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While philosophers argue about the sound a tree makes if no one hears it fall, the real world issue is who's going to pay for the damage when my... Read more
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Whoever successfully unlocks the next block is rewarded with a set number of bitcoin known as “block rewards” and gets to add a number of transactions to the new block. They also earn any transaction fees attached to the transactions they add to the new block. A new block is discovered roughly once every 10 minutes. The future of bitcoin and bitcoin’s price remains uncertain. Bitcoin cash came out of left field, according to Charles Morris, a chief investment officer of NextBlock Global, an investment firm with digital assets.
Who owns all the Bitcoin?
All bitcoin is controlled by private keys. The owner of a private key owns the bitcoin controlled by that key. Ownership of bitcoin, even in large quantities, does not confer any control over the Bitcoin network.
We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in oureditorial policy. By design, there will only ever be 21 million Bitcoins created. The closer Bitcoin gets to its limit, the higher its price will be, as long as demand remains the same or increases.
Very few people, except for very niche tech experts and finance enthusiasts, knew enough about Bitcoin to buy the currency. Bitcoin has a much more extensive track record compared to other cryptos, though it’s still in its relative infancy compared to the 200+ year history of the U.S. stock market. Bitcoin is a good place for beginner crypto investors to start, according to the experts we’ve talked to. But you shouldn’t invest in Bitcoin just because others are doing it. More than anything, know what kind of investor you are and buy Bitcoin only in a way that works with your long-term investment strategy. Bitcoin US Dollar traded at 41,598.8 this Wednesday April 20th, increasing 929.3 or 2.29 percent since the previous trading session. Looking back, over the last four weeks, Bitcoin gained 1.35 percent. Over the last 12 months, its price fell by 26.37 percent.
The fee is awarded to whichever miner adds the transaction to a new block. Fees work on a first-price auction system, where the higher the fee attached to the transaction, the more likely a miner will process that transaction first. By early 2013, the leading cryptocurrency had recovered from a prolonged bearish episode and rose above $1,000, albeit only briefly. But with the infamous Mt Gox hack, China announcing its first ban on crypto and other situations, it took a further four years for the BTC price to return to above $1,000 again. Once that level was passed, however, bitcoin’s price continued to surge dramatically throughout 2017 until BTC peaked at its previous long-standing all-time high of $19,850. These are the average exchange rates of these two currencies for the last 30 and 90 days. To be sure, only a minority of bitcoin miners and bitcoin exchanges have said they will support the new currency.
Why Do Bitcoins Have Value?
In December 2013, Overstock.com announced plans to accept bitcoin in the second half of 2014. On 5 December 2013, the People’s Bank of China prohibited Chinese financial institutions from using bitcoins. After the announcement, the value of bitcoins dropped, and Baidu no longer accepted bitcoins for certain services. Buying real-world goods with any virtual currency had been illegal in China since at least 2009. In April, payment processors BitInstant and Mt. Gox experienced processing delays due to insufficient capacity resulting in the bitcoin exchange rate dropping from $266 to $76 before returning to $160 within six hours.
There are several cryptocurrencies, and the number continues to rise as regulators, institutions, and merchants address concerns and adopt them as acceptable forms of payment and currency. Like other currencies, products, or services within a country or economy, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency prices depend on perceived value and supply and demand. If people believe that Bitcoin is worth a specific amount, they will pay it, especially if they think it will increase in value. Bitcoin took less than a month in 2021 to smash its 2020 price record, surpassing $40,000 by Jan. 7, 2021. By mid-April, Bitcoin prices reached new all-time highs of over $60,000 as Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange, went public. They used the exchange’s software to sell them all nominally, creating a massive “ask” order at any price. Within minutes, the price reverted to its correct user-traded value. Accounts with the equivalent of more than US$8,750,000 were affected.
Conservative predictions of Bitcoin say the cryptocurrency will reach $100,000 by 2023, but more bullish crypto enthusiasts say $250,000 isn’t far from sight. Big financial institutions have made their own predictions as well, with JPMorgan seeing a long-term high of $146,000 and Bloomberg saying it could hit $400,000 by 2022. A recent study by Deutsche Bank found that about a quarter of Bitcoin investors believe Bitcoin prices will be over $110,000 in five years. Because Bitcoin is so new, price predictions are mostly informed speculations.
BitPay CEO Stephen Pair declared the company’s transaction rate grew 3× from January 2016 to February 2017, and explained usage of bitcoin is growing in B2B supply chain payments. In January 2015 Coinbase raised US$75 million as part of a Series C funding round, smashing the previous record for a bitcoin company. The exchange remained offline for several days amid speculation that customers had lost their funds. Bitstamp resumed trading on 9 January after increasing security measures and assuring customers that their account balances would not be impacted. In January 2014, Zynga announced it was testing bitcoin for purchasing in-game assets in seven of its games. That same month, The D Las Vegas Casino Hotel and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino properties in downtown Las Vegas announced they would also begin accepting bitcoin, according to an article by USA Today. The article also stated the currency would be accepted in five locations, including the front desk and certain restaurants.
Investing in cryptocurrencies and other Initial Coin Offerings (“ICOs”) is highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies or other ICOs. Since each individual’s situation is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Investopedia makes no representations or https://www.beaxy.com/ warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein. As of the date this article was written, the author owns/does not own cryptocurrency. Among asset classes, Bitcoin has had one of the more volatile trading histories. The cryptocurrency’s first big price increase occurred in 2010 when the value of a single bitcoin jumped from just a fraction of a penny to $0.09.
- The price quickly rebounded, returning to $200 several weeks later.
- As the supply of new bitcoin entering the market gets smaller, it will make buying bitcoin more competitive – assuming demand for bitcoin remains high.
- By early 2013, the leading cryptocurrency had recovered from a prolonged bearish episode and rose above $1,000, albeit only briefly.
- Not only do they have technical differences, they also offer two completely different value propositions for investors, which could be the deciding factor for you.
- Bitcoin is a digital or virtual currency created in 2009 that uses peer-to-peer technology to facilitate instant payments.
Depending on the order type and market changes, the final price may be different. Mt. Gox, the Japan-based exchange that in 2013 handled 70% of all worldwide bitcoin traffic, declared bankruptcy in February 2014, with bitcoins worth about $390 million missing, for unclear reasons. The CEO was eventually arrested and charged with embezzlement. The rewards are dispensed at various predetermined intervals of time as rewards for completing simple tasks such as captcha completion and as prizes from simple games. Faucets usually give fractions of a bitcoin, but the amount will typically fluctuate according to the value of bitcoin.
Bitcoins Energy Consumption
Verify your identity and credit card, provide necessary data to complete the transaction. Once payment is completed, the status of your trading operation will be displayed in the «Transaction History» field on your EXMO wallet. Once payment is completed, the status of your trading operation will be displayed in the «Transaction History» field in your EXMO wallet. “Transaction details for bitcoins stolen from Instawallet”. Geuss, Megan “Bitcoinica users sue for $460k in lost bitcoins”. “El Salvador looks to become the world’s first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender”. “21Shares brings first crypto-currency products on Bitcoin and Ethereum to the official market”.
Following the laws of supply and demand, Bitcoin’s price should continue to rise as its supply may not be able to meet its demand—as long as it continues to grow in popularity. However, if popularity wanes and demand falls, there will be more supply than demand, and Bitcoin’s price should drop unless it maintains its value for other reasons. It was the first country to do so, and it can be used for any transaction where businesses accept it. Mainstream investors, governments, economists, and scientists took notice, and other entities began developing cryptocurrencies to compete with Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency has undergone several rallies and crashes since it became available. Learn more about Bitcoin’s volatility and some reasons why its price acts the way it does. Sorry, we don’t have information for one of the dates you selected. This calculator is not realtime – try querying data for a previous month.
Since then, Bitcoin has remained under pressure as investors wrestle with rising inflation, geopolitical crises, and the potential for tighter monetary policy by the Federal Reserve. A blockchain is a digital ledger recording cryptocurrency transactions, maintaining records referred to as ‘blocks’ in a linear, chronological order. When the cryptocurrency was launched at the beginning of 2009, as Satoshi Nakamoto mined the bitcoin genesis block (the first-ever block on the Bitcoin blockchain), 50 BTC entered circulation at a price of $0.00. A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography and is difficult to counterfeit.
Mothership & Beaxy were pretty awful names
— zachxbt (@zachxbt) March 22, 2022
“Here’s why Russia is opening the door to cryptocurrencies”. ‘Ode to Satoshi’ is a bluegrass-style song with an old-timey feel that mixes references to Satoshi Nakamoto and blockchains (and, ahem, ‘the fall of old Mt. Gox’) with mandolin-picking and harmonicas. Interpol also sent out an alert in 2015 saying that “the design of the blockchain means there is the possibility of malware being injected and permanently hosted with no methods currently available to wipe this data”. The Slovenian exchange Bitstamp lost bitcoin worth $5.1 million to a hack in January 2015. In late August 2012, an operation titled Bitcoin Savings and Trust was shut down by the owner, leaving around US$5.6 million in bitcoin-based debts; this led to allegations that the operation was a Ponzi scheme. Securities and Exchange Commission had reportedly started an investigation on the case. The price of a bitcoin reached US$1,139.9 on 4 January 2017. On 22 January 2018, South Korea brought in a regulation that requires all the bitcoin traders to reveal their identity, thus putting a ban on anonymous trading of bitcoins. Bitcoin generates more academic interest year after year; the number of Google Scholar articles published mentioning bitcoin grew from 83 in 2009, to 424 in 2012, and 3580 in 2016. Also, the academic journal Ledger published its first issue.
During November 2013, the China-based bitcoin exchange BTC China overtook the Japan-based Mt. Gox and the Europe-based Bitstamp to become the largest bitcoin trading exchange by trade volume. The CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index is the world’s leading reference for the price of bitcoin, used by the largest institutions active in crypto assets. It is the crypto market standard, benchmarking billions of dollars in registered financial products and pricing hundreds of millions in daily over-the-counter transactions. Built for replicability and reliability, in continuous operation since 2014, the XBX is relied upon by bitcoin price live usd asset allocators, asset managers, market participants and exchanges. The XBX is the flagship in a portfolio of single- and multi-asset indices offered by CoinDesk. The value of bitcoin dropped on various exchanges between 11 and 20 percent following the regulation announcement, before rebounding upward again. Bitcoins can be stored in a bitcoin cryptocurrency wallet. Theft of bitcoin has been documented on numerous occasions. At other times, bitcoin exchanges have shut down, taking their clients’ bitcoins with them. A Wired study published April 2013 showed that 45 percent of bitcoin exchanges end up closing.

