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|More from: | CoinInsider |||
Although cryptocurrency might be facing current winter conditions, it would be ignorant to say that the blockchain industry is not attracting some tech heavyweights.
Over the course of last year, tech and social media giants such as Facebook, Google, and Apple lost employees to the burgeoning industry of blockchain and cryptocurrency. In this list, we explore companies who gained seasoned experts from the already established Goliath companies.
Harmony, a consensus platform designed for high production rates, was founded by Stephen Tse and now boasts a number of former tech giant employees. Tse himself has worked for both Apple and Google and now operates the company working with Leo Chen who left Amazon Web Services after four years, and former
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CoinInsider is the blockchain news authority; providing breaking news bulletins, incisive opinion, market analysis, and regulatory updates.
Our view is to provide unbiased honest commentary on the state of the crypto market, to teach our audience the basics of crypto investing by simplifying complex topics (...)
Our news articles deliver up-to-date information on breaking developments in the wider blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem – tracking not just price news, but regulatory updates, adoption and use cases, and blockchain breakthroughs.


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Dubai government has planned to merge the Departments of Economy and Tourism with the aim of expanding the tourism industry, tweeted Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s Crown Prince.
As part of the new development vision in Dubai, the appointment of Mr. Helal Al Marri as Director-General of the new department aims at increasing the added value of the industrial sector, expanding foreign trade, and reaching 25 million tourists in 2025.
According to reports, Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stated that the new department’s main objective will include increasing the added value of the industrial sector by 150 percent over the next five years, expanding foreign export markets for local products by 50 percent, and increasing the number of tourists by 40 percent.
Sheikh Mohammed further explained that the Emirate aims to attract 100,000 companies in three years, 400 global economic events per year by 2025, and encourage private sector and family businesses to list on Dubai’s financial markets and stock exchanges.
Dubai hosted 2.85 million international overnight visitors from January to July 2021, according to government data from Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing. The emirate was one of the first cities in the world to reopen its markets and businesses in July 2020, and it continues to do so while adhering to strict health and safety regulations.
Dubai tourism and economy has grown significantly in accordance with Expo 2020, which will run till 31st March 2022, leading the city’s growth into a global business and tourism hub.

domain: news


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McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast food chain, is experiencing a chip shortage in Japan as a result of the worldwide supply chain issue.
The problem at the birthplace of the Big Mac, however, is not a shortage of chips.
The company has stated that supplies of the potatoes required to manufacture its famed French fries are encountering difficulties.
As a result, starting Friday through December 30, it will only offer tiny amounts of its French fries in Japan.
“As a preventative move to guarantee customers can continue to enjoy McDonald’s French Fries, McDonald’s Japan will temporarily limit sales of Medium- and Large-sized French Fries.
“All of our locations will continue to provide Small-sized French Fries to customers. “There have been no supply interruptions to yet,” the business informed reporters.
McDonald’s claimed the potatoes it uses are generally imported from a port near Vancouver, Canada.
Ships, on the other hand, have been delayed owing to flood damage and the pandemic’s influence on the worldwide supply chain.
The business stated in a statement that it will now turn to other means, including flying goods to Japan.
This isn’t the first time McDonald’s has been compelled to reduce the size of its meals in Japan.
A long-running labor dispute involving 20,000 dockworkers, terminal operators, and shipping lines at 29 ports on the west coast of the United States resulted in a scarcity of French fries in 2014.
McDonald’s Japan responded by selling only modest amounts of French fries while flying in 1,000 tonnes of potatoes as an emergency measure.
Separately, McDonald’s reported in August that supply concerns were hurting the availability of shakes and bottled beverages at its 1,250 UK locations.
One of the reasons for the delays, according to the firm, is a statewide scarcity of lorry drivers: “Right now, a lot of concerns are affecting merchants in the UK, one of which is a statewide lack of HGV drivers.”
Changes in restrictions following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union worsened a “historic” lack of drivers, according to the firm.


