSXz pic.twitter.com/EIMQjznqsT
The official Twitter account for Bethesda announced the Bethesda E3 Showcase for 5:30PM PT on June 9, 2019 in LA. Bethesda will be livestreaming the entire thing, where we will have our first deep dive into DOOM Eternal, with Bethesda teasing it will be a "hell of a night". Nice pun there, guys.
Bethesda teases: "Team Bethesda returns to Los Angeles for our 5th Annual Bethesda E3 Showcase. It's going to be a hell of a night. We have got an in-depth look at DOOM Eternal plus much, much more. We want to "Be Together" with all of you this year and with that in mind we are planning to invite more of you, our biggest fans, to join us on our biggest night of the year. Official invitations - with additional event details, including how to register for a chance to attend this year's showcase - are coming soon".t
The news of Halo: Master Chief Collection coming to the PC and especially on Steam, blew most gamers away. It lit the internet on fire with excitement that Microsoft of all companies, with its own digital distribution platform (which sucks) was going to make its flagship franchise available on Steam.
Steam, which is owned by Valve, and Valve which is owned by Gabe Newell, was an interesting choice to say the least. Newell has come out and said a few things about Halo: MCC coming to the PC when a fan e-mailed him about it all and asked whether getting the game onto Steam was an easy task.
Newell replied, saying: "The credit for this goes to Phil Spencer and his team at Microsoft. They made it happen, so, yes, it was simple for us".


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(Veteran tech columnist Jon D. Markman publishes Strategic Advantage, a lively guide to investing in the digital transformation of business and society. Click here for a trial.)
According to a report Wednesday at Bloomberg, the iPhone maker will partner with Hyundai and its Kia Motors subsidiary to make as many as 100,000 electric vehicles annually beginning in 2024.
Plans to build the Apple car have been on and off again for years. Managers at the Cupertino, Calif.-based company have been toying since 2014 with the idea of an autonomous EV. Project Titan was supposed to be Apple’s self-driving EV for the luxury car market, the iPhone of that segment so to speak. The concept was on brand and ambitious. It was also naïve.
Apple product managers had no experience with automotive supply chains or autonomous vehicle software. An arrangement with Hyundai would plug some of the product development holes.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a top analyst with an impeccable track record predicting big Apple corporate developments, says the company will build its new vehicle using the Hyundai E-GMP electric car platform. In addition to middling acceleration and range, the promise of E-GMP is rapid charging. Hyundai product managers claim the platform can charge to 80% in only 18 minutes.
Fast charging is a legitimate innovation. While Tesla ( (TSLA) - Get Tesla Inc. Report) EVs are best in class in terms of performance and range on a full charge, waiting for electric cars to recharge has been a sticking point since the first Tesla roadster rolled off the assembly line in 2008.
QuantumScape is building battery technology to make true fast charging a reality.
The San Jose, Calif.-based company is developing a solid state lithium metal battery that could be used in everything from EVs to smart watches. The advantages over current lithium ion technology is stability, safety, greater power storage and lower production costs. That’s the theory.
In reality QuantumScape has never been able to make solid state batteries bigger than the average Apple Watch cell. What the company does have is great science, the backing of a Bill Gates fund and Volkswagen, the world’s largest automobile manufacturer.
Investors were won over by the science.
QuantumScape was founded in 2010 when Jagdeep Singh, a computer science engineer and Fritz Prinz, a Stanford University professor began working on solid state battery technology. A year later the pair had a research unit in place and the backing of Volkswagen. Originally the German carmaker agreed to invest $100 million to establish joint production. In June 2020 the company invested another $200 million to accelerate development.
Bill Gates became a QuantumScape investor through his Breaking Energy Ventures fund. In a 2020 Gates Notes blogpost, the Microsoft ( (MSFT) - Get Microsoft Corporation Report) founder noted that solid state batteries will change the trajectory of EVs and greenhouse gas emissions. He surmised that the technology developed by Singh and Prinz was miles ahead of the competition.
As a public company QuamtumScape has been all over the map. Shares began trading at $10 in August 2020 when the company merged with Kensington Capital Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company. The combined business was infused with $1 billion in financing from the Qatar Investment Authority and Volkswagen. By January, the stock zoomed to $132.70.
Today the stock trades in the $45 area. That is likely to improve due in large part to Apple getting into the EV business.
To be clear, there is no indication that Hyundai will use technology from QuantumScape. That said the fast charge storyline will change the EV investment narrative away from performance and range. Given its science, partners and investors QuantumScape is likely to be a big part of that conversation. Investors will vote with their wallets.
Shares are attractive here for speculators.


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Irving, Tx — Last year, Keith Albright, senior vice president of franchising at Gold's Gym International, said the company planned to open about a half dozen Gold's Gyms in Hawaii over the next few years. Those plans will not include the last remaining Gold's Gym in Hawaii, which closed on Aug. 31.
Dave Reiseman, director of communications for Gold's Gym, says the closing club in Honolulu is an older, corporate-owned facility.
“We are constantly working to upgrade our portfolio, and this didn't meet the standards we've set for ourselves or our members,” says Reiseman, who adds that Gold's plans to come back to the Hawaii market “in a bigger way.”
The 1,500 members at the Gold's Gym in Honolulu will be transferred to nearby Powerhouse, a comparable-size gym that opened in July 2007 and has about 2,000 members, according to media reports.
The news of the closing of the lone remaining Hawaii Gold's came at the same time the company made several announcements that outlined the company's strategic move to grow the company with new locations in the United States and worldwide.
Gold's hired Marc Eisman as director of franchise development and support, Asia-Pacific. Eisman will be responsible for developing Gold's Gym franchise opportunities in Australia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Eisman, who will report to Albright, is a licensed chiropractor and formerly a Gold's Gym franchisee who introduced the brand in Australia and the South Pacific 11 years ago.
Gold's also has hired Durham, NC-based advertising agency McKinney to handle the company's advertising and marketing communications. McKinney succeeds independent Riester in Phoenix, which handled Gold's for about three years, according to a report in Adweek.
Adweek estimated that billings on the Gold's Gym account would amount to $15 million a year. Major ad spending on Gold's totaled nearly $4 million last year and $2 million through May 2008, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
“[Gold's Gym] is the No. 1 gym brand in the world,” McKinney CEO Brad Brinegar said in the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer. “We think it's a terrific opportunity.”
Lisa Zoellner, chief marketing officer for Gold's Gym, told the News & Observer that McKinney “appreciated the great heritage of the brand but also understood we need to move it forward — and put together a plan to do it.”
The process of McKinney's hiring, first announced at the Gold's Gym convention in July in Las Vegas, was hailed as a success by both the corporate office and Gold's Gym franchisees.
McKinney will focus the theme of the advertising campaign, scheduled to debut this fall, on the commitment of Gold's Gym, from its franchisees to their staff to their members.


