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Dr. Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan
Indonesia’s macro-economy has been geared up with the constant upward development of its domestic factors and healthy contribution of channel of production since its inception. It has been blended its natural resources, tourism potential, widespread of SMEs, service sector and last but not least nationalistic private sector to achieve numerous socio-economic miracles.
It has been succeeding to achieve its desired goals of constant socio-economic prosperity, qualitative life, eradication of poverty, social networking and political stability because of supremacy of doctrine of a balanced and holistic approach between “growth” and “stability”.
Structural reforms have been playing a positive and productive role in the macro-economy of Indonesia which is a market economy in which the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and large private business groups play a significant role. They account for about 60 percent of Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP) and create employment to nearly 108 million Indonesians.
Major industrial sectors of its economy include petroleum and natural gas, textiles and apparel, mining, footwear, plywood, rubber and chemical fertilisers. The services sector is equally as important to Indonesia’s economy, accounting for 43 per cent of GDP in 2015. Agriculture on the other hand only accounted for 14 per cent.
Indonesia has a market-based liberalized economy in which its government plays a significant role, including administering prices for some basic goods such as fuel, rice and electricity. In terms of value added, the industrial sector accounted for more than 45 per cent of GDP.
It is largest economy in Southeast Asia, which is a diverse archipelago nation of more than 300 ethnic groups. It has charted impressive economic growth since overcoming the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.
Statistical data upholds that now Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous nation, the world’s 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, and a member of the G-20. It has made enormous gains in poverty reduction, decreasing the poverty rate by more than half since 1999, to 9.78 percent in 2020. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Indonesia was able to maintain consistent economic growth, recently qualifying the country to reach upper middle income status.
Indonesia has its own unique economic model which heavily relies on domestic production, savings, investments, proper mobilization and channelization of local resources, nurturing of human capital core and last but not least, positive domestic consumption.
It follows a 20 year development plan, spanning from 2005 to 2025. It has been following people’s friendly social development policies, business and investment friendly programs and plans since long which is now paying its huge socio-economic dividends.
It is segmented into 5 year medium-term plans, called the RPJMN (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Nasional) each with different development priorities. The current medium-term development plan the last phase of the long-term plan starts from 2020 to 2024. It aims to further strengthen Indonesia’s economy by improving the country’s human capital and competitiveness in the global market.
Now its macro-economy is feeling the heat of unending COVID-19 due to which social development is compromised but its economic resilience is trying to streamline it.
According to its national data its government implemented emergency fiscal packages equivalent to 3.8 percent of GDP in 2020 and to 4.2 percent of GDP in 2021, to deal with the health impact, provide relief to households and firms, and support the vaccine roll-out, and the recovery.
The World Bank is supporting the Indonesia’s COVID-19 emergency response, including enhancing social assistance and health care systems, while also strengthening the resilience of the financial sector.
Despite COVID-19 it still holds great economic potential. The central government supported to curb Indonesia’s traditional reliance on raw commodity exports, while raising the role of the manufacturing industry within the national economy. Infrastructure development is also a key goal of the government, and one that should cause a multiplier effect within the economy with lots of multiplier effects.
In the past so many years, it was often rated as an appropriate candidate to be included in the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Furthermore, CIVETS (Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa) also gained attention as its members have reasonably sophisticated financial systems and fast-growing populations which showed high levels of economic diversification, productivity, and sustainability of Indonesia.
Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings and Moody have upgraded its credit ratings. Resilient economic growth, low government debt and prudent fiscal management have been termed as reasons for the upgrades and are key in attracting financial inflows into Indonesia in terms of FDIs and FPIs.
These FDI inflows, which had been relatively weak for Indonesia during the decade after the Asian Financial Crisis had seriously shaken up the foundations of the country, showed a steep increase after the global financial crisis of 2008-2009.
With promulgation of New Mining Law 2009 Indonesia reduced its traditional reliance on raw commodity exports and boosted the manufacturing industry. With the passage of time, the country is passing through from transition to transformation.
The Indonesian government under the visionary leadership of Joko Widodo has initiated numerous structural reforms aiming at long-term growth. The government rates high priority on infrastructure development and on investment and fiscal incentives that are offered to private investors. Moreover future of its macro-economy is healthy, productive and positive because of having abundant and diverse natural resources with young, large and burgeoning population, immense political stability, institutionalization of prudent fiscal management since the late 1990s, strategic location in relation to the giant economies of China and India, low labour costs and an emerging market.
Indonesia’s micro, small and medium sized enterprises account for 99 percent of the total amount of enterprises which are active in Indonesia. They account for about 60 percent of Indonesia’s GDP and create employment to nearly 108 million Indonesians. These micro, small and medium sized companies are the backbone of the Indonesian economy.
Critical analysis of its macro-economy upholds that Indonesia’s economic growth is starting to accelerate again after the economic slowdown. Now it has again started its journey from the ‘Asian Miracle’ to an emerging economy of the world.
Right from the beginning, Indonesian government has consistently prioritised stability over growth and followed a holistic approach to achieve its economic goals. President Joko Widodo’s program of infrastructure development and economic reform has made progress. However, infrastructure investment needs to be substantially higher, public saving increased through a more comprehensive tax strategy, and business climate reforms recalibrated towards liberalising markets rather than just cutting red tape.
Due to constant structural economic reforms, Indonesia is widely rated as a future economic giant. Now it is the world’s 7th largest economy by purchasing power parity. It hopes that it may be the 5th largest economy in the world by 2030 and fourth soon after. On a market exchange rate basis, Indonesia ranks 16th in the world but will likely enter the top ten by 2030.
Being prominent regional expert I would like to suggest that Indonesian government try to change its national health system. More stringent, cross-sector regulations with detailed protocols for the safe operation of different types of businesses, with specific implications for the various stakeholders should be introduced at once.
Lockdowns have channeled many people online for shopping, learning, entertainment, and working, accelerating the shift to digital services should be the new normal. Simultaneously, companies are pushing ahead with internal digitization for staff, customers, and suppliers (for instance, enhancing supply-chain visibility, offering digital learning experiences, and providing new channels to customers which ought to be implemented.
Undoubtedly, culture of working from home, reducing long-distance travel, and other lockdown habits could lead to a permanent shift toward behaviors that are better for the environment. Companies and governments will seek to address supply-chain flaws revealed by the crisis encouraging domestic sources for strategic goods, such as food and medicine; and generally accelerating the digitization of supply chains.
On part of tourism sector, Indonesia could start marketing its lesser-known tourist attractions to a domestic audience to travel. It could also improve its tourism infrastructure, such as airports, and standards within the hospitality industry.
A mix of modern technology, automation may generate more jobs in Indonesia than are lost between 2014 and 2030. Resultantly, 9-24 million new jobs may be generated. It can build from the online-learning efforts and habits developed during the pandemic to teach those new capabilities more broadly and more quickly. So, journey towards smarter economy and key to further socio-economic prosperity rests on rigorous modernization of macro-economy.
Qualitative infrastructure development is still a concern. There is an urgent need for better logistics to support home deliveries and improved digital infrastructure in general. Improved sanitation and access to clean water, as well as other improvements in conditions, such as a reduction in overcrowded living spaces and multiple access points to homes are the need of the hour.
As we know that Indonesia’s domestic economic structure is different than most countries as about 90 percent of its GDP is comprised of a combination of household consumption (58 percent) and investments (32 percent).
As a result, the impact of COVID-19 on household spending has grave repercussions for the country’s GDP. Household consumption is expected to drop 4.4 percent, or IDR 395 trillion, in 2020 which should be resolved through strengthening policy to boost household consumption by accelerating the social protection program to help the targeted community receive the support in time, for example with voucher disbursement and cash handouts. Moreover, suppress unemployment by being more proactive in supporting businesses in priority sectors to help more Indonesians keep their jobs may be a noble idea in this regard.
In terms of financial reforms, further strengthening of capital market policy to expedite the index recovery to its pre-crisis level should be initiated. Indonesia can use knowledge from potential development and resolving it before creating a chain of bankruptcies. One approach is through a top-down injection of credit, such as providing working capital support to larger distributors.other countries, such as Malaysia, which has almost recovered its capital market.
All efforts should be coordinated to prevent a massive credit crunch by quickly identifying it. Revitalizing manufacturing, acceleration of making Indonesia 4.0 initiatives to reposition its manufacturing strength from a low-cost labor location for commodity products to a high-productivity location for more value-added products should be implemented as soon possible. Indonesia should also focus on developing its digital economy. Its digital service ecosystem is still at initial stage with a focus on the domestic market.
Boosting of ICT spending to stimulate growth may be quick remedy in this regard. Increase of the quantity and quality of digital talents to enable the supply of innovative digital services may be a workable solution. Revolutionize logistics and supply chain with digital technologies should be the future of its macro-economy.
Establish remote working as a standard model, dissemination of online education for high-quality access, improvement of the urban system for better efficiency and safety along with enhanced FDI with technology transfer and acceleration of government digitalization are the way forward.


