Looking ahead, eBay is surely hoping for artificial intelligence (AI) to be the secret sauce powering its results higher. It's labored for years to weave AI functionalities into its site, with one familiar example being the auto-listing feature for sellers. This handles one of the more monotonous tasks for such users, providing a concise and cleanly written description of the item that will (hopefully) help it get sold.
A more recently introduced feature is an AI-powered background enhancement tool for product photos. It's helpful because, after all, we humans are visual creatures and we respond to pretty pictures. Although the results aren't quite what the company hypes as "professional grade imagery," they are an improvement and they do make the goods look more attractive.
Management does not break out its costs for developing, launching, and maintaining those AI functionalities. Yet a glimpse at the income statement for the quarter shows that the company's product development expenses have actually -- and admirably -- come down across the past year, to $379 million from $392 million. That matches the trajectory of overall operating expenses, which saw a slight reduction over that span to help lift the bottom line.
A more recently introduced feature is an AI-powered background enhancement tool for product photos. It's helpful because, after all, we humans are visual creatures and we respond to pretty pictures. Although the results aren't quite what the company hypes as "professional grade imagery," they are an improvement and they do make the goods look more attractive.
Management does not break out its costs for developing, launching, and maintaining those AI functionalities. Yet a glimpse at the income statement for the quarter shows that the company's product development expenses have actually -- and admirably -- come down across the past year, to $379 million from $392 million. That matches the trajectory of overall operating expenses, which saw a slight reduction over that span to help lift the bottom line.
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Amazon has partnered with TikTok.
This will allow users to buy marketplace products without leaving the social network. Amazon representatives did not share the details of the deal, but the TikTok press service stated that users of the social network will be able to link their account to an account on the marketplace. Buyers in the TikTok app will have access to information about prices, delivery times and product characteristics in the same way as in the separate Amazon app. It is unknown how the personal data of the accounts will be used, but users can unlink accounts from each other at any time
This will allow users to buy marketplace products without leaving the social network. Amazon representatives did not share the details of the deal, but the TikTok press service stated that users of the social network will be able to link their account to an account on the marketplace. Buyers in the TikTok app will have access to information about prices, delivery times and product characteristics in the same way as in the separate Amazon app. It is unknown how the personal data of the accounts will be used, but users can unlink accounts from each other at any time
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Pavel Durov announced a festive update of the Telegram in honor of the 11th anniversary of the messenger.
What will appear?
โ โStar reactionsโ will appear in the form of donations. Stars will be displayed directly on the post.
โ Earned stars can be exchanged for Toncoin. This is direct monetization of the channel.
โ Admins will be able to subscribe to their channel by creating an invitation link. You will need to pay for your subscription in โstarsโ without any extra bots.
โ A new type of channel โsuper channelsโ has appeared - it will be possible to write in them from several people at once.
โ Also on iOS, files in .pdf, .xls or .docx formats will open in separate tabs in the cart browser.
What will appear?
โ โStar reactionsโ will appear in the form of donations. Stars will be displayed directly on the post.
โ Earned stars can be exchanged for Toncoin. This is direct monetization of the channel.
โ Admins will be able to subscribe to their channel by creating an invitation link. You will need to pay for your subscription in โstarsโ without any extra bots.
โ A new type of channel โsuper channelsโ has appeared - it will be possible to write in them from several people at once.
โ Also on iOS, files in .pdf, .xls or .docx formats will open in separate tabs in the cart browser.
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Revenuะต ะพั eBay grew slightly in the second quarter.
In its second quarter, eBay did a decent job of squeezing out bottom-line growth from sales that only inched higher.
On a year-over-year basis, both revenue and gross merchandise volume (GMV; the total value of all products sold via the site) both rose by 1%, to a respective $2.6 billion and $18.4 billion. In the earnings release, eBay mentioned "an uneven discretionary demand environment in our major markets," seemingly to explain those sluggish growth figures.
