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A company looking to convince startups to ditch VC funding in favor of taking out a loan just raised $1 billion
Clearbanc, a company that provides non-dilutive funding to startups as an alternative to VC funding, has closed $1 billion in capital (including the $120 million it disclosed last year).
Caroline Spiegel, the sister of Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, is launching a new porn startup geared toward women
Evan Spiegel isn't the only one in his family in the tech industry — his sister Caroline is launching a site geared toward female pleasure.
These are the 35 US tech startups that have reached unicorn status in 2018
So far in 2018, there have been 35 tech companies in the US to reach a billion-dollar valuation.
The 19 hottest San Francisco startups to watch in 2018
San Francisco's tech scene is thriving, and these 19 startups show the best of what the city can do.
DIGITAL HEALTH BRIEFING: Digital health funding to hit $7B in 2017 — Roman launches health platform with $3.1M — Under Armour drops HealthBox
Accenture has raised its forecast for global digital health startup funding to $7 billion in 2017, up from its original estimate of $6.5 billion.
Virtual reality gets smelly thanks to this Japanese startup
A Japanese startup raised funds this week for its odor releasing add on for virtual reality headsets.
A San Francisco startup wants to fix childcare by helping educators start their own schools out of their homes
San Francisco based startup Wonderschool runs a network child care programs. They recently raised $2 million.
These charts show how brutally hard it is for startups to raise each new funding round
We found out just how many startups raise their next round — and it's surprisingly low.
Star fund manager Neil Woodford says 'appallingly bad' funding stops Britain creating the next Google or Facebook
The investment manager thinks tech startups in Britain come under pressure from shareholders to sell out too early.


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LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Small Business Saturday pulled in big numbers in 2022.
But studies show not only is shopping local more important these days, so is shopping with minority-owned businesses.
"As a Black business, you are always working to beat the odds," said Black Soil Owner Ashley Smith.
The business connects Black farmer products directly to consumers.
Fresh off of Black Friday, she said the holidays now bring in customers from all walks of life.
We've developed a diverse portfolio of the type of people that we work with."
She, along with UK Marketing Professor John Peloza, works with young people to increase minority entrepreneurship in Lexington.
Peloza says that while diverse ownership is a rising factor in someone's shopping experience, the support tends to come in waves.
"It's certainly there. But it tends to lag behind things like environmental performance, for example. Except when, as you said, something brings it to a higher consciousness that says, 'oh my gosh, this is an important issue. I care about this,'" said Peloza.
Peloza said there isn't necessarily a lack of interest from consumers, but a lack of diverse suppliers.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 9.75% of businesses in the country are Black-owned.
This is why Peloza said more diverse ownership is key to changing the economic landscape.
"If the world looked different from a retail perspective, it would be easier for consumers to integrate that into their decision-making," said Peloza.
He provided the following links for anyone looking to take the first entrepreneurial step:

domain: news


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Celebrating the richness and diversity of the Hispanic-Latino community and recognizing our collective journey towards social and economic progress is not limited to National Hispanic Heritage Month, especially when it comes to the prospects for small Hispanic businesses at scale. national. This year in particular, we recognize the resilience of small business owners affected by a global health crisis who continue to serve our community of Tucson.
The past year has been tough: 99% of Hispanic entrepreneurs say the pandemic has created additional stress in running their business, according to our recently released 2021 Hispanic Business Owners Spotlight. The need for reliable employees in these stressful times is not lost on Spanish-Latino business owners – 84% say they have changed, or plan to change, their approach to employee well-being and benefits. employees in the aftermath of the pandemic, as many believe their ability to attract and retain quality employees has a direct impact on the success of their business.
Despite these challenges, the Spanish-Latino business outlook is strong. Eighty-one percent of Hispanic-Latino business owners expect their income to increase over the next year, compared to 59% of non-Hispanic-Latino business owners, and economic optimism and hiring plans have shown strong increases since last fall. In fact, the Latino community is booming. According to a study by the Center for Economic Research & Forecasting at the Lutheran University of California, which estimated the gross domestic product of Latinos in the United States, Arizona’s Hispanic-Latino GDP was $ 91.9 billion in 2018, higher than the total economic output of the state. from New Hampshire.
Hispanic business owners supported their community even when faced with challenges. Community values ââare strong among Hispanic business owners, as our survey showed that many say they have felt an increase in family and community support in the past 12 months, and 60% have volunteered to help their local communities. to recover and thrive.
In Tucson, where the Hispanic-Latino population represents 44% of our extended community and is an integral part of our business community, there is no doubt that Hispanic-Latino business owners contribute to the success of our local economy.
At Bank of America, we serve 12 million Hispanic-Latino customers, one million of whom are also business owners who strive to make a lasting positive impact in their communities. By providing digital resources in Spanish, hiring bilingual customer-facing teams, and investing in research like our annual Hispanic Business Owner Spotlight to better understand the unique experiences of these entrepreneurs, we are especially good at it. positioned to help our customers and our Hispanic community continue to be successful.
We also invest in local programs and partners, such as Chicanos Por La Causa, Pima Community College, and the Primavera Foundation, all of which address a myriad of underlying issues facing Hispanic individuals, families and businesses. latinos. To help Hispanic-Latino entrepreneurs and other under-represented entrepreneurs gain better access to capital, Bank of America provided $ 350 million in capital to minority-focused funds like Vamos Ventures and L’Attitude Ventures, who then invest growth capital in minority-run businesses.
Supporting Hispanic-Latino businesses not only helps nurture the rich diversity of our community, but more importantly, it helps strengthen our local economy as these businesses continue to grow, creating job opportunities and business owners. give back to our community.
Ensuring the long-term success of Hispanic entrepreneurs in Tucson continues to be a priority for Bank of America today and beyond.
Christine Abdullah is the Director of Small Business Advisory at Bank of America.


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Copart, a US-based global leader in online vehicle auctions. launched its India Technology Center here on Tuesday
The facility was inaugurated by US Consul General in Hyderabad, Katherine Hadda, in the presence of Secretary of State for IT Jayesh Ranjan and senior company management.
Copart Inc executive vice president Will Franklin said the company has nearly 200 yards globally, including one in Delhi and Hyderabad. “We are aiming to gradually set up about 50 yards in India,” he said.
Copart India Technology Center Manager Abdul Khuddus said nearly $2 million has been invested in the Indian facilities. “Hyderabad offers a great opportunity for companies like Copart. Technology support, which is the backbone of the company’s unique system, will be developed and improvised in this facility,” he added.
The company sells nearly 2 million dead cars each year and aims to double that figure.
Copart is present in 190 locations in 11 countries with a market capitalization of Rs 45,000 crore. The company also deals with used cars, cars thrown away by owners or seized by insurance companies, mainly end-of-life vehicles (ELVs).
Nearly 1,600 vehicles damaged in the Chennai floods have been acquired by Copart and sold online to bidders. During the Katrina floods in the United States, two lakh ELVs were auctioned online.
Describing Hyderabad as a prime destination for tech companies, US Consul General Hadda said nearly 130 US companies have set up their facilities in the city.
“A company like this (Copart) recognizes that the world is becoming flatter and is selling cars to Afghanistan and so on, which is amazing. It speaks to the power of technology, which is transforming our lives very profoundly,” she said. noted.
Ranjan said it is small and medium-sized companies like Copart that actually provide numbers for Hyderabad’s growth, in addition to tech giants like Google, Amazon and Microsoft.
He welcomed the company’s plan to hire 120 people by the end of 2017 and to double that number by next year.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Infinity Ward has recently announced that the popular 1v1 Gulag mode will be making a comeback in Call of Duty: Warzone 2 as part of the updates in the game’s Season 2. This Along with this, a new map is also being added to the free-to-play shooter, adding to the already existing content.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2, which was launched in late 2022, received mixed reviews from players. However, changes to the core gameplay and an endless series of glitches left a sour taste in many gamers’ mouths. One of the most controversial changes to the game was the change from the 1v1 to a 2v2 mode for the Gulag.
The Gulag was a unique and popular feature in the original Warzone, where players who were eliminated in the early stages of the game had a chance to respawn by winning a 1v1 match in the Gulag, adding an extra layer of tension and excitement to the game.
1v1’s are back in Battle Royale.
Gulag updates are coming in Season 02. We’ll be sharing more details about this in next week’s studio blog.@RavenSoftware
— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) January 19, 2023
In a recent tweet, Infinity Ward announced that the 1v1 Gulag mode will be returning to Warzone 2 as part of the upcoming Season 2 update for the game. This news has been welcomed by players who were eagerly awaiting the return of the 1v1 Gulags and those who were disappointed with the change to 2v2 in the sequel. The tweet did not clarify whether the 1v1 Gulags will replace the 2v2 mode altogether or simply be a new game mode players can search for, but the studio has stated more info will be provided with the next update.
The response to the tweet from Warzone 2 fans was mixed, with some players expressing excitement at the return of the 1v1 Gulags while others voiced their frustration about why the 2v2 mode was there. Some Twitter users posited that the return to 1v1 Gulags was solely due to requests from popular streamers, but no evidence has been provided to support these claims.
Like many changes made to games in the Call of Duty franchise, the return of 1v1 Gulags to Warzone 2 is proving to be highly divisive among players. While some may not welcome this change, bringing back the popular mechanic could help to slow Warzone 2’s player count decline. Warzone 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S and players can expect to see the changes in the upcoming Season 2 update, which will bring more excitement and tension to the already thrilling 1v1 Gulag Format Is Coming Back To Warzone 2


