Thanksgiving spirit trounces cost of living concerns in Black Friday analysis

Black Friday (BF) sales are continuing to attract shoppers en-masse, despite inflation and the Russia-Ukraine conflict raising the cost of living, according to new research by Adobe and Salesforce. As reported by Diginomica, sales at physical stores may be up, with Walmart reporting in Q1 2022 that its ecommerce growth had slowed to as little…

iFi’s smallest ever portable DAC wants to big up the sound from your Mac, PC or phone

British audio specialist iFi seems to be on a miniaturization mission, with a new “super-affordable” GO Link portable DAC measuring the size of a regular USB stick. Coming hot on the heels of the palm-sized iFi Uno, this new dongle-style headphone amp connects to your Mac, PC or smartphone via USB-C with a 3.5mm headphone input at…

Putin is increasingly aware of how poorly his military is doing in Ukraine, US intel chief says

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Artificial Intelligence Journey conference in Moscow, Russia, on November 24, 2022. Contributor/Getty Images Putin had initially been kept in the dark about Russia’s failures in Ukraine, earlier reports said.  But the US director of national intelligence said Saturday that he is “becoming more informed.” Avril Haines said Putin is…

Rapid wage growth will keep inflation sticky and could force the Fed to raise interest rates above 5%, UBS warns

Average hourly wages have jumped 5.1% year-on-year, according to the latest jobs report. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh Surging wages could disrupt the Federal Reserve’s efforts to tame inflation, according to UBS. Wage growth “is too high for the Fed’s liking and heading in the wrong direction,” the bank said Monday. Average hourly earnings have climbed…

The price cap on Russian oil is ‘immaterial’ and won’t make a significant difference on market pricing, analyst says

ussian President Vladimir Putin at Artifical Intelligence Journey Conference in Moscow, Russia, on November 24, 2022. Contributor/Getty Images The European Union’s price cap on Russian oil started Monday, and it’s set to $60 a barrel.  The CEO of Vanda Insights told Bloomberg that the impact of the price cap on markets, however, will be muted. …