Smart technology has become an integral part of our lives, from our phones, computers and watches to our cars and homes, which now have more features and can do more than even the smartest computer could 20 years ago. It was an expected and natural step that we carried this passion for smart tech and interconnectivity over to the pet industry as well. Intelligent pet products such as the ones offered by leading pet care solutions provider OurPet’s Company, Inc. (OTCQX: OPCO) are becoming increasingly common, as they enable pet parents to develop a stronger bond with their pets for more complete care and closer monitoring of their health and behavior.

Pet tech has been developing at a rapid pace on a growing market that now has a propensity for high-end products, including state-of-the-art gadgets and premium feeding solutions. This is largely owed to the fact that many pet owners now see their furry friends as actual family members and treat them as such, sparing no expense. The industry has responded to the trend by offering better products, improved formulas and, now, smart tech-powered solutions for every pet. Manufacturers have already rolled out a wide range of high-tech pet products on the market, ranging from smart training collars that allow even remote training to radio-frequency operated flap doors, automatic ball launchers for dogs, and smart feeding bowls that count calories or only open for a specific pet.

Ohio-based OurPet’s Company has already joined the smart pet tech movement with its own line of smart products designed to offer enhanced care and help owners closely monitor their pets’ health. The OurPets® Intelligent Pet Care™ product line (http://dtn.fm/23VLn) offers a complete range of intelligent pet health monitoring products based on Bluetooth® technology. These products enable owners to keep in touch with their pets and be aware of any changes in their behavior via the IntelligentPetLink™ smartphone app, available for download for both Android and iOS.

The Intelligent Pet Care™ product line includes products such as the SmartLink™ Feeder – Intelligent Pet Bowl (http://dtn.fm/u38FY) and the SmartLink™ Waterer – Intelligent Water Fountain (http://dtn.fm/uH6Bv), designed to give your dog or cat the ability to communicate that they may have a health issue by monitoring the key indicators of pet health. The systems communicate with a tag that can be attached to your pet’s collar, and they give access to food or water only when they detect that tag in the vicinity. This makes the SmartLink™ Feeder and Waterer ideal for households with multiple pets or for pets who are on special diets and monitoring of their eating and drinking habits can help the pet parent better understand any health issues with their pet that may arise.

Other products in the Intelligent Pet Care™ line include the SmartScoop® – Intelligent Litter Box (http://dtn.fm/nM3Nl), which monitors elimination behavior and uses infrared technology to detect when your cat uses the litter and engages a scoop mechanism to scoop the waste and keep the box clean. Also available are the SmartLink™ Tag (http://dtn.fm/2fInt) and the SmartLink™ Gateway – WiFi Pet Care Connector (http://dtn.fm/l5Q1k) that converts a Bluetooth® signal into Wi-Fi signals so as to enable owners to monitor their pet’s activity outside the house.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.OurPets.com

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LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lighting is brightening the homes, offices, factories and public spaces of America. A report from ResearchandMarkets (http://dtn.fm/6RlaJ), issued last month, estimates that the U.S. LED market is set to grow at a CAGR of 8.8 percent from 2016, reaching $8.9 billion by 2022, with as much as half of this growth coming from general lighting. And America is just the beginning. As the world switches from incandescent and fluorescent lighting, the market to replace these legacy systems globally is set to grow even faster. This forecast growth is lighting a bright future for Trans-Lux Corp. (OTC: TNLX), a premier global supplier of engaging LED-based digital display and lighting solutions.

The first lights powered by electricity appeared in the mid-nineteenth century. The arc lamp, invented by Humphry Davy, worked by allowing an electric current to ‘jump’ between two close, but separated, carbon electrodes. The arc of luminous ionized air that resulted provided a bright light. By the late nineteenth century, Edison and others were working on ways to develop incandescent bulbs, which issued light when electricity passed through a filament. In 1904, the adoption of incandescent lighting accelerated after the introduction of tungsten filaments. By the 1930s, however, fluorescent lights were making their debut, and, by the 1950s, they were everywhere. Now, after reigning for over a half a century, fluorescent lighting is about to be deposed by LEDs.