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It's been another weird week in retail.
Balenciaga released an overpriced bracelet that doubles as a scrunchie, Pabst Blue Ribbon created the perfect winter jacket for every beer-loving boarder and dogs' coats are now nicer, and more expensive, than human ones.
This, and more, in this week's Retail Therapy.
Balenciaga tosses a scrunchie into the fashion ring
There's a good and a bad side to everything. For example, the 80s brought us leggings and Duran Duran, but they also brought leg warmers, fingerless gloves and other more difficult to explain fashion choices — like neon scrunchies.
But as Dead or Alive taught us, fashion trends spin right round, and the scrunchie is making a comeback through none other than luxury brand and this week's winner of "I can sell anything at a $200 markup" — Balenciaga. The brand is now selling a "Chouchou bracelet," described as a "soft lambskin hair scrunchies bracelet" for $195, the Independent reports.
The glorified hair tie comes in "jaune soleil" and "rose magenta," because apparently "yellow" and "purple" don't quite capture it. But the fact that a scrunchie is parading as a bracelet is actually just a distraction from the real problem, which is that a hair tie is parading as a high-end luxury product, proving to 80s fans everywhere that we really can put a price on nostalgia.
It's a move we've seen before from the likes of Tiffany and Prada, but we'd recommend waiting to spend that $200 until a luxury product comes along that can hold your whole life together, not just your hair.
PBR plays it close to the chest
In an ideal world, we'd all be surrounded by the things we love. Toys R Us would be crowded with children that actually wanted to buy toys, Sears would have money that wasn't being passed through Eddie Lampert's IV and beer lovers would have a coat filled with their favorite cans.
While we can't make Toys R Us or Sears more appealing to customers, PBR has fulfilled every frat boy's dream and released a winter jacket that conceals up to 12 beers, delish reports. The "686 Men's Sixer Insulated Jacket," which retails for $250, is equipped with a bottle opener, "insulated cooler front pockets for beverage storage" and "back inner pockets for beverage storage."
If the purpose of the jacket wasn't already clear, "Pabst Blue Ribbon" is also imprinted on the "silicone palm grip" and all over the inner lining of the jacket, so whenever someone cracks open a cold one they can remember who they owe it to. But any snowboard enthusiasts thinking of shelling out the cash will have to take it up with the fratstars who cleaned out the inventory because the jacket is currently out of stock ... in every size.
Still, $250 for a functioning winter jacket that also happens to hold beer starts to sound like money well spent when it's compared to a leather hair tie.
just found a ski jacket that can hold 12 tall cans and is also a collab with pbr... i need it— Eric (@allustiarti) December 28, 2017
Barking up the wrong tree
Whoever said diamonds were a girl's best friend clearly hadn't heard of Temellini Milano, which created an entire line of luxury coats and sweaters for a girl's real best friend … her dogs.
Dog-a-Porter is a Milan fashion line offering custom-made clothes for dogs, USA Today reports, which range from cashmere sweaters to bomber jackets. What's truly remarkable about the line, apart from the $300 price tags, is the number of dogs that are modeling products better than Nordstrom's clear jeans' model.
With a robotic cat already in existence, and custom-made furniture for our feline friends in the works, it was only a matter of time before dogs got in on the action. Then again, the dog modeling track isn't exactly new — "pet influencers" have been a trend since the summer, dealing a blow to any celebrity influencers who thought they had finally become more popular than a lovable ball of fur.
Harry Potter brings magic to Starbucks
J.K. Rowling could never have known the impact her books would have on the coffee industry. Yet here we are: Starbucks has officially started selling Harry Potter-themed drinks — but only if customers can recite the recipe from a "secret menu" online, abc reports.
Muggles and wizards alike can order a Butterbeer Latte, Butterbeer Frappuccino, Pumpkin Juice mixture, and — perhaps most frighteningly — Polyjuice Potion Frappuccino, should their heart desire it. And fortunately for us, the magic words, per se, are no harder than "caramel syrup" and "a shot of espresso," among others.
Considering the reaction Starbucks has received on special-edition beverages in the past, like the Unicorn Frappuccino and the Midnight Mint Mocha, we must warn it is safest to approach these drinks with the same level of caution a hippogriff deserves.
The fact that Starbucks’ butterscotch latte tastes like butterbeer will never cease to make me happy.— Kyla (@_Ravenclawsome) January 18, 2018
life update: tried the butterbeer latte at starbucks. it lived up to the hype.— Lexi (@LexiFreddie) January 18, 2018


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Midwest credit unions demonstrate the importance of staying true to core values.
New platform brings social media data into business loan pricing.
An American Institute of CPAs survey reveals consumers are using more caution while shopping on or offline.
Which social media platform reigns supreme? Which are breakout stars?
Social media boils down to effective targeting and a relevant message.
Social media's real value is in relationship-building. Don't sell before establishing relationships.
Credit unions need to stand out by digging into their mission.
Learn how to boost member engagement and loyalty with social media.
As social media continues to evolve, credit unions need to refine, align strategies accordingly.
Humanizing social media channels one of biggest credit union hurdles.


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Canal+ Group owner Vivendi has agreed to sell half its stake in games firm Activision Blizzard.
Vivendi said it will sell 41.5 million Activision Blizzard shares, representing 5.8% of this company’s total common shares, leaving it with an equal amount of the company.
The price of the transaction price is due to be announced at the close of trading today, though the offer is expected to be worth around US$850 million.
Activision Blizzard claims to be the world’s “largest and most profitable independent interactive entertainment publishing company” and is responsible for the Call of Duty videogame franchise and the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft.
ICYMI: Mike Tyson v Roy Jones Jr. knocks-out pre-sale PPV records digitaltveurope.com/2020/11/27/mik… https://t.co/s3X1ujVERM
27 November 2020 @ 21:00:00 UTC


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Apple’s got two new commercials, the former Siri team is building an AI that might take over your world, and you can get some free iTunes credit when you buy an Apple TV. All this and more from Tuesday’s Reading List roundup.
Apple – iPad – What will your verse be
Apple’s latest “Your Verse” commercials (or, as the company has taken to calling them lately, “films”) center around Chinese music group Yaoband and Detroit cyclist and activist Jason Hall. Like the other Your Verse projects, these feature the film itself along with a written profile and multiple photos of the project leaders (and their iPads, naturally).
Siri’s Inventors Are Building a Radical New AI That Does Anything You Ask
Siri’s founders are once again experimenting with artificial intelligence: Wired chatted with Dag Kittlaus, Adam Cheyer, and Chris Brigham about their new project, Viv. From what little we know about Siri’s honorary big sister, it appears to be shooting for the moon and attempting to pair natural language parsing with third-party services and multi-command execution. The piece is fascinating, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying that our new robot overlords might someday be born from Viv’s origin code.
Apple is again giving away free $25 iTunes credit with the purchase of an Apple TV
9to5Mac reports that Apple is once again offering a $25 iTunes credit to new Apple TV buyers to promote the 2014 London iTunes Festival, which will be streamed live to all Apple TV users. The company offered this promotion back in February, as well, though not in concert with any iTunes event.
Rumor of the day: Apple Suppliers Start Making New iPads
The iPads are coming! The iPads are coming! Bloomberg reports that Apple’s suppliers have turned on those magic new-iPad-assembly-machines and are beginning to churn out pieces and parts for the company’s next tablet, reputedly coming down the line in the Fall. Also mentioned in Bloomberg’s: the larger iPad might sport an anti-reflection coating, to make it easier to read in direct sunlight. Bloomberg knows these details thanks to two people “who asked not to be identified because the details aren’t public.” Sounds legitimate.


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Imagine a life without passwords. Intel can and it hopes to do away them with new technology the chip maker is testing.
Intel researchers are developing a tablet that recognizes the unique patterns of veins in a person’s palm, removing the need to enter passwords, according to a Reuters report.
Sridhar Iyengar, director of security research at Intel Labs, said the key is biometrics, which involves using unique physiological characteristics to verify identities. The use of biometrics is considered more accurate than passwords, tokens or PINs, which could fall into the hands of anyone.
The tablet prototype Ivengar presented Thursday at a developer forum in San Francisco used new software and a biometric sensor to recognize his palm, Reuters reported.
Iyengar quickly waved his hand in front of the tablet without touching it. Once the tablet recognized his identity, Iyengar said, it could pass the information on securely to banks, social networks and others services. The tablet also sensed when he was away from it and logged itself off.
Can you foresee a time when you’ll no longer need to enter a password on your computer or smartphone?


