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Lights, Camera, Franchise
Celebrities of all kind have thrown their weight into the quick-serve industry as franchisees, and their brands are getting creative with how they leverage the partnership.
Get in the Game
From increased visibility to intense customer loyalty, brands and franchisees are recognizing the perks that come with college sports partnerships.
The Global 30
A look at the top brands, markets, and trends in international growth.
Chicken wings are showing up on more quick-serve menus, and not just during football season.
Wingstop Takes Flight
Armed with the marketing, infrastructure, and know-how, Wingstop is poised to be the quick-service brand that finally takes wings national.
QSR 50 Contenders
These quick-service and fast-casual companies just missed the QSR 50.
How to Take Advantage of the Cloud
New technology helps restaurants streamline operations and make sense of all the data they’re collecting.
A New Team
From the bright lights of professional sports to the fast pace of restaurant management, a growing number of athletes are entering the quick-service arena.
Brands No. 51-65 are fast-rising quick-service and fast-casual companies that just missed the QSR 50.
The 10 Best Franchise Deals
Back by popular demand.
reveals the industry's best franchise deals.
Wingstop Adds Latin-Inspired Serrano Pepper Glaze
Wingstop is now saucing and tossing a new wing flavor: Serrano Pepper Glaze.
Wingstop Opens 2nd Hawaii Unit in Honolulu
Wingstop has landed in Honolulu, Hawaii. The wing concept, with more than 690 locations around the globe, recently opened at 1210 Dillingham Boulevard...
Wingstop Names Bill Engen Chief Operating Officer
Wingstop Restaurants Inc. announced the appointment of Bill Engen as chief operating officer, effective immediately.
Wingstop Opens First Hawaii Location
Wingstop has landed in Hawaii. The chain opened its first restaurant in the Aloha State at the Gateway at Mililani Mauka in Mililani.
Wingstop Sustains Momentum in Strong Second Quarter
Wingstop soared to new heights in the second quarter of 2014.
Wingstop Opens 1st Location in Indonesia
Wingstop has landed in Indonesia.
Wingstop Accelerates Growth In First Quarter
Fresh off a record breaking year for growth, Wingstop continued to outperform industry averages in the first quarter of 2014 with a 9.6 percent increa...
Wingstop Gets Saucy with Chili Lime
Wingstop unveiled its latest wing flavor—combining fiery chilies with a burst of lime, the brand put out Chili Lime wings.
Wingstop Announces Plans for New Jersey Development
Fresh off a record-breaking year, Wingstop announced plans to significantly expand its presence in the Northeast by opening at least 25 new restaurant...
Wingstop Awards High School Scholar Athlete of the Month
Wingstop nominated Drew Heilman of Burleson as its sixth 2013–14 High School Scholar Athlete of the Month’, a program also sponsored by KTVT-TV CBS.
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In the Store
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Halal Guys Grows Executive Team
Currito Brings Loyalty Program to Google Wallet
Dunkin' Partners With New Franchise Group in Minneapolis
Caribou Names Boelter Supplier of the Year
Pecanberry Salad LTO Returns to McAlister's For Spring
The Halal Guys Names New COO
Submit Your Brand for the QSR 50!
Seasonal Spring Salad From Saladworks
BUNN Wins Gold at 2015 Connected World Awards
Godfather's Opens Second Albuquerque Location
Ones to Watch


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Syracuse officials are accusing the ownership of three vacant gas stations at a southern entrance to the city of blocking the properties' sale in the name of competition.
On Monday, Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner brought in Sen. Charles Schumer to call on Sunoco to allow the sale and redevelopment of the stations near the intersection of Seneca Turnpike and East Brighton Ave.
One of the properties has been vacant more than 15 years.
Entering the city and driving past the rundown properties sets "a bad tone" for the area, Schumer said.
Bus drivers who bring customers to Destiny USA in Syracuse won't be waiting in their buses for passengers to finish shopping anymore. The mall has created a new bus drivers lounge and the idea is to expand on what is already a big source of shoppers at the Syracuse mall.
An ice cream icon in Syracuse has become the latest business to join in the revitalization of downtown Syracuse. Gannon's Isle has opened up a permanent store in the Dey's building, on the corner of South Salina and Jefferson Streets.
The New York state comptroller’s office has released its annual report on New York’s 113 Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs), with concerns raised about the effectiveness and transparency of the organizations.
Business leaders are joining with several New York members of Congress who oppose the idea of introducing a fee for visitors crossing the border into the U.S., citing the importance of Canadians to upstate New York’s economy.
Small businesses from around the state took their concerns to legislators in Albany Wednesday. The message from leaders in the agricultural industry particularly highlighted the need for reforms to support small farms, and boost local economies upstate.
In March, the federal government awarded Chenango County, northeast of Binghamton, foreign trade zone status. That means county businesses can import goods without paying a tariff. They also pay a lower tariff if those goods are sold within the United States and no tariff if the final product is exported.
New York's junior senator and the head of the U.S. Small Business Administration swung through upstate New York Monday to hold a series of roundtable talks with small business owners and economic development officials.
The grades are in and the Finger Lakes region is top-of-the-class for business friendliness in New York state. That’s the conclusion of a new small businesses survey conducted by Thumbtack.com. But the survey also shows that the state still lags in a national comparison.
For the first time in Bill Ryan's 10 years of public service, Syracuse and the owner of the Destiny USA mega-sized shopping mall are not facing legal action. Ryan is a former common councilor and now chief of staff for the mayor and chairman of Syracuse Industrial Development Agency (SIDA), the city's development arm.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has launched a service to streamline regulatory processes for New York’s $22 billion alcoholic beverage industry. The one-stop-shop initiative is designed to give producers a single point of government contact for licensing, regulatory, and incentives issues.
Matthew Turcotte works from his office in Clarkson University's small business incubator in downtown Potsdam.
Many 16-year-olds might dream about starting their own business. But it takes a special kind of teenager to turn an operation launched in his parents' basement into a six-figure profit earner in just four years. After succeeding wildly with his web development and design company, North Shore Solutions, Clarkson University junior Matthew Turcotte, now age 20, is embarking on his second venture: commercial real estate.
Firearm manufacturer Remington Arms is a part of New York's long tradition of manufacturing, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says, but using taxpayer dollars to make sure they stay in upstate New York is up to the governor.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) wants to make it harder for phone hacking rings to rip off New York state businesses. Schumer is hearing from New Yorkers about dozens of businesses that are racking up huge phone bills because of these hackers.
While the Fiscal Cliff deal passed by Congress at the turn of the New Year raised taxes on some of the wealthiest people in America, it left many tax breaks in place that benefit small businesses. That is, along as they take advantage of them.
The sale of the Hickey Freeman parent company was approved by the U.S Bankruptcy Court Wednesday. Authentic Brands Groups (ABG) and W-Diamond Corporation have been given the go ahead to purchase the intellectual and physical property of the company.

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Ginger Joy, an innovative Web3 mobile gaming ecosystem, has secured a remarkable £1 million in funding to pioneer the fusion of blockchain technology and mobile gaming. With a focus on quality, playability, and cross-game item usage, Ginger Joy aims to redefine the gaming experience while empowering content creators. Let’s delve into the details of this exciting venture.
The Vision of Ginger Joy: Transforming Mobile Gaming
Ginger Joy emerges as a dynamic offshoot of Matchingham Games, embarking on a mission to revolutionize mobile gaming through the integration of Web3 technology. Their vision encompasses the creation of a vibrant gaming ecosystem where players can seamlessly interact across multiple titles, facilitated by blockchain-powered item transfer and creator remuneration mechanisms.
Meet the Minds Behind Ginger Joy
At the helm of Ginger Joy is a team of seasoned professionals, led by Russell Brown, Chief Business Development Officer of Matchingham Games. With a blend of technical expertise and creative prowess, the team is poised to elevate the standards of mobile gaming while embracing the transformative potential of blockchain technology.
Investors and Supporters
The £1 million funding secured by Ginger Joy underscores the confidence of investors in its vision and potential impact on the gaming industry. With this financial backing, Ginger Joy aims to bolster its team with fresh talent and accelerate the development of its blockchain-based mobile games.
Driving Industry Transformation
Ginger Joy’s innovative approach to mobile gaming holds immense promise for the industry. By harnessing AI for rapid content development and prioritizing quality and playability, Ginger Joy aims to deliver immersive gaming experiences that seamlessly integrate blockchain functionality. This not only enhances player engagement but also opens up new avenues for content creators to monetize their contributions.
As Ginger Joy embarks on its journey to redefine mobile gaming, the industry anticipates a paradigm shift in player experiences and creator empowerment. With a steadfast commitment to innovation and quality, Ginger Joy is poised to leave a lasting impression on the gaming landscape.
For more exciting updates and news on gaming innovations like Ginger Joy, subscribe to our newsletter today!
Q1.How will Ginger Joy leverage blockchain technology in its mobile games?
Ginger Joy plans to utilize blockchain technology for cross-game item transfer and creator remuneration, enhancing player interactions and empowering content creators within its gaming ecosystem.
Q2.What sets Ginger Joy apart from traditional mobile gaming studios?
Ginger Joy distinguishes itself through its focus on Web3 integration, quality, and playability, offering players a unique gaming experience while creating opportunities for content creators to thrive.


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Shuanghui selling stake in Campofrío
Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. is selling Campofrío shares to comply with Spanish law
China's Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. inherited a 37 percent stake in Campofrío, a Spanish packaged meats company by buying Smithfield Foods. Shuanghui is reducing its stake in Campofrío to below 30 percent to avoid a takeover bid under Spanish law, according to a press release.
Pedro Ballvé, Chairmain of Campofrío Food Group, commented: "Campofrío Food Group has long benefited from its relationship with Smithfield and now, as a result of Shuanghui's entrance into Smithfield, we look forward to the opportunity to benefit from this new association. China is the largest and fastest growing pork meat market in the world and therefore has been, and even now, will more likely be an important growth opportunity for Campofrío."


