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Cutting pension tax relief for additional and higher rate taxpayers is a tempting way to raise revenue, but the 2014 Budget seems unlikely to make big changes.
Which? unveils its 'bargain calendar' to help consumers learn the best time of year to buy certain goods.
Pension providers will offer all customers impartial advice about buying annuities, as part of new regulations being introduced by the ABI.
Firms that sell general insurance add-ons will be required to highlight poor value products to consumers under new proposals announced today by the FCA.
George Osborne has been urged to scrap the 40% tax rate in this year's Budget and replace it with a 45% bracket for those earning more than £65,000
New Marks & Spencer current account to be launched in summer
With the Bank of England base Rate set to remain at 0.5% on its fifth anniversary, Which? covers what you can do to beat low savings rates
George Osborne faces a mounting tide of calls for tax cuts, ranging from air passenger duty, fuel duty and VAT on housing renovation, to energy taxes and CGT
Savers seeking a better return on their money could be given a boost as talks about including peer-to-peer and crowdfunding investments in Isa wrappers take place ahead of the Budget.
Savers looking to make the most of their £5,760 tax-free cash Isa allowance before the end of the tax year face limited choice and uncompetitive interest rates.


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Ricky Ross with Craig & Cat
Deacon Blue are back with a brand new album and a brand new tour this year. This week on Breakfast we spoke to the man himself about how on earth you can follow up songs like "Real gone kid" and "Dignity" with a brand new album.
Ricky announced the band are back on tour this year and will be playing concerts in both Nottingham and Sheffield so if you get the chance to see Deacon Blue then take yourself off.
If you missed the interview then here is Ricky speaking to Craig & Cat

domain: news


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Black Magic unveiled their crazy small Pocket Camera at NAB earlier this year, and some of the first footage recorded on the camera has appeared online from director of photography John Brawley. Unsurprisingly, it looks pretty darn good.
Admittedly, it's not the most spectacular subject:
"This footage was shot over about an hour at my local market on Sunday morning. So yeah, it’s just home movies. I was literally grabbing shots where I could whilst I was shopping ! But, you do get to see what one man can do with a pocket cinema camera and a 12-35 Panasonic m4/3 zoom. I guess for those that like to shoot discretely, guerrilla or documentary style, this will give you a good sense of what you’re going to get. The same great DR and look has been inherited from the BMCC."
That aside, you can still get an idea of the quality that comes out of the tiny camera. My only complaint is that it looks a little low on contrast, but that could be from the choice in settings, which John chose the "FILM" look.
Does this make you want the new camera more or less? Let us know in the comments below.
[Via John Brawley]


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Throughout this ongoing pandemic, fraudsters have attempted to play on people’s fears to try and trick them out of their hard-earned cash.
Now UK Finance, the trade body for the British banking sector, has issued a list of the most common scams to help people identify them.
The ten scams to be wary of include:
- Fake government emails– Emails that pertain to be from government departments offering grants of up to £7,500. These often contain links that steal personal and financial information.
- Financial relief emails– These often offer “Covid-19 relief funds”, which encourage people to hand over sensitive personal information.
- Council tax reduction– These emails, offering support with council tax payments, contain links that lead to a fake government website that harvests personal and financial information.
- Benefits scam– This scam offers help applying for universal credit, however, they allow fraudsters to grab some of the payment as an advance for their ‘services’.
- Track and trace– Fraudsters are sending communications which suggest that a victim has been in contact with someone that has COVID-19. These will often include links to a fake website that contains viruses or attempts to steal information.
- PPE scam– These sites and emails often offer ‘bargain’ price PPE, such as hand sanitizer or face masks. However, once payment is made no goods are sent and the victim is often unable to contact the seller.
- Fake emails and texts claiming to be from TV Licensing– Many victims of this scam are told they are eligible for a six month TV licence for free because of the pandemic. They are then told there is an issue with their direct debit and they are asked to provide important financial information, such as their bank details.
- TV subscription services– Fraudsters are posing as representatives for TV and streaming services, such as Sky. They often ask for payment details to reinstate services by clicking on a link, which is then used to steal credit card information.
- Social media scams– Scammers are using social media to manipulate victims into handing over money. Often criminals will use identities of real people to ask for ‘support and financial help’.
- Fake investment opportunities– Often advertised on social media sites, they encourage victims to “take advantage of the financial downturn”. This is particularly prevalent for cryptocurrency platforms, where less sophisticated investors are easily caught out.
Katy Worobec, Managing Director of Economic Crime at UK Finance, said: “During this pandemic, we have seen criminals using sophisticated methods to callously exploit people’s financial concerns to trick them into giving away their money or information.”
The trade body is encouraging people to stay alert and avoid falling for sophisticated schemes by seeking advice from a friend, family member or trusted adviser.
The list of scams has been published as local councils report a 40 per cent increase in reported scams since the start of lockdown and Citizens Advice estimates that one in three people have been targeted by a scammer during the pandemic.


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Out of all of the games and announcements emerging from BlizzCon this weekend, only one had to do with a product actually going live at the same time. That was, of course, Warcraft Rumble, the recently released strategy game that hopes to claw back some of that valuable mobile real estate that Hearthstone has ceded and call back to Warcraft’s RTS days.
“We wanted to make a game that had many different things to many different players,” the studio said. Early versions of Warcraft Rumble utilized Warcraft III and World of Warcraft models to help the developers kitbash test versions. Ultimately, the team wanted to capture the feel of tactility, of these being living pieces of the game world.
Of course, the main message that Blizzard wants to push for this title is the fact that it’s out right now and you should totally download and play it. The studio listed the feature set — including 70 hand-tailored maps, 65 minis, five “families,” and a heroic campaign — as well as a couple new details that emerged from the show. The first season of Warcraft Rumble went live this weekend, and with it the addition of a new leader with Sylvanas.
There’s a whole lot to do in the game as well, including the normal campaign, a heroic version of the campaign, dungeons, arclight surge maps, work with guilds on warchests, and PvP. Blizzard also teased the 2024 addition of the game’s first raid, Molten Core, as well as co-op content, Scholomance, Moonglade, the Chiamaera flying troop, and PvP updates (including a replay feature).


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We’re thrilled to announce that Fintellity has been selected by Tech Nation as a regional winner of Rising Stars 4.0!
Fintellity has been selected as one of the top five most exciting and innovative tech companies in the East of England, and officially one of the best in the country!
Designed to showcase early-stage tech companies, Tech Nation Rising Stars 4.0 competition had applications from over 400 tech businesses across the UK this year.
Having been selected as a Rising Stars 4.0 regional winner, Fintellity are now through to the semi-final stage in February 2022.
"We are very proud and thrilled to be selected as a Rising Star 4.0 winner for East Anglia region. This is a huge achievement for the Fintellity team and a great testimony to the work we are doing to help rebuild the economy. Our future-focussed and intelligent software makes applying and paying for regulated goods and services quick, easy, safe, and affordable while innovating our partners' compliance procedures and saving them significant operational costs! We are excited about the future and look forward to using this amazing platform to drive further interest from potential customers and investors " - Shardai Cosgrove, CEO and Co-Founder, Fintellity
Winners will benefit from national and international level profile-raising, and the opportunity to showcase our business to key investors, influencers and the wider tech community.
Bring on the Rising Stars 4.0 semi-finals. We can't wait!


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LTD opening tender for taximeters
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
THE Land Transport Department (LTD) is opening tenders for the supply, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning of taximeters and peripheral devices for Bruneian taxis.
Any person, partnership or company is allowed to apply from April 16 to 2pm on May 17 as long as they meet the requirements stated in the tender document.
Interested parties can retrieve the document at the Motor Vehicle Licensing Board (MTLA) at LTD’s Beribi headquarters and submit the completed version to the Mini Tender Board at the Ministry of Communications.
Applicants will then be provided clarification and advice regarding the tender during an information day that will be announced at a later date.
According to LTD Director Dr Hj Supry Hj Ladi, the tender is part of their initiative to create a more efficient and regulated public transport system.
He said currently, taxi operators may charge differently, making it difficult for customers to determine whether they’re being charged appropriately.
To address the situation, Dr Hj Supry said taximeters will be electronic and programmed with a standard fare structure which will be regulated by LTD, hopefully by the end of this year.
He added that along with the implementation of the standard fare structure, taxi drivers will no longer be restricted to operating within a certain area and will be allowed to take passengers over long distances to any part of the country.
“They can even send passengers to Miri Airport as long as they apply for the cross border permit,” said Dr Hj Supry.
Peripheral devices such as receipt printers, signage and electronic payment devices will also be included in taxis to provide better information and convenience to passengers.
“All information must be transparent to the passengers,” said Dr Hj Supry.
Dr Hj Supry said the installation of the electronic payment devices that will allow customers to pay by credit, debit or prepaid was in preparation for their next move to enhance taxi services in the sultanate.
He said his next move would be to accept proposals from ICT companies that are interested in providing taxi reservation by mobile apps services.
Dr Hj Supry said there are 50 taxis currently operating in the country. However, he added that LTD will issue more taxi licenses when demand increases.
“Last year, there were a low number of customers taking the taxis. But with more cruise ships entering Brunei and greater communication with taxi operators, things are getting better.
“We believe that once the taxi meters have been regulated and (fares) are more consistent and affordable compared with other countries, the demand will be there.”
The Brunei Times