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OMP Mechtron Group is now developing its business versus a new sector: medical device. This challenge is supported by OMP flexibility and, OMP’s aim to be wherever the market needs more specific skills and capabilities.
OMP built its reputation thanks to its ability to be not a supplier but a partner for its clients: its technologies and know-how can be easily applied in different sectors if these demonstrate that they can be profitable on a long-term business plan.
Based on a recent report edited by Assobiomedica, the medical device market is expected to grow during the next years on a worldwide basis, thanks to surviving a crisis that involved the market for many years.
It is important to underline that OMP Mechtron is starting to pay more attention to this market thanks to new customers. During the last months its technical department had started to develop new technologies to supply devices and integrated boxes specifically designed for the medical sector.
All the OMP Mechtron plants, (Italy, Mexico and China) are working with growing companies that decided to invest in the medical sector with volumes that are still medium, but with a prospect of stable growth during the years.
In addition to its general growth prospective, the medical sector can be interesting for its possibility of differentiation. An example can be a recent project that we are developing in collaboration with a company leader in imaging devices developed for the veterinary world; the goal for OMP is to support its customer to develop diagnostic instruments able to satisfy any type of request.
This is just one example of the commitment that the entire OMP team all over the world is using to drive the company into a new and challenging market with the aim to continuously improve our skills and increase our brand awareness to new sectors.

domain: news


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Bone music is back.
Los Angeles-based label Blank City Records is investing in X-ray audio and vinyl records pressed on medical X-rays. The last time people were listening to records on X-rays was 1950s Russia, during the cultural blackout of government censorship.
The founders of Black City Records, Marc Sallis and Brandon Burkart, are finding success as the old becomes new. As musicians themselves, they have plenty of experience putting music out through labels — but not on X-rays.
“I came across ribs recordings. Back in the 40s and 50s in Russia when they couldn’t get access to Western music, they would put it out on these X-rays,” says Sallis. “And I thought, wouldn’t it be great to do a record label pressing on X-rays?”
Their founding partner, Kawika Campbell, jumpstarted the process with a $5,000 investment in the label committed to the niche business. Their first EP sold out in under 24 hours, with their subsequent releases achieving similar success. Blank City Records announced Pair of Arrow’s new EP called Walls, out September 29, and the presale of the X-ray edition of the title track single sold out completely.
But considering the current boom of records, it’s not surprising that vinyl with a vintage twist is taking off. According to Nielsen, vinyl LP sales reached 13 million in 2016. Records are projected to sell 40 million units this year, the seventh year of consecutive double-digit growth.
With almost half of all purchasers of vinyl record customers under 25, according to MusicWatch, records are massively appealing to consumers who grew up on streaming. But since customers get a virtual record along with each physical copy, Sallis sees the result spanning the divide. The nature of the X-ray audio lends itself to ephemerality. After being donated from doctors’ offices and contributors no longer attached to their X-rays, the record can only play a few times.
“You’re only going to get so many plays out of it,” says Sallis. “I like that the physical product crosses into the digital world.”
And yet, the added layer of creative functionality establishes the product as multifaceted and innovative. Rather than just throwing out an old X-ray or keeping it in an attic, people can connect their bodies to their music.
“X-rays normally just get put in landfills. They go by the ton,” says Sallis. “Everyone thinks they recycle now, but we really used to recycle. If people want to donate, we’d love that.”
The label intends on bringing their community together through their crowdsourcing approach — Sallis and Burkart accept X-rays from anyone and don’t discriminate against different genres. Their only request? That the bands on the ribs recordings have a connection to L.A.
“We want to actually root ourselves in the local community, given that we want to support local music,” says Burkart. “It’s really been a labor of love.”


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With the implementation of “301” tariffs on September 24, 2018, we’re seeing numerous price increase announcements from the plethora of cabinet companies who import Chinese RTA cabinetry and components. These price increases are ranging from 6.5% to 10% and telegraphing the risk to as much as 25% by January 1, 2019.
Here are a few excerpts from the letters I have in hand:
“‘Domestic’ and ‘Imported’ cabinet manufacturers rely significantly on material and labor from China.” – JSI letter to customers dated September 19, 2018
“Most manufacturers, including domestic manufacturers who purchase components from China, will get the tariff.” – email to customers from CNC Cabinetry dated September 21, 2018
“Due to the uncertainty surrounding future tariffs and how it will affect the market, we also cannot guarantee future pricing as we have no control of this dynamic.” – Sunco Cabinets letter to customers dated September 19, 2018
In contrast to domestic and imported cabinet manufacturers who rely heavily on imported Chinese components,
I will also note that the Trump Administration can be unpredictable and could strike a deal with China tomorrow and unwind the “301” tariffs – however the uncertainty will likely remain high as these trade deals are negotiated.
Even more importantly and systemic, acpi, along with other domestic cabinet manufacturers have come together and documented that the Chinese government routinely and significantly subsidizes Chinese cabinet and wood component manufacturers. As such they are doing irreparable harm to the domestic cabinet and wood component industry and we’ve joined together to prepare a case against these unfair trade practices for the International Trade Commission to consider. If we are successful in this endeavor the level of the tariff will be along the lines of the Plywood impact (100%) and carry a 5-year term. Let’s see what happens.
Essentially, we want to encourage you to buy American and eliminate this risk for you and your customers.
Very truly yours,
Larry W. Denbrock, President & CEO, acpi
Resources to help you create stylish and functional high-quality kitchens and baths. Get started now
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Latest news!Chester History & Heritage is extending its opening hours during the summer. We will be open every second Saturday in the month from 11am -4pm. The dates for your diary are:
Our image this month shows workers from Cheshire's salt industry, important in Northwich, Nantwich and Winsford for hundreds of years. For more information about the industry you can now visit the newly opened museum, Lion Salt Works in Northwich or visit the website at Lion Salt Works.
Cheshire during the First World War.
You can view some of our images from the period 1914 to 1920 by clicking on the "Popular Collections" tab and choosing "First World War". We will be adding more images to this set to mark the 100 year anniversary of the start of the conflict.


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The Busan Port Authority (BPA) will establish and operate a bonded warehouse after it bought a new logistics base in Indonesia as part of its New Southern Policy to increase trade.
The BPA said it will take over the warehouse at the Probolinggo Port in East Java to expand the logistics chain between Busan and Indonesia and support cross-border trade.
East Java is the second largest economic area in Indonesia after Jakarta and is a hub of Korean business.
It will be designed to ease congestion at the nearby Surabaya Port and meet growing demand for warehouse capacity at Probolinggo Port.
BPA said it is planning to establish a joint enterprise in February with a local logistics company PK and the Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development (KIND) Corporation and finish the warehouse construction and begin its sales activities in earnest from December.
The joint corporate participated by BPA will handle inland shipping and port unloading and will expand its business scope to include refer warehouse, new port development and operation, etc.
PK, established in 1991, is at the top ten maritime and logistics industry ranking and was the first Indonesian logistics company to take base in the Probolinggo Port.
KIND is a public agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation established in 2018 to support Korean companies to enter into overseas markets.
Indonesia, one of the top 10 trading partners of Busan Port, has the 4th largest population in the world (270 million people) and is growing at the annual rate of 5%.
On Dec 18, the government concluded the CEPA with Indonesia for the first time as an ASEAN country following the government announcement of the New Northern Policy in 2017. This is expected to result in more bilateral trade activities and increased entry of Korean companies in the area.
Moreover, BPA is expected to complete the construction of BPA-Rotterdam Distribution Center by the end of next year and is working with the Port of Barcelona to operate a distribution center there from September next year.
The Authority is discussing with relevant entities to operate a distribution facility in India, Thailand, Vietnam, etc. as well and actual results is expected to be out next year.
BPA CEO NAM Ki-chan said, “It is meaningful that BPA secured a distribution base in Indonesia despite the prolonged US-China trade war and the COVID-19 situation. BPA will proactively expand Busan’s logistics network with ports overseas.”


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Attack on Apple and Google: Microsoft plans app store for mobile games
With the billion-dollar takeover of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft not only wants to strengthen its position in the gaming sector, but also launch an attack on Apple and Google. According to the head of the group’s Xbox division, Microsoft is preparing to launch a new app store for games on iPhones and Android smartphones as early as next year, when Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard by approved by the regulatory authorities. The Financial Times reported on Monday.
“We want to be able to bring the Xbox and our and our third-party content to whatever screen someone wants to play on,” said Microsoft Gaming Chief Executive Phil Spencer in an interview ahead of the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week. “Today we can’t do that on mobile devices, but we want to work towards a world that we believe will come when those devices open up.”
Spencer is alluding to new EU rules that oblige Apple and Google to open their mobile platforms in the EU to external app stores. The new regulations are expected to come into force from March 2024 as part of the EU Digital Markets Act, which Spencer described as “a great opportunity”. Microsoft then stated that it wants to be able to offer its game content in a kind of Xbox Mobile Store “on all screens”, i.e. also and above all smartphones.
Antitrust Review of Activision Blizzard Acquisition
First, however, the antitrust dispute between Microsoft and Sony must be decided. Microsoft is currently wrestling with regulators in the US, Europe and the UK, all of which have raised concerns about the potential competitive impact of Microsoft’s acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard. PlayStation maker Sony, by far the most vocal opponent of the takeover, wants to avoid the deal at all costs.
Most recently, it was said that the EU apparently wanted to agree to the takeover by Microsoft. A decision is expected to be announced at the end of April. In order to appease the competition authorities, Microsoft had promised its competitors access to games.
From the point of view of the competition authorities, the now announced plans by Microsoft of its own app store for mobile games could be a further argument for the approval of the Activision Blizzard takeover, since this would compete with the app store duopoly of Apple and Google.
While it’s difficult to predict exactly when Microsoft will be able to launch its own store, Spencer said the adjustments it needs to make to its Xbox and Game Pass apps to sell games and subscriptions on mobile devices are “pretty trivial”. Activision Blizzard would fix Microsoft’s current lack of mobile games. Popular games like Call of Duty Mobile, Diablo Immortal and Candy Crush Saga, as well as other titles in development, would be “vital” in attracting gamers away from the Apple and Google marketplaces to an Xbox Mobile Store, according to Spencer.


