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In any event, UPM-Kymmene Corporation, the Finnish paper products group which owns Raflatac, plans to hand over $420 million to the Bemis Company Inc. for its MACtac label stock business. UPM has separately agreed to sell its non-core plastic films manufacturer, Walki Films, to Bemis for $70 million. Both transactions are expected to close by year end, pending approval by the competition authorities.
Raflatac has about 2,000 employees working in eleven label stock factories on five continents. Its network of terminals and sales offices includes two separate US operations. By absorbing MACtac it plans to strengthen its global paper and filmic label stock business, especially in the US where it already has a strong presence. It will also seek to gain logistics and purchasing benefits. Raflatac is also keen to plug into MACtac’s expertise in specialized materials and technical tapes. For example, MACtac has useful knowledge of RFID technology, which complements the Rafsec smart label development based on Philips Semiconductors’ I-Code IC chip.
Headquartered in Stow, OH, MACtac’s turnover last year was approximately $500 million, derived from five production facilities in the US, one in Belgium and a joint venture in Mexico. Bemis was founded in 1858 and last year generated sales worth $2.3 billion, mainly from flexible packaging for food and consumer products, so the Walki Films business is a good fit.
For its part, the UPM-Kymmene Converting Industry division will also be looking for its own production efficiencies, not just on Raflatac’s coating/laminating lines, but also at its own base-paper facilities. Rationalizing product lines and introducing new specializations could also benefit its Loparex siliconized release liner business. Walki Wisa, which produces wrappings and composite materials, is the third member of the division.


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Shopify revenue jumps 110% amid pandemic-driven online sales boom
Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management’s Rob Tétrault talks earnings for Shopify and Alphabet, Google's parent company, as well as stock prices on Boeing, Microsoft, Visa, and Sony.
Canada’s Shopify Inc, on Wednesday smashed first-quarter profit and revenue estimates on resilient demand for the company’s e-commerce platform from businesses despite a gradual opening of economies.
The company, which provides infrastructure for retailers to set up their stores online, emerged as a pandemic winner with revenue soaring 86 per cent last year from 2019 and shares nearly doubling to make it Canada’s most valuable firm.
U.S.-listed shares of the Ottawa-based company rose nearly five per cent in early trading on Wednesday, while its Canadian stock gained four per cent.
“Shopify saw real strength again during the quarter, and with total volume growth on the platform accelerating from 4Q, it’s clear their role in the retail ecosystem continues to get stronger,” said Wedbush analyst Ygal Arounian.
In the first quarter, Shopify’s revenue soared 110 per cent to $988.6 million, above analysts’ average estimate of $865.5 million. Adjusted profit of $2.01 per share was also well ahead of estimates of 73 cents.
Gross merchandise volume (GMV), a widely watched figure for the e-commerce industry’s performance, surged 114 per cent to $37.3 billion in the quarter ended March 31. Analysts on average had expected $34.38 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

domain: news


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BlackBerry secures U.S. Department of Defense approval
The network will include 10,000 smartphones by this fall and 30,000 by the end of 2013, BlackBerry said.
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BlackBerry has won the approval of the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Waterloo-based technology firm said Thursday the U.S. Defense Information System Agency has given BlackBerry 10 smartphones the authority to operate on Department of Defense networks.
The agency is now developing the infrastructure to support BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 phones, the company said, estimating that the network will include 10,000 smartphones by this fall and 30,000 by the end of 2013.
“There is no better testament to the security that we’ve been building into our product for the last 12 years than the Department of Defense’s continued use of BlackBerry,” Scott Totzke, senior vice president, BlackBerry Security Group, said in an interview.
“They are one of the most stringent customers in the world when it comes to making sure you are appropriately protecting their information.”
BlackBerry’s newest generation of smartphones lies at the heart of company’s strategy to win back consumers and enterprise customers who have migrated to rival products powered by Apple and Google’s Android operating system.
Other U.S. government departments, including the National Transportation Safety Board and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with a growing number of companies, have reportedly swapped BlackBerry-only IT policies in favour of BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device.
“BlackBerry embraces BYOD and multi-platform devices,” Totzke said, adding that the BlackBerry 10 operating system, which features a seamless transition between work and personal profiles, supports a variety of devices.
The company says it has over 1 million government users and provides BlackBerry devices or services to 90 per cent of Fortune 500 companies.
The approval validates the resilience of BlackBerry’s “best of breed security offerings,” Bill Kreher, senior technology analyst at Edward Jones said in an interview.
“The company’s security has always differentiated its offerings and the U.S. Department of Defense giving it the nod clearly helps the company as it continues to navigate this transition,” he said.
“Overall the company is still facing an uphill battle as it continues to lose relevance with the consumer. This news is encouraging on the enterprise front but that’s still just a small fraction of the overall smartphone industry.”
BlackBerry shares fell 7 cents on Thursday to close at $9.51 each on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
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Listing agent confident the mansion can sell despite Calgary seeing a 36 per cent drop in sales over the past year for homes priced at more than a million dollars.


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Major delivery company goes ‘electric first’ in York – and creates 125 jobs
A major delivery company has committed to only using electric vehicles to drop off parcels within York city walls.
DPD wants to expand its electric van fleet and hopes to extend electric vehicle deliveries across the region, from Harrogate to Selby to Scarborough, in the coming years.
The company has secured planning permission to build a new hub on Green Belt land near Northminster Business Park in Upper Poppleton.
Kathryn Jukes, speaking for DPD, said: “Remaining at the current site at Clifton Moor is no longer an option. It simply does not have the space to accommodate DPD’s plans to expand their fleet of electric vehicles.
“Moving to Northminster Business Park will allow DPD’s electric vehicle fleet to expand which means they would be able to have an all electric delivery service across the city.
“That’s right, DPD plan to remove all fuel vehicles from within the city walls.
“This is not something DPD can deliver from their existing depot.”
Unipart had originally been due to move to the site after being told they needed to move from their existing base because it was needed for the York Central development. But the plans did not go ahead and the company has moved elsewhere.
Non-essential traffic ban
Ms Jukes said DPD has plans to expand its electric deliveries to reach more of the city and eventually to make journeys from the hub to Harrogate and Scarborough.
“The vans that take parcels to your house are going to be electric first. They also have some larger electric vans where the range will allow them to deliver to some of the larger employers.
“The idea is that they are going to start pushing for more electric vehicles as battery capacity extends and charging becomes faster.”
The move is set to create 125 new jobs.
The site is on Green Belt land – but it is set to be allocated as an employment site under City of York Council’s draft local plan.
Cllr Andy D’Agorne said: “A depot that is located within sufficient range for the majority of the city to be served by electric vehicle is something we certainly should be welcoming. The fact that they intend to expand that operation to cover the whole region is again to be welcomed.”
People will also be able to visit the hub to collect parcels that drivers were unable to deliver.
Cllr Katie Lomas urged the company to expand its electric deliveries to areas of the city outside the walls and also asked for assurances that the jobs will be well paid and staff will not be on zero-hours contracts.
She added that she has concerns about an increase in traffic in the area, where she highlighted new housing developments are due to be built nearby, adding: “The infrastructure around this area is going to be under significant pressure over the next few years.”
Cllr Nigel Ayre said the project will boost the economy by creating more jobs and releasing DPD’s current site at Clifton Moor for a new company to move in.
York councillors have long been calling for more distribution hubs to open, cutting traffic into the city centre, Cllr Janet Looker pointed out. She said: “This is an absolute spot-on space for employment.”
The plans were approved by a majority vote.
City of York Council has committed to banning non-essential traffic from the city centre by 2023.


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Volume 1 Issue 36
There have not been any particular developments in the different regions around the world. Activity levels remain subdued, and rates are soft all over.-by Adrian Brown
An industry association said this month that U.S. tariffs on China were constraining availability of DCHA, a corrosion inhibitor used in metalworking fluids. Industry sources say supply is actually easing, though tariffs could still have an impact.
The Petroleum Quality Institute of America said in a report that 91 percent of the J303 tractor hydraulic fluids included in a recent test failed to meet viscosity requirements for the current J20C specification or the J20A specification, which has been obsolete since 1989.
The Latin and South American regions are expected to experience slow, gradual growth in demand for multigrade and lighter engine oils in the coming years, stimulating imports of API Group II and III base oils, an industry analyst told a conference last week.


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Last week, many top leaders in cannabis converged on Miami for the Benzinga investor conference. Listening to the panels of experts in numerous sessions that focused on business, it would be easy to pull a muscle in one’s neck from the whipsaws of commentary and advice.
There was real talk about how bad things are in the industry followed by optimism for the future of the industry.
(Full disclosure: This editrix was a panel moderator for the event.)
How Bad Is It?
Some of the most sobering comments from panelists highlighted how, for some cannabis companies, equity currently has no value. Instead of talking about acquisitions, buyers are skipping over the companies and going straight to the lenders.
These conversations involve negotiating pennies on the dollar, and there are no talks of cash or even all-stock deals. A toxic combination of high-interest rate loans and high taxation has squeezed the green out of the green rush.
The discussion started to become almost a competition of who could top the next “Things are so bad…” comments.
One session highlighted that things were so bad some Canadian companies were applying to be able to sell cocaine to pharmacists and hospitals.
A panelist in another session told the audience to skip paying the IRS because the fines for not paying taxes were much less that the damage if you didn’t pay your lender. Now granted, telling an audience that’s in a federally illegal industry to do something illegal isn’t shocking to everyone, except that this is an industry that wants to be seen as legit.
How Sweet It Is
While one room was saying how bad things were, the other room was equally enthusiastic about the future of cannabis. Despite the drama at Twitter, the company sent two representatives to talk about advertising campaigns for cannabis companies that has generated great results. For example, Trulieve saw a 214% increase in web traffic after a Twitter campaign.
Uber was equally excited about the cannabis industry and delivery. It can’t bring the service to the United States, but its experiment in Canada is going well.
There was additional buzz about Maryland’s upcoming adult-use sales on July 1. It’s not an especially big market, but every new state is worth cheering about. There is also building anticipation for Pennsylvania’s move to legal adult-use sales. The early medical participants are just trying to hold on for that day.
There was also lots of interest in TerrAscend’s potential listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Jason Wild, chairman of TerrAscend, said that he believed many MSOs were watching from the sideline because if the TSX was comfortable with the risks, it opens up the company to a new pool of European institutional investors.
The move requires some restructuring, and it isn’t certain whether many more companies can take that path. Wild said, “If this goes off without a hitch, we will probably see more.”
If so, that would be sweet indeed.
At the end of the day, most people passionate about the industry are willing to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.
Aye, there’s the rub of cannabis.