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New openings secure 43% sales increase for Honest Burger
Honest Burgers has seen a 43% sales spike in the year ended January 2018 thanks to a string of new openings.
The burger chain increased sales by £6.7m to £22.3m during the period in which the company opened seven new restaurants, including regional sites in Reading and Cambridge.
Restaurant EBITDA rose from £3.3m to £5.1m year-on-year, which was offset by an increase in head office costs of £1.1m due to new senior appointments aimed at supporting further business growth. As a result, group EBITDA rose from £2.2m to £2.9m.
The company, which launched in 2011, also invested £1m in setting up an in-house butchery.
David Foulis, financial director at Honest Burgers, said that sales were driven by an investment in food quality and "defining and investing in brand values".
With a further seven new openings, including two more sites outside of London, the current financial year is shaping up to be an "exciting" one, he added.
Honest Burgers aims for 50 sites by 2020 as £17m refinancing deal is secured >>
Honest Burgers opens 17th London site as part of ‘aggressive' expansion plans >>
Honest Burgers to open Covent Garden site >>
Get The Caterer every week on your smartphone, tablet, or even in good old-fashioned hard copy (or all three!).


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Sep 29, 2017
If we are to revolutionise housebuilding, we all have to commit to changing how we operate
Following a recent talk at this year’s British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Conference, Stewart Dalgarno is calling on the industry to act and increase its manufacturing integration across the supply chain.
At this year's BWF Conference I spoke about the importance of the supply chain becoming more integrated so that housebuilding in the UK can become more dynamic, successful and timely – without ever compromising on quality or standards.
The advantages of using offsite manufacture of timber systems in residential or commercial projects are vast and clear, and offsite is helping to solve many of the current challenges within the construction industry. However, the entire supply chain must become more integrated and committed to revolutionise how we build new homes.
Timber is both sustainable and low carbon, and can be engineered with such advanced precision that it allows unparalleled accuracy in meeting design intentions. Design processes themselves are also now changing through the innovative use of 3D interactive technology, augmented reality and initiatives such as our first commercially-available BIM library.
Engaging with our supply chain, and working together towards genuine integration, will benefit all parties. Cost efficiencies can be achieved without compromising on the quality of homes, and housebuilding projects can be delivered with increased safety profiles, lower costs, improved sustainability and more accurate timescales.
Traditional supply chains typically rely on at least 12 separate components; ranging from designers and installers to window installers, scaffolding and multiple hauliers. Integrating this will mean the offsite timber systems and windows can all be designed, manufactured, delivered and installed as a single effective process.
If timber system manufacturer and supplier factories are all co-located on the same site, design, delivery and production processes can be more closely aligned, waste removed, leading to lower costs and reduced lead times
It’s no exaggeration that increased integration has the potential to transform the construction industry. However, our industry is traditionally slow to evolve and this thinking is nothing new. Vertical supply chain integration is already extensively tried and tested in a number of other industries – with car manufacturing being a prime example.
Although it’s an ambitious plan, it is absolutely achievable. However, the potential for success is very much dependent on suppliers and housebuilders proactively working together and forging long-term commitments to this integrated approach, underpinning investment and working together to drive forward cultural and process change.
It will take a strategic commitment, meaningful collaboration, the pooling of resources, the sharing of research and full engagement from all parties at the start. However, in return, an integrated supply chain has the potential to reduce costs, add value and – most importantly – radically transform how we deliver sustainable new homes to scale and at pace.


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Rockstar Games has just announced a sequel to PS2's excellent cowboy-em-up Red Dead Revolver, set to release this autumn. Marked for release on PS3 and Xbox 360, Read Dead Redemption will feature open-world gameplay set at the turn of the 20th Century.
Above: Bet you use Triangle to steal horses
However, this isn't actually the first time we've seen it. Remember that infamous E3 2005 PS3 showreel? Well, just before Killzone 2's target footage was shown for the first time, there was an untitled Rockstar game that looked like this:
Above: A rather blurry screenshot taken from the 2005 E3 showreel
Now look at a similar shot from the finished game. Looks like yet another E3 2005 promise that's actuallybeen delivered. Cripes.
Above: The actual game. Pretty epic, eh?
Just how big this sprawling landscape actually is remains to be seen, of course. But suffice to say we're very excited about this one. Especially if it includes multiplayer - imagine one team trying to protect a stagecoach from bandits, or shoot-outs around the towns at sunset.
The game will use Rockstar's Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE),and will featurefrontier towns, rolling prairies teeming with wildlife, and perilous mountain passes.
Above: Could this sort of thing be included as a multiplayer element?
Along the way, players will experience the heat of gunfights and battles, meet a host of unique characters, struggle against the harshness of one of the world’s last remaining wildernesses, and ultimately pick their own precarious path through an epic story about the death of the Wild West and the gunslingers that inhabited it.
We can't wait. Expect us to be all over this as soon as we get the chance to see it. in the meantime, you can see the rest of the sunset-soaked screenshotshere.
04 Feb, 2009


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Katrina Amaral of Timberdoodle has seen more interest in custom orders. And the spike in lumber prices has improved her pricing power.
Prices for U.S. softwood lumber have jumped since tariffs against Canadian lumber took effect last year.
Your shopping bill could be getting noticeably higher. Procter & Gamble today announced it’s planning to raise prices on a lot of its products, including Bounty paper towels and Puffs tissues. One reason for those increases? P&G is having to pay a lot for wood pulp, which is basically what paper towels, diapers and toilet […]
A new set of beetles is taking North America by storm, and this time the casualty is the lumber industry. What does this mean for home building and other lumber needs in the U.S.?