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Park Hotel Latgola invites participants of National all breeds dog show “Latgale Cup 2019” and “Winter’s tale in Latgale 2019” to use the special offer for staying in Daugavpils during the show with their pets on favourable terms.
Last weekend, with valued support from the Embassy of Latvia in Poland, the first exhibition on Polish soil from the collection of Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre was opened at the Creativity Centre of Targowa, Warsaw.
According to information compiled by the Daugavpils Tourist Information Centre, the total flow of visitors to Daugavpils tourist attractions, culture and recreational establishments increased in active tourist season.
On the verge of Latvian centenary celebrations, at 4 p.m. on Friday 16 November at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, launch of eight new artistic projects will mark the opening of the centre’s new exhibition season.
On Friday 21 September at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, the 115th anniversary of the world-renowned Daugavpils-born artist Mark Rothko will be celebrated with a concert of an Italian duet, a creative workshop for children, a press conference and the opening of eight new exhibitions.
Starting from September,1st guided tours at the Daugavpils Lead Shot Factory will be held on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays according to the following schedule: 10 a.m. (in Russian/English), 12 p.m. (in Latvian), 2 p.m. (in Latvian) and 4 p.m. (in Russian/English).
Holy Father Pope Francis will set for an apostolic visit to the Baltic States on 22nd – 25th of September 2018. He will visit Aglona on 24th of September. “Park Hotel Latgola” offers discount on accommodation services in this period.
International painting symposium “Mark Rothko”, which has become a fine tradition, will run 8 through 21 September at Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, this year – under the topic “Painting our future together”.
At 4 p.m. on Friday 20 July, the opening of an exhibition of artwork by participants of this year’s International Ceramic Art Symposium “Ceramic Laboratory” at the Rothko Centre will mark the beginning of the symposium’s sixth iteration.


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MV Commercial has secured a deal for 100 new specialist cranes as part of a multi-million-pound deal with Hiab UK and Ireland. The deal, worth more than £5m, is for a mix of light, medium and heavy-duty loader cranes and sees MV Commercial taking delivery of the new units throughout 2021 and 2022. All 100 cranes will also be equipped with Hiab’s HiConnect telematics system, with 60% of the order contracted to be installed at Hiab’s UK installation sites. MV […]
The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has beefed up the security of its VN5 electric van by partnering with Locks 4 Vans, which offers bespoke solutions for commercial vehicles.
Yusen Logistics has won a contract to deliver LG Electronics logistics subsidiary Hi Logistics UK to deliver products throughout the UK.
Baby and nursery retailer Kiddies Kingdom is looking for “multiple” transport partners as it announces the opening of a new distribution warehouse in Dewsbury off the back of an online sales surge.


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The U.S. government’s temporary lifeline to tens of millions of unemployed workers – $600 a week in extra jobless benefits – has likely boosted cannabis sales across much of the country amid the coronavirus-induced recession.
But that benefit expired July 31, and no new deal was in place to renew the weekly payment in some form.
Industry experts said the loss of that additional money in the pockets of Americans might well put at least a temporary damper on cannabis sales, which so far have held up relatively well during the pandemic.
The $600 weekly payments began in April.
Now, congressional Republicans are talking about slashing the supplemental stimulus to $200 a week.
But even if a higher compromise is reached with Democrats and the White House, it’s unclear whether people who have lost their jobs will continue to spend as much money on cannabis as before.
“I’m confident in saying that reducing an individual’s total earnings will affect the amount of money they’ll be able to spend on cannabis,” said Andrew Livingston, director of economics and research with Denver-based cannabis law firm Vicente Sederberg.
“But I would expect a larger impact on adult-use sales because medical patients treat cannabis a lot like their necessary medicine.”
Morgan Fox, the Washington DC-based communications director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, said it’s possible that sales “may take a slight dip if consumers’ economic situations get worse.”
But he said there’s still “multiple possible reasons for seeing largely steady sales through the pandemic.”
Depending on the size of the next stimulus, what happens in the next few months also could be an important indicator of whether cannabis is recession-proof like alcohol, industry experts say.
Thus far, there has been increased spending on medical and adult-use cannabis during the coronavirus pandemic, with some notable exceptions such as in tourist-driven areas such as Nevada, according to Marijuana Business Daily research.
The new Marijuana Business Factbook projects that retail marijuana sales will reach $15.5 billion-$18.9 billion this year, as much as a 40% jump over 2019.
But, cautioned MJBizDaily researchers last month: “It remains an open question how cannabis sales will fare if no – or limited – additional financial stimulus is provided to the tens of millions of unemployed U.S. residents.”
Out of companies’ control
While cannabis industry executives plan to monitor the situation carefully, they say they are most concerned about the economic recovery as a whole rather than getting hung up on a specific stimulus package that’s beyond their control.
“It’s really hard to say (about the impact of enhanced jobless benefits). We’re not polling (our customers) asking, ‘Are you spending your government check on weed?’” said Peter Marcus, communications director at Colorado-based Terrapin Care Station.
Terrapin has six adult-use stores in the Denver metro area. One also sells medical cannabis.
In addition, the company operates a cultivation/processing operation in Pennsylvania that distributes products to 90% of the MMJ dispensaries in the state. Terrapin also has a cultivation/processing license in Michigan and recently started wholesaling products there.
Marcus said Terrapin has experienced close to 50% increases in sales year-over-year, starting a couple of weeks before the enhanced jobless benefits were issued in the spring.
“People were stuck at home, your workload has shifted, you’ve got more time on your hands, chances are you’re stressed out, you’re anxious. Those were the initial spikes,” Marcus said.
“Whether that was sustained later because of the government stimulus I don’t know. I can tell you as a company that we’re not anxious or nervous about it (the stimulus) going away.”
Marcus said Terrapin is most concerned about people’s livelihoods in general and wouldn’t want customers to spend more money on cannabis than they could afford.
Jobless rates key indicator
In a positive sign that could help offset a smaller jobless benefit, unemployment rates continued to decline in June after reaching peak levels in April.
Recently rising coronavirus cases, however, have forced some governors to re-shutter parts of their local economies, with jobless claims again increasing.
Vicente Sederberg’s Livingston is keeping a close eye on the demographics of jobless rates.
One figure that has caught his attention: Jobless rates are highest among the age groups that are the biggest consumers of cannabis, particularly recreational marijuana.
Here are some potentially key indicators for the industry:
- The jobless rate of Americans 20-24 years old totaled 19.8% in June after skyrocketing from 6.6% in January to 25.7% in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
- The unemployment rate for Americans between the ages of 25-34 stood at 11.7% in June, compared with 3.7% in January. April was worse, 14.5%.
Livingston noted that many young Americans also work in the service sector, meaning their jobs are relatively low-paying and perhaps more uncertain during the coronavirus crisis.
The BLS is scheduled to release the July unemployment data on Aug. 7.
MMJ sales might be more resilient
Medical marijuana sales, at least in MMJ-only states, might fare better not only because medical cannabis is more likely to be seen as “essential” but also because patients tend to be older and not as many are jobless, Livingston noted.
However, it all depends on the individual’s situation, experts noted.
How much disposable income is left after paying for rent or mortgage, utilities, car payments, food, etc.?
Medical marijuana and CBD industry officials don’t discount the importance of the supplemental jobless benefit but appear less concerned about it.
“We recognize that during tough times, people adjust their buying behavior,” said Todd Beckwith, director of corporate affairs for AltMed Florida. “But medicine usually remains part of the mix.”
The pandemic hasn’t stopped Sarasota, Florida-based AltMed from opening five additional dispensaries since mid-March. It now has 23 statewide.
In Florida’s most recent weekly sales update, AltMed moved to No. 2 in market share with its 18 dispensaries. Its sales are higher than three operators that have more dispensaries.
“We don’t see a huge negative impact to our business per se, but as our patients are negatively affected, we’re concerned about that,” Beckwith said of the potentially lower federal stimulus aid.
In the meantime, he said, AltMed is actively offering ways for customers to save money, such as through loyalty programs and discounts for larger orders.
Bethany Gomez, managing director of Brightfield Group, a Chicago-based data research firm that tracks CBD trends, said unemployment benefits are definitely something cannabis companies should keep an eye on.
But, she noted, “it’s really out of their control at this juncture.”
“We definitely do need to be mindful that a lot of consumers are impacted by … unemployment right now,” she told MJBizDaily.
“So I certainly would not want to say that there’s not going to be an impact at all,” she said of a potentially lower jobless benefit.
But there’s also a lot of good news for companies responding to consumers with the right kinds of products, she said.
“As we look at consumer behavior … people do not want to be without these products, right? They really rely on these products more than ever.”
In fact, she said, many people during the coronavirus pandemic are turning toward THC and CBD products rather than alcohol to treat their anxiety, depression and chronic pain.
“None of those issues are going away. And they’re a lot more heightened in the middle of a global pandemic.”
Jeff Smith can be reached at email@example.com
Hemp Industry Daily Editor Kristen Nichols contributed to this report.