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Fashion's Instagram Exodus Begins
Meta is slipping. Fashion won't stick around.
Thank you for subscribing to Back Row, the fashion industry’s fastest growing reader-supported newsletter. If you enjoy Back Row, please tell your friends about it! This is an ad-free publication and dedicated readers keep it going. If you are new here, subscribe to get posts like this sent to your inbox two to three times a week. Reminder: my book ANNA: The Biography is available for preorder.
Good news: Mark Zuckerberg is having a bad week, and I’ll discuss that. Bad news: I also need to discuss the “metaverse,” specifically fashion’s place in it, but I promise it will go down easy here in Back Row, just like that upsetting Balenciaga bag. And in a few years we’ll probably never have to talk about Zuckerberg and the metaverse together again because, if it indeed manifests as our digital future, he’s definitely not going to be the one to mastermind it.
But first, a lot of people are pretty delighted by the terrible earnings Meta announced this week, which sent its stock plunging by 26.4 percent, wiping out more than $230 billion of its value. This reduced Zuckerberg’s personal wealth by almost $30 billion. (At a company-wide meeting Thursday, he blamed his red eyes and tears not on those numbers but rather, Bloomberg reported, a “scratched cornea.”)
Meta’s performance is hugely significant for the fashion industry, which has been enmeshed with Instagram for around a decade. Yet fashion is poised to make an exodus from the platform, and when that happens I don’t think any of us will miss it. Before this week, I thought this would unfold gradually over the course of years. But now it feels like brands and influencers have been granted permission to flee a sinking ship at once. This will happen one of two ways: brands and influencers will leave their accounts up, but start tending to them like a succulent — provide occasional, half-hearted watering and that’s it. Others will leave it behind entirely.
You could arguably date Instagram’s vice grip on fashion to ex-Lucky editor-in-chief Eva Chen’s hire as director of fashion partnerships in 2015, three years after Facebook bought it. With one of its own at the company, the notoriously tech-averse fashion industry (one that to this day communicates via fax) embraced it, labels coming to rely on its influencers and in-app shopping product for promotion and sales. Before the rise of TikTok, I don’t know how you would have launched or promoted a fashion label without investing money in Instagram.
The problem is that Apple now forces apps like Facebook and Instagram to ask users to consent to being tracked. Most of us say no, weakening the company’s ability to effectively target ads to us. From the Wall Street Journal:
Chief Financial Officer David Wehner on Wednesday said the company expects the Apple policy to cost it more than $10 billion in lost sales for 2022, equivalent to about 8% of its total revenue last year.
“It’s a pretty significant headwind,” Mr. Wehner said on a call with analysts.
The company was also forced to admit in its report this week that TikTok is a threat unlike any it has ever seen. Though Meta touted Reels as its fastest growing content type, research shows that younger users prefer TikTok, which was the most downloaded app of 2021.
When Snapchat posed a similar threat years ago, Facebook copied it by introducing its own Stories product. That was pretty effective because a lot of people in their twenties and thirties never wanted to bother with Snapchat much anyway. Disappearing photos weren’t that innovative, and the app never possessed the entertainment value of TikTok.
Now, Meta has attempted to copy TikTok with Reels, a video product introduced in August 2020, but that has been less effective than Stories for a number of reasons. One, it’s easier to make a great TikTok, which has better technology, than a great Reel. Two, Instagram is either refusing to provide — or technologically incapable of providing — users with the same reach that TikTok does. It seems to be attempting to force us all to buy impressions, but there’s no point in doing that when someone with fewer than ten TikTok followers can simply tap over to TikTok and have a chance at creating a video that gets a million views. Three — and this is purely my experience — Reels aren’t that entertaining. Most of the Reels I get are hammocks swaying on a beach or a view from a train in the Swiss Alps — dated influencer content, but in motion.
Let’s also be clear about the reason Reels is Meta’s fastest growing content type: that’s what the company deigns to surface in our feeds. Since it abolished Instagram’s beloved reverse chronological feed in 2016, what we see on Instagram has been controlled by a mysterious algorithm decided upon by Meta, and poorly explained to users. The company forces us to make Reels by making the reach on that content much higher than static images. This morning, when I opened Instagram, all I saw in my feed were Reels.
But people in fashion and beyond are tired of doing battle with Facebook’s algorithms. BuzzFeed recently published a feature about how Instagram influencers, like Jess Ann Kirby, are leaving entirely.
“My stats have been stagnant for years now, no matter what I do,” she said. “A lot of people who wanted to do it honestly and didn't do these giveaways or buy followers, it was kind of like Instagram made it so the game was not fair anymore, like you had to kind of cheat to get ahead.”
Over the past few years, Kirby said, her success on Instagram has seemed to be tied to the amount of time she’s spent on the app. According to Kirby, the more time she was active on Instagram — sharing content and engaging with her followers — the better her Instagram analytics for engagement became and the more people saw her posts. If she took breaks from the app or didn’t post for a while, she said her numbers would drop.
“It's not like this is just in my head, I mean, I've literally seen this happen in my analytics… If I'm not on the app all the time, my content doesn't get seen,” she said.
People like Kirby are so frustrated by Instagram that they’re willing to take a revenue hit while they build up their businesses through other channels. I’ve heard from several influencers recently that TikTok deals are surprisingly lucrative even for those with modest followings. Andre Brown (@mrpresidentstiktok) posts to both instagram and TikTok, and told the Wall Street Journal that he earns 85 percent of his revenue from TikTok sponsorships.
The other problem for Meta is that Zuckerberg has bet the company’s future on the metaverse. The metaverse is a video game-like world of virtual reality, where we could all hang out and mingle. Our avatars will need virtual clothes, and fashion companies could profit nicely from those. Zuckerberg would surely like Meta to be the company that facilitates that marketplace.
However, fashion hasn’t bought into that future. LVMH chief executive Bernard Arnault isn’t counting on the metaverse. “[W]e have to sound a note of caution,” he said during last week’s earnings call. From CNBC:
“At this stage, we are very much in the real world, selling real products,” he said. “We are not interested in selling virtual sneakers for 10 euros. We’re not into that.”
Arnault also warned of potentially speculative bubbles that have little lasting commercial value similar to many of the companies and promises of the dot-com bubble.
“We have to be wary of bubbles,” he said. “At the beginning of the internet, there were all sorts of things popping up and then the bubble burst. There may be relevant applications, but we have to see what universes might actually be profitable.”
I have a hard time imagining the fashion industry embracing the metaverse. This is a social industry, one that still partakes in international travel upwards of four times a year for fashion weeks that honestly don’t need to happen in person in 2022. But they do because fashion people enjoy being in one another’s presence, beholding real items of clothing.
Zuckerberg isn’t the only tech executive putting a stake in virtual reality. Microsoft recently acquired video game company Activision Blizzard for $75 billion. I might put my money on Microsoft as the future’s big metaverse company, if that ends up being our future, simply because Facebook hasn’t been innovative since it launched its core product when I was in college in the aughts. It’s simply made up for a lack of innovation through acquisitions — of WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. — and knocking off other platforms’ products. But with its size under scrutiny of federal officials, it’s now too big to buy its way out of its slide into irrelevancy.
Meta could look to fashion media, which it’s effectively ruined, for a glimpse at its future. Brands had no problem leaving magazines behind — an idea that once seemed unthinkable. They will have no problem leaving Instagram behind, too.
Related: How Long Does Instagram Have as Fashion's Social Network?
Subscribe if you haven’t yet to support independent fashion journalism and get more posts like this from Back Row sent straight to your inbox.
NFT's in Fashion will fizzle out much like Periscope. People want to own a bag and wear it. Not hang it on the wall or whatever it is. I agree with Bernard Arnault's assessment-though I'm still angry about the ageist Tiffany's ads.
I'm wondering with a lot of older people like myself on IG that it might last longer as we're all so exhausted by the new thing. I still love the old things. And not ready to give up on it. I still love magazines and I also like being able to combine with the immediacy of IG. My audience is 35-44 with 45-54 behind that. I even have 55-64...who all appear to relate to the content I present on IG. It's fun, educational, factual with really nice pictures. I have always said the one area fashion companies have abandoned and forgotten are us. Which is a pity because they could rev up their revenue focusing on those of us with our grey hair, droopy boobs and curvy derriere's. We keep the families together. Adopt dogs, dress our population, fill the cabinets with QTIPS, Cheerios and soup. We pay the cellphone bills and make sure the house has the WIFI running. Hmmmmmm...