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Eddie Profile: BMW Magazine
Just as BMW owners are passionate about their cars, the people who put together BMW Magazine are passionate about their magazine. Based in Munich, Germany, editor-in-chief Bernd Zerelles—who has been with the quarterly publication for five years—says the June 2007 issue, which he submitted to the Folio: Awards competition, was one of the magazine’s best so far.
“We have an interesting mixture of topics in that issue, so every reader, whether technical, cultural, or interested in travel, has stories to read,” he says. “We showed the wide world of the BMW brand in all facets.”
Zerelles says that he and his team aim to have a minimum of three stories or elements in each issue that truly stand out for their readers.
Black and White a First
Zerelles’ favorite element in the June 2007 issue was called “Chasing the big happiness,” a black-and-white photo session of the BMW 1 Series. The photos follow a woman wearing white and driving a black BMW, and a man wearing black and driving a black BMW, as they race around Munich. “It’s a black-and-white shooting, which is quite uncommon for car photography,” Zerelles says. “It tells a nice short story in the pictures without a lot of text. It really fits the young character of the car. Shooting in only black and white is something we’ve never done before.”
Another piece that resonated with readers, according to Zerelles, followed motorbike racing instructor Marc-Oliver Nemeth for a day with a group of riders at BMW’s Enduro Park. It offered an inside look at braking on gravel, managing 60-degree inclines and tips on the right way to fall from a bike. “I was particularly impressed with this piece because it’s a perfect example of how we see the connection of print and online,” Zerelles says. A downloadable companion video of the day was posted on the magazine’s Web site.
Zerelles says that production of the issue went off mostly without a hitch. “For the story ‘Cotton wool, yogurt and cat litter,’ it was very hard for our culture writer, Silke Hohmann, to get ahold of the artists,” he says. “But, she managed it. It was a pleasure putting this issue together.”


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The Longwood Arts and Crafts Festival is Nov. 21-22, featuring more than 200 artists and crafters exhibiting their goods to the public in downtown Longwood.
Central Floridians looking to do some early holiday shopping need look no further than the Longwood Arts and Crafts Festival in the city’s historic downtown Nov. 21-22.
More than 200 artists and crafters will be spread out in booths showcasing jewelry, pottery, paintings, furniture, plants and other handcrafted, local creations for purchase.
“It’s the weekend before Thanksgiving, and this is typically when people get a jump on their holiday shopping,” said event coordinator Janet Gamache. “They can support local artists and crafters rather than going to the big box stores, which makes people feel good.”
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, vendors will be required to wear face masks and provide hand sanitizer, while booths will be spaced out a minimum of six feet apart. The kid zone is scaled down this year due to safety concerns.
Gamache said many artists have witnessed show after show cancel this year and the Longwood festival, now in its 44th year, will provide crafters a much-needed forum providing buyers and income. One such artist is Pasco County-based silk painter Jeannine Holzman.
“So many artists were hit in the gut March 15, that was the end of our flow of income,” Holzman said. “It’s great to be back seeing people, selling our art and getting back in the community.”
At her booth, Holzman will display colorful scarves, jackets and apparel painted in vibrant hues.
“I believe it’s all about color. Color makes people smile,” she said.
Another booth will showcase the polymer clay creations of Port Orange artist June Bonnigson. Her miniature figures include snowmen and scarecrows, and this year some of them are wearing masks or holding toilet paper. Others are dressed as doctors and nurses.
“I make probably over 100 different kinds of clay things. They’re all handmade, no molds. They’re little characters from moose to possums to manatees to flamingos,” Bonnigson said. “It’s not your cookie-cutter stuff you’d buy at Target. It’s unique, handmade and made with love.”
Visitors to the Longwood festival can also find food vendors and beverages including beer, wine and cocktails, as well as live entertainment.
But the arts and crafts remain the focal point of this large festival and local holiday shopping opportunity.
“There’re tons of different art,” Holzman said. “It’s very fun and you get to let your brain relax a little bit while looking at beautiful things.”
If you go: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 21 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 22 at 175 W. Warren Ave. in Longwood; free admission; parking available at 555 W. State Road 434 and 149 E. Church Ave. in Longwood; well-behaved pets allowed; longwoodfestival.com.


