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Warren Buffett once said, “Our favorite holding period is forever.” Although “forever” may be an exaggeration (even for Buffett), it would certainly make investing simpler if you could buy good stocks and then mentally lock them away in your portfolio. But not every stock is a keeper.
We went looking for financially healthy, well-managed companies with an ironclad lead in their industries and promising prospects for growth. These are the kind of winning businesses you can buy no matter what the overall market is doing, the ones that smart investors buy more of when prices dip.
Some of the firms on our list may surprise you; others are no-brainers. They aren’t stumble-proof. Every company has its weak spots. But we think these have enough potential for gains to overcome those risks. Although they look like good buys now, a bargain share price wasn’t our top priority. If the firm is a powerhouse and your commitment is long term, sometimes it’s okay to pay a premium. “Price is what you pay,” as Buffett also once said. “Value is what you get.”
Prices and other data, unless otherwise noted, are as of June 15. Earnings growth rates are annualized estimates for the next three- to five-year period. Stocks are listed alphabetically.
Accenture: Reinventing Consulting
- Market value: $110.0 billion
- Earnings growth rate: 10.0%
Your image of what a consulting firm does is probably outdated. Gone is the era when companies like Accenture (symbol ACN (opens in new tab), $163) might have installed a new software system and called it a day. This year, the bulk of the firm’s revenue will come from customized and comprehensive digital, security and cloud-computing services. For example, Accenture’s digital tools help factories predict equipment failures. Its security division helps fortify firms in disparate industries—from drugmakers to oil-and-gas concerns to giant media companies—against hackers.
Accenture, based in Dublin, Ireland, is positioned in the fastest-growing pockets of the consulting business. Global spending on digital strategies is expected to increase by 22% per year through 2020. Accenture’s revenue from digital strategies grew at an even faster pace, 30%, in 2017. It has more than 6,000 patents and patent-pending applications in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and drone technology. Accenture also spent $1.7 billion last year to acquire 37 companies—small acquisitions that augment its digital services worldwide.
Analysts expect annualized earnings growth of 10% over the next three years. Shares currently trade at 24 times expected earnings for the year ahead, compared with 17 for Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. That’s higher than the stock’s normal premium to the index but shouldn’t deter long-term investors. Analyst David Grossman, with Stifel Financial, is bullish. “We view Accenture as a best-in-class company with a rare combination of solid growth prospects, a difficult-to-replicate business model and a defensive earnings stream,” he says.
Alphabet: Thriving on Change
- Market value: $805.2 billion
- Earnings growth rate: 17.2%
If thinking big is the secret to longevity, then Alphabet (GOOGL (opens in new tab), $1,159), Google’s parent company, should be around for a long time. Firms that make do with small shifts can become irrelevant. “We will not shy away from high-risk, high-reward projects that we believe in, because they are the key to our long-term success,” says Alphabet’s 2017 annual report.
Such “moonshot” divisions include Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car initiative; Verily Life Sciences, which may one day find a way to assess a person’s risk for heart disease with an eye scan; and DeepMind, developing artificial intelligence that, among other things, is making the Google Assistant voice sound more human. Moonshot ventures accounted for just 1% of the Mountain View, Calif., firm’s total revenue last year, and they may take years to bear fruit. But the potential is big. Revenue from the projects soared 49% in 2017 compared with the previous year. That’s more than double the rate of growth of the rest of Alphabet’s business, which wasn’t shabby, either. Google revenue—roughly 86% of it from ad sales—climbed 23% year over year.
Critics say the firm’s dependence on advertising makes it sensitive to economic downturns. But with an 80% share, Alphabet dominates the online search market. Google’s various platforms, including Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube, have more than 1 billion active users per month each. That level of traffic should cushion ad sales in bad times. Other worries include the potential for government regulation of web companies and slimmer profit margins as the cost of promoting Alphabet’s platforms rises.
All of that helps explain why the stock trades at a relatively reasonable 28 times estimated earnings for the year ahead. UBS analyst Eric Sheridan rates the stock a “buy” and says: “We see Alphabet as a large-cap internet leader that is surpassing revenue growth expectations today and building the foundation for the next three to five years.” Or longer.
Amazon.com: The E-Commerce Juggernaut
- Market value: $832.6 billion
- Earnings growth rate: 30.2%
- Amazon.com (AMZN (opens in new tab), $1,716) has executives in an impressive array of industries quaking in their boots. Says Peter Bourbeau, a ClearBridge Investments fund manager who meets with dozens of companies throughout the year: “Whether it’s a mining company, an industrial equipment firm or a drugmaker, somehow the questions begin or end with the threat of Amazon.”
Expanding into new markets is the firm’s strategy. In recent months, Amazon acquired grocer Whole Foods; opened Amazon Go, a new kind of store with no checkout required, in Seattle; and launched Prime Wardrobe, a service that allows Amazon Prime members to try on new clothes before they buy them. Expect more ideas to bubble up. The firm spent $22.6 billion on research and development in 2017, more than any other company in the country.
Meanwhile, the Seattle-based firm’s older businesses are chugging along. The firm has more than 100 million Prime members, many of whom were attracted by Prime Video, the firm’s streaming-video business. Amazon’s North American e-commerce sales (60% of total revenue) grew 33% in 2017 from the previous year. Its cloud-computing business, Amazon Web Services (10% of sales), is growing even faster and fueling earnings growth overall thanks to its 25% operating profit margin. (The firm’s North American e-commerce business has a 3% margin; its international division has an operating loss.)
The stock’s stratospheric price-earnings ratio (121, based on estimated earnings for the next 12 months) reflects in part Amazon’s practice of plowing what might otherwise be counted as profit back into research and development. Even so, analysts on average expect Amazon to post earnings growth averaging better than 30% over each of the next three to five years, according to Zacks Investment Research. That’s triple what they expect in earnings growth for the S&P 500.
Ecolab: Cleaning Up
- Market value: $42.3 billion
- Earnings growth rate: 12.6%
- Ecolab (ECL (opens in new tab), $147) isn't a household name because its products aren't made for home use. Hospitals, hotels, restaurants, schools and retailers use its cleaning fluids, equipment and services to do laundry, wash dishes and mop floors. It's not glamorous, but cleanliness is not a discretionary expense for Ecolab customers. “If these places are seen as not clean, they're out of business,” says Eric Schoenstein, a comanager of Jensen Quality Growth fund.
Ecolab is the biggest player in the commercial cleaning and sanitation industry. Although analysts say a severe or prolonged economic slowdown might hurt the St. Paul, Minn., firm, it has coped well in past downturns. In 2008, in the midst of the recession, Ecolab posted 12% revenue growth, and its stock held up better than the broad market. Over the long term, says Value Line analyst Michael Lavery, “we expect the company’s steady earnings growth to continue into early next decade and beyond.”
Ecolab also has a growing business in water treatment, pollution control and energy conservation that is marketed to textile companies, commercial factories and the oil-and-gas industry.
Analysts on average expect Ecolab earnings to increase by 15.1% in 2018 compared with 2017, and by another 10.6% in 2019. At $147 a share, the stock trades at 27 times estimated earnings for the next 12 months, in line with the P/E it has commanded over the past five years.
UnitedHealth Group: In the Pink
- Market value: $246.0 billion
- Earnings growth rate: 13.8%
- UnitedHealth Group (UNH (opens in new tab), $256) is the biggest health insurer in the country, with some 50 million people on its rolls. That alone makes it compelling. But the Minnetonka, Minn.-based firm also provides a host of services to millions more through its Optum units, making the company a health care dynamo.
OptumRX offers prescription drug services to 65 million people, mostly through workplace plans. Through OptumHealth, 91 million people get access to specialized benefits, such as dental and vision care, as well as access to urgent-care clinics and walk-in surgical care centers that offer high-quality care at 50% to 75% of the price in a hospital setting. The third Optum division, OptumInsight, is “the most interesting piece of the firm over the long term,” says Jim Golan, a comanager of William Blair Large Cap Growth fund. The unit collects and analyzes years of health care treatment data, which is then used by hospitals, doctors, health plans, drug companies and governments to improve the efficiency of care and reduce costs.
United has built a unique business that Golan says can generate double-digit earnings growth in a strong or weak economy. Analysts predict annualized earnings growth of 13.8% over the next three to five years. Caveat: Mergers afoot within the health care sector, patterned after United’s business model, could prove challenging.
Trading at 20 times expected earnings for the year ahead, United’s shares are a bit pricey compared with those of other managed-care firms—but not enough to concern the bulls, given United’s leadership in a highly fragmented market, its wide geographic footprint and its product diversity.
Visa: The King of Plastic
- Market value: $311.7 billion
- Earnings growth rate: 17.2%
Chances are, you’re carrying less cash in your wallet today than you did a decade ago. Visa (V (opens in new tab), $135), the leader in electronic payments processing, stands to benefit from the global shift to a cashless world. The Foster City, Calif., company clears more transactions than its three closest competitors combined, says Value Line analyst Sharif Abdou. In the first half of its fiscal year, which ends in September, transaction volume in the U.S. and Canada increased at a solid clip of more than 9%; volume in overseas developed and emerging regions climbed 7% to 8%. “Visa is poised for stellar results over the next several years,” says Abdou. Analysts expect an average 17.2% earnings growth rate over each of the next three to five years.
The potential wrench in the story is the rise of new payment platforms, such as ApplePay, Venmo and others. But many consumers still use their Visa card on these alternative systems. Digital currencies and the technology behind them could pose a threat, but not an immediate one, says Morningstar analyst Jim Sinegal. In the meantime, especially in the U.S., use of Visa credit and debit cards among consumers and merchants alike remains well entrenched, says Dan Davidowitz, a comanager at Polen Focus Growth fund.
Keep an eye out for dips, and buy with a long-term view. At $135 a share, the stock trades at 28 times estimated earnings for the year ahead. But patient investors should prosper as consumers the world over trade currency for plastic. “There’s still plenty of runway for growth,” says Davidowitz.
How to Spot a Keeper
Here’s what winning firms need in order to maintain a long-lasting edge over their peers.
- An in-demand product or service, or a well-known and trusted name. Whether it’s a sought-after product or service or even a popular store (online or on Main Street), a company that offers something in high demand creates a loyal group of repeat customers.
- A recurring stream of revenue. Habitual customers generate steady sales. The holy grail is a dependable flow of consistent income—say, from subscription-service contracts.
- Generous profits. Earnings drive stock prices, so look for a positive trend. Jensen Quality Growth comanager Eric Schoenstein zeroes in on a company’s return on equity, a profitability measure that tells him how well a company uses shareholder investments to generate earnings growth. He likes to see at least a 15% return on equity, by his calculation, in each of the past 10 years.
- The ability to raise or maintain prices even in a slump. An industry leader has pricing power even when the economy flags. Such a company may also have purchasing power—the ability to buy necessary materials to make its products at lower prices than its peers.
- Smart executives. You want managers who reinvest the company’s excess cash wisely with shareholders’ interests in mind. Look for executives who behave as the owner or founder of the business might—and who treat you like one, too—by making sound acquisitions or capital expenditures, buying back shares when prices are low, and boosting dividends.
- Hurdles that hinder the competition. Keeper companies erect “barriers to entry” that keep competitors at bay. Any prospective competitor to Amazon.com, for instance, would have to overcome the advantage of the Seattle-based firm’s vast distribution network. The e-commerce giant has 100-odd warehouses and more than 60 sorting centers and delivery stations worldwide.
- A promising road ahead. Like sharks that must keep swimming or die, companies have to keep growing. A keeper stock will have a catalyst to push earnings higher for several years. Look for companies that will benefit from a developing technology, for example, or a long-term trend, such as the aging population or the burgeoning middle class in the developing world.
Nellie joined Kiplinger in August 2011 after a seven-year stint in Hong Kong. There, she worked for the Wall Street Journal Asia, where as lifestyle editor, she launched and edited Scene Asia, an online guide to food, wine, entertainment and the arts in Asia. Prior to that, she was an editor at Weekend Journal, the Friday lifestyle section of the Wall Street Journal Asia. Kiplinger isn't Nellie's first foray into personal finance: She has also worked at SmartMoney (rising from fact-checker to senior writer), and she was a senior editor at Money.
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With Anthony Davis in the fold, Team USA almost Team Nike
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Not that we need any more signs of Nike Inc.’s dominance in U.S. basketball, but the news that the brand has signed Anthony Davis to a long-term endorsement deal means the Swoosh has deals with all but one member of this year’s U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team.
And the one person on the 12-man roster who doesn’t have an NBA deal — Lake Oswego’s own Kevin Love — wears Nikes anyway.
