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  • PopSockets CEO David Barnett Gets Entrepreneur of the Year Award

    PopSockets CEO David Barnett Gets Entrepreneur of the Year Award

    The genius of entrepreneurial thinking is to give people a product that they never knew they needed. PopSockets CEO David Barnett has become a master at this and was recently given an entrepreneur of the year award by Ernst & Young Global Limited for his contribution to consumer products in the retail category.

    The founder, inventor, and CEO of the Boulder-based phone accessory firm PopSockets has gone from philosophy professor to entrepreneur for creating products that have garnered much success over the past few years.

    Award-Winning PopSockets Products

    PopSockets has become a major player in the phone accessory industry for their collapsible attachments that can be used as grips, stands, and a cord wrap. Since the company’s founder and CEO David Barnett first launched the company and products back in 2014, they have seen massive growth of over 800%.

    This week David Barnett received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the consumer products and retail category. The award is geared toward recognizing those who create products that have an impact on global economic engines.

    The success of the PopSockets products over the past few years has been truly remarkable. The products have become phenomenally popular. David Barnett routinely gives a percentage of his profits to charitable causes such as charities that deal with arthritis, ALS and Parkinson’s disease.

    David Barnett Goes from Philosopher to Inventor

    PopSockets CEO David Barnett was initially a philosophy professor at the University of Colorado where he originally started work on PopSockets ideas.

    How did the investor and entrepreneur go from philosophy to inventing accessories for phones? David Barnett told Ernest & Young that:

    “Philosophy is just clear thinking. It’s that same drive to figure out how things work. To grasp the fundamental building blocks of the universe.”

    That’s quite a philosophical answer! What did you expect?

    The irony is that Barnett also told Ernest & Young that he is not really much of a tech geek and doesn’t ever feel the need to buy the latest phone or tech gadgets.

    His initial plan was to create a good company and sell it for a vast profit, however, his success has encouraged him to stick with the products and develop them even more. PopSockets CEO David Barnett might not be your archetypal entrepreneur, but he is now an award-winning one.

    Featured image from GameAxis.

  • Red Dead Redemption Online is Finally Live

    Red Dead Redemption Online is Finally Live

    If you are an avid video gamer, you have no doubt spent the past few weeks playing Rockstar Games’ monumental cowboy sim Red Dead Redemption 2. If you have already completed the game, no worries because Red Dead Redemption Online is finally here and just in time to add a different element to the game-playing experience.

    When Red Dead Redemption 2 was finally released on the 25th October 2018, video games changed forever. Now we are a month in, Red Dead Redemption Online has been released and it really does give the game a completely different feel in both positive and negative ways.

    Streamlined Story on Red Dead Redemption Online

    Although I personally love the meandering nature of the main Red Dead Redemption 2 story mode that details the hardships of our main protagonist Arthur Morgan and his ragtag Dutch van der Linde Gang, some gamers, mostly those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, had many qualms about the sometimes slow pace of the story.

    Even something close to perfection gets bashed in today’s super entitled and overly sensitive culture. However, the recent launch of Red Dead Redemption Online is something pacier, and less restrictive while retaining the feel that makes the wild west sim such a fascinating experience.

    Although there is still a story to play out on Red Dead Redemption Online, it is much more streamlined unlike the 60-hour long story mode in the main game.

    Early Days for Red Dead Online

    As you would expect with Red Dead Redemption Online only going live this week, it lacks some of the depth of the main game, however, this will surely change in the coming weeks, months and years. It is one of those sorts of games. This will be similar to Rockstar Games’ GTA 5 online version in terms of the ongoing development.

    At this moment the online version is not as intricate as the main game. It currently needs a bit more feel and a bit more depth which will no doubt come with time.

    If you have been bouncing around the main game rustling cattle, robbing stagecoaches, and generally getting into strife, you can expect more of the same from the Red Dead Redemption Online version.

    Featured image from Dexerto.

