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  • Tiffany & Co collaborates with Nike on ‘Legendary’ kicks

    Tiffany & Co collaborates with Nike on ‘Legendary’ kicks

    Tiffany & Co has collaborated with Nike to release the Nike x Tiffany & Co Air Force 1 1837 sneakers and a limited-edition sterling silver accessories range.

    The sneakers, which will be available on March 7, are made of premium black suede, have a Tiffany Blue-coloured Swoosh, and co-branded silver elements over each heel.

    The Nike x Tiffany & Co Air Force 1 1837 will be available in women’s and men’s sizes, with a retail price of $356.98. The sneakers can be found in New York City Tiffany & Co locations: The Tiffany Flagship Next Door and Tiffany & Co SoHo, and globally via Nike’s SNKRS app and select Nike partner retail stores in North America.

    The brands said the collaboration is a continuation of the Air Force 1’s 40th anniversary and the businesses’ first collaboration on a “legendary pair”. Nike also partnered with Louis Vuitton last year to launch Dream Now, a brief pop-up event in Brooklyn, New York, featuring 47 pairs of Nike Airforce 1s designed by Virgil Abloh, to celebrate the anniversary.

    The basketball trainer was launched by Nike in 1982 and since then has gone on to become the most successful model ever created and symbolic in black culture.

    Aside from the launch, Tiffany & Co will release a line of limited-edition sterling silver goods, including a sterling silver whistle, shoe horn, shoe brush, and dubrae for the Nike x Tiffany & Co Air Force 1 1837 lace

  • Central Banks Buy the Most Gold in Over 50 Years

    Central Banks Buy the Most Gold in Over 50 Years

    Gold kicked off the new year better than it has in a long time. The precious metal is benefitting from extraordinary trends.

    Demand for gold was stronger last year than it has been in more than a decade, the World Gold Council (WGC) said in its report on demand trends in the fourth quarter and the full year of 2022.

    On Tuesday, the WGC also celebrated the 30th anniversary of its study on gold demand trends, which examines the cornerstones of physical gold market demand.

    Overall, global gold demand, excluding OTC, rose 18 percent to 4,741 metric tons in 2022, almost the same amount as 2011, and the strong full-year result was supported by record demand of 1,337 tonnes in the fourth quarter.

    The exceptionally high demand was due to «massive» buying by central banks and supported by strong retail investor buying and slower outflows from exchange-traded funds, according to WGC.

    The second consecutive quarter of heavy central bank demand drove annual purchases in the sector to a 55-year high of 1,136 metric tons. In the year-end quarter, central banks bought 417 tons of gold, on top of the nearly 400 tons they acquired in the third quarter. As in the third quarter, most gold purchases were unreported.

    Private investors also contributed to the demand boom, with global demand for bars and coins rising to a nine-year high of 1,217 tonnes, up 2 percent from a year earlier.

    The second half of the year was particularly strong, with demand hovering around 340 tons for two consecutive quarters for the first time since 2013. The need for asset protection in a global inflationary environment remained a key motivator for purchasing gold, the report said.

    At the same time, gold exchange-traded fund (ETF) holdings declined less than they did a year, falling 110 tons compared to a drop of 189 tons. Total investment demand, not taking into account OTC activity, rose 10 percent last year to 1,107 tons.

    For the current year, the WGC sees improved ETF demand, especially since interest rate hikes are likely to be less of a problem. However, central bank purchases are unlikely to return to 2022 levels, the industry association added. Continued dollar weakness, rising recession risks, and increased geopolitical risks would support gold.

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  • AI solutions help reduce traffic accidents

    AI solutions help reduce traffic accidents

    VinAI’s Driver Technology Software provides drivers with a 360-degree view of all surroundings, including blind spots, to help avoid traffic accidents.

    At the recent 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (U.S.), VinAI showcased two smart driving features – Automatic Mirror Adjustment (AMA) and Jelly View, a 360-degree view mode. AMA is the world’s first auto mirror adjustment feature, according to a VinAI announcement.

    These are the two newest features of the Driver and Occupants Monitoring System (DMS/OMS) and Advanced Surround View Monitoring (SVM). Both are in-vehicle solution suites that apply AI to reduce traffic accidents and improve the driving experience.