About 90 percent of all basketball shoes sold in the U.S. are either Nikes or Jordans, so it’s fair to say the all-Nike makeup of the U.S. Olympic team is reflective of that dominance.
Yet it wouldn’t be this way if it weren’t for injury. Two of the NBA’s brightest stars — the Chicago Bulls’ point guard Derrick Rose and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard — are the standard bearers for Adidas America Inc.’s basketball business. Both undoubtedly would have had a place on the London-bound U.S. Olympic team had they not been sidelined by injuries.
This isn’t a phenomenon limited to the men. All but one member of the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team wear Jordans or Nikes (Candace Parker wears Adidas).
What is that you say? Brand allegiance shouldn’t matter when it comes to playing for your country?
Sure, that sounds great, but this year’s team has already drawn comparisons to the 1992 Dream Team, and that bunch of all-stars gave one of the most brazen displays of brand loyalty on record.
The U.S. Olympic Team in 1992 was outfitted by Reebok. On the medal stand, Nike stalwarts Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, along with Magic Johnson — who back then was the face of the Converse brand — draped U.S. flags over their shoulders to cover up the Reebok logo.
Erik Siemers is managing editor of the Portland Business Journal.
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I’ll be curious to hear if there is a business strategy update, but I don’t think we’ll have more insights on what “unbundling the big blue app” really means. I think one possible option is that social data and contextual identity will be the layer on top of Facebook’s new social conglomerate.
I personally will be looking more specifically for an update on mobile app installs. There's no doubt that Facebook has disrupted the app marketing space by becoming a key player in app discovery — which is the key driver behind its mobile ad revenues.
A growing and significant part of this business comes from direct marketers looking to drive app installs, primarily from gaming and other businesses that are increasingly dependent on mobile, such as travel and retail companies. These players know the lifetime value of their apps and have calculated how much they can spend to drive each app download and still have a positive return on investment (ROI). But marketers in more-traditional businesses or who are pursuing other marketing goals should pay close attention to the unique attributes of their mobile social users and optimize their social strategies to engage them.
According to Reuters, Japanese messaging app Line has filed for an IPO valued at over $10 billion.
No doubt the space is heating up. Competition is increasing. Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion. Japanese Internet giant Rakuten purchased Viber for $900 million. More recently, Kakao Corp (the maker of KakaoTalk, South Korea’s top messaging service and a direct competitor to Line) and Daum (one of South Korea’s largest Internet portals) announced they would merge through an equity swap, creating a company with about $2.9 billion market capitalization!
To put all this activity in perspective, I recently published a new piece of research explaining how messaging apps are morphing into new media portals and are becoming the new face of social.
WeChat is jockeying to become a global digital platform, thanks to the deep pockets of its parent company, the Chinese Internet giant Tencent. The other Chinese Internet giant, Alibaba, which recently invested $280 million in Tango, could also connect the dots between its commerce, payment, media, and social capabilities.
Soon to have 500 million registered online users, Line is definitely a key player in the space. The money to be raised will help in developing the already significant international expansion and further develop the positioning of Line as a “smartphone life platform.” The majority of the $335 million in revenue generated in 2013 came from games and about 20% from stickers — “emoticons on steroids,” as my colleague Julie Ask called them.
Japanese consumers are among the most mobile-savvy in the world: They were shopping, banking, and gaming on mobile phones long before consumers in other nations. The Japanese mobile ecosystem used to be unique; telecom operators specified to Japanese handset manufacturers the design of services to implement on multimedia phones. This is changing in an app world.
Indeed, the mobile market is opening up quickly to the smartphone app ecosystem. While Japan is a mobile-centric society, smartphone adoption has lagged behind other major markets. Many international brands launched their first mCommerce initiatives in Japan several years ago, but the market subsequently disappeared from the innovation radar due to the US-centric smartphone app ecosystem. But this is changing. It is time to take another look at Japan to uncover how the nation is combining innovation and scale as its market embraces smartphone apps.
More than a decade ago, I had the opportunity to work with NTT DoCoMo to introduce i-mode — the mobile multimedia service in France. At that time, Japan was clearly two to three years ahead of the rest of the mobile world. The Japanese market — and more specifically, the i-mode business model — is rumored to have inspired Steve Jobs to launch the Apple App Store. After that, Silicon Valley became the new source of innovation and inspiration for mobile marketers. Now that the app ecosystem has come full circle, marketers should again consider mobile marketing in Japan, benefiting from a more open ecosystem to distribute their apps and engage with Japanese customers. I recently spent a full week in Japan, and it is fascinating to see the relationship people have with mobile phones over there.
There are lots of lessons to learn from the likes of Rakuten, Line, Felica, Softbank, or NTT DoCoMo and from a mature ecosystem of mobile contactless and connective-tissue technologies.
Facebook, the social media giant that has already made a large dent in the mobile ad ecosystem, today showed it has no plans to stop the momentum: Welcome, Audience Network.
Before today, there were already several factors working in Facebook’s favor: its reach among avid social users, its engaged and captive audience, and its trove of affinity data, which my colleague Nate Elliott talks more about in his blog post here.
After its Audience Network announcement today, Facebook is breaking the application of its tools and its data out of its own silo, and this could benefit several players:
Other developers and publishers could make more money by offering Facebook data-infused mobile ads.
Advertisers can dip into Facebook’s rich affinity data to target their ads across other mobile properties.
And of course, Facebook itself just extended its potential revenue base and faces a new competitive set with the likes of Google AdMob and MIllennialMedia.
William Hill PLC, one of the world's leading betting and gaming companies and trusted UK high-street brand, has recently undergone a significant strategy review. The strategic changes came in response to the fact that more and more of its customers want to engage with the company via digital and increasingly also via mobile platforms — which at Forrester we refer to as the mobile mind shift.
In this new business context, William Hill now focuses on three main initiatives for expansion: 1) develop a wider product range, 2) encourage greater multichannel usage, and 3) increase internationalisation. To better understand how it is tackling these business priorities and, in particular, how the firm is driving multichannel usage by delivering visible value (and in context), we invited Kristof Fahy, William Hill’s Chief Marketing Officer to deliver a keynote presentation at Forrester's Forum For Marketing Leaders in London coming up on May 13-14.
In the run-up to the Forum, Kristof was kind enough to answer a few questions to provide a sneak preview to the content from his speech. I hope you enjoy his responses as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing many of you in London!
Q. You’ve led marketing efforts at a wide variety of companies, from big and established brands like Orange and BlackBerry to challengers like Yahoo. Are there key things that all brands—regardless of size and industry—should be doing today to stay relevant and top of mind in our hyper-connected, multi-channel world?
At the beginning of the year in our yearly mobile predictions report, my colleague Julie Ask and I made the following call: "mobile will affect more than just your digital operations — it will transform your entire business. 2014 will be the year that companies increase investments to transform their businesses with mobile as a focal point." McDonald’s France is a great example of such a trend.
In France, you can now order a Big Mac anytime, anywhere on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop and pick it up later at any of 1,200 McDonald’s restaurants. But mobile ordering and in-store pick up are just the first steps of a broader and more ambitious strategy: differentiating McDonald’s brand experience and powering a future relationship marketing platform by enabling direct behavioral customer insights. Although it started with a mobile ordering and payment app nationwide, McDonald’s France aims to transform all points of customer engagement by building a platform to extend new services to loyal customers and evolving the entire organization.
Despite a less mature mobile ecosystem and lower mobile usage than in the US, McDonald’s France was the first subsidiary of McDonald’s to launch a mobile ordering offering at scale. Such an ordering service is only at pilot stage in the US. France is McDonald’s second-biggest market after the United States, with €4.35 billion in turnover in 2012. Most other countries had piloted mobile payments so far. With more than 16 million members, McDonald’s Japan mobile couponing and in-store contactless payment services is the only other mobile service for McDonald’s (and the vast majority of brands) that has scaled massively, but it does not yet offer the same value.
3. 70% of MAU use the service daily (Source: TechCrunch)
4. WhatsApp offers users in Europe, Brazil and other emerging markets (= net new audience) (Source: Gravity/Techcrunch)
5. Nearly 200 minutes of usage each week (Source: Mobidia)
6. Facebook gets how to monetize mobile through paid advertising without wrecking the user experience. (In Q4 2013 they crossed over from 49% of revenue from mobile to 53% from a base of 945M mobile monthly active users) Source: Facebook, TechCrunch
Why $16B to $19B? I am not a financial analyst, but here are a few thoughts:
- Facebook generated $1.37B in mobile revenue in Q4 2013 on a base of 945M users ... annualized that is $5.80/MAU (monthly active user)
- WhatsApp already generates $1/user for a chunk of their users through a subscription fee (less fee to app store?)
- If WhatsApp users can be monetized at the same value, that adds another 50% approximately in mobile ad revenue
- Facebook reported 914 minutes of use on mobile per month in 2013 (Source: allthingsd.com)
First, the good news: Mobile marketing is maturing within organizations. More marketers than ever have mobile programs in place, and they are shifting from testing to “see what happens” to the more strategic, and Tim Gunn-recommended, “make it work.”
Now for the bad news: Marketers have to demonstrate whether their mobile programs are, in fact, working. And in a still-evolving industry that lacks measurement standards, coupled with marketers who are just starting to measure strategically, this is no easy task.
But it can be done! Our advice to marketers is this: Start by benchmarking against yourself. Here are the three steps to help you set the right baselines:
Set up a mobile dashboard. You’re going to need a clear view of your data to develop consistent measures. And for mobile, this requires a feature-rich dashboard with the right level of granularity. What does your mobile dashboard need to have? New filters like operating system (OS) and app version, new data sources like app review sentiment, and cross-channel measurement capabilities to demonstrate mobile’s full impact.
Establish your baselines. So many variables impact the success of any one company’s mobile program — from its stage of mobile maturity to its audience to the campaign's creative. To make sure you land on the right baseline for your company, create a measurement plan that defines which KPIs matter for your goal and what the right frequency of tracking is based on the longevity of the program or introduction of new factors.
Seventy-six percent of marketers think that marketing has changed more in the past two years than in the past 50 years!*
Mobile is a significant contributing factor to this rapid pace of change. For example, between 2011 and 2013, Google’s YouTube share of mobile traffic has increased from 6% to 40%! Facebook’s mobile monthly active users have more than doubled from 432 to 945 million!
My colleague Craig Le Clair recently explained why business agility is a key competitive advantage. I just revisited his framework analysis to explain how marketers must adopt the principles of business agility to survive in the mobile era.
For mobile marketing to succeed, you must deliver your brand as a service, implementing more-personalized and more-contextualized brand experiences on mobile phones — but you can’t do it alone. These differentiated experiences require revamped back-end systems, which requires marketers to take an interest in the software, architecture, and processes handled by business technology (BT) teams. You must work closely with your BT counterparts to innovate new capabilities and deploy them with modern process methodologies and tools. Marketers have a lot to learn from the values underlying the notion of agile IT development.
As mobile matures as a marketing outlet, and as consumers around the world continue to embrace it as their primary Internet touchpoint, mobile’s volatility and velocity of change will instill the need to constantly iterate your entire marketing approach. It will become increasingly imperative for marketing leaders to embrace agile marketing.
I had the opportunity to talk to nearly 50 companies working on mHealth and mWellness services and technologies in 2013. With the perspective of 13 years as a mobile analyst behind me and a career in telecom that started in the late 80's, I say with confidence that this category within mobile is more exciting and has the potential to be more game-changing, than anything since the introduction of the iPhone. Most of you reading this blog are not in healthcare - that's why the report offers a WIM (what it means) for industries outside of health and wellness.
I started this research journey with a simple mission: "what mobile engagement tactics can and do change consumer behavior?" Or, in other words, what gets people up off the couch? Is it competition, community, feedback, encouragement or coaching, a poke, or what?
How did MyFitnessPal facilitate more than 100M pounds of weight loss?
How did RunKeeper get their users to move 783 million miles?
How did Strava motivate their users to move 1.4 billion kilometers?


