The positive vibes on trading floors follow gains on Wall Street, where tech firms bounced after a relatively dour start to the year and dealers were also gearing up for the start of corporate earnings season.

Meanwhile, bitcoin dipped slightly after a small rally fuelled by confirmation that US authorities had approved several exchange-traded funds for the cryptocurrency for the first time.

After the disappointment of last week’s minutes showing the Fed remained keen to hold rates at 22-year highs for some time, analysts said the consumer price index reading Thursday could play a key role in near-term market dynamics.

The figures are expected to show inflation continuing to fall, but observers warned a miss to the upside could spark fresh selling in equities.

Dealers have struggled at the start of the year as the rally at the end of 2023 peters out on worries they may have been a little too eager to price in a first rate cut by March followed by several more over the next 12 months.

However, a below-forecast reading could light the fuse for a buying spree, they said.

Matt Eagan, at Loomis, Sayles & Co., said the report would likely come “in line with consensus”.

“Our expectations are for headline inflation to continue to cyclically bottom well below three percent, possibly to 2.5 percent, and for the Fed to then start cutting rates sometime over the next six months.”

New York Fed boss John Williams said rates were well placed to get inflation back to the bank’s two percent target but expected officials would “need to maintain a restrictive stance of policy for some time to fully achieve our goals”.

All three main indexes on Wall Street enjoyed an up day Wednesday, boosted by gains in tech titans including Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet, which have had a weak start to 2024.

Asia enjoyed a rare day in the sunshine, with Tokyo leading the way, piling on close to two percent to a fresh 34-year high as a weak yen helps exporters.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Manila and Jakarta were also well up.

Bitcoin held at around $46,600, having burst above $47,700 earlier in the day after news that the Securities and Exchange Commission had given the go-ahead for ETF trading.

The SEC approved the plans for 11 ETFs to list on leading exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange “on an accelerated basis”, it said.

Analysts said the unit failed to take off after the news as the decision had largely been priced in over recent weeks.

ETFs are traded on public markets, granting investors exposure to price movements in asset prices without taking direct ownership of the underlying assets.

– Key figures around 0230 GMT –

Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.9 percent at 35,110.52 (break)

Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.5 percent at 16,344.00

Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 2879.18

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 145.44 yen from 145.77 yen on Wednesday

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0983 from $1.0976

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2770 from $1.2742

Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.02 pence from 86.10 pence

West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.3 percent at $71.56 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.3 percent at $77.01 per barrel

New York – Dow: UP 0.5 percent at 37,695.73 (close)

London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 7,651.76 (close)

The post Asian markets track Wall St gains ahead of key inflation data appeared first on Digital Journal.

“Companies are deploying robotaxis in larger scale than before and in more cities,” insisted Kersten Heineke, partner and codirector of the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility.

Even “in times where money is scarce…we’re clearly progressing. It just takes a bit longer than we were expecting three or five years ago.”

And while “there’s nothing flashy” at this year’s CES, there are noted improvements “in crucial technologies” on show, he said.

Still the headwinds — and doubts — are there, with venture capital harder to secure and a series of mishaps grabbing attention, even if some data demonstrates that fears are not merited.

– Cameras, lasers and 3D –

The focus now is on safety.

From long-established companies to young start-ups, the aisles at CES are brimming with innovations in 3D vision, night vision, driver fatigue detectors and hand-on-wheel detection.

“Technology saves lives” by improving road safety, said Christophe Perillat, head of the French Valeo group.

He believes that by 2030, 90 percent of vehicles produced worldwide will be equipped with driver assistance systems, and half of those will be level 2 and 2+, with a few million at level 3 or 4.

This refers to the industry standard set by the trade association SAE International that gauges a vehicle’s degree of automation, from level 0 to level 5. 

The latter level, considered the equivalent of a human driver, seems out of reach at this stage.

“The ability for a consumer to buy a car that will drive itself everywhere without the driver ready to take the wheel is unlikely to happen by 2035,” predicted S&P Global Mobility in a recent study.

But “the array of automated driver assist systems to compensate for driver inattention or error will proliferate,” helping reduce crashes, injuries and deaths along the way.

Artificial intelligence is also spreading in this sector.

