Royal Philips NV, a global leader in health technology, announced on Thursday that it will sell its domestic-appliances unit to private equity firm Hillhouse Capital that is focused on helping companies achieve sustainable growth through digital enablement and innovation. This sale sees the formerly sprawling Dutch conglomerate complete its transformation to a focused health-care equipment maker.
The deal with Hillhouse, an Asia-focused investment firm, values the appliances business at about 3.7 billion euros ($4.4 billion), Philips said in a statement Thursday. Once the deal is completed, expectedly in the third quarter, the Amsterdam-based company expects to receive cash proceeds of about 3 billion euros.
After already withdrawing from the consumer-electronics businesses, which involved the sale of televisions, DVD players, and lighting, the sale of the appliances business arm marks Philips’ exit from non-health care-related markets. Frans van Houten, Chief Executive Officer of Philips, has made a string of acquisitions that are health-care-related to build out Philips’ telehealth and diagnostics portfolio and provide a one-stop-shop for hospitals and clinics looking to optimize costs.
“I am pleased that in Hillhouse Capital we have found a new home for the Domestic Appliances business to further expand on its market leadership, strong brand, and pipeline of new innovations,” said Van Houten, according to Yahoo. “This transaction concludes our major divestments. Going forward, our focus is on extending our leadership in health technology and continuing our transformation into a solutions company supporting professional healthcare customers achieve the Quadruple Aim and consumers with their personal health.”
Philips settled on Hillhouse’s offer because Van Houten believed that it will be the right home for the appliances business and factors including value, but also deal certainty, were considered for the decision, he said during a call with reporters. The divested business has agreed to pay approximately 700 million euros to keep using the Philips brand for 15 years.
The appliances business, which includes kitchen, coffee, garment care, home care appliances, and other products, generated 2.2 billion euros in sales last year.
This summer, the much-awaited Black Widow will be released by Disney as a Disney Plus Premier Access title alongside its theatrical release. Thus, sacrificing one of its biggest potential summer blockbusters to its streaming service and consequently forgoing, considering the success Marvel movies bring in, what would almost certainly have been hundreds of millions (or even billions) of dollars at the box office.
Disney, in many ways, is a victim of its own success. The ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe has every new show or film relying on previous Marvel entries, and Disney just couldn’t keep delaying its next wave of superhero adventures.
By the time Black Widow is released on July 9th, it’ll have been over a year since its initial release date of May 1st, 2020. Some of the trickle-down effects of those successive delays are visible: according to The Verge, a cascade of delays to its other films have been caused each time Disney has moved Black Widow, “like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (originally meant for February 12th, 2021, now out September 3rd), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (originally planned to hit theaters on May 7th, 2021, and currently planned for March 25th, 2022), and Thor: Love and Thunder (moved from November 5th, 2021 to May 6th, 2022).”
Elizabeth Olsson as Wanda in WandaVision. Image: The Verge
And if the Marvel Universe was just movies, those successive delays would be fine, but the company’s recent Disney Plus ambitions further complicate things. Disney can keep delaying its movies indefinitely like No Time To Die or F9 have continued to do while waiting out the pandemic. But thanks to the tangled web of storylines crossing between those blockbuster films and the new streaming shows, moving back release dates constantly for one thing — like Black Widow — will stop the entire slate from moving forward.
The strain of scheduling is not so unclear. Take the surreal WandaVision for example, which kicked off the company’s Disney Plus lineup earlier this year in its original 2021 slot. (This was mainly because The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was delayed from its fall 2020 slot due to COVID-19-related production delays.)
Under the original schedule, WandaVision would have released after the more traditional Falcon and the Winter Solider and would have been followed just a few short weeks after its debut by Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness in March. The new Doctor Strange movie promises to pick up Wanda’s story where the show left off and now, instead of waiting for weeks, fans will have to wait over a year to find out what happens next.
But considering how Disney’s fledgling streaming service is still extremely short on high-profile, must-watch shows, the company cannot afford to delay its streaming shows indefinitely, unlike its films. The Mandalorian is the only other non-Marvel title that fits the bill.
