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When General Motors was developing the all-new 2014 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, it spent more than 10 million computational CPU hours designing and analyzing the trucks’ new Ecotec3 engine family, with an impressive 6 million of those CPU hours being used for the combustion process of the new powerplants. And that’s not even counting the human hours invested in engineering the new truck-specific engine lineup.
Are the efforts paying off for GM? It seems so, as the automaker recently announced fuel economy and towing ratings for the 2014 trucks, with figures for both measurements being best-in-class.
When it comes to towing, GM’s 2014 1500-range trucks powered by the mid-level 5.3 liter V8 Ecotec3 rated at an SAE certified 355 hp and 383 lb.-ft. of torque are rated at 11,500 pounds of maximum towing. That’s 200 pounds more than the Ford F-150 powered by the 6.2 liter V8 or the 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6. Compared to Ford’s own mid-range 5.0 liter V8, the GM trucks are up by 1,500 pounds.
But the good news for GM’s new trucks doesn’t end there: the mechanically-identical Silverado and Sierra have the upper hand in fuel economy as well, being rated at 16 MPG in the city and 23 MPG on the highway (19 MPG combined) when equipped with the new 5.3 liter Ecotec3 V8. Ford’s EcoBoost-powered F-150, by comparison, is down by one mile per gallon in each measurement, carrying a rating of 16 MPG city and 22 highway; meanwhile, the Blue Oval’s 5.0 liter V8 is rated at 15 MPG city and 21 MPG highway.
“Extreme testing” was necessary for today’s truck customer since they “are some of the most discerning and demanding people in the business”, said Jeff Luke, GM’s Executive Chief Engineer for the new trucks.
The GM Authority Take
It would seem that all the prepwork and testing is paying off for GM — at least initially, and on paper. It would also appear that the mid-range 5.3L Ecotec3 is the sweet spot for GM’s new light-duty trucks. However, we’ve also heard that the range-topping 6.2L Ecotec3 will be a beast of an engine — so we can’t wait for GM to release the numbers for that powerplant. And to top all of that off, we imagine that fuel economy will further improve once GM replaces the six-speed automatic transmissions in the new 2014 model year trucks with all-new eight-speed units.
In addition, we’ve heard several times that GM is the most diligent automaker when it comes to testing its powerplants for durability — and that’s not the fanboy (in yours truly) talking. With these recently-released ratings and the information about GM’s engineering preparation for the launch of the new trucks, nothing would seem closer to the truth.


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Trade War With China: Could Lead To Bond Market Nightmare!
- The Trump administration will impose a 25% tariff as of July 6, 2018 up to $50 billion in Chinese goods in an effort to protect U.S. intellectual property and technology.
- China immediately announced it was imposing tariffs same scale and strength against U.S. imports taking aim at RED STATE agriculture products.
- Trump’s objective is to reduce the size of the U.S.--China trade deficit by over 40% from an estimated $370 billion to $200 billion by 2020.
- The Trump administration alleged IP appropriations and corporate espionage have and continue to cost the U.S. economy of between $225 billion to $600 billion a year.
There is in fact a Chinese/U.S. Trade War ratcheting up. It’s a very dangerous conflict for three reasons…
Reason #1: The impact of any full scale trade war with between the U.S. and China could end up being a short term economic blip for China.
While it’s true the United States is China's biggest trading partner, China has plenty of other markets to sell its products, including rapidly growing regions of Southeast Asia and India. These trading partners were all but handed to China when the United States withdrew by order of President Trump from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
In addition, China’s economic growth has been channeled in the last ten years to making significant inroads in trade into Latin America and Africa via its funding of major government-sponsored and private infrastructure projects.
China currently exports more than $2 trillion of goods a year, but only $400 billion to $500 billion goes to the United States. In addition on a value-added basis, only two-thirds of that is actually "manufactured in China".
Meanwhile, Xi wants the yuan to replace the U.S. dollar as the world's global reserve currency. By decreasing its percentage of trade with the United States and increasing its trade with the rest of the world it will improve its ability to position the yuan as the world's global reserve currency.
China is rapidly moving to expand trade with other trade partners so fast, many we are abandoning and attacking at a time that our national debt will grow by $1 trillion a year.
Trump may find that China doesn’t bend much less break and will not come back to the negotiating table with any substantial concessions.
Reason #2: While President Trump is railing about IP theft China is reaching the critical crossover point in China where the return on IP theft is falling toward zero and the return on IP protection may soon rise above zero.
China is already emerging as a global leader in AI, renewable energy and electric vehicles, among other sectors. China’s technological advancements have been tied to the recent trade talks and have increasingly incentivized China to protect its own Intellectual Property (IP) rather than trying to steal IP from foreign trade partners.
Reason #3: China hold’s $1.19 trillion as of March 2018, which amounts to more than 5% of our national debt of $21 trillion or of the $6.29 trillion in Treasury bills, notes, and bonds held by foreign countries.
Further as I pointed out, our national debt and need to sell U.S. Treasuries will grow by $1 trillion a year. Should China start selling its U.S. debt instead of buying it, it could drive both U.S. interest rates higher, which would also drive the value of the U.S. dollar higher. In effect, undermining U.S. exports, its economy and push the United States into a recession.
On Saturday I issued our first Wall Street Rebel Red Alert. Its amateur hour in the White House and Trump’s trade war with China, Mexico, Canada and the EU could set off a 10% to 15% correction in the U.S. Stock Market any day. Throw on top of this danger the reality Trump’s personal lawyer could flip on him any day isn’t a confidence builder for investors. Especially when you consider the 3.8+ million documents, tape recordings and text messages now in possession of U.S. prosecutors from the SDNY.
Very quickly there are multiple "clear and present dangers" that take could off at any minute.

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Amazon News: There is no doubt that Amazon is one of the biggest gainers from the changes brought on by the Covid pandemic.
My blog is one year old! 🎉 It’s been exactly a year since I started writing a recap of Amazon news each month. So much has happened in the last year, and almost all of it was unforeseeable and unplannable.
Throughout this crazy time, the blog has been an anchor in my life and one of my favorite things to do. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I love finding new info, analyzing trends, and writing here.
We have reached this year’s last quarter. The one awaited by all Amazon sellers. The most interesting/busy/crazy/profitable (?) months of the year.
And this year, according to Google predictions 75% of consumers will do their shopping online!
>> How the pandemic may affect holiday shopping, ThinkwithGoogle
While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are known as key online shopping days in the last quarter of the year, Amazon Prime Day, planned for October 13-14, is expected to be equally important. The date was set for the quarter’s start to encourage buyers to start their holiday shopping early. Several parameters were considered in choosing the date: warehouse backups, shipping delays due to the number of orders, and the US elections (November 3rd) that will hold the public attention. Previous election years showed a change in the public’s mood, and significantly fewer purchases are made during these events – CNBC).
Every month, Amazon provides us with interesting news. Still, this month we have a few incredibly exciting things: a new platform for luxury items, the launching of 13 new devices (!), badges for environmentally friendly products, and a surprising new platform for workshops, courses, and virtual tours.
So before we enter the craziest and best part of the year, let’s take a look at what happened on Amazon in September 2020:
1. As usual, let’s start with the most searched terms on Amazon during September 2020: Face masks come up first. The work from home trend continues with desks, chairs, and computers. The iPhone 11 case holds its position and two newcomers: Halloween decorations – relevant for this time of year, and an interesting new entry: Blue Light Glasses. A new search-term referring to glasses that supposedly block the blue light of digital screens.
2. Covid 19 updates – In September, Amazon published an update on testing among its employees and stated that 19,000 of them were found positive for Covid. 😷 And that’s not counting contract and third party workers. That means 1.44% of Amazon’s and Whole Foods’ reported 1.37 million employees. 😲 Amazon says that the pace of spreading among its workers is 42% lower than that of the general population. It continues to test employees regularly to make sure they are well and can perform safely.
>> Update on COVID-19 Testing, Amazon
3. Amazon introduces a new palm scanner called Amazon One that connects your handprint to your credit card details to allow customers not to stand in line to pay. This biometric technology allows walking into a store and paying with literally the wave of your hand. The payment will be automatically taken from a credit card. The launch will take place in two Cashierless Go stores in Seattle, and the aim is to spread the use of this technology in more stores and sell it to other companies.
4. Amazon launches a new platform for luxury items – by invite only! The first designer to launch his store and fall-winter 2020 collection is Oscar de la Renta. The platform is built as a Store in Store to allow each brand to express its individuality. It also provides interactive 360 views of the products that you can see on different sizes and skin tones. Right now, the platform is available on mobile only to US Prime clients with an invitation. This is an opportunity for designers who, until now, relied solely on retail chains to reach their audience in a new way.
>> Amazon Announces New Shopping Experience, “Luxury Stores”, Business Wire
5. Amazon Hardware – the yearly event took place in September and introduced no less than 13 new devices!
I’ll focus on those I liked best. If you want to see the full event, look at the link at the end of this paragraph.
* The craziest device, IMO, is the Amazon Ring – a security camera mounted on a drone. The drone is activated when there are signs of a break-in or suspicious noises and flies to the relevant part of your home to film what’s going on. The product will be available in 2021. Take a look at the video to see how it works (it’s mind-blowing!):
* In addition to the home security system, Amazon introduced an exciting cooperation with Tesla in the form of vehicle safety cameras.
New models of the Echo Dot come designed especially for kids with features and abilities targeted for them. Link to the product: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084J4MJCK
* Amazon Echo Show – a speaker with a built-in 10inch screen and a built-in camera that focuses on you while you move around. Just the right thing for video calls.
* Echo speakers in a new round design with improved reaction time to Alexa cues and more improvements.
* Amazon Luna – important news for gamers! Amazon is launching a cloud-based game service based on the AWS infrastructure. Also included is a direct connection to Twitch.
Watch the full event here:
>> Amazon announced 13 new devices — here’s everything you need to know about the new Echo, Ring, Eero, and more, Business Insider >> Here’s everything Amazon just announced at its big hardware event, cnbc
6. Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly Certifications – If you have an environmentally friendly product or prefer to shop for eco products – this may interest you:Products approved by Amazon to be Climate Pledge Friendly are marked on the platform and include extra information on sustainability posted to a dedicated page.
Getting Amazon’s certification is excellent for marketing, sets your product apart, and helps customers looking for certified eco-friendly products.
Want to find out whether you qualify for the badge? Go to the second link:
>> Amazon launches “Climate Pledge Friendly” program, Amazon
>> We are inviting brands to participate in Climate Pledge Friendly
7. Meet Amazon Explore. Starting today, you don’t have to sell products to sell money on Amazon. You can also offer workshops, online courses, or virtual tours of exciting locations. Amazon is launching a new platform (in Beta right now, and an excellent opportunity to be first on the boat, if this is what you do).
You can already find various experiences at attractive prices on the platform, such as a tour of a mansion in Lima (Peru), a bagel baking class, an online tour of a wild animal sanctuary in Costa Rica, and more.
I’m not sure how this interesting initiative fits in Amazon’s various activities, but we will probably find out soon.
>> Amazon Explore
I hope you enjoyed and found interest in this summary. If you have friends or co-workers that this blog can interest, inspire or help in business, feel free to share and pass on the content to expand their knowledge on the subject.
If you also want to receive the Amazon News monthly summary by email (coming out once a month), feel free to sign up here at the bottom of the post, and the next monthly summary will reach you directly by email.
Wishing you a happy Prime Day