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Luxury retailer set to open first Bay Area store at Westfield
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Luxury jewelry retailer David Yurman will be opening a flagship Bay Area store this November at Santa Clara’s Westfield Valley Fair Mall.
The company’s decision to open a first-to-market store in Silicon Valley – rather than nearby San Francisco – is noteworthy, said Gavin Farnam, Westfield Valley Fair Mall senior general manager.
“It’s significant that this highly-regarded luxury retailer chose the heart of Silicon Valley for its Northern California debut,” Farnam said in a statement. “The people, the culture, the diversity and the talent make Silicon Valley attractive to retailers right now.”
Farnam shared additional insight on why retailers might be gravitating to the area now in a Business Journal Q&A earlier this month, when he also said to expect more announcements on luxury additions to the mall in the coming weeks.
Construction will begin soon on the new David Yurman store in the mall’s luxury wing, which is currently undergoing a major overhaul.
The jewelry company is the latest of several recently announced additions, with others including new stores for Burberry, TAG Heuer and Wolford.
Lauren Hepler is the economic development reporter at the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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Random House found their start with a reprint series when they acquired the Modern Library classics. Now we know them as one of the biggest book companies in the world. Today, Dzanc Books announced their rEprint Series. Can we expect similar growth?
With the new line, Dzanc — who’s always out front on the technical aspects of publishing (see, for example their eBook Club or the Best of the Web which I’m particularly fond of) — will release eBook versions of literary fiction that’s recently gone out of print. That is, they aren’t just reprinting their own backlist digitally, but actively bringing in titles from major publishers like Knopf.
On the forthcoming list are books by HTMLGiant faves like Noy Holland, Michael Martone (3 books) and Ted Pelton. The books will be available for every digital format. The current list can be seen here, though the press release says hundreds more titles are on the way.
I asked Dan Wickett how big he sees this new series being for Dzanc, in relation to Random House’s reprint series 80+ years ago. “No idea to tell you the truth,” he said. “It fits into our mission of advancing great writing and championing such writers. We obviously hope that it brings their work to a large new readership.” Spoken like a CEO. And other professional attributes of the project, which anyone familiar with Dzanc has come to expect, include higher than standard author royalties (in this case, paying 50% cover on sales) and books designed for each platform, not just converted from previous files.
Dzanc isn’t just raising the bar for small presses; they’re changing the game across every level. I’m glad they’re out there, forging a path through the digital landscape.
Tags: dzanc reprint series


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DHL recently sent out a survey to over 350 supply chain professionals from around the world to discover the reasons behind the talent shortage crisis currently faced by the global supply chain.
According to their report, “The Supply Chain Talent Shortage: From Gap to Crisis”, reasons for the shortfall include the changing skillsets required due to digitalisation, an aging workforce, a lack of initiatives to attract talent, and the perception that supply chain jobs are boring.
Lisa Harrington of the lharrington group, the consultancy firm commissioned by DHL to carry out the report, cites a study which found that companies with good talent management increased revenue and profits at a significantly greater speed than companies described as “talent laggards”.
The report recommends offering “clearer career paths and a visible commitment to the professional development of its supply chain staff combined with competitive remuneration packages”.
It also encourages companies to start “emphasizing that the future workforce will need to have skills in robotic management, AI and IV control – job aspects that would be attractive to the younger demographic and help combat the negative perception of the sector.”


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Car fuel consumption: agree to disagree
Consumer organizations and NGOs have been critical (again) about the official fuel consumption figures for new cars. Transport & Environment has published a report about the consumption of PHEVs. Consumer organizations now offer an online tool for people to monitor the real-life fuel consumption of their cars.
Meanwhile, the sales of plug-in hybrid cars are booming all over Europe, not in the least because many countries offer incentives and, as a consequence, PHEVs become very popular as company cars.
Transport & Environment
In a recent report, after doing some tests in real driving conditions, T&E was critical about the official consumption figures of cars and, in particular, plug-in hybrids. For the latter, they even talked about fraud, and some comments on the report even alluded to a ‘new dieselgate’.
This is, in this case, going much too far. In fact, the official test emission cycles (now the more stringent WLTP test, earlier on the NEDC test) are not very accurate to establish consumption figures for plug-in hybrids.
That’s why real driving emission tests (RDE) are giving very different (and higher) results. And, of course, it all depends on the discipline PHEV owners show in using their car. T&E has not only been pointing out the problem, but it has also made suggestions about how to solve it.
T&E suggests some fundamental changes to make these vehicles what they are supposed to be: a transition from ICE to EV for people who still have their hesitations. According to Anna Krajinska, emission engineer at T&E, three aspects can be addressed: the motor(s), the capacity of the battery, and the charging capacity.
Her advice is clear and to the point: the electric motors in PHEV cars have to be more powerful so that the car can drive in pure electric mode in more circumstances. The capacity of the battery should be enlarged. And also, a PHEV should be capable of fast-charging along the road.
Different consumer organizations and universities have created an online tool called MILE 21 for ‘More Info, Less Emissions’ in 2021. The tool helps the average car user to monitor his fuel consumption. The different organizations want to collect as much data on car consumption as possible.
“The most relevant data are, of course, those registered in real driving conditions on the road,” says the Belgian consumer organization TestAankoop/TestAchats. “These results are interesting to collect and compare and are, therefore, open for everyone.”
“We aim to have a database from hundreds of car models. The consumer gets a good idea of his consumption but can also compare with the figures the manufacturer is giving and the other consumers’ results driving the same or a different car.
Included in MILE 21 are several tips to adapt your driving style and habits, leading to a serious dive in consumption, from -7% to -38%.
Despite the criticism, we see that sales of plug-in hybrids are booming at the moment. Compared to last year, we had more registrations for the first 10 months than the whole of last year. And this despite a car market that has been down for approximately one-fourth due to the corona crisis.
Hybrid cars were representing 14,2% of the market last October, a record. Most of the plug-in hybrids (90%) are company cars. The increase is at the expense of gasoline cars (from 60 to 44% market share) rather than diesel cars (stable or even a slight increase up to 37%).
Full electric cars are also booming, resulting in a 3% market share. It’s still a very long road to go, but the number is increasing rapidly. There are still two hurdles to be taken: the offered range and the lack of different models. That should be cured in the years to come when hundreds of new electrified vehicles are available on the market.


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Technology brands dominate in Interbrand’s 2022 Best Global Brands Report
Retaining its position as the number one global brand for a 10th consecutive year, Apple’s brand value exceeds second placed Microsoft by over $200bn. The overall value of the Top 100 brands now exceeds $3tn for the first time in its history.
Interbrand’s Best Global Brands Report seeks to highlight businesses that have grown and maintained financial value through innovation and robust reputation management. For the first time, this year’s report takes quantitative environmental, societal and governance (ESG) data into account in its methodology.
The report notes that its top 10 brands represent the formation of a ‘super league’; a group of brands so valuable that they are almost becoming impossible for competitor brands to topple. A common theme amongst those brands is strong growth (barring Coca-Cola), while many brands outside the top 10, like Intel, Facebook and H&M, have seen stagnant growth and even decline.
Gonzalo Brujó, global CEO of Interbrand, says, “These top 10 brands defy the rules. They build exceptionally strong relationships with their customers, which allows them to extend the equity of their brand beyond traditional products, sectors or silos. They stand out in terms of leadership, empowerment and change—and with that comes value.”
Elsewhere, Microsoft, Tesla and Chanel saw the greatest year-on-year percentage growth. Though Tesla was not able to replicate its remarkable 184% rise in brand value seen in 2021, it did jump up two places from 14th to 12th. New entrants to the report included Airbnb, Red Bull and Xiaomi knock Uber, Zoom and John Deere out of the top 100.
Brujó adds, “As we journey through this period of economic uncertainty, the most successful brands will continue to make ever stronger connections with consumers. It is no longer enough to have a static business and brand offering. Successful brands know how to harness new technology to create improved experiences for consumers and become a truly integrated part of their lives.
“Our 100 Best Global Brands have burst through the $3 trillion mark for the first time, but there is still room for further growth from both the top 10 and new entrants alike.”


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Keds go into the Wild! In honor of Where the Wild Things Are, the sneaker company has released a line of animal-inspired kicks. [Style File]
Whatever your thoughts on LiLo’s collection for Ungargo, it seems like she’s staying at the famed French house for another season. [People Style Watch]
Get more fashion news from our favorite blogs here!


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Attention Target shoppers: Popular retailer changing rule, how it could affect you next time you shop
Target has announced today, Wednesday, it’s adopting a no-gun policy.
The national chain is asking customers not to bring firearms to its stores, even in communities where it’s permitted by law.
Target’s interim CEO John Mulligan said in a statement bringing firearms “Creates an environment that is at odds with the family-friendly shopping.”
The company had recently come under fire by anti-gun lobbying groups like “Moms demand action for gun sense.”
The third largest U.S. retailer is the biggest company yet to ban the so-called “open carry” of firearms.
Chipotle became the first major company to ask customers not to bring guns to its locations two months ago.