“If you can sense alertness based upon facial features, the attention of the eye … you can do things to influence the … safety of a driver,” said Adam Burden of Accenture.

– Not so ‘Autopilot’ –

But, for the time being, autonomous vehicles mainly make headlines when they are involved in accidents.

Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, suspended its activities indefinitely at the end of October after several accidents and the suspension of its permits in California. 

The company had been operating its robotaxis in several US cities.

Tesla’s “Autopilot” assisted driving system (which is level 2) was accused of giving drivers the false impression that the car was driving itself, thereby provoking accidents.

The Washington Post claimed in June, after scrutinizing data from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), that “Autopilot” mode had been involved in 736 accidents and seventeen deaths in the US since 2019.

According to a recent study by reinsurer Swiss Re, basing itself on Google’s Waymo One driverless taxis, the autonomous vehicle is “is significantly safer towards other road users than human drivers are.” 

For now, the sector is splitting in two directions: professional users, with fleets of robotaxis and shuttles, and private users, with less automation. 

This is driven by safety and regulatory reasons, but also because of price, as a Level 4 vehicles will cost $10,000 more.

But for fleets that can operate over 24 hours every day of the year, this extra cost is quickly recouped.

Heineke from McKinsey expects “hundreds of thousands of robotaxis” to be on the road within the next three to five years, with China leading the way.

According to the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, autonomous driving could generate between $300 and $400 billion worldwide by 2035.

The post Autonomous driving is ‘happening’, but slower than expected appeared first on Digital Journal.

Hundreds of Chinese companies were at the annual CES gadget extravaganza, shrugging off US-China political trade tensions and focusing on taking care of business.

“I believe all the people in each country are very good, the civilization of each country is very nice, very friendly,” said Fan, who was with the Zhejiang Crossbow Brand Electric Appliance Company from Wuyi, China.

“We don’t care about the governments; that’s not our business” she added, a necklace around her neck spelling out the word “peace.”

About 500 of the 3,500 or so exhibitors at CES are from China, more than last year but still not at pre-Covid numbers, according to the Consumer Technology Association that runs CES.

“The Chinese are back,” association president Gary Shapiro said in the lead-up to the Las Vegas show that ends on Friday.

Chinese titans like TCL and Hisense dazzled CES goers with stunning televisions while less well-known companies showed off robots, drones, electronic bikes, charging cables and much more.

TCL’s partnership with the US National Football League was the main theme at a CES press event, complete with appearances by sports legends.

“They certainly seemed like a red-blooded American company that drinks beer and watches football,” said Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart.

-‘Copycats’ no more? –

Chinese business leaders at CES included Appotronics chief executive Li Yi, whose company specializes in laser display technology used by major companies including car makers BMW and BYD.

To Li, it seemed tension between the United States and China on the trade front was beginning to stabilize, and that the issue was more a battle over high technology than the type of consumer tech packing CES.

“For Chinese brands, being in the US is tough in today’s climate,” Li acknowledged to AFP.

“But there is also an emerging opportunity; components technology companies are starting to see this as a chance to emerge.”

Chinese companies at CES played up innovation, wanting their country to be seen as a technology leader rather than just a place where things can be made cheaply.

“People typically think we are a manufacturing powerhouse, and then people think we are copycats,” Li said of attitudes towards Chinese entrepreneurs.

“There are still probably people doing that, but more companies like us are trying to be innovative; we really don’t want to reinvent the wheel and sell it at a lower price.”

– All about the chips –

Futurum Group research director Olivier Blanchard saw advanced computer chips used for artificial intelligence as the heart of trade friction between the United States and China.

That technology is a far cry from what is used in the cornucopia of AI-infused gadgets at CES from pet trackers to smart beds, baby bottles and electric bicycles.

“The whole US versus China thing takes a very distant backseat to the dialogue that happens at CES,” Blanchard said.

“Whether you’re from China or from anywhere else, if you have a good product you’re gonna find the market.”

Despite political tensions between the United States and China in regard to AI, national security and Taiwan, it would be unwise to decouple the two economies since they benefit so much from each other, according to Blanchard.

“I love the fact that they keep coming here every year, whether they’re from China or anywhere else, and they keep trying,” Blanchard said.