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COVENTRY, England, — Jaguar Cars announced November 28 that a new sports sedan, the Jaguar XF, will make its public debut next autumn. Positioned in the luxury mid-size segment, the new Jaguar XF will replace the S-TYPE sedan in the Jaguar model line-up.
Designed and developed at Jaguar’s Product Development Centre at Whitley in Coventry, UK, the new Jaguar XF will be built at Jaguar’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, UK.
“The Jaguar XF is a new sports saloon that will challenge people to think again about Jaguar as daring and different,” commented Bibiana Boerio, managing director of Jaguar Cars. “Our new XK sports car has been very well- received and is enjoying great success. We are now moving on to the next stage of Jaguar’s exciting new design era — and if you like the new XK, just wait until you see the new Jaguar XF!”
Customer deliveries of the new Jaguar XF will commence in spring 2008, dependent on market.
From its beginning as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars in 1922, Jaguar Cars has grown to become one of the world’s premier manufacturers of luxury sedans and sports cars and with that, one of the most recognized commercial brands. The company’s vision is simple: To produce beautiful fast cars that are desired the world over. The company operates two manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom and is fully engaged in environmental programs, community work and brand awareness exercises such as motorsports.
No images or further details of the new Jaguar XF are being released at this time. The Jaguar S-TYPE, which is replaced by the new Jaguar XF, made its public debut in 1998 prior to going on sale in 1999. Since launch, globally circa 270,000 S-TYPEs have been sold.