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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Port of Los Angeles continues to face a massive backup of container ships anchored offshore waiting to offload their goods.
That has retailers and manufacturers warning about potential shortages at stores during the upcoming holiday season.
The port has implemented some measures to try to reduce the backlog, and prioritize the items that are needed most.
How long could the backup last? And could this affect your holiday shopping?
Port Executive Director Gene Seroka spoke to Marc Brown for this weekend's "Eyewitness Newsmakers" to explain how the facility is addressing the problem.


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Low Gas Prices Not Enough to Rid Consumer Pessimism
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Despite national gas prices being at their lowest level since 1999, a majority of Americans remain pessimistic about the overall economy, according to a new NACS consumer survey.
Forty-seven percent of Americans say they are optimistic about the economy, a drop of one percentage point compared to a month ago and a whopping 10 percentage points lower than in January 2015, revealed NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing.
Consumer attitudes toward the economy vary widely by age. Among those in the 18-to-34 millennial age group, 57 percent stated they are optimistic about the economy. However, those aged 50 and older are much less confident in the country’s economic prospects, with only 36 percent responding they are optimistic.
This optimism — or lack thereof — also translates to spending habits, as millennials are three times more likely than those in the 50-plus age group to spend more money in the next 30 days, NACS revealed.
Three-quarters of the 1,101 gas consumers surveyed in December said gas prices, now averaging less than $2 per gallon nationwide, impact their feelings about the economy, a 10-percentage-point drop vs. January 2014 when prices were nearly $1.50 higher per gallon.
“Over the past three years, rising or falling gas prices almost always have a direct impact on changes in consumer optimism about the economy. However, this link has weakened over the past three months, as broader concerns over world events and a dramatic swing in the stock market have dominated the news,” said Jeff Lenard, NACS' vice president of strategic industry initiatives. “Consumers certainly feel better at the pump — sales of both fuel gallons and in-store items have increased as gas prices have fallen, though broader concerns are tempering consumer enthusiasm.”
Alexandria-based NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,600 supplier members that conduct business in nearly 50 countries.


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Does Eating Organic Foods Benefit Diabetes?
Whether eating more organically grown foods will help alleviate an individual’s symptoms of diabetes is impossible to say.
What can be said is that eating more organic food may safeguard the well being of our children, their children, and our planet. This is evident through common sense, and a growing pile of credible research.
This research does not prove that the herbicides and pesticides sprayed on food cause chronic illnesses. However, research reveals a strong correlation between the increased use of certain chemicals on our food supply, and the increased incidence of many illnesses such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.
Diabetes and Glyphosate
For instance, from 1980 to 1994 there was a steady, slow increase of diabetes incidence in the U.S., from about 2.8 percent of the population to about 3.2 percent. It appeared that by 2010, if the trend continued, the percentage would rise to 3.5—but something drastically altered this trend.
Beginning in the mid 1990s there was a sharp surge in the planting of GMO (genetically modified) crops, and the use of a herbicide called glyphosate. The production of glyphosate-laced GMO corn and soy crops in the U.S. rose exponentially from 1996 to 2010.
During this same time span - when GMO and glyphosate use were increasing (mid 90s to 2010) - individuals in the U.S. diagnosed with diabetes rose from about 3.3 percent of the total population to 6.4 percent, nearly double the pre-1994 prediction.
This unexpected spike in diabetes cases that correlate to the increased use of glyphosate, holds true for several other chronic diseases as well, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer’s, obesity, autism, kidney failure, and certain cancers.
Again, this data analysis, reported in the Journal of Organic Systems, does not prove causation, only correlation. However, the list of diseases examined by researchers can be directly linked to the known biological effects of glyphosate.
Avoiding Toxic Chemicals
The only way to avoid ingesting chemicals such as glyphosate - if avoiding them is your choice - is purchasing foods grown organically. One of the easiest ways to begin consuming more organic foods is to buy organic versions of the items found on the “dirty dozen plus” list.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the “dirty dozen plus” are 14 foods discovered to carry the highest pesticide load. The 14 items are apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas, potatoes, hot peppers, and blueberries.
By consuming organic versions of these foods you and your family can reduce exposure to toxic food sprays, and contribute to the water and soil health of our beautiful planet.


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By Caroline Parry2012-10-17T11:21:00
Footwear chain Russell & Bromley has posted pre-tax profit of £20.9m in the year to 31 December 2011, up from £19.04m the previous year.
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Can I help you? No, we don't sell pesto sausage, but we do have little weenies.
Jun 21, 2007
Mandas on the move
(From the BBC news)
Chinese researchers have announced a major breakthrough in man-animal hybrid technology. The mandas pictured above are not dependent on bamboo as a staple food. They can survive and even thrive on a diet of Sugar Smacks and Rice Krispy Treats.


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Imagine you're driving your car down Santa Monica Blvd on a perfectly lovely Southern California summer day, when suddenly someone pulls up next to you and yells out the window, "Sir! Uh, Sir! Pull over...your car is on fire!"
Well, that's what happened to Hollywood producer / director Michael Morris.
Morris says he had no idea there was a problem with his Tesla until a couple suddenly waved him down to let him know there were flames shooting out from under his front wheels.
Mary McCormack, Morris' wife, tweeted a video showing the fire, saying it happened out of nowhere.
911 was called, firefighters arrived and put the fire out. No one was injured, and no one, seems to know why the Tesla would suddenly burst into flames.
But, the LA Times says one 'alternative fuels website' has a theory:
"The alternative fuels news website elektric.co wrote that the fire was likely caused by a punctured battery pack, possibly by driving over an object, and that Tesla had recently added more protection to the car’s underside to prevent that sort of damage."
Tesla says they are investigating the cause of the incident.
Hey, perhaps this particular Tesla model came with one of Elon Musk's Boring Company flamethrowers already installed?


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Facebook's Calibra cryptocurrency wallet launches in 2020
It uses a new digital currency called Libra.
Drake sparks hundreds of fake eBay listings for Steph Curry's hair lint
The Toronto Raptors' hype-man is the ultimate troll.
eBay’s improved AI translation boosts Spanish-language sales
A study found it increased US-to-Latin America sales by 11 percent.
eBay opens QR code-powered shop in the UK
Visitors will use QR codes to purchase items from local sellers.
The best apps for buying sneakers
It’s never been easier to find a new pair of shoes, limited-edition or not.
eBay uses AI to help you shop for similar-looking items
'Looks like this' can ensure you find something that suits your style.
Phone-hacking device used by police sells on eBay for $100
The FBI is among the agencies which reportedly use the Cellebrite tool.
DOJ busts gang for allegedly selling fake cars on eBay
Romanian fraudsters posed as members of the military needing to sell their car before deployment.
eBay will now authenticate luxury jewelry
More than 45,000 authenticated diamonds and gemstones are currently available.


