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Volvo Trucks is extremely glad to celebrate our 50th anniversary in Malaysia this year.
50 Years of Volvo Trucks in Malaysia
Volvo Trucks is commemorating its 50th anniversary of achievements and milestones in Malaysia this year.
The company started in Malaysia in 1969 under Federal Auto Industrial Sdn Bhd and a year later, the Swedish Motor Assemblies plant began operations. The first product brought here that year was the complete built-up N Series truck, a tipper and heavy haulage transporter that featured the three-point safety belt created by Volvo. It was one of the first trucks to sport this important safety feature.
Over the next five decades, Volvo Trucks expanded its footprint through launching new truck models, opening dealerships across Malaysia, gaining new customers and introducing many key aftermarket services and activities.
“Volvo Trucks is extremely glad to celebrate our 50th anniversary in Malaysia this year. This is one of our momentous milestones and we are very satisfied with everything that we have accomplished over the past five decades. We also feel truly honoured to have the continuous support of the industry and our customers as they made it possible for us to grow our business,” said Mitch Peden, Managing Director, Volvo Malaysia.
Highlights of Volvo Trucks Heritage in Malaysia
The year 1969 marked the setting-up of Volvo Trucks’ operations in Malaysia and the introduction of the complete built-up N Series tipper and heavy haulage truck.
The 70s saw the complete knocked-down assembly of the N Series truck being initiated and the 3-point safety belt equipped in all the units, making Volvo the first truck brand to highly emphasise safety. Breakthroughs made included introducing the turbo engine used in the F Series truck. It also delivered the Volvo F88 truck to the Malaysian Army.
In the 80s, Volvo Trucks introduced new innovative technologies and features focused on improved efficiency, performance and safety. It launched the Euro 1 engine in the FL10 model and became the first truck brand to introduce the airbag as well as the 6×2 tag axle. This decade also saw the arrival of new models to service the booming transport and logistics sector – F7, F10, F12, FL10, N10, N12 and NL12. Additionally, it delivered the N10 trucks to the local Fire Department and the first batch of N12 logging trucks to East Malaysia.
The 90s saw the arrival of the Euro 2 engine and latest FL10, FL12 and FH12 models, and the introduction of its Blue and Gold Service Agreements to serve customers’ demand for cost-effective preventive maintenance and repairs. In addition, Volvo Trucks introduced its first Breakdown Service Team to ensure that aftermarket support reached customers wherever they were.
Making impact beyond 2000s
Increasing demand for reliable heavy-duty trucks saw the Volvo FM9 and FM12 models being brought here in 2002, followed by the launch of the Customer Care Centre to provide 24/7 breakdown service support.
The Volvo Driver Training programme and annual Fuelwatch Challenge to promote safety and fuel-efficient driving behaviour among truck drivers were also launched.
The Volvo I-Shift transmission that uses road grade, speed, weight and engine load to gauge optimum time for switching gears to increase fuel efficiency was introduced as one of its latest advancement in trucking solutions.
As business expanded, Volvo Trucks appointed Dai Lieng Machinery Sdn Bhd as its first private dealer for Volvo in East Malaysia in 2008.
Subsequent investments involved the RM75 million for its 3-year network enhancement strategy across Peninsular and East Malaysia that included establishing the Port Klang dealership as its flagship outlet to serve some 3,000 Volvo trucks.
In 2014, two new models – facelifted and improved Volvo FM and FMX – were introduced to meet different industry applications. The following year, Volvo upped the ante by introducing Volvo Dynafleet – its telematics system for customers to better manage their fleet and keep track of trucks and drivers’ performance in real-time.
Its most significant product milestone was achieved when the premium flagship Volvo FH Series, comprising two variants FH13 and FH16, made its ‘epic entry’ in 2017. With breakthrough innovations such as the ultra-low crawler gears and Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS), the FH series offers superior handling, performance, safety, fuel efficiency and ergonomics and could withstand extreme heavy loads.
In 2018, Volvo Trucks carried out its biggest local corporate social responsibility project in Bario, Sarawak. It funded an estimated RM500,000 to build a fire-fighting system for the Bario Asal Lembaa longhouse settlement and five eco-shelters along the 25km Bario ancestral jungle trail to improve the lives of the Kelabit community.
Over the last two years, it also launched additional aftermarket services such as the Volvo Service Planning, 24-month Fitted Parts Warranty and Port Klang Extended Workshop Hours programmes.
“Strongly guided by our three core values in safety, quality and environmental care, Volvo Trucks successfully achieved 50 years in Malaysia by continuously expanding our resources, products and service offerings and giving back to communities,” said Peden. “Although today we are well positioned as the market leader in the heavy-duty European brand segment in Malaysia, there’s still a lot to achieve. The next 50 years would pose new challenges and we are ready to embrace it as we remain focused on driving efficiency, innovation and excellence for all our stakeholders.”
1969年，Federal Auto Industrial私人有限公司设立马来西亚富豪卡车；一年后，瑞典Swedish Motor Assemblies汽车装配公司的厂房也在马来西亚投入运作。富豪卡车当年引进马来西亚的首个车款，便是整装进口（CBU）的N系列翻斗和重型运输卡车。这款卡车装有富豪发明的三点式安全带，也是率先装置有关安全配备的卡车之一。
1970年代，N系列卡车开始以全散装件（CKD）形式进口，卡车内也安装了三点式安全带，使富豪成为第一个高度重视安全的卡车品牌。富豪卡车取得了几项突破，包括推出了搭载涡轮引擎的F 系列卡车。马来西亚武装部队也选用富豪 F88卡车，进一步巩固富豪在马来西亚的地位。
1980年代，富豪卡车凭藉各种创新科技及着重提高效率、功能和安全的功能而名声大振。富豪推出Euro 1 引擎和FL10 卡车，并成为第一个在6×2牵引车安装安全气囊的卡车品牌。富豪卡车接着迎来了F7、F10、F12、FL10、N10、N12 和NL12卡车。马来西亚消防和拯救局开始引用N10卡车，富豪也首次向东马的客户介绍N12伐木卡车。
1990年代，富豪卡车迎来Euro 2 引擎以及最新的FL10、FL12 和 FH12 卡车，并推出蓝牌和金牌服务协议，以满足客户寻找符合成本效益的预防保养及维修卡车需求。此外， 富豪卡车也成立第一支卡车故障救援小组，确保售后市场服务能随时随地支援客户。
为了配合业务拓展，富豪卡车于2008年委任大连机械有限公司（Dai Lieng Machinery）为富豪在东马的首个私人代理商。


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Grammy Award winning artist Ariana Grande has been named as the new face of French luxury fashion and perfume house Givenchy.
After teasing the news on social media yesterday, the House of Givenchy officially revealed Ariana as their new ambassador today, describing her as “a strong, independent woman of refreshing character and style.”
According to Givenchy, Ariana “naturally embodies the spirit of the Givenchy woman with impertinence, generosity and a lightning wit — all cloaked in a touch of mystery.”
Speaking about her exciting new collaboration, Ariana said: “I am so proud to be the new face of Givenchy. It is a House I have forever admired and to now be part of that family is such an honor.
“I love this clothing and the confidence and joy it brings to the people wearing it. Not only is the clothing timeless and beautiful but I’m proud to work with a brand that makes people feel celebrated for who they are, and unapologetic about whatever they want to be.”
Givenchy has previously worked with a number of high profile individuals, including Audrey Hepburn, Beyoncé, Julia Roberts, Rooney Mara, and Lady Gaga. The fashion house’s current Artistic Director, Clare Waight Keller, was also responsible for Meghan Markle’s wedding dress when she married Prince Harry last year.
Ariana is currently in the middle of her Sweetener World Tour and headlined the infamous Coachella festival last month. Whilst she has collaborated with a number of brands in the past, Ariana has also released several of her own fragrances and is reportedly in the process of unveiling her own beauty line after “Ariana Grande: Thank U, Next” was submitted for trademark.
The full Givenchy Fall-Winter 2019 campaign starring Ariana Grande will be unveiled in July.

domain: news


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- Mom’s Touch Singapore is turning 1 – and to celebrate, they’re offering a 1-for-1 on their Signature Mom’s Thigh Burger!
- The offer is valid for dine-in, and across all delivery platforms.
- It ends 31st August!
If you’re a fan of Korean fried chicken, you’ll know about Mom’s Touch. The Korean fast food restaurant lifted its shutters for the first time on our shores last August, and it was an instant hit – it isn’t uncommon to see queues snaking out of its Paya Lebar Quarter outlet, even one year on.
That brings us to the point of this article. One year on, Mom’s Touch Singapore is celebrating the first anniversary of its opening. You know what that means?
For the whole month of August, they’re giving away 1-for-1 burgers!
1-for-1 Signature Mom’s Thigh Burger
That’s right, folks – from now until the end of August, you can get your hands on 2 of Mom’s Touch delicious Mom’s Thigh burgers for the price of one. As if going to Mom’s Touch – with its cheerful red signage and tempting menu chock-full of fried chicken goodies – wasn’t an enticing enough prospect already.
Mom’s Touch Singapore announced the promotion on their social media on 1st August. “[C]ome on down to Mom’s Touch @ Paya Lebar Quarter to share the joy with us,” their Facebook post read. (We know we definitely will.)
The promotion is valid for both dine-in and across all delivery platforms, so you can either eat at their PLQ outlet, or avoid the crowds and order it in from the comfort of your own home. So if you and your partner haven’t made dinner plans tonight yet, well – here you go!
If you do already (and unfortunately) have dinner plans, you don’t have to worry – the deal’s good until the end of August. Just make sure to get your burgers before then!
We’re definitely excited to redeem this deal. Aren’t you?