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Visits to Wales from tourists elsewhere in the UK jumped by nearly 8% in the first nine months of last year - and spent more than 12% compared to 2012, it has been revealed.
The results of the Great Britain Tourism Survey reveal Brits continuing their trend of “staycations” last year, when the outlook for the economy was less certain.
Economy Minister Edwina Hart said the figures were “excellent news” for the Welsh tourism industry.
The figures, which the first nine months of 2013, show British people made 8.04 million visits to Wales, up 7.8% on 2012 and 5.4% higher than the same period in 2011.
Results from the survey, completed for the whole of the UK, showed spending from British visitors in Wales also spiked by 11.9% compared to the same period in 2012 - totalling £1.4bn.
In pictures: 100 things to do in Wales before you die
Notably, the number of visits for Britain as a whole stayed relatively static, with no change on the previous year, while tourist spending was raised by only 1.1%.
Economy Minister Edwina Hart, said: “These figures are excellent news for the tourism industry in Wales. We’ve had feedback from the industry that 2013 had been a good year, especially the peak summer months.
“The 2013 January to September results for Wales provide a good indication of annual performance as they include the summer peak.
“The results are very positive both in terms of absolute volumes and in that Wales’ performance is well ahead of comparative movements at GB level.
“Of course, the weather played its part in the success of 2013 but Wales’ tourism industry is developing to be strong and resilient and a crucial part of our economy.
“The tourism strategy for Wales aims to increase the value of tourism to the Welsh economy by 10% by 2020.
“The work of marketing Wales continues and a new advertising campaign for the UK and Ireland including a new TV advert will be launched in March with a view to attracting visitors to Wales for the summer of 2014.”
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Josh Johnson, pastry chef at Guittard Chocolate and former instructor at the French Pastry School for six years, recently presented a primer on chocolate decorations, offering valuable tips and trends, along with Jacquy Pfeiffer of the French Pastry School. The online presentation, Cake Arts by Rouxbe, offered technical support for cake decorators looking for knowledge on how to work with chocolate.
Johnson travels the country to support education on chocolate, and Guittard hosts classes at its school in Los Angeles with Chef Donald Wressell
Rouxbe is an online culinary school that offers classes on a wide range of topics. “What’s great with these courses is you can review these courses or go back to a video,” says Pfeiffer, a master pastry chef and co-founder of the French Pastry School in Chicago.
Johnson is the pastry chef of Guittard Chocolate Company, the revered San Francisco Bay Area family-owned chocolate maker, where he brings his celebrated craft, artistry and palate in developing new recipes and ideas with executive pastry chef Donald Wressell. Johnson has competed in and won the National Pastry Team Championship with team captain Wressell and teammates Scott Green and Della Gossett. The team went on to win Best Dégustation and Silver Medal overall at the 2012 World Pastry Championship in Las Vegas. Johnson also competed in the 2015 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie with teammates Scott Green and John Kraus, coached by Ewald Notter and Wressell, where they brought home the bronze medal.
The composition of white, dark and milk chocolate can be explained, Johnson begins, starting with dark chocolate, which is 100% cocoa mass (or cocoa liqueur – 100% unsweetened chocolate), sugar, and lecithin. “There is zero milk in it,” he emphasizes.
Milk chocolate is cocoa mass, sugar, and lecithin, milk solids
White chocolate is just cocoa butter, sugar, and dried milk powder.
The amount of added cocoa butter will vary depending on its application
Chocolate will not spoil easily because it does not contain any water, Pfeiffer points out.
What is confectionery chocolate?
The only thing that is going to change is there is zero cocoa butter, Johnson explains. For ease of use, it contains vegetable fat. When it melts, it recrystallizes in the same form. Vegetable fat is very stable. It is not going to melt.
For a low-fat chocolate, the range would be 63% down to 28% That is a safe range for baking cookies, blondies and others.
Ganache is heavy cream (heated to infuse flavor) and pour it over chocolate of your choice.
“The choice of chocolate is very important,” Johnson says, adding you can make distinctive flavors like pistachio ganache or fruit ganache. “The flavor of the chocolate matters. Some have notes of acidity. Some have fruit notes.”
Say, for example, you want to make passionfruit ganache. When the chocolate is very acidic, use a rounder flavor. You could find a flavor that balances well.
“White chocolate is 65% sugar, so we usually we like to use white and milk chocolate to make acidic ganache. The sugar is there, and it will balance very well with the acidity,” Pfeiffer explains.
Organic cocoa powder
Guittard Chocolate Company, the 150+-year-old San Francisco-based chocolate maker, is pleased to announce the latest addition to its cocoa powder line: Guittard Organic Natural cocoa powder. Inviting new performance possibilities with its unique flavor and function, Guittard’s new Organic Natural powder combines a high percentage of cocoa butter fat with flavor-forward organic beans for a cocoa that delivers new possibilities in baking as well as drinking.
The natural processing of the beans (non-dutch-processed), along with the high cocoa butter content leads to a cocoa powder that is lighter in color and retains the original flavor-forward complexity of the organic beans for nuanced and exciting flavor delivery in baking and drinking applications. When used in baking, it creates bright and expressive flavors, and the absence of dutching allows the chocolate flavors to truly stand out.
Joining its other cocoa powder products, Cocoa Rouge and Grand Cacao, Guittard’s Organic Natural cocoa powder is the first to be Organic and both high cocoa butter content and non-dutched. Cocoa that is not dutch-processed is referred to as ‘natural cocoa’ in the industry and brings bright chocolate flavor and lighter colors to baking and drinking applications. While most recipes will not specify dutched or natural cocoa in their instructions, the Organic Natural’s high cocoa butter content enhances texture and flavor in baking projects like brownies, cookies, and cakes or enjoyed as a beverage in recipes where a more natural, mild chocolate flavor and creamy, rich texture is preferred.
“We’re thrilled to welcome this high-fat Organic Natural cocoa powder to our line of Guittard products,” said Gary Guittard, CEO and fourth generation of Guittard Chocolate Company. “We always strive to deliver new and innovative options to our customers—to provide them with chocolate that suits a variety of needs in both flavor and application. This latest addition to our line of cocoa powders opens an avenue of possibilities we’re excited to see our users explore.”
Mona Lisa, the global decoration brand of Barry Callebaut, continues its geographical expansion and is now also present in Mexico. The brand recently celebrated this important milestone with Chef José Ramón Castillo, the renowned star chocolatier from Mexico.
The chocolate for Mona Lisa® is made from 100% sustainable cocoa that supports cocoa farming communities through the Cocoa Horizons Foundation, our preferred vehicle to enable the implementation of sustainability activities. Cocoa Horizons is an impact driven program focused on cocoa farmer prosperity and helping to build self-sustaining farming communities that protect nature and children.
Barry Callebaut has announced its latest expansion of its plant-based portfolio by adding dairy-free organic chocolate to its North American portfolio. Barry Callebaut is amplifying its entire, wide-ranging plant-based solution range, called Plant Craft.
Dairy-free organic chocolate and the entire Plant Craft portfolio caters to the growing demand for vegan and dairy-free solutions within the sweets and snacks industries. A survey in Barry Callebaut’s new report, The Future of Indulgence, shows that 81 percent of consumers are seeking chocolates that not only taste great but are also good for me and good for the planet.
“We have seen an increased demand for plant-based indulgence over the years,” says Steve Woolley, chief executive officer and president Americas at Barry Callebaut Group. “The continuous expansion and innovation in our Plant Craft line, bolstered by our best-in-class manufacturing capabilities, explains why Barry Callebaut is a pioneer in the chocolate industry. Our team is looking forward to sharing more about our new dairy-free organic chocolate capabilities at the Sweets & Snacks Expo.”
Dairy-free organic chocolate joins the entire plant-based portfolio including the recently launched dairy-free compound, classic dairy-free chocolates and cocoa powders, as well as the more unique portfolio offerings including the robust range of nut solutions and Cacaofruit Experiences, the pulp, juice and concentrate directly from the Cacaofruit. The Plant Craft range includes solutions for confectionery, bakery, ice cream applications and beyond.
“There is a lot of excitement around our industry-leading Plant Craft portfolio as we offer exciting solutions to the consumer demands of the plant-based market,” says Laura Bergan, director of brand marketing at Barry Callebaut. “Along with expanding our plant-based solutions, we will also reveal our Future of Indulgence report that introduces a new type of indulgence that we have seen emerging in the past few years.”
DouxMatok and Blommer Chocolate Company (USA), the largest cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier in North America, announced the expansion of their partnership to include additional coatings to support utilization in a broader range of food applications, including but not limited to panning, enrobing and molding.
The new line of milk, dark and white coatings achieve up to 50% sugar reduction thanks to the utilization of Incredo® Sugar, without using any high intensity sweeteners or sugar alcohols
The team of chocolate scientists at Blommer have designed various concepts, with product opportunities including beloved snack and bakery applications such as nut butter cups, bars and chocolate chip cookies
Providing sugar-reduced chocolate that delivers on taste, sweetness and nutrition has been a long-standing industry challenge, particularly while fulfilling increased consumer interest in short and understandable ingredient lists
Earlier this year, Blommer launched the innovative Discovery product line, empowered by DouxMatok’s award-winning sugar-based sugar reduction solution, Incredo® Sugar. The first products were chocolate-flavored chips and they have now expanded the product line to include additional coatings to support utilization in a broader range of food applications, including but not limited to panning, enrobing, and molding.
Providing sugar-reduced chocolate that delivers on taste, sweetness and nutrition has been a long-standing industry challenge, particularly while fulfilling increased consumer interest in short and understandable ingredient lists. Blommer is pushing the envelope again with this new line of milk, dark and white coatings, achieving up to 50% sugar reduction without using any high intensity sweeteners or sugar alcohols. The team of chocolate scientists at Blommer have designed various concepts to demonstrate that it is now a possibility to achieve over 40% sugar reduction in some of the beloved snack and bakery applications such as nut butter cups, bars and chocolate chip cookies.
“Global research continues to indicate that taste is the first consideration when consumers make food choices, but they have historically shied away from chocolate products with less added sugar due to negative taste perception,” said David Meggs, Chief Operating Officer at Blommer Chocolate Company. “We have tremendous opportunity at our fingertips to bring consumers back to this category who have avoided sugar-reduced products because they simply didn’t taste good enough.”
“We’re thrilled about the new opportunities that the expanded Discovery product line will open up for food brands,” said Kelly Thompson, DouxMatok’s SVP Head of North America. “Chocolate-covered snacks are beloved by consumers, and they shouldn’t have to compromise on taste or nutrition when they reach for their favorite treats.”
DouxMatok is pioneering the development of efficient nutrition and flavor delivery technologies of food products. Patented through 24 granted patents, its sugar reduction solution, Incredo® Sugar, maximizes the efficiency of sugar delivery to the sweet taste receptors and enhances the perception of sweetness, enabling substantial sugar reduction without compromising taste, mouthfeel, or texture.