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Amazon to Acquire Whole Foods Market
Amazon.com will buy Whole Foods Market, which will continue to operate under its existing brand, as part of deal valued at $13.7 billion, reports The Washington Post.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2017, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals. Full Story
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Ordering at House-Hasson market to be upgraded
House-Hasson Hardware is launching a new buying program at its upcoming Atlanta dealer market through which dealers can use hand-held electronic devices to order products straight from vendors on the market floor.
“With today’s technology we want dealers to have the option of electronic ordering, which eliminates paperwork and speeds products to their stores," said Don Hasson, House-Hasson president.
The House-Hasson Atlanta Dealer Market is scheduled Thursday, June 23, to Saturday, June 25, at Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria Center.
Beginning Friday of the market, House-Hasson dealers will be able to scan stock merchandise using CipherLab handheld units, about the size of a cell phone, said Mike Woolf, House-Hasson VP sales.
“Products — including coupon and bonus buy items — can be scanned using a bin or UPC code into the CipherLab and the order transmitted prior to dealers leaving the market,” Woolf said.
“CipherLabs are used by a great many House-Hasson dealers in their stores to order products,” Woolf added. “Most dealers transmit to us using a telephone or by downloading it into the House-Hasson Electronic Toolbox program.”
The sole previous method of market ordering was for House-Hasson to print a book of Bonus Buy items and coupons. A dealer sticker was put on a product order, along with the quantity, as the written order was made. That system also remains in use.
“Now, if the dealer chooses, CipherLab is there as well,” Woolf said. “Using a CipherLab is a time saver, and dealers will receive copies of their orders as they leave.
“Until now there wasn’t a reason for dealers to bring their CipherLabs to a market,” he said. “Our objective is to provide them the same convenience at the market that they have in their stores.”
Another Atlanta market shift from past practice is to open up Friday’s market session for Bonus Buy items, he said. Previously, Bonus Buy events were held on Saturdays.
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Declaration of Independents
“Buy from the merchants who are your next-door neighbors. They are the folks who go to church with you, buy from other local firms and keep the money flowing within the community. Your local independent retailer is a longtime resident of the area who actively participates in and generously supports the community.”
That passage was written by a retail store owner, who worried about large competitors encroaching on his turf. The year wasn’t 2011, 2001 or even 1991.
It was written in the 1930s by a James Lowry. He operated a retail plumbing and heating firm that felt threatened by a growing number of chain-store competitors. Back then, he was fearful of the rapidly expanding Sears, Roebuck and Co., and Montgomery Ward, which offered essentially the same lines of plumbing supplies that were available in his store.
More than 70 years later, the players have changed, but much of the story line has not. Independents are leery — and rightfully so — of big-box competition, and they’re looking for every edge.
Some of them are finding it in independent-minded vendors. In the corner of the independents are allies including Benjamin Moore, Stihl and John Deere — brands that have the power to decide how they are sold. Then there are smaller players such as Fertilome that might lack the mass following, but share the independent commitment.
But with the three leading big-box home centers accounting for about $125 billion in sales, is it a good idea to avoid them?
For Benjamin Moore, which has sold to independents since 1883, the answer appears to be “yes.” A spokesman said the company has no reason to switch allegiances. “We’ve seen hard times before,” he said. “We’ve had a very successful track record selling to our independent network.”
Ditto for Fertilome, which began 43 years ago selling only to independent garden centers. “We were built on a commitment to independent dealers and have never thought of deviating from that course,” said Geneva Aragon, marketing operations manager for Fertilome.
The company’s 1968 beginning pre-dated Home Depot and Lowe’s. Still, as Home Depot and Lowe’s have grown and prospered, Fertilome hasn’t budged from its position. “No. No, absolutely not,” Aragon said. “We have a loyal customer base of independent retailers and distributors, and they are adamant about making sure that their customers have access to their best product. At the same time, we are very customer-service driven. We are focused on the independents. It is a partnership that has served their needs and our needs very well, and so there is no need to change it.”
Steve Spiwak, Kantar Retail’s lead home improvement analyst, said not every supplier has the “luxury” to pick and choose channels of distribution. “Every sale is absolutely crucial to rekindling and sustaining growth,” he said. “Brands may feel the ‘big-box channel,’ such as Home Depot and Lowe’s, would dilute the brand’s equity and wish to avoid this, but such an attitude is a luxury in the wake of the housing bust and ‘Great Recession’ — with no end in sight to the housing pain.”
Changing channels and partnerships
The retail landscape has blurred to such a degree, experts contend, that consumers will shop for groceries in Target and paint in Pottery Barn. The latter is one reason Benjamin Moore is pushing its relationship with Pottery Barn, Spiwak said. “Finding shelf space at Home Depot or Lowe’s in paint would be nearly impossible because of the strong lines of exclusives at each retailer,” Spiwak said. “So they need to find other channels out of necessity.”
Benjamin Moore is established with Ace, which is engaged in a five-year plan to expand its paint business to 8% market share, up from its current 4% level, according to the co-op.
Stihl at the top
Stihl has garnered almost as much attention for its top-selling power tools as it has for its bodacious advertisements championing the cause of independents. Stihl’s devotion to its independent dealers is the core of its marketing strategy. Hans Peter Stihl, chairman of the supervisory board of Andreas Stihl AG & Co. in Waiblingen, Germany, told The Virginian-Pilot recently why Stihl sticks to its declaration of independents. “These big boxes are not able to give service,” he said. “No service, no sale.”
Stihl’s advertising campaigns have both reinforced its commitment to the independents and tweaked the big boxes. “Why is the world’s number one selling brand of chain saws not sold at Lowe’s or The Home Depot?” one ad read. “What makes this handheld blower too powerful to be sold at Lowe’s or The Home Depot? You see, we won’t sell you a leaf blower in a box, not even a big one.”
Some market experts say Stihl’s approach works for manufacturers that can prove their products are worth a premium. Stihl insists its machines are worth the extra cost, pointing to features such as the quality of the chains, which are made in Switzerland and shipped worldwide.
Having it both ways
Some premium brands find ways to sell both mass merchants and traditional channels. John Deere & Co. sells to both independent dealers (its biggest channel) and Home Depot/Lowe’s, and represents probably the best example of a stellar home-related brand that has forged an innovative approach to reach customers in new channels while engaging its traditional channel in the process.
“John Deere may be the exception,” Spiwak said. “For the vast majority of suppliers — brand names and no names alike — the question is where do you go with your products? A channel like Home Depot/Lowe’s where untold numbers will shop? Or at independent dealers, where the traffic is much lighter, but the service could be much greater.”
Spiwak said Deere showed its dealer networks that it they could benefit from sales of Deere products through big boxes by being the go-to guys for setup and post-purchase service. “There’s not much overlap between Home Depot and Lowe’s and [Deere’s] dealer customer bases, so it’s a net win-win,” Spiwak said.
Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group also sells its products through multiple distribution channels, including home centers, warehouse clubs, independent dealers and mass merchants.
Benjamin Moore thinks so highly of its independent retail exclusivity that it invited outsiders to develop their own video that cleverly depicts its “Not in a Big Box” philosophy. Benjamin Moore offered prizes ranging from $500 to $5,000 for the top videos.
In its video message, the company wrote: “In an era where goliath retailers seem to have all but obliterated local shops, Benjamin Moore has stood fast in support of our independent retailers. We have done so since our company began back in 1883. … Our reasoning is simple: We produce outstanding quality products and want to ensure that our customers receive unsurpassed service and trusted counsel as part of their product purchasing experience.”
Why big boxes matter
Despite the expertise and customer care that many independent retailers are known for, studies show consumers shop at Home Depot/Lowe’s for their convenient locations and selection. “Big boxes will remain the big players in urban/suburban markets in core home improvement categories such as paint, outdoor equipment and tools,” Spiwak said. “As categories get more competitive, it will be imperative for older, venerable brands to innovate and refresh the offer, or the big boxes won’t be interested anyway.”
A May circular from Home Depot reflected a perceived advantage of the big boxes. “If anyone tries to go lower, we’ll beat their price by 10%.” e
In the June 6, 2011 issue of
In the June 6, 2011 issue of Home Channel News, Ken Ryan wrote a good piece entitled “Declaration of Independents.” In the article he wrote about some building material vendors who sell only through the independent dealer channel. For most of these vendors, the independent channel is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. I agree with the vendors Ken Ryan cited who believe the independent channel provides the services, the expertise and the care that customers look for when buying big ticket building product items. I applaud Mr. Ryan for highlighting the strength of a channel that some experts think cannot compete with the big boxes. I think he is wrong, however, when he suggests that supporting the local independent dealer involves paying a price premium. Mr. Ryan cites “some market experts” who argue that selling through independent dealers can only work “for manufacturers that can prove their products are worth a premium.” This implies that the independent channel prices are typically higher than the prices on the same items at the big boxes. This is not true. The resilience of the independent building material dealer is not based on loose sentiment or vague loyalty. While service levels and expertise are typically very high at independent dealers, prices are just as low as at the boxes – sometimes lower. The fact is, customers need not pay a premium to take advantage of the many virtues they find at independent dealers. In fact, given the efficiency of today’s supply chains, most independent dealers can provide both extra services and competitive prices especially where big project items are involved. The idea that customers have to pay a premium to shop at independent dealers is a myth. At Wolf, we know independent dealers can compete with the big boxes on price as well as on quality. That – more than loyalty and friendship – sustains the independent dealers today, and it will sustain them well into the future. As Ken Ryan notes, experts were pronouncing last rites over the independent building materials dealer in the 1930’s. Some experts are still doing it today. They were wrong then and they are wrong now. The independent channel is very much alive, well and competitive and as a result Wolf is proud to reaffirm its own declaration [on behalf] of independents.
Golden advice from retail winners
Las Vegas — The retail panel discussion started with customer service and advanced to strategic planning. From there, it detoured at automatic doors — apparently still a novelty in rural Texas — and finished with a somewhat optimistic economic forecast.
Not bad for the first-ever Golden Hammer Retail Winner Panel, held in Las Vegas during the National Hardware Show. The breakfast event panel discussion, which followed the Hall of Fame induction of Lowe’s president Larry Stone, showcased the collective wisdom of Lenexa, Kan.-based Westlake Ace Hardware, Price Hardware True Value of Atlanta, Texas; and Leeds, Ala.-based Marvin’s Home Centers.
Some of the highlights from the panel are below:
On customer service
George Smith, CEO of Westlake Ace Hardware, the 2011 Retailer of the Year, explained his company’s new G.R.E.A.T. service model — starting with G for “greet the customer proactively,” and finishing with T for “thank them for their business.”
Smith added: “It’s fairly simple and basic, and that’s what you want — keep it easy, and keep it simple.”
Craig Cowart, executive VP and chief merchandising officer for Marvin’s, said “aggressive customer service” at Marvin’s isn’t based on staffing level, it’s based on attitude. “We don’t have numbered aisle signs,” Cowart said. “We want the associate to walk the customer to the aisle and sell as a solution, not just sell a product.”
On store design
John Price, co-owner of Price Hardware True Value — the 2011 Golden Hammer “Tools of the Trade” winner — said the company’s move to a Destination True Value format has had a big impact on how the customer shops. The 28,000-sq.-ft. store has new flooring, a new layout, new signage and a new feel, he said.
“We no longer have somebody come in and get a half-inch PVC elbow and go to the checkout and walk out,” Price said. “I’ve noticed people get shopping carts and they shop, and we’ve never had that before. So that hard work was well worth it.”
At Marvin’s, Cowart described the company’s new format store as a combination of big home center with home town hardware store. “What we did was design the store around our mission statement, which is ‘making our customers’ lives easier,’” he said.
“But it’s not just store design,” Cowart added. “What makes that work is our store associates.”
Price explained the origins of his Price Hardware’s “Kitchenette” store within a store. The brainchild of his wife, Carol, it reflects a move beyond basic housewares to a high-end gourmet kitchen center. Classes and events in the kitchenette draw people from as far away as 90 miles, he said. “More importantly, she has brought a strong female focus into our store,” Price noted. “Our paint department, which is right across from the Kitchenette, is up 23% since we did this. So, it works.”
On automatic doors
A surprising result of Price Hardware True Value’s renovation: excitement over the entry system. “Atlanta, Texas, is a town of 6,000 people,” Price said. “One thing we noticed was that a lot of the people seemed to be fascinated with the automatic doors.”
On strategic planning
Said Smith: “When we redefined our mission statement, we did it in three ways. We looked at things we were good at and should hold onto. We looked at things we should jettison. And we looked at things we should add to our business model from a values and commitment perspective.”
On the economy
Price said the bigger-ticket items have seen a small increase. “People seem to be getting a little more comfortable about buying larger-ticket items,” he said.
The 28-store Marvin’s, which last month opened a new store in Monroeville, Ala., remains optimistic that eventually business conditions will turn around, but right now it is maintaining a very conservative approach to spending. “We’re still trying to do more with less,” Cowart said. “We’re very critical of the decisions we make, because every move counts.”
Visit homechannelnews.com for more from the Golden Hammer awards.
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Porsche’s first production electric car was the Taycan, an all-new model. But going forward, the brand will focus on turning existing models into EVs. The first to go electric will be the Macan, with a new EV to be sold alongside the recently updated internal-combustion version. Soon, Porsche will do the same with the 718 Boxster and Cayman, and this week, the company gave us our first sneak peek of its electric sports cars—in the form of an EV race car concept.
This is the Mission R concept, revealed at Germany’s IAA Mobility 2021 auto show in Munich. Ostensibly, it’s a preview of a future electric GT racing car, a sort of successor to today’s 911 GT3 Cup. But it’s no secret that Porsche is working on an all-electric version of the roadgoing 718. Porsche chairman Oliver Blume told Autocar back in 2019 that the company was working on an electric Boxster, and it’s expected that a Cayman EV would join the lineup as well.
And there’s precedent for electric concepts turning into production EVs. In 2015, the Porsche Mission E concept previewed the eventual Taycan sedan, and the Mission E Cross Turismo concept of 2018 showed us what to expect with the production Taycan Cross Turismo. So, Porsche has a strong track record of turning “Mission” concepts into real electric cars. Plus, Porsche was quick to highlight the Mission R’s similarities to the current 718 Cayman in a press release, noting that the concept race car is roughly the same length as the production mid-engine coupe, but lower and wider.
When you compare the side profile of the current 718 Cayman and the Mission R concept, the resemblance is obvious. Note the nearly identical rear quarter windows. If Porsche was going to build an EV sports car, this certainly would seem like a good place to start. For the full story, check out this article from Road & Track.