  • Why is David Beckham Getting Trouble For Kissing his Daughter?

    Why is David Beckham Getting Trouble For Kissing his Daughter?

    Is the world going insane? Most definitely maybe! The most recent example of oversensitivity we are currently seeing attack society is the outrage David Beckham has received for simply kissing his daughter on the lips. Moral outrage is simply going too far!

    Since when was it a crime or immoral to kiss your daughter? It seems that the great unwashed far-lefties are up in arms when someone kisses their daughter on the lips. Maybe we won’t be able to touch each other in the future!

    Is Comforting Your Kids Now a Crime?

    It seems like comforting your kids and showing them affection is now more frowned upon than bombing nations back into the stone ages. Former footballer David Beckham has come under attack for sharing a photo on his Instagram page kissing his 7-year-old daughter Harper Beckham on the mouth while they were ice skating earlier this week.

    The post showed the pic of Beckham kissing his daughter on the lips with the wording: “Christmas is coming. Let’s go skate.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BqqKjb8nVaw/?utm_source=ig_embed

    The post was met with a chorus of disgust online with some critics saying things such as “Why are they kissing?”, “This is not right!”, and “Weird – it’s improper for a parent to kiss their kids in the lips; on the forehead/cheeks is cute though. Why are they kissing on lips ??!?!!”

    Fighting Back for David Beckham and his Daughter

    It seems that some people’s parent-child relationships amounted to nothing more than a test-tube baby experience. Or the sort of parenting you would expect from a semi-intelligent cyborg.

    Are the naysayers jealous? Bored? Lacking warmth? Or Maybe they don’t have kids themselves and had really cold and insensitive parents? It’s hard to tell. However, lots of people did come to support David Beckham.

    NFL Quarterback legend Tom Brady had a similar run-in with social media do-gooders earlier this year when he was shown kissing his 10-year-old son. Brady came to the defense of multi-millionaire footballer David Beckham by commenting:

    “Dad and daughter. So sweet!

    I am all for protecting society’s most downtrodden people and especially when it comes to protecting children. But it’s a fine line to tell parents they can’t kiss their own kids. Moral outrage is the only thing that is out of control at the moment. We should stand strong with David Beckham against the finger-wagging virtue signalers.

    Featured image from Glamour website.

  • Will Conor McGregor Be Back in the Octagon in 2019?

    Will Conor McGregor Be Back in the Octagon in 2019?

    When it comes to global sports stars, not many shine brighter than the colorful and always controversial UFC fighter Conor McGregor. His profile over the past few years has taken him from an unknown MMA fighter to one of the most marketable brands in the world of sport.

    His recent deafest against the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov in October on UFC 229 was expected by most fight aficionados, but as it affected his pulling power in the UFC and will we see the Irish prodigal son return to fighting in 2019?

    Conor McGregor Returning to UFC?

    Ever since Conor McGregor fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing bout in late-2017, it was up in the air whether the Irishman would step back in the UFC octagon. He made a supposed $100 million from his fight with Floyd and his profile was at an all-time high. There are not many sports fans who cannot instantly recognize McGregor.

    When he finally fought in the UFC this October against the dangerous and unbeaten UFC Lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, it had been almost 2 years since the Irish star had taken part in an MMA fight. Most UFC fans thought that Khabib would have too much for Conor, and they were right of course.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Th7fzceT82g

    Ever since his brutal stoppage at the hands of Khabib, rumors have been rife whether or not the UFC star would fight again in the octagon. The answer is a resounding ‘YES’!

    Conor McGregor Will Fight in 2019

    Earlier this week, Conor took to his Twitter account to not only announce the launch of his ‘Proper’ Irish Whiskey brand across the UK and Australia but also to confirm he will be fighting in UFC again in 2019. Check out McGregor’s Twitter post:

    McGregor will first have to face the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his brawl with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team after the fight, but with the earning power of the Irishman, there should be no problems there. Conor is the fourth highest-earning athlete in the world this year earning a total of $99 million.