“It’s this weird churning layer of startups that are all competing to become the next big thing.”

The post Business trumps politics for Chinese companies at CES appeared first on Digital Journal.

Regulators approved proposals for 11 ETFs to list on leading exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange “on an accelerated basis,” the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a 22-page order.

ETFs are traded on public markets, granting investors exposure to price movements in asset prices without taking direct ownership of the underlying assets.

The funds themselves, however, do invest in the digital currency.

The authorization of the ETFs or ETPs (exchange-traded products) — which are comparable to stocks or mutual funds as far as accessibility to everyday investors — “represents a pivotal juncture for the digital asset space, signifying a movement towards mainstream legitimacy and acceptance,” said Thomas Tang, vice president of investments at Ryze Labs.

“Bitcoin ETFs, by virtue of their existence within a regulated framework, will infuse a level of institutional credibility into the realm of digital assets,” Tang said.

Initially launched in the 1990s, ETFs took off in the early 2000s by investors looking for a simple and low-cost way to take bets on stock indices, commodities or a particular industrial sector.

Some $6.7 trillion were held globally in ETFs at the end of 2022, according to consultancy Oliver Wyman.

Until Wednesday, investors seeking to invest in bitcoin had to open an account on a cryptocurrency exchange and transact through a traditional medium of exchange, such as the dollar.

Wednesday’s action opens up trading on vehicles offered by mainstream financial houses such as Fidelity and BlackRock.

Near 2250 GMT, bitcoin prices were up 1.4 percent at $46,576.

– Regulatory pivot –

Anticipation of the SEC’s approval had in recent weeks jolted a digital currency already known for volatility.

On Tuesday, bitcoin prices reached a 22-month high of $47,914 after a fabricated SEC post on the X platform, formerly Twitter, said the agency had approved the listing.

But minutes after the false statement, SEC Chairman Gary Gensler took to his own X account to warn that the market regulator’s account had been “compromised” and that an “unauthorized tweet” had been posted there. 

The SEC had blocked similar investment vehicles in the past. 

But the agency changed its approach after a US court ruling determined the SEC had failed to adequately explain its reasoning for denying an ETF from Grayscale.

Citing the court ruling, Gensler concluded “the most sustainable path forward is to approve the listing and trading of these spot bitcoin ETP shares,” he said in a statement released by the agency.

Gensler emphasized that Wednesday’s actions included some key protections for investors, including disclosure requirements on listed ETFs.

The products will also be listed on regulated exchange, which “are required to have rules designed to prevent fraud and manipulation,” Gensler said. 

While Gensler said the SEC is “merit neutral” on investments, he noted that underlying assets in metals ETFs have consumer and industrial uses, while bitcoin is “in contrast bitcoin is primarily a speculative, volatile asset” that has been used for money laundering and other illicit activity.

“While we approved the listing and trading of certain spot bitcoin ETP shares today, we did not approve or endorse bitcoin,” he said. “Investors should remain cautious about the myriad risks associated with bitcoin and products whose value is tied to crypto.”

Representative Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, welcomed the announcement.

“We are pleased that investors and our markets will finally be afforded greater access to this generational technology,” said the congressman.

The post US regulators authorize first bitcoin funds on public markets appeared first on Digital Journal.

Frank Frausto’s career in the field of digital marketing is told against the backdrop of the dot-com era. After graduating when job prospects were limited, Frank’s career path unexpectedly led him to a firm called Google. This choice would usher in 15 years of hard work; during that time he would actively see and contribute to the development of digital marketing.

When Frank first started working at Google in 2003, the firm had less than 300 employees. His first assignment there was a 12-week temporary initiative focused on ad approvals. After squeezing through three rounds of intense interviews and beating out the competition, he was able to secure an entry-level spot on the Google AdWords Optimization Specialists team. To provide customers with better results, Frank used this function as the testing ground to refine his talents in bid optimization, keyword optimization, and ad text optimization.

His pivotal moment occurred in 2008 when Google realized it needed a dedicated sales force. Frank, one of their renowned Optimization Specialists, took the lead. Convincing CEOs of Fortune 1000 businesses to shift their advertising spending from conventional media to digital platforms was no easy task. Frank’s determination and quick thinking showed through, solidifying his standing as a leader in the field.