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The star of the recent IFA 2012 show in Berlin, the Samsung Galaxy Camera, has just been outed for release in India. At a recent press event -- where the Galaxy Note 2 was also confirmed for release in the country -- Samsung promised to deliver the Galaxy Camera for release prior to Diwali. While sounding pretty vague, Diwali is to take place this year on November 13, so eager Indian early adopters shouldn't be waiting too long to get their hands on the device. No pricing has been confirmed at this time.
The Galaxy Note 2 however, is set for release next week at a price of INR 39,990 (£468, $756) which puts it in the realms of pricing for the European market, perhaps slightly cheaper. Initially the Note 2 will be available from Samsung Smartphone Cafes and Samsung Plazas, with other retailers and carriers offering it at a later date.


text: DARIEN - Shannon Doherty knows life can be hectic trying to balance running a business and raising four small children. Add a pandemic to complicate things, and the 36-year-old Darien mom needed to come up with some hacks to get through the day. That's when she decided to share her ideas on TikTok. "To be honest, I wasn't sure what it was at first," said Doherty, who owns Darien's Coco+Lala clothing store. "I thought it was just something that kids used to share videos of them dancing," she said. Since joining in March, Doherty now has 160,000 followers, 6 million likes, and an estimated 40 million views. Earlier this month, one of Doherty's mom hacks, a healthy sanitation station, was featured on "Good Morning America." Doherty said she was approached by the show's editor after she saw Doherty's TikTok. The video has now gained more than 400,000 likes. One mom hack Doherty shared on TikTok was "Random things in our laundry room that just make sense." Those items included a purse for loose change, a sign that can be flipped to say "clean or dirty," a small Keurig coffee maker, and a lonely sock bin. That TikTok got nearly 15,000 likes. Another similar video about laundry room hacks gained nearly 40,000 likes. Doherty said she tries to combine humor with useful tips for how to juggle being a working mom. "I try to think of creative ideas that no one else is pointing out. And we have four kids, so I'm running around and most of my ideas have gone through trial and error - they actually work," Doherty said. Doherty said she also tries to show she's a real person who isn't perfect. "If I'm cooking, and I burn the cake, I show that," she said. Some of her most popular ideas include self-serve stations for her children's meals and needs, including a breakfast station, a snack station in the fridge, and a lunch station. During the summer, she also had a poolside self-serve sunblock station. Another popular video showed a creative way to get her small children into the grocery cart through the swinging back instead of lifting them over the side. Another activity gave Doherty a chance to take a brief nap while the children "draw mommy sleeping," which drew more than 150,000 likes. Doherty's success has earned her 14 monthly sponsorships and has increased exposure for her store, which also sells its merchandise online and has locations in Darien and in Westerly, R.I. Doherty doesn't often show the faces of her children, Leontine "Lala," 6, Colton "Coco," 5, Fallon "Peaches," 3, and Hunter, 1, on TikTok. Doherty says some people are hesitant to expose their young children to the internet, but she says social media "isn't going anywhere." "It's going to be part of their lives," she said. "If I can harness it and teach them to use it responsibly, they can use it to their advantage and not have it eat them alive." When the pandemic first closed schools and businesses in March, Doherty used Coco+Lala to raise awareness with her "Spread Love Not Germs" shirt and hashtag. For every "Spread Love" shirt sold, Coco+Lala supported Share Our Strengths #NoKidHungry campaign to give 10 meals for children who needed food. TikTok was another way Doherty said she and others were able to interact while being stuck at home during the pandemic. "We've been having so much fun with it. It was a great way to be connected to people," she said. "I've met a lot of moms this way. It was a fun way to stay connected and be doing something." Despite her sudden TikTok fame, Doherty said her children still keep her grounded. "I say to my daughter, 'Did you tell your friends we posted a new TikTok video?' And she says, 'No, mom, that's embarrassing!'" Doherty said, laughing. "I say, 'Embarrassing? But I'm so cool.'" she added. Shannon Doherty can be found on TikTok @theshannonldoherty.