    Conor Mcgregor has recently been linked with a fight with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, although there are conflicting reports whether or not this fight is a starter or not.

    One thing is for sure. When Conor McGregor fights in the UFC, it attracts casual sports fans to the market, which means big bucks for the fighter and UFC owner Dana White.

    Featured image from ESPN.

  • Richest People in England Live 10-Years Longer than its Poorest

    Richest People in England Live 10-Years Longer than its Poorest

    A new report has confirmed what most people already knew. The richest people in England live longer than its poorest. What a revelation! It seems that fewer worries and more money in your pocket combine to make you live longer!

    It’s hardly surprising that rich people live longer than poor people. Look at the age of some British Royal Family members. They are older than some ancient Egyptian artifacts and three times as worn.

    The Life Expectancy of the Richest People in England

    A study from researches from the Imperial College London has recently unearthed that the life expectancy of richest people in England has widened to 10-years when compared to its poorest. You needed a research study to tell you that?

    The research analyzed the deaths of almost 8 million people between 2001 and 2016 in England and came up with those results. The life expectancy between the richest and poorest men in England was 6.1 years back at the turn of the Millennium, but in 2016 was closer to 9.7.

    The actual figures showed that the life expectancy difference between the richest women and poorest women in England back in 2001 was 7.9 years, but by 2016 the gap had widened to 9 years.

    Women Live Longer than Men

    The Imperial College data also showed that the life expectancy of the poorest English women in 2016 was 78.8 years, while the richest women live to an average of 86.7 years. The average life expectancy of the poorest English males is 74 years when compared to 83.8 years for the richest men.

    As always, the stats show the universal truth that like-for-like women live longer than men. Do you know why women live longer than their male partners? Because they don’t have to live with a woman! Just joking, before I get harangued by the feminazis.

    The figures showed that although the richest people in England live much longer than the poorest, the main culprits for male deaths across the board is heart disease, lung and digestive cancers and respiratory issues.

    Lots of heart-related diseases and other illnesses are linked to stress, and with more English people being poorer in a relative sense than ever before, the new findings are hardly rocket science. Look after yourself guys and try not to take life so seriously.

    Featured image from Shutterstock.

  • Can All Elite Wrestling Challenge Billion Dollar WWE Network?

    Can All Elite Wrestling Challenge Billion Dollar WWE Network?

    Is someone finally going to challenge the monopoly the WWE Network has had on professional wrestling for the past 15-years? Apparently, a new wrestling organization called All Elite Wrestling is rumored to be on the verge of finalizing a national television deal in American to challenge Vince McMahon’s control over the industry.

    The WWE Network has long had a stranglehold on the wrestling business, but the times are changing with the emergence of other wrestling companies and the rumored All Elite Wrestling headed by Cody Rhodes, former son of wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes.

    WWE Network Monopoly

    The WWE Network has been the only major player on the pro-wrestling scene for the past decade, with other independent organization such as TNA and Ring of Honor (ROH) barely denting the mega-company. This has created a massive gulf in the industry, and up until recently, if you weren’t signed with the WWE, you were pretty much a non-entity in the business.

    Over the past two years, the Japanese wrestling company, New Japan Wrestling has been making a name for itself not only in the far east but also on American soil. New Japan has helped to garner some big name American talents such as the lauded tag-team the Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and the Bullet Club faction that was initially headed by now WWE stars AJ Styles and Finn Balor.

    The popularity of Bullet Club and Young Bucks merchandise rival anything on the WWE Network at the current time and are sparking a renaissance

    Changing Times for Pro Wrestling

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rDUeqsq54s

     

    One of the golden ages of pro-wrestling or sports entertainment as Vince McMahon calls it today, was when WWE (called the WWF) and WCW went head-to-head with the Monday Night Wars back in the mid to late 1990s.