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Recycled Textile Associations Unite to Combat Media Misconceptions of Secondhand Clothing Industry
The Textile Recycling Association (TRA) and the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) today issued a joint statement in response to inaccurate and unbalanced media coverage.
MAIDSTONE, UK. (27th October 2016)— On the heels of recent news coverage in both Newsweek (9th September) and the Huffington Post (19th September and 28th September) that cast the secondhand clothing industry in a less than favorable light, trade associations in both the U.S. and the U.K. today issued a response to clarify the misconceptions and omissions presented while reinforcing the worldwide value of the recycled textile movement.
SMART Executive Director Jackie King and TRA Director Alan Wheeler prepared the following joint statement:
The U.S.-based Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) and U.K.-based Textile Recycling Association (TRA) want the general public to fully understand the tremendous social, economic and environmental value of reusing and recycling unwanted clothing.
According to the Bureau of International Recycling Textiles Division, the recycled textiles industry generates both environmental and economic benefits, reducing the need for landfill space, lessening pressure on virgin resources, slashing pollution as well as energy and water consumption and cutting down the need for dyes and fixing agents. Worldwide, more than 60 percent of clothes can be reused, and another 35 percent are recycled into wiping rags or are converted into basic fibers and made into new products. This leaves less than five percent that must be discarded.
According to a report conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2013, 15.13 million tonnes of textiles ended up in the waste stream (landfills or incinerators). Of that, 15.2 percent was recovered for reuse or recycling. In total, 12.83 million tonnes of textiles—for perspective, the equivalent of more than two million average-sized male elephants–ended up in the waste stream in 2013.
The spring 2016 Textiles Market Situation Report issued by the nonprofit U.K.-based Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimates that while 650,000 tonnes of textiles were collected for reuse and recycling in the U.K. in 2014, an additional 620,000 tonnes remained in the residual waste stream in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
There are a variety of factors contributing to the textile waste issue, including high textile consumption, lack of recycling awareness, and lack of infrastructure to manage textile recycling. Developed countries like the U.S. and U.K. continue to consume a high amount of textile products, especially with the rise of the fast fashion industry.
However, most people do not view textiles as a household recyclable like paper, plastic, aluminum and glass, despite the fact that more than 95 percent of all textiles can be recycled or reused in some way. Further, many do not understand that the term “textiles” encompasses more than just clothing—linens, towels, pillows, footwear, accessories, bags and stuffed animals are all textile products that can be recycled or reused.
In addition to a lack of awareness, many people are unsure of where and how to recycle their textiles. Nonprofit organizations are not the only avenue for this purpose. Our collective membership base is comprised of for-profit companies (as well as the commercial fundraising arms of some U.K. charities such as the Salvation Army, Oxfam and Traid) that contribute to the textile recycling process, including collectors, collection bin operators, wiping manufacturers and fiber converters. Knowing textiles are recyclable is the first step—knowing where your closest recycler and collection bin is located is the next.
As shown by the statistics below, the production of new textiles is widely recognized as being one of the most environmentally and socially damaging industries in the world, but the reuse and recycling industry redresses much of that damaging impact.
- The annual footprint of a household’s new and existing clothing are equivalent to the weight of more than 100 pairs of jeans, the water needed to fill 1,000 bathtubs and the carbon emissions from driving an average modern car for 6,000 miles;
- Extending the average life of clothing by just three months of active use per item would lead to a five to ten percent reduction in each of their carbon, water and waste footprints;
- In terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling two million tonnes of clothing per year is the equivalent of removing one million cars from U.S. roads.
Unfortunately, some of the news coverage cited gives the casual reader the impression that dumping good quality clothing in the rubbish bin after it has been donated is commonplace, when in reality, only a tiny percentage—the dirty torn rags and the like that cannot possibly be recycled—end up going for disposal.
Additionally, some of the recent news coverage has centered around the impact of textile recycling on East African countries, implying that the import of secondhand clothing into the region is hurting their local textile manufacturing industry. In reality, there are numerous countries around the world, including Pakistan, Guatemala and Honduras, which enjoy both robust manufacturing and secondhand industries.
While there were indeed periods during the 1980s and 1990s during which African textile manufacturing retracted, this can be attributed to a number of reasons including a drought that affected cotton production; increased availability of cheap cotton lint from Pakistan and India; the collapse of the Kenyan Cotton Board and the resulting withdrawal of subsidies; the import of cheap new textiles from Asia; and the abolition of the World Trade Organization’s Multi-Fiber Agreement in 2005 which effectively limited the amount of new clothing China could export to developed countries. Immediately upon abolition of the agreement Chinese producers began to dominate the global markets; in the first few months of 2005 alone its exports of many textile products grew by 100 percent.
Further, even if the region was to ramp up production, it is unlikely that clothing would be affordable for those area residents. This is further demonstrated by the fact that most, if not all, textiles manufactured in Africa are exported for sale in developed countries, including the U.S. and U.K., as opposed to being sold where they were created. With many in the East African Community living on the equivalent of $1.00 to $2.00 or less per day, secondhand clothing provides many with their only affordable access to quality apparel. A recent article from Rwanda notes that with a given amount of money, a person can purchase 10 pieces of used clothing as opposed to the two pieces of clothing they could afford if forced to purchase it new. According to the same Rwandan report, 80 percent or more of the country’s population could not possibly pay to clothe themselves if they had to depend on new apparel alone.
Millions of tonnes of secondhand clothing are in demand and being purchased globally, while very little, if any, of apparel manufactured in developing countries is sold within those countries. The secondhand clothing that U.S. and U.K. exporters ship into East Africa is prepared and selected specifically to meet the price and quality demands of East African populations. They are not unwanted goods dumped in the African market.
Ultimately, consumers should not walk away from these misleading articles thinking they might as well throw away their old clothing. The secondhand clothing industry dramatically helps close the loop on post-consumer textile waste, and provides many people around the world the only affordable access to quality apparel.
About SMARTEstablished in 1932, the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) is an international nonprofit trade association that strengthens the economic opportunities of its diverse membership by promoting the interdependence of the for-profit textile recycling industry segments and providing a common forum for networking, education and trade. SMART members use and convert recycled and secondary materials from used clothing, commercial laundries and non-woven, off spec material, new mills ends and paper from around the world. SMART member companies create thousands of jobs worldwide, proving each day you can make money by being social responsible.
For more information on SMART, visit the association’s website at www.smartasn.org or view the SMART Media Kit at www.smartasn.org/about/SMART_PressKitOnline.pdf. For media inquiries regarding SMART, contact Kathy Walsh at [email protected] or 410-420-2001.


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Four O3b medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites were successfully launched by Arianespace at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on Thursday, SES Networks reported. This means enhanced global coverage to improve Wi-Fi service for customers including four leading cruise lines.
Meyer Turku's €29m profit in 2018 was down from the €32.5m in 2017, on greatly increased turnover of €969.7m, up from €808.2m.
A custom money transfer service, aimed at crew, has been designed by digital remittance company Remitly.
V.Ships Leisure is partnering with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection to provide a tailored suite of management services related to the sourcing of qualified deck, engine and hotel crew, marine procurement, compliance support with maritime rules and regulations, and technical support.
Guangzhou Nansha International Cruise Homeport Operation & Management Co. held an opening ceremony to mark the commencement of operations.
Costa Venezia, currently sailing from Dubai to Singapore en-route for homeporting in Shanghai, is set to impress Chinese passengers with a taste of authentic Venetian style.
MSC Cruises announced Christian Hein has been appointed managing director for MSC Kreuzfahrten, its Munich-based business for Germany.
For a whole month, on board Costa Diadema, during stopovers in Civitavecchia on April 5, 12, 19 and 26, special events will be organised to promote Italian cheese, Pecorino Romano.


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Red Peak, the brand strategy and design firm, is expanding with the opening of Red Peak Asia in Taipei, Taiwan. Overseeing the new office is Silvia Yu, who joins as CEO. Chris Chung has been appointed creative director.
Yu was most recently senior director of global marketing at computer company Asus. Prior to Asus, Yu held executive positions at international technology companies including Philips and Viewsonic.
Chung also joins Red Peak Asia from Asus, where he worked on the Asus/Intel “In Search of Incredible” campaign.
“Silvia and Chris have a demonstrated ability to transform brands through smart and innovative strategic thinking expressed through fabulous creative,” said Michael Birkin, CEO of kyu, the new strategic operating division of Hakuhodo DY Holdings, which acquired Red Peak in May this year.
In addition to Taipei and its New York City headquarters location, Red Peak has offices in Los Angeles, London and Rio de Janiero.


