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Shortly before Christmas, the sexy advertising network made a decision to quietly start accepting Bitcoin (and became the first adult advertising network to also accept it alongside Litecoin and Ethererum). There were concerns about accepting cryptocurrency with the meteoric rise of Bitcoin, that we could be potentially flooded with transactions from people looking to offload their Bitcoin to anyone who would take it while it was peaking in value. What happened instead was quite surprising and different than we expected. Nothing happened. Nobody used it at all, at least at first.
Even as the transactions trickle in, I’m very unsure about my position on Bitcoin and the other “cryptocurrencies.” We are aware that many of our clients hold Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies. However, these “currencies” are not behaving like a “normal” currency. Anyone familiar with investing and stocks should recognize the patterns now being seen in the price and volatility of crypto. The large-scale and widespread rise and fall of pretty much all the top cryptocurrencies in a unified way (not just Bitcoin) shows that the value and prices are swinging because they appear to be getting influenced by huge buyers and sellers — institutional and private investors.
The largescale and widespread rise and fall of pretty much all the top cryptocurrencies in a unified way (not just Bitcoin) shows that the value and prices are swinging because they appear to be getting influenced by huge buyers and sellers — institutional and private investors.
On the face, Bitcoin and other coins are failing as a currency because people are not spending them like money. Individuals and companies are hoarding them and day trading them. It’s being invested in more like a commodity than a currency and people just don’t usually treat cash this way. The volatility means that there will be big winners and there will be big losers, and for it to exist and be used as a currency, it has to be stable. As of this writing, Bitcoin is approximately 80% mined and prices will surely stabilize in the long-term, but any significant rise or fall between now and then may create bubbles or the equivalent of hyperinflation. We just don’t normally see this kind of wild volatility or hoarding in “real” currency. This goes to show the trust in the existing countries and financial systems, or perhaps that people don’t recognize the inherent value in mainstream currency.
Some will recognize this familiar battle as the restriction of financial services to the fully legitimate and fully legal adult industry. Bummer … except BitPay’s decision will have zero impact.
While private companies such as BitPay can censor or disallow accounts to anyone they want (and are completely exempt from any claim of violation of the First Amendment) it does not matter if BitPay allows adult or not, because there are still plenty of other companies that will allow it. One can speculate the only reasons for a cryptocurrency exchange to make this decision is because they either just don’t want to be involved with the adult industry (moral objection) or that the bank allowing exchange of crypto to fiat currency (i.e. real money) does not allow or does not want adult transactions.
Worst case scenario, adult companies start accepting payments directly from wallet holders, just like cash. The value of the coins can be looked up for market value and traded accordingly. This is the entire strength of cryptocurrency — no interference from third parties. While BitPay has started to close its doors to adult, there are plenty of others that gladly accept adult transactions.
Beyond this, recently there have been comments like “cryptocurrency is perfect for the adult industry.” Granted, there is a stigma associated with porn. There is also surely interest by some people to hide credit card transactions from their significant other (or government). While porn is legal in a lot of countries, it’s not legal everywhere, but the idea of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency being “good alternatives” to the adult industry should be unnecessary.
It is pure delusion that crypto transactions provide any truly “private” transactions for porn memberships and purchases. You can look up the history and transactions of any Bitcoin address, and if you also know the wallet IDs for the merchants they are buying from, you can see exactly what they are buying (and how much). Future data breaches will surely link wallets to real identities, which could put all of that activity fully into public view. So much for being anonymous!
Adoption of crypto for adult transactions could theoretically be damaging for the industry as a whole. Just like the damage that Silk Road did to the legitimacy and stigma of Bitcoin, the support of questionable or illegal adult websites by crypto payments could damage the reputation of digital currencies as well as the adult industry by association.
One thing is for sure, though. The limitation of supply of cryptocurrencies is truly a financial game changer. Currencies like the U.S. dollar can be manipulated by adding additional money into the supply and can be directly affected by the addition of debt. If these actions lead to the devaluation of U.S. currency, the resulting inflation would steal wealth from everyone holding that currency. While it’s true the prices may swing chaotically in cryptocurrencies right now, at least the amount in circulation doesn’t change based on the decision of central banks and governments.
On the other hand, the widespread speculation of the real value of cryptocurrency, and its future as a currency has already caused temporary damage to the ability of Bitcoin to function as a real currency. Recent articles suggest that Bitcoin can only handle six transactions a second (versus thousands of credit card transactions per second). The sudden interest in crypto has already slowed the speed that buying and selling can take place (due to volume). Over time, the hashes will become more difficult to process, and moving crypto will require ever increasing processing power and capability to profitably solve the crypto hashes. That could potentially drag down the transaction processing speed and destroy Bitcoin’s ability to function as a currency at all. Only time will tell what will ultimately unfold.
Juicy Jay is the CEO and founder of JuicyAds, the Sexy Advertising Network. You can follow Jay on Twitter @juicyads, visit JuicyAds.com or like on Facebook.com/juicyads.


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I told you all earlier that Apple was holding a conference call this afternoon to reveal their latest finances. Well that time has come and gone. I don’t want to bore you with all the details, so here are the highlights.
Apple posted revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 per diluted share for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2010. Gross margin was 36.9 percent, and international sales accounted for 57 percent of the revenue.
3.89 million Macs
14.1 million iPhones
9.05 million iPods
4.19 million iPads
Steve Jobs, company CEO and co-founder had the following to say about this record breaking quarter.
We are blown away to report over $20 billion in revenue and over $4 billion in after-tax earnings – both all-time records for Apple. iPhone sales of 14.1 million were up 91 percent year-over-year, handily beating the 12.1 million phones RIM sold in their most recent quarter. We still have a few surprises left for the remainder of this calendar year.
I could go on and on with tons of other little details, but I think most people are only interested in the cold hard numbers, so now you have them. iTunes also brought in over a billion dollars in revenue for the quarter. It’s just incredible how much this company has changed in the past decade. Remarkable.

domain: news


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Gome Electrical Appliances Holdings Ltd. sued its founder Huang Guangyu, once China’s richest man, over share repurchases in 2008 and breach of trust. The company’s shares dropped the most in almost two years.
China’s second-biggest electronics retailer by value filed a complaint in the High Court of Hong Kong against Huang, 41, claiming damages for a breach of fiduciary duty and profits owed to the company in connection with Gome’s buying back shares in 2008. It also said Huang’s arrest and conviction for bribery and insider trading in China caused “a great deal of uncertainty” and hurt the company’s ability to access capital.
Gome said that after it decided to sue, it received a letter from Huang’s company, Shinning Crown, demanding a special general meeting to cancel a shareholder mandate to issue new shares and to oust Chairman Chen Xiao, among other requests. Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission has said it’s investigating Huang for allegedly organizing a share repurchase to help repay a personal loan.
“I don’t see any solution to this in the short term,” said Selina Sia, Hong Kong-based regional head of consumer research at Mirae Asset Securities Co. “It would have a negative impact on the company’s operations.”
Bribery, Insider Trading
Gome plunged 12 percent to HK$2.40 at the 4 p.m. close of trading in Hong Kong. The stock has dropped 15 percent this year, compared with a 1 percent decline for the benchmark Hang Seng Index.
Huang, Gome’s largest shareholder, was in May sentenced by a Beijing court to 14 years in prison after being convicted of bribery, insider trading and illegal operations. The billionaire had built Gome into China’s biggest appliance chain and amassed a fortune estimated at $6.3 billion in 2008, and is the highest-profile businessman snared by a government crackdown on corruption.
Bain Capital LLC last year bought 1.59 billion yuan ($235 million) of convertible bonds, and has said it plans to convert debt it holds into stock to gain as much as 10.8 percent of Gome.
Two unidentified shareholders with a 31.6 percent stake in the company voted against three Bain-nominated directors at an annual shareholders meeting on May 11. The three were reappointed by the company to avoid a penalty payment to Bain.
Hong Kong’s High Court last year froze about HK$1.66 billion ($214 million) of assets held by Huang, his wife Lisa Du Juan, and two of his companies. Huang still owns 34 percent of Gome, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Repeated calls to Du Juan have been unanswered since yesterday.
Huang, also known as Wong Kwong Yu, and his wife were placed under investigation by Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission for allegedly having Gome buy back shares in January and February of 2008 to help them repay a HK$2.4 billion personal loan, SFC spokesman Jonathan Li said in April.
The son of a peasant, Huang dropped out of school at 16 and traveled to Beijing from Guangdong Province with his brother, Huang Junqin. They carried a bag of radios, batteries and other electronics devices from factories to sell in the nation’s capital.
Huang resigned as Gome’s chairman in January 2009.


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Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
Beating the man at his own game on Monday, a federal judge from the Eastern District of New York denied the US government's application asking Verizon Wireless to hand over 113 days of customer location data. Washington has long debated whether or not the Constitution protects modern day communications that include a third party (like cell phone conversations supported by a carrier company), and non-conversational meta data (like cellular GPS location data). Some say that buying a cell phone and using a carrier's services waives one's privacy rights in that data, while others claim we have a reasonable expectation of privacy in such info under the Fourth Amendment. In making his decision, Judge Nicholas Garaufis held that "the fiction that the vast majority of the American population consents to warrantless government access to the records of a significant share of their movements by 'choosing' to carry a cell phone must be rejected."
As communications tech continues to change, these questions will likely be revisited. That's why Judge Garaufis went on to say that "in light of drastic developments in technology, the Fourth Amendment doctrine must evolve to preserve cell-phone user's reasonable expectation of privacy in cumulative cell-site-location records." Get the full opinion by clicking the source below.