    In a period between 1995 and 2002, McMahon’s WWE was on the verge of failure as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) run by billionaire Ted Turner stole some of the then WWF’s star talents such as Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash. Vince and his WWE prevailed and the rest is history.

    Former WWE wrestler Cody Rhodes, now known only as ‘Cody’ since leaving the WWE Network, has been drumming up big business with the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega, collectively called ‘The Elite’. They tested the waters when they filled a 10,000 capacity stadium earlier this year on American soil that sold nearly 200,000 PPVs.

    Now it is rumored that the collective is planning to rival Vince McMahon’s WWE Network and are close to securing a TV deal.

    The Elite is currently a massive force with pro wrestling fans who have made their opinions known as WWE are experiencing the lowest viewing figures for their Monday Night Raw and Smackdown programs in decades. Although their profits are actually at an all-time high due to their online network, which is apparently worth $1.5 billion.

    Could an All Elite Wrestling organization challenge the might of the billion-dollar WW Network empire? Vince McMahon’s competitors usually end up in the poorhouse, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

    Featured image from YouTube.

  • Microsoft’s Value Momentarily Overtakes Apple’s for First Time in 8 Years

    Microsoft’s Value Momentarily Overtakes Apple’s for First Time in 8 Years

    The ups and downs of FAANG stocks alongside what seems like a change in strategy for Apple have yielded another unexpected market result. Microsoft’s overall value yesterday surpassed that of Apple for a short time, and for the first time since 2010.

    Microsoft’s market capitalization at $812 billion yesterday at one point was greater than Apple’s. By the end of the trading day, Apple had recovered its lead with a market capitalization of over $835 billion.

    The unanticipated shift was made even more so considering the two-technology behemoth’s values just a few months ago.

    Apple became the first U.S company to achieve a whopping $1 trillion market valuation, with a wide lead over Microsoft which was at the time valued at around $887 billion.

    Apple’s Share Price Has Declined

    Fears of slowing demand for Apple’s iPhones are not helping Apple’s valuation. The price of iPhones has been gradually increasing, with new September 2018 prices even higher than expected by Wall Street traders.

    Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan predicted in September:

    “Although investor expectations are for some moderation in pricing for 2019 models, we expect Apple to continue to price the iPhones for value, which should drive upside to consensus estimates.”

    The belief at the time was that higher phone prices would trigger better share performance. New iPhone pricing was revealed on September 12, 2018, and after a slight dip, share prices peaked on October 3, 2018, before declining ever since.

    Apple Share Price Source: Google

    Mohan, speaking in September said this:

    “If perceived higher pricing is interpreted as a negative post event and the shares pull back, we would see that as a particularly attractive opportunity to buy the stock.”

    Apple’s share price has now fallen more than 20% since October 2018, with now only 2.3% growth seen for Apple in 2018 overall.

    The decline could be fuelled by a number of factors. Apple’s latest sales figures are relatively flat, with the addition of concern over higher per-product prices. If the global economy starts to struggle consumers are less likely to choose higher priced and luxury products.

    Apple has also indicated that Apple services including ApplePay, Apple Music, and the App store will be a growth area, but its plans aren’t immediately apparent or effective in the eyes of investors.

    Carolina Milanesi analyst at market research firm Creative Strategies told the BBC:

    “If we know that sales for the iPhones are going to be either flat or down and then there’s nothing else to compensate that, then of course there are reasons for concern but I think it’s too early…In a year’s time, if we don’t see the services business pick up in the way we expect, then I think the concerns could be legitimate.”

    Lastly, Apple is impacted by global market concerns, not just the threat of recession and the fluctuations of technology stocks, but also trade tensions. China, and the greater China region, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, forms around 20% of Apple’s market for sales.

    Cloud Computing Could Sustain Microsoft

    Microsoft, in comparison, is still seeing sales growth mainly due to its cloud-computing focus. The Microsoft Azure platform’s success has slowed compared to the last two years, but annually revenue figures from the division are still up 76% across 2018.

