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SolarEdge (NASDAQ:SEDG) is firmly establishing itself as the premier MLPE (module-level power electronics) company. By cementing itself as a dominant solar component manufacturer, SolarEdge should be able to take full advantage of solar's rapid growth. While SolarEdge has experienced a sharp downturn over the past year, the company is doing far better than its main competitors like Enphase (NASDAQ:ENPH). Moreover, SolarEdge likely has a better chance of surviving in the long run compared to other MLPE companies given its strong foothold in key solar markets. SolarEdge even recently entered a partnership with Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) in order to cement its position in the energy storage arena.
SolarEdge's financials have also continued to strengthen over the past few quarters, with important financial metrics such as gross margin improving at an impressive rate. Such improvements are not surprising given SolarEdge's increasingly cost-effective MLPE products. While many of SolarEdge's major customers like SolarCity (SCTY) and Vivint Solar (NYSE:VSLR) are experiencing significant growth difficulties, SolarEdge should be fine given its increasing attention on customer diversification. Despite some potential obstacles, SolarEdge is well poised to ride the distributed solar trend.
Growth without Major Pitfalls
The valuation of major solar manufacturers has not reflected the solar market's growth over the past decade. Despite the fact that solar adoption has exploded during this time, solar manufacturers have continued to experience low/nonexistent profitability and bankruptcies. This is not surprising as solar's growth has largely been driven by rapidly falling module prices, which has a clear negative impact on solar company financials. A top-of-the-line solar module manufacturing facility could easily become close to obsolete a few years down the road at the current rate of technological progress and cost reductions.
SolarEdge has a good chance of avoiding the problems that have plagued solar module manufactures. After all, the components that SolarEdge manufactures such as power optimizers and inverters are not subject to the Moore's law type advancements that solar modules are subject to. This means that as long as SolarEdge is able to maintain a solid presence in the MLPE industry, the company likely has an extremely bright future ahead of it.
With the US solar market set to grow 119% this year, SolarEdge has much look forward to. As the US represents one of SolarEdge's most important markets, such rapid growth is great news for the company. The global solar market is also set to grow at robust rates, which means that demand for SolarEdge's products should continue to rise. By specializing in MLPE products and avoiding panel manufacturing, SolarEdge should be able to take advantage of solar's exponential growth without many of its downsides.
SolarEdge is one of the most cost-effective MLPE manufacturers in the industry.
SolarEdge is one of the few profitable companies in the solar arena. SolarEdge's financials have steadily improved over the past few quarters, which has contributed to the company's growing dominance. In the latest quarter, SolarEdge reported a gross margin of 32.5% and an operating income of $19.7 million. This is made all the more impressive by the fact that SolarEdge is still experiencing near 50% YOY growth rates in terms of revenue.
SolarEdge's focus on financial health should be a huge positive moving forward, especially in an industry as volatile as solar. SolarEdge's main competitor Enphase, on the other hand, experienced a net loss that approximately tripled YOY and revenues that decreased by 26% in the latest quarter. Whereas SolarEdge is improving on nearly all fronts, its main competitors are struggling to survive.
Large Challenges Still Remain
The residential solar transition towards loans will likely have a negative impact on SolarEdge given the company's relatively heavy reliance on large lease/PPA specialists like SolarCity or Vivint Solar. As such, SolarEdge will not be able to rely on these large customers for growth in the near-term. However, SolarEdge is starting to put more attention on customers outside of the largest players, which should help reduce volatility and spur growth. In fact, SolarEdge has already started to significantly reduce its reliance on a select few major customers.
While SolarEdge currently has some of the best MLPE products in terms of cost-effectiveness, this can rapidly change as the industry is still young. Newer and more innovative MLPE technologies could easily supplant those manufactured by SolarEdge if the company does not continue to innovate at a rapid rate. Even Enphase still poses a significant technological threat towards SolarEdge despite Enphase's growing troubles. In fact, Enphase is now obsessively focusing on lowering the price of its solar inverters. Fortunately for SolarEdge investors, the company still has a solid technological lead over most major competitors in the MLPE market. Regardless, there will always be technological risks associated with SolarEdge given how immature the MLPE industry is.
The threat from large established solar manufacturers is perhaps even greater. SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR), for instance, is manufacturing its own inverters for its fully integrated residential solar solution. If a trend of large solar companies manufacturing their own MLPE products gain steam, SolarEdge will clearly suffer. However, SolarEdge could conceivably become an acquisition target if more solar manufacturers were to start integrating MLPE products.
SolarEdge is leading the way in the MLPE industry. The company even has an impressive 28% market share in the residential solar inverter arena. Despite the fact that SolarEdge is at the forefront of the MLPE industry, the company only has a market capitalization of $836 million and a forward P/E ratio of 10. SolarEdge still has a great deal of growth potential and has all the tools to dominate the MLPE industry.
Disclosure: I am/we are long SEDG, SCTY.
I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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Nokia and Cable & Wireless have joined forces to offer mobile internet applications to fixed line telcos, ISPs and large enterprises.
The companies said they will develop a mobile internet platform that will give Cable & Wireless customers access to internet content, ecommerce, business applications and location-based services via their mobile devices.
Cable & Wireless said it is extending its data hosting business and its global IP network to a wireless platform, opening up the mobile internet market for its existing customers. No revenue estimates or rollout timetable was given.
Kicking Palantir off of AWS is among their demands, too
Rafaela Vasquez was watching The Voice at the time of the crash, new evidence shows
PUBG price slashed on Steam after selling more than 50 million copies - as daily player numbers plunge
Use the same password for every website? It might be time to change them all

domain: news


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Carmakers are offering a selection of features in their connected cars, with a special focus on entertainment apps and safety-management features.
The rise of electric and Internet-connected cars is helping Bosch to win new customers as it branches into areas such as software and services.
Apple proposed that rather than following the traditional route of simply having technology companies create apps for cars.
Communication technologies, information systems and safety gadgets are all being bundled into cars to make them more safer, convenient and sophisticated.
We knew that the US government was testing connected vehicle technology in the relatively small town of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Sagar Apte’s startup CarIQ, a Pune-based startup connects cars to the cloud, allowing the driver to make decisions on real-time data.
Infy, TCS, Wipro and HCL are working with global carmakers, parts suppliers, insurers, content providers to integrate technology, find solutions for the connected car.
In 2013, Facebook launched the non-profit organization Internet.org with goal of eventually bringing internet access to the 60% of the world - about 4 billion people - without a connection.


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US Dollar Index Declines as Retail Sales Disappoint
The dollar index was lower by 0.35% after Retail Sales from the U.S. economy missed expectations. Traders were expecting retail sales to come in at 0.5% after a strong 1.9% in the previous month, but the actual number was a gain of 0.3%.
The number was a sixth-consecutive monthly gain for the U.S. economy but it doesn’t highlight a resilient consumer as spending is curbed due to the coronavirus, while the Christmas spending period is around the corner. The failure of the recent second stimulus package talks have hit the potential for consumer spending into year-end and probably early-2021.
Tomorrow sees the release of the latest inflation figures from the Eurozone with the market expecting a print of 0.2%. The Euro has the highest weighting in the dollar index and this will ensure that the index could see volatility if the inflation print differed. European Central Bank members have previously been critical of a higher euro due to its effect on inflation and this could be a theme that comes into play later in the year as the single currency tests the 1.1900 level again. The pair saw a high of 1.2000 this year and ECB policymakers may take action if it continues to rise.
Dollar Index Technical Outlook
The dollar index bounced from the 92.50 level but the strength was short-lived with the pair failing at 93.00. The DXY is now looking to retest the lose at 92.20 and a test of the September 1st low at 92.00 is possible. Traders could short this for a potential break of 92.00 with a stop above today’s high. The Investing Cube team is currently available to help all levels of traders with the Forex Trading Course or one-to-one coaching.


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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – A Kentucky staple served during derby time has two companies at odds.
Kern’s Kitchen, the maker of Derby Pie, is suing Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville for calling their chocolate nut pie “Derby Pie.”
The lawsuit says servers at Claudia Sanders were using the trademarked “Derby Pie” name improperly.
Kern’s Kitchen attorney Donald Cox says they asked the restaurant to stop using the term, but management refused.
John Rupp of Kern’s Kitchen released a statement saying in part:
“We take our name and our brand very seriously. We can’t allow our name to get out of our hands. My great-grandparents fought for this name so we take this extremely seriously.”
Claudia Sanders Dinner House has yet to respond to the lawsuit.


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An alarming 51% of online daters are already in a relationship of some kind.
You can do almost anything online these days: Check a bank balance, buy shoes, choose a mattress, order a cab.
“It’s a product of the growing normalcy of using social media apps,” says Moira Weigel, author of “Labor of Love: The Invention of Online Dating” (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2016).
“Our real-life and online identities are more and more interwoven.” Because of this cultural shift, online dating sites now have unprecedented reach into our lives. Reams have been written about online dating, but as far as we know, no one has put the sites to the test.
“All kinds of people are doing it,” says Caploe, 54, a publisher who lives in New York City.
“It was—unbelievably—not a crazy experience.” Online dating has certainly lost its lonely-hearts stigma.
According to MSNBC, research shows that 11% of people using online dating services are married.11.
In 2011 alone, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center lodged 5,600 complaints from victims of “romance scammers” with collective losses of over fifty million dollars.
One out of 10 sex offenders use online dating to meet other people – Uh…3. e Harmony mentions that a study found that men who reported incomes higher than 0,000 received 156% more email than those with ,000.
That’s 156% more golddiggers, guys, so think twice about whether you want to post that kind of personal info.5. In 2005 alone, 25% percent of rapists used online dating sites to find their victims.
On dating sites, at least 10% of new accounts are from scammers, says Marketdata Enterprise, Inc. Let me repeat that: of rapists used online dating sites to find their victims.7.
They are gatekeepers to a massive population of potential partners; they control who we meet and how. So Consumer Reports decided to survey almost 115,000 subscribers about online dating and their experiences with it.
Collectively, we spend huge sums of money on matchmaking, not to mention all the time and substantial emotional investment. Given that we usually rate products (like refrigerators) and services (like banking), this is new and fairly unusual territory for us.