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If you live in the northernmost part of Miami-Dade, take note. Bonefish Grill, the seafood restaurant chain, is opening a new location in Aventura.
The new Bonefish Grill is set to open Monday, March 2, at 18713 Biscayne Blvd. And besides bringing well-priced seafood offerings to the city, it's bringing 125 new jobs to Aventura.
The restaurant is looking for qualified Aventura-area residents for positions that range from angler (the person responsible for the restaurant's appearance, presentation, and customer experience) to front of house and kitchen staff.
The restaurant chain's parent company, Bloomin' Brands, was listed as one of the most admired companies by Fortune and offers employees a host of benefits, including medical/dental/prescription drug coverage, meal discounts, vacation, flexible schedules, and career advancement opportunities.
Bloomin' Brands is a publicly traded company that also owns Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Fleming's, and Roy's Restaurant.
Applications are available online at bloominbrandscareers.com. Enter code 67061 for Aventura job opportunities.


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Memorandum of Understanding submitted to the Minister of Defense and Tourism to resume Wimco
Dubri: On behalf of the Dubri people, a delegation led by social activist Dipunker Mazdal has submitted a memorandum of understanding to Defense Tourism Minister Ajai Bat requesting the reopening of Wimco.
The memorandum stated that Wimco, now owned by ITC, is doing nothing there. However, by adopting the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model, there is ample opportunity to establish a bamboo-based industry, jute industry, refrigeration, biscuits industry, fragrance industry, mustard oil industry, mineral water bottling plant and many other industries. there is.
The memorandum also added that Wimco, founded by a Swedish company in 1925, was closed in 1996, expelling nearly 3,000 employees and, in fact, having a major impact on the local economy based on this factory. Factory closure is a very dark future of industrialization in this region of Assam.
Then, in 2001, the entire land of about 175 Viga, along with the infrastructure, was sold to the ITC Business Group. However, the Dubri people wanted the business giant ITC to reopen some industries on the land. Twenty-one years have passed since we took ownership of Wimco, but unfortunately to date, the group has not started any new industrial activities here. The Federal Minister interviewed the patient, investigated the request with the delegation, and ensured that the issue would be brought to the ITC immediately.


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As a virtual cryptocurrency, the rise and fall of its value has some relationship with the operating conditions and market conditions of the industry. However, since Bitcoin has no underlying asset, the ultimate determinant of the value of Bitcoin is the investor’s interest in Bitcoin. Coin’s future forecast. People’s thoughts and senses are often affected by various objective factors, so it is completely conceivable that the price of Bitcoin fluctuates violently. Bitcoin will crash sooner or later, not now or in the not too distant future, this is not the first time Bitcoin has crashed, and obviously it won’t be the last.
This crash followed several previous crashes in Bitcoin, in 2011, 2014-2015 and 2018. It can be observed that before each collapse of Bitcoin, its market value is showing a booming scene, and investors are rejoicing for it, but soon, the bubble burst, and the value of Bitcoin fell at a lightning speed. There is a technical term for the decline in Bitcoin’s market value, “crash”, and through this word you can probably feel the rapidity of Bitcoin’s decline in value and how unimaginable things are happening. There is no doubt that investing heavily in Bitcoin is a gamble that requires extraordinary insight and extraordinary psychological endurance. The same is true for the collapse of Bitcoin in 2022. If you do a little research, you will know that the Bitcoin market also has a prosperous bubble economy period from 2020 to 2021. There are serious bubbles in a large number of blockchain projects, so that practitioners continue to pull The high market expectations have even reached an unrealistic height, but the actual environment is not satisfactory. In the face of the sluggish market, market confidence continues to lose.
“Assets have fallen by only 85%, is it considered bankruptcy, if so, then I declare bankruptcy.” A bitcoin investor posted such information on social networks. He entered the bitcoin circle in 2016 and once invested 40,000 yuan and finally made a profit of 300,000 yuan, but since last winter, bitcoin began to plummet, and the profits obtained in the past few years disappeared in just a few days. Since November 14 last year, Bitcoin began to flash crash, hitting a one-year low of $5,400, and the crash did not stop. Ten days later, the price of Bitcoin was only $4,300, a drop of more than 32 percent. On the 25th, Bitcoin fell below the most important recent psychological level of $4,000, and the so-called support level became increasingly blurred. Ethereum, ethereum and other major cryptocurrencies finally collapsed after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen issued a stern cryptocurrency warning, evaporating more than $100 billion from the cryptocurrency market.
What specific factors affect the price of Bitcoin? There are many aspects to this complex issue. First, some negative press and the threat of further regulation pushed down the price of Bitcoin. For example: after the invasion of Ukraine, there were calls for cryptocurrency exchanges to ban Russian transactions; in June 2021, Chinese banks and payment institutions were told to stop enabling cryptocurrency transactions, and the Chinese government banned the mining of these currencies. Then in September 2021, all crypto transactions were declared illegal, which effectively meant that transactions like Bitcoin were banned. Over the years, FBI agents have confiscated millions of dollars in Bitcoin from criminals. It can be seen that if the supervision is not effective, Bitcoin may become an accomplice in the criminal behavior of criminals. Countries, Bitcoin have come under suspicion, with U.S. President Donald Trump describing Bitcoin as a “scam” competing with the U.S. dollar to become the “world’s currency.” Including some hackers’ cyberattacks and thefts against the encryption platform Poly Network, all of which have exacerbated investors’ mistrust of Bitcoin’s security and prospects.
Will Bitcoin be completely wiped out? Currently it won’t. After falling to the freezing point, the price of Bitcoin is sure to recover to some extent, and even usher in another new bubble boom in the not too distant future. Just like a lot of things going on in Bitcoin’s favor over the past year, they provide some protection for Bitcoin’s price, such as Amazon’s July 2021 release of the “Digital Currency and Blockchain Product Leader” The job advertisements have sparked speculation that it will soon accept bitcoin as a payment method, as well as new digital asset regulation policies released by U.S. President Joe Biden in March.
The Bitcoin market is very unstable, and the opportunities and risks are very prominent. Once the bubble economy comes, everything will be like a mirage, and it is difficult to be sure that you can grasp the opportunity of this transformation very accurately. Investing in Bitcoin still needs to be very cautious.
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- OPPO is actively prioritizing product durability, eco-friendly design, and reduced e-waste through rigorous testing, technologies like the Battery Health Engine, and participation in industry ecology initiatives.
- The global technology is contributing significantly to ESG goals, aligning with its commitment to sustainability.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — In an era where environmental consciousness is paramount, consumers are increasingly valuing the longevity and eco-friendliness of their tech products. OPPO, the global technology innovator, not only recognizes this shift in consumer priorities but is actively enhancing product quality to ensure lasting durability while minimizing environmental impact. With an unwavering commitment to sustainability, OPPO is making impressive strides in contributing to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.
Sustainability is deeply ingrained in OPPO’s corporate ethos. As the company strives to become a responsible global corporate citizen, it has been consistently releasing sustainability reports over the past three years, offering users a transparent look into its sustainable development initiatives. Upholding its brand mission, “Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World,” OPPO has undertaken a long-term commitment to virtuous innovations.
Elevating Product Quality for Sustainability
At the core of OPPO’s sustainability strategy lies an unwavering commitment to product quality. In OPPO’s QE reliability lab, products undergo rigorous testing that surpasses industry standards, aiming to provide impeccable durability. These tests simulate of years of use, replicating typical damage scenarios such as drops in harsh environments with extreme heat, humidity, or low temperatures, along with thorough evaluations of water resistance, wear resistance, and more.
Furthermore, the company has incorporated longevity into product design itself. OPPO’s Battery Health Engine, since its debut in 2022, has been integrated into dozens of the brand’s smartphones. This technology ensures that the battery maintains at least 80% of its capacity even after four years of use, significantly exceeding industry standards and resulting in a substantial reduction in e-waste.
Leading the Way in Industry Ecology
OPPO has taken proactive steps to promote industry ecology by joining initiatives like the Eco Rating Labeling Scheme. As one of the pioneers to join this scheme initiated by leading European mobile operators, OPPO is evaluated on five key environmental performance areas: durability, repairability, recyclability, and climate efficiency. This commitment to transparency and accountability sets a benchmark for the industry and reinforces OPPO’s dedication to sustainable practices.
Green Packaging Initiatives
OPPO recognizes the urgency of reducing plastic usage and has made remarkable strides in adopting eco-friendly packaging materials. A notable example is the packaging for the Find N2 Flip, which is entirely paper-based and biodegradable, aligning seamlessly with OPPO’s overarching environmental goals.
As consumers increasingly prioritize eco-conscious choices, OPPO’s dedication to a sustainable future stands as a shining example. By actively bridging the gap between technology and environmental responsibility, OPPO not only sets a positive precedent but also contributes significantly to ESG goals.
OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone – “Smiley Face” – in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with ColorOS operating system and internet services such as OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO has footprints in more than 60 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.
About OPPO MEA
OPPO started its journey in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region in 2015. Now OPPO is physically present in more than 13 markets across the region, including Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Based on insights of local consumers in each country, OPPO has evolved the progress of product localisation, taking into consideration several perspectives towards each market, including product localisation, to further meet the core needs of users; marketing localisation, to better communicate with local young customers; and talent localisation, to understand local consumers further and provide an optimum customer service.
Within the last year, OPPO has started to adjust its product line in the Middle East region specifically. This has included the launch of its flagship OPPO Find X Series and the introduction of the OPPO Reno Series. OPPO will continue to evolve its local product line to offer more premium series to consumers in the region.
A forward-thinking international technology company, OPPO strives to be a sustainable company that contributes to a better world and have enacted positive change in every way possible through activating local community initiatives and humanitarian, charity campaigns.