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May 21, 2015
Bio-based resins are evolving rapidly. As concern over conventional plastics gains momentum and sustainability becomes a larger focus for manufacturers, bio-resin development is surging. As a result, more renewable bio-composites are being pushed into the resin stream creating a growing opportunity for bioplastics packaging.
Fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola, Proctor & Gamble, and Nestle have been gradually introducing more environmentally friendly bioplastics into their product lines and, a new report from Persistence Market Research, indicates that the bioplastics packaging market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 36.8% from 2014 to 2020.
Advantages vs Costs
Bioplastics offer several advantages over petroleum-based plastics. Here are just a few:
- Energy efficient – 65% less energy required to produce
- Environmentally friendly – Generate 68% fewer greenhouse gases
- Safer – Remain non-toxic as they degrade
- Renewable – Made from biomass which is completely renewable
- Recyclable – Break down faster and with less energy
Despite the benefits that bioplastics offer over petrochemical based plastics, many smaller manufacturers have been slow to adopt them. This is because, historically, the desire to leverage those benefits and achieve their sustainability goals has been outweighed by higher costs.
However, the ability to compete on price is evolving relatively quickly. It is wise for companies, both large and small, to pay close attention to bio-based resins as emerging technologies are creating cost advantages.
Advances in Resin Options
Two, relatively recent additions to the bio-resin market are: Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)— both of which are providing exciting strategic opportunities for the bioplastics packaging market. Since these bio-resins resemble common petrochemical based plastics, such as PET (polyethylene terpthalate) and PS (polystyrene), they are a realistically viable alternatives that are well suited for packaging applications.
Innovation Close to Home
Plastic Suppliers Inc., a Columbus, Ohio-based manufacturer and distributor of bio- and petrochemical-based films, has invented a new process for producing bio-based film. Their patented process has led to the creation of an environmentally friendly plastic film called EarthFirst.
Ohio Bioproducts Innovation Center (OBIC) Director, Dennis Hall, is excited about the innovation that is taking place at Plastic Suppliers. He feels that the EarthFirst product has all the necessary capabilities to meet market demands, and the next step is for brand owners to pull it through the supply chain. Hall stated “my goal is to carry this message forward and advance the use of bioplastics by working with companies where there is a strategic fit.”
Building Awareness, Creating Opportunity
Of course, consumer demand will continue to play a key role in how quickly this market grows. OBIC annually conducts a national market study to gauge consumer interest, knowledge, and awareness of bio-based products. Results indicate that consumers are aware that bio-based products exist; although, their knowledge of specific brands or products is shallow. However, they do believe that buying bio-based products is having a positive impact on the environment and exhibit a willingness to pay more for those products.
OBIC is dedicated to preparing consumers for a bio-based lifestyle through education and public outreach events. Hall has recently participated in several USDA, US Department of Energy, and private sector conferences focused on bioplastics, and more specifically packaging, to continue engaging the marketplace and promoting bio-based alternatives.
OBIC and PolymerOhio are working together to support and grow the Bioplastics industry in Ohio. Contact OBIC for more information about their services and how they can help your company achieve its sustainability goals.
PolymerOhio is dedicated to Accelerating Growth, Competitiveness and Innovation in Ohio’s Polymer Industry. We are a resource, connector, and collaboration builder that is committed to encouraging, expanding and supporting the polymer industry in Ohio. Let’s discuss your challenges and how PolymerOhio can help you overcome them. Contact us to get the conversation started!


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2012 NYCC - New DC & Marvel Super Hero Sets
Lego has announced it's plans for this weekends NYCC:
Following the wildly successful 2012 launch of LEGO Super Heroes: DC Universe, fans will preview the first construction set in the 2013 line as well as have a chance to see a LEGO Super Heroes: DC Universe 3-D mosaic featuring iconic images of Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman. Also the grand prize winner of the LEGO Super Heroes: DC Universe video contest will be announced on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a premiere of the video that garnered a prize package of $15,000 and a trip to New York Comic-Con premieres.
Attendees of NYCC will also get a peek of a new LEGO Super Heroes: MARVEL set that launches in 2013, while a life-sized LEGO model of the Hulk – standing 7-feet high – will dominate the show floor. The grand prize winner of the LEGO Super Heroes: MARVEL video contest will be announced on Saturday at 5 p.m. with a premiere of the video that garnered a prize package of $15,000 and a trip to the show.
Shown below are the two new DC and Marvel sets debuting at the convention.
DC Super Heroes
The Bat v. Bane: Tumbler chase
Piece Count: 368
Minifigures: Batman, Bane, Commissioner Gordon
Marvel Super Heroes
Spider-Man: Daily Bugle Showdown
Piece Count: 476
Minifigures: Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Jonah Jameson, Nova, Beetle
MORE 2012 New York Comic Con NEWS & UPDATES
Tformers is reporting live from NYCC 2012 with our first looks at the Transformers Beast Hunters - PREDAKING!!! Stay tuned for news and images coming now! Get a look at what appears to just one figure on display, with a presentation pedistal and the new logo reveal for the series. The robot mode and more news will be revealed in the special press previre panel that will take place soon. Check out the updates now at Tformers.com


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Long4Life plans a third acquisition to its stable
The Brian Joffe-led entity has entered into negotiations unrelated to the potential acquisition of Holdsport
Investment holding company Long4Life has hit the ground running and plans to add a third acquisition to its stable, four months since listing on the JSE.
In a cautionary released on Tuesday the Brian Joffe-led entity said it had entered into negotiations unrelated to the potential acquisition of Holdsport.
The company advised shareholders to exercise caution when dealing in its shares "until a further announcement in this regard is made".
In July, the company bought 100% of beauty therapy franchise Sorbet for R116m, which was settled through a combination of cash and shares.
A deal is still being stitched together with Holdsport, the owner of Sportsmans Warehouse and Outdoor Warehouse.
Long4Life said that it was not biting off more than it could chew.
"These transactions are all carefully considered and available resources — both funds and people — are taken into account when any decision is made to pursue any potential transaction," it said.
"Acquisitions are considered as and when appropriate," the investment group said.
Both Joffe and his second in command at Long4Life, former Famous Brands lead man Kevin Hedderwick, built their brands through aggressive acquisition strategies. Long4Life is valued at about R2.5bn.


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Sony Mobile Australia has confirmed that the company’s latest range of Xperia smartphone devices will be receiving a software upgrade to the newly-minted Android 8.0 Oreo.
John Featherstone, Managing Director of Sony Mobile Oceania, says that “we are delighted to announce the availability of Android 8.0 Oreo for our Xperia owners.”
“We’ve been working hard to bring this major update to as many of our devices as possible. Please stay tuned to the blog and @SonyMobileNews for all the latest as it happens.”
Sony have confirmed the patch will roll out to owners of the Xperia X, Xperia X Performance, Xperia XZ, Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra.
However, they’re being tight-lipped about exactly when this will happen.
The official line from them notes that “software rollouts are a phased process, timing and availability will vary by market and/or operator. Most models supported by some operator/ market exceptions will apply.”
When it does go out to customers, customers will gain access to a number of new features including notification dots, picture-in-picture mode, improvements to battery life and a number of other aspects of the Android experience.
Google themselves have confirmed that smartphone vendors Essential, HMD Global, Huawei, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung and others will be pushing out a similar software upgrade for their customers in due time.


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For the past year, Simon Fox of HMV has enjoyed star status. He was offered, and declined, the job of chief executive of ITV. He was even touted as a candidate for the top post at Marks & Spencer. Now this: a Christmas calamity at Waterstone's that today sent HMV's share price down 8%. From 140p last summer, the shares now stand at 85p.
Calamity may be a little unfair – Waterstone's sales merely declined in line with the book market at a time when Borders was liquidating stock – but there's no doubt the chain made mistakes. The solution, says Fox, is to make Waterstone's a pleasant place for book-lovers to browse.
It's a fine ambition, but one wonders whether Waterstone's can really trust its customers to treat the shops as places to buy, rather than look for, books. How many will check out the latest titles and then go home to look up Amazon's price? Booksellers elsewhere tell tales of shoppers taking pictures of book covers on mobile phones, presumably to remind themselves of which titles to buy online. This phenomenon is well-known in the world of electrical goods, but has it now entered the book trade as well?
Fox says the difference is that electrical goods are big-ticket items where customers research the market, whereas books are often bought on impulse. That must be true of most customers. Waterstone's problem, however, is that it can't afford even a few deserters. It is not starting from a position of strength: last year it made profits of only £10m on sales of £550m.
Common sense says it ought to be possible for the last remaining national bookseller to earn a profitable living. But fixing Waterstone's looks a far harder task than reviving the HMV chain, where a little new-technology buzz could be imported easily.
Still, full marks for Fox for staying to address the challenge – not every ambitious executive would have made the same decision.