    VinAI applies infrared cameras, vehicle sensors, and facial expression analysis technology (ranked 6th in the world), which detect the driver’s condition, such as drowsiness or fatigue, and also monitors for risky behaviors, including being distracted or using a phone. As soon as the system detects such issues, the DMS issues different levels of warnings throughout the journey, even when the driver is wearing sunglasses or a mask.DMS is compatible with various hardware platforms, enabling carmakers to easily integrate it into their existing systems without spending too much on transformation.

    The Automatic Mirror Adjustment (AMA) is also an outstanding feature, easily activated with just the touch of a button. AMA can automatically adjust the mirrors on both sides of the car to the perfect position, thanks to the driver’s eye position analysis.

    The system works by estimating the driver’s eye position three-dimensionally. Normally, this problem would require two or more cameras to solve, but VinAI’s advanced system can accurately predict eye position with a single infrared camera.

    The VinAI enhanced 360-degree panoramic view feature (ASVM) helps the driver keep a close eye on the outside world while driving. The driver can also adjust the view using the on-screen control panel by choosing Jelly View mode, a transparent wraparound view. With the support of Jelly View, the driver can observe the entire space surrounding the vehicle: the front, rear, behind and outside, from the trunk to the chassis.

    The system uses AI technology to collect images from four fisheye cameras as well as information from the accelerometer to construct the vehicle’s chassis view in real-time. This helps drivers observe blind spots through the rearview mirrors. From there, users can easily detect obstacles and avoid unexpected accidents on narrow roads, rough roads, or in parking lots.

    The SVM system won the VnExpress Innovation Awards 2022 and is currently being deployed in the VFe34 electric car in Vietnam. The Jelly View feature was first introduced to the public at CES 2023.

    Dr. Bui Hai Hung, General Director of VinAI Artificial Intelligence Research and Application Joint Stock Company, said the new AMA and Jelly View features had received positive reviews from professionals as well as consumers at CES 2023.

    These AI solutions can significantly reduce accidents, which are a big issue not just for Vietnam, but also for the world, including developed countries. This “life-saving” technology is highly applicable.

    VinAI has also developed various AI products in many other fields including smart cities. One such solution includes Smart Edge, an access control solution that uses facial recognition technology. Smart Edge is currently deployed to more than 50,000 people at Vinpearl resorts, Vinhomes Ocean Park, Vinhomes Smart City, and Vinhomes Grand Park. The feature has proven to be over 99% accurate.

    Just three years since its establishment, VinAI has registered 66 patents in Vietnam and the U.S. and has published 107 research papers at the world’s leading AI conferences.

    VinAI was the only Vietnamese company ranked by Thundermark Capital as one of last year’s top 20 leading global AI research companies.

    VinAI’s cutting-edge machine learning-based technology aims to address global needs in various industries, with a focus on automobiles and smart cities.

    VinAI’s cutting-edge machine learning-based technology aims to address global needs in various industries, with a focus on automobiles and smart cities.

    VinAI’s cutting-edge driving technologies, including AMA and Jelly View, were showcased at CES 2023 from January 5 to January 8, offering guests the opportunity to experience these features first-hand in two electric cars, VinFast’s VF8 and VF9. The vehicles were installed with the full set of driver monitoring systems and 360-degree panoramic view systems.

  • Wood exports to hit record of $18B this year

    Wood exports to hit record of $18B this year

    The export turnover of wood and wood products is expected to set a record high of $18 billion in 2023, with wood pellets and woodchips forecast to enter the one-billion U.S. dollar club.

    President of the Vietnam Timber & Forest Products Association (Viforest) Do Xuan Lap said that the figure will represent a 7-9% growth rate.

    To that end, the industry will focus on raising the competitiveness of enterprises by reducing the use of imported wood, applying science and technology to improve labour productivity, and stepping up digital transformation to cut production costs.

    In fact, in the fourth quarter of 2022, the number of orders decreased, and the gloomy atmosphere may linger on until the end of the first quarter of 2023. However, most of the businesses believe that the situation may begin brightening from the second quarter.

    Pellets and woodchips are also hoped to be a motivation for the development of the sector this year.