    Microsoft Share Price Source: Google

    Microsoft shares have fallen, down around 8% from September 2018, but that’s not quite the decline experienced by Apple. A performance that has allowed Microsoft to close Apple’s lead by company market value and indeed overtake that lead for the short period yesterday.

    The cloud services market could continue to fuel growth for Microsoft and its Azure platform, allowing it to continue to more successfully compete with Apple by market capitalization. Analysts, in October 2018, said Microsoft and rival Amazon’s shares were still a good bet off the back of the cloud computing market.

  • Thai “Billionaire” Jae Leng Injured by Monitor Lizard in Central Bangkok

    Thai “Billionaire” Jae Leng Injured by Monitor Lizard in Central Bangkok

    Thai mall operator Araya Lapshewasittichards, better known as Jae Leng, recently survived an encounter with a big monitor lizard in downtown Bangkok.

    The Baht-billionaire was on her morning bike ride in Lumpini Park when the massive lizard rambled in front of her. Despite giving the 1.5 meter long lizard lots of time to get out of her way, it stopped and refused to let her pass.

    Jae Leng reported that, “When I was sure that it wasn’t going to move, I started riding forward, and that’s when the lizard bumped into my bike!”

    Jae Lang Seems to be Fine

    After the 68-year old fell as a result of the lizard-impact, she required brief treatment at a local hospital. Despite some nasty looking bruising and five stitches, Jae Leng was released from the hospital within a day.

    She tweeted that, “Jae Leng is not afraid of anything … except monitor lizards,” which is totally understandable after her unfortunate encounter.

    While Jae Leng was the most recent person to have problems with monitor lizards in Lumpini Park, there have been issues with the giant reptiles in the past.

    In 2016 the local authorities removed at least 40 monitor lizards from the same park, after many cyclists complained about the risks they pose. Clearly, they were right about how dangerous monitor lizards can be.

    On to More Successes

    Araya Lapshewasittichards may have fallen down in the park, but she isn’t going to be taken out of the game by a big lizard. She has been working to build her retail empire for more than 30 years in Bangkok.

    Originally starting out in a small shophouse, the Chinese born Thai emigrant built up her retail business by offering Bangkok natives imported cosmetics and other luxury goods.

    Her ‘Jae Leng Plaza’ shopping centre was an outgrowth of this initial success, and as Bangkok has modernized, her location near Don Mueang has served Ms. Lapshewasittichards well. Even though she is approaching 70 years of age, she plans to develop the land that her affluence has afforded her all over Thailand.

    Jae Leng is thought to be worth more than 1 billion Thai baht, which is roughly $30 million USD at the time of writing.

    A Happy Result

    It is good to see a hard-working entrepreneur walk away from what could have been a serious accident, given the fact she sustained a head injury.

    Another Thai tycoon, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, died at the end of October when the helicopter he was riding in crashed in the UK. He has also made his fortune in retail, and was famous for his duty-free empire.

    Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha was estimated to have a net worth of around $5 billion USD at the time of his death and owned UK Premier League club Leicester City.

  • Venom Joins the Rank of 2018’s Top Earning Movies

    Venom Joins the Rank of 2018’s Top Earning Movies

    Sony owns 900 Marvel characters and has produced several Spider-Man movies in the past. Since these movies weren’t successful enough to compete with Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Sony decided to put all their effort into Venom.

    Venom Beats Deadpool 2 at the Box Office

    The movie cast Academy Award nominee Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, Emmy Award winner Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake, and Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams as Anne Weying. Meanwhile, fans wondered whether the story would do justice to Venom, who is famously known as Spider-Man’s super villain, without Spider-Man making an appearance in the movie. Others simply didn’t trust Sony to make a successful superhero movie, especially after the disappointing portrayal of Eddie Brock as Venom in Spider-Man 3.