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China's reopening has been a huge boon for tourism throughout the entire Asia-Pacific region, and destinations like Thailand are getting a major economic boost from Beijing finally easing its enormously strict travel restrictions.
Thailand received one million Chinese tourists between January and May 18, a government official said on Sunday, after China’s border reopening.
The government expects the number of Chinese visitors to meet its target of 5 million this year, with spending of 446 billion baht ($13.18 billion), government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said in a statement.
Last year, about 274,000 Chinese tourists visited the Southeast Asian country, compared with 11 million in pre-pandemic 2019, or about 28% of the total.
Overall foreign tourist arrivals were 9.47 million from January to mid-May, the government earlier said, compared with the 11.15 million visitors in the whole of 2022.
Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, driven by the continued pickup in the crucial tourism sector, a key source of jobs that was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
($1 = 33.85 baht)
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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Photo credit: Thailand's tourism industry has benefited enormously from China lifting travel restrictions. Source: Reuters


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SOURCE Global, PBC launches the world’s first truly renewable bottled water brand
The Red Sea Development Company becomes the first destination in the world to serve bottled water sourced from the sky
March 22, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In response to growing consumer demand for sustainable products and travel experiences, The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) – the developer behind the most regenerative tourism project in the world – and SOURCE® – the earth’s first renewable, sustainable water brand – have come together to set a new global standard in bottled water.
TRSDC is the first company to collaborate with SOURCE Global, PBC as it launches its sustainable bottled water brand, making The Red Sea Project the first destination on earth to offer bottled water made purely from sunlight and air.
SOURCE water is produced using patented solar technology that draws pure water vapor out of the air and converts it to premium, mineralized drinking water. Water created from these Hydropanels will be bottled at a plant that also runs on solar energy, creating the largest solar-powered facility of its kind.
Located on site at The Red Sea Project, the SOURCE facility will have a capacity of 2 million 330ml bottles annually and will initially produce 300,000 bottles a year. The reusable glass bottles will be refilled on site as part of a fully circular sustainable distribution model. Water harvesting and bottling will generate zero carbon and zero single-use plastic bottles.
Read the full article on Business WireRead now
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Considering numerous claim construction, infringement and damages issues related to patents allegedly covering Apple’s iPhones 5 and 6 series technology, a panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit determined that the district court should have held a third trial on damages because the plaintiff’s expert improperly treated the asserted patents as key during his analysis of purportedly comparable license agreements. Apple Inc. v. Wi-Lan Inc., Case No. 20-2011 (Fed. Cir.) (Moore, C.J.; Bryson, Prost, JJ.)
This appeal is the latest iteration of a patent dispute between Apple and Wi-Lan that has lasted eight years and included two trials. The two patents at issue are directed to bandwidth technology that allows a “subscriber unit” rather than the “base station” to allocate bandwidth. At issue in the appeal were numerous challenges from both Apple and Wi-Lan.
The Federal Circuit rejected Apple’s challenge to the district court’s construction of “subscriber unit,” which Apple claimed was limited to “customer premises equipment [CPE]” (e.g., home routers). Although Apple pointed to parts of the specification that suggested that a CPE was a subscriber unit, the Court found that no language met the heavy burden of a clear and unmistakable redefinition of “subscriber unit.” That the sole disclosed embodiment was a CPE did not move the needle, as nothing indicated that the embodiment was limiting.
Next, the Federal Circuit affirmed the jury verdict on liability, finding that substantial evidence supported the jury’s determination that the accused iPhones contained a subscriber unit. The Court found that a jury could conclude from expert testimony that an iPhone allocates bandwidth between two separate connections—voice-over-LTE and data.
Because of the appeal, Apple may now be on the hook for additional infringement liability. The district court had granted Apple summary judgment of noninfringement based on a license agreement between Intel (the maker of Apple’s processor chips in the accused products) and Wi-Lan. According to Apple, this agreement gave Intel a license through patent expiry rather than for the license term. The Federal Circuit rejected that reading of the license between Intel and Wi-Lan, instead finding that the license extended only to pre-termination sales, not in perpetuity as Apple claimed.
Finally, the Federal Circuit found that the district court correctly ordered a new trial on damages after the first trial in the case but erred by not ordering the new trial on damages based on expert testimony admitted at the second damages trial. Regarding the first damages trial, the Court rejected Wi-Lan’s challenge to the district court’s determination that Wi-Lan’s damages expert did not appropriately tie his damages opinion to the benefits of the patented technology. With respect to the second damages trial, the Court found that Wi-Lan’s damages expert gave improper testimony because, without tying his opinion to the facts of the case, he stated that the asserted patents were the “key” drivers of the royalty rates in other license agreements he relied upon—licenses that were to a much larger patent portfolio. Without a sound basis in evidence, [...]


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The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has today published a report which shows that exports of food and drink in the first half of the year fell for the first time since 2015. The data shows that when compared to the same period last year, exports had fallen by 13.8%, to £9.7bn.
Exports to all but three of the UK’s top 20 export markets fell, with sales to China (+0.3%), Canada (+6.7%) and Norway (+46.9%) seeing growth during the first half of the year. Of the UK’s top ten export product categories, only pork saw positive value growth (+17.5%) with sales of £300m, largely driven by exports to China which purchased £132m of UK pork in H1.
While the fall in exports is clearly linked to the global impact of COVID-19, analysis by KPMG as part of the report, highlights that differing markets are at varying stages of the COVID-19 lifecycle. China is currently experiencing a period of growth, whereas other nations are in recession.
KPMG identified brand trust as a key driver of consumer purchasing decisions across all markets and an opportunity for exporters throughout the remainder of the year. While overall exports of branded products fell by 7.1% in H1, sales of branded products to non-EU markets grew by 1.9%.
Looking further ahead, the UK-Japan preferential trade agreement announced in September presents a key opportunity for exporters, with Japan currently the world’s largest net importer of agrifood and drink, and the UK’s 19th biggest market in H1 – worth £124.5m. Demand for imported food and drink in Japan is growing because of its ageing population and a continued shift toward Western consumption patterns.
To support the recovery of UK exports post-COVID-19, the FDF, Food and Drink Exporters Association (FDEA) and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), have produced an export guide to help businesses successfully navigate the export process. The guide signposts a range of support that can help exporters that have been impacted by COVID-19, and support for businesses post EU Exit transition.
Dominic Goudie, Head of International Trade, FDF, said:
“A fall in exports in the first half of 2020 demonstrates the huge challenge currently facing UK food and drink exporters. We also have serious concerns about our access to existing EU trade agreements, with more than £1.7 billion of UK exports at risk where continuity deals haven’t been agreed. However, there remain many opportunities overseas as we navigate our way through economic recovery, strengthen our resilience as an industry, and build relationships through new future trade agreements such as with Japan – the world’s biggest net importer of food and drink.
“Looking ahead, it is vital that we continue our work with Government and industry partners to deliver sustainable export growth over the next few months and beyond the end of the transition period in January 2021 to ensure our industry has the support it needs. Our export guide, made in collaboration with other industry bodies, aims to help navigate businesses through the export process with a range of practical support and advice.”
Linda Ellett, UK head of consumer markets at KPMG, said:
“While the world may be facing COVID-19 collectively, consumers across the world haven’t been behaving equally. For consumer businesses, the real challenge is keeping a finger on the pulse of change, knowing how consumers feel and behave, whilst also adapting to the various opportunities and threats presented in various markets globally.
“Business growth – or at least resilience – remains vital despite the challenging climate. KPMG’s recent consumer insights research clearly shows that trust in brands is a key factor shaping purchasing decision. No consumer business can afford to lose sight of that.”