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Kitchener News | Local Breaking | CTV News Kitchener
Home prices rise to new all-time high, spring sales off to strong start
A sold sign sits outside a home in St. Thomas (Bryan Bicknell / CTV London)
Real estate prices are continuing to hit new highs and numbers in the region are looking strong as we head into the hottest time of the year.
The number of homes sold maintained pace with last year, a report from the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors says, but prices hit a new all-time high.
“Home sales were strong last month,” says Brian Santos, KWAR President, in the report. “May is often the most active month in a given year, but the way sales picked up in momentum after the Victoria Day holiday makes me think we could see sales activity in June surpass May.”
The average price of a home in the region increased by almost one per cent compared to April, hitting $534,348. The average price of all homes sold in April was $529,800.
Last month, Santos said that was an all-time high.
“These are the highest sale prices we’ve ever posted in a single month,” Santos said about the April numbers. May will mark only the fourth time ever that the average price of all homes sold was over half a million dollars.
The average price for a detached home in May was $623,289, an increase of 9.1 per cent compared to the same month last year, beating the previous all-time single-month high prices from the month before.
The average prices of other types of homes are as follows:
- Condominiums: $332,309, up 11.3 per cent
- Townhomes: $402,426, up 9.8 per cent
- Semi-detached homes: $432,207, up 9.3 per cent
Meanwhile, the City of Guelph rated as the second-best place in Canada to buy real estate in a report from MoneySense.
Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge ranked 14 on the list.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Stay home unless it’s absolutely necessary to leave. That is the message in Florida and Georgia, as stay-at-home orders are now underway. Only essential businesses are open, which has led to a lot of online shopping.
USA Today reported online sales have increased 25% overall since the outbreak began, with daily sales for online grocery shopping jumping 100%.
A good picture makes the all-important first impression for online shoppers. For PVS Studios off Baymeadows Road, that perfect shot is everything.
PVS Studios takes high-quality pictures of products. Those images are what shoppers see online in hopes of getting them to click and add to their carts.
Chief Operating Officer Michael Baumgaertner said that because the business helps enable online shopping and helps limit social interaction, it is considered an essential business.
Baumgaertner said he has noticed a little change in business.
"It's up," Baumgaertner said. "I know it will increase significantly. Maybe the effects won't be right away, but it will be very quickly."
As Baumgaertner showed News4Jax, photographers take all kinds of pictures. They can even take a full 360-degree image, allowing shoppers to see every angle.
"You can interactively rotate the product while online," Baumgaertner said.
Once the photographers finish up, the products used for pictures are boxed up and donated to charity.
With the coronavirus outbreak on everyone’s mind, online sales are up seemingly everywhere you look. In a way, the trend highlights the importance of the work being done in the studio. Baumgaertner said he can’t help but think about the impacts the coronavirus is having on everyone.
"It just kind of reminds me of the days years ago when I was in my family business," Baumgaertner said. "It was, it's a challenge. Every day is a challenge."
Baumgaertner said he believes the impacts of the coronavirus could inspire more companies to get online if they aren’t already.
The company has made adjustments internally due to COVID-19.
The photographers are wearing gloves, anyone who can work remotely does, and social distancing is in practice. If you’re interested in learning more about PVS Studios, you can check out their website here: https://www.pvsstudios.com/.


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Russia is the world's largest country in terms of territory. Its consumer market consists of over 140 million people. It has vast resources, a highly educated workforce, and technologically advanced research and production capabilities. Still, Russia's economic potential remains largely untapped. Many investors shy of Russia amid growing concerns that the political system in the country is breeding dissent among the population.
The largest mall in St. Petersburg, Russia, is the newly opened Galeria. The mall opened in November 2010 and houses 290 stores in 1 million square feet. The mall includes a large selection of Western brands including Adidas (ADDYY), Bebe (BEBE), and the Gap (GPS). The five-story mall cost over $380 million to build according to some sources and a reported $500 million by other Russian sources. The Galeria includes a multi-screen movie theater that includes IMAX, a 27-lane bowling alley, and enough parking for 1,200 vehicles. The top floor boasts a massive arcade.


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MACS’ 3rd Multipurpose Container Vessel Named
German shipping company Maritime Carrier Shipping MACS has named its newly built Multipurpose Container Vessel, the Bright Sky.
The vessel comes as the third in a series of six that MACS ordered back in 2007 and 2008 with a price tag of $42 million per unit.
MACS had placed original orders at Jiangsu Shenghua shipyard but due to difficulties with the ships’ construction and following several delays the company decided to complete the ships at Qingshan Shipyard.
Length overall: 199.80 meter
Breadth Moulded: 30.20 meter
Deadweight: 37,443 t
Container Capacity: 2,208 TEU
Heavy Lift Gear up to 240 ton
Cargo Holds: 5 box shaped cargo holds
Speed: 16.0 kn
The Bright Sky will operate on the route between northern Europe and South Africa, carrying mainly breakbulk.
SBT Staff, November 6, 2013


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When Libra was first announced in June 2019, there was a lot of hype surrounding it. For most people, Diem (Libra) was supposed to be the next big step for the crypto industry. The Facebook-backed cryptocurrency was planned to be released in 2020. However, due to regulatory pressures, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Libra, and as of 2023, these uncertainties persist. As Zatrun.com, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about the project. Let’s take a look together.
What is Diem (Libra)
The initial plan involved launching a true blockchain-based cryptocurrency in collaboration with the non-profit Libra Foundation. The original Libra coin was intended to be a cryptocurrency and a direct competitor to the global fiat currency market. The hype behind the project was due to the high expectations it held. The idea behind Libra was to create a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment system that would encompass Facebook Messenger, and subsequently, WhatsApp and Instagram.
Payment giants were also involved in the project, Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and Stripe. On paper, it looked like the next big crypto project that would achieve instant success. However, the US government attacked the project with regulations.
The project was put in a difficult position by lawsuits from both the United States and the United Kingdom governments. In March 2020, Facebook announced that it would review the project due to pressure. In December, the project was rebranded as Diem after Facebook announced that Libra would be renamed. According to Facebook, the project would now support Diem, a currency that has been approved by both states.
Journey of the Project
Diem is designed as an authorised blockchain-based payment system and will be implemented as a cryptocurrency. The Diem Foundation supporting the project is made up of 27 members, including Facebook. Unlike its previous version, Libra, the cryptocurrency project has a more flexible authorisation. The cryptocurrency was designed to complement fiat currencies and will not replace them. Simply put, this asset will be a stablecoin. The value of the asset will follow the US dollar at a 1:1 ratio. Therefore, it will have a wide range of use cases.
The project aims to create a “reliable and innovative network that empowers people and businesses worldwide.” Facebook has 2.7 billion users worldwide and will offer them the ability to make instant payments. The coin is believed to be a viable alternative for those who do not have a bank account and could also help people save money. The asset will be launched with a crypto wallet called Novi. Users will have the advantage of buying and selling their Diems with Novi, as well as using it as a payment method.
When Will Diem Be Released?
Diem was expected to be released in 2021, but it did not materialize. Recent sources show that project managers have decided to sell the network’s rights and other assets to Silvergate Capital. Therefore, the Diem stablecoin project may never become exposed. However, there are also sources indicating that Facebook’s Libra team will continue under a new name called Aptos. Therefore, the cryptocurrency may never be released or may still be launched under a different name.


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NEW YORK — Punxsutawney Phil may be better suited for predicting apparel same-store sales for February than he is at forecasting winter’s grip. On Wednesday, Phil saw his shadow, which, according to legend, means six more weeks of blustery weather — at least in the Northeast.
Meanwhile, an analysis by WWD examining softline comps for the past seven Februarys revealed an unusual correlation: When Phil saw his shadow, February softline comps fell, but when he didn’t, comps shot up. In predicting February comps, Phil has been right five out of the past seven years, well above his 40 percent rate at forecasting the length of winter.
Phil didn’t see his shadow on Groundhog Day in 1998 and ’99 and softline comps, as tracked by Bear Stearns & Co., showed gains of 5.7 and 7.8 percent, respectively. In 2000, Phil saw his shadow, but apparel comps rose 4.9 percent. For the next three years, when Phil saw his shadow, softline comps posted declines of 2.7, 2 and 2.3 percent. Last year he also saw his shadow and comps gained 9 percent. Today, retailers post January comps, which are expected to show a gain of 2 to 3 percent. February is anticipated to be weaker because of more challenging year-over-year comparisons.
Phil and February Comps