    Nguyen Thanh Phong, head of the wood pellet branch under the Viforest, said that Vietnam earned over $700 million from exporting nearly 4.7 million tonnes of pellets last year, up 35% in volume and 81% in value year-on-year,

    Currently, Vietnam is the world’s second-biggest exporter of wood pellets, and the export value of this product is predicted to surpass $1 billion this year.

  • Coca-Cola Vietnam sets record of Vietnamese Tet table with the most participants

    Coca-Cola Vietnam sets record of Vietnamese Tet table with the most participants

    Coca-Cola Vietnam set a world record for the largest Vietnamese Tet meal table with the participation of 1,000 multi-generation families in Ho Chi Minh City on January 8.

    The meal was recognized as a record-setting event by the World Records Union (Worldkings). This record honors the tradition of family reunions over Tet meals and conveys the message that Tet may change, but the magic remains.

    A total of 436 tables were arranged into the shape of two Coca-Cola bottles at Hoa Lu Stadium. More than 3,000 people from 1,000 Vietnamese families were seated around the tables to enjoy a Tet party with various traditional dishes and share memories of family reunions.

    After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Coca-Cola’s Tet event has returned, highlighting the meaning of family reunion that Coca-Cola wishes to bring to Vietnamese consumers.

    Leonardo Garcia, General Director of Coca-Cola Vietnam and Cambodia, said: “Coca-Cola has been part of millions of Vietnamese family dinners for almost 30 years. We know how important the Tet reunion meal is for Vietnamese. This year, with the Timeless Magic Table event, we bring back the memories of old Tet family meals with an ice-cold Coke, because we know those meals can connect family members of all generations, something that never changes.”

    Also in this event, Coca-Cola together with partner Al’s Fresco set the record for “The organization that gives away 1,000 pizzas to serve the most families in the same event in Vietnam.”

    The World Records Union officially recognized the record (Worldkings).

    Proud to be part of the Tet meals of millions of Vietnamese families, Coca-Cola strives to preserve and promote the values of friendship and community every Tet season.

    This year, Coca-Cola Vietnam has supported more than 5,400 underprivileged people across Vietnam with a total value of VND5.3 billion to help them celebrate Tet. This was achieved thanks also to the contribution of the community, the companion of associations, unions, strategic partners of the company as well as local authorities.

    Early on, Coca-Cola launched a campaign to contribute VND15,000 to the Vietnam Red Cross Tet Fund each time consumers interacted with the brand on its website. Coca-Cola and Vietnam Red Cross have supported 3,000 underprivileged people across the country through “0 VND Tet Market.”

    Under the campaign, more than 4,000 chung and tet cakes will also be sent to students, homeless, and self-employed people in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, who cannot return to their hometown to celebrate Tet.

    In addition to the partnership with Vietnam Red Cross, this year, Coca-Cola has continued its tradition of handing out Tet gifts to families and disadvantaged people in the neighborhood of its factories. The program is supported and accompanied by the local People’s Committee, Women’s Unions and Departments of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to present 2,400 Tet gifts to underprivileged people and families in 13 provinces and cities.

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  • AirAsia resumes Kota Kinabalu-Hong Kong route

    AirAsia resumes Kota Kinabalu-Hong Kong route

    Sabah tourism got off a great start this year with the resumption of AirAsia’s flights between Hong Kong and here.

    After nearly three years of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a direct flight from China’s special administrative region touched down at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport yesterday.

    The 138 passengers onboard were given a warm welcome as they arrived after AirAsia reinstated their twice-weekly (Wednesday and Sunday) flights between the two cities.

    Sabah Tourism Board chief executive officer Noredah Othman said reconnecting Hong Kong with Kota Kinabalu would reopen international connectivity to Sabah.

    “Hong Kong is one of our top target tourism markets. This is a great start for our tourism industry in 2023,” she said in a statement.

    “Sabah is blessed with beautiful islands and beaches, making us a preferred destination for Hong Kong travellers.

    “I am glad that finally, AirAsia has reactivated its Hong Kong-Kota Kinabalu route.”

    AirAsia currently connects Kota Kinabalu to five major international cities: Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, Taipei and Hong Kong.