LEDs use semiconductors to convert electricity into light. Their rise to the top of the lighting pecking order stems mainly from their “luminous efficacy”, i.e., their efficient use of power. A light bulb’s efficiency is a measure of emitted light (lumens) divided by the power it draws (watts). A bulb that is 100 percent efficient at converting energy into light would have an efficacy of 683 lumens per watt. To put this in context, a 60- to 100-watt incandescent bulb has an efficacy of 15 lumens per watt, an equivalent fluorescent tube has an efficacy of 73 lumens per watt, and current LED-based replacement bulbs on the market range from 70-120 lumens per watt, with an average efficacy of 85 lumens per watt.

Trans-Lux is certainly playing a part in guiding America through its transition to LED. This is a company that has been innovating since 1920, known globally as a leader in indoor and outdoor digital signage, scoreboards, and lighting solutions for numerous industries, including commercial, education and sports markets. Trans-Lux product offerings fall into three broad categories: scoreboards, video displays and LED lighting.

The LED systems that Trans-Lux designs, manufactures, distributes and services are programmable in real time. They can be fashioned to meet the digital signage needs for a venue of any size, whether indoor or outdoor, and have found application in the financial, banking, gaming, corporate, advertising, transportation, entertainment and sports markets. Trans-Lux lighting fixtures save energy and offer a comprehensive range of the latest LED lighting technologies. This provides private facilities and public infrastructure with “green” lighting solutions that emit less heat, save energy and enable creative designs.

The company recently filed its latest 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016. Although it managed quarterly revenues of $5.9 million and income of $140,000 ($0.05 per share), performance was down compared to the third quarter of 2015. CEO Jean-Marc Allain, former president of Panasonic System Solutions, attributed the lower revenues to logistical issues.

“In the third quarter, construction of our new state-of-the art manufacturing facility in St. Louis and the coordination of several facilities has impacted deliveries. However, we fully believe that when complete, our new manufacturing base will provide great and sustained returns and efficiencies. We are confident that shipments that were delayed in third quarter, will be delivered in fourth quarter,” Allain stated in a recent news release (http://dtn.fm/blTA2).

For more information, visit www.trans-lux.com

ClearOne, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLRO), a company that designs, develops, and commercializes conferencing, collaboration, and network streaming and signage solutions for voice and visual communications, recently announced its quarterly earnings, reporting a $0.22 earnings per share for the third quarter of 2016.

Although slightly lower than during the same period of the previous year, ClearOne reported revenue of $12.9 million for the quarter with a net margin of 9.78% and a return on equity of 8.5%. Gross profit for the third quarter of 2016 came in at $7.7 million, with net income of $1.2 million and a non-GAAP net income of $2.0 million.

In addition to the above, a number of hedge funds and other investors opened new and increased stock positions in the company. In particular, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stock position in CLRO by just under 18%, giving it a 7.72% ownership stake of ClearOne, Inc. worth just over $8 million.

According to an article on The Cerbat Gem Market News and Analysis website (http://dtn.fm/imI3V), Morgan Stanley and Northern Trust Corp. raised their positions in shares by 373.8% and 1.9%, respectively, giving them both stakes worth more than $100,000. Vanguard Group, Inc. also raised its position in shares of CLRO by 0.4%, giving it shares of the company’s stock worth more than $1.5 million. As a result of these new and increased stock positions, hedge funds and other investors now own just under 19% of the company, with CLRO Director Larry Hendricks buying shares valued at $232,554.

ClearOne also recently announced that it will be paying a quarterly dividend to investors of $0.05. This adds up to a $0.20 yearly dividend, giving the company a dividend payout ratio of 37.74%. The company has also been the topic of several recent research reports.