Shows like Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki are crucial to keeping subscribers of the streaming service paying month after month, and Disney Plus’ continued growth in revenue is crucial to Disney’s future. As CEO Bob Chapek commented earlier this year, Disney’s “direct-to-consumer business is the company’s top priority, and our robust pipeline of content will continue to fuel its growth.”
Avengers: Age of Ultron promotional stills (MARVEL/DISNEY)
Marvel’s biggest and unique strengths, its interconnectedness (best exemplified by its famous post-credit scenes and its incredibly popular crossover films) is now a weakness here. Characters debuting in Black Widow and starting their arc are supposed to be in the upcoming Hawkeye series, for example, which is planned for later in 2021. If Black Widow is delayed, lest Disney wants to spoil surprises or confuse viewers, it has to delay Hawkeye.
In a perfect world, Disney would want to wait for things to get normal and theaters to release Black Widow. “But right now the company needs the long-term Disney Plus growth much more than a short-term windfall from one summer blockbuster. And to achieve that growth, it needs a steady drip of marquee content.”
EITHER WAY, DISNEY WINS
However, we can not say it’s a total loss for Disney, moving the Scarlett Johansson-led movie helps to keep the Disney Plus machine going and keeps the theatrical schedule on track for the fall when theaters can hopefully reopen.
But down the line, the short-term loss could reap bigger gains for Disney: if you want to watch Black Widow this summer, you have two options, an expensive movie ticket or a Disney Plus subscription and a $30 fee on top, juicing subscriber numbers.
While you’re there with the subscription, you might want to stick around to watch other shows or Marvel films. At which point you might as well just keep your subscription active for Hawkeye or Ms. Marvel that fall.
Looking for an inexpensive yet good Mini PC that can get your job done for everyday use? You should then definitely check out the Beelink GT-R Mini PC, powered by the impressive AMD Ryzen 5 3550H efficient yet powerful processor.
This quad-core APU with a 2.1 GHz base and 3.7 GHz boost clock speeds, paired with a 256GB M.2 SSD will deliver a good overall experience if you plan to do day-to-day tasks and even office usage along with casual gaming as well.
The best part is even though it comes in a small form factor, it has all the necessary expansion slots for future upgradability. So, this is the reason why Mini PCs are getting increasingly popular, and this one is now being discounted to just $560.15, and at that price, you cannot ask for more.
Specifications
GT-R computer Built-in independent security chip, fingerprint encryption, enhanced data security, fast fingerprint recognition, better protection of your privacy than password input.
Beelink Mini PC GT-R is equipped with AMD Ryzen 5 3550H 2.1-3.7GHz 4-core 8-thread, powerful task loading and processing capabilities, creating a more enjoyable entertainment and creative experience.
GT-R Mini computer, equipped with DDR4 8GB RAM, SSD 256GB, 1TB HDD, support DIY expansion storage, DDR4 can support up to 64GB RAM expansion, dual M.2 SSD interface arbitrary expansion, more storage The space will make the Mini PC run more smoothly.
Radeon Vega 8 Graphics 2GB independent GPU, support 4K ultra-clear output, 3D rendering modeling, present ultra-clear visual effects, bring the ultimate gaming experience,dual HDMI and DP interfaces, and more Type-c video output functions, support touch display, transform into tablet PC.
WiFi 6 (802.11ax), 9.6Gbps is nearly 3 times faster than WiFi 5, lower latency, larger capacity (to avoid channel congestion), more secure (using WPA 3 security protocol), and more power-saving network environment
It is like Xiaomi is finally making the comeback of its MIX series, the true bezel-less beauty, and this time, it will be foldable as well. Xiaomi Mi MIX series has been confirmed to get launched on March 29. In that same launch event, Xiaomi will launch its Mi 11 Lite, and additionally, the Mi 11 Ultra is also expected to be launched in that same event. Apart from these, Mi will launch two more devices in that event, one is the Mi Notebook Pro laptop whereas the other one is a new MIJIA Washing Machine.
In terms of the specifications of the upcoming Mi MIX series, the company hasn’t revealed that much about it. It has recently passed the 3C certification and Mi MIX is almost confirmed to be the company’s first foldable feature-packed smartphone. The upcoming Mi MIX is likely to have an inward-folding design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Apart from it, this device is expected to be truly bezel-less this time which is the uniqueness of the Mi MIX series.