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The Mall in Columbia -- designed to be the planned community's downtown hub -- is trying to make itself more competitive by courting as many as three high-end department stores.
Officers at the Rouse Co., Columbia's developer and owner of the mall and about 70 others nationwide, say they'd like to add the new "anchor" stores as part of an entire mall renovation.
They're also planning to build a 100,000-square-foot addition for smaller merchants and to bring in more restaurants.
Rouse officers would not specify the prospective high-end anchors -- though Nordstrom has been rumored as one. Company officials also would not say when the stores might be coming or when renovations would start.
This lack of specifics gives rise to skepticism among some of the mall's smaller merchants.
For years, they've heard similar promises -- while waiting for the arrival of big, high-end retailers to draw shoppers.
"They say they're talking to major retailers, major department stores. They've been saying that for nine years," says Ed Ward, an owner of Columbia Camera, which is closing at the end of the month.
The tension over the 25-year-old mall's plans and its realities underscores a key dilemma that is shared with many other U.S. malls.
Malls everywhere are fighting over a limited number of high-end anchors to draw shoppers as they battle increasingly stiff competition from each other, from newer "big-box" retail centers and from catalog shopping.
For years, The Mall in Columbia enjoyed a kind of captive market as the first and only large retailing center in a rapidly growing, relatively wealthy new town.
But now, at least one of its merchants has been defeated by competitive pressures from new "power" centers.
At the Columbia Camera store, Ward, whose business is an original tenant, says he could not compete with such big retailers as Best Buy and Service Merchandise.
Those megastores -- some being developed by Rouse -- are springing up in "power centers" in and around Columbia. They include Snowden Square, off Snowden River Parkway; Columbia Crossing, being built off Route 175; and Long Gate, under construction off Route 103.
To complicate the situation, The Mall in Columbia has a particular identity problem: It sits in the middle of an affluent community but conspicuously lacks a high-end department store.
"My husband and I are able to spend money. Most of our friends are," says Columbia resident Diane Batchik, sitting on bench in the poorly air-conditioned second floor of the mall recently. "We just don't do it here."
Batchik says she spends "thousands of dollars" in malls outside Columbia, particularly Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. "Columbia is very well off," Batchik says. "But this mall doesn't show it. I think it needs a major face lift."
Rouse officials acknowledge they need to draw more high-end shoppers.
"We realize that one of the areas we are weak in is high-end fashion, particularly women's," says Linda T. Lo Cascio, in charge of expansion plans for Rouse. "Obviously, J. C. Penney doesn't address the high-end fashion. I do believe there are Columbia shoppers who leave Columbia to shop at Nordstrom."
She hopes to draw some of them next year, when an Ann Taylor store moves to an interior space.
Ward and some other Columbia mall merchants say that, in such a retail environment, Rouse should lower its rents.
But Rouse officials say their rents are fair and that tenant-landlord tensions are typical in retail. They also point to the healthy crowds walking daily through the mall. "It's a darn good mall," Lo Cascio says. "It's busy."
Still, Lo Cascio says she doesn't blame the small merchants for their skepticism about expansion plans.
"I appreciate their frustrations," she says. "But we're moving as fast as we can. These are very long courtships [with major retailers]. It's almost like getting married. It's not something you can do overnight."
Lo Cascio would not comment on negotiations with prospective anchors, including any with Nordstrom. Nordstrom officials also would not comment.
Industry watchers predict varying outcomes for these negotiations.
"I'm confident that Rouse is close," says David Ward, a retail broker with Hicks & Rotner Associates in Chevy Chase. "I think the key to the puzzle is the Nordstrom deal. If they come, the other guys will fall in line."
By other guys, Ward means such stores as J. Crew clothiers.
But Joe Burke, a mortgage banker with Legg Mason Real Estate services, says Nordstrom probably has enough stores in the area -- with stores in Montgomery County, Towson and Annapolis.
"My guess is you're not going to see them there [in Columbia] anytime soon," Burke says.
Sonja Sanders, the mall's manager of sales and marketing, insists: "We're definitely going to get the anchors, and we're definitely going to do the renovation."
If not, Rouse will be relying on its three existing anchors: Hecht's, J. C. Penney and Sears. J. C. Penney is scheduled to open Saturday, replacing longtime mall tenant Woodward & Lothrop, which closed last year. Hecht's is adding a 60,000-square-foot third floor, expected to be finished this fall.
The situation in Columbia contrasts with some of Rouse's other malls.
At Grand Avenue Mall in Milwaukee, there's a Marshall Field; in Newport Beach, Calif., a Neiman Marcus; in San Antonio, a Saks Fifth Avenue; and in Salem, Ore., a Nordstrom.
Mark Schoifet, a spokesman for the International Council of Shopping Centers, says the high-end department stores hold the cards during negotiations. Every mall wants them.
"It's probably the most competitive era in the history of the malls," Schoifet says. "You just can't snap your fingers and say, 'Now we're going to be a high-end mall.' "
Ward, the retail broker for Hicks & Rotner, says Rouse is being careful and wants to avoid a bankrupt and empty anchor in its mall. "Rouse isn't going to make a mistake, especially in their own back yard," Ward says.
Batchik and other shoppers interviewed recently say the overall condition of the mall may be keeping the large department stores away. Of particular concern among shoppers and merchants:
There are no elevators in the middle of the mall. Women with strollers must carry them down stairs or walk to elevators in Sears or Hecht's at either end. Last week, Debbie Altieri, with her year-old baby, cut her shopping trip short because she did not want to walk to the elevators. Altieri says she prefers shopping in Towson and Owings Mills.
The mall's bathrooms are too small and too far apart.
Poor air conditioning on the second floor, which is topped by skylights that tend to generate heat. Jennifer Mannix, a mall store employee, says she often hears complaints about the heat. "The longer I have worked in that mall, the more I have realized that [maintenance] is patchwork," she says.
Rouse officials say they will place an elevator in the middle of the mall and enlarge the bathrooms. And the company is looking into replacing air conditioners and using more efficient skylight panels in an effort to cool the top floor.
Some longtime shoppers and workers are hoping those efforts will mark the start of its renewal -- one built on its longtime base as the hub of Columbia.
"This mall will always have a level of success," says Batchik. "This mall could have an outrageous level of success."
Pub Date: 7/15/96
Vibrant retail centers are an integral part of the Columbia concept, but the town's village centers and The Mall in Columbia are suffering rising competition from Howard County's growing number of superstores. The second part of a two-part series examines the mall's future.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Apple IDs the next-generation iPhone
Cupertino wakes up to NFC?
Evidence is growing that Apple plans to embed NFC into the next iPhone, but can Steve Jobs sell the technology that no one else seems to want?
For the last few months there have been rumours that Cupertino has been showing renewed interest in Near Field Communications. This is backed by an Apple patent from two years ago, which covers a "Touch Screen RFID Tag Reader" and recent comments from an NFC group that Apple has been testing an RFID-equipped prototype. But Nokia has been pushing NFC for years, so why could Apple succeed where Nokia has failed, and more importantly, why might it choose not to?
Near Field Communications (NFC) is a two-way standard for low-power-short-range radio communication. NFC builds on the one-way-induction-powered Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) standard by mandating that NFC devices have an induction-powered tag (which will operate even if the phone loses power) and an RFID reader which can be used to interact with other tags. So an NFC device can be an RFID tag, and an RFID reader, or even both at the same time.
Nokia owns much of the NFC technology and has been pushing it relentlessly against operator indifference and customer apathy. It has squeezed NFC technology into handsets and has run some trials, including bribing Londoners to use the technology instead of an Oyster card for buses and tubes - but operators have no incentive to pay for, or promote, NFC. Network operators aren't interested in retail opportunities or mass-transit, but Apple is.
Apple's patent was awarded in July, but filed two years ago. It covers the integration of an RFID tag and its associated antenna, into touch-screen devices, including (explicitly) a mobile telephone and a digital audio player. The patent talks about possible applications in a very NFC way: "The handheld device can be used at different times as both an RFID reader and an RFID tag... two devices can be used in close proximity to exchange information such as contact information."
Then we have comments, reported by Near Field Communications World, from the chap who runs the NFC Group on LinkedIn. He claims to have reliable information that "Apple has built some prototypes of the next gen iPhone with an RFID reader built [in]... its not full NFC but its a start for real service discovery."
Putting NFC into an iPhone would give Apple a distinct feature advantage: Symbian^3 will have APIs for NFC built in, but ^3 devices are a long way off, despite optimistic presentations at the recent Symbian Exposition. It was that dry, technical, explanation from Lee Williams which prompted speculation about how Steve Jobs might announce the capability: "Bang! My groceries paid for! Bang! My train ticket paid for! Bang! My car unlocked!"
NFC certainly lends itself to the theatrics so beloved by Mr. Jobs, and would integrate with iTunes very nicely. It's easy to imagine an Oyster Card application, downloaded from the iTunes store, which could be loaded with credit though the iTunes in-application payment system. It would also provide another opportunity for iPhone owners to whip out their toy and wave it around for all to see.
NFC has struggled to break down a transaction like that - who would own the payment system, who would secure the NFC module against attack, and who would ensure the secure distribution of applications? Apple solves everything by taking responsibility, and profit, for it all - it could make NFC happen.
And if it did then the technology would surely take hold very quickly. Nokia and Samsung have already designed-in the technology, while Tyfone has the microSD chip with NFC, an antenna, and even a secure execution module, built in - for devices that have an externally-facing microSD socket. If Apple could make the technology cool, then the rest of the industry would be quick to follow. Except that Apple won't, 'cos backing NFC would be risky and Apple doesn't take risks.
There was risk in launching the iPhone: the decisions not to have native applications and not to rely on operator subsidies could have been fatal if Apple hadn't swiftly reappraised both of them. But the iPhone's risk was its innovative business model. Technically it was firmer ground with an array of tried-and-tested technologies put together in a particularly attractive way.
There's nothing that Apple has done with the iPhone that hasn't been done before - Apple just does it better. But embedding NFC into a handset would be a real step into the unknown. Nokia claims to have launched several NFC-enabled handsets, but in reality the technology is still at the trials stage and may never get any further unless something radical happens. An NFC-equipped iPhone could be that radical and could be a genuine revolution, if Cupertino has the nerve for it. ®


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Global information and insights company TransUnion has announced Emile Kinuma as its new Rwanda CEO. His appointment comes as the company looks to leverage its global capabilities and provide increased support for SMEs in one of its key growth markets.
Kinuma is the former CEO of digital payments fintech Mobicash, and brings with him strong experience in digital payments, SMEs, the public sector and technology. He will be responsible for growing TransUnion Rwanda’s range of information solutions, which help businesses make more informed decisions and consumers manage their personal information and access financial products and services.
TransUnion’s Senior Director for Africa, Chad Reimers, said the Rwanda market was ‘a critical part’ of TransUnion Africa’s portfolio growth strategy, and that he was confident that the business would continue to grow and reach its potential under Kinuma’s leadership.
“Emile brings an extensive understanding of the Rwandan marketplace, and a strong ability to help leverage TransUnion’s global data, analytics and technology capabilities to help businesses and consumers transact with confidence,” said Reimers.
Kinuma, who took up his new role on 1 July 2020, has deep knowledge of the Rwandan financial sector, having aggressively grown Mobicash’s presence, as well as partnering with government on several initiatives. He previously gained experience in the telecoms, finance, media and entertainment, and airline industries, both in Rwanda and internationally.
“I’m excited to be part of TransUnion, and I look forward to deepening our relationships with clients, consumers and wider stakeholders. I want to engage the financial and digital lending communities to deliver great experiences and help create more economic opportunities,” said Kinuma.
One of Kinuma’s priorities will be to continue the growth of TransUnion’s Menyesha (Inform Me) solution, which allows consumers access to their credit information via SMS (2272).
“Menyesha plays an important role in enabling consumers to be more informed about their financial standing, and helps encourage the behaviours needed to maintain a healthy credit status. It empowers ordinary Rwandans to achieve their personal objectives, whether it’s purchasing a house or accessing a loan to further their studies,” said Reimers.