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Mrs. Connie de Paiz voted President of AGEXPORT’s Directory Board for 2019-2021
On February 28, 2019 AGEXPORT celebrated its annual meeting where attendees voted for its 2019-2021 Directory Board and learned about the strategic plans that the institution will pursue on 2019. It was also the night to remember important achievements of 2018, which includes reaching US$11 billion in exports of more than 4,000 different Guatemalan products.
On 2018 we faced several external difficulties to export our products, including a strong drop in commodity prices. Nevertheless, we managed to reach the US$11 billion in exports, with a slight increase of 0.3% compared to 2018. This figure, though, keeps challenging us to develop different programs to have our exports reach even higher figures. Nevertheless, we do want to recognize the effort that our members make and the added-value they give to the country, which is why while the country’s exports grew only 0.3%, exports of our member companies grew 7.5%, said Mr. Antonio Malouf, former AGEXPORT President.
Following the presentation of the 2019 strategic plans, AGEXPORT’s members voted for its 2019-2021 Directory Board, electing Mrs. Connie de Paiz as the institution’s first woman president.
The opportunity that AGEXPORT gives me to assume as president of this institution is a great commitment with Guatemala, with the more than 1,000 companies represented in AGEXPORT and also with the large number of Guatemalan families that are urged to find job opportunities which can be created if we increase our exports of goods and services. I guarantee my total commitment with the responsibility that exporters are trusting in me for the upcoming two years. I also invite the new generations of exporting firms, women and everyone related with the exports value-chain to develop innovative projects to continue transforming Guatemala to an exporting country, said AGEXPORT’s new president Mrs. Connie de Paiz.
One of the main projects that the new Directory Board plans for 2019 is the establishment of the special committee Young AGEXPORT (‘AGEXPORT Joven’), creating a new generation of business leaders.
Other key projects on the pipeline for 2019-2020 are: promoting AGEXPORT’s public policy plan “Taking Back the Pathway to Create Formal Employment Opportunities” which will be presented to all candidates presidential candidates; train more exporting firms to successfully export goods and services through AGEXPORT’s “Export Pathway” program, offer more electronic services, expand the number of agriculture products offered abroad, attract more businesses to join the Association, develop two innovative projects related with e-commerce and health tourism; and develop a statistics system to quantify our services exports; said Mrs. de Paiz.
AGEXPORT’s 2019-2021 Directory Board:
President: Mrs. Consuelo de Paiz (Manufacturing)
Vice-President: Mr. Guillermo Montano (Services)
Directors: Mr. Javier Castillo (Manufacturing)
Mr. Carlos Gabriel Biguria, (Aquaculture)
Mr. Manuel Gordo (Contact Center)
Mr. Carlos Arias (Garments & Textiles)
Mr. Francisco Ralda (Manufcturing)
Mr. Jorge Mario del Cid (Agriculture)
Mr. Estuardo Castro (Agriculture)
Mr. Devadit Barahona (Services)
Mrs. Luisa Villavicencio (Manufacturing)
Mr. Alfonso Muralles (Services)
Mr. Antonio Malouf (Garments & Textiles)
Mrs. Leticia Salazar (Services)
Mr. Francisco Viteri (Agriculture)
Mr. Francisco José Menéndez (Manufacturing)
Mr. Amador Carballido (AGEXPORT’S CEO)
Mrs. Fanny D. Estrada, AGEXPORT Public Relations Manager


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Just over a WWE since getting his release from WWE, Tye Dillinger has already landed his first gig.
Earlier today, Dillinger put out a message on social media, announcing he will begin taking bookings for shows beginning on May 31. Fans may also notice that Dillinger changed his Twitter username to Shawn Spears, the name he wrestled under in OVW from 2006 to 2008.
Ok, under 2 weeks out and my excitement is already building. So, Let’s get to work.— Shawn Spears (@Perfec10n) March 1, 2019
NOW accepting bookings for shows after May. 31st, 2019 and available now for select signings and appearances.
Email: [email protected]
Thank you all and I look forward to this.
Shortly after announcing his intentions to take bookings, Dillinger revealed that he will be working for Create A Pro on May 31.


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Planet Fitness flexes its muscle, fills vacancies in Garden City, Wayne
Planet Fitness is muscling its way into the gym market in Garden City and Wayne and investing $5 million in makeovers of two vacant buildings.
PF Michigan Group, one of the nation's largest franchisees of Planet Fitness health clubs, hopes to open by late July or early August inside the former Kroger store on Middlebelt, north of Ford Road, in the Garden City Town Center.
Mary Scott, director of marketing, also confirmed the company expects to open as early as June in the former Save-A-Lot store on Michigan Avenue, east of Wayne Road, in Wayne.
Scott said Planet Fitness is investing about $2.5 million in each site and filling vacant buildings — a move welcomed by local officials.
"Absolutely at no time does the city want a vacant building," Garden City Mayor Randy Walker said. "We want a thriving downtown. We're excited to have Planet Fitness in our city. It will bring people to the center of our town. It's a good thing."
Walker said the former Kroger closed less than a year ago. The former Save-A-Lot site in Wayne has been empty for several years.
Wayne Mayor Susan Rowe said work crews for Planet Fitness have been doing "such a beautiful job" on the building.
"I think it's going to be a very good new business for our downtown area," she said. "We're hoping it will draw some new people in and they will venture out to the restaurants and shops in town."
The two new fitness centers bring to 41 the number of gyms operated by PF Michigan Group. The company intends this fall to open other locations in Lake Orion and Auburn Hills and also is expanding in the Toledo market.
Scott said Planet Fitness continues to grow because it offers affordable, clean, judgment-free fitness centers.
"A lot of people who come to our gyms haven't gone to gyms before," she said. "It's very comfortable to come into our locations. We want people to feel welcome."
Company owner Bryan Rief said the Garden City fitness center will be located amidst the city's dining and shopping area, allowing residents to "easily incorporate a fitness regimen into their routine."
The Wayne site also is located along the city's main commercial corridor.
With the new sites, PF Michigan will employ more than 500 people, company officials say. Planet Fitness gyms are best known for memberships starting at $10 a month.
Before opening a new gym, Scott said Planet Fitness officials look for areas with enough population to support it. She said customers have ranged in age from teens to more than 90 years old.
"We look at who lives around there, who's not being served currently and who’s going to benefit from the service," she said.
Scott said the closest location to those two sites is miles away at Warren and Wayne roads in Westland.
Contact Darrell Clem at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow him on Twitter: @CantonObserver.


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Apple is currently adding the finishing touches to its 2018 iPhone lineup and the entire world is excited about it. Even though there are many other tech companies which launch premium smartphones, there aren’t that many companies which manage to get people so excited about their products like Apple does. There is something special about every new iPhone that comes out and Apple does a great job marketing its devices.
Nonetheless, Samsung raised the standards when it launches Galaxy S9 and Apple is expected to step up its game and come out with an even more powerful smartphone that’s paired with innovative features, such as last year’s Face ID technology.
Sacrificing Battery Life for Slimmer Smartphones
The one thing all smartphone fans have been asking for is better battery life. However, tech companies such as Apple and Samsung sacrifice battery life in favor of slimming down their flagship smartphones. While having a slim and light smartphone might be nice, longer battery life would be so much better.
Faster Battery Charge
On the bright side of things, Apple is looking to make up for the reduced battery life by offering an even faster battery charge time than usual. Numerous reports are showing that Apple has teamed up with new tech suppliers who produce high-powered charging components.
Therefore, we have strong reason to believe that Apple is looking to enhance the speed at which the 2018 iPhone lineup charge their batteries. In addition, Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang is saying that Apple plans to upgrade its 5-volt, 2-amp circuitry to 9-volt, 2-amp.
The upgraded circuitry system will give iPhones the ability to “support more applications, provide a quicker recharge, and better compete with Android OEMs” according to the Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang.


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Popular Nigerian Singer Zlatan Ibile has revealed how a lady he identified as Sharon, took his Dior shirt worth about N750,000. According to him, the said Sharon asked for a shirt to change into and he apparently gave her his Dior shirt. He has not seen the shirt since then. He made this revelation via […]
The post Singer Zlatan calls out a certain ‘Sharon’ for taking his N750,000 designer shirt appeared first on YabaLeftOnline.
from YabaLeftOnline https://ift.tt/3Cx1PKZ


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By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, Jan 25 — The Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) has partnered with Charoen Pokphand Group (CP), the world’s largest food conglomerate, to increase chicken production to 14.8 million by 2025.
Its chief executive officer Dr Mohamad Khairil Mohamad Razi said the initiative was included under the Ehsan Food Price Intervention Programme (PIHE) involving the development of breeder chicken farms, hatchery farms and egg production farms.
He said PKPS will identify suitable locations and complete infrastructure development procedures while CP will bring in technical expertise.
“We will try our best to utilise CP’s vast experience and strength as one of the world’s largest food manufacturers with operations and investments in over 40 countries while implementing PIHE,” he said in a statement.
Commenting further, he said the project would reduce dependencies towards imported chickens thus helping to stabilise chicken stocks and prices in Selangor.
“The agreement also includes short-term solutions for the supply of fresh chicken and eggs through direct import methods from CP farms as well as knowledge-sharing and training between us.
“CP as the owner of Lotus’s Hypermarket also would like to explore a potential collaboration to market and sell Ehsan’s products,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Mohamad Khairil said PKPS will have a further discussion with Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari and other relevant parties on the first phase of the breeder project which will cost RM50 million.
“Selangor aims to be a sustainable state in terms of food supply and is not fully dependent on imports.
“Thus, PKPS, as one of the agencies responsible for the state’s food security, is planning a high-impact project to ensure that the basic food supply for the people of Selangor continues to be sustainable in the future,” he said.