The Cerbat Gem Market News and Analysis site referred to above also reported that, while The Street recently lowered shares for ClearOne from a ‘Buy’ rating to a ‘Hold’ rating, Zacks Investment Research upgraded the company’s rating from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’ with a target price of $13. In addition, B. Riley gave the company a ‘Buy’ rating with a target price of $13.25. Lastly, Singular Research also gave the company a ‘Buy’ rating with a price objective on its stock of $14.50.

Finally, ClearOne has also now entered into a new distribution agreement with National Source AV whereby National Source AV will represent ClearOne’s media collaboration, UC voice portfolios, and video conferencing to a variety of consultants and other potential stakeholders across Canada.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.clearone.com

To paraphrase the renowned German playwright, Bertolt Brecht, nature does not remember kisses on the cheek. Wounds, on the other hand, perversely leave scars. Perhaps fortunately, kisses leave no mark, but injuries to the body do. And the scars of such damage not only disfigure appearances but result in adhesion, which occurs when scars bind with surrounding tissue.

Luckily, however, advances in the field of regenerative medicine may soon relegate scar tissue to the indecipherable lyrics of a Red Hot Chili Peppers ballad. MiMedx Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDXG) is now bringing comfort to the wounded with its groundbreaking amniotic tissue allografts that promote tissue regeneration.

Scar tissue, however, is not the only issue that MiMedx is addressing. Its regenerative therapies based on amniotic tissue not only reduce scarring but modulate inflammation and enhance the healing process. This trifecta of winning outcomes has driven MiMedx to the top. In the span of eight years, the company has risen to become the world’s premier processor and supplier of human amniotic tissue and has, to date, distributed over 700,000 amniotic tissue grafts worldwide. Successful clinical outcomes have been achieved in a variety of therapeutic settings, including ophthalmology, spinal, chronic wounds, dental, orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, and urology.

Tissue derived from the amniotic membrane, which is the innermost layer of the placenta, is the building block of the MiMedx regenerative therapies. Normally, a mother’s placenta, or afterbirth, along with the amniotic membrane, is discarded as medical waste. However, through its Placenta Donation Program (http://dtn.fm/Mvz2R), MiMedx allows mothers, delivering healthy babies by planned Caesarean section, to donate their placentas. The amniotic membrane is then separated from the rest of the placenta and subjected to MiMedx’s proprietary Purion® technology, which is the foundation of its two lead products: AmnioFix® and EpiFix®.

The AmnioFix® and EpiFix® allograft solutions are MiMedx’s chief wound care (and company) products. Both allografts have an advantage over competitive products in that they can be stored at room temperature for five years without the need for refrigeration or freezing. As a result, they can be used right out of the package without a complicated thawing process. These critical qualities of the MiMedx® allografts allow hospitals, clinics, and surgeons to quickly provide the appropriate treatment while effectively managing their inventory of allografts.

The care of wounds is an undeveloped market. In a report issued earlier this month, Aegis Capital (http://dtn.fm/LOl14) estimated that MiMedx commanded a 60 percent share of the amniotic tissue market, a market that is, at present, growing by roughly 15 percent annually. MiMedx derives about three-quarters of its revenues from its amniotic tissue business. Together with its Surgical, Sports Medicine, and Other (SSO) business lines, Aegis expects that by 2020, the company will triple revenues to $560 million and earn one dollar in EPS (earnings per share). There are numerous caveats, however. Gross margin must stay in the low 80 percent range; operating margin must hover around 30 percent; and sales, general and administration (SG&A) expenses must not exceed half of sales.

Management is certainly expecting growth. The company has been engaged in an aggressive $60 million share buyback program, which could be signaling undervaluation. The Aegis analysts certainly think so. They have put a ‘Buy’ rating and price target of $12.00 on MiMedx. The stock is current trading at around $9.90 on the NASDAQ under the symbol MDXG.