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This story first appeared in the July 20 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
The hottest new drama in the television industry this summer won’t be seen on any flat-screen. Instead, it’s happening in secret closed-door meetings where attorney Larry Stein is on a mission to convince TV studios that it’s time to ensure that creators of hit TV shows participate in the growing success of streaming services like Hulu, Amazon and Netflix.
Stein has a long history of taking up big causes. The 67-year-old senior partner at Liner Grode initiated some of the first courtroom battles against big studios over long-term cast contracts, vertical integration and the protection of reality TV formats. Now, Stein has set his sights squarely on digital revenue and is making demands on behalf of some highly successful TV showrunners — demands that are prompting some studio executives to wonder whether he’s lost his mind.
Up until now, showrunners have never been participants in network ad money. But Stein is insisting they be given a piece of online ad revenue as well as a share of money generated by, say, Hulu Plus subscriptions, and wants profit-sharing contracts modified to address streaming revenue. And if he doesn’t get deal-room satisfaction, Stein is prepared to launch a lawsuit that could rattle the industry. He wouldn’t break the attorney-client trust and name the five showrunners he’s representing, though he does claim they run the “very top shows on TV” and if he brings a suit, the decision could be worth “hundreds of million of dollars.”
The profit pool is only getting bigger: The online viewing of TV shows is up more than 46 percent in the past year, says media buying firm Horizon Media, and according to comScore, more than 180 million U.S. users watch online video content.
The steady online migration has made some showrunners nervous. Asked at a 2010 conference if he sees money from the estimated 2 million people who watch Modern Family weekly on Hulu, creator Steve Levitan responded: “Nobody’s crying for us, but not yet. It’s very confusing because we can’t get any answers. It’s not me saying [networks and studios] are cheating us or stealing from us. But I question the ultimate wisdom.”
And so, the creators of some of TV’s most successful shows have hired Stein to audit profit participation contracts, leading to conversations with TV studios about digital income. So far, the studios aren’t budging.
One top TV studio executive says that anybody who suggests that showrunners aren’t benefiting from digital exploitation of shows “doesn’t really understand the business.” For decades, studios have licensed the first run of episodes of a show to a network. Recently, studios and networks have made a bargain with each other. Studios gave networks the right to exhibit the most recent episodes of a given “in-season” show online, and in return, studios have gained a more expansive ability to license “out-of-season” episodes sooner. So now, a show like CBS’ 2 Broke Girls doesn’t have to wait years until being syndicated, and that money can be shared with showrunners.
Studios argue that profit participants are already benefiting from the rise of new licensing sources like Netflix, and that healthy TV networks are still the best way to finance new shows. To ask networks to give up digital ad revenue threatens to upset everything. “NBC has never said to us, ‘Why don’t we participate in your revenue when you sell to Netflix?’ ” says the studio executive.
Stein reacts by saying this traditional approach is shortsighted. What happens when online replaces network TV as the predominant forum for new shows? “It’s like if musicians had only agreed to take income from vinyl upon the advent of CDs,” he says.
Gaining a more direct line into digital revenue represents only part of the battle for showrunners. Stein’s clients are also looking to tighten contractual definitions on “net receipts” to ensure that studios don’t inflate distribution fees and costs associated with the online distribution of shows. It’s feared that studios will attempt to treat digital income as “home entertainment” and deduct the high costs traditionally associated with producing and distributing DVDs. (The issue is being analogized to the ongoing battles between record labels and musicians over whether downloads off of iTunes are “sales” or “licenses.”)
But perhaps most distressing to lawyers for showrunners is the close corporate relationship that studios and networks have with each other. Would 20th Century Fox Television go to the mat to gain revenue participation from Fox.com or Fox co-owned Hulu if it became necessary? “This is going to lead to a new frontier in profit participation lawsuits,” says Chad Fitzgerald, an attorney at Kinsella Weitzman who is currently representing the creators of Smallville in their vertical integration case against Warner Bros. “Most showrunners have a contractual relationship with the studio and not the network, so to the extent that a corporate conglomerate can keep money in the network where participants don’t share profits, they will.”
If lawyers like Stein successfully gain ground in ongoing negotiations, it could lead to an entire re-evaluation of how advertising and subscription revenue is allocated on online platforms. Says Stein, “As the market changes from network-based exploitation of content to Internet-based exploitation of content, [studios] can’t pretend the future doesn’t exist.”
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The legal age for purchasing cigarettes and tobacco products in Onondaga County rises today to 19.
The county's Tobacco 19 law forbids the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to 18-year-olds, effectively raising the county's smoking age to 19. The only exception will be sales to 18-year-old members of the military.
Stores will have to post signs advertising the new age requirement, and vendors caught breaking the law will be subject to fines from $300 to $1,000 for the first violation, $500 to $1,500 for subsequent offenses.
The measure was passed in January by the Onondaga County Legislature, overriding the veto of County Executive Joanie Mahoney. Advocates say the law will discourage 18-year-old high school students from buying cigarettes and passing them to younger students.
Onondaga County joins Nassau and Suffolk counties, which have Tobacco 19 laws in place. The rest of New York's counties enforce the state's ban on selling tobacco to customers 17 and younger.an essay for Voices on the topic. That got him invited to address the county legislature to lobby for Tobacco 19.


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COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of our lives from how and where we work to what foods and beverages we are consuming. The beverage alcohol industry, in particular, has seen some noticeable changes in wine trends, not only how much wine people are drinking, but how they are consuming wine.
Pre-COVID-19 Wine Trends
In 2019, before the pandemic hit, wine volume had declined for the first time in 25 years. Previously, wine producers have been enjoying a healthy market that was due, in part, to the ability to leverage the wine room tasting experience to win over customers. Wine also had the advantage of being one of the only alcoholic beverages that could be sold direct-to-consumers (DtC) through monthly subscriptions and other services.
However, emerging threats to the market led to a steady decline that peaked in 2019. Over the past few years, competition from spirits and hard seltzers negatively impacted wine trends. At the same time, craft brewers and distillers took a note from wineries and started offering their own on-site tasting experiences. The DtC market also became more competitive as more states allowed spirits to be sold to consumers. Combined with an overall trend to moderation and a lack of marketing efforts towards younger drinkers, it is easy to see why the wine industry was struggling with multiple challenges.
Post-COVID-19 Wine Trends
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed 2019 wine trends. With mandatory on-premise closures across the country, wineries were forced to find new sales channels. They have been concentrating on off-premise sales and trying to win over new demographics as people increase their alcohol consumption during these stressful times. It also helps that people are buying items in bulk and stocking up their pantries. As a result, off-premise sales volumes have grown by around 20% over last year for every week since March.
There are also some signs that people are beginning to switch from other alcohols to wine. During the pandemic, people aren’t just using wine to pair with meals and are enjoying a glass in the evening. Those who usually drink wine are also increasing their consumption, which has helped fuel growth. This wine trend is especially prevalent in certain sections of the market. Women have increased consumption more than men while those who fall in the 40-55 and 25-39 age brackets are also drinking more wine. Now is the perfect time to use this information to market towards new demographics.
Established brands are perhaps benefiting most from market changes. As people return to drinking wine or take it up for the first time, they are turning to “retro”brands. They want to spend their money on something that they know they will like instead of trying new brands. This has been a boon for older brands who have steadily watched volume decrease in recent years.
While it is clear that people are drinking more wine and choosing it over beer or spirits, there is no telling what this might mean for post-pandemic times. Once people are able to eat and drink at bars and restaurants, they may stick with the wines that they have come to enjoy during COVID-19 or go back to beer and liquor. Wineries should not only enjoy this pandemic-triggered spike in sales, but also start formulating a plan for the future as conditions continue to evolve. A few options to look at for the near future are winery software and an alcohol database, as both tools have proven effective in sparking growth and helping businesses stay ahead of their competition.
What did U.S. wine trends look like in 2019 prior to COVID-19?
In 2019, wine sales decreased for the first time in 25 years. Recently, consumers have been turning to spirits and hard seltzers instead of wine. Consumers were also attracted to the on-site craft beer and distillery experiences. Other emerging threats include more direct-to-consumer spirit opportunities brought about by new laws, a trend towards drinking in moderation and less marketing to younger demographics.
How has COVID-19 impacted wine sales?
Wine sales have increased as people shelter at home and stock up their pantries. Sales have been up around 20% every week since the pandemic as compared to the same time last year.
How has COVID-19 impacted wine consumption?
More wine is being consumed as people switch from beer and spirits to wine.
What kind of wines have consumers been drinking during the COVID era?
People are turning to favorite and recognizable brands.
What kind of opportunities has COVID-19 presented to the U.S. still wine market?
Winemakers now have the opportunity to win back former wine drinkers and market themselves to other demographics where they may not be as popular.