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EUROSTAR Group and Fly UK have launched their first Fly by EUROSTAR smartphone, Tornado IQ455, powered by MediaTek’s MT6592 true octa-core chipset. The new device benefits from MediaTek’s scalable octa-core architecture, which can run both low-power and processor intensive tasks highly efficiently by harnessing the full capabilities of its eight individual CPU cores in optimal combination.
MediaTek is a market leader in cutting-edge systems-on-chip (SoC) solutions for mobile communications, wireless connectivity and digital multimedia devices, and has been at the vanguard of delivering premium technology features and high-end performance in an affordable, easy-to-use and inclusive manner. The MT6592 platform powering the Tornado IQ455 embodies these core values, and addresses the needs of the rapidly growing super-mid market segment.
MediaTek’s MT6592 chipset was the world’s first SoC to integrate eight power-efficient ARM® Cortex®-A7 processors, each clocked at up to 2GHz in an individually scalable configuration as necessitated by the handset’s task workload using MediaTek’s CorePilotTM technology, thereby delivering excellent performance-per-watt. In addition to the groundbreaking True octa-core CPU architecture, the MT6592 features a quad-core graphics engine, enabling an immersive console-like gaming experience.
Commenting on the launch of the Tornado IQ455, Mr. Raju T Jethwani, Chairman of EUROSTAR Group said, “We are very proud to bring this premium technology to our customers in the region. MediaTek has made an enormous impact on the mobile market over the last decade. We share a mutual vision with them to build technology that is more powerful, at the same time reliable as well as affordable.”
“The Fly by EUROSTAR brand has welcomed a great reception from the Middle East market. Our consumer’s here are loving the design, consistency and functionality that the brand offers. The new device, powered by the octa-core processor, promises to set new benchmarks in smartphone technology,” added Mr. Youssef Saidi, Group COO, EUROSTAR Group.
Mr. Nitin Sood, Managing Director, Fly UK, said: “We are very excited to partner with MediaTek to bring the latest and the best innovations in technology to our customers. Fly is a powerful brand that has built its reputation based on the quality and reliability it offers. With the octa-core chipset, the brand has further enhanced its offerings, ensuring an unbeatable user-experience to its consumers. We are very excited to bring the technology here and are certain it will do very well.”
“Fly and MediaTek have enjoyed a long term partnership in Europe,” said Dr. Finbarr Moynihan, General Manager, Corporate International Sales at MediaTek. “We are delighted to see FLY expanding into the Middle East and Africa to continue the shared vision to make leading-edge technology accessible to everyone, and in the most inclusive manner possible. At the heart of Fly’s Tornado is MediaTek’s true octa-core processor – the MT6592 – enabling users to enjoy rapid internet browsing, immersive 3D gaming, high-quality video content consumption and concurrent multitasking without experiencing lag times or excessive battery consumption.”
The features of the new Fly Tornado IQ455 include a 5.0″ TFT touchscreen display with high-definition IPS OGS (1280×720) full lamination TP technology. The OS Android 4.2 3D UI is fully-optimized with the most advanced chipset, 1.7 GHz Octa Core processor to offer the excellent high-speed performance.
The phone offers vivid picture quality with an 8MP Camera AF Rear Camera and 2MP Front Camera and 16 MP image signal-processor. The H.265 Ultra HD video record and playback ensures fantastic visual and sound quality. The phone also features Dual Sim option, a memory space of 4GB Internal and 1GB RAM and a powerful battery life of 1800 mAh.
For more information, please contact:
Tel: 00971 4 2833655
Email: [email protected]


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Like many, I had more or less given up on Microsoft but thought that maybe the release of Windows 7 and a realization by the company that they really needed to do something different might change things. In addition, many Microsoft executives that I spoke to or saw present were being very honest about their shortcomings and lack of answers in areas like mobile computing and security. (Even Ballmer admitted yesterday that Microsoft was now “number five” in the mobile race.) So for a time I was open to thinking that maybe Microsoft in general, and Steve Ballmer in particular, was waking up.
Ballmer is infamous for his ham-handed antics as a CEO in the past and some of these are documented on YouTube. His head-in-the-sand stubborn attitude was shown also in his home where he reportedly doesn’t allow his family to have devices like the iPhone or use Google search. But at his U of Washington speech he seemed like he had lost a few pounds, was wearing glasses that made him look smart and, well, I thought… maybe.
In just two short months Mr. Ballmer has made it clear that he is beyond repair or reform as a failing technology company CEO. His inability to see the changing technology world around him will drive Microsoft ever lower in the food chain.
Ballmer doesn’t seem to understand mobile computing and the fact that it is fundamentally part of the cloud. My guess is that this stems from a view that is still rooted in the idea of a PC that uses the cloud rather than being inside the cloud itself. This is a very big problem if you are a technologist and responsible for the direction of a company like Microsoft. It means you see everything through a lens that distorts what is going on in the market.
Even Ozzie, another ray of hope introduced into the Microsoft darkness some time ago, appears to have a mistaken view of Android versus Chrome because he underestimates the power and potential of the mobile platform when combined with the cloud.
What Microsoft will have left are updated versions and upgrades to their declining (but still very large) franchise like Office, enterprise development and productivity applications. The company will remain important by virtue of their size and its tendrils in areas including gaming and smart cars.
Steve Ballmer seems to be unable to strike out no matter how many large technology industry shifts the company misses. Ballmer was recently able to make the statement that Microsoft “missed the whole cycle” in mobile computing as if it was a minor thing. Ballmer goes so far back at Microsoft that he is unlikely to be replaced. But after so many profound misses, the only chance Microsoft has is to do something akin to what IBM did when they brought in Lou Gerstner.
On the plus side, this is very good news for Google and Apple, who will continue to be competing with a giant that can’t see.
[Disclosure: The R2 model portfolio has long positions in both Apple and Google at the time of this writing. The author has a position in Apple.]


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One of SpaceX’s agenda is to make space travel possible for everyone and in order to make this dream possible and one step closer, it announced a Moon loop mission.
The Company is developing Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), a reusable rocket which would be capable of going for long distance programs. The overall space vehicle architecture includes both launch vehicles and spacecraft. BFR was envisaged to be used for the SpaceX lunar tourism mission.
As stated by SpaceX, “Only 24 humans have been to the Moon in history. No one has visited since the last Apollo mission in 1972.”
It is interesting that for almost 50 years, mankind has not attempted a Moon mission. But SpaceX will soon accomplish that mission.
On 17th September 2018, SpaceX announced its first customer for the Moon loop mission. Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the founder and chief executive of online fashion retailer Zozo from Japan would be the first customer to experience this travel.
The trip would happen in the year 2023.
The rocket BFR is yet to be developed and the journey would last for 5 days. BFR won’t land on Moon but the tourists would be on a circumlunar trajectory around the Moon as space tourists.
Maezawa’s upcoming moonflight in 2023 in SpaceX’s forthcoming BFR is another step to taking the race for commercialised space travel to new heights. Amazon.com’s co-founder Jeff Bezo’s Blue Origin and business magnate Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic are also in a battle to launch private-sector space craft. Hollywoodactor Leonardo DiCaprio and pop star Justin Bieber have signed up to fly on Virgin Galactic sub-orbital missions.


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Wikipedia has announced a redesign of the desktop interface. The update is the first major redesign to Wikipedia’s desktop interface in more than 10 years. The update comes as the nonprofit online encyclopedia celebrates the 22nd anniversary of the English-language Wikipedia. The redesign introduces a more user-friendly and intuitive reading experience for all desktop users. It also adds a new permanent table of contents menu, which tells users which section they’re currently reading, while remaining visible as they scroll down the page to make navigating to different sections easier.
According to a press release announcing the desktop interface redesign, Wikipedia desktop users will be introduced to an improved search experience that allows users to use images and descriptions to find articles in the free online encyclopedia, which the organization says will lead to an increase in 30 percent in user searches (according to user testing).
The redesign also places language switching tools in a more prominent and easily accessible place in the user interface, allowing users to switch between more than 300 supported languages.
Article headings on the newly introduced Wikipedia desktop interface now follow a sticky header format that moves with the user as they scroll down or up in an article. This, the organization claims, reduced scrolling speed by more than 15 percent during user testing.
The table of contents, which allows quick navigation between article subheadings and topics, now remains accessible on the left side of the user screen, making article navigation easier and faster.
The organization also confirmed that the latest redesign doesn’t remove any previous functionality and only introduces a simpler, smoother experience for readers. The nonprofit noted that it has been working with 30 different volunteer groups from around the world, including from India, Indonesia, Ghana and Argentina, to conceptualize and update the desktop interface improvements, the first major redesign introduced by Wikipedia in over 10 years.
Wikipedia confirmed in its press release that the redesign has already been rolled out to 94 percent of Wikipedia’s 318 active language versions for all desktop users.


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Town trade fears over job losses
A Fylde business chief fears for the effect the potential loss of 200 jobs will have on town centre trade.
The ReAssure insurance company sent shock waves through Lytham when it announced the planned closure of its Ballam Road site.
Consultation with employees is currently under way after it was revealed that staff might be able to transfer to the company’s other offices in Shropshire and Hertfordshire, but otherwise the roles are to be made redundant.
While Fylde MP Mark Menzies and local councillors have pledged to do all they can to help those affected, the Lytham Business Partnership says its members, whose businesses rely on daily trade from the workers concerned, are also feeling anxious.
Chairman Denize Ashton said: “The potential closure of that office is dreadful news for everyone involved and for Lytham generally.
“Not only might local people lose their jobs or have to relocate away from the area, but this will have an obvious knock-on effect to the local economy.
“All businesses that rely on daily local trade will find it a struggle, but the major impact will be on the small businesses that only just keep afloat in the face of rising rents and rates.
“I hope something is being done to attract other business into the area, and I will be asking this question of local government.”
Sara Dewhurst , proprietor of Le Roti food shop on Park Street, said: “As a small business owner myself, the closure of AXA last year has already caused a noticeable reduction in trade and now the loss of ReAssure may well mean that some businesses could fail, leading to further job losses and empty units within the town. Unless something is done we will find ourselves in a downward spiral.”
Fylde councillors Peter Anthony, Ray Thomas and Richard Fradley, whose Clifton ward covers Ballam Road, are liaising closely with Mr Menzies on the matter and Coun Anthony said: “It is a great concern to us and we will do everything we can to reverse the company’s decision. These are major investors, who are vital to the area and don’t want to lose employment in this town.”
A spokesman for ReAssure said: “The management team acknowledges this is difficult news for the employees and their families, and they will now start consultations with the union in to make sure the employees are supported through this challenging transition period.”