text: Enquiring employee minds want to know: How will holiday parties this year compare to last? Will it be oyster shooters, a 15-piece band and complimentary fur coats for the ladies---or pretzels, stale beer, Jujubes, and a pat on the back? For that matter, will there even be a party? A November survey of 105 companies by executive search firm Battalia Winston found the number of companies planning to throw a party this year is up 74 percent from last. 91 percent of respondents said they intended to kick up their heels. Despite a still-challenging economy, says Dale Winston, CEO of Battalia,"It seems that companies are moving back to a state of normality"—at least where parties are concerned.


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Accel and Sequoia-backed fintech player Drip Capital has raised a $40 mn warehouse credit line from the California-based East-West Bank to expand its trade finance solutions to small businesses. Drip Capital deals with cross-border trade finance where India is its largest market, followed by the US where it mostly deals with buyer finance, and Mexico.
The credit line is an asset-based facility and increases Drip Capital's financing capacity to help power the next phase of growth. Drip Capital offers trade financing solutions in the US and developing markets like India and Mexico by giving their clients access to working capital quickly.
The partnership with East-West Bank represents a significant milestone for us and will further accelerate our ability to provide fast and seamless financing to global exporters and importers, Pushkar Mukewar, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Drip Capital,stated. As much as 50 percent of the credit line will be deployed in India, he added.