    With the resumption of the Hong Kong-Kota Kinabalu route, Sabah now receives 64 weekly direct international flights.

    Among the flights, 29 are from South Korea, followed by Singapore (14), the Philippines (six), Brunei (five), Taiwan (four), as well as two each from Japan and Thailand.

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  • AirAsia India to be renamed as AIX Connect

    AirAsia India to be renamed as AIX Connect

    The owners of AirAsia India will rename the low-cost carrier to AIX Connect as the first steps of the airline’s merger with Air India Express gets underway. AirAsia India has officially informed India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs (NCA) of the impending name change to AIX Connect Pvt Ltd.

    Tata Sons acquired a 100% stake in AirAsia India in early November after buying a 16.33% shareholding held by the AirAsia Aviation Group. Almost immediately, the Indian conglomerate flagged the merger with Air India Express. Tata Sons also plans to merge Air India and Vistara in what will be a major shake-up of India’s commercial airline industry.

    India’s Economic Times reported on December 26, 2022, that the name change is part of the ongoing merger process. Citing an anonymous official, the report said a common website, call center, social media handles, boarding passes, and luggage tags are all also under consideration. Tata Sons presently plans to finalize merger proceedings by the end of 2023.

    Meanwhile, the CEO of the newly merged low-cost entity has been named. Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh will step into the role on January 1, 2023. What future role AirAsia India CEO and Tata Sons loyalist Sunil Bhaskaran will have at the merged airline is unknown.

    “The two constituent airlines will continue to have the full complement of regulatory post-holders until the merger is complete but, for now, a single CEO will provide the clarity and singular accountability necessary to navigate the process,” Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said last week in an internal memo.

    According to ch-aviation fleets advanced data, AirAsia India operates a fleet of 33 aircraft, including twenty-eight A320-200s and five A320-200Ns, while Air India Express operates twenty-four B737-800s. Based on available domestic weekly seat capacity, AirAsia India currently has a 7.39% market share, and Air India Express has 0.15%. However, Air India Express has an extensive international network with flights to Dubai Int’l, Doha Hamad Int’l, Abu Dhabi Int’l, Al Ain, Bahrain Int’l, Dammam, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Ras al Khaimah Int’l, Riyadh, Salalah, Singapore Changi, and Sharjah, while AirAsia India is purely a domestic operator. Nonetheless, the merger will consolidate the Tata Son’s low-cost airline entity as India’s second biggest low-cost carrier after IndiGo.

  • Housing liquidity in 2022 lowest in 5 years

    Housing liquidity in 2022 lowest in 5 years

    The number of house and apartment transactions in the north and the south in 2022 fell to the lowest level in 5 years, according to report by real estate agencies.

    The report said that the apartment market in Ho Chi Minh City and in some southern provinces has been on the decline throughout the year.

    In the first two quarters, nearly 14,000 new apartments were put up for sale, and some 75% were sold. In the third quarter, 1,250 apartments went on the market, and the absorption rate dropped to about 52%.

    In the fourth quarter, 100 new apartments were sold, the lowest number for the year. Furthermore, the number of units sold during the peak sales season at the end of this year was far below the expectations of investors.

    According to Batdongsan, this is an unprecedented situation in the pre-Tet period over the past 5 years. The period before Tet (Lunar New Year holidays)is the peak time for yearly real estate transactions. Many businesses have already increased discount rates to 40-50%, but the liquidity has not shown any improvement. Tet falls in late January 2023.

    According to a market report by real estate services provider DKRA Vietnam, the apartment market showed that 1,385 units were sold in HCMC in the first quarter of this year, down 68% compared to the previous quarter. The liquidity improved in the second quarter, but weakened in the third quarter.

    In August, in the primary market, only 177 apartments in the city were sold, the lowest number in three years, and down 4.6 times against July. The absorption rate in December was around 20%, the lowest in three years.

    Over 200 apartments were sold in November in HCMC and southern provinces, dropping nearly 90% against the same period last year.

    In the south, just four houses were sold in August, down 23 times against July, and down over 70 times compared to April.

    In the secondary market in the south, many apartment and house investors have offered high discount rates to cut their losses, but liquidity has remained low in the second half of this year, according to VnExpress’ observation. The housing market remained quiet in December.