With Google’s rapid expansion, Frank moved easily into a position leading sales enablement and training. He was instrumental in developing Google’s exclusive sales training curriculum, the Trusted Digital Media Advisor program, in conjunction with Accelerate Performance. Frank’s subsequent appointment as chief sales trainer demonstrated his dedication to developing the next wave of Google salespeople.

Understanding that there was unrealized potential in channel sales, Frank was instrumental in growing the Google Partners Program. As part of this project, Autotrader, Reach Local, and Thompson Reuters received first-rate training that redefined the way small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) accessed and utilized Google’s advertising expertise.

After his distinguished career at Google, Frank began a new chapter in 2017. Equipped with two decades of expertise in digital marketing, he established his own digital marketing business and took on the responsibilities of a fractional CMO and marketing consultant. Through this change, he was able to contribute to the success of businesses on a variety of social media and paid advertising platforms, expanding his experience beyond Google products.

Frank takes a different approach to marketing than most others. He emphasizes the need to know the target audience’s customer journey for each client so that communications are powerful and precisely customized. His guiding principle is to eliminate chance from marketing by using a methodical, data-driven approach to create success.

Even in the face of success, “Always Be Testing” acts as a persistent reminder for Frank of the value of ongoing exploration. The phrase “Data is King” emphasizes how important it is to base judgments on facts rather than gut feeling or speculation. Frank’s advice also includes the significance of defining precise objectives before launching marketing initiatives to provide the groundwork for quantifiable success.

Looking toward the future, Frank envisions himself as a catalyst for innovative and exciting companies, aiding them in building and accelerating their marketing strategies. With a wealth of knowledge accumulated over two decades, Frank aspires to contribute to the next wave of groundbreaking success stories. He hopes to leave an indelible mark on the future of marketing.

Frank’s story, which spans from the early days of Google to his present position as a marketing icon, is a source of inspiration for aspiring marketers navigating the always-evolving digital space. Whether as a Chief Marketing Officer or Digital Marketing Expert, Frank Frausto is positioned to make a lasting impression on the future of marketing as he continues to innovate the field. Frank can be found on his Instagram, @frankfraustojr, or his website: TailorMadeDigitalMarketing.com.

The post Frank Frausto’s digital marketing evolution from Google’s frontlines appeared first on Digital Journal.

In the competitive world of business litigation, civility too often falls by the wayside. Jeffrey H. Zaiger, the esteemed founding partner of Zaiger LLC, brings a refreshing perspective to this issue. Drawing parallels between sportsmanship in athletics and ethical conduct in legal practice, Zaiger emphasizes the necessity of maintaining professionalism, despite the adversarial nature of legal proceedings.

Upholding good sportsmanship in legal practice

“As a big sports fan, I’ve always appreciated good sportsmanship,” remarks Jeffrey Zaiger. He firmly believes that good sportsmanship should be even more prevalent in the practice of law, given that lawyers are bound by ethical codes. According to Zaiger, the legal profession benefits when lawyers zealously advocate on behalf of their clients, engage in rigorous debate in the courtroom, but then appreciate that the other side, much like a sports opponent, is simply doing their job.

However, there has been a concerning shift in recent times, where more and more lawyers are making personal attacks and engaging in immature and unprofessional approaches. This departure from professionalism not only tarnishes the image of the legal profession but also undermines its fundamental commitment to ethical conduct. Zaiger also believes it affects lawyers’ overall well being.

The impact of civility on legal outcomes

Throughout history, the legal profession has held itself to exacting ethical standards, placing a premium on professionalism and courtesy. Research has consistently demonstrated that civility plays an integral role in the outcomes of legal cases. When lawyers indulge in unprofessional conduct, it can detract from the merits of the case itself, rendering decisions more susceptible to personal conflicts rather than sound legal arguments.

Ethical standards and educational initiatives

In most legal jurisdictions, established ethical and professional conduct codes serve as guiding principles for lawyers. These standards invariably include provisions pertaining to civility and professional courtesy, underscoring their fundamental significance.