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Campus Corner coffee shop and bakery Crimson and Whipped Cream announced it will close on Nov. 9. PostScript, the stationery store next door, will also close.
Owner Ashleigh Barnett opened the shop nine years ago, according to a Facebook post.
“It’s not quite the timing I was expecting for the end of this chapter, but many variables and conversations led me to this decision and I am confident in,” Barnett said in the post.
Many OU students and locals have voiced their disappointment and sadness about the shop’s closing on Twitter.
I was just there meeting with a female colleague yesterday! There's something special about discussing work with another woman at a woman-owned business.If you're around Campus Corner, make sure to hit up Crimson and Whipped Cream one more time. https://t.co/aarhPlgc0M— (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ Marisa Mohi ♥ (@theMarisaMohi) October 23, 2019
Who wants to get coffee with me before crimson and whipped cream closes... looking to dump all of my monies there— Madalyn Grass (@madsgrass) October 23, 2019
just found out crimson and whipped cream is closing no one talk to me for the rest of the week— felix hugo fraldarius stan account (@syd_ls) October 23, 2019
“It was a go-to spot for me and so many of my friends, and I know we’re going to miss a shop of that quality so close to campus,” said Zach Yarbrough, astrophysics sophomore, in a Twitter direct message. “It’s obviously not my place to speculate why the shop is closing, but I’m genuinely surprised. I felt like it was consistently busy — some weekends you couldn’t find a single chair.”
Barnett opened the shop after she left culinary school in New York, hoping to create a welcoming and inclusive woman-owned business in Oklahoma.
“Of course I’m experiencing a variety of emotions right now,” Barnett said in the Instagram post. “But know that I am at peace with my decision and have no regrets.”
Update: This article was updated at 2:25 p.m. Oct. 24 to remove reference to a private event at the coffee shop on Nov. 10, as it is not related to the shop's closure.


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Goldman Sachs recently upped its projection that Gold would hit $1,575 within 3 months and $1,600 within 6.
The catalyst for Gold springing back to life seems to be the escalating trade war with China as Trump recently announced a 10% tariff on the remaining $300 billion worth of Chinese imports, effective September 1st.
Analysts at Goldman summed up the reasoning for their increased projections as follows, “With the U.S. and China taking a harder line on trade, our economists no longer expect a trade deal before the 2020 presidential election.”
“Previously, China opted for stability and defended its currency in order to facilitate the ongoing trade negotiations in the background. Now, FX appears to be playing an increasingly central role in the trade tensions.”
As China allowed the Yuan to depreciate below key levels against the U.S. dollar Trump blasted them as currency manipulators which according to Goldman, “should be bullish for Gold” as well.
Goldman has also doubled their 2019 forecast for ETF demand for Gold from 300 to 600 tonnes.
Recommended for you: Gold IRA Rollover Guide and Silver Investments.
US Gold Market Tags:
gold investing, gold market, gold news


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Google Cardboard experiences should be the duration of traditional YouTube videos, said a Google executive
The merger talks were revived after Altera reported weak first-quarter earnings.
The arrival of Windows 10 won't lead to a surge in PC sales, IDC predicts.
The watch will even have an NFC chip to allow mobile payments.
Pebble has developed new iOS and Android apps that work exclusively with the Time models
Apple said the issue, the cause of which is still unknown, hit 40 percent of its users.
CIOs can use existing IT to glean insights from data, said panelists at MIT
The technology will allow people to control virtual reality environments without using game controllers, the company says.
The federal court will have to recalculate the damages because Samsung didn't violate Apple's trade dress.
Several Coherent employees have taken jobs working on Apple's map and location technologies.
Future versions of the virtual reality headset won't require being linked to a computer, the Facebook CEO said
A "safety driver" will be onboard and will use a removable steering wheel to take over if there are any mishaps
The two companies face a May 27 deadline on a motion to move the case, but a settlement is near, say court documents
Broadcom is the latest company to announce a product that works with HomeKit
Windows and Android tablets decrease Apple's share on business tablets by double digits, according to a report.
Articles by Fred O'ConnorNext Page


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Massive crowds descended onto Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly from all corners of the country, along with many international visitors for the three-day long National Ploughing Championships. The largest event of its kind in Europe, attendees were treated to an exceptional line-up of pedigree and commercial Aberdeen-Angus cattle, with the Drumcrow, Mogeely, Owenmore, Kerins, Tomriland, Shankill, Ashview, Laheens, Liss, Lisnafanna and Clontead pedigree herds all in attendance.
Image: Part of the large crowd viewing the pedigree Aberdeen-Angus cattle on display
Interest and footfall through the stand were extremely high throughout each of the three days, with reports of very strong enquiries for pedigree breeding stock as well as keen interest in the upcoming National Aberdeen-Angus Calf Show that takes place on October 14th. President of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, Mr. Alex Sanger and President of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association, Mr. Alan Cheney were both at hand during the course of the event and remarked on the high level of interest in Aberdeen-Angus cattle shown by pedigree and commercial farmers and breeders alike.
Image: The newly launched Irish Aberdeen-Angus mobile catering unit which proved to be incredibly popular with the public
One of the best renowned and reputable beef brands in the world, the newly launched mobile catering unit which served premium Irish Aberdeen-Angus beef steaks and burgers was particularly well-received by the public and drew enormous lines of customers each and every day.
Angus Beef Ireland, with the support of the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association presented a cheque of €5000 to the charity, Cycle Against Suicide. This very worth cause aims to help families affected by suicide and the donation was made on the last day of the ploughing event, in the presence of Anna May McHugh, Managing Director of the National Ploughing Championships.
Image: Charity presentation on behalf of Angus Beef Ireland to the Cycle Against Suicide
Finally, the Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association would like to thank all of the exhibitors and helpers who put on a tremendous display of quality cattle and top-notch hospitality for this year’s Ploughing Championships.
Image: The hard-working team of exhibitors and helpers after a busy and successful three days at the National Ploughing Championships. Included in the photo is Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society President, Mr. Alex Sanger.


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Google Store Singapore officially opensAndika Pratama
Google Store has finally arrived in Singapore. The Straits Times reports that Google Store Singapore is Google’s first online store in Southeast Asia.
Along with the new store comes Google’s smart speakers – Google Home. Google announced a partnership with Singapore Press Holdings to bring content to the voice-enabled speakers in the form of news and podcasts from The Business Times, The Straits Times and SPH Radio’s MoneyFM 89.3.
You can browse through the product line up at Google Store Singapore.


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AstraZeneca Plc (NYSE: AZN) topped market estimates for revenue and earnings in the second quarter of 2019, giving shares a lift of 4.7% in premarket hours on Thursday. The consensus estimate was for earnings of $0.29 per share on revenues of $5.5 billion.
Total revenue increased 13% year-over-year to $5.8 billion. Reported EPS fell 64% year-over-year to $0.09 while core EPS rose 5% to $0.73.
Product sales grew 14% to $5.7 billion while collaboration revenue dropped 17% to $105 million. Oncology saw the highest sales growth at 51% to $2.16 billion. BioPharmaceuticals sales grew 5% to $2.3 billion, helped by single digit increases in New CVRM and Respiratory. Other Medicines fell 11% to $1.2 billion.
Within Oncology, Lynparza and Tagrisso delivered the highest rates of sales growth at 89% and 86% respectively. Symbicort, Nexium and Crestor all recorded sales declines.
Pascal Soriot, CEO, said, “The momentum generated last year continued into the first half, consolidating AstraZeneca’s return to growth based on the strength of our new medicines. Five of these new medicines are anticipated to be blockbusters this year, supporting sales across both Oncology and BioPharmaceuticals. Emerging Markets, the US and Japan all grew strongly, and we delivered an encouraging turnaround in Europe in the second quarter.”
Product sales in the US grew 16% to $1.87 billion while sales in Europe inched up by 1% to $1.04 billion. Sales in Emerging Markets grew 17% to $1.94 billion.
For fiscal year 2019, the company expects product sales to increase by a low double-digit percentage versus the prior guidance of a high single -digit percentage increase. AstraZeneca reiterates its core EPS guidance of $3.50 to $3.70 over the full year.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) Thursday said its fourth-quarter profit declined from last year, hurt by a sharp fall in revenues. Earnings, however, beat the market’s projection. On an adjusted
Shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) were down 1% on Thursday. The stock has dropped over 9% year-to-date. Although the tobacco industry has felt the pinch of inflation,
CarMax, Inc. (NYSE:KMX) reported second quarter 2023 earnings results today. Net revenues rose 2% year-over-year to $8.1 billion. Net earnings were $125.9 million, or $0.79 per share, compared to $285.2 million,