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- It is believed to be the Korean variant
- The device is listed with the power of the Snapdragon 898 processor
- It is running on the Android 12 operating system
The South Korean electronics giant Samsung is working on its flagship tablet series called the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series and today the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra appeared on the popular benchmarking website Geekbench once again and this is believed to be the Korean variant. The benchmarking website reveals the important specification details of the upcoming device. So without making any further delay let’s get into the article to check out the newly surfaced information about the upcoming Samsung flagship tablet.
According to the benchmarking website, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will be powered by the the upcoming Snapdragon 898 mobile processor and it is expected to be announced on November 30.
It is also confirmed that the upcoming tablet will have 8GB of RAM and the device is running on the latest version of the Android Operating System out of the box and that is Android 12. The device has managed to score 1215 points in the single core test while 3159 points in the multi core test.
We don’t have any other information about the upcoming device at this moment of time but we are looking forward to hear more about the same in the coming days and we recommend you to stay tuned with us for the latest happenings from the technological world at your fingertips.
Read interesting news, reviews as well as tips & tricks on TechnoBugg website, and stay updated with the latest happenings of the tech world on the go with Technobugg App. Also follow on Google News and join our Telegram channel for the latest updates.


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News by Topic
- Search Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Loyalty Marketing
- Mobile Marketing
- Social Marketing
- Viral Marketing
- Trends & Ideas
- Internet Marketing 101
Report: Email volume up 11%, most opens now on mobile
Email isn't slowing down. That according to new data out from Experian Marketing Services which shows email open rates continued an upward trends (11.6% increase) through Q1 2013. One thing has changed: most email opens are now completed via mobile device.
This trend underscores the need for brands to optimize email messages for multiple screens. The Experian report also shows:
• 59% of CPG brands saw 'statistically significant' unique clicks (Q1 2013)
• 53% of CPG brands saw 'statistically significant' email open increases
• 63% of media/entertainment brands also saw a significant upswing in email opens
Meanwhile, a trend brands may want to take advantage of: Gifting. The report shows that Father's Day campaigns utilizing 'gift' in the subject line saw 18% more click rates than other Father's Day campaigns. Over the Christmas holiday, emails using 'gift idea' headlines also saw significant engagement.
"With overall email volume increasing nearly 12 percent this past year, coupled with revenue per email remaining steady, the channel is showing strong growth to date in 2013," said Peter DeNunzio, general manager for cross-channel marketing at Experian Marketing Services. "This growth is evidenced in that 51 percent of brands saw increases in transaction rates. Multichannel retailers are receiving the highest gain in volume as consumers are continuing to engage across several channels, demonstrating the need for marketers to deliver consistent experiences to be successful today. Case in point being that more than 50 percent of total email opens occurred on mobile devices for Q1 2013."
E-receipts are another trend than can make business simpler for many brands, and Experian's report shows that e-receipts have higher unique open rates than bulk mailings. This is credited to the receipts being triggered by an actual purchase. However, the practice also offers brands another chance to engage the buyer with related items - a computer purchase, for example, could trigger a coupon in the e-receipt for peripheral items.
Image via Shutterstock
- Release makes push notifications actionable
- Early results show skipping ads improves engagement
- Top 3 tips to better personalize online campaigns
- Pinterest gives businesses a deeper peek into their Pinners
- Parents give retailers advice on making back-to-school shopping more bearable
- Study reveals impact of mobile use on Japanese students' grades
- Poll: SMB owners voting out incumbents
- How to improve worker productivity
Featured White Papers
- How to Maximize, Manage, and Measure Organic Search
Organic search delivers high-quality traffic and revenue with a high contribution margin. But organic search is hard, and it's getting...
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Internet research firm NetRatings says it’s filed patent infringement lawsuits against two Web analytics firms, Coremetrics and Omniture.
The suits, filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware, allege both of the firms infringe on four patents relating to the collection, analysis and reporting of data concerning people’s computer usage, according to the plaintiff. NetRatings claims to hold or control six patents covering work in the area, including No. 5,675,510, which relates to a “computer use meter and analyzer,” and No. 5,796,952, which covers “a method and apparatus for tracking client interaction with a network resource and creating client profiles and resource database.”
NetRatings’ online research offerings include audience measurement, online ad measurement, a media planning tool, and a reach and frequency tool. Both Coremetrics and Omniture focus on providing Web site analytics.
“NetRatings has a strong heritage of both developing and acquiring innovative technologies to support our leading Internet media and market research products, and we have invested a significant amount of time and capital in building a comprehensive patent portfolio,” said William Pulver, president and CEO of NetRatings, in a statement.
More specifics of the complaints filed weren’t available at press time. Defendant Omniture wasn’t available for comment on the suit, and a Coremetrics spokesperson said the company hadn’t yet seen the complaint and therefore couldn’t respond.
“We will evaluate this claim and determine how best to proceed,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the fact that it faces growing competition from Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, Google-owned YouTube is still one of the most popular ... read more
Amazon prides itself on being the most “customer-centric” company in the world, but according to investigative journalism non-profit ProPublica, Amazon’s algorithms are often anything but ... read more


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Find out how much data Netflix uses and how to reduce that data usage. Whether you watch Netflix on iPhone, Apple TV, iPad, Mac, or other devices, you can be in control of the amount of data being used. We show you exactly how. This is perfect for making sure you don’t go over capped data limits.
Netflix is abandoning star ratings in favor of a binary thumbs-up/down system set to start rolling out in a few weeks, Fast Company reported Friday. Variety says Netflix is also planning to stream content in High Dynamic Range (HDR) quality on supported mobile devices. HDR video offers a more dynamic and richer range of colors, brighter whites and deeper blacks. Lastly, they’re experimenting with mobile-specific cuts of movies and TV shows tailored to viewing on smartphone screens.
Apple appears poised to shake up its Apple TV business amid data showing that sales of the media-streaming box saw a year-over-year decline. Apple TV was last refreshed in October 2015.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple in February hired Timothy D. Twerdahl to lead Apple TV operations and beef up teams seeking content deals.
Twerdahl is the former head of Amazon’s Fire TV operating unit. Prior to his tenure at Amazon, he served as an executive at Netflix and later as a Vice President in charge of consumer devices at Roku. He was also Vice President of Products at smartwatch startup WIMM Labs from 2009 to 2012, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Netflix is one of the world’s most popular media streaming services in terms of movies and TV shows, and their mobile app is no exception to the service’s popularity.
On the other hand, that doesn’t mean the app is perfect, and that’s why a developer has made a new jailbreak tweak called FlixEnhancer, which brings a slew of new features and improvements to the native Netflix app for iOS.
After gaining the long overdue offline playback feature last week, Netflix’s mobile app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has emerged as the top iOS app on the App Store’s Top Grossing charts for the first time ever, overtaking apps like Spotify and Candy Crush Saga, according to stats from app tracking firm SensorTower. By comparison, just last month Netflix was the #7 top-grossing iPhone and iPad software overall in the United States.
At the time of this writing, Netflix’s iPhone and iPad app was the top-grossing item on App Stores in the United States, India, Mexico and Colombia.
After what seems to be an eternity, Netflix has finally updated its application to allow users to download TV shows and movies for offline viewing. This will prove particularly helpful for long car or airplane rides, or just about any other situation where you might not want to put a dent in your data cap while watching your favorite episodes of Bojack Horseman when not connected to Wi-Fi.
In this simple tutorial, we will show you how you can download Netflix movies and TV episodes to watch on the go, but also how you can manage video quality and other features.
Following reports back in the summer that offline viewing would be coming to Netflix “by the end of the year,” the company said that it’s starting to roll the feature to users around the world beginning today. A new Download button appears in the mobile Netflix app on select shows that can be watched without an Internet connection, including popular shows like “Narcos,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Stranger Things” and “The Crown”. Offline support for more shows will be added over time, said the firm.
Netflix yesterday announced a brand new iPhone app on the App Store which it designed to let you quickly measure how fast your broadband downlink is by testing the connection to Netflix’s servers. The goal of the free app, aptly named Fast, is to give Netflix subscribers a better understanding of the streaming quality they can expect from the service on their Internet connection. It’s not a replacement for SpeedTest or similar software and does not measure the uplink speed because it has little effect on streaming quality.
Eddy Cue, 52, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, sat down for an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, answering a series of questions related to Apple’s alleged attempts to introduce a skinny bundle of television programming on iTunes, its relationship with content owners and swirling rumors that it may be invested in creating original programming to become the next Netflix or Comcast.


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Crowley Maritime Corp.’s new container/roll on-roll off ConRo ship El Coquí successfully delivered its first cargo from Jacksonville, Fla., to the company’s modernized Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan on 30 July 2018, a historic milestone in the company’s transformation of its US mainland-Puerto Rico logistics services.
“Increasing supply chain velocity while reducing customers’ landed costs was the core reason for our $550 million investment in this important service,” said Tom Crowley, company chairman and CEO. “Bringing this new ship, and soon its sister ship, to reality is one of the final steps to making this vision a reality. It should be evident to all that our commitment to Puerto Rico could not be stronger.”
“The diverse cargo carrying capabilities, as well as the ability to carry in-demand 53-foot containers, means that these high-performing ships will greatly benefit customers shipping goods between the mainland and the island,” said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico services.
“Cargo for businesses and consumers will be able to dependably reach markets at peak time, whether it is dry, refrigerated or breakbulk, such as vehicles and other rolling stock.”
El Coquí, one of the world’s first ConRos powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), departed Jacksonville on Friday night and arrived in San Juan Monday. The ship has a cruising speed of 22 knots and can carry about 2,400 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers in a wide range of sizes and types – including 53-foot by 102-inch-wide, high-capacity containers and refrigerated containers. Within the ship is an enclosed, ventilated and weather-tight Ro/Ro deck that can protectively carry up to 400 cars and larger vehicles. This type of shipboard garage is offered exclusively by Crowley in the trade, enhancing supply chain solutions for customers.
Besides full-loads of dry cargo containers, the inaugural cargo also included various equipment and automobiles, trucks and SUVs, as well as refrigerated “reefer” containers for produce.
The arrival continues a series of milestones that are now enhancing Crowley’s capabilities in Puerto Rico. In San Juan, Crowley is utilising three new, ship-to-shore gantry cranes, at Crowley’s Isla Grande Terminal to add speed to vessel unloading. The cranes are the first new, specialised gantry cranes to be received for operation in San Juan Harbor in more than five decades. The cranes complement new 900-foot-long, 114-foot wide concrete pier at Isla Grande.
In addition, Crowley has expanded Isla Grande’s terminal capacity for handling refrigerated containers; paved 15 acres to accommodate container stacking; added containers and associated handling equipment to its fleet; installed a new electrical substation to provide power for the new gantry cranes; constructed a new seven-lane exit gate to increase speed and efficiency for trucking partners; and implemented a new, modern terminal operating software system (TOS) to modernize and enhance cargo deliveries and exchanges.