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New faces of JQ Rodney Bay Mall
After the launch of the 2012 Christmas season with its annual Christmas Fashion Fusion Show on Saturday 8thDecember, the JQ Rodney Bay Mall selected two young models to represent the mall for 2013.
Manager of the JQ Rodney Bay Mall Daria Ernest, presented the two models, Ayana Whitehead and Jarron Alexander, to the public last week, saying they would be the new faces of the mall for 2013.
Ms Ernest said the two young models will be attached to the mall in various roles in the coming year.
Their prizes included a gift from the Mall, a photo shoot, a spread in Tonight Magazine, and the opportunity to model regionally, with Richard Young from Trinidad.
The two young models, Jarron Alexander and Ayana Whitehead said they were looking forward to representing the JQ Mall, and thanked them for the opportunity given to them.
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Infotecs software developer and the Moscow State University’s Quantum Technology Center have presented ViPNet QSS Phone, Russia’s first phone that uses quantum cryptography. The phone looks like a corded IP phone connected to a quantum key distribution client and a server.
The new device is based on the fundamental principle of quantum physics which states that it is impossible to localize a photon (particle that transmits information) without changing its state. Using photons, a pair of ‘quantum’ phones create a common key, the company’s website says. If the ViPNet QSS Phone protocol considers that data was stolen or intercepted, it will not create the key necessary to decipher voice traffic.
The device’s data transmission range is some 25 kilometers. The phone is very pricey: one server and two phones will cost some RUR 30 mio ($462K), Vedomosti daily writes.
The phone will come into serial production by the end of 2019. Infotecs plans to sell it to large companies that need trusted means of communication.
Infotecs invested some RUR 700 mio in the development of the device, with RUR 140 mio being provided by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
According to Director of the Russian Quantum Center Ruslan Yunusov, the idea of ‘quantum’ phone was earlier implemented in China. The approach of Infotecs is to encrypt data using usual means, and to distribute keys using quantum cryptography. This is more secure than classic cryptography, but still not perfect because quantum cryptography does not encrypt all traffic.


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President Jacob Zuma’s daughter Thuthukile was appointed chief of staff at the department of telecommunications and postal services after consideration of her “capacity” for the position, the department said on Friday. more
Apple Inc's new electronic payments service will launch on Monday, after the iPhone maker signed up another 500 banks to support a feature that competes with eBay Inc's PayPal and other online systems.
A Paris court fined the French subsidiary of U.S. app-based ride service Uber 100,000 euros ($128,000) on Thursday for fraudulent business practices after it advertised its paid transportation service UberPop as a car pool.
South Africa faces a further credit downgrade because government is "actively destroying capital" by not saving and borrowing more than it is collecting, according to Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt.


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- US Inflation: US Consumer Price Index Jumps to 13 Years High
- Inflation in China: The PPI-CPI difference widens as producers hit profits
- USD / CNH Tendency towards lows for the first time in 3 years
Inflation in the United States
Yesterday’s US inflation data was definitely digestible. The numbers themselves are a bit worrisome, but the market reaction to the data is probably the most shocking part. Headline inflation surged 5% from last year, the largest price increase in 13 years. Investors have been concerned about inflationary pressures for some time, but Fed Chair Jerome Powell has done a good job of alleviating those concerns. He is very convincing, the market has wiped out yesterday’s numbers, the US yields and the dollar have fallen, and the US stock market seems to have hit a record high.
The market reaction is a bit confusing. Yes, we all expect inflation to get hot for months, so it’s not surprising that the readings were higher than expected, but traders are completely convinced that inflation will actually be temporary. Seems to be doing. It’s like putting all the eggs in one basket and hoping that the Fed can prove that it can control inflationary pressures.
Looking at the real interest rate (10-year government bond yield minus headline inflation), it has fallen to minus 3.6%. This is the lowest level since the Fed promised to curb inflation around 1980. Faced with some of the worst inflationary pressures, real yields are so low. This should be a source of concern, whether or not inflation is temporary. And yesterday’s market reaction only proves that bond and equity traders have ventured across their boundaries.
US Real Interest Rate (1960-2021)
Chart created by Daniela in Refinitiv
Inflation in China
In addition to the United States, China’s inflation data was reported on Wednesday, further widening the PPI-CPI gap. The Producer Price Index jumped from 6.8% last month to 9%, the highest level since 2008. However, the CPI has not followed suit, with consumer price inflation rising only 0.9% to 1.3% compared to PPI, below the projected 1.6%. This indicates that the rise in factory input prices is not pouring production lines towards consumers. This may mean that producers are seeing a decline in profits.
If price shifts to consumers are seen in the coming months, China could become an exporter of inflation to other countries, raising concerns about inflationary pressures such as the Fed, ECB and BOE. Let’s do it. For now, the People’s Bank of China is unlikely to worry too much about inflation, but the yuan is steadily rising against the yuan. U.S. dollar Over the past 12 months, the Chinese government has prompted local banks to hold more foreign currency in their reserves.
However, the US dollar’s reaction to US consumer price index data released yesterday seems to be somewhat limited in its rise, which puts even more bearish pressure on it. U.S. dollar/ CNH.
USD / CNH Daily chart
The downward momentum of the USD / CNH has improved in the last few sessions as buyers felt resistance along the 6.40 line. The high bounce at the end of May was exhausted and the seller regained control, bringing the Stochastic Oscillator closer to the oversold area. Short-term resistance remains strong at 6.40 and 6.4128, so bearish bias is expected to continue next week.
Trade patterns since the USD / CNH was as low as it is now in 2018 show that 6.3470 is an area that buyers have been attracted to in the past and could serve as an area of support. If the pair falls below this level, there seem to be many important levels up to 6.2363. 6.2363 is the lowest point in 2018 when the USD / CNG bounced back and is also the lowest point since August 2015.
— by market analyst Daniela Sabin Hathorn
Follow Daniela on Twitter @HathornSabin
Calm reaction to US CPI puts even more bearish pressure on USD / CNH
Source link Calm reaction to US CPI puts even more bearish pressure on USD / CNH