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Almost 50,000 'mortgage prisoners' stuck with loans they can't afford to leave
Jacob Rees-Mogg reported to standards watchdog over £6million in cheap loans
Brits face £2,000-a-year blow as inflation, taxes and interest rates all riseVIDEO
'Families struggle to afford bills but only one blind to crisis is the Chancellor'
Five items that are due to become more expensive because of rising inflation


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Diageo has kicked off an auction of US-focused spirits brands including Goldschlager, a cinnamon schnapps it has owned for more than 20 years.
The group, which is pursuing a strategy to focus on premium labels, began holding talks with potential buyers of the portfolio in recent weeks for a sale worth around $500m-$1bn. The brands earmarked for disposal include Myer’s Rum, which launched in the US in 1934; Popov, a vodka label; and Romana, a Sambuca brand. (Sky News)
Sainsbury’s could face legal action from the union Unite after the supermarket said it was pressing ahead with a plan to cut paid breaks, annual bonuses and premium pay for Sundays, leaving thousands of workers out of pocket (The Guardian). Sainsbury is pushing ahead with a new pay deal for thousands of store employees amid a political outcry over its proposals (The Times £). Sainsbury’s has stumped up an extra £10m for staff wages after coming under fire from MPs and unions over its controversial pay shake-up (The Telegraph).
Tate & Lyle’s new chief executive promised to “inject more pace” into the ingredients maker and deliver $100m of savings as the producer of Splenda sweeteners reported a 23 per cent rise in pre-tax profits (The Financial Times £). The former Pepsi executive intends to accelerate performance by focusing on supplying its key categories of drinks, dairy and soups, as well as sauces and dressings, launching acquisitions and partnerships, and cutting costs, largely in its supply chain, to generate the savings over the next four years (The Times £). Tate & Lyle’s boss believes a levy on high sugar fizzy drinks can “only be a good thing”, as more companies seek help in avoiding the tax (The Telegraph).
Retail sales had their biggest monthly rise in a year and a half as the high street came back to life after the snow-struck start to the year (The Times £). Britain’s economy could be back on the front foot as retail sales recovered sharply in April, bouncing back from a fall in March when snowy weather hit sales (The Telegraph). Retailers enjoyed the biggest jump in sales in 18 months during April as shoppers returned to the high street (The Guardian). UK retail sales were up in April as warmer weather brought shoppers back to the high street, but there was little change in the underlying picture of cautious consumer spending (The Financial Times £).
Graphic health warnings like those on cigarette packets, showing rows of rotten teeth on cans of cola and other sugary drinks, could deter some young adults from buying them, a study has shown. (The Guardian)
Packaging giant Tetra Pak is planning to lobby politicians and regulators about the benefits of plastic straws despite pledging last month to launch a paper straw for its popular juice cartons by the end of this year. (The Financial Times £)
In wider retail the cut-price sale of Homebase gets plenty of coverage. “Wesfarmers locks in $1bn of losses as it cuts ties with Homebase” writes The Financial Times (£), “Bunnings pulls out of Britain after $1.4bn disaster” writes The Guardian, “Homebase owner sells up for £1 after disastrous rebrand attempt” says The Telegraph, while The BBC and Sky News both focus on the £1 selling price.


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Latest market report offers no surprises
Prepared and written by Jeff Swenson, DATCP Livestock and Meat Specialist. The Market Update draws information from several sources, including trade publications, radio broadcasts, agricultural news services, individuals involved in the industry as well as USDA NASS and AMS reports.
The June 25 Cattle on Feed report didn’t offer many surprises. The On Feed number was slightly higher compared to June 2020, making it the second largest June inventory since the report began in 1996.
Cattle placed in feedlots during May was 93.1 percent compared to a year ago. Cattle marketed were 23 percent higher than last year when COVID-19 was challenging the supply chain. Feeder cattle supply is tightening and some feeders are opting for empty pens after calculating profit/loss on the cattle available.
Pasture conditions continue to deteriorate in parts of the country. Beef cow harvest in the region including Arizona, California, Nevada and Hawaii is 58 percent higher year-to-date compared to 2019. Dairy cow harvest nationally has been running below year ago levels indicating expansion in that sector is ongoing.
Wisconsin’s pasture is rated 60 percent Good to Excellent. Just 31 percent of pasture is rated Good to Excellent nationally, and there are 13 states where no pasture falls in to the Excellent rating.
Estimated cattle harvest for last week was 661,000 head, 2,000 head lower than the previous week. Wholesale beef prices are declining with the Choice beef cattle cutout dipping below the $300.00 mark this week.
Cash prices remain steady to higher. Weekly export sales for US raised beef was 12,100 metric tons. 2,100 metric tons was purchased by China, compared to 1,500 metric tons of pork.
Hog market sees selloff
The hog sector experienced a sell-off in the Lean Hog futures contracts, a drop in pork cutouts and a dip in cash hog prices last week. The market is stabilizing.
Last week’s Hogs and Pigs report indicated a 1.5 percent decline in breeding hog numbers and lower farrowing intentions. Estimated harvest last week was 2.368 million head. That’s 69,000 head lower than the previous week and 258,000 head lower than the same week last year.
Hog supply continues to tighten and lower hog weights are contributing to lower pork production. Current feed costs and continued grain complex volatility will also contribute to lower carcass weights the rest of the year.
The latest weekly export total for US raised pork was 28,600 metric tons. China purchased just 1,500 metric tons. This may be the first time China purchased more beef than pork as they bought 2,100 metric tons of beef.
Grain stocks lower than a year ago
The National Agricultural Statistic Service (NASS) released a Grain Stocks report showing grain supply lower than a year ago – corn stocks are down 39 percent from last year and soybeans in storage down 65 percent from a year ago.
NASS also released an Acreage report showing corn acres planted 2 percent higher than last year and soybean acres 5 percent higher. Even with more acres planted the increases were below trade expectations.
The average price Wisconsin farmers received for corn in May was $5.93/bushel. That’s.78 higher than April and $2.84 above May last year. The May soybean price was $14.70/bushel, .12 higher than April and .20 higher than May 2020. Last week’s rain was a welcomed sight for many, although not every area of the state saw the precipitation.
State markets remain steady
Choice beef breed steers and heifers at Wisconsin and surrounding state auction markets were steady. High-yielding, high-grading cattle brought 110.00 to 124.00/cwt. There were some reported highs around $126.00/cwt again this week.
Choice and Prime Holstein steers were bringing $90.00 to $108.00/cwt. There were some packages of Holstein steers selling from 108.00/cwt to $115.00/cwt. Silage fed, under finished or heavy dairy breed steers brought $70.00 to $99.00/cwt. Dairy x Beef steers were mostly $88.00 to $115.00/cwt.
Cows were lower at $40.00 to $58.00/cwt. Blemish free cows in fleshier condition were selling to the mid $60.00s/cwt. Doubtful health and thin cows were bringing $42.00/cwt and down.
Dairy breed bull calves were lower again this week at $35.00 to $70.00/cwt with heavier, well cared for calves up to $140.00/cwt. Beef and Beef Cross calves brought up to $320.00/cwt. New crop fed lambs sold to $270.00/cwt.


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A number of big Dutch retail chains, including Hunkemöller, Blokker and Wibra, have halved rental payments or suspended them altogether in a bid to relieve the financial stress caused by the coronavirus crisis, the Financieele Dagblad has found
The retailers, who the paper says are on a ‘collision course’ with their landlords, have said their situation is unsustainable, particularly now the cabinet has extended the ban on the sale of non-essential goods until February 9.
‘We will check in again when the shops can reopen. With your cooperation we would like to find a solution,’ Hunkemöller director Michael Hitchcock said in a letter to the owners of the 150 locations the lingerie chain rents. The chain is currently not paying any rent at all.
Retailers are not only deferring rental payments, but are also cancelling orders or suspending payments for them. One example is the HEMA which said it is making losses of €10m a week because of the lockdown, despite a rise in online sales.
Action, which has shops abroad which are open, is the only chain that has no need for such drastic measures, the FD said.
The FD found that retailers and landlords are in a locked battle, with one anonymous landlord criticising the tough attitude of the retailers as a ‘lack of dialogue’, and pointing to the unilateral decision by some not to pay any rent at all.
Bas Duijsens, director of household articles and clothing chain Wibra, said it is the landlords who are ‘ice cold’ in the face of their tenants’ troubles. ‘We are struggling. The only thing we can do is pray that things will get better,’ Duijsens said.
Blokker owner Michiel Witteveen said that landlords are stuck as well, but that he wouldn’t rule out court action if they remain ‘intransigent’.
Landlords already granted retail chains a deferral of rental payments last year but many smaller owners are now feeling the pinch. ‘Some landlords only have one or two properties and have to live off the proceeds,’ Laurens van de Noort, director of private real estate investors association Vastgoed Belang, told the paper.
One thing retailers and landlords agree on is that the government must increase financial support to both parties, the FD said.


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The GMC Canyon Has Unbelievable Upgrades on the Way
The old GMC Canyon serves as an excellent midsize truck option for years. However, it’s been aging for a while and could benefit from some upgrades. From the sound of things, the 2023 GMC Canyon will change the game.
The 2023 GMC Canyon gains incredible updates
The GMC Canyon had a complete redesign back in 2015, marking its second generation. Not much has changed since then, aside from mild refreshes. But the good news is that we don’t have to wait much longer because it’s expected to be fully redesigned for 2023.
Spy photos reveal that significant upgrades for off-roading and brand new looks are on the way. We will most likely see a new GMC Canyon AT4X off-roading variant to tackle rivals like the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Ford Ranger Tremor.
What to expect with the new Canyon
The spy shots of the 2023 GMC Canyon are heavily camouflaged, so we can’t see its new face or interior yet. However, they reveal a few clues about the upgraded suspension that feels similar to the Chevy Colorado Z2R.
You’ll notice that the off-roading upgrades look like they go beyond what typically comes with the AT4 trims. This could be why the new off-roading Canyon is being called the AT4X. It’s taking things to a new extreme.
The Canyon AT4 appears to have disguised DSSV shocks. It also rides pretty high, meaning a factory-installed lift kit could be available. It’s sitting on a set of 17-inch wheels wrapped in chunky Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tires too.
These are the same tires that the upcoming 2022 Chevy Silverado Z2R has been spotted with. The Silverado’s tires measure at 285/70R17 or 33-inches. These could be the same tires that the updated Colorado will receive too. The Colorado and Canyon are cousins, after all.
The 2023 Canyon will ride on an enhanced version of General Motor’s current GMT-31XX midsize body-on-frame platform. It’s known as the 31XX-3. Hopefully, it will improve its ride quality both on the pavement and in the wild.
What else do we know about the new Canyon?
When the 2023 GMC Canyon arrives, it’s expected to have a more confident boxy shape. It could have LED lights at the top with vertically oriented light sources running down the sides of its face. It will have a similar look to the 2023 GMC Sierra HD prototypes.
The fender flares look slightly wider for a more confident stance with an intricate treatment on the doors. The taillights are covered in camouflage, meaning that in the current spy shots, they could be placeholders.
Along with a new interior and exterior, the 2023 Canyon might get the 2.7-liter inline-four LB3 engine with 310 hp and 348 lb-ft of torque. But on a sad note, the diesel engine may not make the cut. Also, there hasn’t been any mention of a hybrid powertrain yet.
Pricing information hasn’t been released. The 2021 Canyon starts at around $26,800. Its upgrades could increase the price a little. We will keep an eye out as more information about the AT4X emerges.