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By Emily Dunn
THOUGH maligned by anti-globalisation activists and conscientious parents alike, the bioethicist Peter Singer says McDonald's may not be so bad after all.
The Princeton University professor - whose book, Animal Liberation, sparked the animal rights movement 30 years ago - told The Guardian he would choose McDonald's over a small independent takeaway because "a big chain has a national and international reputation to protect".
"I see big corporations following what consumers will buy," Professor Singer said.
"If you have sufficiently educated consumers, you can get ethical food from big corporations." Professor Singer's comments will come as cold comfort to the major food manufacturers McDonald's, Hungry Jack's, Cadbury Schweppes, Kellogg Australia and Coca-Cola Amatil, all of which were named and shamed yesterday at The Parents Jury Children's Television Food Advertisement Awards.
The Parents Jury, a network of more than 1400 people supported by organisations such as Diabetes Australia and the Cancer Council, is calling for a complete ban on junk food advertising to children.
Now in its second year, the awards showcase ads seen as manipulating children and parents. For the second time, McDonald's won the "pester power" award for its Happy Meal ads using toys to sell hamburgers.
Kathy Chapman from the Cancer Council said the award was a message that "trying to influence kids to nag parents into giving them unhealthy food is totally unacceptable".
The nutritionist Rosemary Stanton, who announced the awards, criticised the amount of advertising for fast and snack food products during children's television programs.
"I have no doubt there is a direct link between levels and types of advertising and the increasing problem of childhood obesity," Dr Stanton said.
McDonald's was unavailable for comment yesterday but in a statement said it had reduced advertising in children's viewing times by 60 per cent in the past three years. "The food at McDonald's can be part of a balanced diet. The inclusion of a toy with a Happy Meal is all part of the McDonald's experience to provide a fun environment for families," the statement said.
Other "pester power" nominees included Hungry Jack's and Kellogg's cereals.
The most misleading ad award was given to Karicare Gold Toddler Formula, a milk substitute Dr Stanton said "promoted the idea that toddlers needed a substitute for cows' milk", despite the fact its product was derived from cows' milk and was high in sugar.
Toni Brendish, the managing director of Nutricia, which manufactures the product, said yesterday it was marketed as a supplement, rather than a substitute for a healthy diet and Karicare contained less sugar than other brands.
Other nominees included a SPC Ardmona fruit jelly and the Natural Confectionery Company's fruit chews.
A spokeswoman for SPC said the fruit jellies were not advertised during children's television viewing times and the company aimed to provide nutritious products.
Not all the awards left a sour taste. The Parents Choice Award, given to a company which promotes healthy food choices for children, was won by Weet-Bix.
Kellogg or Hungry Jack's were unavailable for comment.


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Shoppers purchased much less gasoline and meals in October as they have been hit by rising residing prices and poor climate, in response to official figures.
The quantity of merchandise bought final month fell by 0.3% to the bottom stage since February 2021 when giant elements of the UK have been in Covid lockdowns.
Retail gross sales had extensively been forecast to develop in October.
The worse-than-expected knowledge emerged as current figures confirmed the UK financial system was failing to develop.
Gross home product – the quantity of the products and providers produced by the UK – flatlined between July and September and the Bank of England expects solely subdued development till 2025.
Next week, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will make his Autumn Statement when he’ll set out the federal government’s tax and spending plans and his technique to develop the financial system.
Commenting on the most recent knowledge, the Office for National Statistics stated petrol and diesel gross sales could have been “affected by growing gasoline costs”.
Demand for different items was additionally decrease, stated the ONS.
“It was one other poor month for family items and garments shops with these retailers reporting that price of residing pressures, lowered footfall and poor climate hit them laborious,” stated Heather Bovill, deputy director for survey and financial indicators on the ONS.
During October, Storm Babet hit a lot of the UK leading to “distinctive rainfall”, in response to the Met Office.
Fuel gross sales fell by 2% between September and Octobers with retailers reporting that “shoppers have been spending their cash extra cautiously, alongside the influence of dangerous climate”.
Supermarkets stated customers have been shopping for extra meals, however specialist shops, equivalent to butchers and bakers, recorded a decline. Sales of alcohol and tobacco additionally dropped, down 4.2% and 10.4%, respectively.
Retailers stated customers “have been shopping for cheaper merchandise and prioritising vital gadgets”.
The retail sector is heading into its most vital buying and selling interval which incorporates Christmas.
Lisa Hooker, chief of business for shopper markets at PwC, stated: “We know from earlier within the yr that in robust occasions shoppers prioritise particular occasions and household events, so retailers can be hoping that buyers are maintaining their powder dry for a final minute Christmas spending surge come December.”
Compared to final October, retail gross sales volumes have been 2.7% decrease.
The ONS additionally revised down its studying of retail gross sales in September to a drop of 1.1% after initially estimating a decline of 0.9%.
Recent figures confirmed that inflation – which measures the speed at which costs are rising – fell sharply to 4.6% within the yr to October from 6.7%.It follows a protracted succession of rate of interest rises by the Bank of England.
While elevating charges can scale back inflation, it additionally impacts financial development by making it costlier for shoppers and companies to borrow cash.
Aled Patchett, head of retail and shopper items at Lloyds Bank, stated: “Another dip in gross sales suggests rising family prices stay on the forefront of shoppers’ minds, regardless of headline inflation easing in current months.
“The rising price of residing stays a drag on shoppers’ discretionary incomes. Households proceed to prioritise important spending, notably as falling winter temperatures push power dissipate.”


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The Finance Ministry is right in its demand that Intel's shrinking workforce should be part of the consideration in deciding whether to give the chipmaker a grant.
All of four years since the company received $525 million for hiring 2,500 new workers, Intel threatened to fire most of them by 2016 if it doesn't receive another $400 million grant.
It's not an empty threat. Chipmakers around the world invest billions in factories to develop the most advanced computer chips, and the technology becomes antiquated within years as the next generation is developed.
Intel's initial $400 million request in 2009 came out to $1 million a worker. Its latest agreement with the Industry and Trade Ministry indicates it's willing to settle for $770,000 a worker. But in 2005, when it received the $525 million grant, Intel hired new workers for $210,000 apiece.
The government is responsible for making investments that will create the largest, most stable number of jobs. Intel simply isn't one of those places.
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Trane Commercial HVAC Products Go on North American Tour
Jan 22, 2014
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HVAC producer Trane, a brand of Ingersoll Rand, will stage 2014 road tour to showcase its commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, controls, and Services. The tour will target building owners and operators, architects, engineers, and contractors across North
Two Trane "Acceleration Now" semi-trucks loaded with equipment, controls, and interactive displays will make stops in 70 locations over 39 weeks. Each stop will give customers the opportunity to learn about Trane chillers, air handlers, controls, terminal and variable refrigerant systems, aftermarket offerings, and services.
"Trane has launched many new systems and services over the past two years—each one adding unique value to a phase of a building’s life cycle," said Kevin Stamets, director of marketing for the company. "The Acceleration Now tour takes these new systems and services directly to our customers and demonstrates how they can support a building’s needs now and into the future."
Trane systems are designed for commercial real estate, data centers, and restaurants, as well as education, healthcare, hospitality, government, manufacturing, and retail facilities.
The tour's first stop is scheduled for March 31 in Miramar, Florida.
More information on the tour is at:
Back to Breaking News


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Amazon’s Whole Foods.
A Kroger Express is already operating in Florence, Kentucky, and the remaining 12 stores will be operational “early next year,” the companies said.
In addition to selling Kroger-branded products in stores, Walgreens will also allow customers to order online from the grocer and pick up the items at the pharmacy chain. The two companies originally announced the online order pickup in October.
The companies also announced on Tuesday that the grocery chain has stocked its Home Chef kits in dozens of the pharmacy’s Chicago locations. The “Express” meal kits will rotate recipes biweekly, with three unique options offered in participating stores.
Pharmacies and grocery stores have been searching for ways to beat out the competition. Kroger’s competitor Walmart has its own partnership with health insurer Anthem. CVS closed a merger with Aetna last week, although a federal judge might halt the integration of the two companies.
Shares of Walgreens and Kroger were each down 1.3 percent.


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Wild Noodles Set to Unleash First Franchise Location
Scottsdale, Arizona-Wild Noodles, a fast-casual eatery serving internationally inspired noodle dishes created by Arizona chef Eddie Matney, opened its first franchised location in the Paradise Valley area of Phoenix in January. The 84-seat noodlery offers a mix of ethnic and American entrees that are cooked to order in an open kitchen, priced from $3.95 to $7.95.
The debut store is owned by Phoenix resident and ex-corporate executive Andy Fielman. Fielman has signed an area development agreement to open as many as 10 Wild Noodles locations in Arizona over the next five years. His second store is slated to open in Glendale early next summer, followed by an outlet in Scottsdale.
The Paradise Valley site will serve as the prototype and training store for the franchise, which plans to open its next 15 restaurants in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Florida in early 2004. Eighty additional stores are under development in 10 states. Two existing locations in Phoenix are corporately owned. -SSPR


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Groupement des Mousquetaires-ITM Entreprises, the French company that owns the remaining ten Interex supermarkets in Romania, will close the stores by November 15 after failed attempts to restructure the business, according to recent media reports. Rumors about Interex planning to sell its local stores or to close them have surfaced several times over the past couple of years due to poor results reported by the company in Romania.
The local Interex business has been on a downward trend for several years, according to data from the Ministry of Finance. If back in 2006 Interex stores reported sales of about EUR 59 million and a EUR 2 million loss, over the next years losses have gone up although the company managed to boost sales. In 2011 the local Interex stores reported a turnover of EUR 36.5 million and EUR 15.5 million loss.
Interex entered the Romanian market in 2002 with a supermarket in Ploiesti.