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ELAN PHARMA (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED
Company's authorized capital stands at Rs 25.0 lakhs and has 60.864002% paid-up capital which is Rs 15.22 lakhs. Elan Pharma (india) Private Limited last annual general meet (AGM) happened on 29 Sep, 2017. The company last updated its financials on 31 Mar, 2017 as per Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
Elan Pharma (india) Private Limited is majorly in Manufacturing (Metals & Chemicals, and products thereof) business from last 26 years and currently, company operations are active. Current board members & directors are NARENDRA KUMAR JAIPRAKASH MITTAL, DANDU VIJAY PRAKASH RAJU and VIDYADHAR DADU SAWANT .
Company is registered in Mumbai (Maharashtra) Registrar Office. Elan Pharma (india) Private Limited registered address is 501-RAIKAR CHAMBERS GOVANDI, DEONAR, MUMBAI MH 400088 IN.
Elan Pharma (india) Private Limited Details
|Date of Incorporation||04 Jun, 1997|
|Company Category||Company limited by Shares|
|Company Sub-category||Non-govt company|
|Business Activity||Manufacturing (Metals & Chemicals, and products thereof)|
|Authorized Capital||25.0 lakhs|
|Paid-up Capital||15.22 lakhs|
|Paid-up Capital %||60.864002|
|Registrar Office City||Mumbai|
|Registration Date||04 Jun, 1997|
|AGM last held on||29 Sep, 2017|
|Balance Sheet last updated on||31 Mar, 2017|
Elan Pharma (india) Private Limited News
"Will always cherish conversations with him": PM Modi condoles death of MS Swaminathan
His groundbreaking work paved the way for what would become the "Green Revolution" in India-an agricultural transformation that significantly increased crop yields and ensured food security for millions.
SAIL expects four coking coal ships from Russia in Sept quarter
Steel Authority of India (SAIL) is expecting four shipments of coking coal from Russia in the September quarter, according to Chairman Amarendu Prakash. The company is also working on doubling coking coal production capacity in its joint venture at Mozambique. Prakash mentioned that higher prices of coking coal and Europe's carbon tax mechanism would impact the company's margins and the cost of steel exports to Europe.
Mineral production records 10.7 per cent surge in July
India's mineral production sector experienced a significant increase of 10.7% in July 2023 compared to the same month the previous year, according to data released by the Indian Bureau of Mines. The Index of Mineral Production reached a level of 111.9, demonstrating the sector's resilience and contribution to economic development. Key minerals such as coal, lignite, natural gas, and crude petroleum all showed positive growth.
Eveready launches new Ultima Alkaline batteries for high-drain applications, devices
Eveready Industries India Ltd. has launched its new range of Ultima Alkaline batteries, designed to cater to modern, high-drain applications and devices. The range includes AA/AAA Eveready Ultima batteries, which claim to last 400% longer, and AA/AAA/D Eveready Ultima Pro batteries, which claim to last 800% longer. The company aims to deliver consistent performance for toys, video games, smart remotes, wireless keyboards, trimmers, and medical equipment. The batteries come with Anti-Leak Turbolock Technology to ensure leak protection. Eveready has also unveiled a new logo as part of its brand transformation.
Cooperating with authorities, says Lenovo on Income Tax searches
"As responsible corporate citizens, we adhere strictly to all applicable laws, regulations, and reporting requirements in every jurisdiction in which we do business. We are cooperating with the authorities and will provide all possible support required," a Lenovo spokesperson said.
Government introduces key amendments to cable TV network rules
According to the press release by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, MSOs are now required to apply for registration or the renewal of registration online, utilizing the Broadcast Seva Portal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This move towards digital processes aligns with the government's commitment to facilitating business operations and reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
Father of India's 'green revolution' MS Swaminathan passes away at 98
Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, an agriculture scientist and the father of India's green revolution, has passed away at the age of 98. Swaminathan played a crucial role in developing a hybrid wheat seed that significantly increased yields for Indian farmers. He was recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th century.
Aquaconnect forays into two new markets - West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh
Aquaconnect, a full-stack aquaculture platform, is expanding into West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to strengthen its presence in the domestic market. The company aims to optimize its service offerings and triple its AquaPartner network by the end of the year. Aquaconnect is focusing on these states due to their significant contributions to India's fish production and the untapped potential in the domestic market. The company aims to bring transparency to the aquaculture value chain and promote sustainability in the industry.
RoDTEP extension to help boost exports, create jobs: CII EXIM committee chairman
The Indian government's decision to extend export benefits under the RoDTEP scheme until June 2024 will have a positive impact on domestic manufacturing, exports, and job creation, according to Sanjay Budhia, Chairman of the CII national committee on EXIM. The scheme provides refunds for taxes, duties, and levies incurred by exporters in the manufacturing and distribution process. Budhia believes this move will boost exports, generate employment, and help establish India as a global manufacturing hub.
India retains 40th rank in Global Innovation Index 2023
The government's various departments, such as the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology, the Department of Space, and others, have played vital roles in enriching the National Innovation Ecosystem. The Atal Innovation Mission has also significantly contributed to expanding this ecosystem, read the press release.
* Ministry of Corporate Affairs, 2019, Company/LLP Data, (Government of India administrative body to govern and regulate corporate affairs through the Companies Act 1956 & 2013 including other allied Acts, Bills and Rules) http://www.mca.gov.in/, Updated as on 04 Dec, 2018.
Please Note: Data on this page may not be updated vis-à-vis company’s current credentials.


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Brands can now find out how much attention they can expect their ads to attract before they are launched, a marketing technology company has claimed after launching a face-reading tool powered by artificial intelligence.
Realeyes' attention metric is produced using consumers’ webcams to monitor behavioural cues, such as eye movements, blinking, yawning and head movements.
It is the latest tech lauched by the company, which has previously developed AI-powered software to read human emotions.
Advertisers will be given metrics that show the volume and quality of attention their content managed to attract, plus a second-by-second analysis of where consumers' attention grows or diminishes.
The tech was developed in collaboration with AI specialists from Imperial College London.
The system was trained with more than 14 million frames from 29,000 videos of people watching content and demonstrating various levels of attention. Each of these scenarios was ascribed an attention score by humans.
Realeyes claims the new tool is 4% off being as good as humans at detecting attention.
Realeyes, which was founded in 2007, has its headquarters in London and works with brands such as Mars, Hershey’s and Coca-Cola. Its customers also include Publicis Groupe, Teads and Oath. Earlier this year, venture-capital group Draper Esprit led a $16.2m (£12.4bn) investment round in the company to help it grow its AI team.
Mihkel Jäätma (pictured, above), Realeyes' chief executive and co-founder, said brands "need all the help they can get to be heard" on an increasingly noisy internet and with the average human attention span down to eight seconds.
"Up to now, it’s been difficult to measure that attention, with brands having to rely on metrics such as completion rates, which simply don’t give the full picture," Jäätma added. "Just because someone plays a video until the end, it doesn’t mean they were paying attention to the content."


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MUMBAI: Universal Music Group and outdoor sports lifestyle company Billabong have formed a strategic, global brand partnership that will bring together music and action sports through a broad range of innovative products and new services.
Under this new agreement, UMG and Billabong will collaborate on the development of a broad range of services and products that will unite the world’s most popular recording artists with the world’s most celebrated successful talents in action sports.
Among these initiatives will be co-produced premium audio/visual content, live events, music compilations, sports and music merchandise, digital download offers, preloaded audio/visual hardware, streaming radio and TV, and a dedicated music service.
The partnership signals a diversification for both companies – leaders in their respective fields – to tap into changing youth culture appetites for entertainment and action sports.
UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge said, "UMG and Billabong represent a unique partnership between two progressive companies that share a passion for creating compelling products and engaging experiences for consumers. This is just one of many new global initiatives that we will be launching to help redefine and enhance the musical experience for consumers."
Billabong CEO Derek O’Neill added, "Music is an integral part of our lifestyle and culture, and this partnership will no doubt enhance our brand’s position by supporting compelling marketing initiatives revolved around film projects, events and our global athlete program."


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Legendary Final Fantasy developer Tetsuya Nomura has shed some light as to why Square Enix opted to rename Final Fantasy XIII Versus.
FF Versus XIII was first announced back in 2006 as a PlayStation 3-exclusive project, though few details emerged on the title in subsequent years. However, at E3 last week, it was confirmed the game had been renamed as Final Fantasy XV.
Chatting in the latest issue of Famitsu, Nomura-san revealed that Square originally flirted with the idea of a name change just a few years after the game’s announcement.
“Around one or two years after we announced FF Versus 13, it was suggested to us to shift to FF15 as part of the company’s direction. By that time, a fair amount of time had already passed since the announcement and Versus was a well-known title, so it wasn’t a given that this would be 15; it could have still been Versus.
“Personally, I came to accept the idea once FF Agito 13′s name was changed to Final Fantasy Type-0. As for the timing of the announcement, given that we were changing platforms as well, [the timing] wasn’t something we could decide on our own discretion. We worked together with assorted other divisions to get it announced at this E3.”
“We had originally thought about making this announcement last year, but due to assorted reasons that got delayed. This meant that the lifespan of the current generation of consoles was starting to pose a problem to us.
“If we were a year later, other companies will have more time to research the next generation, and releasing the game against their products on the older generation could have caused us to look inferior when people inevitably compared us.”
Nomura-san went on to say that FFXV couldn’t be realised on current-generation hardware, hence the decision to shift from its PS3-exclusive trappings to PS4 and Xbox One.
“With current-gen systems, we couldn’t fully express what we wanted to do in this project. There were more and more things that we would’ve had to change the form of. However, the assumption was that we’d go ahead with a current-gen release, so went through a trial-and-error process to do as much as we could.
“So we built an alpha version about a year ago, and the company response was ‘If you remained bound to the current generation, will it will be the product you envisioned?’ They suggested shifting fully to next-gen, and that was the spark that led to the move.”
FFXV was given an impressive debut trailer at E3 last week, showcasing action-packed realtime combat and stunning visuals. No release date was given, though presumably it’s still a long way off.