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Financial fraud rises: Protect your personal details
Published 14 October 2016
"Take Five" is the latest campaign by Financial Fraud Action UK to help stop financial fraud.
Figures revealed by Financial Fraud Action UK show an alarming increase of reported financial fraud. With a staggering 50% rise in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period last year, there’s a new national campaign to raise fraud awareness.
Banks and businesses are working hard to reduce the risks of consumers experiencing financial theft. Modern security measures and systems prevent 70% of UK attempted fraud from taking place.
Despite this, frauds slip through the net, because criminals are targeting individuals instead. These crimes cost the nation and consumers £755 million last year. Let's take a closer look at what the campaign is telling us.
You may know some of the do’s and don’ts on safeguarding yourself from financial crime, yet in the heat of the moment it’s easy to get caught out by a phishing email, or vishing phone call. Take Five is a national campaign, led by Financial Fraud Action UK, to help consumers protect themselves.
It’s simple, impartial and common sense advice to help you know when to keep your personal details protected and it mirrors the advice thinkmoney provides you with.
Here are the “Take Five” tips:
1. Never disclose security details, such as your PIN or full password
A genuine bank or alternative provider like thinkmoney will never ask for these via email, phone or in writing. Stop and think before you might give these details out. Pause and consider the questions being asked and why. If you’re not 100% sure who it is, don’t give them your personal or financial details.
2. Don’t assume an email request or caller is genuine
If somebody calls and claim to know some of your basic details, it doesn’t automatically mean they’re genuine. Criminals will try and find ways to keep you on the phone, lure information out of you and scare you into revealing security details – it's known as vishing. If you’re unsure, take their details and do some common sense company checks online.
The same can be said for an email you receive out of the blue – here's how not to fall for phishing email scams.
3. Don’t be rushed
Banks and organisations won’t hurry you or pressure you into giving out information, or force you to transfer money to them. If this occurs, stop, take time and consider your actions.
4. Listen to your instincts
Instinct can often be right, so if you’re approached in the street while your guard is down, or out and about on your day to day routine, be mindful about what you’re being asked. They may appear trusting but fraudsters are not who they claim to be.
5. Stay in control
Always be in control of a conversation, and don’t be bullied into giving out financial details.
You can get more detailed advice on the "Take Five" campaign here.
Remember, when you speak to us, we’ll only ever ask for the last 4 digits of your card. We also use other security questions for access to your account, such as a password set up by you and your date of birth. We provide this service to ensure security on your account.
Here at thinkmoney, we continue to work hard to improve the systems and processes we use to help keep your money safe. And we’ll continue to highlight ways criminals are targeting people, here in the blog, to help you be aware and alert to the last scams.


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UK Parliament Refines Crypto Regulation With Latest Inquiry Launched
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the UK Crypto and Digital Assets Sector is seeking industry input for its latest survey of the growing UK crypto asset industry.
The inquiry is expected to focus on a range of key areas, including the UK’s current approach to regulating crypto and digital assets, as well as the government’s plans to make the UK the global home of the investing in crypto.
The current approach of UK regulators, including the bank of englandthe Financial Conduct Authority (CIF) and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regarding crypto and digital assets, the potential of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the potential risks in terms of consumer protection and economic crime are all areas that should be discussed.
The cross-party group, chaired by Dr Lisa Cameronwho is MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, is made up of MPs and Lords from the main political parties and represents a wide range of interests and expertise in financial services, digital and technology.
The group acts as a forum for parliamentarians, policy makers and the UK crypto industry to discuss industry policy and regulation.
Speaking when the investigation was announced, Cameron warns that the UK must not ease off when it comes to crypto. “We are at a critical time for the industry, as global policymakers are also reviewing their approach to crypto and how it should be regulated.”
As part of its investigation, the APPG will investigate the state of the UK crypto industry and recent concerns raised regarding financial crime and advertising.
“It will take into account the growth of crypto over the past few years and the need for regulators and government to keep pace with rapid advances in innovation and technology, as well as determining whether enough is being done in terms of consumer protection,” Cameron continues.
“The group will also look at international examples from other jurisdictions that have already taken steps to regulate the crypto industry.”
As part of its investigation, the APPG invites views from across the industry and said it wants to hear from crypto operators, regulators, industry experts, and government on the need for regulate the sector.
The inquiry is expected to engage in a number of evidence sessions with key stakeholders over the coming months to produce a report of key recommendations to be shared with the Government and Treasury Select Committee in Parliament; who also announced an upcoming survey of the sector.
The APPG investigation comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of the UK crypto and digital asset sector.
In April of this year, Her Majesty’s Treasury announced plans to make the UK the global home for crypto investment, seeking to attract crypto businesses to the UK and boost the UK’s tech and fintech sector, creating jobs and growing enhancing skills and talents.
Research of HMRC in July 2022 also showed that 10% of UK adults currently hold or have held a crypto-asset, a figure that has increased from the 5.7% recorded in January 2021 by the FCA.
CryptoUKthe UK’s independent trade association which represents over 100 members across the crypto industry and also serves as the secretariat for the APPG, welcomed the launch of the survey.
“We welcome the announcement of the APPG survey and are delighted that policymakers are realizing the huge potential the UK has for economic growth, jobs and skills from a crypto and asset sector. correctly regulated”, comments Ian Taylorchief executive of CryptoUK.
“The government has said it wants the UK to be the global home for crypto investment and the focus now needs to be on how the UK can deliver on that commitment.
“The UK crypto sector recognizes the importance of a well-regulated industry in the UK and supports regulation that provides commercial certainty and encourages a healthy and robust market. We want to see a proportionate approach to regulation that balances the need to protect consumers with the need to support innovation and growth.
The APPG invites interested parties to submit their written comments until September 5, 2022.


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SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Grab, Southeast Asia's biggest ride hailing-to-food delivery group, lowered its full-year forecasts on Tuesday, citing renewed uncertainty over pandemic-related movement restrictions despite encouraging vaccination rates in the region.
Singapore-based Grab also said in a statement that it was making progress on its record merger deal https://www.reuters.com/business/grab-announce-merger-with-us-spac-be-valued-nearly-40-bln-sources-2021-04-13 agreed with U.S. special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Altimeter Growth Corp earlier this year.
And it reiterated that the deal, worth nearly $40 billion, is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter. [L1N2M609X]
Grab, which has operations across eight countries and more than 400 cities in a region of 650 million people, said it expects to report group-level adjusted net sales of $2.1 billion to $2.2 billion, versus an expected $2.3 billion announced in April.
It also forecast a group-level adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.7 billion to $0.9 billion for this year compared with a previously projected EBTIDA loss of $0.6 billion.
"Grab's full-year 2021 outlook anticipates an extension of partial and complete lockdowns throughout several countries where Grab operates as a result of the continuing spread of COVID-19," the company said.
Grab's second-quarter adjusted net sales jumped 92% to $550 million while its adjusted EBITDA loss rose 4% to $214 million.
Grab said its quarterly total gross merchandise value (GMV), a metric used to measure transaction volumes, jumped 62% to a record $3.9 billion. GMV for deliveries grew 58% to $2.1 billion, while GMV for mobility rose 93% to $685 million.
"Our deliveries business continues to outperform and is growing rapidly, with the addition of new offerings such as GrabMart and GrabSupermarket, and we expect to continue investing heavily in this segment," Peter Oey, Grab's chief financial officer, said.
(Reporting by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Alexander Smith and Stephen Coates)


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The launch provider, United Launch Alliance (ULA) which is jointly owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, and the commercial alunch start up, Blue Origin LLC , which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, have announced a joint project to build a new LOx (liquid Oxygen)/LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas – mainly methane) powered engine design called the BE-4. Under current plans, two of the oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle BE-4 engines will replace the RD-180 engine currently used by Atlas V launch vehicles. The BE-4 which is based on Blue Origin’s BE-3 design and has a thrust of 550,000 Ibf (2,446kN). The ULA/Blue Origin agreement allows for a four-year development process with full-scale testing in 2016 and first flight in 2019.
According to Space News, the BE-4 design beat competition for the agreement from Aerojet Rocketdyne, which was designing a 1 million lbf thrust class LOx/kerosene burning engine called the AJ-1, formerly known as the AJ-1-e6.