As per some previous reports, this phone will run MIUI 12 based on Android 11 OS and will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. Regarding the display, this phone is expected to have a 7-inch screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz. Coming to the camera section, this phone is likely to have a triple camera setup having a primary sensor of 108MP. This phone is expected to be fueled up by a 5,000mAH battery (no report regarding charging capacity) and most importantly, it will be a 5G smartphone.
Now, that’s all we’ve collected yet regarding the Mi MIX series of smartphones, the rest of it will be disclosed at the launch event on March 29.
Diego Costa is set to join SL Benfica next summer. The Spanish striker has reportedly reached an agreement with Benfica after they tabled an offer of a two-year deal worth £5million for the former Chelsea striker.
Costa has become out of favour in Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone as Luis Suarez is in excellent form since his joining last summer. But he thinks that he has much more left to offer in European football. He left the club last January and is a free agent currently.
Recently it was reported that Ligue 1 side Marseille wants to sign him. But Costa has turned down the offer. It opens the door for other clubs to have him in their side.
As per the report, Benfica has offered him £2.6m a season to play for them. Diego Costa has agreed to sign for them as well. His agent, Jorge Mendes, has a good relationship with several Portuguese clubs. It will help him to secure a move for sure.
Diego Costa started his career in Portuguese club Braga before his first stint at Atletico Madrid in 2007. If the deal goes through, then it will be helpful for Benfica. They are now 3rd on the league table and fighting for their UCL spot.
IPL is undoubtedly one of the most viewing tournament in Cricket right now. Star Sports generates a huge amount of revenue in IPL.
But the official broadcaster of IPL wants to expand that this season. Start Sports is targeting new viewers for IPL 2021. For that, they are targeting female viewers, mainly.
Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Star India, has revealed this in an interview with E4M. He said, “We, atStar Sports, have been focussed on growing IPL by attracting new viewers and widening its audience base. Programming initiatives such as Super Funday shows like Unplugged and Countdown along with special segments on Cricket Live (pre & post shows) have supported this objective. We also believe that viewers like seeing reflections of themselves on the broadcast and providing opportunities to female commentators and presenters have served to make our presentation more inclusive. These initiatives, combined with our regionalization strategy that enables wider access to the game, have resulted in the growth of women viewership for IPL 2020.”
According to the BARC Data for theIPL Viewership, women’s viewership of IPL 2020 grew 23% over IPL 2019, which was just 10% in IPL 2019.
However, it also increased the number of female-centric brands on IPL ON-AIR advertising. According to the data, an advertisement for women-centric categories increased by 57% in IPL13 compared to IPL 12.
“Brands consider IPL a great platform to speak to a diverse set of audiences, including women, as no other property can. Our research also suggests that women are much more engaged while watching live sport than they are while watching other forms of media”- Gupta added.
Realme launched its flagship smartphone Realme GT a few weeks ago and recently launched the Realme 8 series. Now, the first look of the upcoming Realme GT Neo has been revealed and it seems like Realme will keep following its split-design on GT Neo. We’ve seen this kind of split design on Realme 8 and we’ll see it again in Realme GT Neo. Moreover, the upcoming Realme GT Neo has been listed on India’s BIS certification website. So, we can expect an Indian launch of this phone very soon.
This GT Neo is about to launch on 31st March and about a week before launch, Realme revealed its official first look. The color of the device which we’ve been shown here is called “Final Fantasy”. As per Realme, this fancy design has used the micron-level process to get the matte-finished textures. But, this time, we’ll not get to see the big “Dare to leap” branding on the back. It will be written in smaller fonts at the left-bottom of the back.
Apart from it, the retail box images of Realme GT Neo have got leaked recently. It looks like a black box this time, with a traditional Realme design.
Coming to the camera section, this phone has a vertically placed triple rear camera setup with a soft glossy coating. Xu Qi, president of Realme China has said that this design of Realme GT Neo is inspired by cyberpunk elements. The triple rear camera module of this phone is likely to have a 64MP primary sensor.