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Sony is expected to announce the PS4’s price later today, but that price means nothing unless taken in relation to the price of Sony’s fiercest competitor, the Xbox One.
During their E3 press conference, Microsoft revealed that the console would cost a pricey $499, €499 and £429 when it releases this November in 21 countries.
How much do you think the PS4 will cost? Are you getting a One? Let us know in the comments below, and stick to PSLS for non-stop E3 coverage all week.


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What is the future of cryptocurrency regulation?
The cryptocurrency industry rose to prominence in the United States in 2014. Since then, people have debated whether the U.S. government should get involved in regulating the new form of commerce and to what extent.
On one hand, Congress doesn’t want to stifle the innovation resulting from the burgeoning crypto industry. On the other, regulation would increase safety and encourage investors to feel more confident in cryptocurrency. The future of crypto is up in the air, but professionals agree that any regulation would have to be done delicately.
SEE ALSO: Retail technology trends for 2022
Recent Legislation and Why Some Experts Push for Regulation
Lawmakers are aiming to find a balance between regulation and crypto freedom. This is partly because, as it stands now, cybercriminals can take advantage of some of crypto’s weaknesses. For example, cybercriminals often demand cryptocurrency payment when they launch a ransomware attack.
One piece of the infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 2021 requires cryptocurrency exchanges to report their transactions on 1099-B tax forms, just like a traditional broker would have to. Because this extra paperwork connects crypto transactions to individuals, the government will be better able to catch criminals capitalizing on crypto.
This provision allows the government to keep track of what people earn from crypto so they can apprehend any individual trying to get away with tax evasion. It is set to take effect in 2023.
Regulation That Could Become Legislation
U.S. SEC Chair Gary Gensler suggests regulating crypto similarly to how traditional financial institutions are regulated and protected. Three possible options for crypto regulation that could come to pass in the future include expansion of the wash-sale rule, implementation of the de minimis rule, and regulation of stablecoins.
The Wash-Sale Rule
One way cryptocurrency could expand in the future is via the current wash-sale rule. The wash-sale rule currently applies to stocks and securities. It prohibits investors from claiming tax deductions on assets they claim at a loss, only to buy back the same securities or purchase substantially identical securities within 30 days of the deduction.
This does not currently apply to cryptocurrency, meaning investors can claim deductions on cryptocurrency while holding it.
In 2021, President Biden proposed expanding the wash-sale rule to include cryptocurrency as part of his Build Back Better plan. The plan failed to pass the Senate, but not because of the proposed expansion of the wash-sale rule. It will likely continue to show up in legislation again – and possibly get passed.
De Minimis Tax Rule
Another possible area for regulation is the implementation of the de minimis tax rule. Under this rule, investors do not have to report their crypto transactions or pay taxes on crypto under a certain dollar amount.
An entirely possible solution that could take place in the near future is the regulation of stablecoins. Stablecoins are easy to trade because each one has a value of $1.
However, because cryptocurrency and stablecoin are not regulated, it is difficult to guarantee their stability. For example, in May 2022, the stablecoin Terra Luna dropped from its $1 amount, resulting in a crash of its cryptocurrency, Luna.
Crashes like these encourage federal regulators to continue pushing for crypto regulation. They believe investors and the public could benefit from added stability in the cryptocurrency industry, citing different benefits.
Possible Benefits of Cryptocurrency Regulation
Some of the possible advantages of introducing new legislation to the world of crypto include:
- More stability in a volatile market.
- Increased investor confidence in cryptocurrency.
- Provide clear guidance for companies looking to accept crypto payments.
- Prevent fraudulent activity and crypto crime.
Sensible Crypto Regulation May Be on Its Way
"Sensible regulation" is seen as a win in the eyes of many crypto experts. In an industry that is notoriously volatile, regulation can provide some balance. However, the journey to crypto regulation will have to be a very delicate process so as not to upset the innovation happening in the industry.
Devin Partida writes about AI, apps and technology at ReHack.com, where she is Editor-in-Chief.


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With the spike in inflation, US consumer sentiment has plunged to a record low. So imagine how the Chinese feel as they struggle through months of some of the world’s strictest pandemic controls—including citywide lockdowns in some places.
Two years ago, Chinese consumers rebounded quickly from the initial outbreak of Covid-19. There wasn’t much economic trauma then. Only small geographical areas were affected, and within three months life was back to normal. This time, two and a half months after a full lockdown in Shanghai, the government is still struggling to contain the very infectious omicron variant. In recent days it reversed and delayed the reopenings of Shanghai and Beijing.


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Following yesterday's announcement that Disney will be shutting down game developer and publisher LucasArts, some new details have surfaced about one of the company's potentially cancelled projects. Star Wars 1313 was slated to be a more mature action game set in George Lucas' universe, which would put players in the role of a bounty hunter — and it looks like that bounty hunter was to be none other than Boba Fett. That's according to Kotaku, which has posted two pieces of Fett concept art, reportedly from the ill-fated project.
Of course, there is still a chance that Star Wars 1313 could eventually be released — though Lucasarts is no longer handling development, the company told Polygon that it's looking at other potential avenues to get Star Wars 1313 out there, likely by licensing it to a third-party developer. As it stands development is on hold, and Kotaku's sources claim that the chances of the game actually being completed are slim. In the meantime, you can always enjoy watching Fett get sucked into the sarlacc pit while playing pinball.


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Russian Post and the Ukrainian postal service Ukrposhta are working together to develop a cash-on-delivery payment system for international packages.
The two posts believe the joint project should help improve trade between Russia and the Ukraine, and in particular create more favourable conditions for e-commerce and mail order business.
In particular, it should help improve access to Internet shopping for people who do not have a credit card suitable for making purchases across borders.
Russian Post said yesterday that it has now completed testing on the technology that will allow consumers to buy an item via the Internet or catalogue in one country, and pay for the item when it is delivered.
A trial service is set to begin “in the near future”, the Post said, once technical training has been completed.
Russian Post said there is already a high level of cooperation between the two postal services in Russia and the Ukraine, and that the Ukraine is among the five top countries for the volume of mail exchanged with Russia.
Last year, more than 103,000 parcels were sent between the two countries, almost double the volume seen in 2010.
Russian Post explained yesterday that distance selling was a “promising” area of business for all postal operators at the moment, but that for consumers using the Internet or catalogues for shopping, the need to have a credit card was a key barrier.
“According to studies, only a quarter of buyers in this country regularly use non-cash payment, and 75% of purchases in this country are made through the principle of payment following receipt of goods,” the company said.
“In this regard, Russian Post’s development of a system of delivering international mail prior to payment can help increase the availability of goods within foreign trade platforms for Russian citizens, and grow the distance selling market.”
Russian Post is also looking into the possibility of cash-on-delivery arrangements with Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Lithuania and Armenia.
And, negotiations are already underway to run a similar scheme into Germany, working with Deutsche Post. Germany is also among the top countries for international mail volume exchanged with Russia, with more than 500,000 parcels sent between the two countries last year.
In the long term, Russian Post said it hoped to reach agreement on international mail and shipping payment with postal operators as far afield as China and the United States.
Source: Post&Parcel/Russian Post


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Sydney dockworkers strike
WHILE most Australian ports reopened Feb. 19, the Sydney ``wharfies'' resolutely stayed on strike. The strike is the first in four years for the dockworkers' union. It began Feb. 10 when 55 Sydney workers were laid off as part of restructuring at Australian Stevedores. Workers in 14 other ports joined them. In retaliation, the company fired 200 workers.
At its peak, 900 workers were idle, and 40 ships carrying about $5 billion (Australian; US$3.5 billion) of cargo affected.
If there is no final breakthrough by Feb.24, Minister for Industrial Relations Laurie Brereton has threatened to move forward his new industrial relations legislation, due to take effect March 31, which forbids the firing of striking workers.
The company said the union breached an agreement on how to handle compulsory layoffs - an agreement that workers in all other ports had signed. Barry Robson, vice-president of the Maritime Union, who was camped out with dozens of other wharfies outside Australian Stevedores, says the dispute is over how to handle the layoffs: The union wants to go through attrition; the company wants immediate cuts.