A more inspiring story was told on the bottom line, where non-GAAP (adjusted) net income bounced 8% higher to $602 million, or $1.18 per share. Although that revenue figure didn't move much higher, it was sufficient to beat the consensus analyst estimate of $2.53 billion. Ditto for adjusted net income, for which those prognosticators were collectively modeling $1.13.
During the quarter, eBay benefited from a focus on certain product categories. It's currently pushing goods in such disparate areas as auto parts and collectibles. That's an offbeat strategy but probably a necessary one. That's because the e-commerce space is not only dominated by monster general retailer Amazon; it's crowded with many smaller operators nipping at its heels.
In its second quarter, eBay did a decent job of squeezing out bottom-line growth from sales that only inched higher.
On a year-over-year basis, both revenue and gross merchandise volume (GMV; the total value of all products sold via the site) both rose by 1%, to a respective $2.6 billion and $18.4 billion. In the earnings release, eBay mentioned "an uneven discretionary demand environment in our major markets," seemingly to explain those sluggish growth figures.
A more inspiring story was told on the bottom line, where non-GAAP (adjusted) net income bounced 8% higher to $602 million, or $1.18 per share. Although that revenue figure didn't move much higher, it was sufficient to beat the consensus analyst estimate of $2.53 billion. Ditto for adjusted net income, for which those prognosticators were collectively modeling $1.13.
During the quarter, eBay benefited from a focus on certain product categories. It's currently pushing goods in such disparate areas as auto parts and collectibles. That's an offbeat strategy but probably a necessary one. That's because the e-commerce space is not only dominated by monster general retailer Amazon; it's crowded with many smaller operators nipping at its heels.
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The founder of the Chinese marketplace Pinduoduo and its subsidiary Temu, Colin Huang, is recognized as the richest man in China. This is evidenced by data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI). The billionaire's fortune as of August 9, 2024 is estimated at $48.6 billion. Huang closes the top 25 richest people in the world.
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Amazon will be able to deliver goods by drone in the UK.
The British Civil Aviation Authority has issued permission to the corporation and several other companies to test the delivery of goods using drones.
True, this opportunity existed before, but what has changed?
Previously, companies in the UK could only deliver UAVs with goods while keeping the drones in the operator's line of sight at all times. Now the restriction has been lifted. Amazon said it will launch drone delivery in the country by the end of this year.
Amazon previously launched delivery of orders using drones. One of these โflying couriersโ was spotted in the US state of Texas (on video).
The British Civil Aviation Authority has issued permission to the corporation and several other companies to test the delivery of goods using drones.
True, this opportunity existed before, but what has changed?
Previously, companies in the UK could only deliver UAVs with goods while keeping the drones in the operator's line of sight at all times. Now the restriction has been lifted. Amazon said it will launch drone delivery in the country by the end of this year.
Amazon previously launched delivery of orders using drones. One of these โflying couriersโ was spotted in the US state of Texas (on video).
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Amazon is raising its hiring bar.
The company is bringing back "bar raisers" to the interview process for entry-level software-engineer jobs, internally dubbed "SDE-1 (L4)" positions, according to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider.
Bar raisers have long been a peculiar part of Amazon's hiring process. These people, typically from another team, serve as "objective third-party advisers" during job interviews and ask more-holistic questions related to Amazon's famed leadership principles to evaluate candidates.
But Amazon removed bar-raiser interviews for entry-level engineering jobs and some nonengineering roles in recent years, in part due to the pandemic-fueled hiring boom, BI previously reported. That enabled Amazon to hire more aggressively but led to a drop in the quality of talent in some parts of the company.
"By reintroducing Bar Raisers into the AUTA interview process, the assessment of the Dive Deep and Earns Trust Leadership Principles (LPs) can be better incorporated," the memo, from July, said. "With this change, AUTA is addressing a direct business need and aims to enhance the quality of SDE-1 candidates hired."
The company is bringing back "bar raisers" to the interview process for entry-level software-engineer jobs, internally dubbed "SDE-1 (L4)" positions, according to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider.