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speedrac Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 New car channel] recently just got the news, Subaru will be released on November this year, the Tokyo Motor Show two new models, one is the Impreza Sport, which is a five-door hatchback. Another is the Impreza G4, is a four-door sedan. For now, photos of models and parameters related to these two cars have been exposed, from the picture we can see that Subaru uses a new 2.0-liter engine, which is Japan's two new special edition, Impreza WRX Coilovers the maximum horsepower for the 150, maximum torque is 196 Nm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Former Customs Employee Pleads Guilty To Auctioning Online A Customs Declaration Form Signed By A Celebrity
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A South Carolina man was arrested today on bank, wire, and mail fraud charges in connection with a “synthetic identity” fraud scheme that defrauded financial institutions of more than $340,000, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The criminal bill of indictment against Charles Whitlock, Jr., 50, of Rock Hill, S.C. was returned by a federal grand jury on April 20, 2017, and was unsealed today following the defendant’s court appearance.
David M. McGinnis, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, join U.S. Attorney Rose in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, from least in or about December 2013, through in or about April 2017, Whitlock engaged in mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud by executing a synthetic identity fraud scheme, through which he fraudulently obtained more than $340,000 from one or more financial institutions. According to the indictment, a synthetic identity is a fictitious identity created with a combination of real and fabricated information about people, or sometimes entirely fictitious information about people, including names, social security numbers (SSN), dates of birth (DOB), addresses and telephone and cell phone numbers. As alleged in the indictment, Whitlock submitted more than 750 new credit card applications to financial institutions via the Internet and by telephone, using synthetic identity information. The credit cards issued by financial institutions in connection to Whitlock’s synthetic identity fraud scheme had credit limits ranging from $100 to more than $500.
The indictment alleges that in some instances, Whitlock used “pollinated synthetic identities” when he submitted new credit card applications containing synthetic identity information to financial institutions. Pollinated synthetic identity means a synthetic identity is added as an authorized user of an existing credit card account. This enables fraudsters to inherit the credit history of the existing credit card account holder, and makes it easier to get multiple new credit card accounts and higher credit limits. As alleged in the indictment, Whitlock was able to obtain multiple new credit cards in the names of synthetic identities, and to obtain higher credit limits for new credit cards issued under the names, SSNs and DOBs of synthetic identities.
The indictment further alleges that, in order to evade the financial institutions’ new credit card fraud detection systems, Whitlock filled out the false and fraudulent applications using hundreds of addresses, including addresses of residences located within the Western District of North Carolina. The indictment alleges that Whitlock also used the online U.S. mail forwarding services of the United States Postal Service to divert fraudulently-obtained credit cards mailed by financial institutions to mailing addresses controlled or accessible to Whitlock.
The indictment alleges that Whitlock used the fraudulently-obtained credit cards to obtain money, goods and services through electronic payments at point-of-sale (POS) terminals; money from automated teller machines (ATMs); and to obtain money through one or more online merchants controlled by or accessible by the defendant.
Whitlock had his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler and is currently detained pending his detention hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 11, at 2:00 p.m.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was led by USPIS and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas O’Malley, of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Charlotte, is prosecuting the case.


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Today is International Women’s Day and the theme this year is to #ChoosetheChallenge. We can all choose to speak out and challenge gender bias and inequity. We can also celebrate women’s achievements. We are in control of our thoughts and feelings, and so we must challenge ourselves everyday to use our privilege to speak and […]
Today we have a late start at 10:05 for Juniors and 10:20 for Seniors. It is a regular day of instruction, the blocks are just a little shorter.
We would like to encourage students and staff to wear black shirts in support of the Inaugural Black Shirt day in Vancouver tomorrow In British Columbia, thousands of students wear pink shirts in support of anti-bullying. Orange Shirt Day has also been introduced across Canadian schools, where students wear orange shirts in solidarity with Indigenous […]


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Investors dumped stocks on Thursday as more headwinds emerge for the U.S. economy as the Federal Reserve stays the course in raising interest rates.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 764 points points, or 2.2% as the broader markets faced the worst session since November.
Dow Jones Industrial Average
IBM and Apple paced the Dow’s selloff, while Verizon remained in the green.
|IBM||INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP.||142.36||-7.50||-5.00%|
|VZ||VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC.||37.77||+0.32||+0.85%|
The Nasdaq Composite shed over 3.4% weighed down by Netflix and Meta.
|META||META PLATFORMS INC.||116.15||-5.44||-4.47%|
And all 11 of the S&P’s largest sectors fell, led by tech, materials and industrials, while energy and utilities fell the least.
|XLK||TECHNOLOGY SELECT SECTOR SPDR ETF||129.20||-5.00||-3.73%|
|XLB||MATERIALS SELECT SECTOR SPDR ETF||79.42||-2.50||-3.05%|
|XLI||INDUSTRIAL SELECT SECTOR SPDR ETF||98.54||-2.40||-2.37%|
Weak readings on retail sales and manufacturing sent ripples through the markets 24 hours after Fed policymakers said interest rates will rise to 5.1% in 2023, higher than initial forecasts, in the quest to bring the 7.1% inflation rate down.
FED CUTS RATES BY 50 BASIS POINTS, SIGNALS HIGHER MOVE IN 2023
“The largest amount of pain, the worst pain would come from a failure to raise rates high enough and from us allowing inflation to become entrenched in the economy,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said on Wednesday during his press conference following the central bank’s 50-basis-point rate hike.
Bank of America strategists Michael Gapen, Mark Cabana and John Shin collectively predict a recession next year.
“We agree and continue to look for a recession in 1H 2023 and a sharper rise in the unemployment rate than the median FOMC member projects” they wrote. Currently, the Fed expects the unemployment rate to reach 4.6% next year, up from November’s 3.7%.
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#Dow #plunges #perfect #storm #stocks


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Loyal Schlockmania readers might have noticed an enticing news post a short back in August about a DVD release of Survive!, the infamous tragedy-sploitation classic about the Andes plane crash that also inspired the film Alive. Manu fans got excited about this disc, as it will contain the U.S. edit of the film… but it’s October 11th release date arrived and passed without the disc making it to retailers. Thankfully, Schlockmania received an email from VCI Entertainment PR director Christopher Rowe that reveals the title has been delayed until November 1st.
If you want to read the press release about this DVD, click here.
If you want to learn more Survive!, you can start by clicking here.