    In the north, housing liquidity has also decreased sharply this year.

    According to Savills Vietnam, in Hanoi, some 4,000 apartments were sold in the first quarter, while sales dropped 45% in the second quarter against the previous one, and decreased 10% in the third quarter.

    In the third quarter, 299 semi-detached houses and villas in Hanoi were sold, down from 666 units in the first quarter.

    Nguyen Van Dinh, president of the Vietnam Association of Realtors, said since the second quarter, the real estate market in the north has decelerated due to the impact of the credit tightening policy.

    The market’s absorption rate in the third quarter decreased 66.5% against the first half of the year, and the number of transactions dropped over 50% against the same period last year.

    The cash flow has slowed down in the real estate market, causing a marked decrease in liquidity, Dinh said.

    Batdongsan’s southern regional manager Dinh Minh Tuan explained that transactions were frozen because some investors and buyers had difficulty accessing bank loans, while others were shocked at increasing interest rates. This situation has caused people to delay purchases in the short term while they assess the market.

    Many well-off people are hesitant to disburse money, expecting housing prices to fall further and discount rates to increase in the coming time, Tuan said.

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  • Netflix to launch Nike Training Hub on December 30

    Netflix to launch Nike Training Hub on December 30

    Netflix would like to help you stick to your fitness-related new year’s resolutions this year. Starting December 30, 30 hours of video content will become available on the platform, through a partnership with NIke.

    Reality check: in recent years, the number of new year’s resolutions related to losing weight are seeing a decline, but that isn’t a cause for celebration, as obesity rates are going up. However, it would be best if you remembere: there is no time like the present.

    While new year’s resolutions may not be the best method for losing weight, having access to content from Nike Training Club on your Netflix app certainly is. It will be released in two bahes, available in multiple languages and to users of all subscription plans, so all that is required of you is to get motivated and give it a shot.

    In case this is the first time you’ve heard about Nike’s training program, it is built around an app that wants you to stick to your decision and help you build healthy habits through fine-tuned training regimens and workout sessions.

    We still don’t know what the second series will include, but we know that it will become available some time in 2023. Until then, batch one will certainly give you enough to sink your sport shoes’ heels in to with:13 episodes of basics of Fitness

    • 7 episodes of core workouts
    • 6 episodes of yoga
    • 14 episodes of strength training
    • 5 episodes of feel-good fitness

    Considering that this is not your typical binge-worthy series, but content that you will actually revisit multiple times — or at least until you’ve gotten a steady workout routine down — it is certainly more than enough to help you get started on that new you.

    The program will also feature videos, suitable for people of all fitness levels, meaning that you will be able to tell the ones that aren’t for you yet, but they will still be available to you when you decide to push things further.

    The videos will be led by certified trainers from Nike’s Training Club solution. And if you like what you see on Netflix, you can also download Nike’s app too for a full experience. Oh, and by the way — the app is completely free, and offers tons more, like additional workouts, goal reminders and expert tips on nutrition and diet.

    As Netflix is stepping up their game regarding, um… well, games on the platform, we can definitely expect them to bring more fitness options too, especially if Nike’s series receives a warm welcome. And you know what? This year might be it, so you should definitely try going for Netflix and Treadmill instead of Netflix and Chill.

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  • Zwei Wealth Adds an Experienced Wealth Manager

    Zwei Wealth Adds an Experienced Wealth Manager

    Zwei Wealth seeks to become the family office in your pocket. An experienced wealth manager joins the Zurich-based wealth advisor.

    Daniel Hug becomes a partner of the wealth advisor Zwei Wealth co-founded by former UBS chief economist Klaus Wellershoff, the firm announced Tuesday.

    As wealth officer, he manages client mandates at his new employer, using his expertise in serving ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWI) and family offices, helping to expand the firm’s footprint.

    Like many Zwei Wealth partners, Hug looks back on a long career at UBS where he worked in wealth management as managing director for multi-family offices and in corporate banking as head of Western Europe for banks and regulated brokers. Starting in 2015, he was responsible for the high-net-worth private client segment at Liechtenstein’s LGT private bank.

    Zwei Wealth further announced that the firm has already hired 20 new advisors this year.