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U.S. automakers report double-digit sales increase in June
The U.S. three biggest automakers, namely General Motor, Ford and Chrysler, Friday all reported double-digit U.S. sales increases in June, led by Chrysler's 30 percent increase from a year earlier, which showed an upbeat recovery in the country's auto industry.
Chrysler Group LLC sold sales of 120,394 in the U.S. market, which represented the best June sales since 2007. GM and Ford reported a monthly sales of 215, 358 vehicles and 194,114 vehicles respectively, rising 10.2 percent and 13.6 percent from the same period of last year.
"June was the best month for Chrysler Group since March," said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst with Edmunds.com, "Chrysler strength is coming from its crown jewel, Jeep, with sales up 74 percent. The company is now also having success with the smaller Jeep products, the Compass and Patriot."
Ford and GM cited the growth of fuel-efficient cars as the major contributor of their sales increase. "with continued strong consumer demand for GM's fuel-efficient vehicles, June was another solid month for us," said Don Johnson, GM U.S. sales chief.
Don also estimated June's seasonally-adjusted annualized sales rate would be 11.9 million vehicles, compared with 11.8 million in May.
Meanwhile, Ford U.S. marketing vice head Ken Czubay emphasized that strong demand for Ford's fuel-efficient cars and crossovers continues in the month and "truck buyers return to the market with significant appetite for our fuel-efficient V6 engines."
Among the top Japanese automakers, who continue to struggle with earthquake-related shortages, Toyota Motor Corp. said its U.S. sales dropped 21 percent to 110,937 due to low inventories. Honda Motor Co. Ltd. reported a 27.1 percent decline for the month with total sales of 83,892. Nissan sold 71,940 vehicles, increasing 11 percent from a year ago.
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The current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic has notably impacted some sectors. Real-estate and hospitality industry are hit real hard as people stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel. The Amsterdam-based sustainable parking startup Mobypark is helping establishments in sectors hit hard by the coronavirus. The company’s peer-to-peer platform enables companies to open up their private parking spaces for the public and earn revenue in the process. Here’s how it works.
Mobypark: Sharing platform for parking
Reduced footfall from tourists and travellers is costing businesses such as hotels and other hospitality establishments. Similarly, with work from home being the new norm, office spaces are also incurring a loss. Mobypark’s platform offers an opportunity for such establishments to open up their private parking spots for travellers and commuters across europe. This in turn helps them generate revenue and consumers on the platform can save time and money.


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The Fortnite creator widens assault against the tech giant’s App Store and payment policies.
UK Cabinet minister hints Britain will reciprocate the EU’s no-deal contingency measures.
The Commission wants to protect elections from outside interference and boost media diversity.
Macron made the protection of children against adult content online a high-profile issue.
An overhaul of South Africa’s copyright reform has been paused following pressure from the European Union and the United States.
Brands such as Louis Vuitton and Canon see Brussels’ future rules on online platforms as their long-awaited chance to crack down on counterfeit.
The Commission backtracks on worries about German broadcast law.
So far, France is the bloc’s only testing ground for the new rules targeting Silicon Valley giants.
Tech companies are scoring much-needed wins with European policymakers during the coronavirus crisis.


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Microsoft is looking forward to making the new Windows 10 adopted first on ARM-based laptops and to make the experience whole for an end-user, Traditional x86 desktop apps will be imitated as well.
Microsoft's Terry Myerson made the projection saying that beginning next year Snapdragon ARM processors from Qualcomm will enable them to introduce the operating system to mobile devices.
The Windows 10-Snapdragon union could pose a threat to Intel's position as the market leader in PC chips, a number of observers have noted.
The company at an event late Wednesday announced "Project Evo", a collaboration with chipmaker Intel to bring new capabilities to personal computers, including microphones capable of picking up commands spoken from across a room as well as advanced biometric security features.
These efforts are all seen by many as indications that Microsoft is hoping to improve and excel in bringing Windows 10 to mobile users.
"For the first time ever, our customers will be able to experience the Windows they know with all the apps, peripherals, and enterprise capabilities they require, on a truly mobile, power efficient, always-connected cellular PC", Myerson said. How do you think Windows for mobile devices could help users with the functionality they are waiting for. In the video below, a demo has revealed that Windows 10 can run smoothly with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 4GB of RAM, typical mobile phone specs. The processors created by Qualcomm are used in nearly all high tech smartphones available right now and the reason behind that is because their chipsets are optimized so that they don't drain all of the mobile device's battery life.
An emulator will allow such devices to run existing Windows applications built on Win32, the main programming interface for Windows, as well as programs designed under the universal Windows platform built into Windows 10.
The collaboration between Microsoft and Qualcomm will bear fruit early next year, according to companies. "This includes offering a wide range of PC form factors and price points that give people choice in mobility, whether they are carrying an ultra-thin and light notebook or a cool 2 in 1".
As for Consumers, it will be a welcome break from obscenely-priced products with no choice but to upgrade, year-after-year!
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Last fall, when inflation was rising at a rate of 8.5%, consumers were feeling the pain. Moody’s Analytics issued a report that found U.S. consumers were spending $445 a month more than 12 months ago to buy the same items.
What happened next may provide a glimpse into what it will take to bring down prices. Consumers started buying fewer of the same items they purchased a year earlier. Or they found cheaper alternatives.
The result was a declining inflation rate – albeit small – in November and December. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose just 0.1% in December as prices of some items continued to rise but others continued to fall.
The Wall Street Journal reports consumers are doing their part, leading a rebellion against rising prices by passing up products whose prices have risen sharply. That’s caused some manufacturers to rethink their price hikes.
“There’s no one silver bullet,” Joseph Bert, chairman and CEO of Certified Financial Group, recently told CNBC. “It’s all those little decisions that add up at the end of the month.”
Consumers’ impact plain to see
When consumers stop buying the brands they used to purchase, manufacturers notice. The Journal reports the impact is plain to see.
For example, it notes Conagra Brands Inc., a major food producer, increased prices by 17% in the last quarter of 2022. In the two previous quarters, it marked up prices by more than 10%.
Amid slowing sales, the company has embarked on a different strategy. Conagra says it’s put away its price gun after sales volumes dropped more than 8% for the quarter that ended Nov. 27.
Some economists say a consumer “revolt,” avoiding products whose prices have surged, may be helpful in reversing excessive price increases. In a new report, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, suggests companies may have been too quick to raise prices and raised them higher than necessary.
“One potential explanation that has received significant public attention is “greedflation”—that is, the idea that firms are capitalizing on their market power by raising their prices higher and faster than the growth in their production costs.” the authors wrote.


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Rockstar’s open world crime epic Grand Theft Auto 5 has shipped more than 45 million units worldwide according to a recent earnings report from Take Two for the quarter ending December 31st 2014. Amazingly enough, 10 million units were shipped for the Xbox One and PS4, further showcasing the wide market available on current gen consoles.
Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online were also the main sources for Take Two’s net revenue which increased to $954 million over $767.7 million in the same quarter the year prior.
Other shipment numbers revealed during the report include NBA 2K15 shipping 5.5 million units, Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise topping 29 million units shipped and Borderlands notching up 23 million units for the series till date. Along with Grand Theft Auto 5, games like NBA 2K15, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Civilization: Beyond Earth were some of the major revenue earners for Take Two.
What are your thoughts on the success of Grand Theft Auto 5 especially on current gen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.


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The Chicago Tribune ran a story last month about ice cream stores that stayed open in the Windy City over the winter. The article noted that restaurant customers were three times more likely to purchase ice cream from June to August than from December to February, according to a survey on ice cream consumption in the Midwest conducted by the NPD Group.
But Emack & Bolio’s, 4534 N. Prospect Road, just came off their best winter since the store opened in Peoria Heights in the winter of 2009, said Tim Hennessey, who owns the place along with Jim Maxwell.
If you haven’t tried E&B, we’re talking high-end ice cream–$3 a scoop but it may be the best ice cream you’re likely to put a cone to. It’s comforting to know that folks still savor an ice cream treat even when it’s cold outside.
With their location on Prospect Road’s restaurant row, E&B gets a lot of folks dropping by for dessert. But the place has an interesting background. Emack & Bolio’s was started in 1975 by Boston attorney Bob Rook. He said he got started in the business after treating some of his music-business clients – such as Boston-based bands Aerosmith, Boston and the Cars – to homemade ice cream.
Emack & Bolio’s recalls that rock-and-roll heritage with some of its most outrageous ice cream flavors, said Rook, noting that “red hot vanilla” — vanilla ice cream with red hot candies — originated with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The brutal winter that Boston went through this year has hampered ice cream production at the Emack & Bolio plant just outside of Boston, said Hennessey. “Orders have been backed up by about 10 days but we’re getting by,” he said.
With only about 20 stores across the country (11 of them in Massachusetts), Emack & Bolio’s is no threat to ice cream giants such as Baskin-Robbins or Dairy Queen. But not content with the one store in the Heights, Jim and Tim have another outlet — on the Peoria riverfront.
The riverfront store, in the old visitors’ center at the foot of Main Street, will open Saturday, March 28, a sure sign that spring has sprung.


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WASHINGTON (WDVM) — As the holiday season draws nearer many people are prepping their shopping list.
However, due to unfortunate setbacks from the pandemic, organizers for cashback day want to give shoppers the best deals possible.
Cash Back Day is an annual retail holiday, shoppers can find savings up to 20 percent cashback from over 300 different retailers.
This year the holiday will last 48 hours from November 5-6 to give shoppers the best deals and offers.
Sara Skirboll Shopping Expert at Retail Me Not stated:
“At a time like this, things are very uncertain. It’s more important than ever to begin saving money, especially during the holiday season.”
According to a survey by retailmenot, savings are more important than ever this year as 80 percent of shoppers will take some type of action to save money on their holiday shopping year. They are encouraging everyone to participate in Cash Back Day in order to save money.