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LONDON: The uptake of digital television in the United Kingdom is nearing 90 percent, according to Ofcom figures quoted by the BBC. Ofcom, Great Britain’s equivalent of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, said that 22.8 million households had adopted DTV. The U.K. transition is taking place over a number of years, through 2012. Analog shut-downs have already been affected along the Scottish border, the Isle of Man and in the West Country.
Ofcom said that as of March, 61 percent of secondary TV sets were DTV capable. The agency estimated that around 27 percent of TV sets in the country were still analog-only.
DTV adoption in the United Kingdom was facilitated by the introduction of Freeview, a free over-the-air digital TV service provided through a set-top box. Sales of Freeview set-tops are dropping now that sales of TVs with integrated digital tuners have reached 20 million.
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Sentuh brings the digital touch to wellness
By Dzof Azmi September 8, 2020
- Massage and spa experience is now brought to customer’s doorstep
- Looks to build itself as an end-to-end platform for any spa and wellness business
Without a doubt, Covid-19 disrupted businesses in a major way. And for a company like Sentuh (which means 'Touch' in English), which specialises in bringing the massage and spa therapy experience direct to your doorstep, it stopped business in its tracks, cold.
"We had to shut down," says Ahmad Aizudin (pic, below), founder and CEO of Sentuh Sinergi Sdn Bhd. “Services were totally discontinued for almost three months,” he sighs.
Still, disruption was nothing new for Aizudin, who is an example of a brick and mortar entrepreneur who overcame his fear of technology and doing things the way they always were, to adopting digital simple because he recognised that it would help him run his business in a more competitive and efficient manner and with a different business model as well.
Set up as a separate business from his two brick and mortar centres, the key difference with Sentuh is that it does not have full time staff that have to be paid no matter how poor business is. Sentuh relies on freelancers that only get paid when they service a client. Sentuh does not have rental overheads and does not have customers cancel bookings because of rain, bad traffic or from not finding any parking.
By early 2020 the model had proved itself enough that, six months earlier, in Sept 2019, Aizudin shut down both his brick & mortar spa centres. Sentuh, which was launched in 2018, had its highest grossing month to date in March, the same month the Mandatory Control Order (MCO) was enforced. It also hit its ten thousandth booking that month, helped by expansion to Johor Baru and Kota Kinabalu as well. And demand was outstripping supply, with the startup having to turn down about a third of attempted bookings, despite having more than a hundred therapists on their books. They were even receiving and fulfilling orders on the last night before the MCO was enforced!
And then, they had to stop. "Nobody knew how long it would last."
Yet, the value of this asset-less model has been enhanced further in a Covid-19 era with Aizudin not saddled with the burden of fixed opex, nor facing the emotional burden of letting go of his people in an already tough economic climate. Furthemore, customers are loath to visit any spa and wellness centre over doubts of the premise consistently applying strict hygiene protocols.
From traditional to online
Running an online wellness business was the last thing on Aizudin’s mind when he started the spa business over 10 years ago in 2009. However the changes he witness throughout that journey, were not lost on him.
Specifically, he saw how digital was beginning to impact brick and mortar businesses. At first it was how social media changed the nature of marketing. And then it was how companies like Grab disrupted the service industry without owning any assets.
This growing realisation of what digital could do coincided with the limitations of growth faced by his two brick and mortar outlets. "It's a hassle actually to come to the spa, because it's in a business area and parking is an issue," he notes, adding that clients were cancelling appointments because of it. But while they were cancelling, people also kept asking, “do you do house calls?"
Thus, Sentuh was born in 2018, and with it, a new set of business challenges to deal with.
The issue with sourcing therapists has been there from the beginning. "When we first started, we only had five or six freelance therapists who we had to convince to come on board," said Aizudin.
Another challenge is that many of the freelancers were not familiar with technology, even if they owned mobile phones. Aizudin estimates that 70% of their therapists are from the B40 group. "Most are single mothers or housewives."
It was clear that before economic opportunities can be taken – part-time therapists are able to earn up to RM1,000 a week – the digital divide needs to be closed. "Some of them don't even have email. I had to ask my admin to create an address for them."
This requirement to have technology that "just works" without any frills drove their development process with Aizudin feeling that their technology is what gives Sentuh a competitive advantage. He now intends to offer the booking platform to other spa and wellness operators in the market.
Bringing wellness centres online
Clearly, the MCO has badly affected the spa and wellness industry in Malaysia. As many of the operators rely heavily on foreign therapists who can no longer travel freely, many have had to close down.
"Luckily for us we have our products," shares Aizudin, referring to their range of skincare products and massage oils diversified from the previous spa business which he closed in Sept 2019. "We could cover expenses for three months during the MCO (and) we did not have to terminate anyone."
They have reopened for business now, although the new normal means therapists wear face shields and latex gloves on their house calls. The reopening also comes with a renewed ambition to pick themselves up from this setback and grow onwards.
In particular, Sentuh wants to help other wellness centers go online. "They want to join us because of course they are also closed," explains Hisham Talib (pic, right), the chief strategy officer. "That's why we decided to build a platform for wellness operators to on-board themselves. Essentially we want to build this into an end-to-end platform for any wellness services provider to use based as a SaaS model."
The hope is to roll this out by end October. This is part of a larger plan to grow Sentuh as quickly as possible. Brunei has been targeted for expansion this year, and they plan to go into other Southeast Asian countries within the next three years. "We want to grow as fast as possible," Hisham stresses.
So far, apart from a grant from Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd and an angel investment, Sentuh has been mostly self-funded. However, they know that ambition needs to be fuelled by more than desire and have launched their equity crowd funding (ECF) campaign on pitchIN at https://equity.pitchin.my/businesses/sentuh-sinergi-sdn-bhd#fndtn-panel-business-info with the goal of raising US$120,000 (RM500,000).
"I think what makes ECF special is that our investors can also become our brand ambassadors," says Aizudin. As it is, they already have several celebrities as clients who willingly endorse their service. The eventual hope is for an IPO, or to join up with another like-minded operators, should another player large enough arrive or emerge in the region.
"If we don't grow fast enough, quickly enough, and big enough, that will be the end of it," predicts Aizudin. "But if we are established and we have a large base of customers, then maybe others will look to partner with us."
Related Stories :


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Latest Auto News
Tata Tiago gets standard safety features like dual airbags, ABS (Antilock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) and CSC (Corner Stability Control), and rear parking sensors.
New Hyundai Venue has several impressive features which will help it take on the mighty Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. Other compact SUV segment players like Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon and Ford EcoSport will also have to keep a tab.
New Kia SP2i compact SUV will get exterior features like Tiger nose grille, LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, LED tail lamps, rear bumper with metallic muffler effect and dual exhaust pipes.
India provides entrepreneurs with amazing opportunities to scale up their ventures: Zoomcar CEO Greg Moran
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Greg Moran said that both car-rentals and subscriptions by Zoomcar strike the right chord with young India, who can now rent a car for a short weekend escapade or subscribe to one with Zap Subscribe, without the hassle of down payments, insurance, maintenance and servicing, etc, for longer durations.
Jaguar I-Pace wins in 3 categories at 2019 International Engine + Powertrain of the Year Awards in Stuttgart
Jaguar I-Pace gets two light and compact electric motors that generate a combined output of 294 kW and 696 Nm of torque. The motors are light and weigh 78 kgs along with the transmission.
New Hyundai Venue has been launched at an introductory price of Rs 6.50 lakh (ex-showroom, India) and it is well below Hyundai Creta's starting price of Rs 10 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). Also, the top-spec Venue is priced at Rs 11.10 lakh (ex-showroom, India) in comparison to top-of-the-line Creta that costs Rs 15.65 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Maruti Suzuki India adds over 200 workshops in 2018-19, now has 3,634 service centres across 1,789 cities
Maruti Suzuki Service offers a wide range of facilities including quick response team (QRT), transparency via digital communication and night service.
New Kia SP2i features a luxurious cabin with high-quality materials. The dashboard looks broad and houses a fresh 10.25-inch touchscreen navigation system.
There is a growing trend of global unveils of upcoming vehicles taking place in India. While Hyundai Venue was showcased in the country on April 17 alongside its world premiere at the New York International Auto Show, the upcoming Kia SP2i will have its global showcase in India on June 20.
Kia SP2i will be launched in India in 2019-second half. The vehicle is based on the Kia SP Concept, which was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo.
New Hyundai Venue was launched in India on May 21 at an introductory price of Rs 6.50 lakh (ex-showroom). It combines a modern design with numerous segment-first features, making it a powerful player in the compact SUV segment.
Flash Electronics India files lawsuit against Royal Enfield in the United States alleging patent infringement
Royal Enfield has infringed Flash Electronics' patent on "Regulator Rectifier Device and Method for Regulating an Output Voltage of the Same", issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in February 2018, according to the lawsuit.


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In a move suggesting there's no more serious a crime in today's society than a rich man's new toy not quite working as advertised, the BBC's investigative TV show Watchdog is planning to shame Samsung over that disparity in advertised and real-world storage space.
In an end-of-programme trailer for the May 15th edition of the show, Watchdog's resident battleaxe Anne Robinson says of Samsung in her usual sarcastic mum tone: "...it claims its brand new Galaxy phone has an extra large memory; what did it forget to mention?"
The video editor then foreshadows the answer by expanding the Galaxy S4 web site's onboard storage claims. We can therefore expect to see some mildly angry men brandishing Galaxy S4s while looking sad and pretending having one of the best phones in the world has ruined their lives. [YouTube via Slashgear]


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Cinesamples has announced the release of Tina Guo, a new Artist Series instrument library for Native Instruments Kontakt & Kontakt Player.
This library offers an exquisitely unique and progressive take on the Acoustic and Electric Cello, as well as the traditional Chinese instrument, the Erhu.
Encapsulating Tina’s ultra-expressive and experimental performance style within a sample library is an undertaking that was accomplished through blurring the lines between music and sound design- a vital element of her music.
The library distinguishes itself from traditional instrument libraries in that the key to unlocking its full potential is through approaching it from the mindset of a producer. An expansive arsenal of innovative sound design and composition tools introduces a multitude of new ways to explore and create fresh sounds that will certainly take your productions to the next level.
The library is available for purchase for $299 USD. Requires Kontakt (Full and Player) 5.3.1 or higher.
More information: Cinesamples / Tina Guo
Embertone has launched Chang Erhu, a deep sampled erhu instrument for Native Instruments Kontakt. The erhu is a two-stringed, bowed musical instrument. It may also be called a “southern fiddle”, and sometimes known in the … read more
Cinesamples has announced The Tina Guo Sample Library, an upcoming sample library for Native Instruments Kontakt. Nearly 2 years in the making, the Library will feature 3 playable instruments: acoustic cello, electric cello, and erhu, … read more
Sound Magic has announced China Impression, a bundle of three virtual Chinese traditional instruments: China Story Erhu, Laurel Pipa and Bamboo Dreams Bawu. These 3 instruments can help musician to bring Classic Asian/Chinese flavor into … read more
Sound Magic has announced that its China Story Erhu virtual instrument is now available in Native Instruments Kontakt 5 format. The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may … read more
Kong Audio has announced that its Chinee Orchestra collection of sample-based Chinese traditional instruments will be available as a boxset shortly. The boxset is currently is production. The disc will include the latest update to … read more
Outbound link: Kong Audio
– Related: erhu
, instrument plugins
, Kong Audio
, samples and sound libraries
, wind instruments
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on Apr 10, 2013 - 0 comments
Sound Magic has announced China Story Erhu, a virtual Chinese Erhu instrument. To ensure the maximum accuracy and musicality in the reproduction of this complex and beautiful sound, Sound Magic invited the virtuoso from the … read more
Kong Audio has announced the release of its Chinee Orchestra, a set comprising of 23 classical Chinese instruments covering the complete instrument list of a modern Chinese orchestra arrangement, powered by the in-house developed QIN … read more
Soundiron has announced the release of its Street Erhu, a live-performance phrase library that features thousands of high-fidelity traditional Chinese erhu violin phrases. The Street Erhu phrase library for Kontakt comes with a custom UI … read more