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Search Jim Cramer's "Mad Money" trading recommendations using our exclusive "Mad Money" Stock Screener.
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- It's no sin to think big, Jim Cramer told his Mad Money viewers Wednesday. The market rewards companies that don't just stand there and take action to create value for their shareholders.
There was no shortage of companies taking control of their own destinies today because a number of CEOs decided not to cede their futures to, well, the S&P 500 futures or to the whims of global currencies and other macro-economic metrics.
Then there's Williams Companies (WMB), the pipeline operator that moves 30% of our nation's natural gas. Shares of Williams rose 6% on the news it's buying the rest of Williams Partners (WPZ) that it doesn't already own.
Owens Illinois (OI) saw its shares pop 9% on the news its buying a rival glass maker in Mexico, while Monsanto (MON) shares were up on just a rumor that it might sweeten its bid for rival Syngenta (SYT).


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Bizarre items left in hotel rooms
Hotel staff are well-used to finding phone chargers, toiletries bags and odd socks left behind in rooms. But sometimes guests leave behind far more memorable belongings. Travelodge has revealed the long list of bizarre items left behind in its hotel rooms across the UK over the past year. In Bath this includes a framed photo of David Beckham and a banjo in the Bath Waterside hotel. While staff at the Bath Central Travelodge found a giant Scalextric and keys to a Range Rover. When Joseph’s Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was found by staff in the Bath City Centre Travelodge the hotel manager had to dash to the actor’s rescue. He personally rushed the coat to the theatre just in time for the curtain call. But it’s not just Bath which has been forgetful, Travelodge released its quirky finds from across the UK. It was touch and go when a cheerleading team forgot their case of pom poms at Manchester Arena Travelodge ahead of competing at the UK National Cheerleading Championships. One fashionista forgot her three Butterfly Tail Fish called Kim, Kourtney and Khloe who travel with her as they inspire her fashion designs at London Covent Garden Travelodge. While a woman managed to leave her two Persian cats called Moet and Chandon at Swindon Central Travelodge after they won best in show. And it was an expensive mistake when a royal enthusiast from Houston, USA, staying at the company’s new London City Travelodge left behind her Meghan Markle replica wedding dress. She had to make a return journey from Heathrow airport and purchase a new airline ticket. Shakila Ahmed from Travelodge said: “With nearly 19 million customers annually staying at our 557 UK hotels for a variety of reasons, we do get a range of fascinating items left behind. “This year’s audit includes: a brand new ice-cream van, a jilted groom, an amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a 5ft teddy bear made of popcorn, a blue eyed Cockatoo called Brexit and even a replica of Megan Markel’s wedding dress. “When it comes to why so many customers forget their treasured items, there is one common theme, and that’s living in a fast and furious world. “Where time is of the essence, especially when getting from A to B and therefore valuable possessions are easily being forgotten.” All items left behind in Travelodge hotels which have not been claimed within three months are donated to local British Heart Foundation Charity Shops.
Items left in Travelodge hotels include a replica of Meghan Markle’s wedding dress , an Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a Scalextric set, and a a framed photo of David Beckham


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The organisation responsible for supplying the coinage of the United Kingdom, Royal Mint Limited, has shelved proposals to unveil its own gold-backed cryptocurrency due to the UK government’s dissatisfaction with the project. According to a late October news story by Reuters, the Royal Mint was weighing up issuing “Royal Mint Gold” (RMG) crypto tokens which would be backed by physical gold assets within the Mint’s own vaults. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) had already been sounded out to provide the platform upon which RMG tokens could have been traded between cryptocurrency investors.
Press releases regarding the RMG project suggested that this could have been a ground-breaking development, revolutionising the way “traders and investors trade, execute and settle gold”. RMG was due to be issued as a digital record of ownership for gold stores within Royal Mint’s high-security bullion vaults, becoming a more cost-effective and “cryptographically secure” way to buy, hold and trade spot gold online.
The breakdown of the RMG project, based on the UK government’s wariness of the cryptocurrency sector, has been lamented by many across Britain. Many fear that the demise of the RMG project will enable other fintech start-ups to steal a march and launch an alternative way to incorporate gold into the world of digital assets.
However, those within government would argue that the largely unregulated nature of cryptocurrencies and the uncertainty over Bitcoin – the showpiece digital asset – is justifiable cause for remaining cautious over the crypto scene. Although in the last couple of years more people had been looking to Bitcoin as an alternative investment asset than gold, it was recently revealed that gold was beginning to outperform Bitcoin once again, amid the market volatility for BTC in October.
It hasn’t all been bad news for digital assets recently, however. Ahead of celebrating its first year in existence, Bitcoin Gold – a hard-fork of Bitcoin designed to make it easier for everyday people to mine BTG coins – jumped 6% in value, resulting in BTG having a market cap of well over £350 million. In the last three months, more people have sought to buy Bitcoin Gold as there are genuine signs that the digital asset has bottomed out from its £341 high late last year. It is currently trading at just over £20 per BTG and appears to have recovered from the blow of Bittrex crypto exchange delisting BTG as a tradeable asset due to a “double-spend attack” in May.
Whether Royal Mint will look to reignite the RMG project in the short-to-medium term remains to be seen. A source is reported to have said that the organisation “will revisit this if and when market conditions are right”, which suggests that 2018’s difficult year for the majority of cryptocurrencies negatively influenced the UK government’s crypto ambitions.
As for CME, a company that launched Bitcoin futures trading in late 2017 and has long had an eye for crypto startups, the platform has refuted claims that its negligence towards the RMG project sounded its death knell. A CME source has insisted that suggestions the platform has “de-emphasised digitisation” are “not correct” and that CME remains “committed to pursuing [its] digitisation strategy”.


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Amazon’s total sales on Amazon Prime Day, 2015–2020
Amazon.com Inc.’s sixth-annual Prime Day marked yet another record-breaking event for the retail giant, with sales surpassing last year’s 48-hour event by 45.2%, a Digital Commerce 360 analysis shows.
Digital Commerce 360 estimates Amazon’s sales on Prime Day hit $10.40 billion globally over the two-day period spanning Oct. 13 and Oct. 14, up from $7.16 billion during the 48-hour event in July 2019.
The best-selling products globally were, once again, Amazon’s own products: its Alexa-enabled Echo Dot and Fire Stick 4K. Other big sellers include iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum, LifeStraw Personal Water Filter and LEGO Star Wars Stormtrooper Helmet.
Marketplace sales vs. Amazon’s own product sales
Marketplace sellers were the big winners this year, selling a record of more than $3.5 billion worth of goods during Prime Day, Amazon says. Sales of marketplace sellers’ products grew nearly 60% and—most notably—grew faster year over year than sales of Amazon’s own products, which includes its private-label goods, Amazon devices and products it buys from manufacturers to sell itself.
In the last few Prime Day events, Amazon’s marketplace sales as a share of total Prime Day sales have declined, according to Digital Commerce 360’s analysis, because Amazon heavily promotes its own products. Its devices often top the list of best sellers each year. We estimate marketplace sellers’ sales only account for about a third of Prime Day sales. This breakdown is different from Amazon’s annual gross merchandise sales, for which marketplace sellers accounted for approximately 60% in 2019.
This year, however, we project marketplace sales’ share grew to approximately 35% of Amazon’s Prime Day sales, up from 32% in 2019.
How does Prime Day compare with other shopping holidays?
Prime Day still lags behind larger shopping events such as the Cyber 5 holiday (the five-day shopping period beginning Thanksgiving Day) or Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Limited’s Singles’ Day event held on Nov. 11 each year. But when these sales events are broken down by day, Prime Day fares a little better. For example, given that Prime Day was a 48-hour sales event this year, we estimated that each of the two days generated roughly $5.20 billion in sales. That would mean Prime Day sales were ahead of online sales generated on Thanksgiving Day, and the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving Day 2019.
Holiday purchases during Prime Day
Moving Amazon Prime Day to October from July likely pushed more shoppers to purchase holiday gifts during the sales event. An exclusive Digital Commerce 360 survey of 530 U.S. shoppers on Oct. 15 (the day after the event ended) shows that 62% of shoppers bought holiday gifts during Prime Day this year. Furthermore, 7% of respondents said all of their Prime Day purchases were holiday gifts.
Other retailers join in on Prime Day
Digital Commerce 360 researchers visited the sites of the top 100 North American online retailers ranked in the 2020 Top 1000 on Tuesday morning, when Prime Day kicked off, and tracked big promotions, marketing that played directly off of Amazon Prime Day, holiday gifting language or imagery and extended holiday return policies. Data collected shows a sizable number of retailers are capitalizing on the influx of web traffic from deal-seekers who are comparison-shopping with non-Amazon merchants by tempting consumers with big sales and nudging earlier gift buying.
51% of the top 100 online retailers offered widespread sales on Tuesday beyond normal promotions that are run year-round, according to Digital Commerce 360’s analysis.
Amazon loses traffic share during Prime Day event
Shoppers browsed more websites than just Amazon.com during Prime Day this year. A Digital Commerce 360 analysis of SimilarWeb website traffic data to the top 100 North American retail sites during Oct. 13-14 shows Amazon accounted for a smaller share of total traffic than 2019. This year, traffic to Amazon.com represented 40.6% of total traffic to the top 100 sites during the two-day period, down from 49.3% during Prime Day 2019 (July 15-16, 2019). That means consumers are starting to see Prime Day as a sales event for more retailers than just Amazon. This is a notable shift, as Prime Day could become a Black Friday-like discount holiday for all retailers if consumers continue to be trained that merchants other than Amazon also offer deals during the same period.