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Christmas/New Year Witnesses an Increase in Themed Malware Attacks
In its monthly report for 2010, security firm, GFI Software claimed that the latest analysis of New Year and Christmas malware attacks seems to reflect that hackers took advantage of the holiday season to conduct a series of themed attacks, as reported by infosecurity on January 11, 2011.
These attacks witnessed users being attacked with numerous infected emails, web hyperlinks and several other delivery techniques offering festive details, Christmas e-cards, discount offers, and free software.
Further, December 2010 also witnessed the release of the movie, Disney's Tron Legacy. The movie was also attacked by several search engine infected hyperlinks, unnecessary installs, and other fake malicious software, whilst a series of bogus iTunes e-mails caught numerous people off guard, leading users falling foul of a harmful script that utilized advantage of an identified Java exploit.
GFI states that their research team revealed an Amazon receipt generator scam targeted at tricking retailers in the hectic festive season into honoring forged receipts.
Moreover, December 2010 again witnessed important activity from computer Trojans, which still rule the general malware backdrop. Of the ten most prominent detections, seven detections were identified as computer Trojans. Further, those seven estimated for around 35% of total malware detections for December 2010.
Besides computer Trojans, computer worms also posed considerable problems in December 2010. Most important was Worm.Win32.Downad.Gen (v), ranking seven at the December's top 10, detection for the Downadup worm, generally called as Conficker and Kido.
Communications and Research Analyst at GFI Software, Tom Kelchner, stated that after the augmented themed threat traffic in November 2010 around Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, hackers again tried to utilize advantage of the festive season by launching themed attacks made to direct users towards malware ridden sites and to cheat them into following poisoned mail and executables, as reported by sourcewire on January 10, 2011.
Kelchner added that, themed attacks, themed SEO infections, and bogus application installs are some of the strong ways for malware authors to circulate malware creator and disrupt companies and families.
He concluded by saying that, the list of top 10 (malware) is acting like a severe reminder that IT security should not be taken lightly and all necessary measures should be immediately taken to stop such attacks.
Related article: Christmas Spam Most For Aussies
» SPAMfighter News - 1/21/2011
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We do believe, that the foundation for a good work environment starts with fast, secure and high performing computers. If you agree, then you should take a look at our Business Solutions to Spam Filter & Antivirus for even the latest version of Exchange Servers - your colleagues will appreciate it!


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India (Sputnik) – Minister of Tourism and Culture advised visiting female foreign tourists not to wear skirts during their journey in India as it may invite unnecessary problems.
“We provide a welcome kit to the tourists when they land at the airport. The kit contains a card in which the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ for the tourists have been written clearly. We have mentioned that the tourists should not go alone at night while travelling to small towns. Do not wear skirts in small towns. We have also informed the tourists that they should take a picture of the registration number of the vehicle that they are using and send it to a friend,” Minister of Tourism and Culture Mahesh Sharma told media in Agra when asked about the safety of tourists during their journey to Taj Mahal.
Mahesh Sharma further added that, “We are not giving diktats about what they wear and we are not trying to change anyone’s preferences. For their own safety, female foreign tourists should not wear short dresses. We have not given any specific instructions regarding what they should wear or not wear. Our objective is to convey to the female foreign tourists is that India is a country of different cultures and religious places. The foreign tourists should dress accordingly.” The Indian Tourism and Culture Ministry’s latest advisory threatens to dent India’s tourism industry by portraying the country as dangerous for female tourists. Twitter, or course, was soon buzzing after the comments from the Minster.
This report prepared by Sputnik.


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[Tech Brunch] Setting new standard with cylindrical battery platform
Samsung SDI’s nickel-high, low-resistance 21700 cylindrical cells to power Jaguar’s electric vehicle set for launch in 2020, industry sources say
Published : Sep 11, 2018 - 17:05
Updated : Sep 12, 2018 - 13:24
The second heyday of cylindrical batteries is coming as electronic applications get bigger while going wireless, and Samsung SDI is one of the firms leading the trend with the newest form factor of the cells, says Jeong Sang-hun, principal engineer at the company.
“The latest 21700 cylindrical battery platform is on its way to becoming a new standard due to performance improvement and proven safety,” said Jeong in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday.
Jeong, who has 12 years of expertise in the field of battery technology, led the development of the 21700 platform that started to be mass produced last year.
With a diameter of 21 millimeters and a height of 70 mm, the cylinder-shape cell form is slightly bigger than the current market standard 18650 form -- 18 mm in diameter and 65 mm in height -- made by Sony about 20 years ago.
The size was deemed ideal to fit into a handheld camcorder, the most popular device at the time.
However, the power volume of the 21700 form has improved by 50 percent compared to that of Sony’s, and flexibility and efficiency of battery usage have seen great increases in various applications, according to Jeong, thanks to the “optimal size.”
“Major customers are starting to adopt our platform, and we are seeing the range of applications expanding, from power tools, power banks, electronic cigarettes, energy storage systems, electronic bikes and forklifts to electric vehicles,” the developer said.
Cylindrical batteries are mainly used for power tools like wireless drills that require high power, and Samsung SDI’s proprietary low-resistance design helps raise the power, Jeong explained.
Along with the low-resistance design, high dexterity in handling the cell material -- nickel-cobalt-aluminum combination -- is part of the Samsung battery unit’s technological prowess.
Jeong Sang-hun, principal engineer at the cylindrical cell development group at Samsung SDI, explains the 21700 platform at the company’s office in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. (Samsung SDI)
“The NCA is definitely a difficult substance to handle,” Jeong said. “We need the nickel as much as possible -- nearly 90 percent in the compound proportion -- to raise the power, but then safety risks increase proportionately. So we are backing up with aluminum to reduce the risky properties for safety.”
The cylindrical shape made of aluminum also serves as a shield for external shocks and prevents explosions, which is considered a strong competitive edge over pouch-type batteries.
“Many have concerns about driving electric vehicles due to the misunderstanding of the battery type,” the Samsung engineer said. “The aluminum can of the cylindrical cells will keep any abnormal effects in the substance strictly inside the battery, never letting the explosion of a single cell affect the other cells or other parts of the vehicle.”
According to the industry, Samsung SDI was recently selected as a sole supplier of the 21700 cells by UK’s Jaguar for electric vehicles that are set for commercialization in 2020. Jaguar is only second to Tesla, which chose cylindrical batteries for its electric vehicles.
While hand-held power tools need four to five cylindrical cells, 6,000 to 7,000 units are needed for an electric vehicle to run on the cells.
Principal Engineer Jeong Sang-hun (Samsung SDI)
“As Sony had been leading the market with the 18650 model for the past 20 years, we hope to see our new platform serve as the standard across industries for about the same period,” he said.
While anticipating the Samsung 21700 platform to take root in the electronics application market in the coming years, Jeong also foresees a new type of platform for cylindrical batteries in the longer term.
“In response to changing market needs, a new platform could be developed with a focus on further raising the energy density in a single cell,” he forecast.
By Song Su-hyun (email@example.com)
MOST POPULARMore articles by this writer Back to List