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Like many others, I was captivated by a BuzzFeed article a few months ago describing one reporter's journey halfway around the world to find the person who ended up with his stolen iPhone, which was swiped from an East Village bar and landed in China. The nightmare scenario unexpectedly became a feel-good story because the guy who had the phone turned out to be a real mensch. Hence the headline: "I Followed My Stolen iPhone Across the World, Became a Celebrity in China, and Found a Friend for Life."Most cybersecurity stories don't end so well. There is a consensus in business circles that New York company owners are not doing enough to protect themselves from hackers. And it's not for a lack of warnings. Just last week, we reported that employees at Montefiore hospital stole the personal information of 10,000 patients. This month alone, we've published two opinion pieces on the subject. One cautioned that law and accounting firms that are worried about their margins are forgoing the kinds of protections that keep client data safe. The average breach costs $5.9 million. Small and midsize firms are increasingly at risk because they often can't afford to pay for top-flight cyber-security personnel.
The other op-ed noted that when companies recycle their electronics, data can end up in open-air markets as far away as Ghana. "Businesses are most vulnerable when 'recyclers' don't perform the data destruction they claim," the authors wrote. "Such recyclers are really exporters with a single goal: to get your company's IT assets to developing countries where a thriving black market exists for computers with sensitive corporate and personal information."
Given the New York economy's reliance on health care and finance, ignoring these vulnerabilities is business malpractice. If this issue resonates with you, get educated at our Business of Cybersecurity panel July 22. We'll examine the innovations and opportunities in the growing cybersecurity industry and its impact on New York's most important sectors.


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I was moved to write this:
It’s rare that I’m on the irregular side of a geek argument, but when it comes to the Beatles, I almost always sway the side of the fab four.
Today, Apple announced that the Beatles have arrived on iTunes. People are saying that this is anti-climactic.
That’s insane. Today marks the spiritual ending of 20 odd years of intense legal tension between Apple (computer) and Apple (Corps). Apple is called Apple because Steve named it after the record label set up by his favourite band.
Yes, that Steve, and the band was the Beatles. Apple fans often find it hard to understand why other folks aren’t excited by a new announcement or a shiny new gadget. If you’re underwhelmed by the Beatles announcement, then you now know how to put yourself in the shoes of people who don’t “get” Apple’s tech.
Loading the Apple homepage just now made me draw a breath. No other band in history consistently innovated, both musically, and in terms of pushing recording technology together.
For me, no other band consistently produced such complex music, that was so accessible to anyone at first listen.
Refined, simple and accessible, yet complex and innovative at the same time. Does that sound familiar? Make no mistake, this is a big deal, and a huge day.


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According to the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine representatives, 103 ships are currently blocked in Ukrainian ports. Export of crops is paralyzed – Russia is choking it by the throat, having shut off all access and exits for vessels to the Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Alternative sources of food supplies will not be able to cover the export volume of supplies from Ukraine as before the war, Ukraine could send to other countries vast volumes of agricultural products (inc. processing) - up to 90 million tons per year.
Today, elevators of Ukraine contain approximately 20 million tons of grain from last year's harvest. This grain could feed 400 million people during the year. Thus, there is a risk of losing significant amounts of grain in the fields during the current season, as there are no opportunities for their storage, given the expected upcoming harvest and current stocks. If Ukrainian farmers do not ship the last year's harvest during July-August 2022, they will not plant for the next season. Potential consequences are bleak: world trade war, humanitarian crisis, increased hunger rates, skyrocketing prices, and inflationary pressures on the global market will become a new reality. International food supply chains should be respected by all parties, same as energy supply chains, and protected from the impact of war.
If the Black Sea ports are not reopened shortly and the seawater cleared from Russian mines, the economic consequences for Ukraine will be disastrous. There are no logistics alternatives to Black Sea ports as alternative routes via Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, and Moldova cannot cover volumes of Ukrainian export.
In this regard, the Chamber calls upon the international organizations: WTO, UN, OECD; and the Governments of Ukraine's trade partners: the United States of America, Turkey, China, India, Indonesia, Egypt and other Middle Eastern & North African countries – to help in finding the solution to unblock and demine the Ukrainian ports and guarantee a safe movement of trade vessels. Let's join our efforts to renew the export of grain and oilseeds to mitigate the negative consequences of the global food crisis.
Taking this opportunity, the Chamber member companies' experts express their gratitude to the Office of the President, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Seaports Administration, and Ukrainian Railways for consolidating efforts to unblock Ukraine's seaports. On a separate note, we would like to thank the U.S. Government for continuous and unconditional support of Ukraine's territorial integrity, democratic values, and national freedom.


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|Bid||0.00 x 1000|
|Ask||0.00 x 900|
|Day's Range||8.58 - 9.19|
|52 Week Range||6.12 - 11.20|
|Beta (3Y Monthly)||1.17|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Earnings Date||May 11, 2017 - May 12, 2017|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y Target Est||15.00|
Fourth Quarter 2018 Highlights Fourth quarter net sales increased 10.3 percent to $97.4 million from $88.3 million in the prior yearKey drivers of fourth quarter top-line.
Pluralsight, Inc. (PS), the enterprise technology learning platform, today announced that Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (NATR), a leading natural health and wellness company engaged in the manufacture and direct selling of nutritional and personal care products, is using Pluralsight to quickly and efficiently develop the latest technology skills needed to move its infrastructure from on premises to Microsoft Azure. Nature’s Sunshine markets and distributes nutritional and personal care products through a global direct sales force of more than 500,000 active independent managers, distributors and customers in more than 40 countries.
LEHI, Utah, Feb. 25, 2019 -- Nature’s Sunshine Products (Nasdaq: NATR), a leading natural health and wellness company engaged in the manufacture and direct selling of.
If you own shares in Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATR) then it's worth thinking about how it contributes to the volatility of your portfolio, overall. In finance, Beta is a Read More...
NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2018 -- In new independent research reports released early this morning, Market Source Research released its latest key findings for all current investors,.
The Lehi, Utah-based company said it had profit of 8 cents per share. The nutritional and personal care products maker posted revenue of $88.8 million in the period. Nature's Sunshine shares have decreased ...
Third quarter net sales decreased 0.5 percent year-over-year to $88.8 millionNet Income of $1.5 million attributable to common shareholders, $0.08 per diluted common share.
The Lehi, Utah-based company said it had profit of less than 1 cent on a per-share basis. The nutritional and personal care products maker posted revenue of $91.3 million in the period. Nature's Sunshine ...
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 7, 2018 / Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: NATR ) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q2 Earnings Call to be held on August 7, 2018 at 5:30 PM ...
In this article, I will take a quick look at Nature’s Sunshine Products Inc’s (NASDAQ:NATR) recent ownership structure – an unconventional investing subject, but an important one. Ownership structure hasRead More...


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Entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker Gary Vaynerchuk has been announced as the keynote speaker for the last day of Venture Madness 2016 that is happening on March 4th at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Vaynerchuk will be speaking between the times of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Main Casino Level Showroom and will discuss how his background and definition of an entrepreneur got him where he is today. The price for a ticket to attend this event is $299 per person, and requests need to be emailed in through the Invest Southwest website. Discounts for investors and VC Discount passes will be available, and Invest Southwest is the number one organization in the region for connecting and networking investors with one another.
The 40-year old businessman, who also goes by the name of “Garyvee”, moved to the United States in 1978 and attended Mount Ida College in Newton, MA. Using his knowledge that he learned from the school, Vaynerchuk helped transform his family’s small liquor store in New Jersey into a giant retail wine store called Wine Library. With persistent marketing and pricing, the Garyvee was able to grow his father’s store from a $3 million dollar yearly profit to a $50 million dollar one, which is what kicked off his business life. Vaynerchuk has since created several media pieces like his blog titled the DailyVee and has written books such as “Crush it”, “The Thank You Economy” and “#AskGaryVee” which are all best sellers.
Vaynerchuk will be speaking at this year’s Venture Madness event in the Phoenix-area of Arizona on March 4th at the Talking Stick resort. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for people who are trying to make it with their small businesses, and turn them into bigger stores.


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Tableau has announced that it has acquired Cleargraph, a startup that allows you to make queries in natural language to obtain and visualize large amounts of business data. The business intelligence and analytics giant plans to integrate this technology with its own products as it looks to make it easier for its users to use similar queries to visualize their data.
In a typical scenario, you need to have a decent knowledge of SQL to retrieve and visualize data out of enterprise databases. But thanks to machine learning and natural language processing, services have a better understanding about the underlying database and then take these sentences and essentially translate them into database queries. Since Microsoft and other competitors in the area already offer such a service, it comes as no surprise that Tableau wants in on it too.
“Even though Tableau is top in its class for ease of use, it’s about expanding the number of users who can analyze data in the enterprise,” said Tableau’s Chief Product Officer Francois Ajenstat.
Cleargraph, previously called Argo, was founded in 2014 in order to make databases more accessible and easier to operate. It’s current customers will notice the changes in a few days, since they have the backing of one of the experts in the data business. Although they won’t be immediate, over time, once the new technology is integrated, it will seem much more apparent.
The Cleargraph team, which is small but brilliant will join Tableau’s Palo Alto office and focus on integrating its technology with Tableau’s.