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OSHA has cited seven Trade Fair Supermarkets stores in Queens for 40 violations of workplace safety standards. The local grocery store chain faces $128,000 in proposed fines following inspections that began in March in response to complaints.
"Our inspections found a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of similar hazards in several stores. For the safety and health of its employees, Trade Fair Supermarkets must take effective action to correct these conditions at these and all its stores," said Kay Gee, OSHA's area director for Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Unguarded butchers band saws
At the seven stores, OSHA found butchers operating band saws with unguarded blades and other workers using cleaning products without protective eye gear, exposing them to lacerations, amputations and eye injuries. Four of the stores compromised swift and safe exiting during a fire or emergency because of locked or blocked exits, obstructed exit access and unilluminated or missing exit signs. These conditions resulted in the issuance of 20 serious violation citations with $122,000 in proposed fines.
No hazcom program
In addition, six stores failed to post the required annual summary of occupational illnesses and injuries. All seven stores lacked a chemical hazard communication program and training, and five stores had electrical hazards. These conditions resulted in citations for 20 other-than-serious violations with $6,000 in fines.
The citations can be viewed at https://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/Trade_Fair_Supermarket_Press_Release.pdf.


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Russia-Ukraine war has razed global agriculture system, once sold as the magic formula. It led to concentration of food production in a few countries, making others net importers, and has now fuelled a historic price rise.
Russia’s Ukraine invasion has dragged on. Most of the world has taken sides on who the aggressor and the victim is. But there is one front where the world seems united as a victim — the globalised agriculture system, which has been severely hit.
The food market is intricately interconnected. “One of every five calories people eat has crossed at least one international border,” wrote Maximo Torero Cullen, chief economist of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in a blog on the FAO website.
The food market is also extremely fragile, with just six food baskets supplying the major chunk of the world’s staple food. It is also highly unequal in terms of production and supply — the poor countries are net importers and the high income countries net exporters, irrespective of their food production potential.
Worse, the advanced economies spend just 17 per cent of their earning on food while Sub-Saharan Africa forks out 40 per cent on the same, according to FAO data. As a result, even a slight disturbance in the system leads to a major food crisis in the poor countries, as is happening now.
The Black Sea region, which includes Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, is one of the world’s six food baskets. Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter while Ukraine is sixth on the list.
Together, the two warring countries produce 12 per cent of all food calories traded globally; control 29 per cent of global wheat exports, 19 per cent of maize exports, and 78 per cent of sunflower oil exports.
Russia is also the world’s top exporter of nitrogen fertilisers, the second-leading supplier of potassium fertilisers and the third-largest exporter of phosphorus fertilisers.
Some 50 countries depend on Russia-Ukraine for their food supply, particularly for wheat, maize and sunflower oils. The majority of these are poor and import-dependent countries in Asia and Africa.
Of the 53 countries or territories that faced food crisis last year, 36 depended on Ukrainian and Russian exports for more than 10 per cent of their total wheat imports, as per an analysis by Washington DC-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
In terms of food supply, in 2019 wheat and wheat products represented 408 kilocalories per capita per day in the countries facing food crisis.
In east Africa, where wheat and wheat products account for a third of the average cereal consumption, 90 per cent of the wheat imports come from Russia and Ukraine, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) noted.
When the war broke out in February, Ukraine had standing winter crops and was preparing to sow the spring crops in April. Most of the farms stand abandoned today.
Various estimates indicate that 20-30 per cent of areas under winter crops will remain unharvested, while sowing for the next crop lags.
The Seed Association of Ukraine May 7 said:
This sowing campaign is, without a doubt, the most difficult one. Farmers face many challenges — from logistics and fuel supply to the physical safety of their workers...”
Inputs for farming have been curtailed. Both in Russia and Ukraine, fuels have been diverted for military use. As per Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the country could plant 14 million hectares of spring wheat by the first week of May, which is 3 million hectares less than normal or a year before.
In February, both the countries had 16 million tonnes of maize and 13.5 million tonnes of wheat packed for export by the end of the month. That stock never moved out. Before the war, nearly all of Ukraine’s agricultural exports — about 5 million tonnes a month — were through the Black Sea, but Russia has blocked all the harbours.
On the other hand, international sanctions against Russia have made shipping impossible. For west Asia and Africa, importing from Ukraine and Russia is the best option because wheat is cheaper from these two countries and shipping through the Black Sea costs less.
Even for the countries importing now, the special war time insurance rates have dramatically increased and added to the costs.
Nicolas Denis, partner with McKinsey’s Chemicals and Agriculture Practices, in a podcast in April, estimated that “between 19 million and 34 million tonnes of export production could disappear this year”.
He foresees that even in 2023 there would be 10 million tonnes to 43 million tonnes of global wheat shortage due to the restricted supply from Russia-Ukraine. “To translate, that represents caloric intake for 60 million to 150 million people”, he said.
With this supply stream abruptly stopped, food and energy prices have leaped to historic levels. Wheat prices are forecast to increase by 40 per cent, reaching an all-time high this year.
Such is the impact of inflation that WFP, currently running one of its most expansive food relief operations, has made a desperate appeal for funds. Food inflation has significantly increased its running costs and it is spending $71 million (Rs 544 crore) more per month now for the same operation level.
“Commodity markets are experiencing one of the largest supply shocks in decades because of the war in Ukraine,” said Ayhan Kose, director of the World Bank’s Prospects Group, during the release of the Commodity Markets Outlook April 2022 report April 26. It forecast food price rise to continue till the end of 2024.
A preliminary assessment by the UN Task Team for the Global Crisis Response Group says the war has led to a “three-dimensional” crisis — rising food prices, rising energy prices and tightening finance.
Some 1.7 billion people in 107 countries (41 in Africa, 38 in Asia and the Pacific and 28 in Latin America and the Caribbean) are exposed to at least one of the dimensions, said the assessment released April 13.
Some 69 economies with 1.2 billion of the world’s people are “severely or significantly” exposed to the three-dimensional crisis.
Consequently, thousands of kilometres from the war zone, some 70 per cent of Africa’s economies are at risk of collapsing, putting millions on the verge of food scarcity.
Egypt, for instance, depends on Ukraine and Russia for 60 per cent of its food imports. Its food inflation rose to 26 per cent in April. Angola — a country that does not produce wheat traditionally but consumes 0.65 million tonnes of it annually — meets 30 per cent of its demands from Russia-Ukraine.
With the war curbing supply, wheat price at the consumer level has increased by 40 per cent in recent weeks, says the Association of Wheat Flour Producers of Angola.
Lebanon, a country that has not registered growth in the last four years, sources up to 25 per cent of its average calorie consumption from wheat and sunflower oil imported from Russia-Ukraine.
Up to 90 per cent of its wheat demand is met via imports from Russia and Ukraine. As its food inflation got out of control — it was 1,000 per cent last month — the government deployed over 90 inspectors to check if the retailers were hoarding.
Abebe Aemro Selassie, director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) African department, and Peter Kovacs, an economist in the Regional Studies division of the department, blogged April 28 that:
Prices for food, which accounts for about 40 per cent of consumer spending in the region, are rising rapidly. Around 85 per cent of the region’s wheat supplies are imported. Higher fuel and fertilizer prices also affect domestic food production. Together, these factors will disproportionately hurt the poor, especially in urban areas, and will increase food insecurity.
Near future: Shut economies
In the immediate future, the overall global availability of foodgrains will be further reduced. The rise in prices of energy and fertilisers is likely to reduce yield, as per IFPRI’S report.
The fertiliser shortfall comes at the start of planting seasons in many countries, including India. The report said “food-crisis countries”, such as Honduras, Cameroon, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Mozambique and Kenya, depend on Russian and Ukraine for 10-50 per cent of their fertiliser imports.
As countries substitute the commodities that are in short supply with others, the prices of the substitutes will go up.
Rice is being used to fill the gap in cereal imports, and its price has increased by 12 per cent globally since the beginning of the year.
The Government of India May 5 suddenly stopped wheat purchase from Punjab, procuring only 56 per cent of its 44 million tonnes target.
When the wheat stock dwindled, the government replaced 5.5 million tonnes of wheat with rice for its pandemic-relief programme, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.
As countries start sourcing food, fuel and fertilisers from countries other than Russia and Ukraine, it will add to the overall costs, ultimately adding to the cost of the produce.
This is also where the true character of a “globalised world” can come to fore: Countries have already resorted to hoarding staple foods that till recently they exported for profits.
Russia, for instance, has banned sales of fertiliser, sugar and grains. Indonesia, which produces more than half the world’s palm oil, has halted outgoing shipments.
Turkey has stopped exports of butter, beef, lamb, goats, maize and vegetable oils. India joined this group when it banned wheat export on May 14. This was while negotiating export to at least 12 countries that depended on Russia-Ukraine for wheat.
India has also had a break in its five-year bumper harvest of wheat, as a severe and long heatwave brought down the yield. India is traditionally not a wheat exporter, but in a surprise declaration it committed to export 10 million tonnes of wheat before the ban on wheat export.
This offered a hope to the surging wheat prices that have gone up in the country by 60 per cent this year. This decision has not only crashed wheat prices in Indian wholesale markets but also drawn condemnation from the Group of Seven (G7).
“If everyone starts to impose export restrictions or to close markets, that would worsen the crisis,” German food and agriculture minister Cem Ozdemir said in a statement May 14.
Recently India also restricted sugar exports until October.
Since the February 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the number of countries imposing export restrictions on food has risen from three to 17. Those restrictions include export bans implemented by 16 countries and export licensing requirements implemented by seven countries, according to IFPRI’s Export Restrictions Tracker. It indicated that about 43 per cent of vegetable oils in global markets is affected by export restriction.
The export ban hits the food market severely as it is not just limited to a few commodities but also to their production and export held by a handful of countries.
According to IFPRI, five agricultural products account for almost 90 per cent of imported calories:
All these are impacted by the current export ban. Export restrictions affect nearly 36 per cent of wheat exports; 55 per cent of palm oil; 17.2 per cent of corn, 78.2 per cent of sunflower oil exports; and 5.8 per cent of soyabean oil.
‘70% of top 10 crops will not be used to directly feed the hungry’By 2030, we estimate that processing, export and industrial-use crops will likely account for 50 per cent of harvested calories worldwide. When we add the calories locked in crops used as animal feed, we calculate that by 2030, roughly 70 per cent of all harvested calories of these top 10 crops will go to uses other than directly feeding hungry people. By 2030, the world will be harvesting enough calories to feed its projected population, but it won’t be using most of those crops for direct food consumption.
- Deepak Ray, senior scientist, University of Minnesota
Curbs on export make availability of food grains difficult for deficit geographies. In an unprecedented joint appeal on April 13, the heads of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, WFP, and World Trade Organization gave a call:
We also urge all countries to keep trade open and avoid restrictive measures such as export bans on food or fertilizer that further exacerbate the suffering of the most vulnerable people.
The World Bank has warned that each percentage point increase in food prices would push an additional 10 million people into extreme poverty.
The Washington-based Center for Global Development estimates at least 40 million people around the world will be pushed into extreme poverty — defined as living on less than $1.90 a day — because of the price spike caused by the war.
By the 100th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, the food crisis emerged as the top agenda in all the efforts to stop it.
G7 foreign ministers meeting in Germany on May 14 made an “appeal” to Russia to lift naval blockade on Ukrainian foodgrains export.
Changes in food production
This is the third global food crisis (after the crises of 2007-08 and 2010-11) in the past 15 years, but the worst-ever in severity and spread.
In all the crises, the world saw how agriculture and food production systems became concentrated on just a few commodities and in a few countries.
This made production efficient and drew advantage of scale. But it also made food production vulnerable. It changed how and what we eat, adding to the food system’s vulnerability.
First, our diet majorly comes from just four grains — rice, wheat, corn and soy. These grains account for 50 per cent of the average daily calories consumption, globally, with wheat and rice contributing a major chunk.
Five countries — China, India, Russia, Brazil and the US — control 60 per cent of the global food production. Within these countries, production is further concentrated to a few regions. For example, India is a major wheat producer but more than four-fifths of it comes from five north Indian states.
In the last five decades, there is a swift change in the way food is produced and distributed across the world. When agriculture trade becomes free, or globalised, inflation comes down. This thrives on outsourcing production and processing at mass to cheap labour areas in the world. But the character of consumption changes.
In the world, four-fifths of total food consumption is still produced locally. But the share of internationally traded commodities in total food trade is constantly increasing: from 10 per cent in 1985 to 14 per cent in 2017.
This coincides with the trend of mostly developing countries becoming increasingly import dependent. The demand for imported food products in low- and middle-income countries is not only increasing, but will go up 2-3.5 times by 2050, the FAO estimated.
In 2020 the demand for imported food commodities in lower-income countries made up 80 per cent of the annual rise in the world’s total food import bill.
This is both a good and a bad development. Food is available to most vulnerable countries and people, but at the same time it is conditional to situations in countries that process it before it reaches the destination.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization, said in a recent event on the impending food crisis that the global trading system has helped drive global growth and provided countries with important goods even during the pandemic.
A paper published in Nature Food on May 12, 2022:
Spatially, the shift in the harvested area from food and feed towards processing in the United States is reflective of the evolving role of the country in global crop production and renewable energy targets. Similar but less dramatic changes have occurred in Europe.
The changes observed in Latin America from a region oriented to food production, to harvesting feed and processing crops, have been observed since the late 1990s with the expansion of maize and soybean harvests pushed by commodity prices and exchange rate and at the cost of tropical ecosystems.
China’s movement away from harvesting crops for direct food utilization to processing and feed crops has been mainly driven by the changes in its consumption structure due to rising incomes and population where people demand high-value food products,” states .
The food sector has been polarised around who eats what that is driving a fundamental change in the food production priority.
Among the middle- and upper-income people (both in advanced and developing economies) consumption of eggs, meat and milk has gone up drastically. On the other hand, poor populations still depend on rice, corn, bread and vegetable oil.
The Nature Food paper examines seven uses of crop production — food, feed, processing, export, industrial, seed and losses — over 50 years (1964-2013) to find out how produced food is being used.
“I estimate that in 2030, only 29 per cent of the global harvests of 10 major crops may be directly consumed as food in the countries where they were produced, down from about 51 per cent in the 1960s. We also project that, because of this trend, the world is unlikely to achieve a top sustainable development goal: ending hunger by 2030,” wrote lead author, Deepak Ray, in The Conversation.
The study underscored that produced food has competing uses like “making biofuels; converting crops into processing ingredients, such as livestock meal, hydrogenated oils and starches; and selling them on global markets to countries that can afford to pay for them.”
It claimed the calorie production in these crops increased by more than 200 per cent between the 1960s and the 2010s. But this would not be used directly for feeding the food-deficit population; rather to meet the feed requirement of livestock that caters to the food demand of middle- and higher-income populations.
“According to our analysis, 48 countries will not produce enough calories within their borders to feed their populations. Most of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, but they also include Asian nations such as Afghanistan and Pakistan and Caribbean countries such as Haiti,” the paper stated.
“Growth in harvests of crops meant for exports, processing and industrial use, together with their higher yields and faster yield gains, stands out globally; at a more granular level, this was driven by specific global regions that are getting increasingly specialized in harvesting crops for these usages,” it added.
Read the second part here.
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A new study finds human milk bought and sold on the internet may be contaminated. According to researchers more than 70 percent of breast milk bought through the site, Onlythebreast.com was tainted with high levels of disease-causing bacteria, including germs found in human waste. And, this is a major concern for both health professionals and new mothers.
Jeanie DeLa, CLC, ICCE of Breast Beginnings in Sarasota said disregard for hygiene may be contributing to the rash of contaminated breast milk showing up from internet purchases. "Her breasts may not have been cleaned, the equipment may not have been cleaned, the bottles may not have been cleaned that they use for the pumping."
Mary O'Connor, RN, IBCLC of Sarasota Memorial Hospital agreed and added,
"She has to make sure that that kit is completely clean and dry, also good hand washing."
Lack of regulation and screening makes it easier for unsafe breast milk to infiltrate internet sales sites. Some mothers said O'Connor can donate milk and other mothers can buy milk without there being any safety regulations in place.
A recent study published in the Journal Pediatrics finds poor collection, storage, or shipping practice may play a part in the contamination, but, how safe is sharing breast milk from a friend? DeLa said, "You may not know their medical history, you don't know if they smoke, you don't know if they are on prescription medication."
Other concerns include illegal drugs, bacteria and virus, said O'Connor. And she added that there is safe breast milk to be found. Sarasota Memorial Hospital gets donor milk for eligible NICU babies from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.
"They screen all the moms, tests the breast milk and also pasteurizes all the milks." Said O'Connor. And if you are planning on breast feeding your baby this is the number one tip, said DeLa. "Get help with breast feeding right from the very beginning." And, here's where to find the help she said, "Attending support groups, and getting assistance right after the birth of the child."
And if this still doesn't work this advise from O'Connor. "If mother cannot provide her own milk, or if she doesn't have the funds to purchase donor milk, she should feed the baby formula."