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Theoretically, Stitch Fix (NASDAQ: SFIX) could be the perfect company for the current moment.
Stitch Fix’s digital platform connects users with stylists who help them shop for clothes. Customers then buy the clothes which Stitch Fix ships to them.
However, Stitch Fix is laying off 18% of its staff, including 1,400 stylists, BizJournals reports. In addition, Stitch Fix has closed two of its distribution centers.
I guess the demand for Stitch Fix’s styling is down because people are working from home. To explain, you do not need a stylist’s help to buy sweats, t-shirts, and yoga pants.
Is Stitch Fix Growing?
Conversely, Stitch Fix could add 2,000 jobs in places such as Cleveland and Dallas, BizJournals notes. Hence, I suspect Stitch Fix’s business could be growing.
Assembly Bill 5 reclassifies many independent contractors, gig-economy workers, as full-time employments. Hence, California’s minimum wage, vacation, overtime, meal-breaks, vacation rules, and unemployment insurance now apply to full-time gig workers.
Thus, I think Stitch Fix is moving its workforce to states with fewer regulations to save money. However, such a switch will increase political pressure for other states to follow California’s lead.
Stitch was growing before coronavirus. Stockrow estimates Stitch had a 22.01% revenue growth rate in the quarter ending on 31 January 2020. That revenue growth rate was up from 21.46% in the quarter ending on 31 October 2019, but down from 35.77% on 31 July 2019.
Does Stitch Fix Make Money?
Stitch Fix (NASDAQ: SFIX) made more money in the last quarter. For instance, Stitch Fix a quarterly operating income of $8.5 million 31 January 2020.
That operating income was up from $160,000 on 31 October 2019, but down from $15.41 million on 31 January 2019. Conversely, Stitch Fix’s quarterly gross profit rose from $163.15 million on 31 January 2019, to $201.30 million on 31 October 2019, to $202.19 million on 31 January 2020.
In contrast, Stitch Fix’s quarterly common net income went from $11.97 million to 31 January 2019; to -$180,000 on 31 October 2019, to $11.43 million on 31 January 2020.
Interestingly, Stitch Fix can generate cash. Stitch Fix reported an ending cash flow of -$5.84 million on 31 January 2019. The ending cash flow rose to $14.25 million on 31 July 2019 and $151.78 million on 31 October 2019. Conversely, Stitch Fix’s ending cash flow fell to $14.21 million on 31 January 2020.
Finally, Stitch Fix has more cash. Stitch Fix’s cash and short-term investments rose from $277.11 million on 31 January 2019 to $297.28 million on 31 October 2019, to $300.58 million on 31 January 2020. Thus, Stitch Fix had more cash at the end of 2019 than at the end of 2018.
What Value Does Stitch Fix Have?
I think Stitch Fix (NASDAQ: SFIX) has value because of its technological capabilities.
For example, Stitch Fix claimed to employ over 100 data scientists and over 3,900 stylists in February 2019.* In addition, Stitch Fix operated fulfillment centers in South San Francisco, Dallas, Phoenix, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Stitch claimed to have 3.2 million active customers in September 2019, CNBC reports. Each customer is a potential revenue source because Stitch Fix charges each user a $20 styling fee.
Hence, Stitch could make money from all the women afraid to shop at department stores and boutiques but still want to look stylish. To explain, Stitch’s stylists can help those people buy the fashions they want without COVID-19 exposure.
Is Stitch’s Market Growing?
Moreover, Stitch Fix’s market could grow because department stores and fashion retailers are dying fast. For example, J. Crew, True Religion, Neiman Marcus Group, and J. C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) have declared bankruptcy. Dramatically, one iconic department store brand Barneys New York has died completely.
Thus people will have fewer brick and mortar options for fashion shopping. Consequently, more people will seek alternative places to shop for fashion such as Stitch Fix.
Can Stitch Fix Compete with Amazon?
However, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is making a powerful push into fashion.
For instance, Amazon plans to launch a new luxury fashion platform in fall 2020, Quartz speculates. Amazon plans a platform that will give brands online stores, and access to Amazon’s logistic network and customer service resources.
The network could contain 12 fashion brands, Quartz speculates. However, Quartz cannot identify those brands.
Conversely, Stitch Fix’s website lists around 20 brands. Those brands include some big names such as bonobos, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren.
Thus, Stitch Fix has some infrastructure Amazon wants to build in place. However, Amazon has the resources to build such an infrastructure fast. In particular, Amazon had $49.292 billion in cash and short-term investments on 31 March 2020. In contrast, Stitch Fix had $300.58 million in cash and short-term investments on 31 January 2020.
Under these circumstances, I do not think Stitch Fix can survive without a deep-pocketed benefactor. Therefore, I suspect a large retailer such as Macy’s (NYSE: M), TJX (NYSE: TJX), or Nordstrom could buy Stitch Fix to expand its sales. In particular, Macy’s or Nordstrom could sell fashions from their fulfillment centers through Stitch Fix and leverage existing resources.
Is Stitch Fix a Good Stock
I think Mr. Market overpriced Stitch Fix (NASDAQ: SFIX) at $22.80 on 11 June 2020. To explain, I do not think Stitch Fix makes enough money to justify that price.
However, Stitch Fix has kept its share value in 2020. Stitch Fix began 2020 at $25.06 on 2 January 2020 and rose to $25.53 on 8 June 2020, then dropped to $22.80 on 11 June 2020. Additionally, Stitch Fix’s share price peaked $29.37 on 21 February 2020.
In conclusion, I think Stitch Fix’s value is theoretical. Therefore, I advise all investors to stay away from Stitch Fix. You need to avoid Stitch Fix because there is no evidence this company can generate significant amounts of cash.


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Van Niekerk boasts experience in the online space, having been with MIH/Naspers as CEO (MIH SWAT) and CTO (MIH Internet Group), since 2006. He will replace the current CTO, David Turner.
Additionally, Takealot has also appointed Willem van Biljon to its board to boost the company’s technical expertise.
Van Biljon has previously worked at Amazon.com, and was one of the team leads who started EC2 (Amazon’s Cloud solution).
Prior to Amazon, Van Biljon co-founded Mosaic software. He also co-founded cloud infrastructure software company, Nimbula.
Takealot.com has been building its business since the acquisition of Take2.co.za in October 2010, the online retailer said.
The business has expanded its warehouse capacity to Johannesburg and Cape Town; concluded the purchase of a shareholding in Mr. Delivery Express to aid distribution; and expanded category selection to include Sport, Home and Kitchen, Baby and Toddler and Beauty along with the traditional media products.
“Technology is the lifeblood of the organization and the addition of Willem to provide strategic input on the Board and Jacques to the management team is very exciting for us, ” said Takealot CEO, Kim Reid.
“This will place us at the forefront of e-commerce development on the continent and allow us to continue to attract superior technical talent, execute and achieve.”


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CORONA, CA -- AVT Inc., a developer and manufacturer of automated and self-service retailing systems, posted gains in net income and revenue in the first quarter of 2012.
Net income for the three months ended March 31 rose to $225,000 from $9,000 in the comparable 2011 period. Revenues climbed 150% year over year, to $3.5 million from $1.4 million. The company attributed the sharp increase to higher manufacturing revenues from large orders of its custom kiosks.
Gross profit increased 60% to $1.6 million from $1 million in the 2011 first quarter.
"Our current clients continue to order new machines, while new and prospective customers are open and eager to see the many benefits that automated retailing provides," said AVT founder and chairman Shannon Illingworth. He said the first-quarter results were in line with AVT's expectations, and forecast "continued positive operating results" for the remainder of the year.


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THQ Nordic has revealed that it is developing two unnamed projects for the Nintendo Switch.
Whilst announcing the acquisition of several new IPs, the company CEO, Lars Wingefors, declared the publisher's dedication to Nintendo's console. "We are excited for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo's new platform, and already have two other projects in development for it," he said.
What could THQ Nordic be cooking up? The publisher's set of core franchises includes Darksiders, Red Faction, and SpellForce, any of which could make their way to the Switch with ease.
The new IP acquired by Nordic were Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, War Leaders: Clash of Nations and Legends of War, which Wingefors said made sense for the company. "These are not financially material acquisitions," he said, "but due to our love for these types of games they were natural acquisition targets that add up to our portfolio."
More and more developers are declaring in-development projects for the Switch, which has won widespread approval from the game development community. Ubisoft has said that it loves the device, as has Bethesda, which will be producing a version of Skyrim for the Switch.
The launch lineup is still looking sparse, though rumours point to Skyrim and a new Mario title headlining the batch of games available on day one. More Switch details will be revealed by Nintendo in January, leading up to the console's March 17 release date.


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The largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, Binance, and its executives have shown strong support for Bitcoin despite its price decline amid intense market pressure. Brian Shroder, CEO of Binance, stated that he will continue to purchase Bitcoin during price declines, just as he did when Bitcoin was at $29,000 and $19,000.
Business Insider reported on June 28 that Binance.US CEO Brian Shroder intends to continue supporting Bitcoin and accumulating it during price declines.
Shroder remains bullish on Bitcoin despite its price plummeting by 70 percent. His orders to purchase Bitcoin (BTC) at $29,000 and $19,000 were executed successfully.
“I continue to buy, I’m continuing my personal investment journey, and obviously I believe in crypto for the long term on a personal and professional level.”
In fact, Binance’s CEO “CZ” has always supported Bitcoin, holding a bullish long-term outlook on the industry. The CEO of Binance disclosed that he holds no fiat currency, only cryptocurrencies.
Brian Shroder, the CEO of the United States, invests in over 30 distinct digital assets. There are a number of intriguing projects, coins, and tokens associated with technology-related crypto assets. The token’s utility, governance structure, and economics are distinct.
In addition, Shroder is optimistic about Helium because of its utility for Internet of Things devices. The blockchain-powered wireless network transmits and receives data to and from the internet, and rewards users who host device hotspots with HNT tokens.
Since November’s all-time high, the price of Helium’s HNT tokens has decreased by 80 percent. Currently, the price is $10.90 per unit.
After recently announcing zero-fee trading for Bitcoin, the U.S. CEO announced his exclusive support for Bitcoin.
Brian Shroder intends to cultivate favorable user sentiment toward Bitcoin trading in order to attract new users to his platform. Similar to Robinhood, Binance.US would not earn a spread on its no-fee transactions. Instead, the exchange will generate revenue from new staking services and other sources.
© 2015-2023 Coinposters. All rights reserved!