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Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, has announced the signing of an agreement under which Qatar Holding LLC, an affiliate of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), will invest $200 million in Airtel Mobile Commerce BV, a subsidiary of Airtel Africa plc.
Airtel Mobile Commerce BV is the holding company for several of Airtel Africa’s mobile money operations; and ultimately is intended to own and operate the mobile money businesses across all of Airtel Africa’s fourteen operating countries.
The Transaction values Airtel Africa’s mobile money business at $2.65 billion on a cash and debt free basis. QIA will hold a minority stake in AMC BV upon completion of the Transaction (alongside other minority investors), with Airtel Africa continuing to hold the majority stake. The Transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.
Following the announcement on 18 March 2021 of a $200m investment in AMC BV by TPG’s The Rise Fund, on 1 April 2021 of a $100m investment in AMC BV by MasterCard and the sale of the Group’s telecommunication towers companies in Madagascar and Malawi on 23 March 2021, the Transaction is a continuation of the Group’s pursuit of strategic asset monetization and investment opportunities, and it is the aim of Airtel Africa to explore the potential listing of the mobile money business within four years. The proceeds from the Transaction will be used to reduce Group debt and invest in network and sales infrastructure in the respective operating countries


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It’s usually wise to read an “experts say” story a little more skeptically than you normally would.
That’s the case with a Wall Street Journal story earlier this week on the Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against five major book publishers and Apple, who were trying to break Amazon’s 90 percent monopoly on the ebook retail market. The headline says “Critics of E-Books Lawsuit Miss the Mark, Experts Say.”
Critics have accused the department’s Antitrust Division of picking on struggling book publishers while aiding Internet retailing giant Amazon.com Inc…
So did the Antitrust Division get the law backward? Antitrust scholars say no and that some of the criticism is based on basic misperceptions of the law.
If you can get two antitrust scholars to say something, then it becomes “antitrust scholars say,” implying that they all think that. Are you sure about that, WSJ? Here’s CNET eleven days earlier:
The Department of Justice “has a far better case against the publishers than Apple,” says Dominick Armentano, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Hartford and author of Antitrust and Monopoly who’s now affiliated with the Independent Institute in Oakland, Calif. “If the CEOs of the various publishers got together in hotel rooms to discuss prices, they are sunk” and might as well settle, he says.
Richard Epstein, the prolific legal scholar and professor of law at New York University, goes further. Epstein argues in an essay published yesterday that there are “difficulties” with the Justice Department’s case against publishers as well: “It will take some time to hear the whole story, but the betting here is that this lawsuit is a mistake.”
And here’s The Seattle Times three weeks ago:
That those companies are under investigation for price fixing doesn’t diminish claims of an Amazon monopoly, said antitrust expert Michael Carrier, of the Rutgers School of Law in Camden, N.J.
The beef with the DOJ’s suit is not necessarily that Apple and the book publishers didn’t violate the law—or at least skirt awfully close to it—by agreeing on a new model with specific price points. It’s that the DOJ suit misses the forest for the trees. As does the Journal:
U.S. antitrust law doesn’t seek to protect little companies against big ones, or even struggling ones against successful ones. Companies can grow as large as they want, as long as they do it through lower prices, better service or niftier innovations. Companies can even become monopolies, as long as they don’t get there illegally or try to extend their power by unlawfully stifling competition.
Well, yes. The whole point of the pro-publisher view is that Amazon was abusing its monopoly position to stifle competition. It sold the publishers’ ebooks at a loss, making it difficult or impossible for competitors to enter the market and perpetuating its 90 percent market share. Somewhat ironically, Amazon only started making money on ebooks after the publishers forced it to adopt the new model (which gave it the exact same terms as Apple, by the way), which has reduced its market share by a third.
Note how how the Journal deals with Amazon’s predatory pricing:
Amazon popularized e-books by introducing the Kindle in 2007 and then heavily discounting the e-books at its own expense. Publishers hated Amazon’s $9.99 price for new best sellers because it made it harder for publishers to sell hardcover books at higher prices.
But as disruptive as Amazon’s pricing may be to publishers, it isn’t illegal, experts say.
The paper implies that Amazon lowered its profit margins, but it doesn’t tell readers that Amazon lost money on the books. That might make folks who haven’t been closely following the story ask why they’d do such a thing.
Glossing over the predatory pricing angle allows it to say something as obviously nonsensical as this:
But the law is concerned with protecting competition, not competitors, experts say.
How do you go about protecting competition without protecting competitors—even if only indirectly?
I wrote this a couple of weeks ago:
It’s true antitrust laws are there primarily to protect consumers, but they do that in part by protecting competitors and suppliers from chokeholds in markets. Doing so ultimately protects consumers in the long run—on prices and on selection.
That’s not to say the government is supposed to step in “to protect inefficient firms from having to exit the market,” a red herring the WSJ quotes. You can’t be efficient enough to compete with a company willing to lose money in a market, particularly if you aren’t willing or able to subsidize those losses with profits from other parts of your business.


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With tech stocks taking a drubbing this month, investors will be seeking reassurance that the company's disappointing second quarter was just a blip and not a sign of more to come. Even so, the forecast calls for 1.1 million more subscribers than Netflix gained in the same period past year.
Executives said audiences welcomed shows tailored to specific markets, such as "Sacred Games" in India, which the company identified as key to its expansion. Only about 1 million of the almost 7 million new subscribers came from the United States.
Netflix's net income rose to $402.8 million, or 89 cents per share, in the third quarter ended September 30, up from $129.6 million, or 29 cents per share, a year earlier.
Has Netflix's studio lost its touch?
Analysts keep setting the ceiling and Netflix keeps crashing through it. That's light in quality, not quantity.
Q3 is also thought to have seen more people flock back to the platform thanks to new seasons of its most popular shows.
Those stellar numbers sent shares of Netflix up more than 11 percent in after-market trading, to $386.11.
The company added 6.96 million new members in the last three months, a record for the quarter and well ahead of analysts expectations, erasing fears that its growth had slowed. The world is Netflix's oyster. Netflix acknowledged that India is "somewhat of a tough market".
The Netflix logo is pictured on a television in this illustration photograph taken in Encinitas, California, U.S., January 18, 2017.
What about Asia? Netflix doesn't break out subscriber figures by territory, but it did cite the region as contributing to "strong growth". While the streaming service doesn't say how many customers it has in any market besides the USA, it does offer a glimpse of its progress with quarterly commentary.
Netflix never identifies which shows are most successful.
In the current quarter, Netflix is forecasting net new subscribers of 9.4 million, including 1.8 million new subscribers in its domestic market and 7.6 million in global markets. That number should top 35% this year. "Quotas, regardless of market size, can negatively impact both the customer experience and creativity", Hastings said. The company has boosted revenue per subscriber by 14% in each of the past two quarters, and reported its biggest quarterly profit ever in July.
Hastings, 58, suggested that he wasn't anxious about the competition.
Netflix addresses competition every quarter, typically reiterating some version of the same statement: We aren't anxious about growing competition; we are anxious about providing the best experience for consumers. Next year, Disney, which bought the film and TV assets of Twenty-First Century Fox, is set to launch its streaming service, as is WarnerMedia, the amalgam of AT&T and Time Warner. ".it will go from expanding beyond English into Hindi and then into many more languages, more pricing options, more bundling", CEO Reed Hastings said on the third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday.
The firm has said it plans to spend as much as $8bn on content this year, with more than a quarter devoted to original programming.
Netflix can justify higher spending if growth continues to outpace its forecasts. But investors may wonder where the money is going if Netflix misses again.


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Everything you wanted to know about the Urban Core, Uptown and Downtown Dallas, Texas & Dallas Ft. Worth Area Real Estate - Its growth, prosperity, setbacks and unprecedented revitalization is told here...Randall Turner of Harvard Companies, Inc 214-373-0007, 3500 Oak Lawn Avenue, Suite 325, Dallas, Texas 75219
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Buffett-backed Grandscape to get new 100-acre centerpiece to create a place 'like no other'
The lifestyle center, which is about the size of Toyota North America's new corporate campus at Plano's Legacy West, will bring roughly 1.5 million square feet of residential office and a number of attractions to this part of The Colony, Jeff Lind, president of Grandscape, told the Dallas Business Journal.
"With Grandscape, we want to create a place that will feel like no other with a pleasing environment through our leasing and tenant mix," Lind told me. "We also want to give visitors a technological experience like they are sitting at home on a website.
"We want to bring in first in the state venues and stay true to the differentiated tenant mix," he added. "We are not approaching this like a typical developer. We have extremely patient capital and nothing has changed from our original vision."
Grandscape and Nebraska Furniture Mart is owned by Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A and BRK.B).
The exact footprint of the lifestyle center has yet to be determined because Grandscape developers have grand plans to build "very large-scale entertainment venues," and some of the deals haven't been completed yet, Lind said.
In all, the center could total 1.5 million square feet including a luxury high-rise apartment tower (10- to 12-stories), office space on the second or third floor atop ground-floor retail space and plenty of retail space with entertainment venues.


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Every week in the world of payments is an interesting one, but it’s rare that a week emerges with as obvious as a theme as this week did! This week in payments news took us on the road, with headlines about fuel purchasing, mobile commerce, and public transit.
Husky is making it easier for iPhone users to pay for fuel and car washes without having to pay at the pump with their new myHusky app. The app not only makes fuel purchases similar, it comes with a variety of additional features to help drivers make their gas station visit as simple and rewarding as possible.
Would you consider shopping while in your car if the function was already there for you? According to a new report by PYMNTS, 83.2 per cent of us would! This latest report details some of the ways in which this form of mobile commerce will likely take place in the future, and how A.I promises to play a role in it.
3. How a challenger bank redesigned the credit card for the vertical era
Starling Bank, a mobile-only bank based out of the UK, is changing the way users look at their account cards – literally. Starling’s redesigned credit cards are flipped from landscape to portrait orientation. The reason for the change is simple, customers use their cards in portrait, so why not have them designed like that in the first palce? Make sure to look at the design in this article!
4. L.A. Metro Readies Launch of Multi-Purpose Mobility Payment Card
Riding on public transit in Los Angeles is about to get much simpler, no matter the vehicle you choose to use! L.A. Metro is taking a significant step with their public transit payment card known as TAPforce. Customers will not only be able to use their TAP cards on traditional public transit, but soon to be private transit companies like Uber and Lyft, and potentially even bike share programs in the future.
5. Fake calls from Visa: Thunder Bay police issue warning about new fraud scheme
We’re always keeping our eyes out for local fraud stories across the country, and this week hit close to home in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Some Thunder Bay residents are being called by someone saying they are a representative from Visa, and asking for specific credit information. Make sure to check out this article for more information about this fraud scheme.