Furthermore, law schools and ongoing legal education programs present a prime opportunity to instill the importance of civility early in a legal practitioner’s career. By incorporating discussions on ethics and civility into their curricula, these institutions can profoundly shape the behavior of future legal professionals.

A client-centric approach to legal practice

Zaiger’s emphasis on civility aligns with a client-centric approach to legal practice. Zaiger believes that lawyers who prioritize their clients’ best interests above personal ego or adversarial posturing ultimately provide more effective and efficient legal representation.

Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that the high-stress environment inherent in legal practice can contribute to incivility. Addressing the mental health and well-being of legal professionals is a crucial step in mitigating stress-induced unprofessional behavior.

Legal associations and public perception

Legal associations and bar councils assume a pivotal role in promoting civility within the legal community. They have the capacity to organize workshops, seminars, and discussions on this critical topic, creating a platform for awareness and transformation.

Moreover, the public’s perception of the legal profession is profoundly influenced by the conduct of its practitioners. Civility and professionalism serve to enhance the public’s trust and confidence in the legal system, making it imperative for maintaining the profession’s integrity.

Towards a more civil and professional legal practice

Jeff Zaiger’s call for increased civility within legal practice serves as a timely reminder of the enduring importance of professionalism, ethics, and courtesy within the legal community. By reflecting on history and the aspects that impact legal outcomes, the legal profession can take meaningful strides towards a more civil, professional, and effective practice that both upholds its dignity and faithfully serves the best interests of clients.

The post Embracing civility in legal practice: Insights from Jeffrey H. Zaiger appeared first on Digital Journal.

According to the state climatologist, summer 2023 was the second hottest on record. With most days hitting 105°F or more, ERCOT set 10 new peak demand records and an all-time high peak demand record on August 10 of 85,464 MW.

Yet, in spite of lawmaker’s finger pointing in the statehouse over intermittency and reliability, Texans relied on green energy to keep their electricity flowing all summer long, all while Texas electricity rates remained some of the lowest in the US, according to PowerChoiceTexas.org. On multiple days, solar and wind kept the lights on when “dispatchable” thermal plants in Texas tripped offline from the heat.

Extreme heat, extreme demand

Even absent the extreme heat this summer, the sheer volume of electricity customers drove energy demand. According to TexasElectricityRatings.com, an average Texas home uses well over 1,000 kWh in the summer. That’s not worrisome until you consider how fast the state’s population grew over the past 20 years. US Census data shows that the state’s population surpassed 30 million in 2022. Between 2000 to 2022, the state gained 9,085,073 residents — a 43.4% jump. 

That 43% increase correlates with increases in summer peak demand. ERCOT data shows that peak demand in August 2000 grew from 57,606 MW by nearly 40% to 80,148 MW in July 2022. Add in this summer’s 85,464 MW, an increase of 48%. 

No wonder ERCOT scrambles each year to meet summer demand.

Green energy’s share of the load

Luckily, Texas was in the midst of a utility-scale renewables building boom this year. One reason comes from federal and state tax incentives that can cover building costs by a third or more. The EIA reported that between September 2022 and May 2023, ERCOT added more than 4,000 MW of wind and solar. This brought the total installed green capacity to nearly 40,000 MW. 

In May, ERCOT’s Summer Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) predicted a peak summer demand of 82,739 megawatts, 4% higher than in 2022. All told, ERCOT planned to have over 97,000 MW of total capacity available. But the problem with available capacity is that no matter if it’s green or thermal, it’s not always available.

Reliable green energy sources

It’s a dead certainty under the Texas sun that stuff overheats, breaks, or burns out. Generators and transmission lines are no different.

Transmission lines get hot from the sun and the electricity they carry. The hotter they get, the more they resist moving current — which makes them hotter. If they sag into tree tops, they can short out and shut down whole sections of the grid. Though limiting a powerline’s transmission load cuts the risk for failure, it can cause supply problems where the power is needed.

Since natural gas, coal, biomass, and nuclear all use heat to make power, extremely hot weather can trip them offline more easily. So, the SARA’s estimated 65,091 MW of thermal capacity included the need to cover 5,034 MW or more of it going offline. 

For green energy, its reliance on sun and wind makes their output capacity intermittent and variable. However, their output usually stays within a predictable seasonal range. And it’s this property that keeps green energy reliable.