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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo has urged Southeast Asian countries to speed up plans to create a regional travel corridor to help revive tourism and speed up a recovery from the economic damage of the pandemic.
Citing U.N. and World Trade Organization data, Widodo said Monday that the level of restrictions in Southeast Asia was the highest in the world. With coronavirus cases in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations now declining, those limits should be eased to allow people to travel more freely, he said.
Speaking at a regional business forum Widodo urged immediate adoption of a regional travel corridor, a concept initiated by Indonesia in 2020, that would include faster immigration lanes, recognition of vaccine certificates and standardized health measures for departure and arrival, among other things.
“After 20 months of facing the daunting COVID-19 pandemic, we now see a light of hope. In the past week, COVID-19 cases in ASEAN fell by 14%, far exceeding the global average, which fell by 1%.,” he told the forum organized ahead of a three-day ASEAN leaders summit, which starts Tuesday.
“With the COVID-19 situation getting more under control, these restrictions could be eased, mobility could be relaxed, while also ensuring that it’s safe from the risk of the pandemic,” he said.
“If all ASEAN countries immediately facilitate the safe mobility of people, the wheels of economy shall soon run again,” he said.
Intra-ASEAN travel typically accounts for around 40% of travel in the region and is key to reviving tourism in the region.
Some countries, including Thailand, are cautiously moving to reopen to international tourism.
Indonesia re-opened its holiday resort island of Bali to foreign tourists this month after more than 80% of its population was fully vaccinated. Widodo said the government will gradually open up other areas in the country where vaccination rate exceeds 70%. Indonesia so far has fully vaccinated about a third of its people.
Widodo called for more equal distribution of vaccines to ensure that at least 70% of ASEAN’s more than 600 million people are inoculated. Vaccination is uneven in the region, with Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia moving the fastest with over 70% of their population inoculated and Myanmar at the bottom with less than 10% vaccinated.
Widodo said ASEAN, as the region with the fastest growth in internet use in the world, should also expand its digital economy for future growth. The value of Indonesia’s digital economy value is expected to reach $124 billion in 2025 or equivalent to 40% of the total value of Southeast Asia’s digital economy, he said.
“Our rapid steps together in handling health challenges, reactivation of safe travels, as well as acceleration of a fair digital economy, will become our common gateway to recover and advance together,” he added.
ASEAN leaders will hold a three-day annual summit from Tuesday. Myanmar’s top general, whose forces seized power in February, was not invited after failing to take steps to end the deadly violence that followed the military takeover.


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Wheat bread is not created equal
Mary Beth Bowers has one mission: to tell consumers that all wheat bread isn’t created equal.
“Unless it says whole wheat bread on the label, it’s not authentic,” the Wheat Commission member said. “They use all the wrong flours and then have to add all the good stuff back in – and in order to make it look like whole-wheat bread, they add caramel color to it.”
Bowers said the wheat bread deception started in the ’90s when white bread was the “in thing.” In an effort to increase profits and to decrease production costs, factories began to take all the nutritious parts — the endosperm, bran, and germ — out of the bread, leaving it without b-vitamins and replacing them with chemicals. She said that, in order to make the bread white, factories had to put powdered bleach in the tubs of flour to make it whiter quicker – a move that Bowers said isn’t necessary.
“If you just let it sit there for a while, the air will whiten the flour,” she said. “The only difference is speed. They don’t want to wait for it to whiten naturally, so they put chemicals in and hope people don’t notice.”
Bowers said the best flour to purchase is un-bleached, whole-wheat flour. It’s the type that doesn’t get tampered with, and produces the best results in baked goods.
“If you’ve got to go to the store and purchase flour, you want to get the one that is the most natural,” she said. “You don’t want to be giving any chemicals to your family. Anything that doesn’t say whole wheat, isn’t whole wheat. The plain old wheat bread just converts into sugar in your body. It has no other redeeming compounds. Remember, the vitamins and nutrients have been removed, so all your left with is a loaf of sugar.”
If there is an opportunity to purchase the natural product, Bowers said that is the way to go – especially if you have your own grinder.
“They’re not that hard to purchase, and they are a lifesaver if you’re doing a lot of processing,” she said. “There are ones on the market right now that are electric; it makes the grain pretty fine and it comes out in pretty much the same size.”
Recently, though, she has found an exception. Wheat farmers are now growing a genetically modified version that is naturally white, called White Wheat Flour, which she said can be found at Carlsons’ Grocery and other grocery stores in the county.
“It turns everything we know upside down,” she said. “It has all the nutrients, but has the desired look – and it’s a joy to bake with. It has a silky feel to it.”
Looking forward, Bowers said she doesn’t know what will come to the market, but she is sure of one thing: consumers need to be cautious in the grocery store aisle, checking to see that they are getting quality, chemical-free food to feed their families.
“You can’t be healthy in a fortified lifestyle,” she said. “The only way to do it is to go natural.”
Last modified April 18, 2013


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Nissan imports the Renault Twizy EV and partners with Scoot in San Francisco for a new kind of car sharing. We take the weird little machine for a drive.
Scoot's small car sharing program brings Nissan New Mobility Concept EVs to the streets of San Francisco.
Nissan will start car-sharing pilot program with two-seat electric vehicles in Yokohama, Japan.
The Nissan version of the Renault Twizy, the New Mobility Concept, is going to be available for rent in the tourist coastal town of Shikano in Tottori prefecture, Japan, as seen in this video.
Renault may return to North America via Twizy EV sales in Quebec.
Renault turns its Twizy into an urban delivery vehicle for Parisian pilot program with the addition of a trailer, subtraction of passenger seating.
The Lotus Formula One Team is sticking with drivers Romain Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado next year, but it's dropping Renault as an engine supplier in favor of Mercedes power. The 2014 F1 season is barely over, though, and that mean's there still a little time left to
The all-electric Renault Zoe sold 10,000 units during its first year on sale and the French automaker has sold a total of about 51,500 EVs since starting sales of its four-vehicle EV lineup in 2011. Renault's collection also includes the Twizy two-seater, the Fluence sedan and the Kangoo van – just look at the awesome concepts from 200
Electric cars and hybrids are here to stay, much to the apparent dismay of some auto enthusiasts, but that doesn't mean they have to represent the death of enjoyable driving. Granted, the initial run of hybrids in the US like the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius weren't exactly tailor-made for aggressive folks behind the wheel, but things are clearly changing. In its latest video, Chris Bruce
The little Renault Twizy electric vehicle is making its way to the big screen in a bizarre and futuristic new movie, The Zero Theorem. The film is from director Terry Gilliam, a Monty Python alumnus and director of the feature films Brazil, Twelve Monkeys and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
"If you've never heard of the Renault Twizy, that's because it's silent." That's the tagline for a new video of a promotional stunt by the French automaker that sent the funky looking EV driving into a university library to show off how quiet it is. Get it? You aren't supposed to talk in a bibliothèque but you can drive an EV there.
The electric vehicle has gone gold at Renault-Nissan, clocking 100,000 sales in a three-year period that began with the first Nissan Leaf being sold in Silicon Valley, California in 2010. Since then, the Leaf has become the EV champion of the world, selling more than 71,000 units so far, the majority of those in the US. The 100,000th EV sold
If promoting a car's utility, convenience, economy and environmental friendliness doesn't do the trick, an automaker can always fall back on one strategy: cool factor. Renault, which along with sister company Nissan is trying to lead the charge towards battery-electric vehicle adoption, is looking to boost sales of its little-bitty Twizy EV by trying to appeal to France's legendary fashion sen
Nissan says it will roll out an urban electric vehicle that's even better than alliance partner Renault's Twizy. While Renault is marketing the Twizy small electric car as an alternative to scooters on European streets, Nissan thinks its upcoming EV will have more to offer.
This isn't the first time the name F1 has been twisted with Twizy, but it's the first time that we know of that an F1 driver has gone to check out the all-electric Twizy Way carsharing effort.
It recently came out that Porsche mulled a return to Formula One but chose a return to Le Mans instead, citing F1 technology's lack of relevance to its road cars. Well Porsche, take this: the Twizy Renault Sport F1 concept, "a bridge between the world of F1 technology and that of product
The UK division of Renault is promoting the Twizy two-seat electric vehicle with a new, six-minute video and is pitching its customization possibilities by making it available in designs that include the Union Jack.


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General Motors’ recent launches, the Sail twins and the Enjoy MPV were market duds in India. Despite revamping its product line-up, GM registered sagging sales in the last financial year. Moreover, the Tavera controversy and the worldwide recall issue has been an image disaster for the company, not to mention the mounting losses it has registered in a short span of time. Now, in a bid to resurrect the lost market share, GM is working on an all-new platform called ‘Amber’ that will spawn three new models.
The Amber platform is being built from scratch and will be underpinning vehicles from different segments which include a premium hatchback (Maruti Swift rival), a compact sedan (Maruti DZire rival) and a compact SUV (Ford EcoSport rival) for emerging markets like India, Brazil, Thailand, Russia and Mexico among others. The Amber platform is planned to be designed in Europe and engineering in Brazil, which play a dominant role in the project. GM is prioritising the compact SUV for India, which will be followed by a premium hatchback and a compact sedan.
The vehicles are most like to be launched in India and Brazil simultaneously or within a difference of six months. GM is eyeing a global potential of 1-1.2 million units annually from the Amber platform, with India contributing 1.5 lakh units. However, the platform won’t see the light of the day until 2018. With recurring losses and new products having failed in the market; it is really difficult to see GM sustain operations for the next four years without a new product in sight.
General Motors had earlier stated that its current focus will be on strengthening the brand status and restructuring the existing product line-up to improve market share in the country. In the last two years, the company’s market share fell from 4.18 percent in 2012 to 3 percent in FY2013-14. The decline in the market share came, despite the launch of the Sail twins and the Enjoy MPV, which were aimed to double the company’s volumes to 2 lakh units by the end of 2013.
The Amber project also raises the questions on the fate of the Adra Compact SUV concept that was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo, earlier this year. Will GM continue with the concept or will it be scrapped completely is something uncertain at this point. If the Adra concept is still into play with the Amber platform, the launch will be delayed to 2018, while the current date was in 2017. Instead of delaying an entry into new segments, GM should considering bringing in the Sonic twins and Trax compact SUV.
GM is on damage control mode and is taking serious efforts to curb losses, improve customer satisfaction and the overall ownership experience. The company had incurred losses of Rs. 2740.48 crores by March 2013, but has been pouring in equity to keep the operations afloat. GM also refreshed its products recently and stated that the response has been encouraging. The company has also launched the Chevrolet complete care program which promises low cost maintenance.
Source – Economic Times