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Too much 'love' not good for planet
Updated 10:00 pm, Monday, June 4, 2007
The Sierra Club representative who called me to solicit money for the anti-global warming campaign sounded perplexed. I told him I would not contribute because I was troubled by the international travel I saw each month in my Sierra magazine, activities undoubtedly contributing to global warming. "OK, I'll have to think about that one," he said, and hung up.
Was I just being annoying? I decided to create a small database from my May-June issue, listing all the international nature tours sponsored by the Sierra Club. John Muir had advocated travel in the outdoors to develop an ethic for saving Earth's environment, but I don't think he had airplane trips to Peru in mind back when he founded the organization in 1892.
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Estimating travel between Seattle (just as an arbitrary starting point) and a major airport in each destination, calculating 10 people per trip, and using the World Resources Institute norm of .11 kilograms of CO2 emissions per person-kilometer for a long distance flight, the 37 Sierra Club international outings would generate 689 metric tons of CO2. Just by air flights alone, a person traveling to Nepal to love nature in the Himalayas would generate 22 times the average Nepalese person's yearly output of CO2.
The same day I was being an irritant to the Sierra Club caller, a mailing arrived from the Ocean Conservancy, soliciting my membership in a campaign to save the world's oceans. If I joined and sent them $15, I would get a turtle plush toy with a "huggable beanbag stomach." Alarmed because most beanbags these days are filled with polyvinyl chloride, a material Greenpeace has suggested banning, I sent an inquiry. The Ocean Conservancy people assured me their toy was filled with a natural material, but, yes, it was made and shipped from China, a country that has just declared the river dolphin extinct.
I suppose this sort of bean-counting (to use a bad pun) can make us crazy: Peace Wings will sell you a canvas Stop Global Warming tote bag and send it to you via overnight mail delivery, presumably by air; you can buy a Save Polar Bears T-shirt (made from organic cotton at least) and get it shipped internationally.
Responsible business practices can help achieve a better conservation ethic, but, unfortunately, pseudo-conservation has become mere big business. In today's world, we can delude ourselves that we are supporting nature by buying experiences or symbols. Perhaps one of the problems with the idea of "sustainability" is the mind-set it creates that what gets sustained is not so much Earth's capacity to tolerate us, but our own consumption of just about everything. I wonder if the dolphins and sea turtles would prefer a "frugality" campaign.
I wrote to the Sierra Club and asked how it views those CO2 emissions in light of their global warming stance. They passed my letter to the Outings Department, which had already been working on a new policy. Maybe next time they call, I can be more pleasant.


text: The latest front in the war between The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal is the glossy luxury magazine. Both T Magazine and WSJ. Magazine will have new editors this fall, and both are veterans of big consumer magazines: T’s Sally Singer was a features and fashion news editor for Vogue, while WSJ.’s Deborah Needleman worked for Domino. Journal employees say Needleman’s hiring was not a response to The Times’ hiring of Singer, but the old editor of WSJ. announced her resignation just nine days after Singer’s hiring made news. From the outside it sure looks like a luxury mag arms race. The move follows a big challenge from The Journal to The Times’ metro New York coverage with ads clearly mocking the Gray Lady.


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So, we have all heard the recent rumors that Verizon and Motorola have combined forces (yet again) to work on a tablet. Specs, availability, features, and price point have all been a bit murky, however, as both companies have been hush-hush on the project. But yesterday, for the first time, details on the tablet began to emerge. Reported by Financial Times, the Motorola/Verizon tablet will have a 10 inch screen and launch with Android 2.2 (and consequently, Flash support will be inherent). But most interestingly, the tablet may be running some version of the Verizon FiOS service. This would certainly be a welcome addition, and (along with Flash capabilities) would really one-up "rival developers" (think, iPad). Expect the Motorola tablet to be thinner than the iPad, include a Mobile Hotspot feature, and have two cameras (one on the front for video conferencing, and another for taking photos).
Verizon FiOS TV on a tablet? Sounds like the perfect marriage to me. But as we all know, Verizon enjoys squeezing every last penny out of their customers, so don't expect these services to come cheap. Also, let's just pray, that when they mention FiOS TV, they don't actually mean V Cast TV and Video. Pricing and availability for the Verizon/Motorola tablet are still unclear, but Financial Times' sources are saying we may see the device as early as "autumn" in the US.
Head over to Android Tablet Forum for the latest Android tablet news and rumors.
Source: Financial Times
Graphic courtesy of Top News


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David Karp, the founder and CEO of $800 million blog platform Tumblr can be found modelling a suit on J. Crew’s website.
Elle says J Crew has a plan to “feature real people, rather than models, in its fall campaign.”
J. Crew’s chief marketing officer, Diego Scotti told J. Crew: “We chose very accomplished people who have an impact on our customers and culture in general. They appreciate quality and detail. Our customers identify with them, but the campaign is not about celebrities.”
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The home of Falkirk’s iconic Kelpies in Scotland has shocked fans and supporters with the news of a loss of £600,000 a year despite being one of Scotland’s most popular tourist attractions.
The 300-hectare site costs £2.1m to maintain every year but generates an income of just £1.5m from its cafes and visitor centre, Kelpie tours and car parking.
Created almost ten years ago, the Kelpies in Scotland have become one of the most recognisable tourist attractions. An estimated 600,000 visitors to the Helix in 2021, spent in the region of £84m supporting local businesses and jobs.
Members of Falkirk Council have agreed a new strategy for visitors that hopes to welcome one million visitors a year by 2028, in the hope that many will stay longer in the district and spend more money locally.
The five-year strategy aims to increase the income to £1.75m, while protecting the award-winning environment.
Manager Lesley O’Hare said that the intention is to “close the gap between income and expenditure by growing income rather than looking at cuts to our expenditure”. One possibility is increasing the car parking charges or prices at the visitor centre . Or maybe a Photo Booth that you often see at weddings .
Members heard that the visitor centre – including the cafe and gift shop – welcomed 436,912 visitors, smashing its annual target of 375,000. However, it is currently almost at capacity and improvements being suggested include extending the visitor centre and cafe to provide shelter for the many people who visit the Helix park with their dogs.
They also want to increase the number of events that are held by other organisations that will provide a good income without any risk to the council. This year the Helix had ‘bungee jumps’ and a zipline as well as a visiting Luminarium that visitors paid to enjoy.
The Supernova Kelpies 5k run has been popular in the past and it is due to take place again next year .
The new strategy for the Kelpies in Scotland looks at new ways to promote active travel around the area.
This includes plans to encourage visitors to follow a new ‘Heart of Falkirk’ trail, linking the Helix with other key attractions, including the Falkirk Wheel, Callendar House and the district’s two new distilleries, the Polmont distillery and the revived Rosebank brand ,
But one councillor called for a business plan that would allow the site to at least break even.
He said: “I was shocked to discover at today’s Falkirk Council meeting that the Helix Park is making a financial loss of £600,000 per year. The Kelpies are one of Scotland’s biggest tourist attractions but figures show that Falkirk Council makes less that £2 per visitor.”
Ms O’Hare told members they have been exploring opportunities to increase spending per head.
She said: “If we were just running a visitor centre, it would be very, very different and we would be operating at a surplus, but the management of that scale of green space that requires the level of maintenance that it does, comes at a cost.
Kelpies canvas prints
The Kelpies Falkirk , Scotland canvas prints and gifts
- Your personal mobile caffeination and art delivery unit
- Insulated stainless steel with removable polycarbonate lid
- Holds 15 oz. (443 ml)
- Base fits in most standard car cup holders (diameter 2.5″ / 6.35 cm)
- Top rack dishwasher-safe
- Wraparound design printed for you when you order
The Kelpies are the largest pieces of equine art in the world , created by Scottish artist Andy Scott. The most successful Scottish artist of all time is Jack Vettriano .
Visit the Kelpies in Falkirk , Scotland
The Kelpies, Stirling Castle and the Falkirk Wheel feature in this tour .
The Kelpies have become one of the top tourist attractions in Scotland with over two million visitors .


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Steam Deck pre-orders are shipping at “an accelerated pace,” says Valve, as it begins fulfilling Q4 pre-orders ahead of schedule.
In a short blog post, Valve says it is beating its own predictions on how quickly Steam Deck pre-orders can be fulfilled and shipped to customers. This will be welcome news for anyone who has pre-ordered a Steam Deck and is still eagerly awaiting that blessed email that provides a link for fulfillment. The company says all Steam Deck pre-orders from Q3 have been fulfilled and it’s starting to send out emails to people whose decks were scheduled to ship in Q4.
“As some people on the internet have noted (we see you Reddit!), we’re ramping up pre-orders at a fast pace,” Valve’s post on the Steam Deck store page reads. “This is due to increased production, and we have beaten our own estimates once again. With today’s batch of emails, we have sent invitations for all bookings in the Q3 period (July-September).
For those who have been on the fence about buying a Steam Deck, particularly if it’s due at least in part to long wait times, today’s news could be encouraging. In practice, it means that if you throw in the $5 to pre-order a Steam Deck today, you’ll only wait a few months, at most, to receive your handheld, whereas not too long ago some pre-orders were scheduled to ship more. one year after they were placed.
Here are the best pc games (opens in a new tab) you’ll want to play once you get your hands on a Steam Deck.