In summer, wind speeds usually fall during the day and rebound at night. Although Texas has over 37,000 MW of wind power, ERCOT ‘s SARA planned for about one fourth of its installed capacity, around 10,000 MW. And summer sun meant ERCOT could plan for output of 12,264 MW of 15,659 MW of solar installed capacity, about 80%.

Texas’ biggest summer demand period falls at about 5 p.m. That’s because wind and solar easily cover midday, but solar output dwindles as the sun sets. Plus, after the Summer Solstice (usually June 20 or 21), solar output wanes earlier and earlier. In early July, sunset is at about 8:30 p.m. By September 15, it’s at 7:26 p.m. And if evening wind and battery storage couldn’t rebuild output fast enough, it can leave a hole that grid-planners need thermal plants to fill. Or so it seemed.

Just in time supply

The first record peak of 80,828 MW that hit on June 27 was handled mostly by natural gas plants. But, on June 28, wind and solar generated 31,468 MW, covering 9,600 MW of thermal plants that couldn’t take the heat. The EIA reports for the next two days, renewables covered 55% of total generation all day and handled 43% to 47% in the evening peak load hours of 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

And for the rest of the summer, renewables kept shouldering sizable chunks of the ERCOT load. One key observation from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis shows for 91 of 93 days from June 15 to September 15, solar consistently covered 10% to 16% of peak demand from 5 to 6 p.m. And this includes the white knuckle period from August 29 to 30 when 11,200 MW of thermal generation failed.

Texas’s future relies on green energy

This summer, ERCOT issued 12 voluntary conservation notices. The only Energy Emergency Alert came on September 6 when ERCOT curtailed an overloading transmission line carrying energy from wind farms in south Texas to Dallas. In short, the summer’s only grid emergency came from too much available green energy and not enough capacity to deliver it.

To be sure, green energy saved Texas this summer. And that happened because Texas relied upon its decades-long investment in green energy. However, future grid reliability remains mired in short-term goals. Consider that ERCOT’s long term planning projects the summer peak demand to be 90,978 MW in 2032; an increase of 6.45184%. That’s worrisome because even with a conservative estimate of data from the Texas Demographic Center, the population is projected to hit 34,894,429 by 2030, an increase of 16.3148%.

It’s a near certainty the state’s population will keep booming under an increasingly brutal summer sun. The Texas grid will need to be free to invest in cheaper and more reliable energy capacity for all Texans. And that means green energy.

The post How green energy saved Texas appeared first on Digital Journal.

Digital Journal caught up with the COO of VR game developer Sinn Studio, Almir Brljak, about how an up and coming VR studio that nearly went bankrupt created one of the top-selling titles internationally.

Sinn Studio is a virtual reality game development studio founded in 2017 and its best-performing title is “Swordsman VR”.

Digital Journal: Why did you decide to focus on virtual reality for gaming?

Almir Brljak: My co-founder Alek Sinn had been experimenting with interactive hardware for a couple of years before the founding of Sinn Studio and identified multiple use cases where virtual reality gaming would be better than flat gaming. In addition to the belief that it would be a better user experience, we noticed that multiple tech giants were investing significant amounts of capital into VR/AR. The first is Meta (Facebook, Sony, HTC), followed by Apple and ByteDance.

We also understood that when a new industry is being built, there are no experts and everyone starts on the same line, allowing for experimentation and failure without detrimental consequences.

DJ: What struggles did Sinn Studio face early on?

Brljak: Many. We were small, inexperienced, and cash-strapped. For the first three years of Swordsman, Alek Sinn was the only full-time employee, so while our imaginations were grand, our scope had to be relatively small. Personal funds and company revenue entirely funded swordsman; this is extremely difficult as we have no room for failure, as one sub-par update could lead to multiple bad user experiences and a decline in sales. Our studio almost dissolved in 2019; after two years of work and three sub-par titles, we were tired, in debt, and demoralized. In July 2019, we agreed to shut down Sinn Studio and take what we learned from our entrepreneurial journey and take different career paths.

DJ: How did you turn this around?