For more information, visit www.mimedx.com

Calvert County, Maryland, has been working with Brekford Corporation (OTCQX: BFDI), a company in the business of producing and commercializing state-of-the-art public safety technology and automated traffic enforcement solutions for a variety of industries, including the military, U.S. government, and municipalities, among others. The arrangement was put in place in order for Brekford to provide and maintain traffic cameras now placed outside of schools and other facilities.

Since the new installments were put in place, Calvert County has completed the warning period and begun issuing violation notices. Brekford has deployed its seventh red light enforcement system in New Rochelle, New York. Twelve of these photo enforcement systems have been approved by the State of New York with approximately 40 approaches. Brekford is responsible for working with New Rochelle representatives to provide complete coverage in the coming months.

Looking further afield, the company terminated an exclusive distribution agreement with its Mexico-based partner, but started discussing the potential for a direct agreement with the city of Saltillo, Mexico. Other cities in Mexico have shown an interest in implementing photo enforcement programs using the company’s technology. BFDI also recently won competitive solicitation with a federal agency for a five-year contract.

In addition, in May of this year, BFDI announced that it filed a provisional patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding technologies associated with the automated detection and photo enforcement of electronic distracted driving violations. The company is continuing to explore a variety of methods that could further enhance traffic safety across the areas it serves.

Following this, Brekford Corp. announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2016 (http://dtn.fm/cgKa3), reporting a gross profit margin increase to 22.9%, as compared to 15.4% in the same period of the previous year. The gross margin of the company’s ATSE (automated traffic safety enforcement) services products area increased by approximately 8%, and vehicle services gross margin nearly doubled since last year. Despite overall loss having increased by approximately $20,000, operating expenses decreased by $60,000 this year, and operating income increased from $6,350 in 2015 to $56,523 in 2016.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.brekford.com

With voters in California having passed the Election Day ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, estimates released in The Marijuana Business Daily (http://dtn.fm/Q7J7o) reported that California’s recreational marijuana industry could eventually generate anywhere between $4.5 and $5 billion in annual retail sales. The article states that, in addition to enabling California to reclaim its mantle as the capital of the cannabis trade, it would also position the state as the most attractive market for business opportunities.

Proposition 64 now enables adults aged 21 and over to use and possess an ounce or less of marijuana for nonmedical purposes. Not only this, individuals will also be allowed to grow up to six plants in their homes. The Proposition imposes a 15% tax on sales, expected to generate an additional $1 billion in annual tax revenues, all according to an article in Business Insider (http://dtn.fm/nnIO3).

Although seven other states also legalized the use of recreational marijuana, California is the state with the largest economy, meaning the national legitimate weed industry has tripled in size, according to an article published in The Verge (http://dtn.fm/9foBL). The article also states that “California’s marijuana industry could be bigger than its famed wine businesses.” The market for both recreational and medical marijuana is now expected to grow from $7 billion this year to a huge $22 billion by 2020.

That said, there are still issues that haven’t been resolved regarding the new legislation surrounding recreational marijuana in California. The state still needs to establish where marijuana fits regarding driving under the influence of the substance. Up to now the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has rejected appeals to stop classifying marijuana as a Schedule I drug. Now, the DEA accepts tax money from the marijuana industry. However, because of the ban, companies are not able to accept credit cards or open bank accounts in many cases.

With so many companies currently aiming to capitalize on the new legislation surrounding recreational marijuana, such problems are expected to become more common. As a result, Singlepoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) subsidiary SingleSeed is gearing up its offering of credit card processing solutions for the cannabis industry.

Several years ago, the company established itself within the industry by creating key relationships and offering payment processing services to businesses in Colorado and Washington State. Today, SingleSeed believes that, with the high demand for marijuana on the horizon, it could lead to policy changes making banking more accessible for legal cannabis related businesses. SingleSeed will be collaborating with its technology partners to develop a marketing program designed specifically for businesses within the marijuana industry. This will allow consumers to make mobile debit and credit card payments.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Singlepoint.com

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The bottom line is the net earnings of an organization, which most companies try and improve by growing revenue and increasing efficiency. There are many ways of doing this, and social media has become an ever increasing factor that companies are continuously learning about and expanding on. Most companies today have some form of social media strategy that helps them connect and engage successfully with their target markets.