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Is Ann's pop meaningful? Or just another movement?
Although the company changed its name to Synchrony Financial last year, GE Capital's credit card business is alive and well
Electronics retail has been brutal for shareholders in recent years, but Best Buy, Amazon, and GameStop offer some potential upside.
Here are three trends that could dramatically change the retail industry.
"Athleisure" is no longer a niche, but are these apparel companies running into a wall?
The retail giant is eliminating free delivery on small orders, but pressure from Amazon.com may make that a difficult decision.
Teen retailers are not impressive. This "athlesiure" company looks much better.
Investors should be careful with these three companies, given the specific challenges they face.
Target's strategy of punishing e-commerce rivals hasn't paid off.
These high-flyers could come crashing back to earth.


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GameBurst is a short, sharp, bitesize chunk of audible bliss that delivers the latest gaming news and hard-hitting discussions about the industry in just 30 minutes.
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GameBurst News - 22 Mar 2020
This week, Gary, Neil, Chris and James share the latest video games plus our gaming highlights of the week. #GameBurstNews
Music: Back to Black (Amy Winehouse)


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Rolling across millions of miles each year, Elkhart-based Pro Fleet Transport is always on the move
ELKHART — The business featured in the latest installment in the look at “hidden gems” of Elkhart County business could use some help.
It’s not that Pro Fleet needs more customers. In fact, they have to turn customers away, because they need drivers to help keep things moving across much of the country.
Pro Fleet Transport
FOUNDED/WHY it’s HERE
Chris Wood and Kelly Pletcher started the company 20 years ago after coming from Design Time. “They decided there’s a local need here. The figured out the way to do it, make it work,” said Mike Gregory, safety director for the company.
WHAT it Does
A trucking company, Pro Fleet hauls loads on flatbed trailers with a fleet of 40 trucks and handles logistics for customers. It brings in a mixture of building materials to Elkhart County and hauls out components or finished products.
WHERE it Reaches
“We used to say ‘Anything east of the Mississippi,’ but now it’s pretty much anything east of the Rockies,” said Gregory.
While there are many large national trucking companies and many smaller competitors, Pro Fleet has created its own size niche locally.
It tries to buy as much locally as possible. “We don’t want to buy bungee cords made in China. We’d rather buy them from a company that makes them here in Elkhart,” Gregory said. “We’re a community-based company. We want to spend our money here.”
The truck fleet drives roughly 4.8 million miles each year.
Each truck goes through up to $1,795 in fuel per week with diesel approaching $3.90 a gallon. At 40 trucks, that’s more than $3 million per year in fuel costs alone.
A single fill-up of a truck uses more than $800 in fuel, but also gets the truck more than 1,000 miles down the road.
It’s getting harder and harder to find truck drivers as federal regulations get tighter and tighter, even with Pro Fleet paying roughly double what some of the big national companies pay per mile. “We turn down thousands of dollars of freight a week we can’t commit to because we don’t have the drivers,” Gregory said.
It supports a lot of charities and causes, from donating a truck and driver to take supplies to tornado victims to sponsoring the St. Jude telethon to supporting Premier Arts and local sports teams and leagues. “We’re here to support the community like it’s supported us,” Gregory said.
Among the other industries it serves, it bring in raw materials for the RV industry, which turns the material into units delivered by the RV transport industry. “It’s a big circle of life,” Gregory said.
Do you know of a hidden gem in Elkhart County? Contact email@example.com


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Fundamentals are improving
Business optimism moving up
While any concrete contractor or producer knows that the construction industry recovery has been painfully slow, signs exist that optimism is starting to emerge.
Construction market fundamentals are generally improving. These include office vacancy rates, retail rents, and hotel revenue per room. Consumer sentiment has improved, and, business optimism "has been moving up sharply over the past few quarters," said Kermit Baker, chief economist with the American Institute of Architects. Corporate profits have increased as well, allowing companies more breathing room to invest.
He and other economists held a press conference in mid—June to discuss the state of the construction industry and their forecasts for the coming months.
Many construction sectors of the economy have shown life, said Anirban Basu, chief economist with the Associated Builders and Contractors. As of April 2012, the following subsectors have improved, compared to a year earlier:
- Manufacturing—up 27%
- Power—up 19%
- Commercial—up 10%
- Office—up 8.9%
- Highway and Streets—up 3.5%
Basu cited lack of confidence as the reason for the dearth of jobs in the industry. Although gross domestic product expanded for the past 12 consecutive quarters, job growth is decelerating. In May 2012 alone, 28,000 construction jobs were lost in the U.S.
On the home front, the National Association of Home Builders forecasts the long—awaited recovery in new and existing home sales to finally start this year. New home sales will increase 19 percent in 2012, while existing home sales will move up 16 percent, said David Crowe, chief economist for the NAHB.
Overall, the economists believe that lack of confidence and nervousness are the major roadblocks to the industry. Regarding the November presidential election, they believe that no matter who is elected, there will be no dramatic changes in policy.
Crowe believes policy uncertainties ahead include the future of Dodd—Frank regulations, tax reform, debt and deficit reduction, and the future flow of credit.
About the Author
Kelley Lindsey is a Hanley Wood Commercial Group editorial intern.


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One of the leading bitcoin exchanges Binance intends to provide its users with the opportunity to trade not only currencies, but also in Fiat pairs. It is expected that by the end of 2018, an option will be added to euros, writes Bloomberg.
The corresponding statement on Monday, June 11, did the CEO Binance, Chanpen Joao.
According to him, the addition of Fiat pairs became possible thanks to the opening of an office and Bank account in Malta. The exchange also plans to add other Fiat currencies, but the details at this stage, the head of the exchange did not disclose.
Additionally, the plans Binance obtaining exchange licenses Jersey and the opening of an office with a staff of 100 employees. The company is also negotiating with the authorities and the Bank of Taiwan, said Chanpen Joao.
Exchange Binance was founded in July 2017 and to date, the number of users of the exchange is 9 million people, despite the fact that at the beginning of the year there were 2 million In the first quarter of this year, the company earned $200 million with an average trading volume of between us $1.4 — $1.5 billion.
Earlier, the exchange Binance has announced plans to launch a Fund to support companies in the field of blockchain and digital currency.


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Tucked between a weekend of Breeders’ Cup prep races and the California Cup showcasing the local product, California’s fall select yearling sale offers a slimmer but more select catalog than in years past.
The Sept. 30 auction, co-sponsored by Barretts and the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, has 235 in its catalog. That’s down from the 318 cataloged in 2007. While the sale has produced its share of graded stakes winners, the economy and decreases in other yearling sales have people prepared for similar declines.
“I can’t remember a more challenging environment,” said Jerry McMahon, president and general manager of Barretts. “The micro and macro economies are difficult. However, our primary market -- local owners and trainers -- are pretty interested in shopping at the sale.”
This is the fourth year that Barretts and the CTBA have combined to conduct the fall yearling sale, following the CTBA’s elimination of its traditional Del Mar summer yearling auction. While most of the yearlings are California-breds, the catalog includes several bred elsewhere, as well as sire power from both within and outside of California.
California’s leading sire, Unusual Heat, is represented by 11 yearlings in the catalog. His offspring have included sales graduates Golden Doc A, winner of this year’s Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I), and Lethal Heat. In addition to capturing the Hollywood Oaks (gr. II), Lethal Heat won two stakes at the recent Del Mar meeting.
Old English Rancho as agent has consigned 11 horses to the sale, including six by Unusual Heat. A daughter of Unusual Heat—True Melody, by Valid Appeal, is a full sister to Las Cinegas Handicap (gr. III) winner Lightmyfirebaby.
Other stallions represented in the catalog include Sky Mesa , Stormy Atlantic , Johannesburg, Bertrando, Dixie Union, Speightstown , Benchmark, Medaglio d’Oro, In Excess, City Zip, Holy Bull, Touch Gold, and Indian Charlie.
“We’ve concentrated on better quality,” said McMahon. “We hope that helps buyers find better horses.”
McMahon also noted that the Oct. 5 California Cup, which offers $1,325,000 in purses for Cal-breds, illustrates the money that state-breds can earn.
River Edge Farm Inc. as agent has several top offerings in the catalog. The farm, owned by Marty and Pam Wygod, stands Bertrando and Benchmark. Two colts by Bertrando, a son of stakes-placed Shy Pirate and another out of Witchy, have stakes-winning full sisters. A Benchmark filly out of stakes winner Blonde Fever hails from a long line of River Edge bloodlines, as Blonde Fever has also produced Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II) winner Feverish and CTBA Marian Stakes winner Blonde Bounty.
Because of California’s breed-back rule, many horses sired by out-of-state stallions qualify for the Cal-bred incentive program. Havens Bloodstock Agency, which sold the 2007 sale topper, has Cal-breds by Johannesburg, Indian Charlie, and Medaglia d’Oro. Pegasus Stud has yearling Cal-breds by Dixie Union, Speightstown, and Touch Gold. Old English has a Cal-bred by Sky Mesa, and B.C.3. Thoroughbreds has one by Stormy Atlantic .
The bottom sides of the pedigrees also add many black-type names. Champion Brave Raj is the second dam of an Event of the Year filly from the Mary Knight consignment. River Edge’s group includes a half-brother to John C. Mabee Handicap (gr. IT) winner Dancing Edie and a half-sister to stakes winners Rio Oro, Giovannetti, and Guillermo.
The sale will be held at Fairplex Park’s Hinds Pavilion in Pomona, Calif. It will begin at 11 a.m. (PDT).