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AppGuard Solo promotion encourages the cryptocurrency industry to implement AppGuard's ultimate cyber-defense technology to protect from ransomware attacks.
AppGuard should be your first and main line of defense in an increasingly dangerous cyber and human threat environment.”SANTA MONICA, CA, USA, May 11, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Cryptocurrency exchanges, traders, and crypto miners have become targets for hackers via techniques like ransomware attacks and malware injection. Hackers aim to steal the infected computer's mining resources or compromise blockchain addresses with large crypto volumes. During the last eight years, the amount of stolen crypto was $15.7 Billion, close to what Disney paid to acquire Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar. AppGuard Solo, a self-managed zero trust host-based endpoint protection agent, can block the execution of ransomware or newly released malware EVEN AFTER A PC IS INFECTED, so no damage can be done. Its highly effective set-and-forget protection makes it ideal for crypto-traders and crypto-miners who depend so much on strong cybersecurity in their daily operations.
— Mark Kelton Former Deputy Director for Counterintelligence
What makes "AppGuard Solo" so unique versus the existing software on the market, like antivirus?
AppGuard Solo works in a different way from conventional antivirus because instead of looking for malware it could miss, it controls applications and stops the types of activity that malware would use to gain control and set off ransomware or steal data. It has your PC mapped out and knows what should and shouldn't be happening to ensure that apps stick to their purpose. Because of this, it does not need to update malware signatures with big downloads and scan your PC constantly - so the effect on your computer speed is next to nothing. Perfect for crypto miners who need to save CPU power. AppGuard stops the cyberattacks that other security products often miss, MORE effectively with less operational disruption.
AppGuard is the only security product on the market currently undefeated since no AppGuard customer has ever reported a breach. AppGuard's algorithm prevents violations by blocking the execution of inappropriate processes by applications but allows them to continue performing everyday actions using its patented technologies. AppGuard offers the most advanced protection and reduces IT operations costs by applying zero-trust principles INTERNALLY to endpoints. The software assumes all high target applications can contain zero-day malware and guards them to prevent any zero-day exploit. "AppGuard Solo" works exclusively for Windows PCs. AppGuard Technology also covers Windows and Linux operated servers
Critical Period Insurance Agency (CPIA), an authorized distributor of AppGuard, is launching a promotional 30-Day FREE Trial of AppGuard Solo. To access the promotion, visit this link: AppGuard Solo Promotion
CPIA, and its risk management division, Critical Period Risk Management (“CPRM”), specializes in providing, cyber-crime, loss-mitigating, state-of-the-art, cyber security solutions to the insurance, government, enterprise and retail endpoint user markets. CPIA/CPRM affords its online clients a “safer place” online in which to transact. CPRM is proud to be a global channel partner of AppGuard Inc.
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The fin-tech company bought the majority of stakes in EkGhanti services for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition was announced on March 31 by EkGhanti.
EkGhanti is a Nepali communication and value-added service (VAS) development company, founded in 2017, that specializes in telecom services and instant messaging platforms. It was co-founded by Pradeep Khadka, Shaswat Adhikari, and Vishal Shrestha.
The VAS provider has made significant contributions to the offline banking area with products such as missed call banking, IVR banking, offline payments, and USSD banking.
It currently serves over 100 clients in banking and financial institutions (BFI) and enterprises, including NIC Asia Bank, Kumari Bank, Global IME Bank, Civil Bank, Mega Bank, and Worldlink, among others, with 200,000+ active users across all of its services.
The service company currently has a team of 18 technical employees and 3 co-founders. With the acquisition, Co-founder Shaswat Adhikari told TechLekh that the company plans to expand its offline banking, finance, and remittance services, as well as its team to 50.
In the future, EkGhanti also plans to take the banking technology international.
Samsung Galaxy A04 with Unisoc SC9863A to Launch Soon in NepalSamsung unveiled its new budget phone — the Samsung Galaxy A04 on August 24, 2022.…
Purple Launches a Bunch of New Accessories in NepalEarlier this year, a new Nepali accessory brand Purple was launched in Nepal, debuting three…
Honor 70 with 54MP Sensor to Launch Soon in NepalHonor is ready to launch Honor 70 in Nepal. It is Honor’s upper mid-range smartphone…


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Apple’s Diversity And Inclusion Report Offers Lessons For All Brands
AUGUST 12, 2016
I have consistently been vocal about the need for diversity and inclusion in our workforce. Whether hiring (and fairly paying) more females or underrepresented minorities, Apple has stepped up to the plate and shown some tremendous progress in its “ Diversity and Inclusion ” webpage with brand new data. Apple states that it has increased the percentage of female new hires from 31% in 2014 to 37% so far in 2016. The equal pay conversation isn’t just a campaign.


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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 ― The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries will conduct a detailed market study before submitting the proposed local rice ceiling prices and setting price controls on imported rice.
Its Deputy Minister II Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi said whatever the decision to be made on the issue, should require careful study because it is a strategic and critical industry, and it is also the staple food of Malaysians.
“This is to ensure that the impact of price changes does not burden consumers and the people as a whole,” he said at a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat here today.
Elaborating further, Che Abdullah said the government had introduced a ceiling price for local rice starting in 2008 to ensure that the people and consumers obtained their supply of rice at a reasonable and controlled price despite the increase in rice prices in the international market.
Currently, he said local white rice, with a crushed content of five per cent, is controlled at RM2.60 per kilogramme and to cover the 30 per cent shortage of domestic rice consumption, white rice is imported at an average price of around RM2.80 to RM3 per kilogramme.
“Taking into account some policy changes such as the increase in the ceiling price of rice which has been standardised from RM850 per tonne to RM1,200 per tonne in 2014, the ministry is of the view that a study on the ceiling price of local rice should be implemented.
“This is to give justice to others throughout the industry chain such as manufacturers and wholesalers as the business profit margin is shrinking as a result of the set retail ceiling price,” he said. ― Bernama


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Private charter provider Wheels Up announced on Thursday that George Mattson is taking over as the company’s new CEO. Mattson succeeds company founder Kenny Dichter, who stepped down from the role last May following reports that Wheels Up posted losses of $555 million in 2022. As previously reported by AVweb, Delta Air Lines agreed to provide $500 million in funding and assumed 95 percent ownership of Wheels Up last month.
“In 10 years, Wheels Up has grown from a startup into a global leader in private aviation, with a strong consumer brand and loyal member community,” said Mattson. “I look forward to leading the Wheels Up team, with the operational, commercial, strategic and financial support of Delta and our other new investors.”
A member of Delta’s board of directors, Mattson has previously held positions as a partner and co-head of the Global Industrials Group in Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs & Co. and lead investor and chairman of Tropic Ocean Airways. Wheels Up noted that he will be based in Atlanta, where the company recently opened its new Member Operations Center. Mattson is expected to officially step into the CEO position in early October.


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Lockdown: What Have Been Classified as Essential Commodities & Services
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day country-wide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, beginning March 24 midnight, here’s a list of essential services and commodities which will be available during the lockdown.
The central government has exempted the following essential commodities and services which the citizens will be able to access during this period:
• The offices of defence, central armed police forces, treasury, public utilities (Including petroleum, CNG, LPG, PNG), disaster management, power generation and transmission units, post offices, National Informatics Centre, Early Warning Agencies.
• Offices related to electricity, water, sanitation, municipal bodies
• Hospitals and all related medical establishments, including their manufacturing and distribution units, both in public and private sector, such as dispensaries, chemist and medical equipment shops. Further, laboratories, clinics, nursing homes, ambulance etc. will continue to remain functional.
• Shops including ration shops (under PDS), dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, animal fodder.
• Banks, insurance offices, and ATMs.
• Print and electronic media, telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting and cable services.
• Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce has also been allowed.
• Petrol pumps, LPG, petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets.
• Power generation, transmission and distribution units
• Capital and debt market services as notified by the Securities and Exchange
• Private security services
• Manufacturing and transportation of essential goods has been exempted
• Hotels, homestays, lodges and motels which are accommodating tourists and stranded persons.
Dist admin fixes timing for wholesale, retail stores
In order to make the purchase of essential commodities hassle free for the customers and to make it easy for the retailers to stock the items, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration has fixed the opening and closing timing of wholesale and retail shops including fair price shops, departmental stores, grocery section of shopping malls in Guwahati.
The wholesale shops will remain open from 8.00 am to 4.00 PM whereas the retail outlets will remain operation from 9.00 AM till 6.00 PM.
Further, the district administration has ordered the owners to sanitize their shops at regular intervals and also to ensure social distancing for the staff and customers.
It is to be mentioned that during the first day of the nation-wide lockdown announced for coronavirus, retailers failed to connect with wholesalers in the city as a majority of the wholesalers in Fancy Bazar had shut their shops.
Further, the district administration had earlier announced that the grocery section of malls and departmental will be exempted from the lockdown.
How to purchase essential commodities during lockdown?
Authorities have stressed that people should not venture out too far to purchase the essential commodities during lockdown and must only go to their nearest grocery story, pharmacy or ATMs to avail the services or buy goods.
For this, the officials have asked citizens not to take out their cars and to go walking to their nearest store.
Further, while addressing a recent press meet, Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta emphasised on the need to maintain social distancing and said that police officials across the state are making sure that there is no crowd of people in grocery stores and to buy other essential items.
“We have demarcated places outside essential shops where people should stand at proper distance while purchasing these items and should not crowd the shop. We have deployed adequate personnel to ensure the same,” said Mahanta.
He added that no more than four people would be allowed to move or gather in a group together to ensure that social distancing is being followed by residents.
Further, Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said that the administration is looking to make sure that food and civil supply is running smoothly. They have also appealed to the people not to hoard items as all essential items will continue to remain available during the lockdown period.
It is to be mentioned that the disaster management act has also been invoked in the state. The DGP also mentioned that the police is trying its best to control the lockdown.
Additionally, the chief secretary on Wednesday March 25 said that Assam has enough food stock for the next three months and assured that there is no need to panic.
Addressing a press meet, he said, “A total of 3.90 lakh tonne of rice in Assam is enough for the next three months and more stock is coming.”
He added that grocery shops allowed to remain open which will stock vegetables and dairy. Further sources have been notified to maintain supply.
The chief secretary said that DCs have been asked to make sure that essential supplies are distributed in areas with no grocery shops.
Currently, 500 tonnes of sugar, 10 metric tonnes of pulses is available, he added.
Assam DGP, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on Wednesday, March 25 said that during the lockdown period, all essential shop owners will have to carry valid ID cards.
While addressing a press meet, he said, “Those who are working in government offices must carry a letter from the office.”
He also urged people to act as responsible citizens, “Police will question people on roads, and those found to be lying, they will be charged as per law.”
Further, in order to facilitate the movement of persons in "exempted category" and to control the movement of unauthorized persons during the lockdown period, the Assam police has decided to issue identity cards to such persons.
If one belongs to any one of the exempted categories, they can approach the local police station/outpost for an "essential service pass".