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  • Tesla Adds Apple Music, Zoom & Steam Games Via OTA Update

    Tesla Adds Apple Music, Zoom & Steam Games Via OTA Update

    Tesla has released a new over-the-air (OTA) update for the Model S and Model X which have 16GB RAM. This new update for the 2022 models, now adds some notable new features like the ability to play games from the Steam App Store with cloud synchronisation and support for Bluetooth game controllers while using the arcade mode. This includes support for the PlayStation 5 Dual Shock remote.

    Other updates include a dog mode which allows users to access the in-car camera from the mobile app to keep an eye if your pet is doing well. There are updated media features as well. Teslas notoriously don’t have support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This also meant users of streaming services like Apple Music or YouTube Music could only stream music via Bluetooth or use Spotify which already had an app for the Tesla infotainment system.

    Over the months Tesla had been developing an Apple Music client which has now been released with this OTA update. This was important as a majority of Tesla’s user base has an iPhone which comes preloaded with Apple Music. In addition to Apple Music, there is also a dedicated Zoom client for the video calling and conferencing service which would be a boon to people who are always working on the go.

    The entire user interface for navigation has been updated with drivers having the ability to relive Mario Kart memories and drive on the rainbow road. The turn signals can also automatically turn off and the door handles have new options while parked at home.

    This update furthers Tesla’s vision of the car becoming the next mobile entertainment hub. When the new Model X and S cars where launched they came with a new infotainment system that had AMD RDNA 2 silicon which provides comparable computational power to the Sony PlayStation 5.

    In fact, Sony which has partnered with Honda for an electric car venture is hinting at embedding the PlayStation 5 console within the new cars they launch in the next few years. Mercedes is also moving in a similar direction with the MBUX platform on its cars while Google’s Android Automotive is providing a phone like operating system for manufacturers like Volvo.

  • Novartis sponsors expert talkshow to raise breast cancer awareness

    Novartis sponsors expert talkshow to raise breast cancer awareness

    The talk show “Spread the Belief Program”, organized by HCMC Oncology Hospital with Novartis’s support, has helped the audiences answer basic questions about breast cancer.

    Breast cancer ranks first among the most common cancers in women in the world and Vietnam. According to Global Cancer Statistics 2020, more than 2.2 million people worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer and about 680,000 people died from this disease in 2020.

    In Vietnam, breast cancer accounts for 25.8% of cancer cases in women with more than 21,555 new cases and 9,345 deaths in 2020.

    If the 5-year survival rate in the very early stage reaches 98%, in the late stage, this rate is only about 10%. More worryingly, breast cancer patients are getting younger.

    Due to psychological reasons, many people at risk – particularly women – tend to delay screening for early detection of breast cancer. The late detection of this disease makes treatment difficult, less efficient, and costly.

    Therefore, regular screening for timely diagnosis and detection is crucial to help patients actively choose treatment methods, increase treatment efficiency, and save costs.

    In order to support the community to update information about the disease, HCMC Oncology Hospital organized the “Breast Cancer Awareness Program” talk show with the sponsorship of Novartis Vietnam.

    This is also part of Novartis’ long-term commitment to ensuring easy access to treatment for patients through public health activities.

    Dr. Phan Thi Hong Duc, Head of the Internal Medicine Department of Breast, Gastroenterology, Liver and Urology, HCMC Oncology Hospital provided useful information about the disease during the talk show.

    The expert guest emphasized the importance and effectiveness and timely screening measures as well as medical advances in the treatment of breast cancer today.

    Although breast cancer is common and dangerous, patients still have the opportunity to treat and prevent the development of this disease.

    The March 2022 report of the American Cancer Society (ACS) found that 99% of those treated for breast cancer at the earliest stage live 5 years or longer after being diagnosed and the survival rate of people with metastatic breast cancer is 28% if treatment is maintained for a long time.

    Today’s medicine has made great strides in breast cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, combined with other treatments such as hormone therapy, biological therapy (targeted therapy), immunotherapy, and so on.

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  • Gold prices drop marginally

    Gold prices drop marginally

    SJC gold prices fell 0.15% to VND67 million ($2,805.70) per tael Thursday morning.