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Retail and wholesale trade body EuroCommerce said the parliament's adoption of the José Bové report on the supply chain was "regrettable", and added that it "deplored the misconceptions in the report".
BRC assistant director for EU affairs Graham Wynn described the report as "over the top". "It's unfortunate that MEPs, in trying to help farmers, haven't looked into the situation properly," he said.
In the report, Bové, a farmer turned MEP, called for better prices for farmers and a change to European competition law to strengthen their bargaining power in negotiations with the food industry. He also accused own label of restricting competition for branded suppliers.
"The situation is dramatic," he said. "When the prices of products fall, consumers do not see any difference. On the other hand, when commodity prices go up, the increase is passed on to consumers."
EuroCommerce secretary general Xavier Durieu said the report suggested links between farmers and retailers were more direct than they actually were. "Retail is only the last and most visible link in a long supply chain and only in a few cases do retailers buy directly from farmers," he added.
The report has now been passed to the EC, which will decide what action needs to be taken.


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The global business trade seemed to grind to a halt this past March when the Ever Given container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal. Loads of product shipments were impacted, including the Nintendo Switch.
During a recent investor conference call, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa was asked about regional demand for the Nintendo Switch. He replied that due to covid-19, there have been delays in freight traffic, causing shortages for some retailers outside Japan. As noted by Stephen Totilo, the Ever Given was also ever a factor.
“In particular,” said Furukawa, “the accident that blocked the Suez Canal caused delays in the transportation of products bound for Europe, and retail inventories are tight in some countries.”
This isn’t surprising, because that big boat blockage sure caused big problems! According to the BBC, it held up $9.6 billion bucks’ worth of goods a day.


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Redmond released the first service pack for its Exchange 2010 software yesterday. The update comes just four months after Microsoft first revealed its plans for the Exchange 2010 SP1 in April. It dished out a beta of the service pack to its TechEd subscribers in June this year. Microsoft has slotted updates and bug fixes into …
Removed the basic spam filter too.
They've removed the very basic antispam updates that were available to Exchange 2010 users on standard CALs.
So even worse anti-spam than Exchange 2003 SP2?
No, will not be buying Forefront + 'enterprise' cals for everybody.
And the hosting option is rewritten from the ground up, incomplete, incompatible with existing hosting solutions and (most importantly in my books) doesn't support Public Folders, making it useless. Brilliantly missing the point, as is usual with MS nowadays.
- Review Apple takes blade to 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display
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- Worstall on Wednesday Wall Street woes: Oh noes, tech titans aren't using bankers


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Roaring Jaguar makes first leap into 4x4 market with new prototype off-roader as it announces 25% jump in profits
- The sporty 'crossover' car is set to become a favourite with school-run mums
- Jaguar bosses say it is part of their ‘aggressive product development plans’
- Car expert: 'Jaguar’s ambitious growth plan requires it to be a success. Failure is not an option'
Jaguar is making a bold leap into the future – and the unknown - by launching its first ever 4X4.
The sporty ‘crossover’ from the luxury British car company best known for its high-performance sports-cars and luxury limousines is to be unveiled as a prototype at next month’s Frankfurt motor Show before rolling off UK production lines in 2016 priced from around £30,000.
Early details of what is set to become a firm favourite with school-run mums are revealed today in the latest edition of the respected Autocar, the world’s longest running motoring magazine.
The car maker's first ever 4x4 (pictured): It is set to be unveiled as a prototype at next month's Frankfurt motor Show before rolling off UK production lines in 2016 priced from around £30,000
It coincided with Jaguar Land Rover announcing a 25 per cent jump in profits to £415m.
The five-door crossover will be aimed at younger and more affluent families with children. One insider said: 'You rarely see one of today’s Jaguar models with a child-seat in the back. The crossover will tap into that market.'
Feedback from top secret and anonymous ‘customer clinics’ held in the Midlands has been very encouraging with one participant describing the new car as ‘stunning’.
Aggressive product development plans: Jaguar is also planning a new 'baby' saloon car (pictured) and a range of small fuel-efficient coupes from £20,000 to follow in the wake of its new F-Type sports car
Based on eye-witness accounts, Autocar has recreated how the new car will look.
Jaguar bosses say it is part of their ‘aggressive product development plans’.
Jaguar is also planning a new ‘baby’ Jaguar saloon and a range of small fuel-efficient coupes from £20,000 to follow in the wake of its new F-Type sports car.
Autocar Editor Jim Holder said: ‘Jaguar always promised us that the F-Type was just the start of an all-out revolution. Now we have the living proof.
Early details of Jaguar's new 4x4 are revealed today in the latest edition of Autocar, the world's longest running motoring magazine
'With a red-blooded sports car at the heart of its range, Jaguar clearly feels the time is right to expand rapidly and aggressively – and how. That the firm is taking a crossover to the Frankfurt motor show is the ultimate display of confidence.’
said of Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by India’s TATA group: ‘The
investment has been immense. Jaguar’s ambitious growth plan requires it
to be a success. Failure is not an option.
'These are pressurised times at Jaguar. But how great to see the firm approaching them with such a confident swagger.’
Experts believe the new car will be built at Land Rover’s factory in Solihull rather than at Jaguar’s plant at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham.
The news comes as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has reported increased profits for the first part of the financial year. The Coventry-based company's pre-tax profits for April-June totalled £415million - a 25per cent rise on the April-June 2012 period.
Revenues rose 13per cent to just under £4.1billion while retail sales were up 10per cent to 94,719.
UK sales rose 13per cent, while Asia Pacific was up 37per cent, China up 11per cent, North America up 10per cent and Europe up 3per cent.
JLR chief executive Ralf Speth said: ‘The result for the first quarter demonstrates that our full range of new and upgraded products is exciting our customers.’
It marks a bumper week for the British car industry. New car sales have raced ahead again, according to official figures.
A total of 162,228 new cars were registered in July 2013 - a 12.7% rise on the July 2012 figure, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
This was the 17th successive monthly increase and took the year-so-far total to 1,325,851 - a 10.3per cent increase on the January-July 2012 figure. The strong sales in recent months has meant the SMMT has revised upwards its year-end figure for 2013. The society now expects annual sales to reach just under 2.22 million.
This would be 8per cent up on the 2012 total and the best annual figure since 2007.
A Jaguar F-Type, which has proven popular, is seen here at a previous Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland
The unusual styling of Jaguar's F-Type concept car, featuring the latest aerodynamic aids for optimum dynamic performance, has caught the imagination of connoisseurs
An early sketch of the F-type Jaguar: Autocar Editor Jim Holder says: 'Jaguar always promised us that the F-Type was just the start of an all-out revolution. Now we have the living proof'
Meanwhile the new generation Mini will be launched in Oxford later this year - on an auspicious day in UK motoring history.
owner BMW has chosen the launch date of November 18, which is the 107th
anniversary of the birth of the Mini's founding father Sir Alexander
Issigonis. BMW's Cowley plant in Oxford will host the world premiere of
the new car, with a party in London that evening.
The car will then be displayed that week at the Los Angeles and Tokyo motor shows, with the vehicle going on sale in the UK early next year.
Small, nippy and affordable, the original Mini was a sensation when it first went on sale in 1959 just as many households, hitherto predominantly carless, were thinking of splashing out on a vehicle.
It was seen as the first 'classless car' and remained hugely popular for decades.
After taking over the Rover car company from British Aerospace in 1994, BMW started making the new, bigger, Mini at Oxford in 2001 and the car has continued to catch the public's imagination with around 50,000 a year sold in the UK.
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James Haskell meanwhile was sorting through the chest where the rations of rice and beans are stored. “We have got to be way better at this food organisation, we’ve got 21 (packets of) beans in here,” he said. “What?!” exclaimed Ian, “And we are getting the same amount of rice to beans?” Jacqueline Jossa then […]
“I worry about Ian. He can get down and that makes the whole journey even more difficult. “They won six stars so they wanted to take it to the camp that they’re going to. I totally understand that. “I saw Ian’s reaction and honesty I kind of feel sorry for him. Sometimes you’re on the […]
Source From impossible meat to CBD in everything, there are some new and intriguing trends taking the restaurant industry by storm in 2019. Sustainability and conscious eating continue to loom large in the minds of consumers; but as far as the customer experience goes, geofencing is dominating the dining world. Restaurant delivery is a growing […]
RELATED STORIES It’s appropriate that Monday’s episode of The Hills: New Beginnings took place at Thanksgiving, because most of the hour was spent feasting on leftover drama. And they barely even bothered to heat it back up first. As an appetizer, we got a predictably uncomfortable holiday at Spencer at Heidi’s, featuring Stephanie as literally […]
Why not let the individual figure out what works best for them based on their dietary goals, demands and restrictions?
The Canada Food Guide might have been free of industry influence. But it’s just one part of the federal government’s “Healthy Eating Strategy.” There are two more battles underway as the food industry fights new labelling and advertising restrictions.
Infants at high risk of developing food allergies should be offered common allergenic foods at around age six months – but not before four months, according to new Canadian Paediatric Society guidelines.
Last week was busy, but everyone had an opinion on those photos of the president with some burgers. https://media.wired.com/photos/5c4238dd1961cb33a5a8977c/master/pass/Culture_InternetWeek_Trump_Burgers_1082818598.jpg
Best supplements for food poisoning: Food poisoning can occur if you eat something that has been contaminated with germs and symptoms can make you feel very unwell for up to week. While rest and drinking plenty of fluids can help, some experts recommend supplements as a solution to a fast recovery.
Health Canada says it will recommend ‘plain water’ over juice in the updated 2019 food guide in order to reduce sugar intake.