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TikTok by ByteDance and PUBG Mobile by Crafton were the best performing apps in terms of revenue and downloads. According to Sensor Tower, TikTok and PUBG Mobile were the highest-grossing apps in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in the third quarter of 2021. While Tik Tok became the highest grossing app in the world, PUBG Mobile remained the highest grossing app. -Grossing mobile game. The report further revealed that both the apps were the most downloaded in their respective categories.
According to the report, consumer spending on TikTok has grown by 41 per cent year on year (YoY). TikTok’s revenue is calculated after the inclusion of Douyin on iOS, the China-only version of the app. On the other hand, consumer spending on PUBG Mobile grew by 11% year-on-year. Also read: Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale: MacBook Air M1 sold for Rs 82,990, check other deals on laptops
According to the most recent report, consumer spending on in-app purchases, premium apps and subscriptions on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store grew 15.1 percent year-on-year to $33.6 billion (about Rs 2.49 lakh crore). According to the report, Google Play contributed to this growth by increasing consumer spending by 18.6 percent to $12.1 billion (about Rs 89,800 crore).
According to a report by SensorTower, TikTok was the highest-grossing app in the third quarter of 2021. In terms of revenue, it was followed by Pikoma, a manga reader, which saw 130 percent year-over-year growth, and YouTube, which saw consumer views. 17% increase in spending year over year. Google One and Disney+ rounded out the top five highest-grossing apps, respectively. TikTok also crossed 3 billion downloads worldwide, making it the first non-Facebook app to do so. Also Read: Upcoming Apple iPhone 14 Will Get 2TB Storage, Claim Report
In terms of consumer spending, PUBG Mobile topped the gaming category, including the Chinese version “Game for Peace”. Consumer spending on PUBG Mobile grew 11% year over year. It was followed by Genshin Impact, Niantic’s Pokémon Go, and Roblox Corp’s Roblox.
According to the report, first-time installs of mobile games were down 3.5 percent from last year, falling from 14.1 billion in the third quarter of 2020 to 13.6 billion across both stores.


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American Eagle Outfitters Inc. is expanding its presence in the Americas and in Asia-Pacific.
The teen retailer has signed three new licensing agreements for stores that are set to begin opening in time for back-to-school in 2014.
According to Simon Nankervis, senior vice president for the Americas and global licensing, one agreement is with Grupo David Enterprises. That contract covers Venezuela, the Caribbean Islands and, in Central America, the countries of Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Belize.
A separate agreement was signed with Grupo Comercializadoras for Colombia.
In Asia-Pacific, the retailer signed an agreement with Pacifica Lifestyle Co. for stores in Thailand.
All agreements are for two, five-year tranches. Each agreement also allows the licensing partner to open aerie concept shops-in-shop or side-by-side stores.
Separately, Nankervis said the company’s first overseas freestanding aerie concept store opened Tuesday in a mall in Israel. The store is about 894 square feet and is not next to an American Eagle site.
While many of the stores in the U.S. are about 7,000 square feet, Nankervis said those overseas range on average from 4,000 square feet to over 7,000 square feet, depending on location and availability of real estate.
The next overseas American Eagle store slated to open is in Shanghai on Dec. 24.
Robert Hanson, American Eagle’s chief executive officer, said, “As we continue to execute upon our strategic plan for global expansion, we are eager to introduce our brands to these growing and lively international locations.”
American Eagle currently has 62 stores internationally. It operates its own stores in China, Hong Kong and Mexico. The other overseas locations are licensed operations. The licensed stores include those in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Poland and the Philippines.
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews
“Stranger Things” is getting a new cast member for season 2. Meet @sadiesink_, the 15-year-old who will be joining the Netflix series for its new season. You may recognize her from “The Glass Castle” with Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, but the Texas native’s next role goes in an entirely different direction. She describes her character, Max, as “a rough and tumble skater girl [who] becomes friends with the boys at school.” The second season debuts on October 27. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdeye
Amid the Harvey Weinstein controversy, there’s another sector that’s being put under the spotlight for sexual abuse: the modeling industry. While rumors about abuse and sexual harassment of female and male models — and the photographers, agents and others who perpetrated it — have circulated within the fashion world for years, model @cameronrussell started posting stories from models on Instagram last week about abusive situations they’ve encountered — from sexual harassment and molestation to attempted rape. Over 75 have weighed in so far. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews
To celebrate its 16th anniversary, @dylanscandybar tapped designers and celebrities to create mosaics out of candy. The mosaics will be auctioned off to support the philanthropic cause of each participant’s choice. Pictured here is the mural created by @aliceandolivia's Stacey Bendet. For a first look at some of the other artwork being unveiled tonight, go to WWD.com. #wwdeye
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye
"Nowadays when life is not so happy with everything going on in the world, I think people come to me for a little bit of whimsy and color and fun." - Designer Rebecca De Ravenel on her cult-favorite jewelry line. (📸 : @vsteves) #wwd40
“Everyone is talking about how the retail industry is struggling, but I think it’s an incredible time because brands who are doing something different and innovative are setting themselves up for the future,” said @adamgoldston, who founded the luxury athletic brand @apl with his brother @ryangoldsten. The Goldston’s are part of WWD’s 40 under 40: a group of industry notables. See the rest of the list on WWD.com. (📷: @vsteves) #wwd40
@eyeswoon blogger Athena Calderone debuted her first-ever cookbook, “Cook Beautiful,” which is heavily centered on the presentation and visual expression of food. Pictured here are her miso glazed carrots from the book. Get the recipe on WWD.com. (📷: @johnny_miller_) #wwdeye


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National Hotel Miami Beach Renovation Finished
May 27, 2014 May 27, 2014
The National Hotel Miami Beach finally finishes its long-awaited renovation after four years.
“We are extremely excited to reintroduce our beautifully restored property and new programming to visitors and locals alike,” Yaser Mohamad, manager of the National Hotel Miami Beach, said in a statement, “We look forward to welcoming our new guests and having our loyal following discover us all over again.”
The hotel is currently offering a discounted summer rate in order to regain their hype and allow guests to rediscover what they are known for. They plan on holding a grand opening celebration in the fall of 2014.
The $12 million renovation of their 152-room hotel began in 2010 and ended in May of 2014. The hotel, located at 1677 Collins Avenue, boasts their many luxury rooms and 205 foot long pool.
National Hotel Miami Beach opened its doors first in 1939, and has since offered on-site dining, poolside cocktails, spa treatments, and space for event planning.