    Gold ring prices gained 0.19% to VND54 million. A tael equals 37.5 grams or 1.2 ounces.

    Gold prices were little changed in early Asian trade on Thursday, after bullion jumped more than 1% in the previous session following a retreat in the U.S. dollar and yields.

    Spot gold held its ground at $1,786.92 per ounce.

    Higher interest rates tend to increase the opportunity cost of holding gold as it yields no interest.

    Market participants mostly expect a 50-basis point rate hike at the Fed’s final meeting of 2022 scheduled on December 13-14.

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  • Domino’s Pizza buys German, Asian businesses for $150m

    Domino’s Pizza buys German, Asian businesses for $150m

    Domino’s Pizza Enterprises is set to acquire the balance of its German joint venture operations for $150 million.

    The acquisition will be funded by an institutional placement of about 2.3 million new shares at $66.38 per share, indicating strong support from existing and new investors. Eligible shareholders will also be invited to apply for up to $30,000 worth of new shares.

    The pizza chain says it will use the money to expand its global footprint while any surplus funds will be used for debt retirement.

    Domino’s Pizza Enterprises CEO, Don Meij, said the support from new and existing institutional investors reflected shareholder feedback before the capital raising.

    “We look forward to acquiring full ownership in Domino’s Pizza Germany and continuing to build the momentum across our network and delivering value to our customers, team members, franchisees and investors.”

    The company has also completed the acquisition of its Domino’s Malaysia and Singapore businesses while the purchase of its Cambodian subsidiary is pending regulatory approval, which will be completed early next year.

    The former CEO of Domino’s Belgium and Luxembourg business, Ringo Joannes, will now take charge of these Asian markets.

    The international expansion is part of a rapid expansion program by the pizza company, which recently announced plans to open another 10 stores across Australia and New Zealand before the end of the year.

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  • Google will soon allow Messages users to react using any emoji

    Google will soon allow Messages users to react using any emoji

    If you are messaging a fellow Android user who, like you, uses the Rich Communication Services (RCS) platform that is part of the Google Messages app, you can exchange longer messages, share larger video and image files, get a read receipt, enjoy end-to-end encryption, see a typing indicator, and more. Like Apple’s iMessage, none of these features will work when someone using another platform (like iMessage) is part of a group chat.
    But one thing that Google Messages users can do when talking among themselves, or even texting an iOS user, reacts to a message by sending one of seven emoji: thumbs up, smiley face with heart-shaped eyes, laughing with tears, surprised look, sad face with a tear, frowning face, and thumbs down. While those seven emoji will allow you to respond to many different messages, wouldn’t you prefer a wider range of possible options?
    Before we continue, let’s explain how Android users with the Google Messages app can respond to an RCS or Text message with an emoji. Long press on a chat bubble and you’ll see a pill-shaped popup containing the seven emoji mentioned above. Just tap on the one that best expresses how you react to a comment.

    For example, this writer is a beta tester for the Google Messages app yet the new feature is not showing up on my Pixel 6 Pro. If you are unable to access the emoji picker on your Android phone, don’t worry. Eventually, it will roll out for all Google Messages users.

    You can constantly check for an update by opening the Play Store app. Tap your profile pix or avatar or initials found in a circle on the right of the search bar at the top of the screen. From there, go to Manage apps & device and tap on the green See recent updates link. That takes you to a list of recently updated apps. At the top of the display, there is a tab reading Updates available. Tap on it and then tap on the Update all button.
    Google might end up using a server-side update which means that the company itself will flip the switch and you’ll never know until after it happens. We have no idea when you will receive the update containing the new feature but we have a gut feeling that it won’t be terribly long. Unless, of course, it is.
    You might recall that during the summer Google tried to pressure Apple into supporting RCS in a bid to stop the green bubble bullying that goes on when an Android user joins what was an all iOS group chat. When an Android user joins an all-iOS chat, many of the features of iMessage are no longer available and text bubbles turn green instead of blue. The interesting thing is that the same thing applies to iOS users who join an all RCS group chat on Android.

    The only difference seems to be that Android users don’t insult and bully those iPhone users who join their group chat which disables the RCS features in the same way that an Android user can disable iMessage features.

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