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High prices, rising interest rates and an uncertain economic outlook are causing many would-be homebuyers to postpone their plans to purchase a house.
Nearly half (43%) of those polled in a recent Scotiabank survey said they are putting their home purchase plans on hold, an increase from 22% in 2021 and 20% in 2020.
Half of those aged 18 to 34 said rising interest rates are causing them to reevaluate their purchase plans.
“It’s no surprise that a perfect storm made up of the rising cost of living, housing supply shortages, and increased demand has caused Canadians to feel like homeownership is out of reach,” John Webster, Head of Real Estate and Secured Lending at Scotiabank, said in a release. “It’s important that Canadians know that they’re not alone. Many others are going through the same thing, and it’s why more people are looking for sound advice from a trusted source.”
When it comes to general economic concerns, over 80% of Canadians say the rising cost of goods and services—AKA inflation—is more of a concern than rising interest rates. In February, headline inflation came in at a 30-year high of 5.7%


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Gene Brtalik
Director of Publicity
Corrigan Sports Enterprises
2006 CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Baltimore Half-Marathon Sells Out
Baltimore, MD – Corrigan Sports Enterprises (CSE) announced today that the
2006 CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon at the Under Armour
Baltimore Running Festival has sold out for the third-straight year. The
announcement comes after organizers increased the number of participants
from 3,500 to 4,500 this year. Last year, the race didn’t sell out until
the middle of September.
"The sell out illustrates how much this event has grown in six years,"
stated Corrigan Sports Enterprises President Lee Corrigan. "We could take
even more half-marathoners but we want to make sure to execute and
implement as well as possible for the runners. That requires smart growth
on our part."
Overall registration is up 27 percent compared to this time last year. All
the other races have passed their halfway points in terms of registration
The 2005 Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival, which consists of the
Under Armour Baltimore Marathon, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Half-Marathon, United Way 5K, Legg Mason Funds Team Relay and Kids’ Fun
Run, will take place on Saturday, October 14, 2006 at M&T Bank Stadium.
The event, now in its fifth year, has generated over 60 million dollars in
revenue for the city and over 4 million dollars for local charities.
The Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival is produced by Corrigan Sports
Enterprises, a leader in sports promotions in the Baltimore/Washington D.C.
region. Founded in 1991, CSE owns and operates the following events: Under
Armour Baltimore Marathon, The Charm City Challenge All-Star Basketball
Game, The Capital Classic, the Toyota Pro Beach Volleyball Tour, the Thrash
& Jam Tour presented by Slammers Ultimate Milk and the annual Baltimore