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A rising bitcoin (BTC) price has generally driven up retail engagement, but fear-of-missing-out (FOMO) on the part of these investors appears to be fading, causing an unprecedented bifurcation between the BTC price and Coinbase (COIN) volumes, Mizuho Securities said in a research report on Tuesday.
"Trading volumes on COIN have historically tracked in tandem with changes in the price of bitcoin," analysts led by Dan Dolev wrote. “Both peaked in 4Q21, for instance, when COIN volumes reached nearly $550 billion and the average price of bitcoin was greater than $55,000.”
The report said that starting in the first quarter of 2023, there is a “stark bifurcation between COIN volumes and the price of bitcoin.” The exchange’s volumes dropped from $145 billion to $92 billion by the second quarter and are heading towards around $80 billion for the third quarter. In the same period, bitcoin rose to an average price of $28,500.
Mizuho says this indicates potential fatigue among retail customers, and in contrast to previous cycles, fear-of-missing-out no longer “entices investors to trade bitcoin when prices rise,” as it did in prior years. “This could prove problematic for COIN, as it generates around 95% of its transaction revenue from retail trades,” the note said, adding that the year-to-date rise in the shares is unsustainable. “We expect a reality check to follow.”
The investment bank has an underperform rating on Coinbase stock, with a price target of $27. Coinbase shares were trading at $82.49 at the time of publication. The stock has risen about 125% this year, while bitcoin climbed nearly 60%.
CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk offers all employees above a certain salary threshold, including journalists, stock options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


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Bloomberg is reports that holiday retail sales
jumped 5.5%, the biggest gain in 5 years. Macy’s (NYSE:M) and Abercrombie
& Fitch (NYSE:ANF) were among the big winners, but it seems as though all the
upside has already been had in the retail stocks. My favorite, Kohl’s
done anything since its mid-November jump.
It should be clear from the retail sales numbers
that Americans have gotten more comfortable with the U.S. economic recovery. While we
certainly can’t say the economy is hitting on all cylinders, it has
stabilized and growth forecasts are on the rise.
Retailers report earnings toward the end of February
and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them rally into earnings.
*****One look at oil prices will tell you that
growth expectations are improving. Oil is firmly above $91 a barrel and
gas prices have topped $3 a gallon.
While there’s plenty of speculation that gas prices
will be a drag on spending and an impediment to GDP growth, the effects will take a
long time to work their way into a measurable effect.
For the foreseeable future, higher oil prices will
support higher stock prices as an indication of improving economic
raised interest rates by a quarter point on
Christmas day. Of course, we would prefer to see China let the yuan strengthen as a
way to slow inflation. But it’s clear that China is attempting to slow domestic
growth without impairing its export sector.
The question is: will this strategy work?
Oil and other commodity prices are saying
interest rate move is ineffective. And so is the U.S. dollar.
The dollar is down in early trade, while gold,
silver and other commodities are higher.
My sense is that a quarter-point hike for
China does not
accomplish anything. China‘s already raised reserve requirements for banks and it has very
high down-payment requirements for real estate.
*****Despite the good vibes from the economy and the
stock market, we should expect a correction for stocks sometime soon.
Debt issues in Europe and inflation in China
are the likely suspects to spark some
But the bottom line is that the S&P 500 has come
a long way since late-August.
We’ve seen the index test support at 1,250, and I
absolutely do not rule out another 20-30 points of upside, to 1,280 or
so. And most strategist-types are calling for a minimum of 10% upside for
the S&P in 2011.
I’m pretty sure we won’t get that +10% in
Though there are plenty of stocks that look
attractive right now. And if you are nimble, I expect there are some good
gains to be had. Otherwise, my best advice is to have some cash and a
stock “wish list” ready.
Please send comments and question to [email protected].


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Network equipment maker Cisco Systems reported higher-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit as strong demand for its products in the United States more than offset weakness elsewhere. Shares of Cisco, rose nearly 4 percent in extended trading on Wednesday. The company is the market leader in selling network equipment to businesses, controlling about half of the $38 billion global market and overshadowing rivals Hewlett-Packard and China’s Huawei Technologies, according to market research firm Gartner.
U.S. sales help Cisco beat estimates
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With Christmas fast approaching it's time to start thinking about festive fortifieds. See the top scoring Tawny Ports from our recent panel tasting...
These wines are the top scorers (94 and above) in our recent Tawny Port panel tasting, in the January issue of Decanter magazine. See the full tasting here.
Top 11 tawny Ports
A new trend for tawny Port
There has long been a stark division between tawny and vintage Port, with the so-called ‘British houses’ majoring on vintage while the ‘Portuguese houses’ made a speciality of wood Port, meaning the tawnies and colheitas that are aged for extended periods in wood before bottling.
‘We always had strong sales in markets such as Brazil, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and Portugal, where aged tawnies have long been considered to be among the finest styles of Port,’ said Jim Reader, Port consultant at Dalva.
With the growing appreciation of tawny Port in English-speaking markets, that division is breaking down. All the main shippers have been building their stocks of wood Port.
Graham’s and Taylor’s have even begun to launch their own colheitas – single-year, aged tawny Ports – entering into an area that was once the near-exclusive preserve of the Portuguese-owned shippers. And this year the once rather obscure colheita style has gone mainstream in the UK, with a listing for Kopke 1996 in Marks & Spencer


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After putting its troubles of a year ago behind it, Smart Telecom has embarked on a major customer acquisition drive starting off with a free 12-month 3Mbps broadband promotion.
Smart Telecom technical director Ronan Kelly told siliconrepublic.com that the company is aiming to leverage the 550,000 lines it can now reach from its 37 exchanges around the country.
“The idea is to position ourselves as a next-generation provider of triple-play services. The technology has evolved to push further from the exchanges than before and we will be employing the MPEG 4 standard to provide internet protocol television [IPTV] services in a way not seen before in the Irish market,” said Kelly.
The chief operations officer of Smart, Pio Murtagh added: “We are the only player in the Irish market that can provide uncontended broadband services across the board. Until now we haven’t really been promoting this factor, but that’s about to change.”
It emerged last night that the company will be offering 12 months of free 3Mbps uncontended broadband as part of a package, including voice services from €10 per month excluding line rental. The offer will be available until 31 December.
New and existing customers of Smart will also be able to avail of the offer on upgraded packages of up to 7Mbps.
Murtagh revealed that the company will be unveiling its IPTV services in early 2008. In recent months Smart said it was making a €2.5m investment in a new state-of-the-art MPEG 4 IPTV headend and middleware solution with French provider, Thomson.
The new IPTV platform will enable Smart to deliver its new digital services of more than 100 TV and radio channels to an addressable 550,000 homes across Ireland.
As part of a sneak preview, Murtagh demonstrated voice switch integration on the electronic programme guide on the company’s IPTV service.
The service will include programme stagger features such as time shifting that can allow viewers to watch previous days’ viewing.
And, because the house phone will be integrated with the IPTV service, when someone is watching TV and a call comes in a notification appears on the TV screen, so that the live programme can be paused and resumed when the call ends.
It will include other functions such as child protection features and a ‘zap list’ that allows viewers to bookmark upcoming programmes to be recorded or highlighted.
In tandem with the triple-play service, Murtagh said the company was also investing in growing its SME and corporate customer base.
Murtagh said it was time to bring real competition back into Ireland’s broadband market. “Local loop unbundling has become the preferred platform in Europe for opening up telecoms markets to competition. Ireland, sadly, is the exception.”
By John Kennedy


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PENDLETON - The quest for tobacco regulation legislation provides a prime example of why conference committees are so vital in Congress:
The U.S. Senate has approved legislation that would grant the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco products and pay for a tobacco grower buyout with money from the cigarette industry.
The House bill provides for no such FDA authority and would fund the grower buyout with taxes.
Enter the conference committee, of which Sen. Gordon Smith of Pendleton is a member. However, Chris Matthews, Smith's press secretary, said that the House has not yet named its committee members.
"We're hoping it will be soon," Matthews said, noting that it's now up to the House when negotiations begin.
Umatilla County Community Health Educator Janet Jones and Dana Kaye, the regional advocacy coordinator for the Tobacco-Free Coalition of Oregon, aren't as interested in the timing as the outcome. They are adamant that the Senate version is better for the health of millions of Americans and for the country's taxpayers.
"This was an historic vote," Kaye said of the Senate version, which passed 78-15. "We want to make sure that the language stays the same."
Under the Senate version, Kaye said the FDA would be able to clamp down on tobacco companies who market to children as well as require packaging labels with stricter labeling, including a list of ingredients in tobacco products.
"Tobacco is one of the few products that don't have ingredients listed on the label," Jones said. It's easy to see why the companies don't want that, because the ingredients include chemicals like formaldehyde and uranium 235 in addition to nicotine, she added.
The FDA regulation also could eventually compel tobacco companies to release to the public the results of any studies they mount involving their products.
Jones, as the health educator for the county, said she fights a never-ending battle to sway young people away from tobacco products, which is made even more difficult with the multi-million dollar advertising campaigns the tobacco companies are able to mount.
She is especially concerned about the new flavored tobacco products that are coming onto the market. Camel's flavored offerings include Twista Lime, Bayou Blast, Mandarin Mint and Kauai Kolada, while Midnight Berry and Caribbean Chill are two of the Kool Smooth Fusions line. Skoal is expanding its flavored chewing tobaccos as well, including flavors like Vanilla, Apple Blend and Berry Blend.
"Tobacco is still the leading preventable cause of death in Umatilla County, Oregon and the nation," Jones said. "The effects of tobacco cost Umatilla County $41 million every single year."