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Electric vehicle maker BYTON will showcase its latest innovations at Automobility LA and the Los Angeles Auto Show 2018, including the U.S. auto show debut of the K-Byte Concept sedan.
In its booth during the Los Angeles Auto Show, BYTON will also offer the first consumer test rides in the M-Byte Concept SUV, a production version of which is scheduled to launch in China in late 2019 and the U.S. and Europeby 2020.
BYTON’s presence at LA Auto Show illustrates how the company is rapidly emerging as a leader in the electric vehicle industry and changing the future of shared mobility, even as the forces of electrification, autonomy, and connectivity alter the face of the traditional automotive industry. BYTON’s vehicles are smart devices on wheels, all featuring high-speed connectivity and the proprietary Shared Experience Display (SED), a full-dash, coast-to-coast screen that delivers an unmatched digital user experience.
BYTON’s activities at LA Auto Show 2018 include the following and its booth can be found in the Technology Pavilion just outside of the Los Angeles Convention Center.
– M-Byte Concept SUV Test Rides: BYTON’s booth during the LA Auto Show will be transformed into a short test track that allows attendees to get up close with the vehicles and their groundbreaking technology and design. In addition, one-on-one appointments can be scheduled for media attendees to participate in test rides outside of the LA Convention Center.
– BYTON Press Conference: BYTON hosts a press conference on Tuesday, November 27 at 2:20 pm for the U.S. auto show debut of its groundbreaking K-Byte Concept, which showcases the company’s design integration of autonomous technology. Located in the Technology Pavilion, attendees can learn more about BYTON’s vision for the autonomous vehicles of the near future from CEO and co-founder Dr. Carsten Breitfeld and VP of Design Benoît Jacob.


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The most recent replace within the Indian Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Forex Invoice, 2021 noticed the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman verify that, the crypto bill which is to be launched within the Parliament this winter, will most positively differ from the one drafted in February 2021. As of now, the federal government is ready on approval from the Cupboard to lastly current the invoice within the Parliament home. Nonetheless, this unique replace, has supplied the Indian group with a lot readability, given the previous concern, round the same wordings of each the payments.
FM on Crypto Invoice.
This appears promising. pic.twitter.com/RAej8ocJ9R
— Crypto India 🔑 (@CryptooIndia) November 30, 2021
The Finance Minister famous that whereas the market is raging with speculations, that very like the final time, the federal government is but once more hyping up a invoice which they ultimately might not provide you with. Nonetheless, Sitharaman cleared the air, claiming that the brand new invoice has additionally onboarded the earlier invoice’s analysis and is up to date to fulfill the necessities of the current state, turning it right into a invoice which might be far newer and improved.
Sitharaman spoke within the Lok Sabha at the moment noting that the federal government is able to introduce the brand new crypto invoice. She mentioned, “Final time there was a invoice proposed however subsequently there have been different dimensions which in the actual time we thought it was essential to carry into the invoice. That invoice had been reworked and in a approach the invoice which is coming now’s a brand new however by no means thoughts the work performed on which have all been taken onboard…Earlier try was positively to provide you with a invoice, however later as a result of quickly numerous issues needed to come into play, we had began engaged on a brand new invoice and that is the invoice which is now being proposed. as soon as the cupboard clears it, it can come into the home.”
Ban on Indian Crypto Advertisements
The Finance Minister addressed points like doubtful actions utilizing crypto, affirming that the authorities are holding a detailed eye. Following this, she additionally highlighted the problem of banning the “deceptive” crypto adverts by cryptocurrency exchanges, mentioning that the federal government has not selected a professional or anti-ban stance, as of now. Though, she emphasised that the present tips and laws supplied by the Ads Requirements Council of India (ASCI), which governs all commercials, are at present being studied and solely after thorough analysis the federal government can lay out a method.
The offered content material might embody the non-public opinion of the creator and is topic to market situation. Do your market analysis earlier than investing in cryptocurrencies. The creator or the publication doesn’t maintain any duty to your private monetary loss.


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Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph) is now officially the most visited real estate website in the Philippines. Citing its own data and that from web analytics platform SimilarWeb, Lamudi reported that visits to its platform for the first six months of 2015 is 34 percent higher than those recorded for the entire 2014. In addition, at 320,000 monthly visits, Lamudi’s site visits via desktop are now at least 28 percent higher than its nearest competitor.
2015 was also a year of milestones for Lamudi. In February, the company secured $18 million in funding to boost its operations in Asia and Latin America. In May, Lamudi acquired competitor MyProperty.ph to further cement its position as the Philippines’ number one property website.
A first in Philippine real estate, Lamudi Philippines is also harnessing its massive online and listings data to generate reports and other content for Filipino homebuyers and property investors. For example, Lamudi analyzes data from its listings and regularly publishes content on condo, house, and commercial property price data.
The company’s onsite search data also provides a picture of online property-hunters’ behaviors and preferences. Lamudi found that most Filipino homebuyers still prefer houses over condos, despite Metro Manila’s condo boom, and that Quezon City is the most searched city in the Philippines for properties. Furthermore, Lamudi found that U.S.-based house-hunters are looking for houses more than half of the time (57.8 percent) and that after Quezon City, Makati, and Manila, Tagaytay and Baguio are the fourth and fifth most searched cities by Filipino-Americans.
According to Lamudi Philippines managing director Jacqueline van den Ende, these reports generated from the platform’s data provide sellers, brokers, and property developers much-needed insight to inform their marketing strategies.
“For a while, we’ve known that Filipinos are rapidly moving online to inform their purchase—from clothes, gadgets, and even real estate. But most sellers of real estate still have no idea as to how homebuyers behave online. Our data provides these sellers with data on buyers’ preferences, from location, price range, size, type, and even amenities.”
To tap into mobile-first consumers, the Lamudi Philippines app is now available for both iOS and Android devices, while the website itself has a mobile version. van den Ende said the importance of being available on mobile cannot be overemphasized. In the first half of 2015 alone, 32 and 15 percent of Lamudi’s traffic came from mobile and tablet users. Swedish ICT provider Ericsson also reported in June that mobile penetration in the Philippines will reach 40 percent by the end of this year, thanks to the popularity of more affordable smartphones.


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Several Alterna Comics get additional printings in August
Independent comic book publisher Alterna Comics announced today that four more of its books are going back to print.
Both Midnight Mystery #2 and The XII #3 will be receiving second printings, while The XII #1 and Trespasser #3 will be going back for a third printing, a milestone unheard of just a year ago.
As noted in the announcement, Alterna books that receive second printings have a gold corner logo, while third printings have a silver one.
This is even more good news for the growing indie publisher, as Alterna celebrated its most successful year ever in 2018 and more recently succeeded in raising thousands of dollars to expand its operations.
All four issues will be available on Alterna Access on 5 August.