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Well, I received some very pleasant news a few days ago: My flash-fiction piece "Thirty-One Hundred" is going to be included in the tentatively titled anthology Discount Noir from ebook publisher Untreed Reads. Read all about the collection here. Seems the volume will be released sometime in the next four to six weeks. Many thanks to Patti Abbott of pattinase who inspired the entire enterprise through her blog contest and Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency for her hard work in shopping the anthology around!
(Picture: CC 2007 by vissago)


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Thailand’s largest cryptocurrency trading platform, Bitcoin Co., has announced it will be shutting down Sept 30th:
“Bitcoin Co. Ltd. has decided to discontinue offering digital exchange services and wallet services at our BX.in.th website…”
The company cites a desire, “to focus on other business opportunities,” as the reason behind the shutdown, and says it won’t be seeking a digital asset exchange license from the Thai SEC for 2020.
Trading on the platform will cease September 30th, 2019, and all funds must be withdrawn by November 1st, 2019.
Bitcoin Co. has been in operation for five years and is one of only three companies currently authorized by the SEC in Thailand “to operate digital assets businesses,” according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Woranan Silam.
Following the imminent closure of Bitcoin Co., remaining licensed crypto trading platforms in Thailand are Bitkub Online Co. (www.bitkub.co.th) and Satang Corporation Co. (www.satang.pr).
Silam added that Coins TH Co. (www.coins.co.th) is the only authorized digital currency broker/dealer in Thailand.
An additional 3 firms were cued up last fall seeking licenses to facilitate crypto trading in the country.
Those companies were Cash2Coins Co. Ltd. (cash2coins.com), CoinAsset Co. Ltd.(coinasset.co.th); Southeast Asia Digital Exchange Co. Ltd. (seadex.io).
The licensing status of these companies is not known at this time, and they were not mentioned as licensed by Silam.
Like its US counterpart, the Thai SEC has advised investors to exercise caution around crypto investing because frauds committed in foreign jurisdictions cannot be pursued without the cooperation of local authorities.


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Smash-and-grab robbers hit Mission Valley jewelry store
San Diego police were searching around Mission Valley for a pair of armed robbers who smashed display cases and stole valuables from a jewelry store Wednesday night.
Employees at Jared Galleria of Jewelry on Camino de la Reina reported that the two had handguns and used crowbars to break open the glass cases about 7:15 p.m.
The store is located at the west end of the Target parking lot at Westfield Mission Valley shopping mall.
Police were told the robbers appeared to be black men in their 20s, wearing dark clothes and bandannas or some other type of mask over part of their faces. They ran north from the store.
A police helicopter helped officers search for the thieves. Various witnesses reported seeing two men running in different areas in the mall’s vicinity.
No details were immediately available on the type of items stolen from the store.
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Here's a nice read that can appeal to all those who like to dig into intricate issues of international branding. The cult Polish alcoholic drink, Żubrówka, has finally made its way to the US market, the Wall Street Journal reports. This is big news for the Polish brand which will be able to market its product on the potentially lucrative US market. However, the Żubrówka you might know -- the kind that comes with a thin leaf of mysterious bison grass in it -- which gives the drink that strong particular taste (the Żubrówka taste) -- will have a different version in the US. So different, that the question is -- can it still be referred to as Żubrówka?
Żubrówka has been banned by the US Food and Drug Administration for many years due to the presence in it of a toxic chemical, coumarin. Apparently, the source of coumarin is the bison grass. Polish scientists struggled for years to get the grass-less Żubrówka to taste like the real stuff, and they've finally made a new concoction work for them.
From a branding perspective, Żubrówka's entry in the US was complicated. The US authorities referred to Żubrówka as a generic drink, which led to many fake Żubrówka look-alikes appear on the market. So, the challenge was to find another name as a trade mark. This was viewed as an opportunity as the new name -- Żu -- is also potentially easier for Americans to pronounce. It also contains a bison-inspired reference to the animal world, as Żu is supposed to signal "zoo". I am not sure if bisons are typical zoo residents, and I am not convinced that those who try the drink for the first time, would ever pick up this link between zoos, wild Polish forests and bisons. But the name choice is made, and the drink has entered the US market.
What are the implications of launching a brand that is well-known in one geography, in another, under a different name? Is the new brand name a good choice to support the launch of grass-less drink? Do the Żu marketers need to promote the Żubrówka heritage in Żu brand communications?


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Montgomery County, TN – Appleton Harley Davidson, celebrated their Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification.
Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett, City of Clarksville Chief of Staff Charlie Gentry, Chamber of Commerce Director Melinda Shepard, and CMC Green Certification Steering Committee Members Stephen James and Daryl Prater attended their green ribbon cutting.Durrett asked Co-owner Tia Suiter, what the company did to earn green certification.
“The hardest part was getting these men on board, Suiter joked. My husband and Co-owner of Appleton, Danny Suiter, was a big help in getting our team on board with the changes. We did some things before the program, like upgrading lighting which gave us a big rebate and lowered our energy bills. We sold our oil, reused packaging and sold the good parts off bikes that were no longer in service,” stated Suiter.
“After the program, Mary Rose, our general manager, and I dug for more ways to save. We started recycling everything we could with Bi-County which drastically cut down our trash output, we found additional outlets for items that could be reused, eliminated Styrofoam cups in the break room to cut down on trash and spending and encouraged reusable cups,” said Suiter.
“We’ve been turning things off, adjusting thermostats and shutting things down that aren’t used and we have plans to start heating the service area with our own oil to further cut down on energy usage. It’s really tough for locally owned businesses to make ends meet. Programs like this help make the difference. We’ve got to do what it takes to survive and sometimes changing culture is part of that,” stated Suiter.
“We appreciate what you’ve done through the program but more importantly, we appreciate your family and the rich history your business brings to this community,” said Durrett.
Appleton’s has been a family-owned and operated business since 1952 when they began selling a variety of motorcycle brands and they have been a Harley dealer for more than 35 years. They earned the title of #1 Dealer in the USA for Customer Service for two consecutive years.
The dealership is approved for motorcycle safety training and is a drop-off point for car and motorcycle batteries. Appleton Harley Davidson is located at 2501 Highway 41A Bypass. Visit appletonharley.com or call 931.648.1607 for more information.
If your business has an interest in learning more about the Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Program email Michelle Newell at firstname.lastname@example.org or call 931.245.1867.


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E. coli outbreak at Chipotle is third this year
SEATTLE (AP) — An E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in Washington state and Oregon has sickened nearly two dozen people in the third outbreak of foodborne illness at the popular chain this year.
Cases of the bacterial illness were traced to a few of the fast-casual Mexican food restaurants, but the company voluntarily closed down all 43 of its locations in the two states as a precaution.
Three people in the Portland area and 19 people in western Washington have gotten sick with E. coli as of Friday. Seventeen of them had eaten at a Chipotle restaurant during the past few weeks. Eight people have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.
Health officials are investigating the cause of the outbreak. The source was most likely a fresh food product because it probably could not be traced to one sick individual or one instance of cross-contamination of food since the cases are connected with various restaurants, said Marisa D'Angeli, medical epidemiologist with the Washington State Department of Health.
The company is not planning to close any other restaurants in other states because there is no evidence of a link to other locations, Arnold said. Reopening the shuttered locations in Oregon and Washington will depend on the investigation, company spokesman Chris Arnold said.
"Right now, that is the priority," he said.
Health officials expect the number of illnesses to rise as more people hear about the outbreak and go to the doctor.
D'Angeli encouraged anyone who has been sick with intestinal symptoms and has eaten at Chipotle since mid-October to go see their doctor and get tested. She also said anyone with bloody diarrhea should go to the doctor whether they have eaten at Chipotle or not.
Chipotle has faced other recent foodborne outbreaks. A salmonella outbreak linked to tomatoes sickened dozens of people in Minnesota beginning in August, according to state health officials. In California, health workers said norovirus sickened nearly 100 customers and employees at a Chipotle restaurant in Simi Valley in mid-August.
In the Northwest outbreak, the investigation started with talking to everyone diagnosed with E. coli and finding out what they ate and where. Test samples from those individuals will go to state labs in Washington and Oregon.
Then, samples of food from the restaurants will be tested at a U.S. Food and Drug Administration laboratory to see if bacteria from the food matches the human cases.
People have reported symptoms of E. coli infection in Clackamas and Washington counties in Oregon, and Clark, King, Skagit and Cowlitz counties in Washington.
There are hundreds of E. coli and similar bacteria strains in the intestines of humans. Most are harmless, but a few can cause serious problems.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. Health officials say the best defense against the bacterial illness is to thoroughly wash hands with soap and water.
Shares of Chipotle tumbled almost 3 percent in early trading Monday.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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It’s that time of the weeks again folks, Bethesda Softworks and id Software have today released the fifth video behind-the-scenes for RAGE, titled “The Enemies”.
As the title suggests, the fifth entry in this epic behind-the-scenes series focuses on the enemies you can expect to come across when you step into the world of RAGE. The id Software team discuss dangerous bandit clans, crazy mutants and even intelligent high-tech super soldiers.
Check out the video below, and let us know if you’re look forward to blasting away some mutants in RAGE!
RAGE is scheduled to be released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on October 4th in North America and October 7th in Europe.


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Dr. Seuss’s birthday is March 2nd and preschools and elementary schools around love to celebrate, as do we! In honor of what would have been the author’s 110th birthday, here’s some fun Dr. Seuss-related products for your young child:
99 Cent Dr. Seuss Digital Books:
Oceanhouse Media is having their annual app sale in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday Friday, February 28th through Thursday, March 6th. They are offering their entire Dr. Seuss digital book app library (more than 60 apps) for up to 80% OFF!