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For the better part of the last decade, the Forza franchise has settled into a comfortable, annual rhythm. Forza Motorsport releases one year, followed by a release of Forza Horizon the next, and it goes on and on, so on and so forth. Given that this year is Forza Horizon 4, it would also have been reasonable to expect that Forza Motorsport 8– yes, we’re on the eighth one already- may be coming out next year, right?
But, it seems like that may not be happening. Speaking on Forza Monthly, a monthly show by Turn10 dedicated to all things Forza, the developers reiterated extremely emphatically that all of Turn10 is working on Forza Motorsport 7 right now- not Forza Motorsport 8, not even a new expansion for 7. The entire team seems to be dedicated to pushing content for Forza 7 at the moment.
“The entire team, 100%, the entire Forza Motorsport team right now is working on Forza Motorsport 7,” they said. “What this means is, we’re not going off and making Forza Motorsport 8, we’re not making a new expansion. What we’re doing is investing in the motorsport experience you guys have right now, which makes it better for everyone. If you have the entire team working on the game, it’s just going to get better and better.”
Which is good news! Forza is also a franchise that, great though it is, could use a bit of a break. It might actually be in Microsoft’s best interest to put the brakes on it for a while, let Turn10 work on a brand new game that will be launching alongside the Xbox One successor, and be as full featured as Forza 6 and 7 were, rather than as barebones as 5 was at launch (which they caught a lot of flack for). In the meantime, we always have Forza Horizon 4 to look forward to later this year.
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Street Fight Daily: Square Seeks $6B Valuation, Uber’s Dirty Playbook
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology
In Raising Cash, Square Heads for $6B Valuation (CNBC)
Square, the payments provider that turns any smartphone into a credit card terminal, is in the process of raising capital at a $6 billion valuation. The San Francisco-based company is aiming to reel in about $200 million, with part of it coming from the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, said the sources.
Why the Mobile Industry Needs to Address Its Data Problem (Street Fight)
Steven Jacobs: A report earlier this week detailed the widespread use of surveillance software by governments to track the movements of cellphone users both within and outside their borders. The news highlights yet another example of a dangerous schism developing in a data-driven advertising-technology industry between the reason consumers share data and the way it is eventually used.
This is Uber’s Playbook for Sabotaging Lyft (Verge)
Uber is arming teams of independent contractors with burner phones and credit cards as part of its sophisticated effort to undermine Lyft and other competitors. The effort, which Uber appears to be rolling out nationally, has already resulted in thousands of canceled Lyft rides and made it more difficult for its rival to gain a foothold in new markets.
6 Ways to Use Location Analytics Data in Retail Design (Street Fight)
Hyperlocal vendors are changing the way the in-store shopping experience looks and feels, providing retailers of all sizes with the answers to questions like where customers are going in their stores, which promotions or displays are attracting the most attention, and which departments are being bypassed altogether.
7-Eleven to Install Belly Digital Loyalty System Across U.S. and Canada (Recode)
The convenience store chain, whose venture capital arm invested in digital loyalty company Belly last year, says it will install the company’s iPad-based customer loyalty program in a quarter of all of its U.S. and Canadian stores by the end of this year.
Interview With Bill Gurley: The Guy Who Backed OpenTable, Yelp, GrubHub, Twitter, Zillow And Uber (Forbes)
What do OpenTable, Yelp, GrubHub, Twitter, Zillow, and Uber have in common? Bill Gurley – and, of course, his firm, Benchmark Capital. With a deep background in engineering, capital markets, and venture, he’s got all the bases covered when he talks to entrepreneurs about building great companies that will be successful for decades – not just years.
Journalism is Doing Just Fine, Thanks — It’s Mass-Media Business Models That are Ailing (GigaOm)
Mathew Ingram: Some argue that the rise of the internet has destroyed — or severely crippled — journalism, but all it has really done is disrupted traditional mass-media business models. Journalism itself has never been healthier, and new players are finding new models.
Uber’s Latest Experiment: Lunch Delivery (Mashable)
Uber continued its never-ending series of experimental services with the launch Tuesday of a lunch delivery program called UberFRESH. The option is available to anyone in Santa Monica, California, through the Uber app and lets users order meals from a select few restaurants to be delivered in an hour or less.
Watch Out AAA: Urgent.ly Goes Uber, Takes on Roadside Assistance (Local Onliner)
Urgent.ly provides flat-rate repair truck assistance rather than charging annual insurance-like fees, and has done hundreds of service calls and is set to go nationwide. The Washington D.C.- area company announced the release of its free roadside assistance app for iOS Tuesday.