Brljak: After we agreed to dissolve the company in 2019, I decided to keep it running for a couple of months so my co-founders had time to reflect and process the two years we had spent attempting to develop and publish VR titles. After two months, I reached out to Alek to catch up and discuss the potential of attempting to develop a new title. In my meeting with Alek, I explained to him that I never closed the company and the future plans I had for the company. I believed we had the knowledge and experience required to develop and publish a successful VR title. We developed Swordsman with all the feedback we received from our first three titles and our community throughout beta; we leveraged online communities and smaller influencers to ensure Swordsman got an adequate amount of visibility on the launch day.. The rest is history.

DJ: How has Swordsman maintained its popularity?

Brljak: It’s a combination of different things. We’ve taken a community-first approach, and that has created brand evangelists, working with all the marketing resources that platforms like Steam and PlayStation provide that other studios don’t utilize and utilizing social media creators to ensure users are coming across our title at all parts of their internet usage.

DJ: Where do you see gaming technology heading next?

Brljak: It’s evident that the goal of the big hardware players is accessibility; this can be broken down into affordability and ease of use. I think we’ll see VR devices become more affordable and continue on the path of standalone hardware; the need for an expensive PC is extremely off-putting to users considering VR. In addition, with the pace of innovation in technology being rapid, I think we can expect better graphics, larger playable areas, and the introduction of new technology (haptics and hand-tracking).

DJ: What are the main challenges of being an entrepreneur?

Brljak: Personally, it’s the limited time. As an entrepreneur, you must understand your product, competitors, and industry, and you must always have your finger on the pulse as interactive hardware and software are changing rapidly. Attempting to keep up-to-date on all these different components is tough, but running a company simultaneously makes it much more difficult.

DJ: What advice can you offer for up and coming entrepreneurs?

Brljak: To have patience and understand the importance of timing. A great product that is late to the market will fail, and a poor product early to the market will fail as well.

The post Q&A: How facing bankruptcy helped this Toronto VR studio compete with industry titans appeared first on Digital Journal.

Calhoun, in his first media appearance since the Alaska Airlines panel blowout on a Boeing 737 MAX described the problem as a “quality escape” in a 10-minute interview with CNBC.

“We’re going to want to know what broke down in our gauntlet of inspections, what broke down in the original work that allowed for that escape to happen,” Calhoun said.

On Friday night, Alaska Airlines successfully executed an emergency landing with no fatalities or major injuries after a panel known as a “door plug” came off. 

Video images of the incident showed a gaping hole in the side of the plane and oxygen masks dangling in the suddenly depressurized cabin.

Calhoun, who has vowed “complete transparency,” described the event as a “horrible escape,” adding that a comprehensive investigation was needed.

“It certainly can never happen again,” he said. 

US regulators have grounded 171 of the 737 MAX 9 planes with the same configuration as the Alaska Airlines jet.

Since the incident, both United Airlines and Alaska Airlines reported Monday finding loose hardware on some of their Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes during preliminary inspections.

The post Boeing probing ‘what broke down’ in latest incident: CEO appeared first on Digital Journal.

In a Paris post office participating in the test, a stand-alone changing room in the shape and canary yellow colour of a French mailbox has been installed. Inside is a chair, mirror, and shelf to place your package for on the spot returns. 

France’s La Poste said the idea came about after seeing many customers pick up their packages only to return shortly thereafter as their purchases didn’t fit.

France, like many countries, has seen a boom in online commerce, with clients purchasing items including clothes and shoes that are often returned.

La Poste said the experiment is more than just a changing room.

“The idea is to simplify the lives of our clients,” said the company, letting them receive the merchandise, check it out on the spot and, in the event of a poor fit or a change of mind, send it back.

“It helps people avoid making pointless trips back in forth and save time, it’s practical,” said client Michele Limouzy, adding she nevertheless prefers to buy clothes in shops.

La Poste also hopes the experiment will boost traffic.

Like other national post offices, La Poste seeks to compensate for the drop in letter traffic over the years by boosting its parcel business.

The experiment doesn’t please shop owners, however.

The initiative “is causing deep displeasure among small independent retailers and poses serious risks to the vibrancy of local economies if it is rolled out nationally,” said the French Retailers Association, which unites some 450,000 small shops.

The post French post office opens changing rooms for online shoppers appeared first on Digital Journal.