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The fashion world has been abuzz with much controversy lately, no thanks to what’s going on in the political sphere. Fashion giants Versace, Givenchy, and Coach have caught the ire of Chinese netizens. Over in the Americas, other equally-storied fashion brands like Prabal Gurung and Rag & Bone have begun a boycott of Hudson Yards after it was revealed its owner was hosting a fundraiser for Donald Trump.
If you’re curious about all these developments in the fashion schism, keep on reading for all the fashion news you need to catch up on this week.
Versace, Coach, and Givenchy apologise to China over a T-shirt controversy
View this post on Instagram
“I am deeply sorry for the unfortunate recent error that was made by our Company and that is being currently discussed on various social media channels. Never have I wanted to disrespect China’s National Sovereignty and this is why I wanted to personally apologize for such inaccuracy and for any distress that it might have caused.” @donatella_versace
It looks like Chinese nationalism has prevailed over fashion once again, as Versace, Coach, and Givenchy are scrambling to issue apologies and retractions after the brands have unfortunately angered the wrath of Chinese netizens.
Recently, some of the T-shirts from the fashion giants suggested that Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan were countries separate from China, and this did not play well especially considering the current state of affairs happening in those countries.
Already, the brands have apologised to China. Donatella Versace issued a statement via her Instagram stating that disrespecting China’s sovereignty was never her intention, and a similar apology was put out by both Coach and Givenchy. The brands have also put out the apologies on Weibo in a bid to reach more Chinese fans.
However, the damage has already been done, with prominent Chinese ambassadors of these brands already pulling out of their partnerships. The actress Yang Mi has decided to cut ties with Versace, and model Liu Wen might face a S$30 million fee for terminating her contract early with Coach.
Prabal Gurung and Rag & Bone pulled out of presenting at Hudson Yards
7/10: My goal here is to start a dialogue and maybe, hopefully, change some minds.
I was previously in conversation with Hudson Yards’ The Vessel as the venue for my brand’s upcoming 10 year show during NYFW. When I heard about this fundraiser, I chose to pull my participation.
— Prabal Gurung (@prabalgurung) August 7, 2019
Ahead of the upcoming New York Fashion Week, two of the most iconic American fashion brands — Prabal Gurung and Rag & Bone — have decided to not present their fashion collections at the new Hudson Yards. Their decision stems from the revelation that the owner of Hudson Yards, Stephen Ross, was staging a fundraiser in the Hamptons for Donald Trump.
Ross is also the founder, owner, and chairman of The Related Company, which owns Hudson Yards, Equinox, SoulCycle, and Momofuku (among other brands). This boycott is significant as there have been reports that Hudson Yards is set to be the home of NYFW, and we’ll only see the repercussions of this incident in the seasons to come.
Supermodel Ashley Graham announces her pregnancy
View this post on Instagram
Nine years ago today, I married the love of my life. It has been the best journey with my favorite person in the world! Today, we are feeling so blessed, grateful and excited to celebrate with our GROWING FAMILY! Happy anniversary, @mrjustinervin ❤ Life is about to get even better. 😘
Ashley Graham had two reasons to celebrate on August 14: Not only was it her ninth anniversary with husband Justin Ervin, she also took to Instagram to announce that she was expecting her first baby.
The news was accompanied with a barrage of well wishes from her industry peers Lily Aldridge, Karlie Kloss, and Emily Ratajkowski. While Graham shared the announcement video on her Instagram feed, Ervin took to his profile to share a sonogram and a picture from early on in their relationship. Couple goals, honestly.
Loeffler Randall launches first ready-to-wear collection
Good news if you are a fan of Loeffler Randall shoes: the brand has announced their first ready-to-wear collection. The launch of this small edit of clothes comes hot on the heels of the announcement of their own jewellery line, and will feature pieces ranging from S$200 to S$500.
The clothes exhibit the same dreamy, bohemian-chic vibe as the shoes, and are supposed to be paired with them effortlessly.


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Japan is asking its young people to drink more booze
The government has launched a campaign to kickstart drinking alcohol among younger generations – and save the country’s sake industry
Get this: the Japanese government wants young people to drink more alcohol, not less. That’s right: faced with younger generations that drink much, much less than older ones (a whopping 25 percent less, in fact), the country wants to kickstart boozing amongst its youth.
So why is Japan desperate to get its young ’uns back on the booze, especially when drinking alcohol is – usually – considered a rather unhealthy lifestyle choice? Well, in short, it’s all about the economy.
Japanese sake (rice wine) is very big industry in Japan. It’s both a huge source of employment and a significant contributor to tax revenue, so the government wants to ensure that it survives.
The BBC stated that the tax revenue from taxes on alcohol has been steadily declining over the years. In the 1980s, it made up 5% of total revenue, but in 2020 it amounts to only 1.7%.
“The domestic alcoholic beverage market is shrinking due to demographic changes such as the declining birthrate and aging population, and lifestyle changes due to the impact of the new coronavirus infection,” the “Sake Viva!” website reads. “In this project, by asking young people to propose their own business plans, we will appeal to young people for the development and promotion of Japanese alcoholic beverages.”
In order to get the youth drinking, the government has set up a campaign called Sake Viva. Essentially a national competition, the campaign is asking Japanese people aged between 20 and 39 to come up with ways to increase sales of not just Japanese sake but also beer, wine, shochu and whisky.
Sake Viva has suggested that competition entrants focus on stuff like branding, marketing, promotions and even technological innovations like AI. Competitors have until September to submit their pitches, with the final round of judging taking place in November.
Of course, it’s worth noting that when we talk about ‘young people’ in Japan, we mean people over the Japanese legal drinking age. It’s illegal for anyone under 20 years old in Japan to drink alcohol or smoke tobacco.
If you’ve got a decent in-browser translator, you can find out more about the campaign on the official Sake Viva website here.
There have been some negative views on twitter:
Laughing happy drunken people.
Japan’s tax authorities have not yet realized that it is them that were laughed at by the world.
— Shigesaburo Okumura @NikkeiAsia (@ShigesaburoO) August 19, 2022
#Bankruptcy and #recession in line with the #USA, #Japan is launching a #Saké Viva campaign for 20-39 year olds to rediscover the taste and consumption of #alcohol. As with #covidism, it’s not about #health but about finding #money and preventing #revolt. pic.twitter.com/M6gyiCl9ux
— upgradepc (@upgradepcfr) August 19, 2022
However if you’d like to lend Japan a hand by increasing your own personal level of sake consumption, we would be pleased-drink responsibly!
With thanks, original article https://www.timeout.com/news/japan-is-asking-its-young-people-to-drink-more-booze-081822


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BB&T expands in S.A. area, Texas
Financial services company BB&T has an agreement to acquire from Citibank 21 retail branches in Texas, including eight in the San Antonio area.
The deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter of next year, will give BB&T 13 branches in San Antonio and 81 in Texas.
BB&T, of Winston-Salem, N.C., is acquiring all of Citibank's San Antonio-area branches, which collectively held about $112.5 million in deposits as of June 30.
“This is an expansion play for BB&T in San Antonio, Austin and College Station,” said Bill Toomey, BB&T's president for Houston and the Central Texas region. “We're looking forward to continuing to grow.”
About 50 Citibank employees in the San Antonio area branches will join BB&T once the deal closes, he said. Overall, BB&T will employ about 1,500 in Texas at closing.
Citibank spokesman Andrew Brent said in an email that the branches being sold do not “complement our market strategy.”
“Any decision to sell or close branches is based on several factors, including alignment with our strategy, real estate, and economic conditions, and potential gains from a sale, among others,” he said.
Citibank will continue to serve corporate and institutional clients in Texas. It has operations facilities in San Antonio and Irving, Brent said.
The 21 branches BB&T is acquiring have a total of $1.2 billion in deposits and $134 million in loans. BB&T's Texas branches will have $2.8 billion in deposits and $2.1 billion after the deal.
BB&T will pay a premium to book value of 4.25 percent of core deposits, or an expected premium of $36 million based on deposits as of Sept. 30, it said in a statement.
BB&T established a presence in Texas in 2009 with the acquisition of Colonial Bank.
It opened its first branch in San Antonio in November 2012, and opened four others in the first and second quarters of this year, Toomey said.
Those five branches had about $6.2 million in deposits as of June 30, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s website.
“Now we've got 13 locations and a pretty healthy distribution now to expand our retail, our commercial, our noncredit and our capital markets corporate banking efforts in San Antonio,” he said.
Toomey isn't fazed by the amount of retail banking competition in San Antonio.
“The economy in San Antonio is incredible,” he said. “While there are a number of competitors, the economy is a growing economy, so as the economy continues to expand, it allows ... everybody to expand.”
Overall, BB&T had about $181.1 billion in assets as of Sept. 30. email@example.com


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18 September 2019
An integral element of the gaming sector, and of Global Gaming Expo (G2E), Quixant partners with global gaming OEMs to deliver versatile and innovative outsource solutions through their portfolio of gaming hardware, software and display technologies.
24 April 2019
Widely renowned as global leaders in their respective fields of video bingo and traditional amusement games, Metronia and BANDAI NAMCO Amusement have joined forces to create their own gaming phenomenon: Pac-Man Video-bingo. Powered by Quixant’s versatile, hugely popular QXi-6000 platform, the first of three multi-game releases for the Tarvos2+ cabinet was showcased at April’s Feria Internacional del Juego in Madrid to widespread acclaim.
14 February 2019
ICE 2019, the pioneering event in global gaming, promised great things – and for Quixant, the pace-setters in PC-based hardware and display technology supply, it truly delivered.
18 December 2018
With an unrivalled reputation within industry circles, ICE has evolved into a true staple of the global gaming sector.
11 December 2018
Having enjoyed its 11th edition this year in Sofia, the Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo (BEGE) provided the latest platform for the showcasing of Quixant’s exciting gaming hardware and display solutions.
26 November 2018
Quixant, the leading global supplier of hardware and display solutions, is delighted to announce the huge success of their first collaboration with Aruze Gaming, one of the greatest heavyweights of the EGM manufacturing sector.
8 November 2018
With an ever-evolving, versatile offering of display and PC-based hardware technology, Quixant is at every geographical forefront of the global gaming industry.
23 October 2018
With a level of footfall unmatched in its previous outings, G2E 2018 in Las Vegas exceeded even the most optimistic expectations and cemented its place as one of the greatest gaming exhibitions worldwide.
23 August 2018
Boasting a rapidly-evolving gaming portfolio that not only encompasses its highly-renowned PC-based gaming platforms, but also an exciting variety of new display solutions, Quixant’s reputation as a one-stop supplier to the industry is greater than ever in 2018.
9 August 2018
A true institution, Global Gaming Expo (G2E) comes to Las Vegas once more this October – and continues to befit its reputation as one of the most important events in the global gaming calendar. Quixant, the world’s leading supplier of PC-based hardware specifically designed for the industry, will once more bring a versatile mix of reliable mainstays, innovative new releases, and groundbreaking concepts.