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(Clive, IA) -- The Iowa Lottery is seeing record sales thanks in-part to the pandemic.
Sales have totaled over $417 million so far this fiscal year - about a 25 percent increase over the previous record year.
"Every ticket that's sold in the state, the store that sells that ticket receives a sales commission from The Lottery," says Mary Neubauer, Iowa Lottery Vice President for External Relations. "This is going to make a difference to the bottom line for businesses across the state."
Iowa Lottery believes these record sales can be attributed to more people staying home and wanting a contactless form of entertainment.


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InfoSonics is a company that handles the distribution of handsets in Latin America especially and we learn that they’ve just announced the availability of a new touchscreen phone called Verykool i270 Touch. The quad band GSM/GPRS device packs a 2.4 inch QVGA touch display and it gets pictured below.
Verykool i270 Touch comes with a 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth, a web browser, email, an MP3 player, microSD card slot and a speakerphone. There’s also a 2 megapixel camera on board, that can be turned into a webcam, once it’s connected to a PC via USB. No info on price and carriers just yet.
[via unwired view]


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NEW DELHI: The weavers of West Bengal have kept their date with Delhi's handloom lovers and are here again with an exquisite "Spring Festival'' collection of Bengal saris.
The exposition, organised by the Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles under the Cottage and Small Scale Industries Department of the West Bengal Government along with the Development Commissioner of Handlooms, Union Textiles Ministry, is open up to April 6.
On display at the 22 stalls are intricate handiworks of weavers from co-operative societies all around Bengal. Once Bengal's claim to fame, the handloom industry is putting up a spirited fight to regain its old glory.
"With introduction of new designs and technology, things are beginning to look up for the sector," says M. K. Haldar, Administrative Officer of the Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles. "It would be right to say we are leaving behind the bad times and entering a good phase."
Signs of it are visible at the stalls, where keen customers can be seen poring over the fine works in saris, salwar-kameez material, shawls and stoles.
"We made a good collection of about 90 lakh last year. The sales so far this year have been worth around Rs. 22 lakh," says Haldar.
The weavers have improvised in terms of design as well as technique. "Traditionally these weavers were making just saris, now they have diversified into other dress material like tops," says Ajit Kumar Biswas, whose co-operative from Burdwan district is showcasing its saris.
"There is also a demand for these handloom products abroad. Some of them have got orders from Japan for suit material, while there is a market in Europe for scarf and stoles," adds Biswas.
Bright and colourful cotton saris with trademark motifs of the district they come from form the bulk on display. But there is also a good range of silk and tussar saris, most of them with the traditional "kanta" work done on them.
"The traditional `kanta' work is an exhibition of the skill of the Bengali women," says Shipra, an employee of the Resident Commissioner's Office.
"During leisure they drew out strands of cotton from saris and did `kanta' work on them to make bed-sheets and other material," says Shipra.
On show are pure silk saris from Mushirabad and the "jamdanis" and "dhaniakhalis" from across the State.
Lest one tends to think the exposition is an all-woman affair, there are "kurtas" and other material for men too.