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December 10, 2008
SEATTLE, Dec. 10 -- Amazon Web Services LLC (AWS), subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc., today announced that it has extended Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) to Europe.
European developers and businesses can now run their Amazon EC2 instances in multiple Availability Zones in the EU to help achieve lower latency, operate closer to other resources like Amazon S3 in the EU, and meet EU data storage requirements when applicable. The new European Region for Amazon EC2 contains two Availability Zones enabling developers to easily and cost effectively run fault-tolerant applications with the same scalability, reliability and cost efficiency achieved with Amazon EC2 in the U.S. Amazon EC2 reduces the time required to obtain and boot new virtual server instances to minutes, allowing developers to scale capacity, both up and down, as computing requirements change. This enables businesses to reduce capital expense and pay for resources as they are consumed. Developers worldwide can begin using Amazon EC2 and other AWS infrastructure services by going to http://aws.amazon.com.
With today's launch, European developers and businesses with European customers can take advantage of the latest features for Amazon EC2 including multiple Availability Zones, Elastic IP addresses, and Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS). In the near future, Amazon EC2 will also add support for Windows Server and SQL Server in the EU which is a new feature that was recently introduced on Amazon EC2 in the United States.
"We are very excited to fulfill one of our top user requests by launching Amazon EC2 in Europe. In conjunction with Amazon S3 and Amazon CloudFront in the EU, Amazon Web Services customers can now locate their storage, distribution, and compute in Europe, better allowing them to achieve low latency to their European customers and to meet EU data storage requirements when applicable," said Peter De Santis, general manager of Amazon EC2. "Starting today, businesses needing globally distributed infrastructure can easily manage and deploy their storage and compute with a simple, powerful set of Web service APIs and tools."
"The ease of getting up and running on Amazon EC2 has made us rethink the way we currently operate our distributed computing on the Grid," said Stefan Kluth, local project lead in Munich for computing for the ATLAS experiment at the LHC accelerator at CERN. "We're excited by the potential to move faster than previously possible because we can focus on the experiment as opposed to the technology to run it."
"For the last two years CohesiveFT has been working to help European customers leverage the power of Amazon Web Services," said Alexis Richardson, co-founder and director of business development at CohesiveFT. "The launch of Amazon EC2 services in Europe sets the stage for an exciting new wave of production deployments with reduced latency, expanded regulatory compliance options, and the ability to deploy scale-up/scale-out architectures within the region."
Amazon EC2 lets developers pay only for what they consume and charges no up-front or minimum fee. The following are $U.S. prices for Amazon EC2 in Europe:
Standard (per instance hour consumed)
$0.11 for small instances
$0.44 for large instances
$0.88 for x-large instances
High CPU (per instance hour consumed)
$0.22 for medium instances
$0.88 for x-large instances
$0.10 per GB - all data transfer in
$0.17 per GB - first 10 TB / month data transfer out
$0.13 per GB - next 40 TB / month data transfer out
$0.11 per GB - next 100TB
$0.10 per GB - over 150TB
About Amazon EC2
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (http://aws.amazon.com/ec2) is a Web service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud. Amazon EC2's simple Web service interface allows businesses to obtain and configure capacity with minimal friction. It provides complete control of your computing resources and lets you run on Amazon's proven computing environment. Amazon EC2 reduces the time required to obtain and boot new server instances to minutes, allowing you to quickly scale capacity, both up and down, as your computing requirements change. Amazon EC2 changes the economics of computing by allowing you to pay only for capacity that you actually use.
Amazon.com Inc., a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as books, movies, music & games, digital downloads, electronics & computers, home & garden, toys, kids & baby, grocery, apparel, shoes & jewelry, health & beauty, sports & outdoors, and tools, auto & industrial.
Amazon Web Services provides Amazon's developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Examples of the services offered by Amazon Web Services are Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS), and Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS). Amazon and its affiliates operate Websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and the Joyo Amazon Websites at www.joyo.cn and www.amazon.cn.
Experimental scientific HPC applications are continually being moved to the cloud, as covered here in several capacities over the last couple of weeks. Included in that rundown, Co-founder and CEO of CloudSigma Robert Jenkins penned an article for HPC in the Cloud where he discussed the emergence of cloud technologies to supplement research capabilities of big scientific initiatives like CERN and ESA (the European Space Agency)...
When considering moving excess or experimental HPC applications to a cloud environment, there will always be obstacles. Were that not the case, the cost effectiveness of cloud-based HPC would rule the high performance landscape. Jonathan Stewart Ward and Adam Barker of the University of St. Andrews produced an intriguing report on the state of cloud computing, paying a significant amount of attention to the problems facing cloud computing.
Cloud computing has become mainstream in today’s HPC world. In order to enable the HPC researchers who currently work with large distributed computing systems, to bring their expertise to cloud computing, it is essential to provide them with easier means of applying their knowledge.
Jun 17, 2013 |
With that in mind, Datapipe hopes to establish themselves as a green-savvy HPC cloud provider with their recently announced Stratosphere platform. Datapipe markets Stratosphere as a green HPC cloud service and in doing so partnering with Verne Global and their Icelandic datacenter, which is known for its propensity in green computing.
Jun 12, 2013 |
Cloud computing is gaining ground in utilization by mid-sized institutions who are looking to expand their experimental high performance computing resources. As such, IBM released what they call Redbooks, in part to assist institutions’ movement of high performance computing applications to the cloud.
Jun 06, 2013 |
The San Diego Supercomputer Center launched a public cloud system for universities in the area designed specifically to run on commodity hardware with high performance solid-state drives. The center, which currently holds 5.5 PB of raw storage, is open to educational and research users in the University of California.
05/10/2013 | Cleversafe, Cray, DDN, NetApp, & Panasas | From Wall Street to Hollywood, drug discovery to homeland security, companies and organizations of all sizes and stripes are coming face to face with the challenges – and opportunities – afforded by Big Data. Before anyone can utilize these extraordinary data repositories, however, they must first harness and manage their data stores, and do so utilizing technologies that underscore affordability, security, and scalability.
04/02/2012 | AMD | Developers today are just beginning to explore the potential of heterogeneous computing, but the potential for this new paradigm is huge. This brief article reviews how the technology might impact a range of application development areas, including client experiences and cloud-based data management. As platforms like OpenCL continue to evolve, the benefits of heterogeneous computing will become even more accessible. Use this quick article to jump-start your own thinking on heterogeneous computing.


text: The Good LIFE- November 2022 Posted on November 16, 2022March 8, 2023 Each day, the LIFE Centers of Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, and Lawrence support the needs and services of participants. LIFE’s managed care model helps support older adults live independently at home with the monitored care they need to thrive in their neighborhood. In October, the centers held a number of events for participants featuring seasonal foods, and life-engaging activities. LIFE Lawrence celebrated a participant’s 100th birthday, LIFE Butler held a weeklong Oktoberfest party, Staff and participants of LIFE Beaver dressed for Halloween, while participants of LIFE Armstrong received some healthy food tips for Thanksgiving Day. LIFE Lawrence LIFE Lawrence participant, Betty, recently turned 100 years young and a wonderful birthday celebration took place to celebrate her amazing life. Organized by the LIFE Lawrence recreation department, Betty and participants were treated to live entertainment along with her favorite food for lunch, pork chops and mashed potatoes as well as birthday cake. There were special touches that included food placemats that commemorated Betty with several pictures of her and world happenings from 1922, the year Betty was born. “We had such a fun day celebrating a great person!” said Riley Gallagher LIFE Lawrence Recreational Therapist. LIFE Butler “Prost!” said the LIFE Butler participants who celebrated a week long Oktoberfest party. In the spirit of the annual German festival, participants had German lunches, hot pretzels and (root) beer; just like what you would find in Munich, Germany. For fun, there was ax throwing, a beer stein toss and everyone’s favorite, a yodeling contest. Accordion player, Kevin Solecki, provided traditional German fest music which participants danced to. LIFE Beaver LIFE Beaver saw participants come dressed in their best Halloween costume and enjoyed a day of candy and laughs. Participants held their own little mini parade in the center and played Halloween themed games. In between games, participants were randomly chosen to get a prize from the punch board. LIFE Armstrong Darla Evans RDN, Director of Nutritional Services provided some helpful tips about how to eat healthier at Thanksgiving to the participants at LIFE Armstrong. Evans stated that American’s may consume more than 4,500 calories and around 229 grams of fat from the traditional Thanksgiving meal! Her tips included portion control, skipping seconds, and choosing healthier dinner options such as white meat turkey, sweet potatoes and using less butter.


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Intel officially launched “Ice Lake”, its new third-generation Xeon Scalable processor on Tuesday. This 10-nanometer processor, which offers up to 40 cores per processor, forms the basis of Intel’s data center platform. It is designed for workloads spanning a range of markets, from cloud to network and to the edge, argues the US founder.
Intel management says all “top” cloud service providers like AWS or Azure will offer Ice Lake-based services. For the launch of this chip, more than 50 OEMs built more than 250 servers based on this platform. The third generation Xeon platform “is the most flexible and the most efficient in our history,” Navin Shenoy, executive vice president and general manager of Intel’s Data Platforms Group, said Tuesday in a press release to present this new offering.
Intel management is counting heavily on this launch, which comes at a pivotal time for the founder as the data center market is increasingly competitive and AMD is now eyeing the overwhelming market share of ‘Intel, whose own customers are increasingly interested in building their own chips. CEO Pat Gelsinger – who took over as the company in January – has hired Intel “at a steady state-of-the-art rate,” using both its own manufacturing and external manufacturing to take the lead in the face of this. new competition.
The last-ditch generation?
Compared to the previous generation, Ice Lake offers an average 46% increase in performance on popular data center workloads, according to Intel. The processors also add Intel SGX (Software Guard Extensions) for integrated security, as well as Intel Crypto Acceleration. They include Intel’s DL Boost for AI acceleration. The platform supports up to six terabytes of system memory per socket, up to eight channels of DDR4-3200 memory per socket, and up to 64 lanes of PCIe Gen4 per socket.
Thanks to hardware and software optimizations, Intel claims that Ice Lake offers 74% faster AI performance compared to the previous generation. Compared to the third generation AMD Epyc 7763, Intel says the platform performs up to 1.5 times better across a wide range of 20 popular AI workloads. Compared to the Nvidia A100 GPU, Intel says performance is up to 1.3x better on a wide range of 20 popular AI workloads.
Intel SGX, and security in general, is a major selling point for Intel’s Ice Lake. This technology can protect up to 1 terabyte of code and data in private memory areas called enclaves. At the same time, Ice Lake chips also feature cryptographic acceleration which promises to allow the chip to offer both security and performance. This will be especially important for businesses – like online retailers that process millions of customer transactions per day – who need to protect sensitive information without slowing performance.
Until now, security hasn’t been a top priority for customers, according to Rebecca Weekly, Intel Senior Senior Engineer and Senior Director of Hyperscale Strategy and Execution. Customers, she recalls, were mostly concerned about performance tradeoffs. Ice Lake’s built-in security features change that equation and align with growing consumer awareness of the importance of digital security.
“As individuals are increasingly aware of privacy, of the desire to keep their data clean, and not to have their experiences potentially manipulated … we are going to see a massive shift” in favor of secure environments, predicts Rebecca Weekly, interviewed by . “We’re empowering users to take back cloud security and the security of their data, and there’s no excuse not to, because it’s so much better. “
Note that more than 800 cloud service providers around the world are already running Intel Xeon Scalable processors, and “all of the largest cloud service providers” plan to offer cloud services powered by Ice Lake in 2021, Intel said. The founder also claims that more than 15 major telecommunications equipment manufacturers and communications service providers are preparing POCs and network deployments with Ice Lake.