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In a sea of text-based information, video content can be a welcome respite for weary eyes, which is why video content is being increasingly utilised by the Australian real estate industry to strategically cut through.
Online property sales platforms like RealEstate and Domain use video in their online advertising, while many real estate agents report that video offers a strong selling point on social media.
As a result, many vendors are beginning to see the value in employing video-content creators when marketing their property for sale.
This is a trend that Steve Makris, co-founder of Real Estate Tube, believes has merits for the rental market as well. His online platform allows users to create engaging videos to attract housemates.
With the afore-mentioned Cisco study revealing that four out of five web users will be viewing video, this could be the direction that property marketing for both rentals and sales heads in moving forward.
“Images really don’t do the properties justice [as they] don’t allow potential buyers to see the size of the property and everything it entails,” Markis said.
“I decided to film the properties using my phone and email it to the buyers. Since that moment, and our incorporation of real estate videos, the company has had such a positive response from the public that I knew we were onto something unique.”


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A Tough Diet
- Food vendors say the business in Zaveri Bazaar has declined by about 50 to 60 per cent
- Police and civic administration have asked stall owners not to litter khau galis. Garbage trucks now come around thrice a day.
- Vendors have been asked to keep a watch for unattended bags and supicious customers
- Crackdowns on unlicensed vendors. Visible police patrols.
If the next time you saunter down to the Cross Maidan ‘khau gali’ (food alley) in Mumbai and begin to wonder whether you didn’t remember it to have been a great deal more congested, know that you are not alone in perceiving thus. Vendors say footfalls in the gali have fallen since the July 13 serial blasts when two of three bombs went off in similar khau galis at Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House. Straddled on either side by Mumbai’s major railway hubs—Churchgate and Chhattrapati Shivaji Terminus—the Cross Maidan khau gali attracts office-goers, college students, chauffeurs and peons from the bustling business districts nearby. The lane, barely 100 metres long with a variety of food stalls, juice stalls and ‘xerox’ outlets, would normally take up to a minute to negotiate from one end to the other as rows upon rows of people line up for their daily snack, lunch and in-betweens. Now, on most days, there is ample room to walk—even during peak hours.
“It’s not that people have stopped eating,” says Ganesh Shetty, proprietor of Sai Shabri sandwich stall, “More people are sending for parcels these days. I guess it’s a safer way to eat.” Changes like these, though marginal, are perceptible—as much in the hawa-pani of the place as in the decreasing number of ‘dine-in’ customers. The bonhomie is strained, humour is dark, casual conversations invariably centre on explosions and attacks. And there are other changes: large garbage containers have been done away with, leftovers and garbage are collected by individual vendors in small see-through plastic bags, civic garbage vans come thrice a day, cooks and helpers at food stalls have been instructed to keep a close eye on customers, vendors are consciously looking out for suspicious bags and packages that have been left unattended, a couple of policemen in mufti drop by for their ‘rounds’ and police patrol vans are more visible.
Khau galis dot the city, from the commercial and business hubs in the south to residential localities in the suburbs. The municipal corporation estimates there may be 140 authorised and unauthorised khau galis in all. Some are famed for their fare, others frequented for their mix of convenience, dependability and affordability. They rival a restaurant for sheer variety though they take a beating on the hygiene aspect. Often, these galis are the first markers of changing tastes and mixing cuisines. Khau galis, like the suburban railway system, are the food lifelines of Mumbai, typifying the city’s attitude to food: stand, eat and scoot. At night, some khau gali vendors put out bright red or beige chairs and stools that give Mumbai aficionados nightmares. Take khau galis away from the city and Mumbai would be poorer by one defining factor. But their character is changing as the city learns and re-learns to live with blasts. Some galis simply shut down, others change their very nature—food stalls and vendors are still around but the comfort and camaraderie are now subdued. “Earlier, we had a group that used to meet every afternoon for a fruit-snack here. Now, we do it about once a week and that too after much deliberation,” says Abhay Kapoor, an executive at Lenin pav bhaji stall, Cross Maidan.
Khau galis, unfortunately, have become a security nightmare after the Zaveri Bazaar gali took its third hit in 18 years and security at the Opera House one was breached on July 13. Each time in the past, food and business returned to Zaveri Bazaar. This time around, the gali is devoid of food vendors and customers. Also missing from the frame are the rows of two-wheelers parked at the edges of pavements and used as make-shift tables by vendors and customers. Local traders say the business in Zaveri Bazaar has declined by about 50 to 60 per cent. This coupled with police crackdowns on food vendors has called curtains on the bazaar’s famous khau gali.
“People don’t come for business, deals are not struck on pavements anymore, food vendors are not allowed, this place isn’t the same anymore,” says Mohanbhai Pudlawala, whose pudla (a Gujarati snack) shop is one of the few eateries left in the lane. Adds Hasmukhbhai, a Zaveri Bazaar regular: “Food vendors are not to blame. It’s the illegal parking that’s to blame, but the police have driven away everyone.” Adds A.M. Shetty, owner of Bengal Foods: “Food is an integral part of how we do business here”. Similarly, the Opera House khau gali exists only in memory of those who frequented it. “The place has been sanitised and cleaned up, no one is allowed any activity,” says Hardik Hundiya, a diamond trader and publisher of a trade magazine.
This is also the fate of Dalal Street and Nathalal Doshi Marg, two small lanes with old-world buildings that lead to the Bombay Stock Exchange, targeted in the 1993 blasts. “The lanes are barricaded out except for the pedestrians. We do some dhanda on the side streets but you can’t call it a khau gali now,” says Thankappan, a sandwich stall owner. “People come because they have to eat, but the fear is always there.” In the khau galis of south Mumbai, particularly those serving business and commercial hubs, the fear of imminent attack is palpable. For displaced vendors, like Ashok Paswan who used to make and sell samosas for 30 years in the Zaveri Bazaar khau gali, the anxiety is about feeding his family.
The mood is less sombre in khau galis across the suburbs. Here, the buzz and bustle has not taken the hit south Mumbai has. People drop by with the same ease and regularity. Cars still line up at the Shivaji Park khau gali late into the night, college students and executives still wait their turn at the Juhu gali, families still step out for an after-dinner snack or kulfi at Malad and Kandivli. And it is business as usual for the galis on Mohammed Ali Road.
With the peak festive season coming up, impromptu khau galis sprout up across the city—near Ganpati pandals, Navratri garba-dandiya venues, at masjids for Id and so on. The Mumbai Police’s request to festival organisers to “tone down celebrations” has been met with stubborn refusals. Then, they pressured civic authorities into carrying out a drive against illegal hawkers, especially street food vendors. “We had meetings with the police, their only point is to remove illegal vendors and opaque garbage cans, as if those are the only reasons for a blast,” laughs Ganesh Shetty. Already, khau galis—at least those in the south—are exhibiting an atypical nervousness. As Mumbai’s perennial foodie Kunal Vijayakar puts it: “Blasts happen, but we cannot trade the charm of khau galis for anything”.
By Smruti Koppikar with Snigdha Hasan


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Diners increase demand for meals
According to Allegra, the eating out market is set to rise by 3% in 2012, generating £53bn in revenue. Allegra has also predicted that over the next five years, spending on meals out will rise to £65bn. This positive forecast has been based on the increase in average earnings, as well as the gradual reduction in inflation. Both factors make it easier for consumers to eat out, and will contribute to the inevitable improvement in sales over the next five years.
When compared with the rest of the food service market, the development of the eating out industry has far surpassed other areas of the industry. Overall, the growth of the eating out market has been attributed to the expansion of available services, an increase in the number of people choosing to eat out, and price inflation. Dominating the market growth is the fast food industry, with sandwich outlet Subway seeing a particularly steep rise in sales. In 2012, Subway increased their outlets by 134, while Dominos added a further 102 stores to their chain.
Despite the successes of 2012, and the predicted five year growth pattern, food outlet operators are still having to fight hard for their margins. Operators are now having to spend more on obtaining consumer spend, and there is an ongoing fight to increase productivity. As 45% of consumers do not feel confident about their future income levels, and 62% exercise fiscal caution when eating out, those who operate in the eating out industry will need to continue working hard in order to take advantage of the predicted successes between now and 2017.
Regardless of these concerns, it appears that eating out is an aspect of life that British consumers have grown accustomed to. Although the overall spending at lunchtime has dropped by £0.27 per meal, it has increased by £1.26 per meal at dinner time. With these reductions in spending has come an increase in the number of times customers choose to eat out. Four-point-five lunches a week are now eaten out, as well as 2.7 dinners, and 1.7 breakfasts. Such sales have been influenced by operators improving the range and price of products on offer, particularly when it comes to breakfast.