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MOUNT DESERT, ME — Strong opposition to having food trucks at the waterfront in Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor was expressed by several people at the board of selectmen’s meeting Tuesday night.
An ordinance that would allow mobile food vending in town parking lots in the shoreland commercial zoning district will be voted on at the May 5 open-floor town meeting.
“This isn’t going to help Northeast Harbor whatsoever,” Teresa Clark, owner of the Docksider restaurant on Sea Street, told selectmen.
“I would hate to think I’m owning one of these multi-million-dollar yachts and coming to Northeast Harbor and have to smell and see a sea of food trucks there waiting for me. I’m going to feel like I’ve just come into a carnival.”
Selectman Martha Dudman said she and others who support mobile food vending see it as a way to attract more people to town. But Clark argued that it won’t have that effect and is more likely to cause her to go bankrupt.
“When I see you on the street, I can say, ‘Thank you. I no longer own my business.’”
Under the proposed ordinance, mobile food vendors would have to apply for a license from the town. No more than five licenses for the entire town could be in effect at any one time. Selectman Matt Hart said licenses would come with a lot of restrictions.
“I don’t think it’s anyone’s intention to hurt anyone’s business,” he said. “The intention is to grow the pie for everyone, and this is one effort.”
Clark asked the selectmen what they would like the food trucks to sell.
“What are you hoping to see? A taco truck? A margarita truck? Because I can cook you whatever you like. You tell me what it is you want, and I’ll have it for you.”
Also speaking against the idea of mobile vending was Judith Swett, owner of the Lighthouse Inn and Restaurant in Seal Harbor.
“We put a lot of money into our businesses, and we pay a lot of taxes and water bills and everything, and a food truck doesn’t have to pay that kind of thing,” she said.
Swett’s daughter, Kate Conley, who is taking over operation of the Lighthouse, addressed the effect of food trucks on Northeast Harbor. Referring to plans for new commercial developments on Main Street, Conley said, “They’re making it into a very upper-end town. It’s not some low-class food cart industry, and neither is Seal Harbor.”
Seal Harbor resident Anne Funderburk noted that the Lighthouse and the adjacent coffee shop and pizzeria are half of the businesses in Seal Harbor.
Find the entire article at mdislander.com <here>


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The use of haptic feedback in smartphones is increasingly commonplace, however until now Apple has shied away from using the technology in its multitouch devices, such as the iPhone and iPad. However, the prospect is now open for a multitouch keyboard that provides consumers a tactile response, according to an Apple patent grant by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Apple first applied a filing for the invention back in 2009 to solve the problem of multiple haptic signals interfering with each other, thereby confusing users. Apple outlined a way to localize the haptic feedback by using secondary sensors which cancel-out the confusing signals. In this way, when an iPhone owner hits the ‘L’ key, he won’t also receive a vibration under the ‘K’ key of a virtual keyboard…
According to AppleInsider, the patent “uses destructive interference created at various points away from the originating, and wanted, vibration to obscure or otherwise cancel the propagating ‘vibratory crosstalk.'”
Today’s patent award is just the latest indication Apple is considering a wide range of technology that redefines the shape of computing, as well as the growing use of smartphones in everyday life.
One patent aims to improve iPhone photography by employing a scoring system to reduce the number of shots wasted by blurry images. Another technology revealed would create a micro slot antenna enabling Apple’s designers to produce even thinner and more sleeker handsets.
As we see more large companies adopting the iPhone, Apple has filed for a patent to update its password system protecting mobile data. Rather than simple text-based passcodes, the company envisions passwords linked to photos – even the voiceprint of handset owners.
Finally, during talk of Apple possibly reinventing the wristwatch with the iWatch came word that the company wants to patent technology for a full-body computer.
As always, evidence of a patent does not mean Apple is preparing to introduce such technology in its products.
The goal could be to refine existing technology, opening the way for potentially lucrative licensing fees or possibly bolster its quiver of courtroom arguments should a patent-infringement lawsuit erupt.