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Diplomat calls US’ allegations about isolation of Russia in UN 'strange'Russian Politics & Diplomacy April 28, 20:58
Experts say Russian hackers strongly demonized in USRussian Politics & Diplomacy April 28, 20:35
Ferrari drivers clock best time in Practice Two of Russia F1 GP in SochiSport April 28, 19:54
Red Bull’s advisor Marko says Kvyat to possibly remain with Toro Rosso next yearSport April 28, 19:16
Pope Francis blesses pregnant TASS correspondent en route to EgyptWorld April 28, 18:55
Russian diplomat says use of military force against North Korean unacceptable, dangerousRussian Politics & Diplomacy April 28, 18:45
UN chief calls for lowering risk of miscalculation concerning North Korea issueWorld April 28, 18:15
Moscow deeply regrets Montenegro’s decision to join NATORussian Politics & Diplomacy April 28, 18:07
Maria Sharapova reaches Porsche Grand Prix semifinalsSport April 28, 17:50
MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. China’s AliExpress affiliated with e-commerce holding Alibaba Group opened the first standing showroom at a railway terminal in Moscow, AliExpress Russia and CIS Business Director Mark Zavadsky told TASS on Tuesday.
"We are opening the first showroom in Russia because Russia is among critical markets for us, and it’s largely a pilot market. We are launching a great deal of "pilots" exactly in Russia and then implement them in other countries," Zavadsky said.
The decision to open the showroom was made because many buyers are hesitant to order goods online because they are unable to touch them," Zavadsky said. "We thought we will be able to bring goods of our Chinese sellers closer to Russian buyers with the aid of such showroom," he added.
Goods of 41 Chinese brands will be presented on the offline floor, including clothes, smartphones and other devices. "We selected 41 brands among more than 100 applications and plan to further update the showroom product range subject to seasonal factor and popularity of categories and brands," Zavadsky said.
Goods can be ordered in the showroom using a mobile application or special terminals. The showroom will also have a mobile version, the representative of AliExpress said.


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Let’s not mention the ‘D’ word: it's questionable whether Volkswagen's reputation is recoverable in the US, and certainly there will be customers that never forgive the brand for what it’s done. But for those with an open mind, the Atlas could be just what Volkswagen needs to get it back on track post-scandal.
The Atlas is an MQB-based seven-seat SUV that’s over 5m long. You read that correctly: proof that the scalable matrix platform which also sits underneath a Golf has extreme levels of flexibility.
Volkswagen needs cars like this in the US, where the mid-large SUV market is booming, and the Atlas finally makes good on the concepts the company has shown over many recent years (namely CrossBlue, Detroit 2013). The production car loses little from the concept, certainly in terms of proportion, and the bluff, squared-off aesthetic with aggressive new lamp-and-grille integrated DRG remains.
On-board, there is genuine space for seven and rear seat and trunk space are impressive (hello again, MQB). There’s Volkswagen's new, all-capacitive screen, a nine-inch interface with both touch and gesture controls which works well, looks crisp, and along with the fully-digital TFT driver display, helps the interior to have a really high-technology feel, despite some plastic-looking wood trim.
Perhaps most impressive — as we’ve said of several recent Volkswagen products — is the pressing of the sheet metal on the exterior. It is delightfully crisp, sharp and well-resolved. Other mainstream brands would kill for the quality the VW Group’s five-process stamping is getting right now.
So despite the word we can’t mention, there's a lot of positive news from Volkswagen again, and the company deserves credit for the Atlas, which goes on sale in the New Year.


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Ex-Coca-Cola Engineer Charged with Stealing Trade Secrets for Chinese Company
In exchange, the US National was offered a job and also promised to help her win one of China's highest awards for research and innovation, the 'Thousand Talents' award.
Washington: A former senior engineer at Coca-Cola was indicted Thursday in Tennessee for stealing trade secrets worth an estimated $120 million to give to a Chinese company, the Justice Department announced.
US national You Xiaorong allegedly stole technology for valuable BPA-free packaging jointly owned by several companies, including a former "Atlanta-based" employer that was unnamed in the indictment.
A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola, whose headquarters is in Atlanta, declined to comment on the case but confirmed that You previously worked for the company. "Because this is a pending legal matter, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further," she said.
According to the indictment, You conspired with Chinese national Liu Xiangchen and an unnamed relative of Liu to steal formulations for food packing coatings that are free of the widely-used bisphenol-A chemical, which scientists have discovered in recent years is harmful to human health.
Alternatives to BPA are scarce and highly valuable in the food packing industry. Liu wanted the technology for his company, which was planning to develop production lines for BPA-free packing, according to the indictment.
In exchange, he offered You a job and also promised to help her win one of China's highest awards for research and innovation, the "Thousand Talents" award. The prestigious prize honors Chinese who return from study and work abroad bringing back with them technology that will advance China's economy.
US intelligence officials say the program also aims to encourage Chinese abroad to steal technology to bring to China.
You "is accused of an egregious, premeditated theft and transfer of trade secrets worth more than $100 million for the purpose of setting up a Chinese company that would compete with the American companies from which the trade secrets were stolen," said J. Douglas Overbey, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
"Unfortunately, China continues to use its national programs, like the 'Thousand Talents,' to solicit and reward the theft of our nation's trade secrets and intellectual property."
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Amazon may eventually have drones deliver everything from shoes to consumer electronics. The FAA has been working to integrate civilian drones into US airspace, but that could take awhile.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Sunday said his firm is working on ways to deliver small packages via drones. That’s right: Amazon “Prime Air” may eventually have thousands of robot flying machines buzzing through neighborhoods across America, dropping off everything from shoes to consumer electronics.
At least, that’s the vision Mr. Bezos outlined on “60 Minutes.”
“It will work, and it will happen, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” he told correspondent Charlie Rose.
Well, we would not wager against Amazon, given its relentless march toward US retail dominance. And it’s easy to see how the concept would work, in a technical sort of way: Small "octocopter" unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of carrying five pounds or so already exist.
The “fun,” however, may be in the eye of the beholder. In urban areas, swooping octocopters might seem a hazard, pigeons with gas-powered propellers. In rural areas, they might be targets for people bored of hunting deer.
“Amazon fine print: ‘Drone delivery unavailable outside urban areas during hunting season,’ ” RedState's Erick Erickson tweeted on Monday.


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KATHMANDU, Sept 25: Kapilvastu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is organizing 10th Kapilvastu Festival from December 4. The event, which will continue for two weeks, is being organized with objective of promoting agriculture and tourism as the mainstays of development of Kapilvastu district.
The event will incorporate all agricultural, tourism and industrial exhibitions, according to the organizers. The expo will have 350 commercial stalls and more than 50 exhibition stalls.
Agricultural products, industrial products as well as different tour packages in Kapilvastu will be presented in the event. According to the organizers, 8th Kapilvastu Dance Idol along with other entertainment programs will also be conducted on the sidelines of the festival.