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The House of Commons Select Committee for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is launching its call for evidence into the cruel practices of illegally importing puppies into the UK from Europe.
Dogs Trust has published four investigative reports exposing the trade, including the growing trend of heavily pregnant female dogs being brought into the country with little care and consideration for them, or their unborn puppies’ health.
Recent figures released by Defra show that imports of dogs to Great Britain via the flawed Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) hit 307,357 dogs in 2018, up from 287,016 in 2017. This is the sixth year in a row that numbers have increased since the controversial changes to PETS in 2012 harmonised pet travel across the EU. In 2011, before the changes, this figure was 85,786.
Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust, said:
“We are delighted that MPs have launched this vitally important inquiry as we have long been urging the government to take forward our clear recommendations to overhaul pet travel legislation, including increasing penalties for those fuelling this despicable trade.
“A lack of visual checks at the borders and insufficient penalties for illegally importing puppies mean there is no real deterrent for puppy smugglers capitalising on the huge demand in this country for desirable breeds such as French Bulldogs, Dachshunds and English Bulldogs.
“Great Britain remains a target for dealers because of this demand and the vast sums people are willing to pay for such breeds.”
The four undercover investigations that Dogs Trust has carried out into the abuses of the PETS have provided the government with a mountain of evidence.
Dogs Trust investigations have repeatedly shown that PETS is being used as a cover to import underage puppies from central and eastern Europe for commercial reasons. It is illegal to import dogs to Great Britain via PETS with the intention of selling them.
With a persistent demand for French Bulldogs, Dachshunds and Pugs, and prices ranging anywhere from £800 – £2,000 per dog, set against the limited prosecution for smugglers if caught, it is unsurprising that over the past four years nearly 1,000 dogs have been cared for by Dogs Trust as part of its Puppy Pilot.
Dogs Trust will be submitting its evidence to the Committee as a part of the inquiry and will urge the Committee’s MPs to encourage the government to tackle this trade and put a stop to puppy smuggling.


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The 12th Annual Prom Dress Give-Away benefiting teens without the financial means to purchase a dress for prom this spring is set at Lone Star College-CyFair Branch Library.
Dresses are free to the recipients and are theirs to keep thanks to community donations. All dress sizes 0-30 (plus sizes are in most need) and accessories are accepted year-round.
While supplies last, dresses will be available on a first-come, first served basis for the first 100 teens from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 7 and April 3 and from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Saturdays April 2, April 15 and April 23 in the library, room 131.
Teens in need of a dress should contact the Youth Service Specialist at their high school or Prom Closet organizer LSC-CyFair Teen Librarian Elise Sheppard at firstname.lastname@example.org or 281.290.5248. Large groups should contact Sheppard.
Information is also available at LoneStar.edu/library/Promcloset.


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Hill Holliday lines up work for General Motors' Cadillac account
- By Hannah Fingerhut, Special to the Journal
Boston ad agency Hill Holliday has landed an important piece of General Motors' promotional work for its Cadillac brand.
Ad Age is reporting that General Motors will transition Cadillac’s creative business from Publicis Groupe-owned Fallon to a team of Interpublic Group agencies.
The new team will include leaders from Boston-based Hill Holliday, Detroit-based Campbell-Ewald and London-based Lowe & Partners. Spending on Cadillac is estimated to be $250 million.
Rumors had surfaced before the pitch in March that the Cadillac business would leave Fallon for Campbell-Ewald. GM had announced following these reports that a review process would consider four pitches from Fallon, a team from Publicis Groupe, Omnicom Group's DDB Chicago and a team from Interpublic, according to Ad Age.
Ad Age reported that the integrated team from Interpublic will allow Hill Holliday to handle creative and strategic work, Campbell-Ewald to control account management and Lowe to focus efforts on digital advertising at a global capacity.
The outcome bodes well for Interpublic, who is also responsible for GM’s Chevy business at McCann. Minneapolis-based Fallon has had the Cadillac account for nearly three years, after Boston-based Modernista lost it in 2009. GM’s former global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick had given Fallon the account without a review, and Fallon decided to forgo their business with Chrysler for Cadillac.
Ad Age reported that the shift to Interpublic’s team can be attributed to three key factors, including Hill Holliday’s Chief Creative Officer Lance Jensen, who was responsible for Cadillac’s advertising at the now-closed Modernista. Campbell-Ewald’s Detroit presence and history with GM, as well as the benefits from consolidating creative work with Interpublic, also helped to drive the decision.
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At long last, Konami revealed today via the Weekly Famitsu Magazine in Japan that Metal Gear Solid 4 will finally get a trophy support.
In an interview with Kojima, he mentioned that Metal Gear Solid 4 will be receiving a patch that will add trophies. The release date as to when it’s going to be released is still unknown but he assured that it’s coming. It might release around August since MGS4 will be getting a Budget release version in Japan.
Let’s hope that the trophy patch for MGS4 will arrive by the end of summer! It’s time to revisit MGS4!


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LaunchDM recently worked alongside the Salesforce team to help introduce the latest addition to their Wear Developer Pack Collection, the Apple Watch. The collection includes a variety of open-source starter apps that allows users to quickly design and build wearable apps that connect to the Salesforce1 Platform. The website update and blog announcement came only minutes after Apple revealed the latest Apple Watch product details during a live event on Monday, March 9th.
The Salesforce Wear Developer Pack website was originally designed and developed by LaunchDM in 2014 and since, Salesforce continues to rely on the LaunchDM team to keep the site updated by continually adding newly released technologies into the mix.
For the Apple Watch product update in particular, LaunchDM helped design and build the Salesforce Wear Dev Pack for Apple Watch video which showcases the design of the Apple Watch and the WatchKit development environment. Throughout the project, LaunchDM collaborated directly with the Salesforce team in pushing the updates for the Apple Watch live, all during one short phone call.
For more LaunchDM project collaboration examples with Salesforce, visit the Work section of our website.


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AMD is holding its CES press conference today at 2 PM Pacific, 5 PM Eastern. Expect some news when it comes to consumer CPUs (Ryzen), enterprise CPUs (Epyc) as well as ray tracing-enabled GPUs. It should give us some hints about what to expect from the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as both of those consoles will be powered by AMD chips.
We’ll have a team on the ground, so you should also check out our full CES coverage.
Source of the article – TechCrunch


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Caan's private equity business Hamilton Bradshaw has put in an undisclosed amount of money to help start up Mayfair-based Exsurgo. Caan, who made his money by creating and eventually selling recruitment company Alexander Mann, will also offer his expertise.
"James was interested in the business as a start-up and we felt it would be good to have his backing and knowledge," said Exsurgo's managing director David Jenkins.
Jenkins was previously a director of commercial operations at Quest Search and Selection and six of his eight members of staff were also directors at the company. "We are looking to operate at the middle to senior end of the marketplace. There are a lot of niche businesses working in pockets of it, but there's nobody providing a strong holistic service. We will work across the consumer sector and a big part will be in the grocery sector."
Other headhunters have been laying off staff since the recession began, but Jenkins claimed now was a good time to start a new business. "There are definitely opportunities out there across the board and we're already busy."
He planned to double employees in each of the next two years and broaden into other sectors, he said.


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Nicole Kidman Replaces Cate Blanchett as Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s Amazon Biopic ‘Being the Ricardos’
Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are set to star as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is a new film being set up at Amazon Studios, “Being the Ricardos,” from director Aaron Sorkin.
The Academy Award-winning scribe also wrote the film.
The news was first reported by Deadline.
An Amazon rep confirmed the project to IndieWire, though deals for the actors are still closing.Sorkin was reportedly originally only going to write the film, but decided to stay on to direct after his experience helming “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” a major Oscar contender this year at rival streaming giant Netflix.
Originally, Cate Blanchett was circling the script to play the leading role of Lucille Ball, according to reports, but has now been replaced by Kidman.
Fellow Aussie actress Blanchett was in talks to take on the role as early as 2017, when it was first bought by Amazon.“Being the
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Even though Kim Kardashian is the one who helped spawn the Keeping Up With the Kardashians empire, her youngest sister, Kylie Jenner, has taken the torch and run with it. After becoming a beauty mogul as a teenager, Jenner grew her Kylie Cosmetics brand into a multimillion-dollar company that landed her on the cover of Forbes in March 2019. Despite her title of "Youngest Self-Made Billionaire" being snatched away by the outlet in May 2020, Jenner went on to be named the highest-paid celebrity by Forbes in December 2020.
But, once upon a time, Kardashian sat on the throne while her sister watched on the sidelines. In 2015, the KKW Beauty founder has named the highest-paid celebrity on the planet, as noted by Celebrity Net Worth. After raking in $53 million in endorsements, appearances, and sales from the beauty and apparel lines, the mother-of-four brought her net worth up to $85 million at the time. She reportedly earned $50 million to $80 million every year since. But, where does that put her up against her almost-billionaire sister?
In December 2020, Forbes named Kylie Jenner the highest paid celebrity. Jenner reportedly earned a whopping $590 million in the same year a looming pandemic resulted in a collective loss of $200 million for the top-earning celebrities. Jenner's big earnings came as a result of her mega-deal with Coty cosmetics in January 2020 where she sold a 51% stake in her Kylie Cosmetics empire. According to Harper's Bazaar, Jenner's net worth was at $1 billion in June 2020.
Meanwhile, the outlet noted Kim Kardashian's net worth at $900 million, just $100 million shy of her youngest sister. But, to her credit, Forbes placed Kardashian's husband, Kanye West, alongside her sister as the top two earners of 2020. While Jenner raked in close to $600 million, the Yeezy founder acquired most of his $170 million through his sneaker deal with Adidas. That same year, he was noted by Forbes for finally achieving billionaire status. Considering Kardashian's marital status, and the whole "what's mine is yours" lifestyle most husbands and wives live, she's behind her younger sister on paper but possibly still has more than Jenner in the long run