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Google shares are lower Wednesday, after the European Union Commission hit the tech giant with a €4.34 billion fine for practices regarding its Android operating system. Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, however, has said that Google’s Android system has generated more choice for users, not less
By 1630 BST, Google shares were 0.19% lower at $1,210.76. The stock has been moving generally higher in recent weeks.
EU fines Google after three-year investigation
The EU first began investigating Google’s Android practices in 2015. The ruling found that Google has acted illegally by ensuring tablet and smartphone manufacturers pre-installed the Google Search app and its Chrome web browser, in order to allow them access to its Play app store.
It also found that Google made large payments to some manufacturers and network operators, so they would exclusively pre-install the Google search app.
“Today, the Commission has decided to fine Google 4.34 billion euros for breaching EU antitrust rules. Google has engaged in illegal practices to cement its dominant market position in internet search. It must put an effective end to this conduct within 90 days or face penalty payments,” the EU said in a statement.
“Our decision requires Google to change the way it operates and face the consequences of its actions,” the EU added.
Google set to appeal the fine
Responding to the decision, Google’s CEO Pichai, blogged that Android had worked to give users more choice, not less.
“Today, the European Commission issued a competition decision against Android, and its business model,” Pichai wrote. “The decision ignores the fact that Android phones compete with iOS phones, something that 89 percent of respondents to the Commission’s own market survey confirmed.”
He said that thanks to the Android operating system, a variety of different brands and manufacturers can create any type of phone they wish and still run a version of Android and give users access to the same apps they enjoy on different smartphone and tablet models.
“Today’s decision rejects the business model that supports Android, which has created more choice for everyone, not less. We intend to appeal,” Pichai said.


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Recently, cryptocoinsnews has been pushing some very negative stories regarding bitcoin and they seem to be the only major news site doing this. I think they have been corrupted by their new partnership with COINAAA. Check out the following 4 articles published very recently
The downfall of bitcoin Part 1 http://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/news/downfall-bitcoin-need-responsible-mining-practices/2014/06/03
The downfall of bitcoin Part 2 http://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/news/downfall-bitcoin-part-2/2014/06/04
Bitcoin Price in Freefall. Somebody's having fun. http://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/news/bitcoin-price-free-fall-someone-fun/2014/06/04
Bitcoin ATM disappoinment and huge bank like fees for using them. http://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/news/bitcoin-atm-disappointment/2014/06/04
In the article titled "Bitcoin price in freefall" The author states the following
As explained in an earlier post, CCN will start using the new cryptocurrency Coinaaa very soon to eliminate this problem. As Coinaaa is a cryptocurrency backed up by real assets and will have a more moderate price development than Bitcoin. It will make it easier for us. Unfortunately for Bitcoin, but Bitcoin just ain’t there.
The above quote was written by David Parker, Director of Cryptocoinsnews.
I think cryptocoinsnews.com can no longer be seen as a credible, journalistic website. They have become completely biased against bitcoin and are constantly pimping out CoinAAA (whatever the hell that is)
Be very careful what you believe on that website.
A community dedicated to Bitcoin, the currency of the Internet. Bitcoin is a distributed, worldwide, decentralized digital money. Bitcoins are issued and managed without any central authority whatsoever: there is no government, company, or bank in charge of Bitcoin. You might be interested in Bitcoin if you like cryptography, distributed peer-to-peer systems, or economics. A large percentage of Bitcoin enthusiasts are libertarians, though people of all political philosophies are welcome.
Bitcoin Core is the backbone of the Bitcoin network. Almost all Bitcoin wallets rely on Bitcoin Core in one way or another. If you have a fairly powerful computer that is almost always online, you can help the network by running Bitcoin Core. You can also use Bitcoin Core as a very secure Bitcoin wallet.


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It is well documented and reported that the Internet of Things represents a brewing storm from a cyber security perspective. The connectivity of devices is clearly beneficial in many ways but in the same way as technology advances in the past, security was not front of mind when designing devices.
This dynamic is particularly alarming in the healthcare sector where the use of connected devices has grown considerably in recent years and a recent McAfee report stated that attacks on hospitals rose an alarming 211 percent in 2017. The connectivity of devices from infusion pumps and X-ray scanners to blood gas analysers, medical imaging devices, medical lasers and life support equipment has greatly expanded the attack surface in the healthcare sector.
Given the criticality of these devices, the results of security breaches could be catastrophic and the devices present an enticing way for attackers to gain a foothold onto the network of organisations in the healthcare sector that have deployed these technologies. Health records remain a lucrative data set for cyber criminals due to a higher value with $20 to $40 for health insurance credentials being paid compared to $1 to $2 for credit card numbers.
There are numerous challenges with securing these devices and technologies particularly due to the fact they are often running outdated software but also because it is very difficult to monitor them for signs of attack or compromise. This is another factor in why they are an attractive target to attackers when they present an easy route into the wider network and to gain access to sensitive data.
On the positive side, IRM has seen an increase in requests from manufacturers of medical devices, to actively test for security vulnerabilities. In the course of our testing we have discovered that devices are open to attack and there is demonstrable evidence that security was not built into the design and build. In a recent engagement on an insulin pump, it was relatively trivial to gain connectivity to the device and control the doses of insulin being delivered. Clearly this is a major concern as the vulnerability could lead to serious harm or even death.
The manufacturers of medical devices need to ensure that security is architected into their products from the outset. Additionally, aligning with GDPR, a ‘privacy by design’ approach needs to be adopted. As well as the responsibility on the manufacturers to secure their products, customers must undertake appropriate due diligence to assess the security of the products they are purchasing through independent review and active testing for security flaws. Without this, medical devices and in turn the healthcare industry are susceptible to a large number of security issues including:
- Attacks aimed at medical equipment with aim of extortion – malware, ransomware like ‘wannacry’ etc
- Targeted attacks with the aim of gaining access to patient records and health data
- Focused attacks on data transmitted by wearables to be compromised
- Denial of service attacks again with the aim of extortion.
So in the overall cyber ‘arms race’ there needs to be significant improvement in securing medical equipment connected to the network and indeed everything else that encompasses the Internet of Things. Manufacturers need to up their game on security by design and consumers of these devices need to undertake diligence around security when purchasing their products.
Where devices are already deployed:
Know what’s connected – you can’t secure what you don’t know exists
Use trusted solutions – actively evaluate product security. Perform security testing on devices or seek evidence from manufacturers that this has happened
Keep devices updated – in the same way as day to day software and infrastructure, ensure the latest versions are deployed
Continuously monitor and manage – proactively look for evidence of security compromise across devices
The evidence is out there that Healthcare is a key sector for cyber criminals with growing evidence of security breaches and without raising the bar for attackers it will continue to be an attractive hunting ground.


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President Donald Trump may be enduring sagging poll numbers since taking office in January, but his election appears to be lifting the spirits of a core group of his supporters when it comes to real estate and the economy.
Multiple years of uninterrupted job gains and hope that the best is yet to come in 2017 are igniting consumer confidence across the country, and especially in rural and middle America, according to new consumer survey findings from the National Association of Realtors. The survey additionally found a growing disparity among renters who think it’s a good time to buy and homeowners who think it’s a good time to sell.
In NAR’s ongoing quarterly Housing Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) survey 1 , respondents were asked about their confidence in the U.S. economy and various questions about their housing expectations. In the first three months of 2017, the share of households believing the economy is improving soared to its highest share in the survey’s five-quarter history (62 percent), and is up from 54 percent last quarter and 48 percent in March 2016.
In an extraordinary reversal from previous quarters, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says the surge in positive sentiment about the economy is primarily from respondents living in the Midwest (67 percent; 51 percent last quarter) and rural areas (63 percent; 43 percent last quarter). Last March, only 49 percent of Midwesterners and 35 percent of those living in rural areas thought the economy was improving.
“Confidence levels generally rise after a presidential election as the nation hopes for the best. Even though it is a highly polarized country, consumers for the most part have upbeat feelings about the economy right now,” he said. “Stronger business and consumer morale typically lead to even more hiring and spending, which in turn encourages more households to make big decisions like buying a home. These positive developments would be especially good news for prospective homebuyers in the more affordable Midwest region.”
Higher confidence in the economy is also translating to better feelings about households’ financial situation. The HOME survey’s monthly Personal Financial Outlook Index 2 showing respondents’ confidence that their financial situation will be better in six months, jumped to its highest reading in the survey, climbing to 62.6 in March from 59.8 in December 2016. A year ago, the index was 58.1.
On the cusp of the busy spring season, most households believe now is a good time to buy a home. However,