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Choices give customers flexibility. With the right set of tires (for instance), a skid steer operator can maintain traction, efficiency, comfort and productivity in a market as niche as a dairy operation or disaster relief. Camoplast Solideal’s latest skid steer tire release — a broadening of its premium SKS range — is built around choices, performance and flexibility.
To kick-off 2015, the company unveiled its Solideal SKS 732 and SKS 775 series pneumatic tires, which will eventually replace some existing products, and the SKS 793S solid rubber tire that completes Solideal’s SKS solid tire line. SKS is the company’s nomenclature for skid steer.
“Each of these tires is packed with a bunch of high performance features and benefits and are designed to overcome specific issues,” says Mike Dembe, Camoplast Solideal’s construction segment market development manager for North America.
In addition to the company launching three tires at the same time, Camoplast Solideal started the 18 month development process by going right to the end-user to find out what they needed in a skid steer tire. The company conducted surveys and field research for the first couple of months and found the pain points with respect to skid steer tires and overall skid steer performance. This framed where the company was headed with its newest products.
“By reaching out to end users and customers alike, we were able to obtain robust operator data that helped guide our development process,” Dembe says. “It really helped frame the development right from inception through to launch.”
By doing so, the company was able to design and launch the three tires in one fell swoop and from a dealer’s perspective, provides a more sellable tire that users want and need in an already crowded compact construction equipment and skid steer tire marketplace. Dembe says the company plans to use a similar process for future tire development. “Bringing the right product for the right application, based on real needs is what we want to offer the market,” Dembe says, referring to Camoplast Solideal’s commitment to the construction tire and track industry.
New Kids on the Block
Paying attention to product lifecycle management, the Solideal SKS 732 will eventually replace the Hauler SKS, which Dembe says was getting a bit “long in the tooth” at more than 15 years old. The SKS 732 continues the tradition of leadership in setting the industry standard for long life and traction in soft soils and off-road service.
The Solideal SKS 775 will replace the Hauler XD44, which has been around in some markets for more than 10 years. The SKS 775 is a severe-duty pneumatic tire designed for mixed and hard surfaces such as packed gravel and paved yards. It features a three-part tread design replacing the XD44’s two-part design.
These pneumatic tires both feature a unique reverse sidewall profile called Impact Guard to help deflect debris away from the tire and serves to improve side impact resistance. Increased tread depth and the use of a premium long-wearing rubber compound further enhance durability providing for a lower operating cost solution.
Impact Guard sidewalls, Dembe says, positions the thickest part of the sidewall closer to the wheel where it is more effective and needed most. This helps decrease the likelihood of punctures by deflecting debris away from the tire. He described the design as a wedge-shaped sidewall.
“We feel that Impact Guard is absolutely a design innovation that is unique in this field,” Dembe says.
The Solideal SKS 793S a non-directional traction addition to Solideal’s line falling in between its SolidAir SKS, off-road pattern, and its SolidAir SM, smoothoption. The flat-proof solid rubber tire was developed to enhance tire performance, durability and ride comfort on mixed and hard surfaces.
It features a new versatile tread pattern and an improved aperture design that enhances ride quality without compromising the tire’s strength.
The company is in the process of building its inventory and representatives will be available at The Rental Show in New Orleans Feb. 22-25, booth # 6547.
Mike Kezdi is a contributing editor to Compact Equipment, based in Brecksville, Ohio.


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90 million PSN accounts worldwide - Sony
Sony has confirmed that there are over 90 million PlayStation Network accounts worldwide.
http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideo...mb_wide300.jpgThat figures came from the manager of SCEA Developer Relations Ted Regulski, speaking at GDC in San Francisco this week.That huge sum accounts for all PSN accounts created across PS3, PSP and more recently, Vita, but didn't break down the number by platform or region. Nor did he say how many of those are actually active accounts (Many PSN users have multiple accounts registered to different regions for overseas PS Store access).
Speaking on what PSN offers developers, Regulski went on to boast that Sony is "the only major console publisher to allow self-publishing".
"There are others but they have publishing rules that aren't much fun ... and there are no weird limits you have to hit in order for us to pay you," he added.
He also stated that PSN offers devs better royalty rates than Nintendo and Microsoft, but refrained from disclosing figures.


text: \u201cNew Zealand is making good progress to improve its cybersecurity, but with a rapidly evolving cyber threat, there is no room for complacency,\u201d says Communications Minister Simon Bridges.\u201cWe need to use technology in a secure way if we are to make the most of the opportunities provided by the digital economy,\u201d says Bridges as he releases the first report on the implementation of the New Zealand\u2019s Cyber Security Strategy and Action Plan \u201cThe government and the private sector must work together to drive improved cybersecurity across the economy,\u201d says Bridges, in a statement.The plan sets out progress under the four goals of the strategy: achieving cyber resilience; building cyber capability; addressing cybercrime; and enhancing international cooperation.Bridges says areas of focus this year include supporting the development of New Zealand\u2019s cybersecurity industry; work on the Cybercrime Plan; helping small businesses to protect themselves online; and the launch of a national CERT.No captionCERT NZ will open its doors next month as the central place for New Zealanders, businesses and government agencies to report cyber incidentsCommunications Minister Simon Bridges\u201cCERT NZ will open its doors next month as the central place for New Zealanders, businesses and government agencies to report cyber incidents,\u201d says Bridges.It will be the international point of contact for cyber security matters, working closely with CERTs in other countries to prevent and respond to cyber security incidents, he states.Meanwhile, further trans-Tasman cyber exercises are scheduled in the second half of 2017. The cyber exercise programme is working towards a major exercise in December 2017 as part of the National Exercise Programme within the national security system.New Zealand held a cyber exercise in September 2016 relating to a simulated cyber incident affecting the New Zealand banking sector.Outcomes of the exercise have been incorporated into the review of the Cyber Security Emergency Response Plan. In a statement, Graeme Muller says the NZTech supports the government\u2019s continued focus on the New Zealand cybersecurity strategy and action plan as rogue cyber attacks continue to plague nations and businesses worldwide. The NZTech CEO says New Zealand is not exempt to major security risks which could impinge on the economy and livelihood as a nation.No captionMuller says New Zealand needs to understand the multi-dimensional nature of cyber threats and key issues that government and private sector face.\u201cThe tech sector is working closely with the government on ensuring the cyber strategy is implemented as fast as possible. NZTech members are working across all of the elements of the action plan,\u201d says Muller.No captionFollow CIO New Zealand on Twitter:@cio_nzSign up for CIO newsletters for regular updates on CIO news, views and events.Join us on Facebook.


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Internet-based pharmacies functioning out of Canada have gained much company in the last several years. The ease of access and competitive pricing have attracted several customers from the United Claims to Canadian online pharmacies. At the time of 2005, of the more than 7000 pharmacies based in Europe, nearly 270 were said to be operating both absolutely from the Net or were using a mix of old-fashioned and distance dispensing strategies – including net-based retail.
Many of these firms work from Western Canada and the uses almost 7000 people. While the statistics might not look frustrating, the amount of clients catered to by these on line medicine shops is very significant. Of the sum total income of pharmaceutical products and services, mail get medications alone raked in well over $1 million in income in 2004. The web web sites serve an projected 2 million patients in the US including seniors and those without the insurance.
Nevertheless, it hasn’t been a smooth sail for the Canadian online drugstore industry. It’d to protect itself from the prices hurled from many Canadian Online Pharmacy. Fears have already been raised that Canadian health practitioners were spinning solutions given by US physicians. The Canadian Online Drugstore market has incredibly rejected most of the allegations. Relating to them, Canadian physicians often review the prescription written by their US counterparts and perform a double check on the patient’s medical background. In case of concerns, the Canadian physicians also return back once again to the patient’s original physician situated in the US.
The Federal Drug Administration has traced many businesses offering medications online. They certainly were selling drugs to customers in the US by claiming that this kind of behave did not break any Federal legislation and ergo were totally legal.
Based on a study, it had been unearthed that a few of the Canadian online pharmacy stores were actually situated in the US. We were holding functioning illegally and were providing medications underneath the guise of being Europe centered on the web stores. Some US centered pharmacies were also getting medications from Canadian firms and selling them in US.
Further, the shipping and managing of the drugs also have increased safety problems as some physicians in the US believe heat painful and sensitive medications were being imported without providing due focus on appearance detail. This could have serious implications for the safety and efficiency of the drug being imported. Generation problems have been raised in the US as some of these drugs may have been manufactured in bulk and a compromise on quality issues cannot be completely ruled out.
Now sounds are increasing in Canada it self to control the internet drugstore business. That country has become preparing to change the Canadian Food and Drug Act. There is a proposal to bring in an amendment that requires Canadian physicians to examine the patient actually before supplying prescriptions. This might also imply that Canadian physicians can’t rewrite medications written by their US counterparts. That shift has been criticized by the web pharmacy business in Canada. The oft-quoted reason being the increased loss of jobs which could occur in aftermath with this amendment. A can be up in hands against being represented as practitioners of illegal and unprofessional business practices. Canada can also be planning to break down on pharmacies operating minus the necessity Establishment License. Below Canadian laws, this kind of certificate is needed for any professional organization involved with fabrication, packaging, transfer, supply, majority purchase and testing of drugs here. That law allows the federal government to trace the entire string of sale of the drug from the maker to the consumer in case there is an adverse aftereffect of a drug. Additionally, it helps faster research and framing of charges.
Weird as it might appear, though there’s some distrust among the general US population for these drugstore items, the number of on line consumers for medications is raising every quarter. A has experienced healthy development rates in the past and unless Canada goes ahead and regulates it, that development is estimated to carry on at least for the direct future. US customers also appear to keep yourself updated of the fact that in case of adverse effects, there’s number legitimate option available because it will be impossible to locate owner of the drug. Customers be seemingly lapping up these drugs irrespective of the general emotion that there might be protection and other conditions in purchasing them online.