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ZURICH (Reuters) – A humanitarian channel to bring food and medicine to Iran has started trial operations, the Swiss government said on Thursday, helping supply Swiss goods to the struggling population without tripping over U.S. sanctions.
The Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA) seeks to ensure that Swiss-based exporters and trading companies in the food, pharmaceutical and medical sectors have a secure payment channel with a Swiss bank through which payments for their exports to Iran are guaranteed, a government statement said.
Food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies are exempt from the sanctions that Washington reimposed on Tehran after U.S. President Donald Trump walked away from a 2015 international deal over Iran’s nuclear program.
First shipments of medicine to Iran sent via Swiss channel, more to follow: U.S. diplomat
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – First shipments of drugs for cancer and transplant patients in Iran have already been sent through a Swiss humanitarian channel, U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Thursday, adding that he expected more transactions to follow.
“We have now already one company that has met that (criteria) and the cancer drugs have already been delivered,” Hook told a press conference, adding that he was in touch with more companies. “You can expect to see more transactions moving through this channel,” he said.
Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk


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More than any other period in history, protecting company privacy is very important today. Unfortunately, the number of cases of identity theft has not only increased but has also shifted from personal to business. You can check privacy laws at https://usprivacylawyer.com/services/.
Several large companies and even government agencies have announced in the news that laptops and important information about employees and the organization itself has been stolen. Organizations, such as credit card companies, banks, or government agencies, have a higher risk.
Image Source: Google
It is very important to do everything possible to protect your organization and your employees. With laptops, employees can work from anywhere, eliminating the need for employees to stay on location and improve communication efficiency.
However, every time an employee takes a laptop out of the office, the potential risk to privacy increases. Suppose an employee works in the company's financial sector and returns to the hotel room after dinner during an attempt to find the missing laptop. Now everyone can access it without a computer having password protection. However, professional criminals can risk the data by hacking anything with or without protection.
There are so many ways to steal privacy, it is important to understand the risks and then take the right actions to improve it. Take steps to protect your business secrets and sensitive personal data.


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It’s spring, the weather is improving, and crowds are gathering in surprisingly large numbers as the COVID-19 vaccine is more widely administered.
But news of sneaky new COVID-19 variants and images of careless Spring Break revelers give reason to worry that this still may not all be over. Scenes of large crowds with casual mask-wearing have also popped up in large cities and smaller towns across America.
And it’s hard to blame these crowds. Many states have loosened restrictions on gatherings and indoor distancing—or even eliminated the mask mandate.
What if your state lifts restrictions in ways that your small business is not comfortable with? Remember, your business keeps its own rules.
Chains like Target, Starbucks, CVS, and Kroger are keeping the mask mandates in place in their stores, even in states that are lifting restrictions, according to the Washington Post. Your business can apply whatever safety restrictions you choose, but understand that proactive safety measures may provoke some tough customers.
Here’s the latest on the new rolled-back COVID-19 safety precautions and what they mean if you do business in that state.
According to NBC News, 15 states have lifted the mask mandate, and more are getting ready to, though several of those states still allow localities to keep mask restrictions in place. The Indianapolis Star reports Indiana is set to join that list on April 6, 2021, with Alabama and Utah to follow later this month. Here is a list of states that have lifted their mask mandates.
Your small business is still allowed to enforce a mask mandate within your store, even if your state has rescinded its mask mandate. And it could be a matter of dollars and cents, as customers may feel safer in your store if their fellow shoppers are wearing masks.
We have an extensive guide on how to enforce mask-wearing at your small business that’s certainly worth a read. But we’ll summarize a few of the highlights:
Some states are also ending their restrictions on gatherings and discontinuing any limits on capacities at indoor businesses like restaurants, gyms, or theaters. Per NBC News, here’s a list of states allowing larger gatherings and bigger capacities indoors:
Your business is, of course, allowed to enforce any capacity limits you choose within the 4 walls of your brick-and-mortar location. But outside of those 4 walls, you cannot enforce any limits on capacities or gathering sizes.
Fortunately, we’re seeing vaccine progress that would have been unthinkable even just at the beginning of this year. The country’s most populous state of California now says that everyone in that state over the age of 16 can get the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 15. The state of New York is now offering vaccinations to all residents 30 and older and 16-year-olds and up starting April 6. Texas and 5 other states are already offering the vaccine to everyone ages 16 and up. Many others are quickly following suit.
In light of these amazing breakthroughs, there’s plenty of media speculation about so-called “vaccine passports” that would allow vaccinated people certain public gathering privileges that the unvaccinated can’t get.
There is no official form of “vaccine passport” yet. But major sports teams have been eager to establish guidelines for hosting such gatherings, even with limited, vaccinated crowds.
The return of regular foot traffic would be a lifesaver for small businesses, even if it did involve smaller crowds at airports, arenas, amusement parks, and the other small businesses that depend on the crowds those venues draw.
The new COVID-19 vaccines are definitely a medical miracle that will save millions of lives. But we’re still in the early days of vaccine availability, and this pandemic is nowhere near over. Regardless of what your governor may be saying, small businesses still have tough decisions to make in terms of what is safest for their employees and their customers.


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|05.10.2012||MADE EXPO 2012|
|PORTE IMIC will be at MADE Expo 2012, th [..]|
|21.12.2011||closed for Christmas holidays|
|PORTE IMIC announces that duri [..]|
|closed for Christmas holidays|
|PORTE IMIC announces that during the Christmas holidays, will be closed from 24/12/2011 to 08/01/2012.
The normal work will resume January 9, 2012.
PORTE IMIC wishes everyone Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2012


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Oct 23, 2014 The Facebook founder wowed his audience with a 30 minute speech in Mandarin.
Oct 22, 2014 Online retailers raise average cost of qualifying for service.
Oct 21, 2014 China's growth is declining. Europe is struggling. Which pains the U.S. most?
Oct 6, 2014 The struggling tech company could plug its Alibaba windfall into Snapchat.
Sep 25, 2014 CEO John Donahoe says the line between e-commerce and retail is blurring.
Sep 19, 2014 As Alibaba launches on the NYSE, we take a look at Jack Ma's antics and ambitions.
Sep 19, 2014 Alibaba surges, Scotland stays and the other stories we're reading Friday morning.
Sep 18, 2014 Censored content will continue to be blocked inside of China, but not outside.
Sep 17, 2014 But how will they spend it?