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About Is Baby Formula Being Sent to the Border
Please read on to obtain the most recent information on Is Baby Formula Being Sent to the Border?
You may have heard about examples of food shortages, electricity shortages, a wave of some unknown sickness sweeping over the globe, etc., but have you heard about other problems like these?
There is similar information that is becoming popular on social media, which alleges that the United States government under the administration of Joe Biden is supplying infant formula to the southern portion of the border.
Is There a Possibility That Is Baby Formula Being Sent to the Border Amid the Current Crippling Shortage? Continue reading the article to gain further comprehension of this matter.
Why is it being discussed in the media?
According to the reports, the United States is in the midst of a serious shortage of infant formula. The newborns’ health is in jeopardy as a result of this shortage because they are wholly dependent on it for sustenance.
The experts agree that this is the most severe scarcity of infant formula in several decades. Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, claims that Vice President Joe Biden is ignoring the problem in the United States and instead sending baby formula to illegal aliens who are crossing the southern border.
There is a photo going around the internet that shows two shelves. The first shelf, which represents the United States border, is filled with baby formula, while the second shelf, which represents America, is empty. Continue scrolling down the page to find out why there is a shortage of baby formula.
What exactly is infant formula?
Baby Formula, which is sometimes referred to as Infant Formula, is a type of food that is specifically made to be consumed by infants and babies who are younger than one year old. It is utilised in the place of milk that is generated by human beings.
Milk formulas like this are produced by a number of different brands on the market; however, their nutrient profiles might vary. The most common types of infant formula comprise naturally filtered cow’s milk, the protein-rich byproducts casein and whey, and a variety of other ingredients.
Breastfeeding may not be an option due to a number of factors, including the mother’s health, the mother’s absence, or other circumstances beyond the mother’s control. As an alternative, the mother may choose to feed the infant baby formula.
Why Is There Such a Long Wait for Baby Formula?
This significant shortage situation was linked to a problem that arose as a result of contamination issues at Abbott and similar other brands.
After receiving a large number of complaints from customers in February, Abbott decided to voluntarily close down its manufacturing. It is thought that two young children passed away as a result of the tainted formula.
Along with the downtime, a severe problem occurred in the supply chain for packaging and materials. This led to stock quickly running out, which caused a great deal of confusion among the customers.
Many people have the opinion that the government of Vice President Joe Biden is trying to cover up the disaster that is occurring in the United States by shipping baby formula to the border. But Is Baby Formula Being Sent to the Border?
One could say that there is currently a shortage of baby formula all across the United States. An outcry has been sparked by the statements made by the governor of Texas, the National Border Petrol Council, congressmen, and other officials regarding the delivery of formulas by Vice President Biden to the border.
To draw any conclusions based on claims would be inappropriate. However, it is impossible to reject the possibility that this will be a major setback for the healthcare system in the United States.


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It looks like United Front Games, developers of Sleeping Dogs, are to announce a new game titled Smash and Grab. United Front Games teased on twitter on 22nd August that they would have exciting game news coming very soon.
As described by Ekim_gaf his interpretation of these images suggests Smash and Grab has three factions and will be more melee-centric. There seems to be, in this image, 18 characters to choose from. The logo image suggests there are announcers who cover their faces with masks. Ekim_gaf interprets that you smash stuff and grab money or valuable items. That Characters look half The Warriors, half other stuff and there are Katanas, Nailguns and Hammers.
This is also backed up with a trademark filed for the game which became “Approved For Publication” only two days ago.
Of course United Front Games have yet to release images or announce the game officially so there is no information on platform or any dates for release. More details are sure to follow.