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Every Ascent for 2023 includes new steering responsive LED headlights and high beam assist. Depending on trim level, the Ascent has enough space for seven or eight passengers and a whopping 19 drinks.
No pricing was announced in Subaru’s press release, though we doubt it will change much from last year. The base Ascent currently starts at $32,795, with the top Touring trim costing $45,945. The 2023 Ascent will arrive at dealers this fall, all sporting the same 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer-four engine mated to a CVT driving Symmetrical all-wheel-drive. This engine produces 260 horsepower, yielding a 5,000-pound towing capacity.
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Reliance Jio is now offering unlimited calls and data benefits to all Jio Phone users. The company now introduced a new unlimited plan which offers 2 years unlimited calls and data benefit.
Jio’s 2-Year Plan with Unlimited Calls and Data
Jio introduced two new plans for new Jio Phone users, and the first one costs Rs. 1999/- and the second costs Rs. 1499/-
Jio Phone Plan For Rs. 1999/-
In this Plan, new Jio phone users will get unlimited calls for 2 years and 2GB of high-speed data every month. Data benefit will be available for the whole 2 years.
Jio Phone’s Plan 1499/-
Plan 1499 offers the same unlimited calls for the whole 2 years and 2GB data per year. In this Plan, the user will get 4GB of data for the entire 2 years.
Since both plans offer unlimited data benefits, after exhausting the high-speed data, users will be able to browse the internet with reduced speed.
New Unlimited Plan For existing Jio Phone Users
Existing Jio Phone users will enjoy the unlimited benefits using a new plan that costs Rs. 749. With this plan, users will get unlimited calls for 1 year along with 2GB of high-speed data per month.
All these plans will come into effect on March 1st, 2021. Users can activate these offers after March 1st.


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As if Mariah Carey has not already made a killing every holiday season for the last 25 years with her irresistibly catchy tune, “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, the songstress is now gearing up to release a documentary about the pop carol. The short film will delve into the Randy Jackson produced track’s impact on pop culture over the last two decades. As of 2017, the song was reported to have earned $60 million in royalties, selling over 16 million copies worldwide.
Amazon released the trailer for the mini documentary, Mariah Carey Is Christmas! The short film will dive into the history of the smash holiday classic released in 1994. This year, it appeared on the Rolling Stone Charts as early as November 1st, coming in at Number 62 on the list of Top 100 Songs. The doc will feature interviews from Carey herself alongside her long time backup singer, Trey Lorenz. In a trailer released on Wednesday for the film, Carey gloated over her upbeat Chrstmas anthem, “It was an accomplishment for me that I was really proud of.”
While an official release date has not been announced, the documentary is expected to premiere on Amazon Music later this month. Catch the charming trailer below.


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Kraken failed to explain margin trading products to its local customers who went on to lose $13 million, the corporate regulator has alleged in an escalation of its push against cryptocurrency exchanges.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission, in Federal Court filings, alleges that Bit Trade, which provides Kraken to Australian users, failed to give consumers the appropriate information about the risk of the product they were selling, and whether they would be suitable for it.
Bit Trade’s margin trading product, which has been available since the start of 2020, is a credit facility, ASIC alleges, as it offers customers credit for use in the sale and purchase of certain crypto assets on the Kraken exchange.
Bit Trade described this to prospective customers as “margin extension”, where users can receive an extension of credit of up to five times the value of the assets they use as collateral.
However, ASIC says Bit Trade failed to make a target market determination – a document that explains to investors who the suitable customers are – or explain what the risks of investing are likely to be. Failing to produce one is a breach of investment product design and distribution obligations, which were introduced in October 2021.
The regulator says that since the obligations came into force at least 1160 Australian customers have used the Kraken margin trading product, incurring a total loss of approximately $12.95 million.
ASIC deputy chairwoman Sarah Court said the proceedings should send a message to the industry that products will continue to be scrutinised. “ASIC’s action should be a reminder of the importance to comply with the design and distribution obligations so that financial products are distributed to consumers appropriately,” Ms Court said.
Cryptocurrency exchanges including Kraken, BTC Markets, Swyftx and Coinbase are still waiting for the government to introduce regulation to govern the sector. A number of exchanges collapsed last year, most notably Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX.
Jonathon Miller, Kraken’s local managing director, told The Australian Financial Review he believed his company was in compliance with its obligations, and that ASIC’s action had been unexpected.
“We have been attempting to constructively engage with ASIC on this matter for some time to ensure our product offering, as an AUSTRAC registered Digital Currency Exchange, remains compliant,” he said. “We are both surprised and disappointed to have received today’s enforcement action. We believe this product is offered in compliance with Australian law, and will continue our efforts to receive clarity on this matter.”
ASIC said it had notified Bit Trade of its concerns regarding the failure to comply with the design and distribution obligations in June last year, but that the company had continued to offer the product to Australian customers without a target market determination.
The regulator’s proceedings against Kraken follow a separate lawsuit against Block Earner late last year, which ASIC alleges offered unlicensed financial products to retail investors.
It has also sued Gold Coast-based BPS Financial over a crypto product known as Qoin last October, alleging unlicensed conduct and the misleading promotion of crypto assets, and also took action against funds operated by Holon Investments Australia, which involved interim stop orders being issued to prevent Holon offering or distributing three crypto funds to retail investors.
Kraken has faced legal problems elsewhere already this year, when it was forced to end its crypto staking-as-a-service platform for US customers, which were deemed to be unregistered securities. It had to pay $US30 million ($46.5 million) to settle Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charges related to the matter.
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In a post on its website, Sony has announced that it will stop shipping its Beta videocassette format in March 2016.
The Betamax videocassette format came to the market in 1975, as the first consumer home video device, but within a couple years it was battling another video format, JVC’s VHS, for market dominance. VHS eventually won the “video format wars”, and the failure of Betamax, which provided better sound and image quality, has long been a case study in the vagaries of product development strategy.
JVC was also quick to open the VHS standard up to other technology companies, whereas Sony kept the Betamax license proprietary. Sony’s Beta format originally allowed only an hour of NTSC recording, whereas VHS’s slower playing time allowed for more content, including feature films. The longer playing time allowed VHS to become the platform for the video rental boom of the 1980’s and 90’s.
Sony plans to halt manufacture of the EL-500B, 2L-500MHGB and 2L-750MHGB videocassettes and the L-25CLP cleaning tape for Beta machines, as well as the MGR60 Micro MV cassette and the MGRCLD cleaning tape for Micro MV. Sony discontinued Betamax VCR hardware in 2002.
Sony suggested in its announcement that the termination plans for Beta could be mitigated by an expression of customer demand.


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Nvidia is set to release the newest graphics cards in the UK and the rest of the world this month.
And plenty of gamers - and unfortunately scalpers - will be preparing themselves to buy a card tomorrow.
However, for a eye-watering RRP of more than £1000, some people might be wanting to avoid the card but if you have been sitting with a PC with no graphics card, this might be the best chance to get a card.
In the UK, there will be a number of places you will be able to get a card from and some sites have even informed customers of their plans of how to buy one.
Here's everything we know so far about stock and what retailers have said:
One big blow for customers who already have bought a 30 series card from Scan will not be able to buy another.
According to a spokesperson on Twitter, they will ensure that those waiting for a card will get one first.
It has said that it "does not have the information" as to whether or not it will be selling Founder's Edition cards but we expect it will do after previously selling other Founder's Edition card.
Scan hasn't yet released the pricing for the card but will likely update when it drops cards tomorrow.
Overclockers will likely be supplying cards on the day of launch.
Andrew Gibson, purchasing manager at Overclockers, has issued a small update on their forums about prices. He said: "We don't have finalised costings yet.
"MSRP's are announced but currently our landed cost are above the MSRP's even on the cheapest AIB cards, as such we are now having ongoing discussions with AIB's on what the plan is to make some cards potentially available at MSRP. Once we pass that hurdle we will then look at how much stock we can expect to get, numbers are pretty limited at present but as its mega early days we can't really predict on how good or bad supply will be in coming weeks."
"The whole company is looking at possible solutions but until we have proper volumes in our warehouse there is nothing much we can do right now or this week or even next week it will take time to get the fuller picture on how supply will be and which way the prices will go as the AIB's just kept increasing 3080 prices almost weekly."
"We are hoping the 3080Ti will have more stable pricing and much better supply but lets see".
CCL has been quiet about the new graphics card despite putting listings on its website.
We'll update you here when we know more.
Aria PC has been pretty silent about dropping the cards so far on social media and on its website.
We'll keep you updated when they say more.
EVGA is expected to be releasing the cards directly on its website but no official time has been released.
It has announced on Twitter that Elite members will have the exclusive option to sign in for the queue within the first 24 hours after launch.
It also said it is restricting the option to order at our website, so hopefully bots will not be able to get any cards.
Ebuyer has been silent about launching the cards and any information on drops.
We'll update you when we know more.