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There’s a trend happening in the fashion world right now and WE LOVE IT! As a community for over 60s in Australia and the rest of the world, we couldn’t be prouder.
This week, Twiggy, the fashion icon we all loved in the 60s was announced as the new face of L’Oreal Professionale – a line of L’Oreal products. Twiggy is 65 and is more than double the age of the other L’Oreal star models.
In an industry that is saturated with pressure to look young, thin, skinny, bronze, smooth and so many other adjectives this is a welcome change.
In recent week Celine, luxury fashion brand signed Joan Didion, the 80 year old writer as the model for their 2015 spring campaign, capitalising on her effortless chic. Iris Apfel, the 93 year old fashion icon, starred in jewellery designer, Alexis Bittar’s spring campaign too. And, Joni Mitchell the folk music legend was signed as the face of Saint Laurent’s Music Project Campaign late last year, too.
It’s a wonderful time to be a woman over 60 as the “ageing” stereotypes we’ve battled with for so long are finally gone.
Ad. Article continues below.
Take a look at some of these over 60s breaking the ageing stereotypes and tell us, who is your favourite over 60?


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New Batteries Plus runs on energy
Jesse Henry knows how to energize a community. As the vice president and manager of the new Batteries Plus location on Hall Road in Macomb Township, Henry has 10,000 types of light bulbs at his disposal -- more than enough to strengthen workplace and household needs.
"We have any bulb for everything," said Henry, 25, of Clinton township.
"We carry 30,000 batteries; 10,000 light bulbs. We're number one."
CEO Steve Leach has given the reigns to Henry to pull in more light bulb and battery clientele.
"Cell phone batteries are a big need," Henry said. "You would be amazed (at) how many people need cell phone batteries. We have hearing aid batteries, batteries for generators."
With a new Batteries Plus location at 18443 Hall Road, there are now 22 Batteries Plus locations in Michigan, Henry said, and 490 locations nationwide.
"In Michigan, people are looking for opportunity and Batteries Plus has a proven track record of 20 years debt- free," he said.
"We'll do a lot for the area. With 80,000 cars running down M-59 each day, we like the location."
For starters, the company provides rebuilds for drills and saws and other equipment.
"I have a background of blue-collar related jobs, and (I) know how to relate to homeowners and contractors," said Henry, who noted the new Batteries Plus location will fill a need in the community.
"This is a growing community for 20 years and we're happy to be part of it," he said.
"There are very little battery-specific stores. We have the expertise and the experience to handle all needs."
Kevin Franks of Batteries Plus said one thing will set the new location apart from other retail outlets. "Our customer service will be a priority," said Franks of Imlay City.
Regular shipments will come in weekly for the hard-to-find batteries "We'll special ship any battery," Henry said.
"We're a business-to-business store. We have a tech center here and can do the repair work right on location in the building. You know where it comes from -- I build them."
Donna Langlois of Harrison Township came into Batteries Plus because of word-of-mouth.
"My husband had a friend who said they were a lot cheaper than those other places," said Langlois, who was with her 7-year-old son, Sean.
Batteries Plus is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 586-698-7354.


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Samsung launches handset on open platform
Cairo, February 22, 2010
Samsung Electronics, a leading mobile phone provider, has launched its Samsung Wave the first mobile handset to be released on Samsung’s new, open mobile platform, Samsung bada.
The Samsung Wave (Model: S8500) offers a super Amoled 3.3-inch display, a social hub to bring you closer to your contacts and connections, and TouchWiz 3.0 for an intuitive and customisable user interface.
Samsung’s bada platform allows mobile users to simply and easily download an abundance of applications from Samsung Apps, an integrated application store accessible from the device and online, said a statement.
The mobile handset also features games, navigation, social networking, e-book, health and lifestyle applications, giving users instant access to a huge choice of mobile experiences.
“The Samsung Wave truly demonstrates our commitment to deliver rich, connected and innovative smartphone experiences to everyone,” said JK Shin, president and head of mobile communications business at Samsung Electronics.
“Samsung Wave sees our platform vision become a reality. For the first time, developers have the freedom to create applications across multiple platforms, for consumption on a huge range of devices. In the Wave, our developer partners can see the ocean of opportunity that is offered by the bada mobile platform and our device technology,” he added.
The full touch mobile will be available globally from April 2010. – TradeArabia News Service


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The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is coming. It was already confirmed by the Samsung CEO. You may want to hold off buying that refurbished Note 7 because the next-gen phablet from the South Korean tech giant now has an official launch date. As rumored earlier, it will be unveiled on August 23. A teaser was recently published by the company that shows how we can “do bigger things” with the mobile device. It’s obviously the new Note because it is “bigger” and has that S-Pen stylus.
We’re assuming this will look similar to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ because of the almost bezel-less display which is called as the Infinity Display. As by tradition, Samsung will reveal the phone in an Unpacked event a month from now on August 23, 11 AM (EST) in New York City at the Park Avenue Armory. The Galaxy Unpacked event will also be available for live streaming at the following websites: Samsung.com, www.samsungmobilepress.com, and Samsung Newsroom.
We’re excited and interested to know if the Note 8 will definitely have dual cameras and rear fingerprint sensor (not onscreen) as per numerous leaks. We’ve seen the design, image renders, and a 360-degree video a few weeks ago, and we have a feeling more information will still be “leaked”.
MobileFun has listed Galaxy Note 8 cases and put them up for pre-order. We also saw that 3D-printed Note 8 model. We heard that the phone will not have an on-screen fingerprint sensor because of some display issues, that its ISOCELL dual cameras may have depth-sensing features, the device will be powered by Android 7.1.1 Nougat at launch, and it will run on the latest premium Snapdragon processor.
So much has been said about this Galaxy Note 8, thanks to geeks sharing on Weibo and numerous leaked images. August 23 (still earlier than IFA) is only a few weeks from now. We’ll finally get to see the ‘Great’ phone which we all know started as the Project Baikal.


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- British Airways broke data protection laws, and failed to detect attack for more than two months
- Sensitive information left exposed with no encryption
British Airways has been fined £20 million (US $26 million) following a data breach which saw its systems hacked and the personal and payment card information of 400,000 customers stolen.
It’s the biggest fine ever handed out by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which – by comparison – smacked Facebook’s wrist for a mere £500,000 over the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
But many will consider that British Airways got away lightly, having initially faced a £183 million ICO fine over the breach which occurred in 2018.
British Airways’ fine may be the biggest on record, but it’s still a 90% drop from what it could have been.
Announcing the final penalty, the ICO explained that it had taken into account representations from British Airways and “the economic impact of COVID-19 on their business.”
Reading between the lines, if British Airways’ fortunes hadn’t been hit so hard by the global pandemic then the fine it would have been walloped for its enormous security failure.
And British Airways’ failure was monumental.
Amongst the airline’s blunders identified by the ICO’s redacted report on the incident included:
- a failure to enforce the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) on accounts that provided remote access to British Airways’ internal systems.
- a failure to prevent the exploitation of a Citrix vulnerability that allowed the attacker to launch unauthorised tools and scripts to conduct network reconnaissance.
- the storage of login details (username and password) for a privileged domain administrator account in plaintext, giving the attacker “virtually unrestricted access to the relevant compromised domain.”
And perhaps most astonishingly of all, British Airways recklessly stored customers’ payment card details – including CVV numbers – as plaintext files.
Approximately 108,000 payment cards were available to the attacker because the data had been stored by British Airways with no encryption whatsoever.
This security breach, alongside the planting of malicious Magecart skimming code on the airline’s payment webpage which stole the personal and payment card details of hundreds of thousands of travellers as they made bookings via BA’s website and mobile app, leads ultimately to today’s record fine.
Yes, £20 million is nothing like as big as the £183 million fine that British Airways was originally facing. But it’s still the largest fine ever meted out for a data breach in the UK, and will hopefully go some way to make other companies put more effort into securing their systems better.