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Xnor Introduced The World’s First AI Camera Running on Solar Power
A major trend in the development of artificial intelligence is the shift from cloud computing to edge computing. The former is an AI device for remote computing over the Internet, while the latter is more locally calculated and runs algorithms directly on the device. The benefits of edge computing include faster results, greater security, and flexibility. But what kind of products can be made based on edge calculation?
Seattle-based AI startup, Xnor is undoubtedly at the forefront of the technology. This week, the company released a prototype of an AI camera that relies entirely on solar power (no battery or external power supply required). The camera resolution (320 × 320) is not high, and it is equipped with an FPGA chip processor and uses the latest object recognition algorithm technology.
In theory, users can place such devices anywhere outdoors, allowing it to transfer data to you indefinitely. It is compatible with several different low-energy wireless communication protocols (except for Wi-Fi, which consumes too much power), which allows it to send information over dozens of kilometers. Xnor says that if a battery is installed, it can store enough power during the day to keep the camera running during low daylight hours and nights.
Xnor’s chief technology officer, Mohammad Rastegari, said: ‘We are currently investigating practical examples of this camera, including large-scale civilian projects (automobile driving in-vehicle surveillance), drone cameras, etc.’
Xnor’s strength in miniaturization of AI equipment should not be underestimated. In 2017, the company was separated from the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, which has a proprietary method for creating ultra-efficient machine learning systems. Key to this technology is a type of logic circuit known as an XNOR gate, hence the name. It also proves the usefulness of its software by running on low-power, low-calculation devices such as the Raspberry Pi Zero, a tiny computer.
This solar AI camera is not yet available for sale. Although it is self-sufficient in terms of power, there are some restrictions on its operation. For example, how many frames of image can be processed per second depends on how much solar energy is available. Xnor said that when the sun is shining, its transmission speed is 32 frames/sec, but this problem can be solved by a larger solar cell.
Obviously, devices like this will only become more and more common in the future. They are relatively inexpensive (the Xnor model is priced at $10) and are more convenient for the operator. Moreover, data privacy is stronger because the photo video it takes is never transmitted outside the device.


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Shares of Apple (AAPL) tumbled during Friday’s session to end the day at a 10-month closing low, down 1.10% to $509.41. The stock is down a further 0.38% to $507.48 in after-hours trading, pushing it beneath a low hit previously on December 14th. Apple’s stock climbed to an all-time high of $705.07 only three months ago, just before the company’s record-breaking iPhone 5 launch. Fears that the company cannot maintain its unprecedented growth have since soured investor sentiment and the stock is down 27% since hitting its record high in September.
Zach Epstein has worked in and around ICT for more than 15 years, first in marketing and business development with two private telcos, then as a writer and editor covering business news, consumer electronics and telecommunications. Zach’s work has been quoted by countless top news publications in the US and around the world. He was also recently named one of the world's top-10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes, as well as one of Inc. Magazine's top-30 Internet of Things experts.
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New research covering more than 600 businesses paints the most detailed picture assembled of WA’s startup and tech sectors.
Dozens of startups are launched every year in Western Australia by budding entrepreneurs keen to take on the world.
But how many of them survive, let alone thrive and become mature businesses?
Research led by former Business News contributor Charlie Gunningham provides some insights.
The starting point was a database of more than 400 WA businesses that have emerged from the state’s startup ecosystem during the past decade, with most (but not all) having a tech focus.
The research found at least 130 of those startups continue to trade and employ staff.
Collectively, they employ more than 1,100 people, signalling the significant contribution startups make in WA.
Tech-focused startups more than five years old migrate to Business News’ technology companies database, which has more than 200 entries.
Here, the tech sector’s economic contribution is clear, with just the top 30 on this database employing more than 2,000 people in WA (see table).
This number understates the scale of Perth-based tech companies, with some of the big players employing far more people outside their home state.
The prime example is sector leader VGW Holdings, which employs about 200 staff in Perth and a further 700 around the globe supporting its social gaming operations.
Mining software developer MICROMINE employs 103 people in Perth and a further 159 interstate and overseas.
Similarly, supercomputing company DUG Technology employs 101 people in Perth and nearly 200 overseas.
These companies illustrate the diversity in WA’s tech sector, which also includes some very substantial long-running business.
The most notable example is smartcard ticketing company Vix Technology, established in 1987.
Named tech company of the year at WA’s 2021 Incite awards, Vix has more than 650 employees in offices across 10 countries, including 120 in Perth.
The tech sector also illustrates a wide array of ownership models and business strategies.
VGW was founded by executive chairman Laurence Escalante in 2010.
The company traded in the red for most of its life, but that has changed dramatically in the past three years.
VGW has found a clever niche in the market by developing online games that resemble casinos and pay out prizes that can be converted to cash.
That allows the company to operate in places that do not allow online gambling, with North America being its biggest market.
The privately owned company raked in $2.2 billion in revenues in FY21, while its net profit soared to $295 million.
Amazingly, VGW has achieved these spectacular earnings figures with paid-up capital of just $34 million.
That represents an extraordinary return on capital.
Its rapid expansion over the past two years has put VGW ahead of medical booking platform HealthEngine, which was long-considered the tech sector leader in WA.
Founded by managing director and 40under40 winner Marcus Tan more than a decade ago, HealthEngine has raised about $52 million from investors to support its development.
Its high-profile backers include Telstra Ventures, Seven West Media, Sequoia Capital and Perth-based Larsen Ventures.
Despite this support, HealthEngine has achieved modest growth in annual revenue to about $21 million, according to data presented to investors late last year.
The investor presentations were designed to support a $100 million initial public offering and listing on the ASX, but those plans were put on hold in November.
HealthEngine’s core product and main revenue generator is an online booking service for medical appointments, with 7,000 providers across Australia on its network.
Some of the most prominent tech companies in WA have used an ASX listing as an important stepping stone in their expansion plans.
Family Zone Cyber Safety, currently valued at about $400 million, has completed several major acquisitions around the world.
It has funded these by raising extra capital on the ASX.
Family Zone announced late last year that more than 10 million students, mostly in the UK and US, were on its cyber safety platform.
Its annual recurring revenue has increased rapidly to $47 million, but like many fast-growing companies it is still burning through cash.
In the September quarter, its net operational cash flow was minus $3.9 million.
DUG Technology opted for an ASX listing in 2020, having operated as a privately owned business for the previous 17 years.
The listing gave it access to more capital but DUG has also discovered the pressure that comes with an ASX listing.
The company’s share price fell by more than 50 per cent last year, with its market value sliding to just $65 million.
Managing director Matt Lamont responded with a major cost-cutting program last November, including substantial cuts to his own remuneration.
Led by executive chairman Garry Back, INX has developed an integrated workforce management system for the resources sector.
The business received a big fillip in 2018 when Melbourne-based Tanarra Capital became a major shareholder.
Since then, INX has completed two acquisitions, buying Perth-based workforce logistics software developer Vix Resources (a spin-off from Vix Technology) and Adelaide-based Sitepass.
The sale came more than 30 years after he established the business. The new ownership structure has given MICROMINE more capacity to pursue growth.
In 2021, it acquired Queensland company Precision Mining and WA mining software business Alastri.
While ultimate control of MICROMINE has shifted to the east coast, its continuation as an autonomous business under its own name contrasts with the fate of several other Perth-based mining software companies.
The likes of Surpac, Minex, Fractal Graphics and Minetec have all been absorbed into larger national and international groups.
Last year’s sale of Agworld, to Canadian company Semios, illustrated the value that can be created in the tech sector.
Worth more than $100 million, Agworld’s sale was the largest sale in Australia’s agtech sector and the largest sale of any WA-born and bred tech company.
Founder Doug Fitch believes the tie-up with Semios will provide more opportunities for his team, which numbers 45 people in WA and 63 globally.
Several of the current crop of WA startups are emerging as success stories.
A notable example is PictureWealth, which has 31 staff in Perth and a further 12 interstate and overseas.
Led by chief executive and financial planner David Pettit, the company has achieved rapid growth using a hybrid business model that cuts across technology and professional services.
Illustrating its tech credentials, the company’s team – which includes software developers based in Croatia – has written more than 1.5 million lines of proprietary code.
Since its launch in March 2017, PictureWealth has also completed 15 acquisitions and now has $2.4 billion in funds under advice.
Its technology is designed to create a single picture of wealth, bringing together all elements of personal finances onto a single screen.
Notable startups in WA also include the likes of Roborigger and uDrew, which have won multiple awards and technical accolades and are now going through the tough grind of building a commercial business.


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As the weather gets colder, many people have to budget between heating their homes and providing food for their families. Now, others can help make that decision a little easier.
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is kicking off its holiday food drive Thursday at the Rio Hill Kroger in Albemarle County. The food bank supports 26,000 people in the Charlottesville area alone, and many are children.
"We need canned vegetables, beans, rice, pasta, pasta sauce, preferably plastic, no glass containers, keeping in mind that four in 10 of the people we serve are children, so child-friendly foods, even macaroni and cheese, are really appreciated,” said Michael McKee, the food bank’s CEO.
This year, Kroger is making it even easier to donate. For $10.99, you can buy a box the store will fill with items for the food bank.