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Springfield Man Sentenced For Bank Fraud And Passing Counterfeit Securities
BOSTON - A Springfield man was sentenced today for committing bank fraud and passing counterfeit securities.
John Jordan, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris to 17 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release and $1,435 in restitution. In September 2012, Jordan pleaded guilty to four counts of bank fraud and four counts of counterfeit security fraud.
Jordan created high quality counterfeit checks on his computer and then sold these checks at a discounted price to co-conspirators who would attempt to cash them at local businesses and financial institutions. Jordan surreptitiously acquired legitimate customer and corporate account information that he used on the counterfeit checks making it more likely they would be transacted.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Steven D. Ricciardi, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service; and Colonel Timothy P. Alben, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hart Smyth of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.


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The world of mobility is rapidly evolving. Increasingly stringent environmental legislation has led to manufacturers designing and developing more sustainable and eco-friendly vehicles, while a change in consumer demand has sparked a shift in the way vehicle ownership is viewed and offered. Electric and hybrid cars might be a fringe concern right now but could they be the default just a decade from now? Or could car ownership itself be seen as something oddly antiquated?
This is the big one. Electric cars are already starting to filter into the mainstream. First, it was Tesla, then it was the more affordable Nissan Leaf. Now, every major automobile manufacturer is getting in on the game and with the UK making major investments in the future of electric, it seems like now could be the best time to jump on the bandwagon before prices start to skyrocket and you’re unable to get decent GAP insurance on a brand new electric car.
There are more of us living in cities than ever before. The draw of city life might have been dulled somewhat by COVID but, in general, the last 50 years have seen a marked shift away from the concept of suburban living towards more of an urban lifestyle. With more people living in these urban centres, there is bound to be less of a need for personal vehicles. Hardly anyone living and working in London, for example, owns a car and with public transport getting more reliable and affordable (not to mention more eco-friendly) by the year, the concept of car ownership for city dwellers could be all but obsolete in a few years.
The success of Netflix has started to bleed into other areas of our lives. How many of us now sign up to a monthly beer or a cheese club and how many of us have signed up for services like the Microsoft Game Pass? We’re moving towards a culture where we don’t buy content; we subscribe to it. How long before the same basic concept reaches our cars? We’re already partly there with our mobile phones.
Taking things just that one step further; this is where we will undoubtedly end up by the end of the current century. A future where nobody owns a car and we simply dial one on our phones to pick us up and take us wherever we need to go without even a hint of a human driver is closer than you think. Of course, in the near future, self-driving will simply be an option to engage at will (like cruise control) but make no mistake, we haven’t seen anything yet as far as the future of personal mobility is concerned!


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Comedian Lewis Black took to his "Back in Black" segment on Comedy Central's The Daily Show to discuss what he sees as growing privacy concerns related to Microsoft's Xbox One. Black specifically pokes fun at the expected improvements to the Kinect's detection capabilities. Privacy concerns...
Posted on Oct 20th 2014 3:30PM
Posted on Oct 20th 2014 12:49PM
Posted on Oct 18th 2014 1:30PM


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We’ve heard bits and pieces about Samsung’s Galaxy S5 Neo, although nothing has materialized up until now. But a new listing by a Dutch retailer suggests that the release of the handset might not be far away after all. Belsimpel has listed the Galaxy S5 Neo bearing the model number G903F on its site, which partially confirms the existence of the handset, although we’ve had no word from Samsung on this yet.
What’s interesting is that the listing mentions the use of Samsung’s Exynos 7580 chipset, which strongly suggests that this device will feature new hardware. Although rumors had pegged the device to be packing a 5-megapixel front camera on the handset, the listing mentions a 2-megapixel sensor instead, much like the original Galaxy S5.
The handset is shown to be available in Silver, Black and Gold color configurations, so there will be multiple choices for prospective buyers. As far as the pricing is concerned, the Galaxy S5 Neo will not go heavy on your wallets at €430 or $470.
With a listing going live prematurely, we’re expecting an announcement to take place sometime soon. Don’t be surprised if the company keeps this device limited to Europe or Asian regions.
Source: Belsimpel.nl – Translated


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By Anna Lothson
One local business may soon get an economic development incentive to stay in Oak Park — though it hasn't been publicly announced what that business is.
What has been publicly announced, as discussed Friday at a meeting of the Economic Development Committee of the village board, is that an expanding special services business with an estimated annual economic benefit to Oak Park of more than $500,000 could relocate outside town in an effort to find more favorable rent.
That estimate, which came from the Oak Park Development Corporation, was a major talking point during Friday's meeting where trustees debated the merit of offering an economic incentive package. This involves waving $4,000 in village fees and assisting the business by reimbursing the developer for interest paid on a commercial loan that will be taken out by the developer. The agreement would allow for the village to provide up to $50,000.
The developer's loan would be used by the business to purchase fixtures, furniture and equipment over a 5-year period. The village would pay off the loan in annual installments, according to the draft agreement. The village will also make 50 parking permits available for purchase by the business in village garages and lots near the property to help support employment growth for the business.
Village Manager Cara Pavlicek gave a brief update on the business, which was only referred to as "office A" during the committee's discussion. She informed the board the business would like to relocate within the community into a larger space but could choose to move elsewhere to find more competitive leasing terms.
"We do think the business does have other options," Pavlicek emphasized, later saying the company is "not bluffing" about possibly leaving. She and board members agreed they wanted to retain the business, and debated the appropriate way to approach the situation. Some frustration was aired about the fairness of giving one business a special incentive that may not be offered to others.
When asked if the push for an incentive for the business was a bluff, Pavlicek and OPDC President Sara Faust were on the same page.
"They will leave the community," Pavlicek said. Faust, who attended the meeting, shook her head in agreement. Faust also provided as assessment on the matter to the board.
In an OPDC memo to Business Services Manager Loretta Daly and Pavlicek, Faust wrote that "we currently estimate the initial aggregate economic impact of this retention as $546,000 annually." This is exclusive of village fees, she said.
She based the estimate on "professional modeling," which she said includes: "estimates on increased real estate taxes; company spend on local vendors, supplies, customer entertaining; and resident and non-resident projected local spending based on payroll."
"As the company grows in revenue and personnel, its impact will as well. We recommend the village's assistance in its retention," Faust concluded in the letter.
In presenting OPDC's perspective, Faust said her agency is "in absolute agreement of the recommendation," because it would be beneficial for the business to be able to expand in Oak Park. It's predicted that the company, which has about 25 employees currently, will double in size in the next year.
According to the draft agreement, the new leased office space would be approximately triple the firm's current space. The new space, approximately 9,500 square feet, would require a build-out of a vacant floor of a commercial office space in the greater downtown area. The firm will also execute a lease for the property and start the build-out within 12 months, once the agreement is signed with the village.
The agreement also details that a significant portion of the square footage the business desires to move into has been vacant for more than a year.
According to the draft agreement: "It is in the best interests of the village to enter into this agreement in order for the developer to increase its business potential within the corporate limits of the village and for the village to realize the substantial economic benefit as a result of this expansion."
Trustee concerns about offering the economic incentive to this particular business were that it could set a bad precedent for current or future businesses seeking similar assistance from the village and OPDC.
"If you're going to do it, you have to have a rationale," Trustee Colette Lueck said.
Pavlicek spoke in general terms about economic development and said it's important as the village works through this possible agreement that there are some baseline standards set. This could include identifying number of employees, median salary of employees, base annual revenue and what floor the business operates on as potential factors in where to offer incentives.
"I think economic development is strongest when it's creating and retaining service jobs," Pavlicek said. "I do think there are some standards out there."
Trustee Peter Barber, however, questioned the process, and said he wasn't sure why this particular business should receive an incentive. He asked if it was possible to see proof of the business' performance to ensure the company will actually grow.
Barber also worried about setting bad precedent and asked for management to get feedback from the business community on the matter.
The draft agreement outlines details about retention of the firm's business within the village, proof of employment growth, developer's authority and the terms for a timely performance for the potential deal.
Pavlicek said the matter comes down to property taxes since the business is not currently leasing the property. Trustees agreed the village must set standards that Pavlicek suggested to avoid potential future pitfalls with other businesses seeking a similar incentive.
No formal vote was taken since the matter was at committee level, but trustees agreed to review the agreement once elements of Friday's discussion were worked in. The agreement will need approval from the full village board before moving forward.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that the village will provide money toward the interest of the loan that will be taken out by the developer. The previous version of the story said the village would provide money for the loan.
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AT&T recently announced that it’s seeking to purchase Leap Wireless, a wireless phone service provider with five million subscribers that’s best known for its Cricket brand. The purchase would cost AT&T a grand total of $1.19 billion, and would net the company Leap’s retail stores, licenses, and network assets.
In addition to the boost in subscribers, AT&T has said that the spectrum bands Leap holds are complementary to those AT&T already owns and will be implemented in the company’s 4G LTE network as soon as the acquisition is approved. However, despite 30% of Leap share owners who have already agreed to the sale, AT&T still needs approval from the FCC and Justice Department. Approval could take anywhere from six to nine months.
Cricket customers have little to be concerned about. AT&T has already announced that it plans to keep Cricket as it is and even expand the brand to even more cities across the nation. The increased coverage Cricket will get now that it’s part of AT&T should make Cricket customers even more satisfied with their service, while the 96 million person network covered by Leap Wireless should help boost AT&T customer reception in certain areas as well.
Source – The Verge
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DC has a brand new logo, representing its eleventh since the company was founded.
The new DC Comics logo looks similar to the same design the company used in the 70s, bringing a classic, yet clean look back.
Here’s how DC’s Marketing VP Amit Desai described the logo in a press release:
While comics continue to be the heart and soul of DC, the brand has evolved to now stand for powerful storytelling across so many different forms of media. DC is home to the greatest Super Heroes and Super-Villains, and the new logo has the character and strength to stand proudly alongside DC’s iconic symbols. The launch of the new logo is the perfect tribute to DC’s legacy, exciting future and most importantly, our fans.