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The Big Content Spend: How & Where Are Brands Placing Their Content Budgets [Infographic] – In this infographic, we’re taking a look at just how big of an investment companies are putting into content marketing this year. What kinds of brands believe in content, and invest in it as a major form of marketing? What kind of investments are being made? With numbers in the billions, the findings may (or may not) surprise you. Social Media Today
Twitter Introduces New Audience Platform – Twitter continues to push out updates in its ongoing efforts to improve the functionality of its offerings. Twitter
Native Videos Beat Out Every Other Video Format on Twitter – Of all branded videos on Twitter, only 31% are posted natively – but those account for 67% of total video engagement. Socialbakers
Survey: 35% of Users Check Their Phones More than 50 Times Per Day – Delvv, developer of the Glean personalized news reading app, has announced the results of its Delvv Mobile Overload Report which measured the ‘volume of information’ U.S. users experience on their smartphones. SocialTimes
Is Instagram’s Rapid Growth Slowing Down? Engagement And Follower Growth Down – Summer lull or signs of saturation? A study conducted by Locowise found that overall engagement on Instagram was down 19 percent in July, and that follower growth was down 77 percent. Another recent Pew study noted that Instagram has doubled its community since 2012. Social Media Today
1 in 3 Marketers Say They Have All The Tech Tools They Need – Fewer than 1 in 10 marketing, sales and business professionals (predominantly B2B) say they have all the marketing technology tools they need and fully utilize what they have, according to a survey from Ascend2. MarketingCharts
Google Controls 65 Percent Of Search, Bing 33 Percent — [comScore] – In terms of non-network share, Bing saw a tiny 0.1 percent gain in July, and so did Ask. Google was flat with 64 percent, unchanged for the past three months. Yet Google’s market share is down from 67.6 percent a year ago. Search Engine Land
Tweets Officially Show In Google Desktop Searches – It looks like Google gives a f**k about Twitter after all, at least a little. The industry continues to speculate on whether or not the search powerhouse may acquire the microblogging platform, but in the mean time, Tweets have started showing up in search results. Search Engine Watch
LinkedIn Ads Rolls Out New Campaign Management Tool – A newly redesigned LinkedIn ad manager has been rolled out giving paid promoters a much cleaner and more user-friendly way to place their paid spend. Social Media Today
Facebook Launches M, a Siri-Like Personal Assistant for Messenger – This week Facebook announced its beginning a very small roll out of a digital assistant service that will live within Messenger. The service, called M, is capable of completing tasks and finding information upon request. Facebook
LinkedIn SlideShare Introduces Clipping, Saving Your Favorite Content Just Got Easier – Clipping enables our users to identify and save the best slides within a presentation to a Clipboard. And deeper integration with LinkedIn identity brings credibility to the content – providing more details on the professional behind the content. There’s so much information at our fingertips today, but it’s often hard to separate the good quality content from the noise. LinkedIn [Client]
Facebook Finally Gives in and Allows Animated GIFs in Posts and Ads – Facebook is about to get a whole lot noisier… and it’s about time! Finally, Facebook has decided to get with the rest of the Internet program and allow animated GIFs in ads and Page posts. Social Media Today
What were the top online and digital marketing news stories for you this week?
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Infographic: Express Writers


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EU Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will travel to Geneva to attend the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) taking place on June 12-1 , 2022 at the WTO headquarters.
Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski and Commissioner for Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius will also participate.
Following many months of preparations, the EU will be working towards clinching key ministerial commitments related to WTO reform, food security, trade and health, sustainable fisheries and e-commerce moratorium, among others.
During his mission to Geneva, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will participate in two scheduled Foreign Affairs Councils on Trade. He will also attend, among others, WTO sessions relating to the challenges facing the multilateral trading system, sessions on the WTO response to the pandemic and the TRIPs waiver, on the global food security crisis, on fisheries subsidies negotiations and on agriculture and finally a thematic session on WTO reform.
These will be followed by the formal closing session, scheduled for Wednesday. On Monday Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis is co-leading a breakfast on ‘Trade Ministers for Climate’ together with New-Zealand, Ecuador and Kenya.
In addition, numerous bilateral meetings between Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis and his trade counterparts are foreseen, including with South-Africa, China, the Czech Republic, India, New Zealand, Kenya and Australia. There is also a solidarity event for Ukraine on the agenda. You will find more information on MC12 and the full programme here.


text: Lifestyle Style Emma Stone Rewears Her Louis Vuitton Wedding Afterparty Dress to the 2022 Met Gala The moment marked the first time fashion fans got a glimpse of one of the actress' wedding looks By Alexandra Schonfeld Alexandra Schonfeld Twitter Digital News Writer, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 3, 2022 09:40 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue Emma Stone gave one of her wedding dresses another run at the Met Gala! The 33-year-old actress arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala Monday night in the white Louis Vuitton mini dress with sheer illusion straps and feathers at the hem she wore to the afterparty for her wedding to Dave McCary. "Sartorial revival," the Louis Vuitton Instagram account captioned a candid of Stone giving a "second life" to the frock on the red carpet. There, she posed with brand creative director Nicolas Ghesquière and Squid Game star Jung Ho-yeon, also wearing Vuitton. The Oscar winner competed her look for the biggest night in fashion with a sleek ballerina bun and white heels with silver straps. The moment marked the first time fashion fans got a glimpse of one of Stone's wedding looks. ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images The La La Land actress first met McCary on the Saturday Night Live set when she hosted in 2016, where they collaborated on a taped sketch titled "Wells for Boys." McCary was a director for the late night show at the time. Since then, the couple — who quietly wed in 2020 after getting engaged in December 2019 — have kept their love out of the limelight. Parents Night Out! Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas Coordinate Their Met Gala Looks in Louis Vuitton In March 2021, PEOPLE confirmed that the pair welcomed their first child together, a daughter. For more on the 2022 Met Gala, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day. Jung and Stone are just two of the many stars who rocked Vuitton at fashion prom this year, as did Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner, Phoebe Dynevor and Gemma Chan. The Best Met Gala 2022 Red Carpet Looks The 2022 Met Gala theme was "In America: An Anthology of Fashion," with the dress code emphasizing Gilded Glamour and white tie. Channeling the time period between 1870 to 1890, the event asked attendees "to embody the grandeur—and perhaps the dichotomy—of Gilded Age New York," according to Vogue. Serving as a part two to last year's "A Lexicon of Fashion" and paying homage to American history, the official exhibit for this year's "In America: An Anthology of Fashion" will be on display in the storied museum's period-centric rooms.


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If food trucks that cater to dogs ever become a nationwide trend, one Boulder County couple is going to be able to say they were doing it before it was cool.
Winnie Lou: The Canine Company will be hitting the streets this summer serving dinners for doggies so your four-legged friends can get in on the food truck trend.
“We wanted to do something that is fun for both humans and their animals,” said owner Ashlin Cook. “It’s a chance to really get out and do something fun with your dog.”
Cook said she first got the idea for a dog food truck when she was living in Miami.
“I had my dog there, and there weren’t that many events for dogs,” she said. “Then a company threw an event called a puppy brunch, with dog vendors and dog masseuses and a band. We had the most amazing time, and it struck me, why aren’t there more things like this? That kind of sparked the idea for me.”
With the idea rattling around in her mind, Cook said her boyfriend, Dean Frankel, then got a job offer in Louisville.
“I had never been out here before, but Dean said honestly it was a better place to do it than Miami, because it was even more dog-friendly,” Cook said of Boulder County.
So after the couple arrived in March, Cook found herself a vintage camper and powered it with solar panels and a refurbished Tesla battery.
“My husband works in electric batteries, so he was all about being green,” Cook said.
The camper is named Winnie Lou after the couple’s two dogs, Winston and Louie. Cook and Frankel make all of their dog treats and meals themselves, and use ingredients you would find in a human meal. For instance, one of their recent specials was a rainbow trout meal with a carrot puree and peas and brown rice.
“They look like human meals,” Cook said. “You open it up, it looks like a TV dinner you would eat.”
Cook said the food truck obtained the same permits and abides by the same health codes a truck that serves humans would abide by, and she and Frankel are the guinea pigs.
“We are the main taste testers,” Cook said. “If me and my boyfriend won’t eat it, we won’t serve it to dogs.”
Of course, Winston and Louie would not hear about being left out of the taste-test process.
“Our dogs are much happier since we stared doing this,” Cook said. “They definitely taste test everything.”
And before you suggest that dogs will eat pretty much anything, Cook said that, when given a wide variety of choices, her dogs have actually proven to be quite the food critics.
“I made a banana treat I was really excited about, but Winston wouldn’t touch it,” she said. “It was interesting finding out random foods my dog didn’t like.”
Cook said she tries to use local and organic ingredients, and said she will vary the menu so she can always use fresh items.
“We have a strawberry rhubarb pupcake right now, but with rhubarb going out of season we are working on a cherry pupcake since cherries are coming out,” Cook said.
In addition to food, Cook sets up a pop-up tent next to the Winnie Lou to sell dog products from local vendors, and donates some of the profits to local organizations that help animals.
Cook said they plan on frequenting dog parks, breweries, farmers markets, and other dog-friendly areas and events.
“What we see is mostly events for humans or stores for pets,” Cook said. “We want to try and bring the two together, and give dogs something they deserve to be eating.”


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Facebook Messenger: Users can soon expect end-to-end encrypted voice and video calling functionality on Facebook Messenger. Meta CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg announced it on his Facebook account 13 hours ago. The goal is to introduce encryption into more services, the CEO added. âEnd-to-end encrypted voice and video calls are now deployed on Messenger, and we’re also introducing end-to-end encryption for group chats and group audio and video calls. I am proud that we continue to extend encryption to more services.
Read also: Facebook Changes Its Name To “Meta”: Five Key Things You Should Know
Just a few days ago, the company owned by Mark Zuckerberg changed its name from Facebook to Meta. Previously, social media apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger would display the âfrom Facebookâ test at the bottom of the screen. But now the bottom screen reads ‘Meta’. All of these apps have started displaying the Meta brand now.
Read more: New âfrom Metaâ brand starts appearing on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger apps on Android and iOS
In another important update from the social media giant, Meta confirmed that the studio behind the VR training game Supernatural will soon be part of the business. He also said the studio will continue to work on the VR fitness app. This will help Meta’s Reality Labs “improve future hardware to support VR fitness applications.” The company sees fitness as an important aspect of life in the Metaverse and also plans to launch a Fitness Active pack for the Oculus Quest 2 headset by 2022.