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Harry Potter fans will have to wait until July 2011 to finally get to the end of a 10-year odyssey spanning seven books and eight films. “Twilight” fans may have to wait until 2012 to see how the whole Edward/Jacob/Bella thing plays out on screen, since the fourth and final book, “Breaking Dawn,” could wind up being broken into two movies, according to various reports.
(UPDATE: A publicist for Summit Entertainment, the “Twilight” distributor, confirmed the two-movie scenario this afternoon).
Stieg Larsson fans have it a lot better, mainly because the movies based on the three books in the Swedish author’s “Millennium” trilogy have already been made, with the last two just needing American release dates.
Well, the second film has one now. And the way things are shaping up, there could be a smooth transition next month from the first to the second film at the Santikos Bijou theater.
The first movie, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” has been playing there for months and is scheduled to be released on DVD July 6. Meanwhile, the sequel, “The Girl Who Played With Fire,” has a July 9 release date in some markets, with expansion to the Bijou on July 16, according to the film’s Web site. That date hasn’t been confirmed by Santikos, but they’ve indicated they’re looking at either July 16 or 23.
The site doesn’t give a release date for the third film, “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,” although a note in the Washington Post lists it as Oct. 15. Chances are it’ll get to S.A. before the end of the year. The book, which had been available in Europe, only made its American debut in May.
If the last two movies are as engrossing as the first, this ought to be interesting. Not to mention tough on fingernails.


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HONG KONG, May, 12, 2020
CRIF at the German Chamber of Commerce webinar in Hong Kong
On May 12, 2020, CRIF was invited by the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong to give some practical tips for reducing credit risks during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The global supply chain has been hit by the recent pandemic and enterprises are facing numerous challenges including delays in supplier delivery, a decrease in orders, late payment from customers, and cash flow issues.
During the webinar, CRIF showed how to select a reliable buyer or supplier by using business information, and at the same time mitigate credit risks. Businesses were also advised to continuously monitor their business partners, in order to be able to take immediate action in the event of any changes to their partners’ business status. This is also a way to maintain a healthy supply chain.


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Heart Devices Pace Medtronic
Updated from 5:41 p.m. EST
Medical-device maker Medtronic (MDT) said its fiscal second-quarter revenue reached nearly $2.8 billion as the company benefited from double-digit sales growth in its largest segments, including a big gain for its heart instruments.
The Minneapolis-based company said its top line rose 15% from $2.4 billion in the prior year's second quarter. Medtronic earned $816.5 million, or 67 cents a share, up from $535.7 million and 44 cents a share last year.
Before items, second-quarter earnings would have been $657.1 million, or 54 cents a share, matching Wall Street's consensus per-share estimate.Medtronic's cardiac rhythm management business posted sales of nearly $1.3 billion, up 17%. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator revenue rose 34% to $733 million. According to the company's estimates, more than half of the ICDs being implanted are Medtronic's. In a conference call after the market closed Wednesday, Medtronic said it continues to think many patients who could be helped by ICDs aren't receiving the devices, meaning the market has substantial room for growth. The company's business focused on spinal, ear nose and throat, and navigation devices saw its revenue reach $603 million, up 19% from a year ago. Second-quarter sales at the neurological and diabetes segment climbed 13% to $487 million, and vascular revenue increased 12% to $225 million. However, revenue from Medtronic's emergency response systems business fell 21% because of vendor supply issues. That segment brought in $81 million in the quarter. Medtronic's Chief Financial Officer Gary Ellis reiterated the company's earnings guidance of $2.18 to $2.23 for its 2006 fiscal year, which it first issued at its October investor meeting. The company had previously forecast a profit of $2.10 to $2.15 for the year. Also during the conference call, Medtronic provided an update on trials of the
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Plagued by the prolonged economic slump and falling semiconductor prices worldwide, electronics giants Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. on Tuesday reported their first midterm net losses in decades.And they were huge. Hitachi Ltd. posted an unconsolidated net loss of 124.7 billion yen — the first midterm loss since fiscal 1950, company officials said. Meanwhile, Toshiba Corp. realized an unconsolidated net loss of 6.4 billion yen for the April-September period, marking the first time the firm has slipped into the red in 48 years, company officials said.All four of Toshiba’s main business segments saw a decline in sales, which included information and communications systems sales falling by 11 percent, electronic devices and materials by 14 percent, power and industrial systems by 16 percent and consumer products by 6 percent. Total net sales dropped 12 percent to 1.6 trillion yen.For the full fiscal year, however, Toshiba predicted a net profit of 12 billion yen on increased sales of personal computers and stabilized prices of semiconductor memories in the remaining six-month period.In sharp contrast, Hitachi predicted 260 billion yen in net losses for all of fiscal 1998 on an unconsolidated basis. If realized, it would be the first red-ink earnings report for a business year since Hitachi’s establishment in 1920, except for the period of economic confusion immediately after World War II, company officials said.Yoshiki Yagi, senior executive managing director at Hitachi, said that the firm’s performance in computer display and liquid crystal business were particularly poor relative to expectations.JAS suffers 237 million yen net lossJapan Air System Co. reported 237 million yen in net losses for the first half of fiscal 1998 on an unconsolidated basis after incurring 2.7 billion yen in losses due to a revaluation of its securities holdings, the carrier announced Tuesday.During the April-September period, JAS secured 171.4 billion yen in sales, up 1.0 percent from the same period in the previous year, and posted 2.5 billion yen in pretax profits.A reappraisal of the carrier’s stock holdings reduced their value by about 20 percent, reflecting the stagnant stock market, JAS officials said. JAS expects the business environment to become more severe in the second half of the current business year amid the downward trend in air fares, the officials added.Domestic air fares dropped an average 2.4 percent from the same period in the previous year, they said. Accordingly, the carrier lowered its previous forecast for unconsolidated sales to 329.6 billion yen, down 1.3 percent, for the full business year that will end next March. JAS now expects 2.8 billion yen in unconsolidated net losses for the period.
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This story was published more than 12 years ago.
Casino gaming developer International Game Technology has announced that it has completed a deal with the Chiligaming Network that will see the software giant providing premium games to Chili Casino.
As part of the deal, IGT will be supplying its full portfolio of games to the Chiligaming Network. These games include marquee titles such as Star Trek, Roulette!, Wild Wolf and MegaJackpots. Players will have the ability to play the games for money or for fun, with the ability to win cash prizes. Chiligaming currently has gaming licenses in Alderney, Curacao, and France and offers casino gaming, poker and sports betting.
Commenting on the deal, IGT Vice President of Interactive Operations Alex Kelly said, With a loyal player base across its network and a history of innovation, Chiligaming is an ideal partner for IGT. We believe Chiligaming’s existing players will welcome the arrival of IGT’s premium games and that the new titles on offer will assist with attracting new players to ChiliCasino.”
Alexandre Dreyfus, Chief Executive at Chiligaming said, “IGT’s premium portfolio of online gaming content will help us grow ChiliCasino across Europe by offering some of the very best casino and slots games the industry has to offer.”


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The Secretary Ministry of Textile Industry (MINTEX) at the first meeting of Federal Textile Board held on Monday after its reconstitution in July 2014 chairing by Minister for Textile Industry Abbas Khan Afridi announced that the Pakistanâ€™s textile policy would be presented in the next Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet meeting also restructuring of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) was also on cards.
Afridi assured the participants of the meeting Ministry was following a multi-pronged strategy from facilitation to research and technology up gradation for the textile sectorâ€™s protection and development.
The meeting discussed issues related to declining textile exports, upcoming textile policy, Generalized System of Preferences by European Union to Pakistan, seed amendment act, cotton standardization, textile cess, Export Development Fund, sales tax refunds and deferred payments in detail.
The members recommended the inclusion of Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, Towel Manufacturer Association, All Pakistan Bed sheets and Upholstery Manufacturer Association, All Pakistan Denim Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association in the Federal Textile Board.
The private members apprised the minister of their grievances in general and pending sales tax refund issue in particular. MINTEX assured them of all out cooperation and support. It was also decided at the meeting that an international textile exhibition will be held annually. The first one would be scheduled in March 2015.
Further, to streamline the Boardâ€™s mandate and effectiveness, it was decided to conduct quarterly meetings of the Board.
Members of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association, Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association, Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association, PCCC, National Food Security and Research, National Textile University and Textile Commissioner attended the meeting.
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For a few months, Nothing has been giving teasers of its first smartphone – Phone 1. However, they tell customers nothing about the upcoming handset. It seems like the company plans to provide the public with small looks at Phone 1 before a big reveal on July 12. Recently, Nothing released new teasers on its Twitter account in the last two days. But, they too do not give many details about the company’s first smartphone. Frustratingly, instead of focusing on the upcoming handset, the images focus on the birds perched on the handset.
In the first teaser, the image only depicts the handset’s top at the bottom. And the tagline goes as – Curious? So are they. Hence, confirming that it is a teaser for the upcoming Phone 1. Additionally, the image shows the top camera on the rear and a design that looks similar to an iPhone with rounded corners. Also, there are antenna bands along the top of the device, creating a possibility that it will flaunt a metal rear.
Moreover, unlike previously leaked designs that showed a black Phone 1, this leak depicts a white version. Additionally, the design in these pictures matches the previously leaked handset images. Therefore, Phone 1 will likely boast a camera module in the top left-hand corner on its rear side. However, there are no details yet about other cameras that the upcoming Nothing handset will possess. But, according to various leaks, it will likely contain a 50MP (primary), an 8MP (secondary), and a 2MP camera on the rear.
The second teaser came out on June 14, showcasing the left-hand edge of Phone 1’s rear. Hence, it contains even more minimal details about the smartphone.
The launch of Nothing Phone 1 is just a month away. Thus, we do not have to wait long to know all the details about the company’s first smartphone. Nothing will host a launch event on July 12 at 11 am ET / 2 pm PT / 4 pm BST. In addition, some previous leaks suggest that Phone 1 will go on sale on July 21, boasting a price tag of $525 (US) / €500 (Europe).