Bar raisers have long been a peculiar part of Amazon's hiring process. These people, typically from another team, serve as "objective third-party advisers" during job interviews and ask more-holistic questions related to Amazon's famed leadership principles to evaluate candidates.
But Amazon removed bar-raiser interviews for entry-level engineering jobs and some nonengineering roles in recent years, in part due to the pandemic-fueled hiring boom, BI previously reported. That enabled Amazon to hire more aggressively but led to a drop in the quality of talent in some parts of the company.
"By reintroducing Bar Raisers into the AUTA interview process, the assessment of the Dive Deep and Earns Trust Leadership Principles (LPs) can be better incorporated," the memo, from July, said. "With this change, AUTA is addressing a direct business need and aims to enhance the quality of SDE-1 candidates hired."
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Ecom: The Future. AI, Innovation
Amazon will be able to deliver goods by drone in the UK. The British Civil Aviation Authority has issued permission to the corporation and several other companies to test the delivery of goods using drones. True, this opportunity existed before, but whatโฆ
Amazonโs troubled drone delivery program faces latest challenge in Texas.
On a recent weekday morning, John Case heard a familiar buzzing outside his quiet suburban home in College Station, Texas. He recognized it immediately as one of Amazon's Prime Air drones, whizzing by on its delivery route to unload small packages of batteries, vitamins and dog treats.
"It sounds like a giant hive of bees," Case, a semi-retired orthodontist, said in an interview. "You know it's coming because it's pretty loud."
Case has lived in College Station for the past 40 years. The drones are a common sight when he and his wife go on their regular walks around the neighborhood. Nurses, police officers and firefighters who work the nightshift talk about it disrupting their sleep during the day, Case said.
Noise complaints are just the latest challenge for Amazon's drone program that's been struggling to get off the ground since the company started testing deliveries in 2022. A mix of regulatory hurdles, missed deadlines and layoffs last year, coinciding with widespread cost-cutting efforts by CEO Andy Jassy, has halted progress of the ambitious service, which was conceived of by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos more than a decade ago.
College Station, located about 100 miles northwest of Houston, has been the main testing ground for Prime Air, as Amazon tries to show it can ferry packages by unmanned aircraft to residents' homes in under an hour. Lockeford, California, south of Sacramento, was supposed to be another test market, but Amazon shuttered its operation there in April. The company is seeking approval from regulators to start deliveries in Tolleson, Arizona, west of Phoenix.
On a recent weekday morning, John Case heard a familiar buzzing outside his quiet suburban home in College Station, Texas. He recognized it immediately as one of Amazon's Prime Air drones, whizzing by on its delivery route to unload small packages of batteries, vitamins and dog treats.
"It sounds like a giant hive of bees," Case, a semi-retired orthodontist, said in an interview. "You know it's coming because it's pretty loud."
Case has lived in College Station for the past 40 years. The drones are a common sight when he and his wife go on their regular walks around the neighborhood. Nurses, police officers and firefighters who work the nightshift talk about it disrupting their sleep during the day, Case said.
Noise complaints are just the latest challenge for Amazon's drone program that's been struggling to get off the ground since the company started testing deliveries in 2022. A mix of regulatory hurdles, missed deadlines and layoffs last year, coinciding with widespread cost-cutting efforts by CEO Andy Jassy, has halted progress of the ambitious service, which was conceived of by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos more than a decade ago.
College Station, located about 100 miles northwest of Houston, has been the main testing ground for Prime Air, as Amazon tries to show it can ferry packages by unmanned aircraft to residents' homes in under an hour. Lockeford, California, south of Sacramento, was supposed to be another test market, but Amazon shuttered its operation there in April. The company is seeking approval from regulators to start deliveries in Tolleson, Arizona, west of Phoenix.
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A family from Britain decided to become mushroom pickers and bought a book about โsilent huntingโ on Amazon. As it turned out, the book was written by a neural network.
The AI-generated pictures in the book did not match the description of the mushrooms, and the text was also strange. But the mushroom pickers believed everything and followed the instructions from the book, which led to intoxication.