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Orbiter Finance, a leading company in the blockchain industry, is set to launch a ground-breaking project called Multichain. This innovative platform aims to revolutionize the way we interact with the financial world, by providing a secure, scalable, and efficient solution for financial transactions.
The Multichain project leverages the power of blockchain technology to create a decentralized network of financial services. By utilizing smart contracts and distributed ledger technology, Multichain enables users to conduct seamless and transparent transactions without the need for intermediaries. This eliminates the need for traditional financial institutions and reduces transaction costs, making it an attractive option for businesses and individuals alike.
One of the key features of Multichain is its ability to support multiple chains, hence its name. This means that users can create and manage their own private chains, tailored to meet their specific needs. Whether it’s a small business looking to streamline its payment processes or a global corporation seeking to enhance its supply chain management, Multichain provides the flexibility and scalability required to accommodate diverse use cases.
Moreover, security is a top priority for Multichain. Built on cutting-edge cryptography and consensus algorithms, this platform ensures that all transactions are secure and tamper-proof. The immutability of the blockchain provides an additional layer of security, guaranteeing the integrity of financial records and protecting them from fraudulent activities.
In conclusion, Multichain has the potential to revolutionize the financial industry by providing a decentralized, secure, and efficient platform for financial transactions. With its innovative features and robust infrastructure, Multichain is poised to become a game-changer in the world of finance. As Orbiter Finance continues to push the boundaries of blockchain technology, we can expect to see more exciting developments from this promising project.
What is Multichain and why is it important?
Multichain is a blockchain platform that offers a solution for organizations and enterprises to create and deploy their own private and permissioned blockchain networks. It is designed to be easy to use and offers a range of features and capabilities for developers and business users.
Unlike public blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum, Multichain provides more control and privacy for organizations. It allows them to restrict access to their blockchain network to a select group of participants, ensuring that sensitive data remains secure.
One of the key benefits of Multichain is its scalability. It can handle thousands of transactions per second, making it suitable for large-scale business applications. Additionally, it supports a variety of asset types and allows for the creation of smart contracts, enabling businesses to automate and streamline their operations.
Another important feature of Multichain is its interoperability. It can connect with other blockchain networks and systems, as well as traditional databases, enabling seamless integration and data exchange between different platforms. This opens up new possibilities for collaboration and innovation.
In summary, Multichain is important because it provides organizations with a secure, scalable, and versatile blockchain solution. It allows them to harness the power of blockchain technology without compromising on privacy or control. With its wide range of features and interoperability, Multichain has the potential to revolutionize how businesses operate and collaborate in the digital age.
The key features of Multichain
Multichain is a highly innovative blockchain platform with several unique features that set it apart from other solutions in the market. These features make it an ideal choice for businesses and organizations looking to implement blockchain technology in their operations.
|Multichain offers high scalability, allowing for the processing of a large number of transactions per second. This is crucial for businesses and organizations that require fast and efficient blockchain solutions.
|With Multichain, you have full control over the access and permissions of participants. This means that you can restrict access to certain transactions or data, making it an excellent choice for private or consortium blockchains.
|The platform offers the ability to keep transactions and data private, ensuring confidentiality and security. This feature is especially important for businesses that handle sensitive information or transactions.
|Multichain is designed to seamlessly integrate with existing systems and platforms, making it easy for businesses to adopt and implement blockchain technology. This feature reduces disruptions and allows for a smoother transition.
|5. Asset issuance and management
|With Multichain, businesses can create and manage their own digital assets on the blockchain. This feature allows for the tokenization of assets, enabling new possibilities for fundraising, investment, and asset management.
|6. Data immutability and auditability
|Multichain ensures that all transactions recorded on the blockchain are immutable and auditable, providing transparency and accountability. This feature is vital for industries such as finance, supply chain, and healthcare.
In conclusion, Multichain offers a comprehensive set of features that make it a highly promising project in the field of blockchain technology. Its scalability, permissioning, privacy, interoperability, asset issuance and management, and data immutability and auditability capabilities make it a reliable choice for businesses and organizations across various industries.
How Multichain is revolutionizing finance
Multichain is a groundbreaking project that is transforming the world of finance. By harnessing the power of blockchain technology, Multichain has created a decentralized network that enables secure, transparent, and efficient financial transactions.
One of the key ways in which Multichain is revolutionizing finance is through its ability to remove intermediaries from the equation. Traditionally, financial transactions involve a number of intermediaries, such as banks, clearinghouses, and brokers. These intermediaries not only add complexity to the process but also increase costs and introduce the risk of fraud. Multichain eliminates the need for these intermediaries by allowing parties to transact directly with each other, fostering trust and reducing transaction costs.
Another way in which Multichain is revolutionizing finance is by enabling the creation and exchange of digital assets. With Multichain, users can tokenize real-world assets, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate, and easily trade them on the blockchain. This opens up new possibilities for asset ownership, liquidity, and investment opportunities. Furthermore, Multichain’s smart contract functionality allows for the automation of complex financial agreements, reducing the need for manual intervention and the associated risks.
|Benefits of Multichain in finance:
|1. Enhanced security and privacy: Multichain utilizes advanced cryptographic techniques to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of financial transactions.
|2. Increased efficiency: Multichain’s decentralized network allows for faster and more efficient settlement of financial transactions.
|3. Lower costs: By eliminating intermediaries and streamlining processes, Multichain reduces the costs associated with financial transactions.
|4. Improved accessibility: Multichain’s open and inclusive network enables individuals and businesses from all over the world to participate in the global financial system.
|5. Transparency: The blockchain technology underlying Multichain provides an immutable and transparent record of all financial transactions, ensuring accountability and preventing fraud.
In conclusion, Multichain is revolutionizing finance by leveraging blockchain technology to create a secure, efficient, and accessible financial ecosystem. From eliminating intermediaries to enabling the creation and exchange of digital assets, the possibilities offered by Multichain are vast and promising. As the project continues to evolve, it has the potential to reshape the way we think about and interact with finance.
The future of Multichain in the financial industry
The Multichain project has shown great promise in revolutionizing the financial industry. As blockchain technology continues to gain traction, the potential applications for Multichain are becoming more and more evident.
One of the key advantages of Multichain is its ability to create private blockchains, which allow for greater privacy and control over data. This is particularly appealing to financial institutions who handle sensitive information and require a secure and transparent system. With Multichain, banks can maintain their own private blockchain networks while still benefiting from the security and immutability of the technology.
Another potential use case for Multichain in the financial industry is its ability to streamline and automate processes. By implementing smart contracts on the blockchain, financial institutions can automate tasks such as loan approvals, identity verification, and regulatory compliance. This not only reduces costs and improves efficiency but also enhances the overall customer experience.
Furthermore, with Multichain’s multi-signature feature, the security of financial transactions can be significantly enhanced. Multi-signature transactions require multiple signatures from authorized parties before a transaction can be completed. This adds an extra layer of security and reduces the risk of fraud or unauthorized access.
Looking forward, the future of Multichain in the financial industry is bright. As more financial institutions recognize the benefits of blockchain technology, the demand for Multichain’s solutions is expected to increase. With its privacy, automation, and security features, Multichain is well-positioned to become a leading player in the financial industry.
In conclusion, Multichain has the potential to transform the financial industry by providing secure and transparent solutions that streamline processes and improve efficiency. As the adoption of blockchain technology continues to grow, Multichain is poised to play a significant role in shaping the future of the financial industry.
What is Multichain?
Multichain is a promising project in Orbiter Finance that aims to provide a decentralized platform for financial transactions.
What are the benefits of using Multichain?
Using Multichain offers several benefits, including decentralization, transparency, and security in financial transactions.
How does Multichain ensure security in financial transactions?
Multichain ensures security in financial transactions through the use of blockchain technology and cryptographic measures to prevent unauthorized access and tampering of data.
Can Multichain be used for all types of financial transactions?
Yes, Multichain can be used for a wide range of financial transactions, including payments, investments, and asset tokenization.
What sets Multichain apart from other similar projects?
One of the key factors that sets Multichain apart from other similar projects is its focus on providing a user-friendly and accessible interface for users, making it easier for individuals and businesses to adopt and utilize the platform.