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Royal Caribbean Group released its financial results for the third quarter today.
Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis would like to see a return to cruising and he is in contact with the White House on how that can be done.
While the cruise industry awaits a decision on the No-Sail-Order for December, the CDC still recommends that travelers defer all cruise travel worldwide.
Once operations resume from the U.S. cruise lines will have to be strict with new health measures.
As we reported last week, a Florida judge has now required Carnival Corporation to submit to be Environmentally compliant at least 30 days before sailing in U.S. waters.
P&O Australia announced that both Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter would be starting operations as soon as the first half of 2021.


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Trion Worlds’ Defiance has released and met with a decent reception, both critically and commercially, though as with any persistent online title, there will be bugs to iron out. The first patch for the game is now live for Xbox 360 and PC though, with a PS3 release to follow soon according to the game’s official Twitter feed.
Titled “Sharks in Winter Solstice” – which we guess refers to the aquatic predators swimming on the coldest day in Winter? – the patch includes bug fixes, improved client stability and balancing changes.
Defiance is a massively multiplayer online shooter set in the futuristic Bay Area and focusing on Ark Hunters, who work partly as mercenaries and partly as artifact hunters. Alien technology is around to discovered and wars are available to be fought with large quests and PVP combat available. The game is meant to tie in with the SyFy TV show of the same name that recently aired.


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Kenya’s freshest producer, Magix Enga, also known as Beat King, is set to release his maiden music album titled Velocity.
After churning out hits for three years, the producer-cum singer has been in the lab working on his major debut.
"It will be live on May 22 after I have released all the audios on YouTube," Magix told Pulse.
Singles such as Nairobi, Fake (with Shappaman), Bus (featuring Redsan) and Hustle (featuring Fena Gitu) have already been streaming via YouTube with the Magix Empire boss plotting to stack up a star-studded line-up of collaborators including starlet Tanasha Donna on his latest project.
With Sauti Sol set to release their Midnight Train record on May 12, there can only be good things in store.
Shaq the Youngin rocks a Sh500,000 watch
Shaquille Oduk aka Shaq the Youngin is truly Nairobi’s youngest sponsor.
On an Instagram story this week, the 23-year-old influencer, radio host and entertainer was spotted with Swiss luxury timepiece Hublot’s Classic Fusion Blue Titanium edition.
The company does not retail its products in Africa, and would cost anyone up to more than Sh555,500, without tax, fresh in a two-case box.
Shaq’s latest flex and statement of joining the money league is a bold and vocal one as he prepares to launch his TV show entitled Shaqo Off Air this coming week on a local TV station.


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Aug 1, 2014, 8:45 PM EDT
Nike does the outfitting for USA Basketball, and they’ve treated us to new uniforms for the squad in advance of the FIBA World Championships that will take place later this summer.
From the official release:
“As Nike World Basketball Festival and the FIBA Basketball World Cup approach, Nike proudly introduces the new USA Basketball uniform, the brand’s lightest uniform in history.”Infusing design innovation to maximize player performance, the Nike Hyper Elite uniform takes inspirational elements specific to the USA and Nike’s heritage to provide the team with a kit that tells a story.”The angle of USA graphic on the new uniform was inspired by the chevron of the classic Nike Windrunner track jacket that was born in 1978.
“Both the USA home and away uniforms feature red, white and blue hues meshed together in the 26-degree speed graphic – crossing the front of the game jersey, fading into a representation of the USA flag, and extending across the side of the game short from the front to the back. The speed graphic represents a distinctive basketball point of view, based on the roughly 1,000 directional changes, or “cuts” that a player might make in the course of a game.”
USA Basketbal 2014 Uniforms – Video Maker
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First Q3 Profit For Hastings19 Nov, 2007 By: Chris Tribbey
Retailer Hastings Entertainment Inc. posted its first-ever third-quarter profit, the company reported Nov. 19.
Bolstered by strong new and used DVD sales, Hastings reported net income of $.1 million in the quarter ended Oct. 31, compared to losses of more than $2 million during the same period last year. The news sent shares of Hastings' stock up more than 12% in after-hours trading.
“In what continues to be a challenging retail environment in music and rental, we were able to improve pre-tax profits by $3.7 million from the third quarter of last year,” said CEO John Marmaduke.
Total revenue for the Amarillo, Texas-based company increased $2.7 million to $122.3 million, compared to $119.6 million for the third quarter of 2006.
On Nov. 20, the company authorized another stock repurchasing program to the tune of $7.5 million, bringing its total stock repurchasing efforts to $22.5 million.
“We believe that our stock price does not reflect our long-term value and are using the program to provide our shareholders additional opportunities to realize investment returns,” Marmaduke said.


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PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron pours cold water on the idea of implementing protected measures on technologies such as Huawei.
In CNBC's Karen Tso inquiry on Thursday about US pressure on China's telecommunications giant, he said: "We have some restrictions but are very focused on what is relevant to this national security, not etc. "
" There is no more protectionism in a big global tech (firms) because we need them to fertilize our ecosystem, we want to be stronger and stronger and create the highest jobs. "
However, he added:" Certainly there are some restrictions with restrictions, not focused on Huawei, but to maintain our national security and our sovereignty for critical reasons. "
The US has on loggerheads in China in a tremendous trading battle that has devastated the world of tech. President Donald Trump, claiming that the country's trade practices are unfair, Wednesday declares national emergency threats to US technology, adding Huawei to a list of companies making it harder to conduct business to US companies.
Meanwhile, France looks to invade tech giants like Facebook, Google and Amazon in their taxing practices, proposing a 3% drop in local earnings of such firms.


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Questions for the Republicans Debating in South Carolina
by HRC staffFebruary 13, 2016
This week, while Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were debating in Milwaukee, Ted Cruz was busy attacking Marco Rubio and Donald Trump on marriage equality. Both have suggested that they would appoint Supreme Court judges who would overturn the court’s ruling that led to nationwide marriage equality. And yet, Cruz accused them both of using “the talking points of Barack Obama” on marriage equality.
South Carolina is home to an estimated 37,647 active duty military personnel. With that in mind, two questions for the candidates that don’t get a lot of attention, but are especially relevant during the debate in South Carolina:
Would you bring back “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” (DADT)? For 17 years, DADT prohibited qualified gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans from serving openly in the Armed Forces and sent a message that discrimination was acceptable. A 2010 study also found that women and minorities were disproportionately discharged under DADT. From World War II until the end of DADT, an estimated 114,000 service members were discharged from the military because of their sexual orientation. So far, Carson and Cruz have left the door open to bringing back DADT.
Would you drop the Obama Administration’s ban against allowing transgender people to serve openly? According to the Palm Center, there are approximately 15,500 actively serving transgender members of the U.S. military, making the Department of Defense (DOD) the largest employer of transgender people in America. These courageous men and women are forced to serve in silence by DOD medical regulations prohibiting their service and requiring their separation from the military if discovered – regulations are outdated and out of step with current medical practice.
Love and Pride believes every human being is entitled to equal rights.
When you wear Love and Pride, you take a stand for equality.
Love and Pride celebrates the rich diversity of all human beings.
When you wear Love and Pride, you join the celebration.
Love and Pride promotes tolerance and respect for all people regardless of our differences.
When you wear Love and Pride, you help share the message.
Love and Pride is a worldwide venture founded in 2005 to celebrate the transformative powers of passion, creativity and action. The collective dream of a group of artists and entrepreneurs, we invite designers and brands from around the globe to offer their products to you, our friends and family.
Love and Pride is the first of its kind – a premium designer online lifestyle destination for people who believe in equality, diversity and tolerance. Our jewelry collections include engagement, commitment, wedding and anniversary rings, necklaces, pendants, earrings, watches and other accessories for women and men. To complete your shopping experience, we offer a curated collection of men’s and women’s fashion, design and gift items, beauty, and personal grooming products. Sometimes romantic, sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical…our products are always captivating. Join with us to create change, inspire acceptance and make a difference – Look Good, Do Good.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Your purchase makes a difference at Love and Pride. Proceeds from the sales at www.LoveandPride.com are donated to non-profit
organizations that support full equality and civil rights for our community. Our partners, The Matthew Shepard Foundation, The Human Rights
Campaign and others are shaping a better future for all of us by helping to create a society that is truly diverse and tolerant. Make a fashion and
social statement with Love and Pride!
Marriage Equality USA Award - June 10, 2014
Matthew Shepard Foundation Essential Piece Award
JCK Designer of the year Award
Love and Pride is the creation of Udi Behr, one of today’s most exciting and original jewelry designers. Udi has won acclaim everywhere from
The New York Times to People Magazine for his iconic Love and Pride jewelry, including Designer of the Year honors from Luxury Magazine. His
unforgettable designs have adorned such stars as Pam Grier, Gwen Stefani, Cyndi Lauper and Sharon Stone. Udi featured collections for the L word, Queer as Folk, Dexter, True Blood and StarTrek


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Toyor Al Janah TV Selects Beecell to Distribute Digital Content Globally
Amman, Jordan (February 2015), Beecell the leading company of mobile value added services, has signed an agreement with the famous children TV station Toyor Al Janah to distribute its digital content worldwide via mobile and electronic devices and appliances.
The agreement between the two parties aims at providing children with highly valued content via all available digital platforms, including mobile phones, tablets, music players and others throughout the Arab world, or any other country in the world where Arab communities seek content of high quality for their children.
Mr. Bashar Al-Hantouli, CEO of Beecell, has expressed the company’s pleasure about this collaboration by stating that: “Toyor Al Janah children TV is one of the most important and successful satellite TV stations that has been providing featured and significant content for years in the region, and it has gained a widespread popularity since its launch as a result of its great ideas and useful educational content that is needed among Arab communities. We believe that this cooperation will help us develop new and innovative multiscreen delivery options of the content via technologies and platforms that provide a new value dimension to the quality of T Toyor Al Janah content”.
On the side of Toyor Al Janah’s, Mr. Sa’ad Hashim, operations manager of the station expressed their pleasure to collaborate with Beecell, which is considered one of the most advanced mobile value added services companies and digital content distributors in the region, stressing their keenness and excitement to exploit this partnership with Beecell to offer new and distinctive services and solutions to their end users.