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TV Advertising Media, the television advertising buying portal of Media Agency Group, has coordinated a fantastic new advertising campaign with Partington’s Holiday Parks. The advertisement debuted on ITV Granada between last week’s episode of Coronation Street and new hit show Wild Australia with Ray Mears.
Targeting viewers of all generations, the 30 second ad spot showcases the relaxing lifestyle associated with Partington’s Holiday Parks, and how visitors can spend their time: ‘Me time’, ‘family time’, ‘a relaxing time’, ‘party time’. The commercial features families enjoying the luxurious setting of a Partington’s holiday home and the fantastic entertainment and leisure activities on offer to visitors.
As well as advertising between two of ITV’s most-watched shows during a prime ad spot, the ad is also airing during the invaluable daytime weekend spots across a wide range of popular daytime programmes. Partington’s has guaranteed high exposure of its brand and raised awareness of its fantastic holiday parks ahead of the summer months. TV still carries a fantastic reach and remains one of the industry’s most effective advertising mediums.
Partington’s Holiday Parks is a family owned and run business, with six fun filled holiday and caravan parks in North West England. It offers something for everyone at affordable prices, providing fun and action packed caravan holidays for adults and children to enjoy.
Managing Director of TV Advertising Media’s parent company Media Agency Group, John Kehoe, said:
“TV Advertising Media is delighted to have coordinated this fantastic advertising campaign with Partington’s Holiday Parks, targeting a North West audience on ITV Granada. I’m sure the ad will be a great success, showcasing Partington’s great value and family friendly holiday parks to a local audience. We look forward to working together once again in the future.”
To discuss TV advertising with the UK’s number one television advertising specialist, get in touch with our TV Advertising Media team here. For the latest industry news, follow @MediaAG and @TVAdMedia on Twitter!


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Want to join the conversation?
Financial data firm $FDS reported a jump in 4Q16 earnings driven by higher revenue as well as a $81.7MM gain related to sale of Market Metrics business in July 2016. Net income rose to $144.31MM or $3.55 per share from $62.18MM or $1.48 per share last year. Revenue grew to $287.3MM from $261.78MM. Adjusted EPS increased 11.9% to $1.69.
The latest earnings report by $VZ shows how it is losing customers despite offering the unlimited data plans, a record for the company.
$BEBE is closing down all its stores by the end of May.
$WFC agreed to hike its payout in a class-action settlement over unauthorized accounts by $32 million to $142 million for its retail sales practices. The settlement will now include customers who were impacted as early as May 2002.


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West sees monthly jump in activity
By Inman News, Friday, November 5, 2010.
Pending sales of existing homes dipped month-to-month in September, according to a monthly index report from the National Association of Realtors.
The index, which is based on signed purchase contracts for sales that have not yet closed, fell 1.8 percent to 80.9 in September from an upwardly revised 82.4 in August. The index dropped considerably more, 24.9 percent, compared to September 2009, however, when there was a surge of homebuying activity the association attributed to the original deadline for the first-time homebuyer tax credit.
Existing-home sales and new-home sales were also down in September compared to the same month in 2009, though both rose compared with August.
“Existing-home sales have shown some improvement, but the foreclosure moratorium is likely to cause some disruption and contribute to an uneven sales performance in the months ahead,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist, in a statement.
“Nonetheless, there appears to be a pent-up demand that eventually will be unleashed as banks resolve their issues with foreclosures and the labor market improves. However, tight credit and appraisals coming in below a negotiated price continue to constrain the market.”
Pending home sales fell month-to-month in every region except the West. The index there rose 3.5 percent to 104.6 — the highest index figure of all the regions. That’s a 24.7 percent index drop compared to September 2009, however. An index score of 100 is the average level of contract activity in 2001, the first year that index data was collected and a record year for existing-home sales.
The Midwest saw the biggest drops in September. The index there fell 5.7 percent month-to-month and 33 percent year-over-year in September, to 64.2.
In the South, the index fell 3.5 percent month-to-month and 19.1 percent year-over-year, to 87.6.
The Northeast had the lowest index in September: 59.6. That’s a 1.7 percent drop from August and a 28.3 percent drop from September 2009.
In its latest economic outlook, NAR adjusted its yearly sales figures for 2010 and 2011 lower, but pinned higher hopes on 2012. Existing-home sales are projected to fall 6.6 percent this year (up from 6.4 percent in October’s outlook), rise 6.4 percent in 2011 (down from 7.1 percent), and rise 4.7 percent in 2012 (up from a previous forecast of 4.3 percent).
New single-family sales are expected to fall 16.7 percent this year (compared to a 13.4 percent drop forecast in NAR’s previous report, released in October), rise 23.7 percent (down from a 28.9 percent rise in the previous forecast) in 2011, and increase 29.6 percent in 2012 (compared to a 28 percent rise in the earlier forecast).
“We’ve added 30 million people to the U.S. population over the past 10 years, but sales are where they were in 2000, so there appears to be a sizable pent-up demand that could come to the market once the economy gathers momentum,” Yun said.
The association’s forecast for existing-home prices remained essentially flat from last month’s forecast. NAR expects a median home price of $172,600 in 2010, $173,700 in 2011, and $177,800 in 2012.
The forecast for the median new-home price rose to $219,300 in 2010, $222,600 in 2011, and $231,000 in 2012. Compared to 2009, NAR expects new home prices to rise 1.6 percent in 2010. Existing-home prices won’t see more than a 1 percent increase until 2012, NAR reported.
Fixed-rate, 30-year mortgage rates are expected to remain under 6 percent through 2012, rising slightly to 4.9 percent in 2011 and jumping to 5.8 percent in 2012.
Despite an encouraging jobs report for October, the association predicts unemployment will remain at a 9.7 percent average both in 2010 and 2011, and then drop slightly to 9.3 percent in 2012. The association had previously forecast a more optimistic 9.5 percent unemployment rate for 2011 and 9 percent unemployment rate for 2012.


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Top Five Conveyor Car Wash Company Opens Sixth Nebraska Location
THOMASTON, Ga., September 1, 2023 (Newswire.com) – Tidal Wave Auto Spa, one of the fastest growing express car wash companies in the country, opened their newest location in Scottsbluff, NE on Friday, September 1 at 3310 Avenue I.
To celebrate the grand opening and introduce Tidal Wave to the community, the new Scottsbluff location is offering free washes 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through Thursday, September 7th. Additionally, during their first week of business, new members that sign up for any Clean Club unlimited car wash membership will pay just $9.97 for their first month of unlimited washes.
“Opening our brand-new Scottsbluff location is a great way to start September,” said founder and CEO Scott Blackstock. “All of our existing Nebraska locations are in-and-around the Omaha metro, and we’re excited to expand our state-wide footprint out west this week. The opportunity to bring our car wash experience to more folks is what it’s all about, and our team is looking forward to serving folks in Scottsbluff for years to come.”
Tidal Wave Auto Spa is committed to providing every customer with an exceptional car wash experience with clean and attractive locations, the highest-quality car washes, and friendly customer service at every location.
The company offers single wash options and unlimited wash memberships to fit any budget, and customers planning to wash more than once a month can save money by joining any of Tidal Wave’s Clean Club unlimited wash membership options. Clean Club members can wash at any Tidal Wave location every day of the month for one convenient monthly payment – plus, save time with exclusive club member wash lanes.
The company offers discounted membership plan options for families and fleet plans for businesses needing to wash multiple vehicles. Tidal Wave Auto Spa is proud to be part of the Scottsbluff community, and offers a fundraising program that makes it easy to raise funds for local schools, churches, civic groups, sports teams and more.
About Tidal Wave Auto Spa
Tidal Wave Auto Spa is an industry-leading conveyor car wash company founded in 1999 by Scott and Hope Blackstock in Thomaston, GA. Tidal Wave is committed to providing cutting-edge car care technology and exceptional customer service at each of their 183 locations spanning 23 states. In 2020, Tidal Wave partnered with Golden Gate Capital to facilitate their accelerated growth across the country. Tidal Wave is one of the top five conveyor car wash companies in the country and has been included in the Inc. 5000 list for America’s Fastest Growing Companies since 2020. The company was recognized as a 2023 Champion of Charity Honoree by Professional Carwashing & Detailing and has raised over $3 million dollars for organizations in their communities.


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AT&T buys 8.07% stake in Tech Mahindra
AT&T has bought 8.07% stake in Tech Mahindra for $200 million. AT&T bought the stake from British Telecom. This stake sale will bring the stake of British Telecom to 22.79% from 30.85%. With 40% of Tech Mahindra’s revenues coming from BT it is Tech Mahindra’s biggest customer also.
British Telecom has been reducing its stake in Tech Mahindra strategically. And Tech Mahindra has strategically reduced its exposure to BT. Buying the scam ridden Satyam computers and renaming it to Mahindra Satyam is a part of this plan.
Shareholder pattern before the deal :
Shareholder pattern after the deal :
This might be the first of many deals we will see for India Inc. Shareholder pattern source.
- Ethical AI: The renewed importance of safeguarding data and customer privacy in Generative AI applications
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- Deploying SASE: Benchmarking your approach
- Insurance everywhere all at once: the digital transformation of the APAC insurance industry
- Google parent Alphabet eyes HubSpot: A potential acquisition shaping the future of CRM


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March 29, 2019
SEOUL (Reuters) – General Motors is expected to sign a deal to sell its shuttered factory in the South Korean city of Gunsan to a local consortium of auto parts makers, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.
Provincial government officials will hold a press conference on the sale later in the day, the two sources said.
One source said the consortium is in talks with an unidentified automaker to manufacture electric vehicles at the facility.
GM closed one of its four South Korean plants last year and let go thousands of workers, as its loss-making unit was reeling from the automaker’s exit from Europe, a major export market.
A GM Korea spokeswoman declined to comment.
(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; editing by Darren Schuettler)