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Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) and a group of Chinese banks have agreed on a new RMB 10 Billion (USD 1.4 Billion), five-year loan facility for the automaker’s Shanghai gigafactory, according to Reuters, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
Tesla shares were trading 1.7% higher during Monday’s pre-market hours as shares hit all-time highs of USD 412.40.
China Construction Bank (CCB), Agricultural Bank of China (AgBank), Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) are among the banks which have agreed to give Tesla the financial support, one source with direct knowledge said.
Earlier this year, the Chinese banks already offered Tesla a 12-month facility of up to RMB 3.5 Billion, which is expected to be repaid on March 4, 2020, according to Tesla’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to one of the sources, the new loan will partially be used to roll over the previous RMB 3.5 Billion debt. The second source noted that the rest of the loan will be used on the factory and Tesla’s China operations.
Tesla began production in its Shanghai factory earlier this year. By the end of the year, the electric automaker aims to produce nearly 1,000 Model 3 vehicles per week.
The Shanghai factory is the first manufacturing site for Tesla outside of the U.S. The establishment of the factory positions Tesla to tap into other global regions and allows the Company to avoid higher import tariffs imposed on U.S. manufactured vehicles.
The Shanghai government has shown its support for the Tesla factory, which would be China’s first wholly foreign-owned car plant and a reflection of the government’s broader shift to open up its car market, according to CNBC.


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Get to know what’s behind the SETUP program and the success of the Frux Peanut Butter business.
By Allan Mauro V. Marfal,
S&T Media Service, DOST-STII
You might say that Mrs. Fructoso Lana, owner of Frux Peanut Butter, is going nuts. It’s almost incredible that technology intervention worth 541,600 has “spread” her income base to yummy figures.
According to Lana, Frux has increased its production by 136 percent and sales by 142 percent, as the company is now able to produce quality peanut butter and market it in 50, 200, 250, and 300 gram bottles; these are widely distributed to established local markets. Among Frux Peanut Butter’s clients is Manolette Bakeshop, which has 200 branches across the country.
At the closing ceremony of 2014 Mindanao Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Science and Technology Fair at the SMX Convention Center of SM Lanang in Davao City last year, Frux Peanut Butter was recognized for successfully implementing SETUP or the Small Enterprise Upgrading Program.
Lana said that aside from the financial assistance, her staff received extensive consultancy training on food safety from the DOST. In addition to providing financial assistance to micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) like Frux, the DOST also promotes safety practices among food manufacturers through various training sessions, Lana
added. She was referring to the Good Manufacturing Practice Training sessions for the improvement of production processes and the Technical Consultancy on Management Productivity Extension Program, both conducted by DOST regional offices. She hailed DOST’s efforts to constantly remind them about their responsibility to deliver products that are beneficial to the health of customers as well as to the environment. “With these training (sessions), the DOST explained to us that following
requirements related to food safety practices would enable us to penetrate a larger market.”
This story appeared in Agriculture Monthly’s June 2015 issue.


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Lithium is paramount to electromobility, as it is essential for batteries. This explains why demand for this extremely rare natural resource has risen enormously, driving up prices for it commensurately. The price of lithium carbonate, the compound as which lithium is usually traded on the world market, has risen from 6,000 US dollars per metric ton in 2015 to roughly 13,000 US dollars today.
The 2020s are predicted to be the decade of lithium. According to Deutsche Bank, demand for this natural resource could increase to over 500,000 metric tons in 2025 from nearly 200,000 metric tons in 2016. New sources of lithium are being sought the world over, with Germany among the countries of focus.
Lithium is a key element of modern disposable and rechargeable batteries. It is the lightest metal in the world and is not renewable. Lithium is used to produce aluminium, glass, ceramics and rechargeable batteries. Lithium batteries are lighter and have longer lives than their predecessors, explaining why the raw material has gained dramatically in significance. Lithium batteries are used in cameras, laptops, smartphones, e-bikes and other devices. Demand for the natural resource has risen substantially since the auto industry started manufacturing electric vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium is primarily extracted from salt water in groundwater or salt lakes through evaporation. Only rarely are rocks obtained in opencast mines. Chile has the world’s largest known lithium reserves, amounting to 8 million metric tons. This puts the South American country ahead of Australia (2.7 million metric tons), Argentina (2 million metric tons) and China (1 million metric tons).
The largest lithium deposits can be found in what is known as the Lithium Triangle formed by Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, an area thought to hold around 55 percent of the world’s reserves. The salt lakes of the Atacama Desert form a vast lithium reservoir. The brine of the mineral-rich groundwater is pumped into the basin for evaporation. Taking multiple evaporation steps leads to the required lithium concentration. This is how roughly 21,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate are produced in Chile every year, ready for further processing.
Mining lithium in the South American Lithium Triangle has many drawbacks for the environment. Groundwater levels are lowered continuously, and the areas dry out and destroy the basis of human and animal livelihood. The artificial dewatering puts entire ecosystems in jeopardy, prompting uproar from environmental activists time and again. Lithium production in Germany complying with European guidelines and environmental regulations could be more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Mining is a tradition in the Ore Mountains of Saxony. As everywhere else in Germany, the era of mining has ended and pits have been shuttered. But now, this era could continue, as Europe’s largest lithium deposits are assumed to lie beneath Germany’s border to the Czech Republic.
During the last ten years, geologists and chemists from the Freiberg Mining Academy have worked with the mining company Deutsche Lithium GmbH to extract samples, examine the soil and start a research project. They predict that the mountains are home to 125,000 metric tons of lithium metal. This would yield about 660,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate. “This would be enough to equip about 20 million vehicles with batteries – and that’s something,” declared Armin Müller, Managing Director of Deutsche Lithium AG, in an interview with Deutschlandfunk.
The feasibility study for the pit in the Ore Mountains was completed in 2019. Financing is being put together and partners are being sought. If everything goes according to plan, the operators could start building a huge ramp descending underground. This would take approximately 24 months, enabling the coveted lithium-containing ore to be mined starting in early 2023.
Extracting the lithium carbonate required to make batteries requires several steps to be taken. According to Deutsche Lithium AG, doing this in the Ore Mountains would be fairly straightforward, and it would not alter the landscape. The natural resource would be extracted underground, requiring only the ore to be transported.
Freiberg Technical University has developed a method for extracting the lithium carbonate. The ore is ground and passed over a magnetic switch that separates the ore from the quartz. The next step entails mixing the ground ore with gypsum and limestone and heating the mixture to 1,000 degrees. This produces small spheres from which lithium carbonate can be extracted by adding water and carbon dioxide. However, this step can only be carried out in a chemical plant, which the state of Saxony lacks at present.
The auto industry could be the main buyer of the lithium carbonate produced in Saxony. VW retooled its Zwickau plant to manufacture electric vehicles. US-based Tesla plans to build a new EV factory in Brandenburg by 2021. And in Thuringia, Chinese industrial group CATL is constructing a battery production facility.
Daimler and BMW have also launched their EV campaigns so that all these carmakers and suppliers should be interested in the lithium carbonate from the Ore Mountains.
So far, the lithium carbonate needed in Europe has been imported. Portugal’s 60,000 metric tons give the country the largest reserves on the European Continent, making it an important source for the auto industry. Most of the lithium carbonate comes from the Bolivia/Chile/Argentina tri-country area as well as from Australia and China. If the plans for the Ore Mountains succeed, Europe could reduce its dependency on the key lithium-mining countries.
Photo credit: shutterstock.com, Peruphotart


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01 Nov 2020.
British scientists have asked the country’s government to add vitamin D to common foods such as bread and milk, which they believe will help protect the population from coronavirus infection.
A group of experts led by Dr. Gareth Davis found that about half of the UK population is deficient in this element. Low vitamin D levels weaken the immune system, making it most vulnerable to various infections, including coronavirus. During a pandemic, the human body especially needs nutrients.
The practice of adding the vitamin to milk, bread and orange juice is present in Finland, Canada, Australia and Sweden, while the British government rejects the idea.
“In my opinion, it is clear that vitamin D can not only protect against the severity of the disease, but also against infection. Food fortification will require careful planning for effective implementation, especially with people now taking supplements. Care must be taken when choosing the right enrichment products. But it’s clear that current policies are not working – at least half of the population is vitamin D deficient, ”Davis said.
Adrian Martino, a professor of respiratory infections at Queen Mary University in London, added that most people ignore British public health advice about taking vitamin D supplements. The specialist noted that even he sometimes forgets to take vitamins on time.
The main source of this element is sunlight. However, Britain is famous for its cloudy weather, which is why in the period from October to March the country’s population is forced to “extract” the vitamin from foods such as fatty fish, eggs and some fruits.
LIVE24 previously reported that vegetarians are at high risk of contracting coronavirus. Their diet contains a minimum amount of animal products, which contain useful vitamins.


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Food & Dining, Local Coverage
BOSTON — A bill that would make the fluffernutter Massachusetts' official sandwich has been given initial approval by state lawmakers.
The measure was advanced Tuesday on a voice vote during an informal session of the House of Representatives.
The fluffernutter — peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff on bread — has remained a popular treat in New England for generations.
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