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Blockbuster Express to Deploy 3,000 New Kiosks in 20113 Feb, 2011 By: Erik Gruenwedel
NCR Corp., owner and operator of Blockbuster Express rental kiosks, Feb. 3 said it would deploy 3,000 new kiosks in 2011, bringing its install base to about 11,000 units by the end of the year.
Duluth, Ga.-based NCR ended 2010 with 8,000 Express kiosks — down from 10,000 units projected after making a conscious decision to focus on the performance of individual kiosks versus the number deployed, according to John Bruno, EVP of the industrial solutions group with NCR.
In an analyst call discussing fiscal results, Bruno said NCR finished 2010 with a more mature outlook on the rental business, establishing Blockbuster Express as the No. 2 player (behind Redbox) in the market.
“We feel good about what we learned in 2010,” Bruno said.
Specifically, Bruno said NCR ended the quarter with the average age per Express kiosk at eight months, and with average revenue per kiosk improving 16% sequentially each quarter. That said, Bruno said about 1,600 of Express kiosks deployed underperformed last year, underscoring the need to scale back kiosk deployments from a planned 10,000 units.
“We felt we had to focus on our underperforming stores,” Bruno said. “We are either addressing site issues or redeploying machines that did not show up to have the rental foot traffic we had expected.”
He said initial tests of premium-priced movies ($2.99 for the first night) of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment titles in four markets proved quite successful and “surpassed all of our expectations.”
“We are very pleased to see our customers validate our different delivery options,” Bruno said. The company was working with third party services testing digital distribution capabilities.
NCR projects Express kiosks to generate from $175 million to $200 million in revenue in 2011 with pre-tax earnings from $10 million to $20 million.
That said, CEO Bill Nuti agreed that should the kiosk business still generate a previously guided 10-cent to 15-cent loss in 10 months, “we would look at it differently.”
Gil Luria, analyst with Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles, said NCR likely lost more per share deploying Express kiosks in 2010.
“The revenue projection seems realistic considering their plans to deploy more kiosks, and as their existing kiosks will become more mature,” Luria said.
NCR reported fourth-quarter (ended Dec. 31) net income of $39 million compared to a loss of $56 million during the prior-year period.
The company said revenue in its Americas segment, which includes Blockbuster Express, ATM and related financial services vending, posted a 12% increase to $609 million from $544 million last year.
For the fiscal year, NCR reported income of $134 million compared to a loss of $33 million in 2009. The company said it spent about $53 million in 2010 installing Express kiosks, driving capital expenses up 30% to $226 million.
Revenue for the year increased 9% to $2.4 billion from $2.2 billion in 2009.


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Celebrations on the starboard bow: "Fast and Furious" director Justin Lin will helm the third movie reboot, uniting old and new "Trek".
Apple is pushing out its first automatic security update to protect your computer from being taken over.
The tech giant bounced back from a less-than-impressive 2013, introducing the blockbuster iPhone 6 and making its biggest-ever acquisition.
Justin.tv began life as a blogging site that combined live video feeds and public chat rooms.
The JVC HA-RX900 is an excellent over-ear model that will impress listeners shopping for a low-cost headphone to use at work or in the office.
Remember the time Justin Yu got lost in the woods? Relive the madness.
Despite garnering 100,000 signatures, the petition to ask the White House to remove the Canadian heartthrob from the US gets a very political reply.
The most popular celebrities on Instagram lose massive numbers of followers after the photo-sharing service purges fake or spam accounts, according to a list published to the Web.
An online petition that secured 220,000 signatures has forced the US government to consider the fate of the Canadian pop star. The White House's press secretary says it is being mulled.
While investigating an alleged egging of a neighbor's house, police seize Justin Bieber's iPhone in search of, well, messages egging on the egging. The star, though, is said to be in fear of what else the police might find.


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C3YoYoDesign dropped the first part of Jason Cheow’s video back in July, and now we get the rest of it…and it was totally worth the wait! Jason Cheow is definitely a rising star of the Singapore yoyo scene, and these two videos prove it.
C3YoYoDesign dropped a new player promo video…the first of a two-parter featuring Singapore team member Jason Cheow. Jason is in top form here with some unique and truly inventive trick construction. This video is crazy dense with good ideas executed really well…stellar work from Jason Cheow!
Jason Cheow from Team C3 Singapore shows off their Berserker, Trident, and Alpha Crash models in C3’s SIXTH video released so far this year. This amazing Hong Kong manufacturer just won’t let up on the new video front! And with their new releases doing well at retail and Milan Kurfirt breaking the Czech “long sleeper” record with a 23:54 spin on their BTH model, C3 is off to a roaring start for 2013!


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Big Picture Press is a new imprint to offer books that are visually intelligent, surprising and fun for readers of all ages, created by and made for the incurably curious.
Developed by our creative team and led by publisher Rachel Williams, Big Picture Press showcases work from internationally‐celebrated contributors including McSweeney’s and Keith Haring.
Inspired by the proverb “Many tongues, one eye,” the list has visual intelligence at its heart – speaking to readers around the world.
Our Managing Director Mike McGrath said: "We’re delighted to be launching a list that speaks so strongly of Templar's love for high quality, well‐designed and thoughtfully conceived books. Created as an antidote to digital publishing, these books are testament to the power of reading and the importance of the physical book in this ever‐evolving market.”
Bonnier Publishing CEO Richard Johnson said: "Following the announcement of Templar’s acquisition of Piccadilly Press Ltd, we are delighted once again to show our commitment to growing the company with the launch of this fantastic new list."
Created by a stellar list of artists, each title is design-‐led, drawing on scientific research about visual acuity and its role in reading comprehension.


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GM Canada says it will bring back pickup truck assembly work to its plant in Oshawa, Ont., if a new labour deal with its largest union is ratified.
Unifor had set a midnight deadline on Wednesday to reach a new, three-year labour deal with GM and had a mandate to strike from its members if the deadline passed.
But the union said just before the deadline that its master bargaining committee had had a breakthrough and wanted to keep talking.
About four and a half hours after extending the deadline, a tentative deal was reached. A ratification vote will happen on Sunday.
Unifor said the deal is being unanimously recommended for 1,700 members working at GM plants in the southern Ontario cities of St. Catharines, Oshawa and Woodstock.
In a statement, the Detroit automaker said the deal would see more work for all three of its plants in Canada, including the return of assembly work to its facility in Oshawa, Ont.
“Subject to ratification of our 2020 agreement with Unifor, General Motors plans to bring pickup production back to the Oshawa assembly plant while making additional investments at the St. Catharines propulsion plant and Woodstock parts distribution centre,” GM Canada president Scott Bell told CBC News in a statement.
The company says the deal would bring between $1 billion to $1.3 billion of new investment to Oshawa with the expected hiring of 1,400 to 1,700 hourly workers. That would mean as many as 2,500 people would be employed at the plant.
That’s about the same number as worked there when GM suddenly withdrew most assembly work from the plant about two years ago. The last car assembled in Oshawa rolled off the line in December of 2019, and the facility has been a parts plant since then. It also produces N95 masks as part of a government contract announced earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to kickstarting Oshawa, the deal would bring $109 million worth of investments to St. Catharines and $500,000 to Woodstock.
The new as yet unknown pickup truck model would roll off the line starting in 2022.
3rd deal with Big 3
The stunning news came after Unifor warned that GM had not offered concrete commitments on future product plans, and was falling short of earlier agreements struck by Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
A key plank of the deal with Chrysler will see the company get government help to redesign its Windsor, Ont., plant to produce at least one electric vehicle.
It’s unclear if any government cash will be part of the expansion at GM.


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China’s exports suffered the sharpest decline in almost three years in December, piling on further economic pressure as policymakers in Beijing grapple with sluggish economic growth and a nationwide outbreak of COVID-19, reports the Financial Times.
Exports declined 9.9% year on year in dollar terms in December, according to official data released on Friday by China’s general administration of customs, worse than November’s 8.7% fall but slightly outperforming expectations of an even greater contraction. Imports slid 7.5% last month, up from a 10.6 drop the month before.
For the full year, China’s trade surplus hit a record of $878 billion on the back of a pandemic-era boom that boosted its exports. But exports have now declined year on year in each of the past three months as global demand slowed and COVID outbreaks swept through the country.