Amazon, where the book was purchased, offered modest compensation to would-be mushroom pickers.
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Amazon took fourth place in the ranking of the most valuable IT-brands.
Apple Inc. has again taken first place in the list of the most valuable high-tech brands in the world, overtaking last year's leader Amazon.com Inc., which dropped straight to fourth place due to the active growth of competitors, according to a Brand Finance study.
Over the year, Apple's brand value soared by 74% - to $516.6 billion, while Amazon's grew by only 3.2% - to $308.9 billion. Microsoft Corp. rose to second place in the ranking, demonstrating an increase of almost 78% (up to $340.4 billion). Google (part of Alphabet Inc.) remained in third place (+18.5%, up to $333.4 billion).
These same four companies occupy similar places in the overall list of the most valuable brands in the world.
Apple Inc. has again taken first place in the list of the most valuable high-tech brands in the world, overtaking last year's leader Amazon.com Inc., which dropped straight to fourth place due to the active growth of competitors, according to a Brand Finance study.
Over the year, Apple's brand value soared by 74% - to $516.6 billion, while Amazon's grew by only 3.2% - to $308.9 billion. Microsoft Corp. rose to second place in the ranking, demonstrating an increase of almost 78% (up to $340.4 billion). Google (part of Alphabet Inc.) remained in third place (+18.5%, up to $333.4 billion).
These same four companies occupy similar places in the overall list of the most valuable brands in the world.
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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy revealed the benefits of Amazon Q, the company's AI-based tool designed for programmers.
"One of the most tedious (but critical tasks) for software development teams is updating foundational software. Itโs not new feature work, and it doesnโt feel like youโre moving the experience forward. As a result, this work is either dreaded or put off for more exciting workโor both.
Amazon Q, our GenAI assistant for software development, is trying to bring some light to this heaviness. We have a new code transformation capability, and hereโs what we found when we integrated it into our internal systems and applied it to our needed Java upgrades:
- The average time to upgrade an application to Java 17 plummeted from whatโs typically 50 developer-days to just a few hours. We estimate this has saved us the equivalent of 4,500 developer-years of work (yes, that number is crazy but, real).
- In under six months, we've been able to upgrade more than 50% of our production Java systems to modernized Java versions at a fraction of the usual time and effort. And, our developers shipped 79% of the auto-generated code reviews without any additional changes.
- The benefits go beyond how much effort weโve saved developers. The upgrades have enhanced security and reduced infrastructure costs, providing an estimated $260M in annualized efficiency gains.
This is a great example of how large-scale enterprises can gain significant efficiencies in foundational software hygiene work by leveraging Amazon Q. Itโs been a game changer for us, and not only do our Amazon teams plan to use this transformation capability more, but our Q team plans to add more transformations for developers to leverage".
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
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Amazon Games planning Switch 2 support.
When Nintendo is ready to come out with Switch 2, it looks like Amazon Games will eventually be there with games. Christoph Hartmann, the companyโs vice president, recently pledged support and shared some other interesting thoughts about the system.
Hartmann made it clear in an interview with IGN that Amazon Games intends to make titles for Switch 2. However, he believes itโd be best for Nintendo to avoid rushing the hardware, even if that means waiting another year. Hartmann indicated that most third-parties should be fine waiting given how teams can rely on other gaming systems for the time being.
Hartmannโs full words about Amazon Games and Switch 2:
โYeah, we obviously plan to develop games for it and I canโt wait for it to be out. I mean, honestly, Iโd rather have them wait a year and get it perfect than rush it to the market and then we all complain about what doesnโt work. Switch has been such a fantastic product, I can wait another year if I have to. And from development, I think most non-Nintendo developers are not exclusively doing titles for the Switch. Theyโre always part of a portfolio mix of platform mix. Just wait.โ
Amazon Games did actually announce a new game for the current Switch this week, King of Meat.
When Nintendo is ready to come out with Switch 2, it looks like Amazon Games will eventually be there with games. Christoph Hartmann, the companyโs vice president, recently pledged support and shared some other interesting thoughts about the system.