Most social media strategies include identifying business goals, setting marketing objectives, identifying target markets, doing research into the competition, choosing which platforms are best suited, creating a content strategy, establishing a budget and securing the necessary resources to maintain the strategy.

Aside from improving sales and increasing traffic, 66% of marketers who spend just six hours a week on social media see benefits in their lead generation, and almost half of these people see their marketing costs drop, according to Hubspot (http://dtn.fm/91Zm3). However, until recently, companies have been running their social media platforms separately. This means they have been required to spend a certain amount of time on each platform to ensure they are being maintained to the standards of their strategies.

FRAME, a new social media management software for businesses, introduced to the market by Agora Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGHI), is a technology that allows organizations to use a single dashboard to manage every aspect of their social media platforms. Aside from being able to publish brand-relevant messages to all accounts, companies can build campaigns more quickly and efficiently. This, in turn, cuts costs while allowing for further growth and deeper interaction.

In addition to a range of customer care tools, analytics, and reporting, the social media management software contributes hugely to an organization’s bottom line, saving it time and money. FRAME allows businesses to publish content that is not only relevant but also fits in perfectly with strategic objectives. FRAME is currently integrated with Twitter (NYSE: TWTR), Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), and Instagram, and it is now being explored for integration with LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD), Google+ (NASDAQ: GOOG; GOOGL), YouTube, and Tumblr (NASDAQ: YHOO).

For more information, visit www.agoraholdingsinc.com

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Independent research group Fundamental Research Corp. announced that it has updated its analysis of eXp World holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI) with an increased fair value estimate and revenue forecast after the company’s record financial results in the third quarter of 2016. The research firm began coverage of eXp World Holdings in April and has already updated its projections once in August amid the group’s unprecedented high growth driven by its real estate brokerage division, eXp Realty.

eXp Realty has remained the driving force behind the group’s increase throughout the last few months, as it is currently one of the fastest growing real estate brokerages on the U.S. market, having nearly tripled in size and operations since inception. The Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage™ currently has more than 2,200 real estate professionals serving 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Alberta, Canada. eXp Realty had only 864 agents on January 1 of this year and 1,580 in August, when the previous Fundamental Research Corp. report was released.

In its latest report (http://dtn.fm/7AopD), released on Monday, Fundamental Research Corp. raised its year-end agent forecast to 2,400, up 300 from its previous estimate of 2,100. The research group also raised its average agent count for 2017 while maintaining its year-end estimate at 4,500 agents. The long-term agent count forecast was also raised from 15,000 to 25,000 by 2022. According to the report, EXPI’s ability to attract successful real estate professionals at such an impressive rate is vital and will enable the company to continue its rapid growth of its agent base.

The revenue forecast for 2016 was also raised to $53.46 million from $48.94 million. For 2017, the research group estimates a higher revenue of $101.43 million, compared to the previous estimate of $82.50 million. Noting that EXPI’s revenues in Q3 increased by 112% year-over-year to $15.77 million, and that total revenues for the first nine months of 2016 were $36.18 million, 120% higher than the same reporting period last year, Fundamental Research Corp reiterated its ‘Buy’ rating for the company, with a raised fair value estimate of $6.78 per share compared to the current $4.06 per share.

The research group also reiterated its risk rating of 4 for the company, outlining the following potential risks: the high competitive nature of the real estate brokerage industry, the company’s overall profitability being very dependent on the health and state of the real estate market, the fact that the company is still in a growth stage with a rather short track record and has yet to prove its ability to retain agents long-term, and the company being susceptible to negative regulatory law changes, as any other real estate brokerage on the market.