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We all know that our data is only as safe as the devices we store it on, but we also like to think that the companies that build and sell those devices have a vested interest in our well-being. It’s a pipe dream, but one many of us hold on to, which is why the “revelation” that Apple is selling the voice data collected by Siri to third parties has angered the Internet.
Late last month, an anonymous employee of a company called Walk N’Talk Technologies took to Reddit to reveal that the voice data being analyzed by the company was coming from personal assistants on smartphones, most notably Siri and Cortana.
“By using Siri or Dictation, you agree and consent to Apple’s and its subsidiaries’ and agents’ transmission, collection, maintenance, processing, and use of this information, including your voice input and User Data, to provide and improve Siri, Dictation, and dictation functionality in other Apple products and services.”
To Apple’s credit, the text is in bold in the document, but nevertheless, if you agree to use iOS, you have to agree to give up any voice data recorded by Siri or Dictation.


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The official ribbon cutting for the business took place Tuesday, attended by Mayor Josh Cohen, and Lara Fritts, the president of the Economic Development Corporation for Annapolis. | Photo credit: Rhonda Wardlaw
Grand Paws Pet Salon opened its doors this month at its new Eastport location after moving the business from West Annapolis.
Business owner Heather Hinkle said the new location affords her more space to grow her clientele, which she said would take time. But pets at Grand Paws are "treated like family," she said.
“We realize choosing a place to take your pet for grooming can be a tough decision," Hinkle said. “We welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and confidence."
The official ribbon cutting for the business took place Tuesday, attended by Mayor Josh Cohen, and Lara Fritts, the president of the Economic Development Corporation for Annapolis.
“Annapolis is known for being a dog-friendly city," Cohen said. “While many of our residents are dog and cat-friendly, having businesses that caters to the individual demands of our pet community fulfills a genuine need and is part of our enduring appeal.”
Fritts even brought along her own dog, Harold, to the event. Fritts adopted him from a Grand Paws adoption event earlier that month.
“For many of us, our pets are members of our families,” Fritts said. “AEDC is thrilled to see businesses expand, and moving to this new location speaks to the need for businesses that cater to the pet population and offer unique services.”
Grand Paws Pet Salon is located at 921 B Chesapeake Ave. in Eastport. For more information, visit www.grandpawsannapolis.com or call (443) 949-7199.


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AG Alert: Top 10 Complaints of 2017
March 7, 2018
LITTLE ROCK – In conjunction with National Consumer Protection Week, March 4-10, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced the top 10 most common complaints the Attorney General’s office received in 2017.
“The Consumer Protection Division mediates all types of complaints each day,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Attorneys and investigators work tirelessly on complaints on a number of common issues including: automobiles, timeshares, healthcare and utilities.”
The 10 most common complaint categories from 2017 were:
- Sales of goods and services
- Automobile sales, service, financing and repair
- Credit repairs and other financial services
- Satellite, cable and internet service providers
- Home repair, construction and maintenance
- Landlord/tenant and real estate
- Health care
- Wireless and landline telephone services
- Travel and timeshares
For the first time in five years, automobile-related transactions were not the most common type of complaint reported to the Attorney General’s office. The sales of goods and services was the top complaint category in 2017 and brought in 1,383 complaints. These types of complaints often involve problems when purchasing goods both in store and online, along with door-to-door sales.
The most common scam reported to the Attorney General’s office in 2017 was the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) scam, in which scam artists intimidate Arkansans by posing as the IRS and demanding payment immediately. To protect themselves, Arkansans need to remember that the IRS will never call and demand payment, require taxes be paid in a certain way, ask for credit or debit card numbers or threaten to bring police or other agencies to make an arrest for unpaid taxes.
In total, Attorney General Rutledge’s office resolved 7,229 formal complaints in 2017. File a complaint online at ArkansasAG.gov.
National Consumer Protection Week is a partnership with attorneys general from across the country, along with many national organizations, including the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission and American Association of Retired Persons, to encourage consumers to understand their rights and make educated consumer decisions.
For more information and tips to avoid scams and other consumer-related issues, contact the Arkansas Attorney General’s office at (800) 482-8982 or firstname.lastname@example.org or visit ArkansasAG.gov or facebook.com/AGLeslieRutledge.


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Kohl’s Corporation, the Wisconsin based mid-range department store, posted falling Q1 profits as a result of its new pricing strategy that aims to replace temporary sales with permanent discounting. The company also had trouble keeping up with high consumer demand for its store-label brands.
Despite the falling profits and inventory issues, the company beat analysts’ expectations, posting a profit of 63 cents per share, versus 60 cents expected. Profits fell from $201 million in Q1 2011 to $154 million for the same period in 2012. Net sales were $4.2 billion, an increase of 1.9% for the quarter. Kohl’s is squeezing profit margins in order to keep customers coming in against a still-tight national retail backdrop.
Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chairman, president and chief executive officer, said, “Our first quarter results reflect the implementation of our strategy to initiate lower pricing in order to provide greater value to our customers. This planned action led to significantly lower gross margins for the quarter. Strong management of expenses allowed us to achieve our earnings goal for the quarter. We have accelerated new receipts into second quarter to ensure we are well-positioned from an inventory perspective for the Back-to-School season. The combination of these two actions should allow us to greatly improve our sales for the fall season.”
Despite this optimistic prediction, Kohl’s does not expect to meet analysts’ expectations for Q2. The company’s gross margin fell 2.2 percentage points, reflecting the discounting strategy, but the company benefited from efficiencies and cost cutting, reducing its operating expenses by $2 million before depreciation and amortization. The company also boosted inventories by $250 million, in line with expectations that demand will stay strong. Mansell predicts that gross margins will start improving in the fall as a result of lower costs for clothing.
Companies sourcing in Mexico will very soon be facing labor costs that are 10 percent higher.Read more
The North American Free Trade Negotiations have turned into a blame game about which party is doing the most to damage the deal. Needless to say, little progress seems to have been made at the fifth round of negotiations that wrapped in Mexico City Tuesday.Read more
These retail technology startups are enabling retailers to boost operational efficiency and improve consumer purchasing journeys on multiple channels.Read more
Neiman Marcus revenue up on e-commerce initiatives and women's, Burlington income surges on strong assortment and off-price model, Madewell boosts J Crew's top line and Free People leads Urban Outfitters.Read more
FDRA data revealed that footwear consumers may be shopping more in stores for the holidays.Read more
Price may be king but convenience governs much of the way traditional retailers are thinking about their customers today.Read more


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China Today (English)
China Leading in Innovation
In the 2021 edition of the Global Innovation Index released by World Intellectual Property Organization, China maintained its 14th place in 2020, after breaking into the top 15 last year. China is still the only middle-income economy that makes it to the top 30.
The country elevates its ranks in two categories: human capital and research (21st, up by four), and market sophistication (19th, up by two). It maintains its world leadership in several key output indicators, including patents by origin, utility models, trademarks, industrial designs, and creative goods exports. China sustains its 12th rank in the creative outputs category. It also maintains the first global place in sub-category intangible assets. China edged into the top 25 in 2016, moved to 17th in 2018, and to 14th in 2019.
Every year, the Global Innovation Index ranks the innovation performance of more than 130 economies around the world.