Hartmann made it clear in an interview with IGN that Amazon Games intends to make titles for Switch 2. However, he believes itโd be best for Nintendo to avoid rushing the hardware, even if that means waiting another year. Hartmann indicated that most third-parties should be fine waiting given how teams can rely on other gaming systems for the time being.
Hartmannโs full words about Amazon Games and Switch 2:
โYeah, we obviously plan to develop games for it and I canโt wait for it to be out. I mean, honestly, Iโd rather have them wait a year and get it perfect than rush it to the market and then we all complain about what doesnโt work. Switch has been such a fantastic product, I can wait another year if I have to. And from development, I think most non-Nintendo developers are not exclusively doing titles for the Switch. Theyโre always part of a portfolio mix of platform mix. Just wait.โ
Amazon Games did actually announce a new game for the current Switch this week, King of Meat.
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In Belgium, an Amazon subcontractor laid off about 100 employees.
Around 100 Belgian delivery drivers working for the KM Group, an Amazon subcontractor in the eastern municipality of Flรฉmalle, have been collectively dismissed via WhatsApp.
The drivers were informed via text message that the company had gone bankrupt, leaving them without July's salary. They also say they haven't received the necessary forms to be able to apply for unemployment benefit.
"It's been a month since I've had a salary. How do I manage with the bank loan at the end of each month and money to pay the loan? If there's no income coming in, what do you do?" said one of the former KM Group employees, Michael Agirman.
"It's difficult for us to find ourselves with nothing all of a sudden and we don't know what to do," said another former employee, Dejan Mohammed.
Unions say KM Group's bankruptcy was filed after the US online retail giant Amazon refused to renegotiate the terms of the contract.
Around 100 Belgian delivery drivers working for the KM Group, an Amazon subcontractor in the eastern municipality of Flรฉmalle, have been collectively dismissed via WhatsApp.
The drivers were informed via text message that the company had gone bankrupt, leaving them without July's salary. They also say they haven't received the necessary forms to be able to apply for unemployment benefit.
"It's been a month since I've had a salary. How do I manage with the bank loan at the end of each month and money to pay the loan? If there's no income coming in, what do you do?" said one of the former KM Group employees, Michael Agirman.
"It's difficult for us to find ourselves with nothing all of a sudden and we don't know what to do," said another former employee, Dejan Mohammed.
Unions say KM Group's bankruptcy was filed after the US online retail giant Amazon refused to renegotiate the terms of the contract.
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We want to better understand where our subscribers live. This will help us create more relevant content and cater to the interests of our audience. Please select the region where you reside. All responses are anonymous:
Anonymous Poll
12%
North America (USA, Canada)
5%
South America
6%
Europe
17%
Asia
23%
Africa
2%
Australia and Oceania
3%
Middle East
1%
Russia and CIS countries
2%
Central America and the Caribbean
31%
Other
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88% of Norwegians do not declare cryptocurrency and do not pay taxes.
Researchers have found that 6% (250 thousand) of the Norwegian population forget or simply do not indicate these assets when submitting documents to the tax authorities. According to rough estimates, each cryptocurrency owner may incur up to $1,087 in mandatory fees, which means that for the year the budget was missing about $272 million or 2.8 billion crowns
Researchers have found that 6% (250 thousand) of the Norwegian population forget or simply do not indicate these assets when submitting documents to the tax authorities. According to rough estimates, each cryptocurrency owner may incur up to $1,087 in mandatory fees, which means that for the year the budget was missing about $272 million or 2.8 billion crowns
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Scientists recommend not drinking coffee before shopping on marketplaces.
Drinking coffee makes you spend more money in stores and marketplaces. Scientists from the University of South Florida (USA) found this out.
Experiments have shown that marketplace users who drank a cup of coffee containing about 100 mg of caffeine before starting shopping were more likely to choose items that fell into the category of impulse purchases, such as massagers. Those who drank decaffeinated coffee preferred something more practical, like notebooks.