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1 February, 2017
Libratus, artificial intelligence developed by Carnegie Mellon University, has beaten four of the best heads-up no-limit Texas hold’em poker players in the…
2 December, 2016
Wireless carrier competition in the U.S. is white hot — analysts increasingly see signs of wireless market saturation, meaning that growth is most likely going…
1 February, 2017
Libratus, artificial intelligence developed by Carnegie Mellon University, has beaten four of the best heads-up no-limit Texas hold’em poker players in the world in a 20-day competition. Its mastery of imperfect information suggests a multitude of real-world applications.
Marking a major step forward for artificial…
2 December, 2016
Wireless carrier competition in the U.S. is white hot — analysts increasingly see signs of wireless market saturation, meaning that growth is most likely going to come from competitors. Of the four major U.S. carriers, T-Mobile USA has led the way, slashing prices, killing the two-year contract…
5 August, 2015
Powerful software is giving us new insights into large-scale efficiency. But logistics veterans say companies aren’t always ready to think big.
Dr. Jeff Karrenbauer is a frustrated man.
As a 40-year veteran of the logistics business, the co-founder and president of the supply chain consultancy INSIGHT…
12 May, 2015
Big data has invaded almost every area of business. Companies want information on how consumers are interacting with their products or services and consumers want a voice in the directions businesses take. For journalists, access to data like this could make reporting on stories so much easier as well as…
10 April, 2015
Like many fields, public health is in the midst of a data revolution: randomized control trials, pay-for-performance and value calculations, all based on data, are changing our ideas about what works and how to finance it.
The impact of these new methods to gather and evaluate data pales…
Publication: NY Times
27 January, 2015
The churn rate in the US telecom industry was 1.28 to 2.19% in third quarter, 2014, according to Statista. When you multiply these rates against the millions of telecom subscribers, lost revenues, and the job of acquiring new customers, revenues become major issues. Churn is the primary reason…
4 November, 2014
I have often argued that in both the fixed and the mobile telecoms markets the actual telecoms element is a utility — a utility that allows for an enormous range of new services, new business models and new applications.
For this reason the argument for more than a decade (since 2002…
21 May, 2014
After months of anticipation, many fans of the HBO hit series “Game of Thrones” encountered problems viewing the season premiere. Because of the overwhelming number of people tuning in simultaneously to watch the show on HBO GO, the system was unable to serve all the requests, leaving hundreds of thousands…
8 May, 2014
Mobile ads are about to seriously change the ad game, or at least how you obtain user attention on the device. That means no more ads for prom dresses directed to men in their mid-twenties. No more ads for toddler’s clothing directed to women without any children. No…
Publication: SmartData Collective
20 March, 2014
Facebook depends on its 1.31 billion users to contribute their data and attention for free, but mobile rewards company Jana plans to pay 3.48 billion mobile users in emerging markets for theirs, with free airtime or services…


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Nokia recently rolled out a statement in relation to its battery update for the Lumia 800 smartphone which was released last month. The issues faced by handset owners were not fully resolved and to address these queries, the Finnish device manufacturer decided to shed more light on the upgrade.
The latest 1600.2483.8106.11500 update was meant to resolve the battery life and standby time of the Lumia 800. However, some users felt that the smartphone was not properly harvesting the full battery charge capacity even after the development. Engadget, which came upon this news through MobileTechWorld, reports that there were also problems regarding the audio and camera settings.
The official Nokia discussions page reveals that those who are experiencing difficulties with the handset’s audio and camera settings will have to wait for future updates. According to the company, most Lumia 800 owners should be satisfied with the current state of the battery as the update has been duly tested and was found to be efficient.
For those who do not have any clue about these updates, the company’s discussions page advices them to visit Settings on their smartphone, click on Phone Update and select ‘Notify me when updates are found’. They will then be automatically notified about new updates.
Released last year along with the Nokia Lumia 710, the Lumia 800 operates on the latest Windows Phone 7.5 Mango OS and boasts of a BV-5JW 3.7V 1450mAh battery as well as a 1.4GHz CPU along with a graphics co-processor.


text: German luxury carmaker BMW is in talks to buy the Swiss Formula One racing stable, Sauber-Petronas, the business daily Handelsblatt reported Tuesday, quoting F1 sources. BMW is already negotiating to supply engines to Sauber-Petronas. But a company spokesman declined to comment whether the carmaker was also considering buying the Swiss team, the newspaper said. So far, BMW has cooperated exclusively with Williams in F1 racing. The acquisition of Sauber-Petronas would cost BMW at least 150 million euros ($187 million), Handelsblatt added.


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Since its launch last fall Planet Coaster has released numerous seasonal updates and features. The latest free addition comes from a partnership with the proclaimed Roller Coaster Capital of the World, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.
Cedar Point is debuting a new hyper-hybrid coaster named Steel Vengeance in Spring 2018. But you can see the coaster’s design in action in Planet Coaster today.
Steel Vengeance is a steel-wooden hybrid revamp of their famous wooden coaster Mean Streak. When it debuts next year Steel Vengeance will be the tallest, fastest, and longest hybrid roller coaster in the world.
The 1.3.6 update for Planet Coaster will add the Steel Vengeance blueprint to instantly place and ride. The blueprint includes Steel Vengeance’s ride entrance sign as well as Cedar Point logo placeable signs. Like any coaster blueprint, Steel Vengeance will be fully customizable.
Planet Coaster has released three major updates since launch, each adding significant features and new content. The Summer update added fireworks and ride sequencers, while the Spring update added crime and security.
Paid DLC has also been released. Frontier Developments partnered with classic brands like Back to the Future and Knight Rider to create bite-size aesthetic packs that add those classic vehicles. They can be placed and customzied like any scenery object, and used in place of the go-karts.
Planet Coaster is easily the best theme park sim you can play right now, and each update reaffirms that. You can read our review of Planet Coaster here.


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- Remove China Apps, an app that has become popular in India over the last few weeks and has done just as its name suggests has been banned from the Play Store.
Remove China Apps, an app that has become popular in India over the last few weeks and has done just as its name suggests has been banned from the Play Store.
India’s top trending app, which has been downloaded more than 5 million times since late May and allowed users to detect and quickly delete apps created by Chinese companies, has been removed from the Play store for violating the Deceptive Behavior Policy of Google Play Store.
Under this policy, a Google Play Store app can not make changes to system settings of a user or functionality outside the app without the user’s awareness and consent, and can not allow or incentivize users to uninstall or disable third-party applications.
The app, created by the Indian firm OneTouch AppLabs, has gained popularity in India partly due to an increasing anti-China sentiment among many people as friction between the world’s two most populous nations has escalated over a Himalayan border dispute in recent days.
In recent days, many Indian celebrities have backed the concept of deleting Chinese phones.
Over the weekend, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev posted a video showing him removing multiple applications that had China affiliations.
Citing an industry source, the Chinese state-run news outlet Global Times claimed on Tuesday that if the Indian government allows the “irrational anti-China sentiment” to continue it risks damaging bilateral relations that are “likely to draw tit-for-tat retaliation from Beijing.”
According to Counterpoint Research, Chinese smartphone manufacturers make up over 70 percent of the Indian market as of the first quarter of 2020. Chinese apps have made substantial inroads in the region.
SensorTower reported TikTok had 636 m of downloads in India, excluding Android stores from third parties. That compares to Instagram’s 277 m downloads and Snapchat’s 99 m from 1 January 2014 until now.
If India ‘s mood continues, this may mean bad news for many Chinese firms including ByteDance and UC Browser, which count India as their largest overseas market.
Although it had a 4.9-star rating on the Google store, reviews, before it was taken down, showed that deleting Chinese apps didn’t pick up devices with well-known Chinese links, such as Shenzhen-based internet giant Tencent’s battle-royal mobile PUBG, as well as pre-installed devices on Chinese smartphones.
Sonam Wangchuk, an Indian engineer and reformer called for a boycott of Chinese goods. Mr. Wangchuk said in his tweets and videos that the Indians should “USE [their] WALLET POWER” instead of relying solely on military might to defeat Beijing.
India’s Prime Minister Modi has vigorously pushed the concept of boycotting foreign firms’ goods and urged the nation’s 1.3 billion people to look for local alternatives as part of its drive to make India “self-reliant” and revive the slowing economy.
It will be interesting to see how much this sentiment impacts business offline and online. It will certainly have an effect on Indian startups as lot of investment comes from China. We will keep updating more developments on the same.


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Apple’s new iPhone XR has apparently gotten off to a slow start. So Apple is canceling plans to boost production over the holidays.
The report, in Nikkei, states that demand for the iPhone XR has been “disappointing.” And as a result, Apple’s suppliers have canceled plans to ramp up production of the device. And will instead supply Apple will far fewer iPhone XR handsets than originally expected.
Key data from the report includes:
Tied to this is the unexpected news that demand of the previous-generation iPhone 8, which Apple still sells, has jumped. These phones are about 20 percent less expensive than the iPhone XR.
“Suppliers of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are getting a combined order of around 5 million more units,” one source told Nikkei. The publication notes that Apple had previously planned 20 million units for the older iPhone models this quarter, but raised the figure to 25 million units.
This information may help explain why Apple provided a dim forecast for iPhone sales in the current quarter. With more customers choosing less expensive and older iPhones, Apple will have trouble raising the average selling price (ASP) of the device lineup, in keeping with its new strategy, which I call “Apple Jacks.”
This, combined with the rapid rise of China-based handset makers like Huawei, may also help explain why Apple will no longer provide iPhone unit sales figures: The firm is no longer the number two player in the smartphone market and may fall to number four or five in the coming year by unit sales.

If true, which is a BIG IF since Nikkei has gotten this kind of thing wrong 5 out of the last 6 years or something like that, like they did with the X (tracking suppliers to comment on demand)….anyhow if true this is very bad news for Apple.