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Despite what the information could suggest, Bitcoin (BTC) is up on the yr, having posted an over 70% acquire. XRP, Ethereum, and different altcoins, on the different hand, have suffered, plunging underneath the weight of a risky Bitcoin.
Some cryptocurrencies have been harm greater than others. The most harm altcoin in the prime 10 needs to be XRP, which was just lately famous by analysts to have collapsed by 95% since the euphoria of the 2018 peak.
Just have a look at the chart above, which exhibits that the cryptocurrency actually hasn’t had the greatest previous 24 months.
$XRP has misplaced 95% from the peak, there appears to be no use case for it & the firm that created it simply raised $200m in a C spherical (which is usually 10-20% possession).
Did they basically purchase a big % of the crypto by proxy? Confusing. Theories? https://t.co/Og5Mb8vORd
— [email protected] (@Jason) December 20, 2019
About to Get Worse?
While 95% is already a painful loss for a cryptocurrency, not to mention an asset normally, some say that it could worsen from right here. Here’s extra on why.
According to outstanding cryptocurrency dealer and commentator Jacob Canfield, it could nonetheless be a methods to go earlier than it is smart to even attempt investing in the cryptocurrency for the lengthy haul. He even went so far as to say that certainly one of his achievements over the previous few years is telling his family and friends to not purchase XRP in 2018 and 2019 as a result of the technical outlook on the charts.
Canfield added that to even consider contemplating recommending a protracted, he would wait till the cryptocurrency trades at $zero.10 to $zero.15 — 50% to 25% decrease than present costs.
That’s to not point out that XRP-related sentiment just lately took successful.
Speaking to Forbes, Joe DiPasquale, CEO of cryptocurrency hedge fund supervisor BitBull Capital, remarked that the aforementioned altcoin is prone to undergo extra, regardless of XRP already buying and selling at its lowest value in over two years. The outstanding Bitcoin investor remarked that:
“XRP has been historically very sensitive to adoption-related news pertaining to banking and money services partners, since they represent the biggest clientele for Ripple’s services… We expect the cryptocurrency to slide further due to this news.”
Related Reading: Crypto Tidbits: Bitcoin Returns to $7,200, Ripple Bags $200M Cheque, Tron CEO Donates to Greta Thunberg
Hope for XRP and Ripple Bulls?
According to a report from Fortune, the firm has simply accomplished an enormous funding spherical that values the firm at $10 billion, making Ripple certainly one of the largest blockchain corporations on the market at the second. The funding that valued it at $10 billion, $200 million — sourced from international funding agency Tetragon, Japanese pro-XRP finance-centric conglomerate SBI, and Route 66 Ventures.
Related Reading: Lightning Works: Bitcoin Podcaster Finds Restaurant Shunning Banks for BTC
Apparently, the funds, whereas not wanted to fund operations, will give the firm “Balance sheet flexibility” because it seems to be to rent upwards of 150 new staff in 2020 and introduce new abroad workplaces to facilitate mentioned worker additions.
This Series C elevate ought to assist Ripple enhance the adoption of options utilizing XRP, probably growing demand for the cryptocurrency and, subsequently, value with time.


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The world of crypto in 2019 has brought more price fluctuation, many announcements that indicate cryptocurrency is becoming increasingly mainstream and tighter regulatory scrutiny. As the world moves towards a new financial system, cryptocurrency ownership has grown this year along with the number of use cases, including stablecoins and crypto lending. Marius Reitz, Luno GM for Africa, provides an overview of the important stories of the year.
Crypto being taken seriously
Facebook’s announcement of an asset-backed stablecoin, Libra, dominated headlines this year. With access to a massive user base, Libra has the potential to bring cryptocurrency into the mainstream.
The owners of the New York Stock Exchange launched Bakkt, a platform designed to push Bitcoin much deeper into mainstream adoption by offering physically settled Bitcoin futures contracts.
Fidelity Investments became the first major institutional player to begin cryptocurrency custody and trade execution operations.
Central banks of the US, Europe, China and Ghana are looking at creating their own central bank digital currencies, putting a greater spotlight on potential use cases for cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies.
Attention on security and credibility
As an unregulated sector, cryptocurrency has attracted its fair share of scammers and looters. Customers have been unable to access over $145m in cryptocurrency after the sudden death of the 30-year old founder of Canada’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Quadriga, whose CEO was the only person with the recovery codes needed to withdraw the currency held offline.
South Korea’s Upbit crypto-asset exchange has temporarily frozen withdrawals and deposits after losing $49 million in a single transaction during November, marking the seventh major crypto exchange hack in 2019.
Luno has built some of the world’s most sophisticated security systems which have never been compromised. Thanks to this, we now have more than three million customers spanning over 40 countries, supported by a global team in excess of 300 people.
Cryptocurrencies are a new asset class, so there is a higher level of volatility compared with traditional trading. This is further fuelled by the global political landscape including trade talks, elections and Brexit, as well as relatively low levels of liquidity and the use of the coins for speculation.
Despite volatility, the price of Bitcoin is more than 100% higher than it was a year ago and its price trajectory over time continues to rise. As cryptocurrency starts to be used for its core purpose of exchanging value and regulation is introduced, the price will become more stable.
The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has taken a progressive approach to the regulation of cryptocurrencies, specifically clamping down on its unscrupulous use. It is expected to announce new crypto policy proposals in the first quarter of 2020.
Luno became the first digital exchange to be regulated by the Securities Commission in Malaysia this year, allowing investors to buy, sell and store cryptocurrencies in a highly regulated environment. For Luno, this is an important milestone as it provides valuable experience in running a licensed exchange.
Luno welcomes regulation and is working with the SARB and other regulators around the world. We believe it will provide consumers of crypto with the comfort that the service they are dealing with is held to defined regulatory standards.
Although cryptocurrencies are not currently regulated in SA, Luno operates as though it is regulated. We also follow stringent KYC (know your customer) and AML (anti-money laundering) measures, which are digitally implemented across the 40 countries in which we operate.
Top ten exchanges
A Q3 report published in November 2019 by CryptoCompare Exchange Benchmark ranked Luno in the top ten out of 165 global crypto exchanges evaluated. Luno received an overall ‘A’ rating and was evaluated based on a broad set of important factors essential for the development of our industry. These include security, compliance, customer feedback and team strength.


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If you happen to take a look at Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ:BRCM)’s business, you would know that this is a stock which should deliver great returns in the future. Its chips power a number of applications, beginning from mobile devices to set-top boxes to network equipment. Thus, it was no surprise that the company delivered record results for fiscal 2012, and also hiked its dividend by 10%.
However, its outlook for the current quarter didn’t turn out to be as spectacular. Management calls for revenue between $1.82 billion and $1.98 billion, which is below the $2 billion Street estimate. The downbeat outlook is understandable, given that Broadcom’s end-markets will be hit by seasonality and tepid carrier spending in the current quarter.
But the outlook covers just one quarter, and Broadcom still remains one of the most solid semiconductor investments you can make in the long run. Its diversification enables it to benefit from growth in data usage and connectivity on different fronts, and also keeps it insulated against slowdown in any one of its end-markets.
The smartphone rider
Apart from a record FY12, wherein it generated $1.93 billion in cash from operations, there’s a lot more to like about Broadcom. For instance, the company enjoys a close relationship with smartphone giants Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung. Broadcom’s chips are present in abundance in the iPhone and the iPads. The iPhone 5’s Bluetooth and WiFi are powered by Broadcom’s chips, while the 4th-gen iPad has three Broadcom chips followed by the iPad mini with two.
Chip placement in Apple’s devices is a major plus for Broadcom, since sales of iPhones are still growing while the iPad line is on a roll, with a 48% year-over-year jump in sales. There might be question marks about where Apple’s headed, but increasing sales of its phone and tablets bode well for a supplier such as Broadcom.
And just in case you are too apprehensive about Broadcom’s relationship with Apple, Samsung would be the perfect hedge. Broadcom’s chips are placed inside a number of Galaxy devices, beginning from the Galaxy S III to the Galaxy Note II and the recent budget Galaxy phones such as the Galaxy Grand.
Breaking new ground
Broadcom is also focused on profiting from the growth of near field communication (NFC) technology. It already has more than 20 customers for NFC, and aims to grow its NFC market share in double digits this year. Broadcom’s connectivity combo SoCs are finding great adoption and it shipped around 200 million units in the previous quarter.
The company is also making a foray into 3G baseband chips, an area which is dominated by QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM). Qualcomm commands half of the baseband processor market, trumping the likes of Intel. Hence, it would be a big challenge for Broadcom in this space, since Qualcomm’s baseband processors already integrate 3G and LTE, and also have a number of strong clients.
But Broadcom isn’t daunted by this challenge, and the company’s design wins at Samsung for the chip are a good start. More importantly, the company is looking to make significant forays into the Chinese cellular market with these chips, since customers in the region are now switching over to faster devices.
Broadcom witnessed a 600% improvement in 3G baseband shipments in the first half of 2012, according to Strategy Analytics, and this further indicates that Broadcom has what it takes to cut its teeth in the stiffly competitive baseband landscape. Broadcom is also investing into an LTE baseband and this could enable it to improve its revenue further.
Broadcom also witnessed a 15% jump in shipments of set top box SoCs, and it won’t be surprising if the company records more gains in the future. It is looking to benefit from the advent of high efficiency video coding (HEVC), which would cut bandwidth requirements in half according to Broadcom and also enable service providers to deliver ultra HD channels.
A short-term concern
Broadcom’s infrastructure business is in a spot of bother due to constrained carrier spending, and management isn’t too upbeat about a turnaround just yet. However, infrastructure spending is expected to rebound this year according to Gartner. If a revival is indeed on the cards, Broadcom’s infrastructure business will probably receive a much-needed shot in the arm.
But growth of data centers and faster networks would help Broadcom in making more money from its infrastructure business in the long run. The market might be depressed now, but it should return back to normalcy once carriers start spending.
A forward P/E of 11 times as against a trailing P/E of 27 times and a PEG ratio under unity tell us that there’s growth lying ahead for Broadcom. It has a bagful of positives to boast of. It is well-positioned to benefit from higher data consumption, build out of faster networks, and sales of more mobile devices. It has a solid array of clients, is looking to tap the Chinese cellular and data market, and is highly-focused on innovation. All these factors make Broadcom a solid company to invest in.
The article This “Well-Connected” Stock Deserves a Place in Your Portfolio originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Harsh Chauhan.
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