The company’s exponential growth rate is the direct result of eXp Realty’s unique business model that relies heavily on cloud-based technologies and advanced virtual reality platforms to build a strong online community of real estate professionals. Without the limitations of a brick and mortar office and related expenses, members can provide efficient customer service and increase their profits with a lower risk. The company also offers all agents the possibility of being owners by giving them access to revenue sharing programs and the opportunity to become shareholders based on their contribution to company growth.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.eXpWorldHoldings.com

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The use of mobile devices is on the rise. Consumers across the globe want to be able to research, communicate, shop, and generally do pretty much everything on a mobile basis. It’s a well-known fact that websites not optimized for mobile use do not reach the same audience and, in turn, miss out on leads and sales. Since the launch of Apple and Android products and applications, the mobile world has changed.

Every industry has seen a shift toward this new phenomenon, and the real estate industry is no exception. Aside from transaction management being made easier, the new era of mobile technology is a development in client engagement and the way merchants, or in this case realtors, communicate with their consumers. Today, clients not only expect faster responses, but increased access to their real estate agents and brokers.

Because mobile technology now equips on-the-go consumers with more information than ever before, the job of the real estate agent has begun to shift. Instead of finding properties for their clients, real estate agents now often spend their time vetting properties that clients have found themselves online. Agents and brokers are now able to complete the majority of the research and work for the client through their mobile devices.

According to an infographic designed by Wolf Net (http://dtn.fm/90aUm), 89% of home shoppers use mobile devices to undertake their property search. GainClients, Inc. (OTC: GCLT), a software service company developing marketing services for real estate professionals and valuable home search and area information tools for consumers, is now promoting its new service, the GCard.

The GCard is a web and mobile real estate networking system for industry professionals and consumers. The platform brings together the entire real estate industry via a text or email invitation and helps real estate professionals serve clients by allowing them to share a range of important real estate data. The GCard has been designed to help build relationships among realtors and consumers by capitalizing on the ongoing transition toward mobile solutions.

The growth of mobile technology, combined with applications such as GainClients’ GCard, not only enables potential property buyers to have access to property details and images but also allows real estate agents and brokers to stay ahead of the game from a marketing and customer care point of view. This enhanced communication platform makes the process of buying and/or selling a home quicker and easier for both parties.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.gainclients.com

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This has been a successful year for Moxian, Inc. (NASDAQ: MOXC). The company, a China-based provider of social media marketing and promotion platforms, has been making progress toward achieving its plans for expansion. Since its beginnings in 2010, MOXC has launched the Moxian+ User Application for consumers to take advantage of various social networking tools, rewards, activities, and games. Separately, the company launched its Moxian+ Business Application, allowing merchants to build relationships with consumers and manage advertising.

With China leading the O2O market today, it is no surprise that MOXC has been targeting small- to medium-sized businesses in the larger metropolitan areas of China. In January of this year, Moxian established its Beijing subsidiary, Moxian Technologies (Beijing) Co. Ltd., in the Dongcheng district of Beijing. This new corporate subsidiary is focused on growing sales in the Beijing area. The company also plans to expand its in-house sales team in Beijing to 50 salespeople in order to pursue maximum market penetration.

In addition, according to an updated coverage report of Moxian, Inc. undertaken by Crystal Equity Research (http://dtn.fm/qMT9c) and released on August 30 of this year, the company has “perfected and tested its O2O platform in Asian markets and is homing in on the largest metropolitan areas in China.” The report also states that Moxian should see a dramatic increase in revenue from merchant subscriptions, as it has now opened direct sales offices in some of the most popular areas of China. Moxian could also be building distribution partnerships with third parties that already have significant relationships with merchants.

Driving more sales and expanding to Beijing are not the only highlights from 2016. Recently, MOXC uplisted to the Nasdaq Capital Market. The release of this news was accompanied by that of Moxian completing a best efforts public offering of over 2.5 million shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $4 per share. This uplisting will play a key role in widening MOXC’s visibility within the investment world as well as increasing shareholder value.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Moxian.com

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