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Rumour has it that the Japanese giant Sharp is on the verge of launching two new smartphones on July 17 at an event. Both these smartphones pack bezel-less display which is quite similar to Xiaomi’s Mi MIX smartphone. Furthermore, according to the rumors, the new Sharp smartphones come with serial numbers “FS8010” and “FS8016” respectively. The new Sharp variants have recently popped up on AnTuTu benchmark revealing some of the details.
According to AnTuTu’s specifications table, the Sharp FS8010 mentions the inclusion of Snapdragon 630 64-bit processor coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard memory. It also confirms that the device might sport a 12-megapixel primary camera accompanied by an 8-megapixel front-facing shooter. However, there is no clarity on Sharp FS8016 so far.
The previous offering from the company was Sharp Aquos Crystal which was launched in August 2014, and it was the first smartphones to promote the borderless display. The successor, the Aquos Crystal 2 launched in 2015, which further extended the design limits of the Borderless design. However, both the smartphones were not able to create enough buzz in the tech world and among the mass audience. It might surprise me possible that the Sharp will follow their traditional design philosophy with more refinements this time. So, let’s hope for the best. Stay tuned for further updates.


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Greece hopes to replace Turkey as a major destination for Russian tourists this coming season with pilgrimage tours, visits to wineries and historical sites, the country’s Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura said in an interview with Gazeta.ru.
When asked if she expected more Russian tourists to come to Greece now that Egypt and Turkey are virtually closed to Russian vacationers, Elena Kountoura said that her ministry’s new policy had already resulted in a record increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country.
“We had around a million Russian tourists coming in each year over the past few years. The figure was a bit less last year but we expect a 20 percent growth this year,” she said.
Greece has traditionally been considered an ideal place to spend the summer. The weather in December, January and February is much like what we have here in Russia, and it is exactly with the fall season in mind that Greek tour operators offer a variety of medicinal, health-building and spa resorts.
To make sure that tourists keep coming over all year round the Greek companies are promoting agro-, gastronomical and wine tourism, which is particularly popular in Russia. We also offer all kinds of sea cruises and yachting and scuba diving programs.
“Family tourism is also very popular in Russia, just like medicinal and health-building ones,” the Minister said.
When asked if the high cost of vacationing in Greece, compared to what was traditionally offed by Egypt and Turkey, Elena Kountoura said that even though Greece was an EU country, the prices there are pretty affordable.
“Instead of jacking up prices just like many non-EU countries are doing now, Greek tour companies offer very good prices and financially attractive package deals too,” she added.
When asked about the number of Greek tourists coming to Russia, Elena Kountoura said that despite the economic downturn of the past few years 7 percent more Greek tourists visited Russia in 2015.
Unlike Egypt and Turkey, Russians need a visa to visit Greece. When asked if Russians travelers were turned off by this the Minister said that there were 28 Greek visa centers currently at work in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities across Russia.
“We already have increased our staff to speed up the visa process. Besides, we have service desks available at banks and we are now setting up six mobile biometric centers elsewhere in Russia,” Elena Kountoura said.
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160404/1037446099/greece-tourism-minister.html#ixzz44wwPcigF


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Final 2014 prediction: the end of the PC as we knew it
We’re generally a Macintosh shop here in Santa Rosa. I have Windows and Linux PCs, too, but most of the heavy lifting is done on Macs. Next Wednesday I’m expecting a delivery from B&H Photo (no tax and free shipping!) of four new iMacs plus some software totaling $5,407. I fully expect these to be the last personal computers I will ever buy.
How’s that for a 2014 prediction?
Moore’s Law doubles the performance of computers every couple of years and my old rule of thumb was that most people who make their living with computers are unwilling to be more than two generations behind, so that means no more than four years between new PCs. And that’s the logic upon which the market seemed to function for many years. But no longer.
Wall Street analysts have noted the slowdown in PC sales. Servers are still doing well but desktops and notebooks are seeing year-over-year declines. Even Apple is selling fewer Macs and MacBooks than before. This trend is unlikely to be arrested… ever.
The computers I’m replacing are those of my wife and kids -- three Mac Minis from 2007 and a 2008 iMac. The Minis were all bought on Craigslist for an average cost of $300 while the iMac was an Apple closeout almost six years ago.
I don’t get a new PC this time but I did spend $400 to rebuild my 2010 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM, a big hybrid drive and a new, higher-capacity, battery, which should be plenty for the next 2-3 years.
The Minis are for the most part okay, but my kids tell me that the next version of Minecraft will no longer support their GPUs. None of them can be upgraded to the latest version of OS X, either. They’ve reached the end of the line as desktops so I’ll probably use them as servers running Linux. None of them will be sold or thrown away.
The 2008 iMac has been slowly losing its mind and now goes into occasional fits of spontaneous rebooting that I think is related mainly to overheating. I’ll leave it turned off until it’s time to copy over to the new machine. Until then Mary Alyce can use her 2008 MacBook.
What we have here is a confluence of three trends. The first trend is marginal performance improvements over time. Yes, a new PC will make your spreadsheet recalculate faster but if you can’t feel the improvement -- if the change isn’t measurable in your experience -- is it an improvement at all? Why change?
Gamers will always want faster computers, but a second trend will probably satisfy them. That trend is exemplified by the Mainframe2 column I wrote a few weeks ago. Apps requiring a lot of processing power are starting to migrate to the cloud where massive crowds of GPUs can be applied only as needed making much more efficient use of resources and allowing a PC gaming experience on devices like tablets. Adobe especially seems to be embracing this trend as a new way to generate consumer app revenue. They will be followed eventually by all software companies, even game companies.
Deliberate obsolescence can push us toward replacing a PC, but replacing it with what? The third trend means the next PC I buy for my kids won’t be a PC at all, but a phone. I wrote about this before in my column The Secret of iOS 7.
This is the key transition and one that bears further explanation. Apple is happy with it while Microsoft and Intel are not. Apple is happy because the average length of time we go before replacing a phone is actually getting shorter just as our PC replacements are getting farther apart. Long driven by two-year cellular contract cycles, the average life expectancy of a mobile phone is 18 months and in a couple years it will probably drop to 12 months.
Look at this from Apple’s perspective. If they sell us computers every five years at an average cost of $1,200 and a gross profit margin of 40 percent that’s $480 in profit over five years or $96 per customer per year. But if Apple sells us an iPhone every 18 months at a real cost of $500 (usually hidden in the phone contract) with the same 40 percent margin that’s $200 every 18 months or $133 per year. Apple makes far more money selling us iPhones than iMacs. If the phone replacement cycle shortens then Apple makes even more money from us.
No wonder Apple has little nostalgia for the Mac.
And given that the company dropped the word computer from its name back in 2007, they’ve seen this coming for a long, long time.
This year we’ll see an important structural change take place in the PC hardware market. I’m not saying there won’t still be desktop and notebook PCs to buy, but far fewer of us will be buying them. This tipping point has already come and gone and all I am doing here is pointing out its passage.
If you read about some Wall Street analyst attributing declining PC sales to the bad economy at, say, Dell or HP, well they are just being dumb. It’s not the economy, stupid. It’s a whole new market.
It should be no surprise, then, that Apple -- a company known for its market timing -- has just started shipping a new Mac Pro. That amazing computer is overkill for 95 percent of the desktop market. It represents the new desktop PC archetype, which is a very expensive hugely powerful machine tightly aimed at the small population of professional users who still need a desktop. Unless you are editing HD video all day every day, you don’t need a new desktop PC.
What the rest of us will get are new phones and whole new classes of peripherals. The iPhone in your pocket will become your desktop whenever you are within range of your desktop display, keyboard and mouse. These standalone devices will be Apple’s big sellers in 2014 and big sellers for HP and Dell in 2015 and beyond. The next iPod/iPhone/iPad will be a family of beautiful AirPlay displays that will serve us just fine for at least five years linked to an ever-changing population of iPhones.
Apple will skim the cream from the AirPlay display market, too, until it is quickly commoditized at which point the big PC companies can take over while Cupertino concentrates on the higher-margin iPhones.
Now imagine you no longer need or even want a desktop or notebook PC. What that means is your life becomes even more phone-centric with the result that your inclination to upgrade is further accelerated. Move the upgrade slider to 12 months from 18 and what does it do to Apple’s bottom line? Exactly.
And what does it do to Microsoft’s? Intel’s? Dell’s? HP’s?
Tim Cook has come under a lot of criticism for not moving fast enough at Apple but frankly this structural market change simply couldn’t have happened before now. He had to wait.
2014 will be Cook and Apple’s year and I don’t see even a chance that he will blow it.


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(Bloomberg) -- Hermes International SCA’s second-quarter sales beat analysts’ estimates on additional factory capacity and the French maker of $10,000 bags said first-half profitability improved due to a currency hedging contract.
Sales rose 8.1 percent excluding currency shifts, Hermes said in a statement Thursday. Analysts expected 5.6 percent growth. The first-half operating margin widened about 1 percentage point, helped by hedging on foreign exchange rates, the company said.
Hermes is steadily increasing production of its signature leather goods, which have waiting lists that can run for more than a year. That’s helping the maker of Birkin handbags weather slowing luxury demand. China’s cooling economy and terror attacks in Europe have some analysts bracing for the industry’s second-weakest year since 2009.
Hermes has warned that 2016 will be difficult. If demand remains subdued in parts of Asia and the U.S., revenue growth could be below 8 percent this year, excluding currency swings, the company repeated. First-half growth was 7.2 percent on that basis.
Second-quarter revenue rose 6 percent to 1.25 billion euros ($1.4 billion). Analysts predicted 1.23 billion euros.
To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Roberts in Paris at email@example.com. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Matthew Boyle at firstname.lastname@example.org, Paul Jarvis, Thomas Mulier
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