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R/€ = 14.87
R/$ = 13.30
Au 1133.54 $/oz
Pt 1018.00 $/oz
Jan 31, 2007
Gauteng economy feeling pressure from higher rates, inflationBack
© Reuse this The Gauteng economic environment faces its toughest economic challenge since 2003, with higher interest rates and inflation placing great pressure on businesses, the Gauteng Business Barometer (GBB) for December indicates.
The GBB is a measure of economic growth and the business mood in the province and was developed through a partnership between the Gauteng Business newspaper, Standard Bank and economist Mike Sch�ssler.
The index for December slipped by 6,2%, from 154 to 145 index points, compared with its performance in November, Standard Bank said on Wednesday.
The index was also 4,8% lower than in December 2005, when it stood at 152 index points.
Sch�ssler said that the GBB for December clearly showed that it had become difficult to do business in the province. The economic stress index, a subindex of the GBB that measures negative economic factors, was at its highest level since 2003.
“It is driven up by higher inflation and interest rates, as well as an increase in civil debt judgements and a downswing in the creation of new jobs,” he noted.
Sch�ssler added that, although he expected more interest rate increases of between 25 and 50 basis points over the next few months, the negative impact on the economy could be at its peak.
Standard Bank chief economist Goolam Ballim added that, even though the GBB had slipped in December, he expected continued economic growth in Gauteng for 2007.
“The effects of higher inflation and a slowdown in the growth of property values on consumer spending is becoming more evident. Investment in infrastructure and the weaker rand will benefit the supply side of the economy and the growth drivers of the economy will therefore shift from consumers to producers.”
Ballim was confident that businesses would continue to cope with a volatile currency, which was at the mercy of domestic and international events.
He predicted that the rand would trade around R7,35 and R9,53 against the dollar and euro respectively, in 2007.”
He expected a stable year for interest rates, which could even start to decline at the end of the year.
Both Ballim and Sch�ssler agreed that 2007 would be a positive year for Gauteng’s economy, although the economic growth rate would be slower than achieved in the past few years.
Edited by: Nelendhre Moodley© Reuse this Comment Guidelines (150 word limit)
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Marketing experts estimated at the beginning of 2015 that about 50% of all B2B marketers would increase their budgets for lead generation purposes over the course of the year, and recent data released from Forrester Research makes it even more likely that lead generation budgets will continue increasing long after 2015.
In the study US B2B eCommerce Forecast: 2015 to 2020, the Forrester Research group estimates that B2B eCommerce in the U.S. will generate about $1.1 trillion by 2020. The research group predicts that B2B online sales revenue will increase by an average of 7.7% annually for at least the next five years.
The data also predicts that B2B online sales will total about $780 billion in revenue during 2015, making the online marketplace an increasingly important sector of the B2B industry. If these predictions are correct, B2B online sales will comprise 12.1% of all U.S. B2B sales at the end of 2015.
By the time that B2B online sales reach the $1.1 trillion mark — which will likely be in 2020 — this revenue will make up about 12.1% of the estimated $9.39 trillion of revenue generated by all B2B sales in the U.S.
As Viraj Shah noted in a recent Invest Correctly article, Forrester “has not only brought out these details [of B2B online sales growth] but also indicated the driving force behind them” — specifically, that B2B buyers have begun turning to the internet for both research and transactions, and that B2B sellers are also encouraging customers to use online resources in order to save money.
Currently, Forrester reports that about 30% of B2B buyers complete at least half of their business transactions online, and this percentage is expected to increase to 56% by 2017. Considering that 74% of B2B buyers do research at least half the time before making a purchase online, it’s easy to see how online research can easily convert into more online sales.


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Ralph Lauren Corp. posted a 27 percent increase in its fiscal third-quarter profit as the designer clothing company enjoyed continued momentum in spending among its affluent shoppers in the US and improving trends in Europe.
The news sent shares of the company up nearly 8 percent in morning trading.
The results, announced Wednesday, offer evidence that the affluent continue to spend despite an uncertain economy. The owner of the Ralph Lauren Collection and Polo by Ralph Lauren brands sells its products at department stores, its own shops and through other retailers.
“Our third quarter performance is a testament to the enduring appeal of our brand and the dedication of our passionate team,” Ralph Lauren, chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “Our orientation as a design-led, marketing and merchandising organization has enabled us to deepen our connection with our customers, particularly as we expand our portfolio of products and lifestyle sensibilities.”
The New York-based company said it earned $215.7 million, or $2.31 per share, in the three months ended Dec. 29. That compares with $169 million, or $1.78 per share, a year earlier.
Revenue rose 2.2 percent to $1.79 billion.
Analysts had expected earnings of $2.20 per share on revenue of $1.85 billion, according to FactSet.
The company said that its wholesale segment’s sales of $734 million in the third-quarter were 2 percent below the year before. The business has been dragged down by the discontinuation of its American Living brand to JCPenney and a planned reduction in shipments to certain European customers. A negative impact from foreign currency translations more than offset continued growth in core and emerging merchandise categories in the Americas.
Retail sales rose 6 percent to $1.1 billion from $1 billion in the year-ago period. Revenue at stores open at least a year rose 4 percent during the third quarter. The company estimated that the disruption caused by Superstorm Sandy that hit the East Coast in late October depressed third-quarter comparable sales by 1 to 2 percentage points.
Ralph Lauren said that as a result of better-than-expected profitability in the first nine months of the year, it now expects operating margin from continuing operations for fiscal 2013 to be about .75 to 1 percent point above the year-ago period. That’s above its earlier expectation of a .50 percentage point improvement.
For the fourth quarter, Ralph Lauren said it expects its consolidated net revenue to be up by a mid-single-digit percentage, reflecting an 8 percent to 11 percent increase in retail revenue and flat wholesale revenue. Assuming a 5 percent increase, that would mean revenue would reach $1.7 billion in the fourth quarter. Analysts expect $1.74 billion, according to FactSet.
Shares of Ralph Lauren rose $12.61 to $177.52 in morning trading.


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The government is trumpeting the release of its new Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, which was prescribed as a code last week.
Small Business Minister Bruce Billson says the code “will improve commercial relationships throughout the entire supply chain of Australia’s grocery sector.”
The new measures include an obligation to enter into grocery supply agreements in writing, minimum standards of behaviour in dealings with suppliers and dispute resolution mechanisms to assist suppliers in resolving disputes.
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But unfortunately the code does not go far enough.
The Food and Grocery Code of Conduct automatically cover suppliers but it only binds those retailers and wholesalers that agree to sign on to the code.
Experience shows that when any code of conduct is voluntary and industry regulated its reach is limited.
Coles and Woolies say they will sign the code but retail giant Metcash is at this stage refusing to sign up.
As Jos de Bruin of the Master Grocers Association told SmartCompany last week, enforcement is critical.
“My belief is that if the code is not enforced, then it’s not worth the paper it’s written on. And likewise, if the big supermarkets can just opt in and opt out when they like, it’s not going to make much of a difference,” he says.
A further problem is that the code allows enforcement by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission against those retailers and wholesalers who have signed it.
Billson says this will help prevent instances of unconscionable conduct and “enhance the ACCC’s capacity to take action against misleading or deceptive conduct and misuse of market power”.
But the ACCC is hamstrung by an outdated penalty system which means the penalties it can impose are mere chicken feed for big players like the supermarkets.
The ACCC chairman Rod Sims himself complained last month, saying the penalties on offer needed to be of more deterrent value.
Maximum penalties of $1.1 million imposed against Coles last year for unconscionable conduct were “arguably inadequate” given its turnover of $22 billion.
Supermarkets already have internal grievance processes in place, but suppliers have long argued that an independent and enforceable code of conduct is needed to combat the dominance of the big two supermarkets.
The new Food and Grocery Code of Conduct is a step in the right direction, but until there is an independent and enforceable system small business will still be at the mercy of the big players.


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Reliance Retail to expand cash-and-carry
Reliance Retail plans to convert some of its hypermarkets into wholesale cash-and-carry stores.January 04, 2014 | comments ( 0 ) |
Reliance Retail plans to convert some of its large hypermarkets into wholesale cash-and-carry stores in a bid to quickly scale up operations, and gain market share.
The Reliance Mart hypermarket in Bhopal's Aashima Mall is under renovation and expected to reopen in February, as a cash-and-carry store.
Ashish Jain, Marketing Manager, Reliance Retail, SAID, “After renovation, this store will also cater to consumers apart from traditional kiranas.”
Reliance is setting up its wholesale stores in locations where the concentration of kiranas is high, as it would be easier to make them customers rather than competing with them, say analysts.
An official spokesperson from Reliance Retail, said, "We continue to evaluate our offerings and realign them in specific locations to ensure their viability.”
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- John Jacobs looks to garner Rs 500 crore revenue by March 2021