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Visa Threat Intelligence platform will allow companies to share information on the latest attacks
Visa is joining forces with security specialist FireEye in order to boost safety for its customers around the world.
The two companies have announced the launch of an online intelligence platform, Visa Threat Intelligence, which will use FireEye’s expertise in the cybersecurity space to help detect threats and protect Visa’s customers.
Subscribers can also use the service to share and view the latest intelligence on cyber attacks, threat analysis, and information on malicious software, meaning an end to sifting through hundreds of alerts to determine what areas needed to be protected.
“By combining Visa’s unparalleled view into global payments and FireEye’s industry-leading cyber security expertise, we intend to bring faster, actionable intelligence directly to players across the payments system,” said Charlie Scharf, CEO of Visa.
The Visa Threat Intelligence platform will take a 3-step approach to preventing cybercrime, focusing on using past trends to anticipate attacks, preventing and preparing for both known and emerging threats, and reacting quickly to ‘new and likely threat’s more quickly, reducing the danger of costly breaches.
It is set to launch later this year, and will include a premium service that can use FireEye’s services to track the location that malware originated from.
“This cyber intelligence service is tailored to the needs of the payments industry, delivering real-time threat information to merchants and issuers so they can quickly assess and act on the most critical cyber attacks that could breach their payment systems. It will be a central portal for merchants to determine which attacks are the most relevant against their organisation – currently threat intel is often shared via email or through media reports,” said Richard Turner, FireEye president, EMEA
“By focusing on the active, most dangerous threats, Visa threat intelligence leads to both better detection capacity and a more effective response in the case of a breach, allowing you get ahead of an attack before a loss of data occurs.”
Visa has invested heavily into its digital security provisions in recent months as more and more of its customers go online to make payments. This includes the introduction of its Visa Token Service (VTS), which replaces the traditional information such as the 16-digit account number, expiry date and security code, typically entered to make a payment, with a unique ‘token’ series of numbers, meaning that customer information will no longer need to be kept by the retailer, following a number of major cyberattacks against large businesses in recent years.
The news is FireEye’s second major partnership in a matter of two weeks, following the announcement that they will be working with fellow security firm F5 Networks to develop and create “comprehensive” security services.
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In the second half of the year, the Chinese economy will continue to grow at a medium to high speed, and the yearly economic growth rate may be around 7 percent, said Li Pumin, secretary-general and spokesman for the National Development and Reform Commission.
In recent years, the growth rate of the Chinese economy has been decreasing from the past 10 percent to the current 7 percent, which is the “new normal” stage — slower but higher-quality. As the scale of the Chinese economy is huge, each percent of economic growth is a big increment.
Li predicted that consumption in the next several months will still be high, and investment growth will become stable due to a series of investment policies. The situation of agricultural production is stable, and it is expected to gain harvest again in the second half of the year.
Some research institutions said the growth rate of the Chinese economy is lower than 7 percent in terms of power consumption and transportation volume, but they neglected the structural change of the Chinese economy, analysts said.
In the first half of the year, the service industry accounted for 49.5 percent of the GDP, which is 6.6 percent higher than that of 2007. High-tech industries such as pharmaceutical and communication equipment manufacturing account for higher percentages in industries. Such industries are low-energy consumption and high-added value.
Though the commercial environment in China is full of challenges, there is still development potential for European companies, including small companies, said a report released in September by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.
Since the beginning of the year, reform policies in the administrative system, State-owned enterprises, finance and commerce have been introduced, which greatly supported the development of the economy.
The Chinese government also provides full support for the development of innovation and entrepreneurship. More important, in the process of transformation and upgrading, the government is enhancing its ability to handle different complex situations and control risks.


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The chocolate and sweets company has more than 80 brands around the world.
Looking for leads, investment insights, or competitive intelligence?
News about Hershey
It's sort of like a traveling minibar without the alcohol.
Taste of winter arrives just in time for cooler temps.
Retailers and customers will soon pay bitter price for sweet stuff.
CEOs of Anthem, Hershey, Guardian Life, and more explain how they embrace social impact at their companies.
The Hershey, Pennsylvania-based chocolate giant has increased its buying.


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On Monday Apple announced financial results for the first quarter of 2014. It appears to be the strongest ever quarterly earnings.
We mention that the company’s financial year begins in October, accordingly the first quarter ended in January and we have an opportunity to learn about financial results, so :
. Income - 57 billion dollars( in the same period last year - 54 billion dollars)
. Net Income - 13 billion dollars (in the same period last year - 13 billion dollars)
. Profit Share - 14 dollars( last year - 13 dollars)
. Funds - nearly 159 billion dollars
In this infographic we have changes of revenue and net profit from fourth quarter of 2011 including fourth quarter of 2013 year.
Sales Amount :
. iPhone - 51 million devices (in 2013 - 47 million devices)
. iPad - 26 million devices (in 2013 - 22 million devices)
. Mac -4,8 million devices (in 2013 -4.1 millions of devices)
. iPod -6 million devices( in 2013 - 12 million devices)
Apple’s profit grows from each sold iPhone and iPad :
Plural dynamics of iPhone Ipad and Mac in the past three years:
.Revenue from Apple Store - a billion dollars
.114 million users visited Apple’s stores in one quarter
.Apple’s store is serving 21 thousand costumers every week
As expected in all respects the first quarter appeared strongest ever quarterly earnings.


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It claimed far too many tone-deaf campaigns had been created in order to attract women, and that Pink IPA was to be seen as a parody – “because women only like pink and glitter, right?” the company’s tweet read.
The cause is a good one. Because women earn on average 20 per cent less money than men, 20 per cent of the proceeds it gets from sales are to be donated to charities championing equality. Those identifying as women will also pay 20 per cent less for the drink in any BrewDog bar.
“This is a beer for everyone,” the company made clear. “Inside the bottle, it is the exact same beer as Punk IPA. But on the outside, it looks different. This is a reflection of the situation around the world relating to gender imbalance – Pink IPA is our effort to raise awareness of the current, unwelcome, status quo.
“Lazily targeting the female market with sub-par products designed by expensive research are inherently patronising. Depicting women in wholly unacceptable ways on labels is something we do not condone, and creating concepts that undermine women’s ability to enjoy beer is both short sighted and restricts progression.”
But while BrewDog might be on the right track, a chunk of the Twittersphere believes the stunt was executed poorly. Some pointed to its use of the hashtag, #sarcasm, with one particular tweet saying: “If you have to explain the joke maybe it’s not a very good joke.”
And if it’s a symbol for equality, then why label it a “beer for girls” – not even women, girls! At the face of it, what has divided consumers is that in trying to be sarcastic, BrewDog has done the very thing it accuses other companies of.
All the good intentions behind Brewdog’s Pink IPA mean very little once they actually put the product out there. Make the charitable donations, make drinks cheaper for women, do all that. But ironic sexist branding still looks like normal sexist branding.
— Robert Perry is often called Pez (@pez_sez) March 6, 2018
@BrewDog this has the right motivations but the wrong execution. You have lots of supportive shareholders who are female scientists & engineers. They could have been involved, collaborated and a simple engagement with those supporters could have given you a much stronger campaign
— Dr Heather Doran (@hapsci) March 6, 2018
Swing and miss, love you but the point of inequality being highlighted by making it pink & unequal?! Show me your hiring diversity stats, your % at level, the hiring of females in the plants. Then if you want a stunt 20% off for women on any beer not just pink ones! #pinkwash
— Em K (@elk3979) March 6, 2018
It’s certainly packing a punch, no matter your view point. Inequality within marketing has been firmly placed in the lime light and many have lauded the company for making a stand.
So many people have failed to grasp the @BrewDog Pink IPA campaign. The fact it’s pink & “beer for girls” is part of the piss take.
They even state: “Satirically dubbed Beer for Girls”.
Being pink is what they’re trying to point out. Pink IPA is everywhere. It’s worked.
— Adam C. (@adamecurry) March 6, 2018
I don’t understand why BrewDog’s ironic “Pink IPA” launch is controversial. I think it’s a good dig at sexist marketing. Even if it’s not clever, the fact that it’s donating 20% of Punk/Pink IPA proceeds to gender equality charities defeats the cynicism argument.
— Julien Poulain (@JulienPoulainLD) March 6, 2018
It’s a reaction BrewDog seems to have expected. Talking to the Huffington Post, the company’s global head of marketing, Sarah Warman, said: “We always anticipated that some people might not immediately appreciate the irony of Pink IPA but that did not deter us in our mission to spark a much-needed conversation.”
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