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Phoenix — Long queues are back at food banks across the United States, as inflation-burdened working Americans turn to aid to help feed their families.
With fuel prices on the rise along with grocery costs, many people are looking for charity food for the first time, and more are arriving on foot.
The rapid rise in rents and the end of federal relief for COVID-19 have also taken a financial toll.
Food banks, beginning to see some relief as people return to work after a pandemic shutdown, are struggling to meet the latest needs even as federal programs to distribute less food, grocery store donations dwindling, and cash gifts come nowhere near that. far.
Tomasina John was among hundreds of families lined up in the many driveways that drove around the building on a recent day outside St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix. John said her family had never visited a food bank because her husband had easily supported her and their four children with construction work.
“But it’s really impossible to survive now without some help,” said John, who traveled with a neighbor to share gas costs while they were idle under the scorching desert sun. “The prices are too high.”
Jesus Pascual was also on the waiting list.
“It’s a real struggle,” said Pascual, the janitor, who estimated he spends several hundred dollars a month on groceries for him, his wife, and their five children, ages 11 to 19.
The same scene is repeated across the country, as food bank workers anticipate a harsh summer ahead of demand.
The increase in food prices comes after state governments ended COVID-19 disaster declarations that temporarily allowed benefits increases under SNAP, the federal food stamp program that covers nearly 40 million Americans.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to get better overnight,” said Katie Fitzgerald, president of the National Food Bank Network Feeding America. “Demand makes supply challenges really complex.”
Feeding America officials say second-quarter data won’t be ready until August, but they’re hearing accounts from food banks across the country that demand is picking up.
Phoenix Food Bank’s main distribution center distributed food parcels to 4,271 families during the third week of June, 78 percent more than 2,396 families served during the same week last year, said St. Mary’s spokesperson, Jerry Brown.
Every weekday, more than 900 families line up at the distribution center for an emergency government lunch box stuffed with goods like canned beans, peanut butter and rice, Brown said. St. Mary’s adds products purchased with cash donations, as well as foods offered by local supermarkets such as bread, carrots and pork chops for a bundled package valued at about $75.
Distribution by the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Northern California has increased since the epidemic level hit a low at the beginning of this year, rising from 890 families served on the third Friday in January to 1,410 families on the third Friday in June, said marketing manager Michael. Search
At the Houston Food Bank, the largest food bank in the US, where food distribution levels earlier in the pandemic peaked briefly at a staggering £1m a day, an average of £610,000 is now being distributed per day.
That’s up from about 500,000 pounds the day before the pandemic, spokeswoman Paula Murphy said.
Murphy said cash donations have not eased, but inflation ensures they won’t go away.
Food bank officials said the sudden increase in demand took them by surprise.
“Last year, we were expecting lower demand for 2022 because the economy was doing well,” said Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. “This problem with inflation suddenly appeared.”
“A lot of these are people who are working and have done a good job during the pandemic and may even have seen their wages go up,” Flood said. “But they have also seen food prices rise beyond their budgets.”
The Bank of Los Angeles provided about 30 million pounds of food during the first three months of this year, slightly less than the previous quarter, but still significantly more than the 22 million pounds granted during the first quarter of 2020.
Feeding America’s Fitzgerald is asking the US Department of Agriculture and Congress to find a way to recover hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of goods recently lost with the end of several temporary programs to provide food to those in need. USDA merchandise, which can generally account for up to 30 percent of food purchased by banks, represents more than 40 percent of all food distributed in fiscal year 2021 by Feeding America.
“There is an urgent need for the public sector to buy more food now,” Fitzgerald said.
During the Trump administration, the USDA bought several billion dollars in pork, apples, dairy, potatoes and other products in a program that gave most of it to food banks. The “Food Purchase and Distribution Program” designed to help US farmers affected by tariffs and other practices of US trading partners has since ended. There was $1.2 billion authorized for fiscal year 2019 and another $1.4 billion authorized for fiscal year 2020.
Another temporary USDA program, Farmers for Families, provided emergency relief and provided more than 155 million food boxes to needy families across the United States during the peak of the pandemic before the end of May 31, 2021.
A USDA spokesperson noted that the agency is using $400 million from the Build Back Better Initiative to enter into agreements with state, territory, and tribal governments to purchase food from underserved local, regional, and local producers to food banks, schools and other nutrition programs.
Manning, president and CEO of Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank in Louisiana, said there is enough food right now, but there may not be in the future. He said rising fuel costs make collecting and distributing food more expensive.
USDA spokesperson Altfest said the USDA’s coronavirus food assistance program, which has included farmers for families, has been a “blessing” for the Alameda County Community Food Bank, providing 5 billion pounds of goods over the course of one year.
“So the loss was a huge blow,” he said.
Up to 10 percent of people now seeking food are first-time timers, Altfest said, and an increasing number are showing up on foot rather than in cars to save fuel.
“The food they get from us helps them save already onerous budgets for other expenses like gas, rent, diapers and baby formula,” he said.
Meanwhile, the bank’s food purchases have jumped from a monthly average of $250,000 before the pandemic to $1.5 million now due to food prices. Altfest said higher gasoline prices forced the bank to increase its fuel budget by 66 percent.
Supply chain issues are also a problem, requiring the food bank to become more aggressive in buying.
“We used to reorder when our inventory went down to three weeks, and now we reorder up to six weeks,” Altfest said.
He said the food bank had already ordered and paid for a whole chicken, stuffing, cranberries and other items for the feast that he would distribute on Thanksgiving, the busiest time of the year.
At the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation in Montebello, east Los Angeles, workers say they see many families alongside seniors like Diane Martinez, who lined up one recent morning for a walk.
Some of the hundreds of mostly Spanish-speaking recipients had their cars parked nearby. They were carrying canvas bags, cardboard boxes, or push carts to pick up their food packages from the distribution site served by the Bank of Los Angeles.
“Food prices are very high, and they are going up every day,” said Martinez, who is grateful for bags of black beans, ground beef and other groceries. “I am very happy that they are able to help us.”


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Argentina's Banco Macro SA will absorb the retail operations of Banco de Servicios y Transacciones SA, or BST, as part of the latter's strategic business repositioning, the banks said in regulatory filings, confirming recent media reports.
Banco de Servicios will stop operating in the retail market at the close of business on Aug. 3, while Banco Macro will rebrand 20 BST branches under its own name before reopening them on Aug. 6.
The companies did not disclose the terms of the transaction.
Banco de Servicios, which will retain its Sucursal Obelisco branch, said it will place a greater focus on corporate banking under a strategic repositioning that will see the lender concentrate on fiduciary banking, capital markets and foreign trade.
Banco Macro said the 20 branches include locations in the city of Buenos Aires as well as in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquén, Salta, San Juan, San Luis and Santa Fe.
Previous reports in the Argentine media said the deal has already been approved by the country's central bank. BST's assets are reportedly worth around 5.00 billion Argentine pesos and its liabilities are worth about 4.70 billion pesos. It has 58,000 active credit cards and 3,600 deposit accounts.
As of July 27, US$1 was equivalent to 27.34 Argentine pesos.


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Vancouver based Rainmaker Entertainment is an industry leader in CG animation. Established in 1993, the company has generated more than $300 million dollars in video sales.
Rainmaker Entertainment currently employs more than 350 individuals that specialize in everything from modeling and lighting to feature films and character animation. With close to 40-feature length films already complete, each member of the team can be proud of the high quality of work that comes out of the studio on a daily basis.
Although internationally recognized for its work on brands like Spider-Man and Popeye, Rainmaker Entertainment also produces original properties such as ReBoot and the forthcoming animated feature films Escape From Planet Earth and The Nutty Professor for the Weinstein Company.
News on Rainmaker Entertainment
Today, Toronto-based Scalar Decisions, a Canadian IT solutions integrator, announced the launch of their RenderCloud project. RenderCloud will see a number of British Columbia digital media studios... more
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The Canadian Videogame Awards kicked off their inaugural ceremony last night in high style with the complete history of pixelated awesomeness encapsulated within ten minutes by Video Games Live, a... more
GameON: Finance 2.0 is a games industry investment forum happening October 28-29 in Toronto, put on by the non-profit Interactive Ontario organization. The inaugural event last winter sold out,... more


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One of the big environmental pushes in recent years in NYC and nationwide has been to get rid of the single use plastic bags handed out for free in supermarkets. In NYC, employees are often mad if you ask them not to double bag it.
Unfortunately, Mayor de Blasio for more than a year has stalled on saying how he wants to deal with plastic bags, given the opposition time to launch their counterattack.
The plastic bag industry and their supporters have increasingly used poor people as their last line of defense – we can’t impose a fee on plastic bags because it would be crushing on poor people. When the poor aren’t being blamed for all of our society’s problem – such as budget deficits, crime, litter – they are being used as the poster child to block needed reforms.
The cynic in me wonders whether any of the critics have found themselves the recipients of financial donations from the plastic container industry. This is a common practice by companies such as Coke, who historically has funded organizations such as the NAACP who campaign against environmental proposals such as the bottle bill. In a recent article in Salon, Dr. Thomas Farley, former NYC Health Commissioner, outlined similar campaign efforts by Coke and Pepsi against Bloomberg’s proposed soda tax.
New Yorkers use 5.2 billion carryout bags per year, the most of which are not recycled Plastic bags account for over 1,700 tons of residential garbage per week in NYC. New York City pays an estimated $10 million to transport 100,000 tons of plastic bags to landfills in other states each year.
After reviewing the various legal challenges to getting rid of plastic bags, NYC advocates and council members decided to propose legislation for a 10 cents per bag fee rather than an outright ban. The fee would be kept by the stores who sold the bags, not the city (so therefor not legally a tax, which would require state legislative approval). The fee would encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable bags. Other cities that have enacted a fee have found it very effective in reducing the number of single use plastic bags.
I worked for three decades running a statewide anti-hunger program. When we asked our guests what the solution was to poverty, they said living wage jobs, better education, and more affordable housing. Plastic bags don’t belong in that conversation. In the City Council, the plastic bag law was written by Councilmember Brad Lander, a former anti-poverty advocate when he led the 5th Avenue Community. After talking to groups such as the Food Bank and the Coalition against Hunger, he included an exemption for people who made purchases either with SNAP (food stamps) or WIC. Thus most purchases by low-income New Yorkers would be exempt.
The argument is that poor people, unlike other New Yorkers, would not be able to change their shopping habits and therefor would often get stuck paying the 10 cents fee (despite most of their purchases being exempted). This is a rather patronizing attitude.
In Barbara Kingsolver’s novel Flight Behavior, about climate change and monarch butterflies, the working class heroine can’t grasp why the do-good activist wants local residents to sign a pledge to adopt more “sustainable shopping” habits. Her point is that low-income people already shop that way – buying second hand clothes for instance – because they can’t afford to do otherwise.
Poor New Yorkers would adapt far more quickly to a 10 cents fee on plastic bag than wealthier city residents. Low-income New Yorkers for instance are far more likely to bring their own shopping cart to the store since they can’t afford a car or taxi; adding a few reusable bags would not be a major change. They also don’t throw the redeemable cans and bottles into the garbage; instead, many try to survive by picking up the deposit containers discarded by their wealthier neighbors.
People carried food items around for thousands of years in cloth bags and other containers before the plastic bag was invented 50 years ago. The plastic bag is just one answer from the petrochemical industry to the question as to what else in the world can be made out of plastic. With climate change bringing an end to the era of fossil fuels, it is time to send the plastic bag the way of the dinosaurs.