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Albertsons' La Habra store has garnered Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – aka LEED – Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The move marks Albertsons as the first major retail grocery store to earn the distinction for an interior remodel.
Chuck Blackledge, director of Store Development, unveils the certification plaque.
The 55,711-square-foot facility's renovation began in September 2008 and was completed in December. It focused on implementing energy-efficient standards throughout the store. More than 95 percent of the remodel's construction waste was separated and recycled or donated to reduce the amount of garbage going into the landfills.
“As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, Albertsons’ La Habra, Calif., location is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement," says Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the Green Building Council.
Among its green features: water-saving faucets, fixtures and sensors installed in the restrooms, which reduce the amount of water used by more than 45 percent; Internet energy monitoring of refrigeration, lighting, air conditioning and heating; carbon dioxide sensors and high-grade air filters; and more than 40 skylights and photo sensor-controlled dimmable lighting on the sales floor to maintain a comfortable environment for shoppers.
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Those who study the game of baseball know that there is a section on the barrel of the bat that is commonly referred to as the “sweet spot.” When a batter is able to hit the ball with that portion of the bat, it is more likely to result in a base hit or a positive outcome.
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Similarly, the automotive aftermarket also has a sweet spot. These are the vehicles that deliver the most opportunity — often viewed as those between six and 12 years old, have recently come off of warranty and are at a time period when more costly repairs are needed to keep the vehicle on the road as long as possible. Just as baseball hitters want to aim for the sweet spot of the bat, aftermarket retailers will want to focus their attention and planning on this segment of vehicles.
However, unlike baseball, the sweet spot in the automotive aftermarket is changing quite a bit.
For one, the sweet spot volume of vehicles has been declining over the last few years to its current volume at 89.4 million vehicles and will continue to decline for the next two years due to the low volumes of new vehicles sold during the Great Recession of 2008.
It’s not just the volume of vehicles that has changed; the make-up of the sweet spot has changed a lot. Three years ago, 60 percent of all vehicles on the road consisted of domestic vehicles within the sweet spot. As of today, this has declined to just more than 52 percent, with the remaining 48 percent composed of import vehicles.
That said, fast forward two years into the future to when the 2004 through 2005 model years will fall out of the sweet spot and will be replaced by the 2011 and 2012 models. In those model years, imports continued to make up the majority of those vehicles on the road at 54.2 percent and 55.5 percent, respectively. That means at some point in 2017 imports will have a higher share of the sweet spot for the first time in history. Moreover, imports also have seen higher shares of the 2013 and 2014 model years, which will result in imports continuing to lead well beyond 2017.
What all this means is that automotive aftermarket professionals need to understand that while the volume of vehicles in the sweet spot will decline, opportunities will increase for import vehicles as their market share grows in the sweet spot. This change will impact part manufacturers and retailers’ mix of the parts needed to repair these vehicles, as well as the skill sets needed by the technicians who replace the parts.
Pickup trucks still dominate the roads
Additionally, when looking at the various vehicle segments on the road, full-size pickup trucks are still the most prevalent segment at 15 percent, followed by the mid-range car at 11.5 percent and the small economy car at 9.2 percent.
However, with the uptick in new vehicle registrations, the cross-over utility vehicle (CUV) has gained a higher share of the vehicles on the road across all three categories: entry level, mid-range and premium. Currently, entry-level CUVs account for 6.1 percent, mid-range account for 3.5 percent and premium account for 2 percent of all vehicles on the road.
Ford F-150 still number one
At the model level, the Ford F-150 remains the most driven vehicle on the road, with nearly 9 million vehicles still in operation. It is followed by the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, which has nearly 8 million vehicles on the road. The remainder of the top 10 includes the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Dodge/Ram 1500, Nissan Altima, Ford Explorer and Honda CR-V. While there are six import models in the top 10 of all vehicles on the road today, domestic vehicles still dominate the market volume with 56.1 percent share, but as mentioned earlier, this will change.
Future sweet spot: import heavy but still led by domestic trucks
As the industry looks to the future, it is clear there is a shift toward import vehicles in the aftermarket sweet spot. However, it is likely that the most prevalent segments will still be full-size domestic trucks, as the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the Ram/Dodge 1500 remain extremely popular.
It’s imperative for aftermarket retailers to keep a finger on the pulse of trends and use the data for the good of their business. The more insight they can gain into what vehicles fall into the sweet spot, the more likely they’ll be able to hit a home run instead of striking out.
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Mastercard will launch its biometric identity verification system across North America in the first half of 2017, with Canadian bank BMO Financial Group the first to offer the service to its corporate customers... More
Canadian consumers can now add their MasterCard and Visa credit cards as well as their Interac debit cards to Apple Pay after the mobile payments service launched in the country with support from American Express alone in November 2015. Five banks have also announced their support for Apple Pay, including two of the country’s largest — Royal Bank of Canada and BMO Financial Group. More
Canadian financial services provider BMO Financial Group is to enable its customers to use MasterCard’s Identity Check mobile app to verify their online transactions via face recognition and fingerprint biometrics... More
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• Find a list of all the companies and other organisations that have been featured in NFCW in our directory.


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The US-based developer of two new high chill blueberry varieties say they have received a positive response from triallists and nurseries following their launch in Europe.
MegasBlue and Titanium, the first two releases from Oregon Blueberry Farms and Nurseries, are being managed by Global Plant Genetics in most parts of the world.
“Having followed these two varieties for the last three years in the US, we are delighted to be commercialising them around the globe,” said Rupert Hargreaves, director of Global Plant Genetics.
“Starting in Europe, a number of trial sites have been established as well as three nurseries initially appointed - Vivai Molari and Gatti, Plants365 & Schrijnwerkers. The marketplace has been looking for the addition of new high chill blueberry varieties that offer improvements in flavour and yield.“
Jon Horton of Oregon Blueberry Farms and Nurseries said: “both of these varieties have had an excellent response so far in the US and we are delighted to be bringing these to the European sector with Global Plant Genetics.
“We also look forward to them rolling these out in other territories around the world shortly.”


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Wigan Warriors has signed a multi-year deal with healthy nutrition brand, The Skinny Food Co.
It’s the brand’s first sports partnership and its name will appear on the collar positions of the men’s and women’s first team playing shirts.
“We are delighted to welcome The Skinny Food Co into our growing family of commercial partners,” said Wigan Warriors Executive Director, Kris Radlinski.
“Health and nutrition are a significant part of modern-day sport, so we are excited by the opportunity to integrate The Skinny Food Co’s range of great tasting, healthy foods and ingredients into our performance programme.
“Equally important is the opportunity to spread the word of healthy nutrition to the wider population which we will seek to do through content, fan engagement initiatives and community programmes.”
It’s the latest sponsorship for the club, which rebranded last year to attract new fans and commercial partners. Last month, it signed a partnership with men’s make-up brand, War Paint, to “challenge stereotypes and breakdown boundaries.”
“Wigan Warriors are an iconic Rugby League team and it’s an honour to be announcing an official relationship working together,” explained Wayne Starkey, co-founder of The Skinny Food Co.
“The Skinny Food Co has always been about helping others to live healthier, more active lifestyles and we’re excited to work with Wigan Warriors to truly make a difference in the community.”


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VIA Technologies has announced a new addition to its Eden ultra-low voltage processor lineup at a press conference on August 16, 2007.
According to the DIGITIMES, it will come toting the 21mm x 21mm nanoBGA2 packaging like other Eden models and utilizes the typical VIA V4 bus. Under the hood however, it will run at a faster 500MHz core frequency as well as consume only 1W of power.
Excerpt from the DIGITIMES article:
Several IPC (Industrial PC) makers including Advantech have already adopted the new Eden ULV processor and products are expected to begin appearing on the market later this month, noted sources at VIA. Lanner, another Taiwan-based IPC maker, pointed out that it has already designed the CPU into several network appliances and embedded boards.
For those not already in the know, VIA has been focusing a fair bit on the ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) category market in recent years.
They have since came out with a few reference designs with a Mini-ITX motherboard spec’ed at 170mm x 170 mm, a Nano-ITX at 120mm x 120mm, and the Pico-ITX with a bewildering itsy-bitsy 100mm x 72mm. That’s the size of the motherboard for you here, with full-fledged “PC” pin-outs (such as VGA, RAM, USB, and IDE pin-outs) and of course the processor. To find out more, check out this page on the Pico-ITX reference design released in April this year.
So far, they have stayed in the domain of hobbyist machines and home and/or media appliances. But Dell recently launched a desktop based on the Mini-ITX and Intel has came out with a Mini-ITX motherboard as well.
I know you folks are IT professionals and all, but hey, it’s Monday, and no harm lightening up to dispel some of the blues. So, tell us, what would you do with a Mini/Nano/Pico-ITX system if someone gave one to you.
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Matt Wolters, SureFire’s QuickDraw Product Manager, recently attended the 50th Annual National Agricultural Aviation Association Convention & Exposition in Long Beach, California. Pilots and aerial spraying company owners from across the country attended to learn and share industry news and updates. SureFire Ag hosted a booth in the trade show and had the opportunity to demonstrate how the QuickDraw system can make aerial spray operations more efficient and accurate.
As you spend this winter in your shop preparing for the upcoming spring planting season, consider adding a SureFire QuickDraw Max or QuickDraw Light to your equipment lineup. This product attaches to your spraying system and dramatically increases your efficiency and accuracy in crop spraying.


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St. John’s, March 30, 2017 – According to the latest Business Barometer survey results released by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), small business optimism in Newfoundland and Labrador dropped in the first quarter of 2017. The provincial Business Barometer Index reached 42.2 in March 2017 compared to 47.7 in December 2016.
“Growth in the economy continues to be hindered as many small business owners find it difficult due to the much higher taxes and fees placed on them and their customers in the last budget,” says Vaughn Hammond, Director of provincial affairs in Newfoundland and Labrador. “Small business owners are hoping for good news in next week’s provincial budget, which will be a clear signal of government’s intent to address its fiscal issue.”
A mere eight per cent of respondents are planning to add full-time staff, while 30 per cent expect to cut staff in the next three months. In terms of their view about the general state of the economy, 32 per cent of entrepreneurs characterized it as “good” in March, while 21 per cent of respondents described it as “bad”.
Insufficient domestic demand was identified by 49 per cent of respondents as the biggest challenge for small firms in Newfoundland and Labrador. Eighty-one per cent consider tax and regulatory costs to be the largest cost constraint.
The national Business Barometer Index held steady in March (62.9). Across Canada, entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia (65.9) were the most optimistic about the economy and the future prospects for their business, followed by Quebec (65.7), Ontario (65.6), British Columbia (64.9), Manitoba (64.5), New Brunswick (63.8), Prince Edward Island (58.6), Saskatchewan (56.3), Alberta (55.5), and Newfoundland and Labrador (42.2).
More details about the Business Barometer are available at www.cfib.ca. To arrange an interview with Chief Economist, Ted Mallett, about the national results, please call 1-416-222-8022. To speak with Vaughn Hammond, please call 753-7745.
About the Business Barometer: Measured on a scale of 0 and 100, an index level above 50 means owners expecting their businesses’ performance to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting weaker performance. According to past results, index levels normally range between 65 and 75 when the economy is growing at its potential. March 2017 findings are based on 730 responses, collected from a stratified random sample of CFIB members, to a controlled-access web survey. Data reflect responses received through March 20. Findings are considered accurate to +/- 3.6 per cent 19 times in 20.
About CFIB: As Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses, CFIB is Powered by Entrepreneurs™. Established in 1971, CFIB takes direction from more than 109,000 members in every sector nationwide, including 2,000 in Newfoundland and Labrador, giving independent business a strong and influential voice at all levels of government and helping to grow the economy.