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The news that E3 2023 has been cancelled is only a few hours old, and we are honestly kind of still reeling. Sure, we knew that the venerable industry event had an uphill battle ahead of it, with publishers pulling out left and right, but it still seems kind of surreal, you know?
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Entertainment Software Association (ESA) executive director Stanley Pierre-Louis explains what happened and what we can expect next. For the first in-person event in several years, the ESA partnered with event coordinator ReedPop, and Pierre-Louis explains that "we were off to a strong start. There was interest among exhibitors, industry players, media and certainly the fans. Ultimately, however, there were challenges that proved too large to surmount."
One of these insurmountable challenges was the current development timelines studios have been facing since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and another is the resulting economic turbulence businesses have faced the world over. With less money to go around, some companies have begun to rethink investing in expensive booth space and massive marketing events.
On the subject of E3 returning in 2024, Pierre-Louis sticks to the script, stating that "we're committed to providing an industry platform for marketing and convening, but we want to make sure we find that right balance that meets the needs of the industry. We're certainly going to be listening and ensuring whatever we want to offer meets those needs, and at that time, we will have more news to share."
His answer is completely non-commital, as you might expect. For our two cents, we would suggest it seems like the era of E3 is over. With so many cheaper and more effective ways of getting the word out about upcoming games and projects, not to mention public hesitance following a devastating pandemic, the writing has been on the wall for a long time now. We just hope Sony has been saving the goods for that Showcase we have all been waiting for.
Do you think we will see a return to E3 someday, or are the glory days of convention-going truly behind us? Fire off your red-hot takes in the comments section below.
sadly they were never able to adapt with the times. why would a developer pay so much money they can do themselves and just live stream it? it sounds like it might not be over , but if it does return they need to completely rethink the format. having a big event trying to recapture the old days of e3 is just not possible in todays world.
Can’t say I’m surprised, although this sure makes Geoff Keighley’s efforts seem all the more impressive.
They need to change with the times. They must adapt their platform and embrace the streamer generation. I remember going to a games convention at earls court in london sometime in the late 80's as a teenager and it was a magical experience (not so much the aroma) but as the years rolled by these huge expo events have lost all the charm and become more and more corporate and boring..i just dont think these things are physically relevant anymore when you can view everything online for nowt and not have to sit or stand next to obnoxious,smelly teens or adults..
For me it died when Nintendo and Sony stopped doing their live presentations and started with their own Nintendo directs / state of play shows.
It's a shame really as although I never attended (difficult living in the UK) I did used to really look forward to it.
For gaming news, finding out about New console releases and specs etc it was, at one time the biggest event on the gaming calendar.
Sony put it in the hospital.
Covid put it on life support.
Xbox pulled the plug.
E3 was never really aimed at the Gamer - it was a Trade show specifically for Companies to tell the 'press' what they had in store for the year ahead so they'll tell the gamers in their magazines etc.
However, those companies now have a method to go directly to the 'Gamer' with a video/stream and reach far more people instantly everywhere in the world - all without the cost and hassle of attending a Show that really doesn't 'connect' with their target customers...
"Ultimately, there were challenges that proved too large to surmount"
Yeah, like nobody showing up 😉
Make the event a lot cheaper then. I heard rumours that it cost a fortune just for a metre of floor space. If you're the big publishers, are you willing to pay that just to show the press some demos?
@BAMozzy I think if E3 remained a trade show with big announcement live streams, it would still have existed, albeit in a smaller capacity than its heydays. However, E3 wanted to become a big entertainment expo while remaining a trade show at the same time. You can't be both. You can't show alpha demos full of unfinished textures to a wider audience. Shawn Layden mentioned this, many journalists have mentioned this.
It's crazy how an organisation that is supposed to be an advocate for the gaming industry, has managed to turn their biggest event into an event the whole of the gaming industry hates.
@Kidfried Of course you can't show early builds as first impressions count to the Consumer. A Publisher is looking for potential, whether it has marketable value so not necessarily bothered if its not 'polished'.
Also you have all these games that are 'early' in development being revealed that puts 'pressure' on Studio's to 'hurry up' and 'release', to keep us updated on progress etc when their only 'purpose' in revealing their 'project' was to help recruit staff to build that game or generate interest and/or investment etc...
Companies, especially during Covid lockdowns, realised they don't need the expense of hosting a booth at E3 and pushing teams to prepare 'something' in time to show, they can host their own showcase, whether its for a single game or a breakdown of the year ahead - at any time that suits them without the hassle and costs of attending an event in Person. Not only do they save money, this also is a 'direct to consumer' approach and can get 'their' message out first hand.
If companies are not 'attending' in person because its too expensive and/or 'easier' to make a video to be shown around the time of E3, then its obsolete. To get Companies to support the event, it needs to offer benefits and value and the 'biggest' value to them is Consumer engagement.
The state of play format works for reveals. They should simply do a playable demo to download when the sop has been aired (think old demo disc style. Multiple demos as part of the state of play download list covering everything that was revealed) .
It'd probably ruin some of the appeal for ps premium, but paying for the privilege of a demo is bloody stupid anyway so that's on Sony.
Not surprised, there's no reason any company would pay insane amount of money for a place and logistics, Most companies had this tought already, covid sealed the deal and showed live streaming was just fine and basically "free"
E3 failed to change and was awful anyway in the few years leading up to its demise, using "trendy" annoying streamers and the likes.
I don't buy the common refrain that big conventions and the costs were doomed. Other industries still have massive trade shows and promote them. CES still exists. SIE even attends it. The gaming industry has other large trade shows, TGS, GDC, etc. This is a problem specifically E3 related, and clearly does not involve the idea of attending conventions.
Someday it or something like it will return. Everything is cyclical. But it's really a bland time to be a gamer without it. That was the central hub of the gaming calendar year. This year we might get another #notE3, because everyone was already scheduled around it, but if they fail to pull it together next year, and I don't have high hopes, I just don't see the industry as particularly engaging to watch anymore. The staggered individual, overproduced commercials that masquerade as live events and random days and times just don't catch my interest. A big live presentation? Or a well orchestrated digital presentation? That's intriguing. Following monotone (or over false-excited) commercials made by an ad agency like it's a live event to schedule around? No, that's just not going to interest me. Without E3 I generally know less about what's coming up. I'm less excited for it. On the up-side it makes it all a lot easier to just wait a year and buy it on sale. I think real E3 would tempt me to be impulsive and buy things at full price. As it is I never do for anything because I'm not particularly hyped for anything.
@Member_the_game Yeah that's pretty much the same for me. They were on death's bed after that point.
@NEStalgia you are right. My partners workplace manages a huge convention, not same industry but same thing: after COVID they are back bigger than ever. It’s not costs, its not the economy, it’s not even the industry, it’s E3.
Something behind the scenes pushed several players out of it even before COVID, and it seems all big players have realized they don’t need it, and they don’t have to deal with whatever it is that was annoying them.
Looking forward to E3 40
Well, when nobody is going to show up.....
E3 has always it's magic. Live streams are just boring, but room full of people and their immediate reactions that's irreplaceable...
Btw somebody still believes in Covid? No one cares Covid more than a year.
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text: CLYDE, OHIO Whirlpool cuts jobs at Ohio plant Officials say Whirlpool Corp. is cutting up to 300 jobs at its washing machine plant in northern Ohio. Officials in the town of Clyde are hoping the layoffs are only temporary until demand picks up again. Clyde Mayor Scott Black says the layoffs could begin in early December. Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool's factory in Clyde employs about 3,500 people. ORRVILLE, OHIO Smucker closes on Folgers coffee deal Jelly and jams maker J.M. Smucker Co. has completed its $3 billion deal to buy Folgers coffee from Procter & Gamble Co. The previously announced deal closed Thursday and nearly doubles the size of Smucker. Smucker expects to add 150 to 200 jobs in the next year to its headquarters staff of 1,300 in Orrville in northeast Ohio. Smucker products include Crisco cooking oil, Jif peanut butter, Uncrustables sandwiches, Pillsbury baking mixes and Hungry Jack potatoes and pancakes. ATLANTA Wendy's, Arby's report losses Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc., formed after the owner of Arby's bought Wendy's, said Thursday that both chains swung to losses in the third quarter as sales slowed and costs associated with the acquisition ate into profits. Triarc Cos. Inc., which operates Arby's and is owned by billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, bought the nation's No. 3 hamburger chain in a deal that closed in September. Because the acquisition wasn't complete until the end of the quarter, Triarc did not combine their results in its quarterly report. Wendy's posted a loss of $29.85 million, or 34 cents per share, compared with a year-ago profit of $29.9 million, also 34 cents per share. ST. LOUIS Busch profit hurt by InBev charge Anheuser-Busch says its third-quarter profit fell 5.7 percent due to charges for its pending sale to InBev SA, but sales rose in the quarter and the nation's largest brewer gained market share. The maker of Bud Light and Budweiser said Thursday it earned $666.1 million, or 90 cents a share in the three-month period ending in September. That compares with profit of $706.7 million, or 95 cents a share, a year earlier. Anheuser-Busch says its earnings include charges associated with its sale to the Belgian brewer and a retirement program, and gains from the sale of distribution rights for Grolsch. BENTONVILLE, ARK. Wal-Mart October sales increase Wal-Mart Stores says its low-price focus and sales of Halloween merchandise boosted its October same-store sales by 2.4 percent, ahead of expectations. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, on average, had expected same-store sales -- or sales in stores open at least one year -- to rise 1.6 percent. The world's largest retailer said Thursday that same-store sales rose 2.5 percent including fuel. In the U.S., they rose 2.2 percent at Wal-Mart namesake stores and 3.6 percent at the Sam's Club warehouse stores.


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There's a new data coming on the Internet about smartphone industry in Indonesia. According to the news source, Samsung is dominating the market with 25,47%. Despite the bad news regarding the selling of their flagship, the Korean manufacturers managed to increase their selling quantity year on year.
The most interesting part is the raise of Asus, the laptop manufacturer. Start to sell their Zenfone lineup in Q2 2014, Asus keep increasing their sell through and up to the second quarter of this year, they are already take the number two spot in Indonesian smartphone market.
Other interesting fact is, the other three on top 5 smartphone manufacturers in Indonesia are local brands. Smartfren, Advan and Evercoss. Smartfren is constantly increasing while Advan has a little bit of difficulties but running well. Evercoss is down but they are getting back up.
Here is the top 20 smartphone manufacturers in Indonesia for Q2 2015:
Which brand is your current phone?


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There is an app challenging TikTok’s stronghold in promoting beauty brands and it attracts highly engaged beauty junkies and brands alike with its short compelling videos which have a built-in shopping link to feature the products.
So while the tech giant TikTok is busy adding e-commerce functionality to its platform, the US beauty app Flip is already there and excelling when it comes to short form video.
Since launching in 2019, Flip received $28m Series A funding and currently has 1 million downloads on the platform.
While similar to TikTok, it uniquely focuses on beauty and currently sells over 200 brands, including Fekkai, Kaja, Hourglass Cosmetics, RMS Beauty, Joanna Vargas, Dr. Jart+, Zitsticka, Coola, Lord Jones, Happy Dance and Jason Wu Beauty.
And it’s adding brands like quicksand with 20 new brands a week and 500 by the end of October.
Interestingly the CEO and founder Noor Agha says most of the content other than dancing is about beauty and skincare with a focus on clean beauty. He also says there is a clear trend towards buying product through video and for video content selling beauty products to be more raw and less polished.
“In 10 years, this will become the most normal thing,” he said of the app’s shopping video shopping format. “In the way that it used to be very weird to shop online, people will shop through video; people will shop through their social network.”
Unlike TikTok’s nascent e-commerce offering, which has brands handling their own fulfillment, Flip functions as an e-tailer. The platform offers one-click checkout for multiple brands, storing items in its two warehouses and shipping them in its own branded packaging.
Another unique feature to attract users is Flip’s ability to monetise content for anyone on the platform, no matter how low their follower count.
It plans to develop an Amazon-style marketplace model.
“Our shoppers are our sellers,” Agha recently told Glossy. When users buy items on Flip, they can automatically go on the platform to review them in a short video. “You can monetize your content instantly. You don’t need a brand to make a deal with you,” he said.
According to Agha, the platform is aiming to uphold the feeling of authenticity and honesty that TikTok is known for in its beauty content.
“My vision and dream is to build the first honest commerce platform, where as a user — when you’re looking at the video, and someone’s saying, ‘This is good,’ or ‘This is bad’ — you genuinely believe it,” said Agha.
Find out more about Flip here: https://www.flip.shop/