The XR was predicted to be the smash hit of this iPhone season, outselling all the rest since is was a cheaper "X" class phone.

With flat iPhone growth, Apple pulling future numbers, the new Macbook Air a complete joke and with the price of everything Apple going up and up and up……are we seeing Apple peak? Even if so it would be very long ride down to whatever they would end up at.

Personally my 2017 15inch Macbook is my very last and thankfully my work paid for it.

Apple is going to push a iOS Macbook in the future but the timing of that is super critical. They have to do it when iOS can really take over as a computer for 90% of people and sadly I can't even come close to doing my job on iOS even with a new $2300 iPad Pro. (top of the line with keyboard and pencil). If they push it too early and kill of the Intel Mac's it could flounder big time.

if they deploy 0 % interest free credit options then there's definitely too low sales numbers. I shall wait and see as I fancied an XR. Cant pass up a 0% offer if it happens.

In reply to Chris_Kez:

UK – apple finance offers in UK tend to be 14.9%. I reckon if sales are slow there will be a 0% offer but we're so close to xmas I reckon it might not happen till January, unless sales really are slow.

All things have limits, including the amount of money one can charge for a product. Apple has been pushing this limit successfully for a long time, but even they can't overcome the inevitable.

In reply to unkinected:

A company hyped as much as Apple has been by the media is also going to see the downside of it. Apple certainly hasn't had any trouble making money in recent years, but dropping first from number 1 to number 2 and now dropping to 3, doesn't IMO qualify as blowing away everyone's expectations.

In reply to Jeffsters:

I'm not sure what the definition of a "meaningful" profit is supposed to be, but companies don't usually continue to make a type of product for years without making any money. If Apple hadn't considered Samsung a threat, it's unlikely they would have sued them.

It's funny how some Apple fans argue both that Apple products aren't expensive compared to similar offerings from other companies and yet claim that Apple is the only one making money.You would expect those scenarios to be mutually exclusive.

In reply to MikeGalos:

I read and article today that talked about Apple's "services" revenue/success. 9 BILLION of that came from Google this year to be the default search engine. Subtract that from the total and how successful is it? Next year that payment goes up to 12 BILLION!

A couple of really scary things come from that.

First Google is not a charity if they can afford 9 and 12 Billion just to be the default search in iOS they are making some serious money off of those search queries. Basically our data.

Second, like China, Apple has ZERO problem with selling that to Google…..so much for their "privacy" stance which is nothing but convenient BS since all of their money comes from high hardware sale margins.

I own a Apple phone because it is the lesser of two bad choices to be honest. I will never use a iPad to do work and I will never pay for one either. The one I have was gifted to me and its nothing but a Netflix/Hulu, Prime video, Kindle device.

Jan 5th 2016 Nikkei reported iPhone 6s orders were cut.

Dec 30th 2016 Nikkei reported iPhone 7 orders were cut.

Oct 20th 2017 Nikkei said iPhone 8 orders were cut.

Jan 29th 2018 Nikkei said iPhone X orders were cut.

None of those ended up actually being accurate. So iPhone Xr orders could be cut but I'm taking the news with a grain of salt.


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Cash may soon have to abdicate its throne. There’s a revolution happening right now, as you’re reading this. Digital technology is quickly becoming the new king of customer payments. As easy as cash, but more secure, tech, digitized payment options are increasingly being adopted by small-to-medium businesses globally and we predict that they are here to stay.
With the coronavirus sweeping the world, it’s never been more important to be accepting digital payments as more and more business go online.
The digital payment processing industry
A payment processor is a company that handles all the transactions between two parties and in this case, we’re talking between a customer and a business owner.
The payment is completed by relaying all the payment information (like a credit card) from the customer’s account to the business owner’s bank account.
New digital payment methods
There are hundreds of different digital payment processing options out there and over the last decade, the online payment processing industry has grown at a rapid pace. New providers and platforms are popping up right, left and center on a near-daily basis.
Merchants need to adapt towards fast, simple and secure mobile payments, seeing as customer habits are becoming more and more mobile-geared with everything now online. Gen Z’s (born between 1996-2010) have never known life without technology, living through their mobiles screens. They are now taking spotlight over their predecessors and are set to surpass millennials as the most populous generation this year (2019) and make up 32% of the population according to Bloomberg. They expect fast and seamless payment experiences. For small business owners, it’s sink or swim…
These are the top 5 digital payment options for small businesses.
1. Mobile payments
In-store mobile payments are expected to overtake credit cards and are predicted to grow from $75 billion to $503 billion in 2020 as told by BI Intelligence.
In-store mobile payments haven’t quite taken off yet, but mobile wallets offer many benefits to both consumers and merchants. Just imagine never having to forget your wallet again – it’s all on your phone! Mobile wallets offer faster checkout and greater security features (data is encrypted and stored in the cloud not on the device itself).
With the mobile payment trend on the rise, it makes sense that mPOS’s have been developed. In fact, it’s estimated that near 28 million mPOS devices will be circulating in the US by 2021. A mPOS or mobile point-of-sale, is a tablet, smartphone, or wireless device that functions as a digital cash register. It is ideal for any retailer that wants to streamline their sales process and looking to keep up with payment trends.
You can offer a variety of mobile payment options through your mobile POS, letting customers choose their ideal payment method. You can also offer a loyalty program through your mobile POS, which is another popular payment trend that we discuss in detail later on.
As the business owner or manager, you can also get quick insights into sales and staff member performance on your mobile device and track inventory in real-time.
Benefits of a mobile point-of-sale include:
- Cost-effective – small business owners no longer have to invest in an electronic register or pay someone to support the software when conducting transactions
- Improved security – high encryption levels decrease the chance of data breaches
- Increased sales – process more transactions faster!
- Better customer experience – faster transactions and from anywhere in the world. You’ll no longer need to physically scan a credit card or issue a paper receipt
- All you need is a smartphone or tablet
- Great for travel businesses – mobile POS systems allow travel businesses to easily and inexpensively accept EMV transactions with no need to buy PIN pads, and even goes as far as offering NFC capabilities
Our top 3 mobile POS systems are:
2. Electronic payments
Consumers won’t even need to whip out their credit cards if you offer electronic payment methods. If you have an online store, you can add many electronic payment methods through one-click payment buttons or in-app payments. Retailers can set up digital payment terminals for safer and more convenient payments. This is something that can also currently be seen in the business lending industry, digital lending uses technology to help businesses gain faster access to capital.
Digital wallets make it even easier for consumers as they can link multiple digital payment methods to their e-wallet, requiring just one login to access ALL of their digital payment accounts.
Travelers for example, who don’t want to travel around with cash or credit cards in their pockets, are increasingly becoming more reliant on mobile wallets for digital payments such as Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Android Pay. If your business can accept mobile payments, you are one step ahead of the game, not only opening up your customer base today but preparing for the future.
Even though just 8% of the world’s population has invested in cryptocurrency according to finder, all eyes are on digital currencies such as Bitcoin. If you start accepting cryptocurrency payments, you’ll be perceived as a market leader and innovator. Don’t get left behind on this trend as more and more businesses start to accept digital currency payments.
Blockchain enables processing to be achieved in the cloud or over a distributed system network, meaning costly data centers can be avoided entirely! Blockchain technology is expected to reduce the costs of accounting reconciliation by a whopping 70% as well as compliance costs by 30-50%.
4. Customer loyalty programs
As over 60% of millennial and Generation X consumers place importance on customer loyalty programs, more and more retailers are offering these types of rewards programs to their customers. This puts those businesses that don’t have loyalty programs at a disadvantage.
According to bond, 60% of millennials are willing to switch brands if it means getting more benefits. Based on this, we recommend investing in a store credit card or another type of loyalty card, whereby customers can get coupons, special deals and promotions, earn points and claim rewards. Doing so should help you attract new customers and retain old ones.
API stands for Application Programming Interface, which, in layman’s terms, is a ‘go-between’, allowing one software program to interact with another.
Why is this a payment processing industry trend?
APIs essentially bridge the gap between businesses and their financial institutions, allowing payment processing systems to seamlessly integrate with all consumer channels. It’s thanks to API technology that you can easily offer in-app and online payment processing to your customers.
API technology is dominating the fintech space too, as it gives lenders the opportunity to view transactional financial data in order to determine a borrower’s risk profile for a loan. At Become, we use API technology ourselves.
When you complete your Become application you are requested to connect your business bank account. This allows us to quickly and securely view your latest bank statements so we can match you with an optimal lender to get the best unsecured business loan possible, based on real-time data.
The future of digital payment options
Is a cashless world the way of the future? Will the physical wallet soon be no more?
Digital payments are eclipsing cash and traditional methods right now, not the future, now. Just look around, over the past decade alone, consumers have unconsciously abandoned cash and switched to digital options. From smartphones to banking, shopping to even paying for the bus (think about contactless credit cards, also known as ‘tap-and-go’ cards), we are heading toward a cashless society faster than expected.
23% of payments made in the US are now made via e-wallets and in China, that figure is 49! Although not famous yet in America, mobile payments are a global trend now on the rise. In Germany for example, 49% of all online transactions are completed via bank transfer. In Europe, open banking will enable new account to account payment schemes, essentially getting rid of the credit card in the transaction (card issuers watch out!).
As we humans evolve in this fast-paced changing world, the main idea is to make life simpler and more convenient. Online merchants offering a variety of payment methods will surely be the ones to survive.
Is your business ready for the future digital payment trends?
To ensure that your business is ready for the future of payments, make sure not to fall behind! Get your hands on one (or more) of these payment methods now to stay ahead of the game.