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Watch Group Belies Marcos Claim Of Lowering Rice Prices
Based on DA monitoring, the retail price of rice ranges from P38 to P60 per kilo, depending on the quality. A group, however, said there is no more P38 per kilo rice in the market as prices have gone up by P4 per kilo.
A group involved in monitoring developments in the rice industry on Friday, March 17, belied President Marcos’ statement that his administration is nearing its goal of lowering rice price to P20 per kilo, saying it is “far from reality.”
In an interview, Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo said the government needs at least P195 billion to subsidize the production of 25 percent of the total 19 million metric tons of annual palay harvest to be able to bring down the retail price of rice to P20 per kilo.
She said there is no more P38 per kilo rice in the market, as prices have gone up by P4 to P42 per kilo.
“The government needs big intervention if it wants to attain the P20 per kilo of rice. It needs to buy at least 25 percent of the local production as the farmgate price of palay is now at P23 per kilo for dry and P18 per kilo for fresh, so the government needs to buy palay through subsidies,” Estavillo said.
“The President has no concrete plan on the P20 per kilo of rice. It can only be attained if the government shoulders the cost of production of the farmers and at the same time, subsidize the retail prices of rice in the markets,” she added.
Estavillo noted that based on the monitoring of Bantay Presyo, the retail price of well-milled rice has increased by P4 per kilo and regular milled rice by P1 per kilo.
“The President mentioned that eight months ago while he was still campaigning. Now that he is also the secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the P20 per kilo is still far from the reality,” Estavillo said.
She said the government should instead bring back the P25 and P32 per kilo of rice of the National Food Authority to give consumers an option amid the spike in the retail price of commercial rice.
According to Estavillo, the implementation of Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law has failed to bring down the price of the staple.
“The lowest commercial rice is pegged at P42 per kilo. The P38 per kilo is no longer available. The government needs to implement price control on rice,” she said.
At the launch of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program in Pili, Camarines Sur, Marcos said the government is shouldering the hidden costs in the transport of farmers’ produce so these could be sold to consumers at lower prices.
He added that his administration’s decision to increase the number of Kadiwa outlets – stores that offer lower-priced products – has yielded positive results.
Reducing the price of rice to P20 per kilo was one of the campaign promises of Marcos during the 2022 presidential race.
The staple is sold at P25 per kilo at Kadiwa outlets. The administration has so far launched more than 500 Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlets nationwide to help farmers and producers secure direct access to markets.
Amid doubts raised by Bantay Bigas, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez said Marcos’ promise of P20 per kilo rice is possible – but not immediately achievable.
“The President said that the price of rice is now P25 per kilo going to P20, that is possible. We should provide for the inputs of our farmers, so supposedly, we will give fertilizers, hybrid seeds and other needs for their productivity, in order to bring down the prices,” Estoperez said at a press conference. “For now, we cannot change it overnight. It seems we cannot yet achieve it (P20 per kilo of rice).”
On Thursday, Marcos said the government is inching toward its goal of lowering the price of rice to P20 per kilo.
Estoperez added that implementing the P20 per kilo of rice would depend on the availability of fertilizer.
“Right now, we are dependent on the importation of fertilizer. The war between Ukraine and Russia persists and we source the bulk of our fertilizer requirement from the said countries,” he pointed out.
He said the DA is also pushing for the procurement of more hybrid seeds to increase palay production in the country.
Estoperez also admitted that the retail price of rice in the local market has increased.
“We have enough supply of rice. It just happened that the retail price of rice increases during the summer harvest,” he said.
Based on the monitoring of the DA on Friday, the retail price of regular milled rice ranged between P34 and P40 per kilo; local well-milled rice, between P38 and P46 per kilo; local premium rice, between P42 and P49 per kilo and local special rice, between P48 and P60 per kilo.
For her part, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Kristine Evangelista said various measures should be implemented to achieve the President’s target of P20 per kilo.
“We need to implement proper post-harvest interventions to increase production and lower wastage. These are the measures to help bring down the price of palay,” Evangelista said.
She added that the DA also consults with peasant groups, particularly the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura or SINAG, on the problems of palay farmers.
“At least, we have already started to implement measures to bring down the price of rice. It is also important that the NIA (National Irrigation Administration) was transferred to the DA. We are also addressing the bottleneck on logistics that also add to the cost of rice,” she noted.
Meanwhile, the Japanese government has approved a P25.2-million grant for financing four projects that aim to benefit, among others, farmers in the province of Camarines Sur.
Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko signed four grant contracts under Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects (GGP) on Thursday, March 16.
The Japanese embassy in Manila said one of the projects is for the construction of a food processing training center in Bombon, Camarines Sur for P3.6 million.
“Although efforts have been made in the region to reduce farmers’ poverty, the average income of farmers remains low, partly because many of them do not possess post-harvest processing skills,” it noted.
“The GGP project will enable the proponent to provide the needed capacity building to farmers on food processing through construction of a training facility and procurement of training equipment, with the aim to increase product values and income of the farmers in 10 target communities,” the Japanese embassy said.
The grant, roughly equivalent to $431,446, will also be used for the construction of a two-story six-classroom elementary school building, purchase of a transportation vehicle for sheltered children and acquisition of a water purification system for an elementary school and its surrounding community. – with an additional report from Michael Punongbayan


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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Renders showed up today showing what are reported to be multicoloured Oppo Find 5 mini phones, with a 3.7-inch touch screen. Is this going to be Oppo’s bit announcement. Yesterday we reported that Oppo have a big announcement to make regarding the Find 5. We suggested that this could be an boost in power from […]
iOcean have announced pricing and full specification upgrades for the Turbo powered iOcean X7 Elite. The current iOcean X7 is a great phone, however with just 1GB RAM, 8 mega-pixel rear camera and standard 1.2 quad-core MT6589 SoC, it’s already starting to look a little underpowered when compared to some of the newer handsets. The […]
Zopo have confirmed that their flagship ZP980 5-inch Android phone will soon get updated with a faster MT6589T Turbo processor. The Zopo ZP980, which retails for 1499 Yuan here in China, is already a high spec phone and boasts a quad-core CPU, 13 mega-pixel rear camera and also a 5-inch 1080 display, but the Chinese […]
Tianhe have taken the Chinese quad-core lead and launched their Tianhe H920+ 1080 phone with quad-core MT6589T processor ahead of their rivals!
Yesterday we had exclusive hands on photos with the soon to be worlds thinnest Android smartphone and now we have pictures of the Umeox X5 side by side with the iPhone 5 to give us a real idea of how it looks! Seeing the 5.6mm Umeox X5 next to the iPhone 5 gives us a […]
Huawei’s mysterious, ultra-thin P6 has now been fully uncovered for the first time in these leaked renders, which show the phone in a number of colour options. Huawei are believed to be officially unveiling their 6.3mm Huawei P6 in London on 18th June and although we have heard the specification rumours more months now, this […]
For some men keeping on top of things comes naturally, while for others cramming in work, a social life and those essential day-to-day tasks around the house can prove a little more difficult. Thankfully, there are a wide range of 4G phones now available that might make it a little easier to stay on track. […]
Lenovo’s second generation large battery capacity phone, the Lenovo P780 is heading to stores soon at a surprisingly thin 9.9mm package!
Although the UMi X2 did launch in very limited numbers this month (just 50pc) most hopeful customers are still waiting for the full launch of the phone, but if you just can’t wait any longer we think we might have found the perfect alternative!
Another contender in the ever intensifying quad-core, 1080 Chinese phone battle is arriving very soon, but at 1499 Yuan ($243) for the basic 1GB model is there room in the market for such a ‘pricey’ phone!
Chinese UMi fans will be patiently waiting for their chance to order the flagship UMi X2 today and the coming 4 days as this much anticipated phone finally hits the market!
Another long overdue flagship Chinese phone is showing signs of life! Screenshots from the Neo N003 suggest that this quad-core, 1080p phone isn’t just super affordable but also pretty powerful. The Neo N003 has already gained quite a reputation. Like most of the phones we talk about here on Gizchina, we still haven’t got a […]
The Xiaocai G6 burst on to the Chinese phone scene a few weeks ago, boasting an impressive specification and low-price tag. The Xiaomi M2s clone now has a new trick up it’s sleeve with official MIUI ROM support! The G6 is a great looking phone in it’s own right. It offers a 5-inch 720p display, quad-core […]
More Pioneer S90W specification details, plus built in audio apps and pricing details.
A few years ago, Chinese tablet manufacturer Wopad had a range of great value for money 7-inch devices. We haven’t heard much from them in recent times, but it seems they are back and have a quad-core iPad mini clone ready for sale.
ZTE big wigs have been openly discussing the price of their ultra-slim flagship phone, and are now suggesting that the ZTE Grand S could retail for as low as 3000 Yuan ($480). In the past we have reported that the Grand S would cost as much as $771, and even had photographic proof to back […]
It’s official Zopo are back on form and have quad-core super phablet in the works in preparation for a launch sometime in May.
Lenovo managed to do something I never thought possible of them during CES! They launch the Lenovo K900, a phone which I would love to own, this is unlikely though as I’ve just seen the purported Lenovo K900 price!
Chinese phone maker Mogu have announced it plans to launch the world’s cheapest 5-inch Android phablet priced at just 299 Yuan ($48)! 5-inch Android smartphones are now easier to find that more compact 4-inch options, but despite the number of options consumers have to choose from there aren’t many 5-inch phones available for people on […]
Just yesterday we saw our first glimpse at the Huawei Ascend P2 and discovered rumours that the P2 could be wielding an 8-core CPU! However, recently uncovered benchmarks tell another story. Of course an 8-core CPU doesn’t have to mean super performance, and those extra cores could be used to increase the battery endurance and […]


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Delhi-based startup BetterButter, an online social discovery platform for recipes has raised a seed round of funding led by growX ventures.
Apart from growX ventures, Singapore-based investment firm M&Y Growth Partners and angel investor, Manish Singhal, also participated in this round. As a part of a deal, Manish will also take on a board observer role in BetterButter.
The amount of funding has been left undisclosed by the company.
Despite some great eating out options, today nothing beats the pleasure of a good home cooked meal. But deciding what to cook and what to eat every day isn’t easy. This is where BetterButter steps in. The startup intends to solve this problem.
The startup was founded by Sukhmani Bedi and Niyaz Laiq this year. It is an online social discovery platform that focuses on recipes, lets users create, share, discover, and appreciate recipes. It aims at becoming the de-facto platform for all things kitchen in the future.
The funding capital will be used towards establishing India’s dominant recipe sharing platform.
According to BetterButter, “Cooking plays an important role in Indian homes. In fact, Indians spends maximum time in their kitchens as compared to any other country in the world. Despite this, there is no large recipe brand in the country today, and our goal is to make BetterButter synonymous with cooking at home in India.“
With numerous Facebook groups, online blogs and communities for sharing recipes, BetterButter is aiming to become a one-stop solution for everything on recipes.
In this space, just yesterday, Food Talk India raised $500K funding in angel round. While earlier this year, Delhi-based Facebook group-turned-online platform Eat Treat raised $350K in a funding round from 15 investors.
Recipes have emerged as a major category of engagement for Indians online. The web is full of receipe sites, a few of which includes, tarladalal.com, spiceindiaonline.com, sanjeevkapoor.com, rakskitchen.net and spiceupthecurry.com.
Welcome to Flash Feed, your essential source for breaking news and innovation from around the web – bite-sized and updated all day.