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Stores and city streets were packed with dressed-to-party teens and young women, making the fourth annual Fashion’s Night Out Thursday a success on that basis, according to retailers around the world.
The positive assessments were also based in several cases on lowered expectations for actual business being conducted. Retail executives have learned that the annual event is less about “ka-ching” and more about “let’s party,” and that the goal is to get people in the stores and exposed to the latest fall fashion. Executives queried Friday said they hoped many of those who availed themselves of the party favors and celebrity sightings come back soon to buy items that caught their eye. Many stores were so packed and noisy on FNO that even if customers wanted to, it was difficult to shop.
Madonna turns 59 today, marking another year of show-stopping, one-of-a-kind bold looks from the singer. To celebrate, we took a look at the superstar's most memorable fashion moments. Here, Madonna sits front row at Versace's spring runway show in 1995. See more exclusive photos from the #wwdarchive on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: Cédric Dordevic)
WWD asked a handful of creative directors to evaluate the September covers of leading women's fashion magazines. How do they think the covers this year compare with years gone by, and what do they say about the current status of the publication? Link in bio. (GIF by @hypebreast)
"Stephen King is such a master, but I don't like being scared - there's enough that's really scary. How about the morning's news?" says Holland Taylor in an interview with WWD. See what else the actress said about starring in the TV adaptation of King's thriller "Mr. Mercedes" on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery)


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New York…The shortage of glatt kosher meat in the US may be over but it has certainly changed the landscape of kosher meat since the bankruptcy of Agriprocessor, a survey shows. Major markets have more than replaced the meat although some still complain of inconsistencies in the delivery of all types of meat and provisions. Customers too in many markets complain that they cannot always get the products they want on a given day. The recession, say some industry officials, has made a big difference in the demand for beef products as an increasing number of people are turning to poultry and fish. Many caterers say that they have seen a dramatic shift away from beef and veal to poultry products. This is true even for the pricier affairs, they say. Kashrus officials say that they are not aware of any major shortages anywhere in the country of either poultry or beef although one industry official estimated that at least 50-75 stores that once carried Agri products no longer carry kosher meat, mostly in small kosher markets around the country. Some Jews have already noted in blogs that they are traveling long distances to buy the kosher meat or in at least one case ordering on-line. The demand for poultry has been rising, which is being met by smaller slaughterhouses (particularly serving the Chasidic population), increased production at Empire Poultry and continued slaughter of poultry at the Agri plant in Postville, the only slaughter that is being done there under the management of a court appointed receiver. Even customers are finding an ample supply of meat in the larger kosher markets, they are probably paying as much as 25% - 30% more than they did a year ago, mostly as a result of the demise of Agri. While the nation seems to have recovered from the aftershocks of the events in Postville, it is certainly a changed landscape, say most kosher food industry officials.
May 4, 2009


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So it looks as though all those rumors about a new Apple TV are true, after all. According to Bloomberg, Apple should announce the new device at a media event in April but we won't see it on the shelves until "the holiday season." But here's the biggest news--it looks as though that long-awaited deal with Time-Warmer might come to pass with the release.
The update will also bring modifications to the user interface and an improved processor. Apple TV's existing interface has become a little unwieldy with all the channels Apple's been releasing over the last year, and it'll certainly need new navigation tools if the Cupertino company partners with Time-Warner for content.
Unfortunately, it's possible that we'll have to wait longer to see it. According to the report, "Apple is aiming to have the device available for sale by the Christmas holidays, though the release date could change because the company is still in the process of securing new agreements with programming and distribution partners, said two people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private."
This news has been in the works for some time. Last month, Apple TV received its own standalone section of the Apple Online Store for the first time, and rumors of new hardware have ranged from speculation about games and Bluetooth-supported controllers to a dedicated app store solely for the device itself. With today's news, those rumors are looking more and more like reality.
Follow this article's writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.


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FCA proposed two sets of guidance on the approaches to mortgage repossessions and consumer credit repossessions, with comment period ending on January 18, 2021. The existing guidance on mortgage repossessions, which was published in November 2020, specified that firms should not enforce repossessions before January 31, 2021, except in exceptional circumstances. FCA is now proposing to extend this enforcement date for mortgage repossessions to April 01, 2021. This approach considers the worsening COVID-19 situation and the tighter COVID-related restrictions of the government.
Additionally, the existing consumer credit guidance, which was published in November 2020, sets out that, before January 31, 2021, firms should not terminate a regulated agreement or repossess goods or vehicles under the agreement that the customer needs, except in exceptional circumstances. FCA is now proposing to change this so that consumer credit firms will be able to repossess goods and vehicles from January 31, 2021. However, this should only be as a last resort and subject to complying with relevant government public health guidelines and regulations. Importantly, firms will also be expected to consider the impact on customers who may be vulnerable, including because of the pandemic, when deciding whether repossession of goods or vehicles is appropriate.
Comment Due Date: January 18, 2021
Keywords: Europe, UK, Banking, COVID-19, Consumer Credit, Credit Risk, Residential Mortgage, FCA
Leading economist; commercial real estate; performance forecasting, econometric infrastructure; data modeling; credit risk modeling; portfolio assessment; custom commercial real estate analysis; thought leader.
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The three European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) issued a letter to inform about delay in the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) mandate, along with a Call for Evidence on greenwashing practices.
The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) of the IFRS Foundations made several announcements at COP27 and with respect to its work on the sustainability standards.
The International Organization for Securities Commissions (IOSCO), at COP27, outlined the regulatory priorities for sustainability disclosures, mitigation of greenwashing, and promotion of integrity in carbon markets.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) issued a statement in the context of COP27, clarified the operationalization of intermediate EU parent undertakings (IPUs) of third-country groups
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) published an annual report on its activities, a report on forward-looking work.
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) finalized amendments to the capital framework, announced a review of the prudential framework for groups.
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hubs and several central banks are working together on various central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilots.
The European Central Bank (ECB) published the results of its thematic review, which shows that banks are still far from adequately managing climate and environmental risks.
Among its recent publications, the European Banking Authority (EBA) published the final standards and guidelines on interest rate risk arising from non-trading book activities (IRRBB)
The European Commission (EC) recently adopted regulations with respect to the calculation of own funds requirements for market risk, the prudential treatment of global systemically important institutions (G-SIIs)


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Nestle, Ikea, BT, Formula E and more commit to 100pc renewable energy generation
A number of global business behemoths have outlined their commitment to 100 percent renewable power at the World Future Energy Summit, in Abu Dhabi.
RE100, a global campaign that encourages companies to use power exclusively from renewable energy sources includes Ikea Group, Nestlé, BT Group, Commerzbank, Formula E, H&M, KPN, Mars, Philips, Reed Elsevier Group, J Safra Sarasin Bank, SAP, SGS, Swiss Re and YOOX Group among its members.
At today's event, representatives from some of those companies highlighted the business and wider environmental benefits of switching to renewable energy.
“Investing in renewable energy is good for business, the economy and the planet,” said Ikea Group chief executive, Steve Howard. “That’s why we’ve committed to match 100 percent of our energy use with our own renewable energy generation by 2020 and have allocated €1.5bn to take us closer to this goal. Every business can benefit from making the switch to clean, abundant energy and RE100 is a call to action to accelerate this transition.”
“RE100 is fully aligned with Nestlé’s explicit commitments, which reflect our respect for the society in which we operate, respect for the environment, and respect for future generations,” said Claus Conzelmann, vice president and head of safety, health and environmental sustainability, Nestlé Group.
“The development of a thriving, global market for authentic renewable power will be a game-changer in emissions reductions and will drive a transition to a low carbon economy,” said Emily Farnworth, RE100 campaign director, The Climate Group. “Business leadership is essential to making this change happen.”
RE100, which was started by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, used the summit to launch its first report, RE100: The journey to 100 percent.
The report features case studies from RE100 corporate partners. Its main findings are that solar PV is the most popular renewable power technology for corporates; heavy industry, construction and manufacturing sectors are the biggest investors in renewable energy, led by those in Europe; and consumer products, manufacturing and heavy industry sectors are getting the best financial returns.
RE100 was launched at Climate Week NYC on September 22, 2014. Fifteen companies have now joined the campaign and made a public commitment to going 100pc renewable. The two latest companies to join are SAP and SGS.
Ultium Cells LLC/Li-Cycle: Sustainable Battery Manufacturing
Ultium Cells LLC - a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solutions - has announced its latest collaboration with Li-Cycle. Joining forces the two have set ambitions to expand recycling in North America, recycling up to 100% of the scrap materials in battery cell manufacturing
What is Ultium Cells LLC?
Announcing their partnership in December 2019, General Motors (GM) and LG Energy Solutions established Ultium Cells LLC with a mission to “ensure excellence of Battery Cell Manufacturing through implementation of best practices from each company to contribute [to the] expansion of a Zero Emission propulsion on a global scale.”
Who is Li-Cycle?
Founded in 2016, Li-Cycle leverages innovative solutions to address emerging and urgent challenges around the world.
As the use of Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in automotive, industrial energy storage, and consumer electronic applications rises, Li-Cycle believes that “the world needs improved technology and supply chain innovations to better recycle these batteries, while also meeting the rapidly growing demand for critical and scarce battery-grade materials.”
Why are Ultium Cells LLC and Li-Cycle join forces?
By joining forces to expand the recycling of scrap materials in battery cell manufacturing in North America, the new recycling process will allow Ultium Cells LLC to recycle cobalt, nickel, lithium, graphite, copper, manganese and aluminum.
“95% of these materials can be used in the production of new batteries or for adjacent industries,” says GM, who explains that the new hydrometallurgical process emits 30% less greenhouse gases (GHGs) than traditional processes, minimising the environmental impact. Use of this process will begin later in the year (2021).
"Our combined efforts with Ultium Cells will be instrumental in redirecting battery manufacturing scrap from landfills and returning a substantial amount of valuable battery-grade materials back into the battery supply chain. This partnership is a critical step forward in advancing our proven lithium-ion resource recovery technology as a more sustainable alternative to mining, " said Ajay Kochhar, President, CEO and co-founder of Li-Cycle.
"GM's zero-waste initiative aims to divert more than 90% of its manufacturing waste from landfills and incineration globally by 2025. Now, we're going to work closely with Ultium Cells and Li-Cycle to help the industry get even better use out of the materials,” added Ken Morris, Vice President of Electric and Autonomous Vehicles, GM.
Since 2013, GM has recycled or reused 100% of the battery packs it has received from customers, with most current GM EVs repaired with refurbished packs.
"We strive to make more with less waste and energy expended. This is a crucial step in improving the sustainability of our components and manufacturing processes,” concluded Thomas Gallagher, Chief Operating Officer, Ultium Cells LLC.