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Apple’s iOS continues to be a bright spot among mobile app developers, while disappointing tablet sales and fragmentation are causing developers to pull away from Google.
[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]The latest report from market research firm IDC and Appcelerator shows that the majority of developers are confident about Apple and its mobile operating. According to the study, 91 percent of developers say they are “very interested” in iPhone development and 86 percent are very interested in developing for the iPad.
In comparison, interest in Android phones fell two points to 85 percent and Android tablets fell three points to 71 percent after increasing twelve points in Q1.
“Although technically within standard deviations, these drops stand in contrast to steadily increasing developer interest in Android over the last year and are consistent with an increase in developer frustration with Android,” wrote IDC in its report. “Nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents said that device fragmentation in Android poses the biggest risk to Android, followed by weak initial traction in tablets (30%) and multiple Android app stores (28%).”
The news for Google’s Android partners is even worse. “While 71 percent of developers are very interested in Android as a tablet OS, only 52 percent are very interested in one of the leading Android tablet devices today, the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Further down the list, only 44 percent are very interested in the Motorola Xoom and 31 percent in the upcoming HTC Flyer. Smaller players (Acer, Archos, etc.) register minimal interest.”
Microsoft beat out RIM for third on the list. A total of 29 percent of developers showed interest in Microsoft, while 27 percent showed interest in RIM.


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As a general rule, mobile phone cameras are usually pretty anemic. Even the 5 megapixel camera on the upcoming Hero isn't really anything to get excited about if you own even a fairly cheap digital camera. That's why LG has decided to break conventions by giving its upcoming GC990 Louvre smartphone what's probably the best camera in the mobile phone world.
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How's 12.1 Megapixels sound to you? Still not good enough? How about a Schneider-Kreuznach lens, auto-focus, a Xenon flash, and the ability to record in high-def at 30 FPS? If you aren't drooling yet then it's probably safe to say that you aren't a photography nerd.
Don't worry if you aren't. LG didn't focus everything on their badass camera. The Louvre is still a very respectable smartphone at its core. It's got a 3.2” touchscreen, WiFi, aGPS, DNLA, TV out, Bluetooth, Xvid/Divx playback, and the S-Class UI. The Louvre isn't going to win any awards for 'fastest smartphone', but its 'most ridiculous camera' award should dull the pain a little.
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We don't know when this new LG phone will come out. LG hasn't even confirmed whether or not this new phone will ever make it into their regular line-up. It's possible this will end up being just another scrapped smartphone, but I think not. The Louvre is too cool to not see the light of day.


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RATHER than offer up his brand for franchising, Enrico V. Dionson, the man behind Rico’s Lechon, said expansions of the business will stay in the hands of his family, halting discussions on future partnerships.
The family inaugurated yesterday its second restaurant at the Mactan Promenade in Lapu-Lapu City, a short drive from the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
It was supposed to be the third Rico’s Lechon branch, but its partnership with Pages Holdings a few blocks away from Ayala Center Cebu ended in November last year. The restaurant has been renamed the House of Lechon.
Their first restaurant is in Panagdait in Cebu City.
“Wala na namo gipadayon among pares-pares (We did not continue our partnership),” Dionson said, without disclosing why it ended. The previous partnership with Pages Holdings, he said, involved a 50-50 setup.
For its newly-opened, 90-seater restaurant in Lapu-Lapu City, Dionson said the family spent around P5 million.
Rico’s Lechon also underwent rebranding, having launched its new logo yesterday and adopting the tagline “Cebu’s Best” and slogan “Da Best Gyud!”
Rico’s Lechon prides itself as the pioneer in spicy lechon. It has been in the lechon business since 1997, a sideline to his job as “kristo”, a taker of bets in a cockfight arena.
“Malipay nako makahalin sauna og tulo ka lechon sa usa ka semana (I was happy if I sold three in a week),” Dionson said. Today, Rico’s Lechon sells anywhere between 2,000 and 4,000 pieces of lechon per month.
His first few experiments in lechon-making were met with criticisms from his customers, some complaining it was too salty. After several attempts, Dionson mastered the skill of lechon-making.
This year, the family is planning to open two more stores, one in Lahug and another along Osmeña Blvd.


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A Political Economist Thinks The Bitcoin Tsunami Will Come From Japan
According to Doctor Jack Rasmus, the prices of cryptocurrencies have been mostly driven by extreme speculation in Asia. He has warned that a major correction is coming soon.
China and South Korea are aware of this; they know that bitcoin is a financial asset bubble, a classic bubble which is peaking out,” Rasmus, who’s a professor of Political Economy at St. Mary’s College in California, told RT Channel.
According to his view, more than 40 % of all cryptocurrency purchases come from the Japan. This means that the crash will come from Asia during the next 12-18 months.
“China has always been opposed to bitcoin and Korea is now becoming increasingly concerned. Japan is going wild and I think the crash is going to come from Japan.”
Doctor Rasmus explained, that there is no taxation and regulation on cryptocurrencies, because many speculators see an opportunity to pump and dump and make special profits. He said all those things came together to drive prices up but those forces are now going to shift.
Blockchain technology is significant, the professor thinks and describes it as a real force in development, which is going to reduce corporate costs.
Rasmus regards bitcoin as a speculative commodity, a play on top of blockchain technology.
Rasmus describes bitcoin as a speculative commodity. He said,
“It’s not a currency; it’s a commodity like gold and gold futures. In my opinion, it will never become a true currency and if it threatens to become a currency you’re going to see the central banks issue their own digital currency as a way of driving down the price and taking the bubble out of commission.”


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On October 16th in Munich Huawei will announce a couple items that have been in the works according to a new teaser image they posted via their Twitter account. The first of the items will be the Huawei Mate 10 series of smartphones. The other piece of the announcement will be the fact that Huawei already has their new Kirin 970 processor ready to go and it will be the powerhouse contained within the new Mate 10.
According to some previous rumors, there will be at least two different versions of the Mate 10 including a regular version and a Pro version. There is also the possibility of a Mate 10 Lite version being in the works. Huawei is not dropping any hints yet regarding processors for the devices other than the Kirin 970. That chipset is expected to only be included in the top of the line Mate 10 Pro.
The new devices are expected to represent a couple new steps for Huawei. One will be their entry into the growing list of devices with minimal bezels that allow the display to consume almost the entire front of the device. With the Kirin 970, Huawei will be moving into the market of processors manufactured with a 10nm process. Huawei also revealed that the Kirin 970 will contain a dedicated neural processing unit and is being hyped as containing AI-oriented technology.
— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) September 2, 2017
source: Huawei (Twitter)


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CEO Beth Gerstein said she believes in the jeweler’s omnichannel approach as its retail rollout continues.
Blue Nile to open 3 to 4 more stores
CEO Harvey Kanter said the company’s first standalone brick-and-mortar location is “exceeding expectations” and they plan to get additional stores open in the first half of 2016.
Seattle--If all goes as planned, Blue Nile will have as many as four new “webrooms” halfway into 2016, CEO Harvey Kanter revealed Thursday during the company’s third quarter earnings call.
Kanter said the company’s first standalone brick-and-mortar location, which is in the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, N.Y., is “exceeding expectations” and the company is moving quickly to get three to four more stores open in the first half of 2016. The locations are yet to be determined.
Opened in June, Blue Nile’s Roosevelt Field store, or “webroom,” is a place where customers can try on--but not buy--jewelry from Blue Nile. All purchasing still happens on the website, though Kanter said most of the transactions are executed in the store. The customers sees a piece they like in the showcase and then buys it on BlueNile.com right there using a mobile device.
This is the opposite of what Blue Nile witnessed when it had showcases in two Nordstrom stores in 2013 and 2014. Most customers there made their purchase after they left the store, he said.
Despite the reported success of Blue Nile’s first standalone brick-and-mortar location, Harvey noted during Thursday’s call that having a physical presence remains a small part of the e-tailer’s business.
“We are excited about the opportunity but we must also remind everyone it’s one location and, while meaningful as a lead indicator, is not yet a material part of our business,” he said.
Blue Nile’s announcement of a continued brick-and-mortar push comes as the e-tailer reported low single-digit sales growth in a jewelry market that is, as described by Kanter, “not particularly robust.”
Total sales grew 4 percent year-over-year in the third quarter, from $105.8 million to $110.0 million. Gross profit totaled $21.2 million, or 19.3 percent of sales, up from 17.8 percent of sales in the third quarter 2014.
U.S. engagement ring sales grew 7 percent, from $60.8 million to $65 million. The bulk of the sales came in the e-tailer’s core price points while sales in the $25,000-and-up category remained weak.
Non-engagement sales also were up 7 percent year-over-year.
International sales increased 3 percent on a constant-exchange-rate basis.
Fourth quarter sales are forecast at $158 to $168 million, exceeding the $157.4 million recorded in the fourth quarter 2014, which fell short of company expectations. For the year, Blue Nile said it expects sales to total between $488 and
Kanter said during Thursday’s call that the company is experimenting with new forms of marketing to generate awareness of its brand.
It’s launched a blog, “Cut & Polish,” and is producing man-on-the-street-type advertorials targeted at millennials as well as using more infographics, video and survey content.
PGI created the program to accelerate the growth of the platinum jewelry market in the U.S.
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They bought and resold jewels from a South America-based gang that targeted traveling salespeople across the United States.
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Graders at HRD Antwerp found this one, a HPHT-treated natural diamond inscribed with the report number of an untreated stone.