In terms of ports and buttons, this phone has a power button on the right, Volume rockers on the left side. Also, it has a 3.5mm audio jack, Type-C port, microphone, and Speaker at the bottom.
Now. let’s talk about some other internal key specifications. This phone has already been confirmed that it will run Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 and will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset paired with 6GB/8GB LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 3.1 storage. It is also expected to have an AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz whereas the battery and charging capacity will be similar to the Realme GT (as said).
Super Fast Charge Silicon Oxygen Negative Battery promises higher energy density, larger capacity, faster charging
Xiaomi has always brought innovative things to its smartphones and among them charging is a key area where it has excelled. So, it has recently announced that its upcoming Mi 11 Ultra will launch the first super-fast charged silicon oxygen negative battery.
This makes the battery thinner and faster to charge, it is good to see Xiaomi has pioneered the use of new energy vehicle battery technology in mobile phones. It has been implemented by negatively increasing the nanoscale silicon material, bringing 10 times the theoretical capacity of graphite.
The second generation of silicon-oxygen negative-pole batteries makes silicon particles less prone to powdering by “adding lithium to silicon”, resulting in a theoretical graphulation capacity of 10 times that of graphite. At the same time, the nano-silicon lithium complement, overcome the silicon-carbon battery first charge efficiency is low, short battery life two industry problems.
Xiaomi also said that silicon negative battery as a new direction of battery material, has been used in some new energy vehicles, and the mobile phone industry may be the next power point of this new material battery. As silicon-oxygen negative-pole batteries continue to grow, cell phone batteries will become faster, thinner, and have high-capacity features, which will be the future direction of battery technology.
Also Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra will arrive with Samsung’s 50MP ISOCELL GN2 camera sensor and get launched on March 29. The massive 50MP ISOCELL GN2 sensor has been co-developed by Xiaomi and Samsung. The sensor size is 1/1.2” which offers 2.8μm superpixel.
Moreover, it offers the world’s first-ever Dual Pixel PD Pro for quick and accurate autofocus. This new sensor is equipped with some of the most interesting features, such as 1.4μm pixel size, 4-in-1 pixel binning technology, Smart ISO, and 120fps 4K video shooting. The best thing is that by this sensor, you can capture a 100MP image courtesy of Samsung’s intelligent re-mosaic algorithm.
Holi, the festival of colors, is just around the corner and festivities across India have already begun in full swing. If you are one of those people who like to share happiness during festivals by gifting useful gifts, then here are some innovative and useful gadgets that you can give to your dear one and it will bring a smile on their face.
Inbase Urban LYF Smartwatch
The new Smartwatch is equipped with a host of features ensuring the best for their users; it is an apt device to keep a check on daily health activities, i.e. to measure the vitals, heart rate, calories, ECG, sPO2, blood oxygen level, blood pressure as well as the steps taken accurately. The unique feature that makes this new Smartwatch unique is that it comes with Bluetooth Calling feature which allows you to make your important calls without pulling out your Smartphone out of your pocket making the new wearable a one of a kind device available in the market with this feature in its category. With its Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, the Smartwatch connects swiftly with iOS and Android Smartphones.
Urban LYF is waterproof as it is IP 67 certified making it an ideal companion for your water-related events and sports. The Smartwatch comes with a full touch HD display screen of 1.75 inches with a 240*240 resolution getting a crystal clear and colourful display output and single-touch sensor through which every information about one’s daily health and fitness activities can be tracked and accessed through the device or the app. Urban LYF has an incredible battery life of 7 days without calling and 2 days with calling features. The Smartwatch has a stand-up time of 15 days overall.
Inbase Urban LYF Smartwatch is available through Urban Official Website (https://gourban.in/) at an introductory price of INR 4,999 and is backed with a 1-year warranty.
Portronics Twins 33 Smart TWS Earpods
Portronics Twins 33 isthe smartest Earpods packaged in an unbeatable design. It comes in a sleek and beautiful design and combines excellent bass, and powerful balanced sound. Equipped with composite Membrane Drivers, the earbuds deliver a wider sound range with exceptional accuracy and superior Hi-Fi Stereo Sound across the entire frequency range.