    To everyone’s surprise, Venom earned a whopping $80 million in its opening weekend. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics, it grossed $822.5 million worldwide. The movie’s global earnings surpassed Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Deadpool 2, and Ready Player One. It has now joined the ranks of the top 5 highest grossing movies of 2018.

    Venom has also crossed Wonder Woman and Spider-Man in worldwide earnings, with only $5.8 million left to top Inception.

    What Happens to Spider-Man After Venom’s Success?

    Sony purchased Spider-Man from Marvel in 1985 for $10 million. Approximately 20 years ago, Marvel also tried to sell some of its other characters including Thor, Iron Man, and Black Panther for $25 million. Luckily, the deal never happened otherwise Marvel wouldn’t have been able to break box office records with Avengers: Infinity War and Black Panther.

    In 2015, Sony and Marvel finalized a deal which allowed Spider-Man to appear in the MCU in six movies. Now that Venom has been immensely successful at the box office, Sony will continue to make more Marvel movies under its name Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters (SUMC). The studio is also planning on releasing Morbius and Venom 2 in 2020, with Jared Leto joining the universe as the lead character in the former.

    Even though Spider-Man: Homecoming earned $880.2 million worldwide, Sony might bring the superhero into SUMC. Or it might end up renewing the contract with Marvel and allow the superhero to appear in both universes. Sony’s executives have previously said that Venom’s story doesn’t take place in the same universe as the MCU. Jon Watts, Spider-Man: Homecoming director, has also pointed out that the movie is ‘not connected to the Marvel world’.

    Until now, only one thing is clear: Spider-Man is the superhero who is responsible for connecting these two universes.

  • World’s Most Expensive Gin Morus LXIV Costs $5,000 Per Bottle

    World’s Most Expensive Gin Morus LXIV Costs $5,000 Per Bottle

    Fancy a GNT? Normally I would say yes, but not if I am expected to pay for the world’s most expensive gin, Morus LXIV, which comes in at a cool $5,000 per bottle.

    With Christmas just around the corner, if you are loaded and want to impress your family or friends, the world’s most expensive gin is now available to buy at Harvey Nichols.

    Get Your Bottle of Morus LXIV Today!

    I once bought a special bottle of Hennessey Cognac that cost me in the region of $100 and that almost gave me a cardiac arrest. Obviously, I wouldn’t last 5-minutes buying up bottles of Cristal in a trendy New York nightclub.

    The world’s most expensive gin, Morus LXIV, is now being exclusively sold at the trendy London department store Harvey Nichols for over $5,000 per bottle.

    Distilled from the leaves of an ancient Mulberry tree, which is called the Morus Nigra, this exclusive and rare gin is becoming a real collector’s item with spirit connoisseurs the world over. The gin takes over two years to make and enjoys a cask strength of 64%.

    You could say the gin is handmade as each mulberry leaf is harvested and dried and handpicked for perfection. The leaf is then gently distilled and balanced with botanicals to give the drink a unique taste.

    From the Makers of London Dry Gin

    This deluxe edition of Morus LXIV was distilled and concocted by the makers of London Dry Gin and also Jam Jar Gin, who is one of the premier gin makers in the world.

    The $5,000 price tag is due to the gin’s unique roots and its exclusivity, alongside its stylish packaging that enjoys a handmade embossed porcelain jar and stirrup cup. This also comes with a beautiful handmade leather hide casing.

    If you just want to find out what the world’s most expensive gin tastes like, or want a scaled down present for Christmas, you could buy the 3cl version of the Morus LXIV with the porcelain jar, cup and leather hide for approximately $300.

    Only last month, MoneyMakers discussed the most expensive bottle of wine in the world, which was a bottle of 1945 Burgundy wine that sold at Sotheby’s for over $500,000.

    However, if you are looking for something more affordable, the world’s most expensive gin, Morus LXIV is a bargain at only $5,000!

    Featured image from the Evening Standard.