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There are more than just Apple tablet rumors circulating the Web these days. Big name Apple-competitor, Microsoft, may have something in the works for Spring of 2010. In an article this weekend on ZDNET, Mary Jo Foley disclosed some interesting Microsoft info concerning the secretive Pink phones and services. According to Foley, in an attempt to shake criticism and “shake-up” the Entertainment and Devices division, Microsoft will debut its Pink phones and forthcoming Windows Mobile 7 phones at the Mobile World Congress show Barcelona in mid-February.
“Pink” is the codename for Microsoft’s new set of premium mobile services and a collection (possibly) of Windows Mobile phones that are aimed at the teen/twenty-something market—or so we’ve been told. The Pink phones and services are supposed to be the company’s attempt to battle the iPhone. This is not a new thing—word of Microsoft’s “Pink” phones and services have been circulating for over a year now. Microsoft was supposedly in talks with Verizon to carry a new touchscreen multimedia smartphone—kind of like a Zune-phone—but taking a cue from Apple, Microsoft has been quite tight-lipped about it.
According to Foley, both Pink devices and phones running on Windows Mobile 7 will begin shipping later this year, with the WinMo 7 devices expected in the fourth quarter.
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season 11 Apex Legends It’s in full swing, and many players are progressing through the latest Seasonal Battle Pass. With exciting new skins for weapons and legends, there’s no shortage of items to unlock. One of the new skins available is for Bosec Compound Bow.
The Bossek was released in Season 9, with many fans enjoying it. The weapon was a nice departure from other guns seen in the game, as it used arrows instead of bullets. Despite being discontinued since its release, it remains a viable option during the war. However, players have recently discovered a problem affecting the weapon in Season 11.
With the Season 11 Battle Pass now available, players have uncovered a bug affecting the Battle Pass skin for Bosack. Even though the weapon’s skin looks fine without a scope, equipping the skin with any sight reveals a glitch. In a post on Reddit, a player shared a picture highlighting the problem. As shown in the figure, the screen failed to zoom when a scope was attached. Instead, it featured both an equipped weapon scope and a bottom iron sight, which made the weapon look very awkward when targeting sights below.
many members of Apex Legends The community weighed in on Reddit. Many players thought the bug was a deterrent to those using the Battle Pass skin. Some even claimed that since the bug was attributed to a cosmetic in the purchasable Battle Pass, it was a “pay to lose”. However, others disagreed, arguing that the glitch helped them. According to these players, this allowed them to have a larger field of vision when it came to the scope.
Fortunately, an easy solution to the problem is available to those who view the bug as a problem. Those who want to avoid the mess can simply prepare a different skin. Still, it can be frustrating for those who have purchased the Battle Pass and want to use the skin without the mess, as it limits the amount of content available to them.
In addition to this new bug discovered by players, Respawn Entertainment is also affecting other issues Apex Legends Since the launch of Season 11. For example, the developer has revealed that an upcoming patch is planned for the Storm Points map. This future update addresses Final Circle issues in an effort to create better endgame fights. In addition, Respawn plans to add more cover to various areas of the new map, such as the area around the barometer location.
At this time, Respawn has yet to comment on this issue regarding Bocek. Along with other changes the developer has planned Apex Legends, it will be interesting to see how it approaches fixing this bug, involving the bow going forward.
Apex Legends Now available for PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One.
A fan of both Mortal Kombat and Respawn’s new BR title Apex Legends recreated Wraith’s finisher as a deadly move that also elicited backlash from a Respawn dev.
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Food and drinks giant unveils ambitious new sustainability strategy, promising action on water, waste, and emissions
PepsiCo has published a wide-ranging new sustainability strategy, setting a raft of targets to reduce its environmental impacts, deliver health improvements for its customers, and extend its sustainable...
But tentative analysis from Carbon Brief points out likely reduction in CO2 this year would still be far off goals of the Paris Agreement
Collaboration will investigate uses for hydrogen at Uniper's retiring coal plants as it takes aim at becoming carbon neutral by 2035
The Wildlife Trusts and Green Alliance among groups warning aid package not enough to protect the struggling sector amid urgent climate and environmental crises
Coronavirus shutdown across key EV markets such as China, US and Europe will lead to major sales slowdown, Wood Mackenzie forecasts


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Fossil has recently announced their newest wearables, the Gen 6 Touchscreen smartwatch. While the name could use a little tweaks, it will be the first smartwatch powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 4100+. Using this platform, Fossil’s smartwatch is expected to have fast load times, highly responsive experiences, and energy efficient. Fossil boasts the Gen 6 charges from zero to 80% in a little over 30 minutes.
Of course, arriving with the slew of features, the Gen 6 will support a SpO2 sensor and heart rate tracking and even speaker function.
“We are proud to announce our highly-anticipated next generation of smartwatches. At Fossil Group, we are always striving to deliver increased performance and delight users, working in partnership with Qualcomm and Google, and we are excited by the new capabilities Gen 6 is bringing to our users. Faster interface, less time to charge and upgraded health and wellness features are only a few of the benefits Gen 6 will see as our teams continue to innovate and evolve our smartwatch portfolio,” said Steve Evans, Fossil Group EVP Chief Brand Officer.
“Fossil Group and Qualcomm have had a long-standing partnership and have led the convergence of fashion and technology in the industry,” said Pankaj Kedia, Global Head of Wearables, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are delighted to have collaborated with Fossil Group on their latest smartwatch, the Gen 6, which is the first product to come to market based on our Snapdragon Wear 4100+ platform. This platform enables users to experience lightning-fast processing and richer, always-on, ambient modes and watch faces with ultra-low power consumption thanks to the integration of the always-on co-processor in the platform.”
The new Fossil brand Gen 6 smartwatch launches with 3 colorways in a 44mm case and three colorways in a 42mm case for added size options. In addition to offering 6 timeless styles and endless interchangeable strap options, users can customize dials and buttons to easily access their most-used functions. Fossil Gen 6 is upgradable to Wear OS 3, Google’s new system update announced earlier in the summer, and will benefit from continued improvements in features and user experience.


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The Intel era for Apple’s Mac computers could be coming to an end, and Microsoft is about to be put on the defensive. A new report says that Apple will start selling Macs — likely a MacBook — by 2021 with its own A series processor with 12 cores.
Apple’s chips inside the iPhone and iPad already rival the power of Windows-based PCs, but the first 5-nanometer system-on-a-chip for Macs will reportedly be “much faster” than the A14 processor in the iPhone 12, according to Bloomberg.
This chip will put even more pressure on the Surface Pro X, which is powered by Microsoft's SQ1 chip and offers middling performance. The Surface Pro X also suffers from app compatibility issues, something Apple should be able to overcome with its walled garden approach.
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Apple won’t replace Intel overnight, but there’s an initiative to build multiple chips at the company, codenamed Kalamata. The first Mac processors will reportedly have eight high-performance cores, codenamed Firestorm, and at least four energy-efficient cores, called Icestorm.
The A12Z Bionic chip in the iPad Pro 2020 already wipes the floor with the Surface Pro X. On Geekbench 5, which measures overall performance the iPad Pro 12.9 scored 4,720 on the multi-core portion and 1,126 on the single-core test. The Surface Pro X hit just 2,824 and 737, respectively, according to Geekbench.
So which Mac will get this Apple chip first? The report says to expect a laptop. Apple won’t be able to provide the same high level of performance currently offered by MacBook Pros, the iMac or Mac Pro desktop. That leaves a possible return of the 12-inch MacBook, which is rumored to be coming back with an ARM chip.
One challenge is getting macOS to play nice with the new ARM-based chips while continuing to run legacy Intel-compatible apps. But Apple has been working behind the scenes to minimize friction and avoid Microsoft’s stumbles with the Surface Pro X, whose SQ1 ARM chip was co-developed by Microsoft and Qualcomm.
In fact, the Kalamata project has been going for “several years.” And Apple reportedly developed a Mac chip based on the previous iPad Pro’s A12X CPU. Bloomberg says that Apple’s software, hardware and component-sourcing teams are collaborating closely.
Part of the reason Apple has not released new Macs that frequently in recent years is that Intel’s pace of innovation has slowed. For example, the latest 10th gen Intel Ice Lake processors are based on a 10-nanometer process. Apple is working on 5nm chips for its Macs.
This transition is definitely going to take some time. But overall a move to in-house processors is a surefire sign that Intel’s days are numbered on Apple computers.