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The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 lineup and Galaxy Buds2 TWS earphones unveiled over two weeks ago will be up for pre-orders in India starting August 30, with sales commencing from September 10. The Buds2 are priced at INR11,999 ($165/€140), whereas the Watch4 series starts at INR23,999 ($325/€275). You can pre-book one through Samsung’s official Indian website and leading online and offline retail stores.
Galaxy Watch4 • Galaxy Buds2
Consumers who pre-order the Watch4 series will get an e-voucher worth INR6,000 ($80/€70), and those who pre-book the Buds2 will be eligible for an…
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text: Earlier this month, Acer announced its Iconia Tab A200 tablet, a 10.1-inch device running Ice Cream Sandwich and NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor clocked at 1GHz. The slate is supposed to land sometime in January and should make its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show. It is also suggested that Acer will be releasing a robust Tegra 3-powered device dubbed the Iconia Tab A700, as reported by NoMobile. The Russian site says the tablet features a 10.1-inch display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. Additionally, the device sports a dedicated rotation lock switch, a micro-HDMI port, and both a SIM and micro-USB slot. On the back of the tablet is a textured design with a five megapixel camera and built-in flash. The A700 weighs 650 grams (1.43 pounds) and boasts 10 hours of battery life according to the report. Much like its less powerful brother, the A700 will debut at CES in January, however it reportedly won’t arrive in stores until March.


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The new Spezial design went on sale at 9am today (August 30) but disgruntled fans complained that the shoes had sold out on the Adidas site within 10 minutes.
One fan wrote on Twitter: “Over an hour an 10 mins in a waiting room to purchase the LG SPZL @liamgallagher …what is the story??…and now I’m getting we’re almost sold out.”
Another complained: “Gutted!! Been online since yesterday trying to get a pair of LG SPZL Shoes – OOS everywhere.”
Others complained that they’d been able to stick the shoes in their shopping basket but were then unable to complete the purchase when they went to the online checkout.
James Drover wrote: “Set an alarm after a long night shift to get the @liamgallagher Adidas spezial and the website crashed and removed them from my basket when putting my delivery details in. Absolutely gutted”.
At the time of writing, the £99 shoes are completely sold out on Adidas’ website. However, a quick search on eBay reveals that that they are being resold for four times their original price.
The shoe boasts a distinctive SPZL design with three white strips on the side but it has also been given a special twist to represent the Oasis legend. While largely sticking to the traditional look of the shoe, it features Gallagher’s face on the tongue of the trainer.
Adidas is yet to announce details of a second release. NME has contacted the company for comment.


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More octane means more pain if you need the very best gasoline
Premium gasoline for your luxury ride is set to cost even more in the coming months as the U.S. transitions to cleaner fuel.
With change it will get harder for refiners to keep the octane high enough to meet the needs of high-performance engines. That’s boosting demand for a key ingredient, known as alkylate, and threatening to add to the cost of filling up a Mercedes or Lamborghini.
“We believe we’re seeing octane get more and more expensive,” Homer Bhullar, vice president of investor relations at Valero Energy Corp., told analysts during the companies second quarter earnings call.
About one in seven cars sold in the U.S. is a luxury model, according to auto analyst Kevin Tynan of Bloomberg Intelligence. Drivers of those cars could be paying as much as 72 cents more per gallon for premium gasoline than regular next year. AAA has the current spread between regular and premium at 58 cents.
“The average driver could be faced with higher costs for premium but more so east of the Rockies than California,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of oil analysis at GasBuddy. “The gap between the price of regular and premium could jump 10% to 25% in the months ahead, depending on how bad it gets.”
The new gasoline specifications, known as Tier 3, technically went into effect in 2017 but many refiners received a three-year waiver to the requirement to reduce sulfur and remove all but 10 parts per million of sulfur from fuel.
“In 2017 and 2018, approximately five of every six gallons of gasoline sold in the U.S. had over 10 ppm of sulfur in it,” Roger Read, senior analyst at Wells Fargo wrote in a research note. “We attribute the non-compliance to the extensive use of valuable Tier 2 credits, small refinery exemptions and avoiding the negative effects and costs of full compliance under a profit maximization approach.”
Sales of premium gasoline at U.S. retailers declined from the mid-1990s through 2015 before leveling around 2.4 million barrels per day, U.S. Energy Information Administration data show.
Efforts to remove sulfur from fuel could also reduce octane that would have to be replaced for all grades of gasoline, likely with alkylate, Tudor Pickering refining research director Matthew Blair said.
Most U.S. alkylate has 92 to 93 octane. It trades at a premium to 87-unleaded gasoline year round and it meets most summer specifications.
Blair said he is not ready to go as far as to say the shortages of octane will be dire because refiners seem to be prepared, but he acknowledged that the market will be tighter for blendstocks.
The extra capacity, and imports from faraway refineries that have extra octanes, should help ease the pain for those that need the octane, Blair said.
“Alkylate is an amazing blendstock,” Blair said. “And in a 10 ppm sulfur environment, it is eventually going to be in short supply.”


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HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Hamburger Hafen Und Logistik Ag (HHULF.PK, HHULY.PK) reported 2017 operating result (EBIT) of 173 million euros, up more than 5 percent from 164 million euros, prior year. Fiscal 2017 Group revenue increased by more than 6 percent to 1.25 billion euros from 1.18 billion euros, according to preliminary unaudited figures. In total, 7.2 million standard containers were handled at the company's container terminals in the 2017 financial year, an increase of 8.1 percent.
The listed Port Logistics subgroup generated revenue of 1.22 billion euros compared to 1.15 billion euros, prior year, and an operating result (EBIT) in the amount of 156 million euros compared to 148 million euros.
HHLA will publish the 2017 Annual Report and a business forecast for the 2018 financial year on 28 March 2018.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX


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ICP (Internet Computer) is a blockchain-based computing platform that is reimagining the way you build and consume everything. The platform lets developers create anything, from DeFi apps to tokenised social media services. Founded by Dominic Williams, the chief scientist of Dfinity, the project is a promising new way to build the future of blockchain and digital currency.
Despite the high expectations, however, the ICP token has had a difficult time maintaining a strong price since its launching in May. After rocketing up to a high of $2,831 for a moment, the price crashed by 99% and is now trading around $7.10. This has disappointed many ICP holders, who have dubbed the project’s team a ‘rug pull’. This sentiment has also been echoed by many fundamental analysts.
Despite its rocky start, ICP is set to launch in May 2021. Its goal is to build a decentralized internet that is accessible to anyone anywhere in the world. The internet currently consists of large data centres which send information to devices. A person reading this article has to first store the article in the data centre before it reaches his or her device. This decentralized approach will make it possible for individual computers to store data instead of large central data centers.
Longforecast’s ICP coin forecast predicts that ICP will go through a bearish run in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, the coin will hit a low of $1.79 and then regain its value by November 2024. The highest predicted price is $2.29 and $2.92, respectively. Moon333, a crypto analyst, suggests that investors should purchase ICP tokens during the $2.02 to $6.45 price range.


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News on March 20, recently, foreign media reported that due to insufficient supply of some color mobile phones of Apple (some operators hoard), coupled with the epidemic, Apple closed a lot of offline stores. Apple phones have become scarce on the market, so Apple has restricted Apple Store customers from buying more than two iPhones.
According to CNBC, Apple's purchase restriction policy only applies to the more popular models such as iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. In addition, Apple's newly launched 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2020 version) in the past two days are also within the purchase limit.
In fact, this is not the first time Apple has issued a purchase restriction policy that restricts the iPhone. As early as 2007, Apple limited consumers to only two phones at a time. Apple claims that this is done to prevent scalpers from hoarding mobile phones and then selling them at high prices, affecting the operation of the market. Apple also introduced a corresponding purchase restriction policy in 2013, with the same reasons as in 2007.
At the same time, Apple announced on the store page about the purchase restriction policy, saying that Apple has the right to limit the number of iPhones purchased by customers, and will give a full refund for orders that have been ordered but cannot be shipped.
After Apple ’s purchase restriction policy came out, netizens commented that Apple ’s purchase restriction policy has in some ways facilitated the scalpers to raise prices, and the oxen will use the purchase restriction policy to promote scarcity and increase the market price. What do you think about this view?