Twins 33 has refined the details of comfort and is giving an excellent experience of in-ear headphones with a customizable fit. One can choose from 3 different bud sizes to find the perfect match. IPX4 rating makes them ideal for intense workouts and running. Its Smart noise- reduction technology allows the wireless earbuds to cut ambient noise over 50dB and retains 98% of the voice with frequencies from 200Hz to 3000Hz. The Wireless Charging Case extends playtime up to 27 hours, and a 6-hour playtime on the go. Get stable and fast charging with a USB-C cable –just charge for 5 minutes and enjoy 30 minutes of interruption-free playtime.
With Smart Touch Control the virtual assistance is just a touch away. Installed with high-sensitivity touch sensors, the Twins 33 detects every touch. Just need to softly tap on the earbud to skip songs, answer/reject calls without picking up the phone.
Backed with 12-Months warranty, Twins 33 is available at Portronics Official Website (https://portronics.com/) and all the leading online and offline stores at discounted price of INR 1,899.
U&i Robot 6 in 1 10,000 mAh Portable Powerbank
Robot is a 3rd generation power bank and is made using a superior quality alloy plastic shell which makes its dust and shockproof. The newly launched power bank boasts of an inbuilt intelligent safety system that protects the device from overcharging, overheating and eminent short circuits.
With a staggering battery capacity of 10,000 mAh, it also comes equipped with an LED battery display indicator and Dual LED Lights that enable the power bank to be used as a torch when someone is in a dark place. With its multiple and fast charging capabilities, it can charge the devices at faster speeds. One can also charge/connect up to 6 devices of 5V simultaneously. The most unique feature of Robot power bank is its 4 in-built charging cables with Type C, Micro, V8, and Lightning connectors. Robot power bank comes with a high-quality Lithium Polymer Battery and is available in shiny black colour, which can complement any of the connected devices.
U&i Robot (Black colour) power bank is available at an introductory price of INR 2,799/- and can be bought from U&i Official Website (https://uandiworld.com/) and all the leading retail stores & e-commerce platforms.
Toreto Essence Humidifier
Toreto’s Essence humidifier is compact thus can be easily carried anywhere. Essence humidifier-cum-aroma diffuser removes all the bad smell from the house and fills it with a pleasant fragrance that will not only make you feel relaxed but also let your guests feel the positivity around the house. It solves the purpose of a night lamp too. This night lamp emits seven different colours of light. So what are you waiting for? Grab it and fill your room with bright yet relaxing colours.
It is also available in four different colours yellow, pink, blue and white. Choose the colour that suits you the best.
Toreto Essence Humidifier is available in Blue, Yellow, Pink, and White color at an introductory price of INR 799/- and can be brought from Toreto Official Website (https://www.toreto.in/) and on all retail stores as well as leading e-commerce platforms across India. The package also includes a USB cable and a one-year warranty card.
PUBG Mobile has been on the spotlight for some time now and is making new record every now and then. Even though 2020 was not the year you would expect normally but the gaming industry saw a huge rise in demand as more people inclined to playing games from home.
Among them, PUBG Mobile has generated huge revenue in 2020 although it was banned in one of its biggest market – India. Tencent reported a full-year 2020 revenue of RMB482.064 billion and net profit of RMB159.85 billion.
Also, PUBG Mobile crossed an incredible figure of 1 billion downloads even excluding “Peace Elite” game in China. Obviously, the popularity of this game makes its the number one in the world, its gaming revenue growing by 29% in the fourth quarter of 2020.
According to Sensor Tower data, PUBG Mobile has accumulated a huge $5.1 billion revenue since its release, and $2.7 billion in 2020 alone. Now, add The Peace Elite game, that averages $704 million per quarter and is expected to earn $709 million in the first quarter of 2021.
It had a cumulative revenue of $2.8 billion from China alone whereas $2.3 billion from overseas. Interestingly, the U.S. users spent the most, accounting for 12.7 percent of the $5.1 billion total, followed by Japan with 4.8 percent. However, there’s no denial of the fact that the ban of the game in India did have a great impact on their overall revenue.
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