โCaffeine, as a powerful stimulant, releases the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, which excites the mind and body. This leads to more energy, increased impulsivity and decreased self-control. As a result, caffeine consumption leads to impulsive shopping, which results in more purchased items and higher expenses,โ the scientists believe.
Drinking coffee makes you spend more money in stores and marketplaces. Scientists from the University of South Florida (USA) found this out.
Experiments have shown that marketplace users who drank a cup of coffee containing about 100 mg of caffeine before starting shopping were more likely to choose items that fell into the category of impulse purchases, such as massagers. Those who drank decaffeinated coffee preferred something more practical, like notebooks.
โCaffeine, as a powerful stimulant, releases the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, which excites the mind and body. This leads to more energy, increased impulsivity and decreased self-control. As a result, caffeine consumption leads to impulsive shopping, which results in more purchased items and higher expenses,โ the scientists believe.
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In the UK, an Amazon delivery driver was accused of exhibitionism
Three women to whom 23-year-old Luke Yates delivered packages said he also exposed himself to them without consent, police said. The incidents occurred on November 16, 2021 and January 11, 2022 in Oxfordshire.
One of the victims claims that the courier begged her to look at his penis. Reportedly, before this, the man asked to go to the toilet, and when he came out, he exposed himself in front of the hostess.
โI was just looking at the wall. He asked me to touch his [member] and look at it. I replied: โNo, no way.โ He got angry and left,โ said the British woman.
That day, in her own words, she stayed overnight with a neighbor because she was very scared and nervous. The woman says that a month earlier, Yates similarly asked permission to go to the toilet and have a cup of tea, but did not take off his clothes when he saw her grandson.
The young man denies all charges; the trial of the accused will continue.
Three women to whom 23-year-old Luke Yates delivered packages said he also exposed himself to them without consent, police said. The incidents occurred on November 16, 2021 and January 11, 2022 in Oxfordshire.
One of the victims claims that the courier begged her to look at his penis. Reportedly, before this, the man asked to go to the toilet, and when he came out, he exposed himself in front of the hostess.
โI was just looking at the wall. He asked me to touch his [member] and look at it. I replied: โNo, no way.โ He got angry and left,โ said the British woman.
That day, in her own words, she stayed overnight with a neighbor because she was very scared and nervous. The woman says that a month earlier, Yates similarly asked permission to go to the toilet and have a cup of tea, but did not take off his clothes when he saw her grandson.
The young man denies all charges; the trial of the accused will continue.
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The Olympic champion put up knitted swimming trunks on eBay.
Tom Daley auctioned off a pair of his swimming trunks on Sunday for ยฃ10,000 after announcing his retirement from diving. The Olympic medallist, 30, put his hand-crocheted trunks on eBay and and fans immediately flooded to the site.
His passion project received a total of 112 bids and managed to raise a staggering amount of money for charity. The crochet swimming trunks were made in partnership with drinks brand Malibu and the Royal Life Saving Society UK.
The tiny pair of swimming briefs feature the phrase: 'Don't drink and dive' in white writing and include a Malibu branded label.
Tom Daley auctioned off a pair of his swimming trunks on Sunday for ยฃ10,000 after announcing his retirement from diving. The Olympic medallist, 30, put his hand-crocheted trunks on eBay and and fans immediately flooded to the site.
His passion project received a total of 112 bids and managed to raise a staggering amount of money for charity. The crochet swimming trunks were made in partnership with drinks brand Malibu and the Royal Life Saving Society UK.
The tiny pair of swimming briefs feature the phrase: 'Don't drink and dive' in white writing and include a Malibu branded label.
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Ecom: The Future. AI, Innovation
Amazon is flooded with hamster products. Amazon sells products with the Hamster Kombat logo. Here you will find T-shirts, sweatshirts, and smartphone cases with the popular hamster.
While sellers are successfully selling products for fans of "tapania" on Amazon, the listing of Hamster Kombat will begin on September 26. The date was announced by the official channel of cryptohomyak. At the same time, the first AirDrop will be held.
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