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It is the world's biggest marketing bonanza with more than one hundred million viewers in 100 countries. The Olympics are used to sell everything from pet food to insurance, but for the world's biggest sports company the games have turned into a PR false start.
Nike of the US has been condemned as 'stupid and repellent' after an advertisement featuring the runner Suzy Favor Hamilton provoked outrage among viewers who said it encouraged violence against women. The giant American network, NBC, which has exclusive rights to screen the Olympics in the US, has banned the multi-million dollar commercial.
It features Hamilton being threatened by a chainsaw-wielding assassin in a remote cabin. In a spoof of the classic slasher movie, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, she escapes and is chased through the surrounding forest.
In her Nike trainers Hamilton begins to out-run her assailant who is forced to stop and rest. He pulls off his ice hockey mask, breathing heavily, before giving up and heading home.
The last shot shows Hamilton vanishing into the moonlight. 'Why Sport?' the title flashes. 'Because you'll live longer.'
Nike insists the advertisement is tongue in cheek, but commentators say it is offensive. 'It is stupid, ill-conceived and repellent,' said Bob Garfield of Advertising Age . The Washington Post called it 'a far cry from the inspiring and empowering "Just Do It"ads.'
The New York Times quoted a reader who labelled the new ad 'disgusting and misogynistic'. At a Women in Advertising awards banquet the commercial was singled out for setting back the cause of women.
Industry observers have accused Nike of adopting 'double standards' in advertising women's and men's brands. Barbara Lippert of AdWeek says the commercials targeting men tend to be 'loose, playful and cartoonish', often making fun of the very athletes who endorse Nike products. The women's ads, by contrast, are earnest, even threatening.
Nike defends its ad as 'humane and ironic'. Mike Wilskey, vice president of Marketing, said: 'We are disappointed that NBC has chosen to take our ad off the air. Our rule has always been to respect the intelligence of our consumer. This notion that we owe all women an apology is certainly open to conjecture.
'People are going berserk. They're saying, "We get this. Nike doesn't." When the reality is that women are emailing us in huge numbers saying, "I get this. I understand this. I understand what you were trying to do with this ad".'
Nike insists its new 'Why Sport' series of commercials presents the benefits of physical fitness in extraordinary ways. The ads have a look and feel of classic cinematic moments.
Despite the outcry, some industry executives agree. Russell Davis, planning director at ad agency Wieden & Kennedy, says that in the advertisement Hamilton is treated as an athlete rather than as a 'woman athlete'. She is the winner, not the victim. The shift in strategy is deliberate, he says. At one point, it felt like here was something that needed to be said about women's role in sports. It was all about empowerment, and self-image, and "if you let me play".
'Now women's sports are higher profile. They're much more on equal footing with men. And the advertising is starting to reflect it.' Davis adds: 'In the last year or so, Nike has injected a lot more humour, a lot more playfulness, in its treatment of women athletes. It treats Suzy Hamilton pretty much the same as Andre Agassi. It's not a role-model, "go out and be like Suzy" kind of thing. It's more like: "We have athletes we love, and we want to put them in our communication".'
UK sports stars are not the only Britons breaking records in the Sydney Olympics which end today. BBC1 and BBC2 have increased their share of the peak-time audience by an average 20 per cent. The number of viewers of the games is up one-third on the last Olympics in Atlanta.
Unofficial viewing figures show that the BBC's daytime viewing was up from between 1million and 1.5m to around 2-2.5m - 35 per cent of the audience. When Steve Redgrave captured his fifth gold medal in consecutive Olympics, BBC1 took 75 per cent of the audience.