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The Business: Thursday July 10 2014
Company news, markets and financial talking points, available from 8am Monday to Friday
David Beckham is among the big names who will soon receive letters demanding payment of disputed tax bills, says the BBC. Around 33,000 people who invested in tax avoidance schemes will be affected when the new finance bill, which will become law in the next few weeks, hands HMRC new powers to make them pay upfront. Among them are Beckham and business figures such as Centrica chief Sam Laidlaw and former London Stock Exchange boss Clara Furse.
Shale gas produced in the UK could provide more than a third of the nation's gas supplies within 20 years, says a National Grid report cited in the Daily Telegraph. Drilling for the natural gas is still in a phase of exploration and testing, but shale gas could meet 41% of the UK's total gas needs by 2035. Another scenario outlined in the report is that a failure to invest in UK gas production could see our dependency on imports rise to 91% in the same time frame.
Former Sainsbury's boss Justin King says the company is against moves to relax Sunday trading rules in England and Wales. Larger stores are currently limited to a maximum of six hours of trading on a Sunday, but parliament is due to consider relaxing those laws in the autumn. Speaking to the BBC business editor on his last day as chief executive about the proposed reform, King said "we are not supportive of it".
Primark has bought a shopping centre in Birmingham, opening the way for a four-floor store that is set to match its largest outlet in Manchester. The discount retailer wants to fashion a 1,393 sq m (150,000 sq ft) store in the Pavilions shopping centre alongside other retailers, who will rent their outlets from Primark. The chain’s move comes amid something of a retail renaissance in the city, with a new shopping centre anchored by John Lewis expected to be completed next year.
“My fear is that publishers will go out of business . . . Believe me, every other publisher is looking on in horror.” Literary agent Ed Victor on the battle between Amazon and parts of the publishing industry.
A mistake by tax inspectors will cost the public millions of pounds, says The Times. Investors in the aggressive tax avoidance scheme Liberty, including Sir Michael Caine and some members of the band Arctic Monkeys, have been exposed by the newspaper this week. But HMRC inspectors failed to challenge the tax returns of at least 26 Liberty investors within the time limit required by law, leaving the investors free to hold on to millions of pounds of disputed tax relief come what may.
FTSE-100: down -0.30 to 6781.04
Dow Jones: up +0.47 to 16985.61
Dax: down up +0.36 to 9808.20
Cac-40: up +0.40 to 4359.84
Nikkei: down -0.16 to 15277.98
Hang Seng: up +0.38 to 23264.45
US dollar: buys €0.73290 and £0.58290
Sterling: buys $1.71560 and €1.25740
Oil: $108.23 down -0.7


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2013 was a bumper year for car sales in the USA. The bigger winners were the SUV cars and city cars.
The Ford Fiesta got a boost with the redeveloped ST, the Ford Focus continues to be a top seller, its been hugely popular since 2009.
In 2014 you will see the first release of the Mustang in Europe. Wondering if buyers will be excited? We wonder that too!
Ford is coming out with the solar powered pro-type the C-max car solar Energi.
In 2013 the Ford Fiesta and the Focus ranked 1 and 2 for new car registration so it was a good 2013 year for Ford. 4.56% of the cars that had were financed because of poor or bad credit in Dallas were Fords and they will continue the new development in 2014.
Volkswagen had a great 2013 with having placed in the top 10 sellers since 1999, the VW Golf was named the World car of the year in 2013.
The most fuel efficient car and aerodynamic car in the world, VW XL1 will launch soon offering 313 MPG that is some great gas mileage. Also VW gave the green light to the Taigun so watch out for the compact SUV in 2016.
The car giant maintained the largest share of the European market with their combined brands Audi, Skoda, Seat and VW.
The Audi A3 was car loans 4U’s most financed Vehicle of 2013. On a side note Nissan has been a surprise winner in recent years thanks to the new generation of crossover vehicles.


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The faintly flickering PlayStation 2 flame has finally been snuffed out by Sony in Japan. The console hasn't been in production for several years but an aftercare service for the beloved old console stayed alive, at the wonderfully evocative-sounding PlayStation Clinic. But no longer.
A press release (via Kotaku) announced the impending end of the aftercare service. The deadline for filling out online forms for repairs was 31st August, and the deadline for machines reaching the PlayStation Clinic is 7th September. Any consoles sent after that date will not be serviced.
Anyone whose PS2 console packs up in the future, then, will be on their own, although I'm sure there are specialists out there who can help.
The PlayStation 2 is the world's most successful console, having sold more than a staggering 150 million units worldwide. It was a rollercoaster of success Ellie Gibson, the former Eurogamer writer-turned-comedian, watched first-hand, having enrolled as a copywriter at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe mere days before the PS2 launched. Ellie's insider's story of the PS2 era is a long and eye-opening account of what happened next.


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The Australian government cut spending on air travel last year but still dished out nearly $200 million on flights in six months.
New figures released on Monday show the amount spent by federal government agencies on travel dropped more than 20 per cent - or $54 million - in the six months to the end of last year.
Compared to the same period in 2011, the volume of air travel by public servants was down, the Whole of Australian Government Air Travel Arrangements 2012-13 Half Year Results show.
But around $193 million - more than $1 million per day - was still spent on flights by the Australian government in the first half of the 2012/13 financial year.
Savings were made by domestic travel being booked further in advance, and by choosing lower fares online instead of going through a travel agent.
The drop in air travel overall also showed agencies were using methods like teleconferencing instead of meeting face to face for government business.
Finance Minister Penny Wong said by requiring agency heads to prioritise spending, the federal government had saved more than $13 billion in public sector savings since coming to office.
Cuts to travel, hospitality and IT costs had saved billions, Senator Wong said in a statement.
She also said Labor had "drastically reduced" spending on government advertising, which cost $250 million in 2007, the last year of the Howard government.
© AAP 2019


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Facebook has perhaps the best business model of all time, Jim Cramer said.
"When you have an amazing product that is beloved and in demand worldwide and it costs very little to produce and has no serious competition. That's Facebook," the "Mad Money" host said.
Thus, Cramer was shocked when investors sold the stock of Facebook on Thursday. He considers the social network to be a very rare company with incredible prospects, with a fairly low stock valuation compared to most other stocks.
"There aren't many of those and as it goes down over the next couple of days, which has been the pattern, I think you would be nuts to pass it up," Cramer said.
What makes Facebook unique is that the users cover the cost of the quality content. Typically, content can cost a significant amount of money to develop. In this case, Facebook simply distributes it and makes money from it.
In fact, the more content the users create, the more the advertisers want it. The biggest issue Facebook faces, according to Cramer, is if they have enough salespeople to handle the business.
In its fourth quarter, Facebook had advertising revenue of $8.63 billion, up 53 percent from what Wall Street predicted. It also had 64 percent increase in gross margins, meaning, how much it made after the cost of goods sold.
Advertises love it because of the engagement, with 1.23 billion daily active users—including 400 million daily active users on its photo sharing service, Instagram.
Based on Facebook's earnings of $1.41 per share versus the $1.31 that Wall Street was looking for, Cramer extrapolated that the company could earn $6 this year, and possibly $7 in 2018. With revenue growing at 53 percent, and the stock selling at just 19 times next year's earnings, even with a low price to earnings multiple of just half its growth rate means the stock would be worth $175.
The stock closed at $130 on Thursday.
Cramer suspects that investors refuse to pay up for it because they don't think the business model is sustainable based on ad spending. They also worry that Facebook raised its forecast on how much it will spend, and that the company is "some hippy-dippy outfit run by dreamers."
Apple was once viewed as a one-product company, and therefore assumed to be worth less than what it sells for now. It turns out there was a lot more revenue away from the device, and Cramer expects the same from Facebook.
Cramer also wasn't worried about Facebook's spending, because it's simply spending to meet demand, which is a high-quality problem. Additionally, Facebook management is always the smartest in the room. They know where the company is headed, and they are ready to execute.
"So, feel free to sell one of the cheapest stocks in the market, as so many people did today. Go dump one of the greatest stories of all time. I don't give a darn," Cramer said.
Cramer's charitable trust owns the stock, and it has no intention of selling any time soon.


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The bad news is that drugmakers didn't increase their spending on marketing last year. The good news is that companies didn't cut that spending, either. According to a report from Cegedim Strategic Data, pharma companies spent just under $85 billion on their sales forces and various marketing channels in 2013, about equal to 2012 spending levels.
But more bad news: That overall spending tab disguises some declines at the world's biggest drugmakers. The top 10 multinational drugmakers all cut their investments in marketing last year.
The reasons for those cuts are well known by now: Patent-cliff losses are forcing cost cuts as drugmakers fight to maintain their profit margins. An industry shift toward specialty drugs means huge primary-care sales forces are no longer needed.
Rules and enforcement are also affecting pharma marketing, Cegedim's Christopher Wooden said in a statement. "[R]egulatory scrutiny and clearer compliance guidelines are putting pressure on the use of traditional, personal promotional channels," Wooden said. Translation: The tried-and-true doc-detailing approach is withering.
The upshot of all this? "[F]ewer reps are needed," Wooden said. Indeed, Cegedim said last month that the pharma sales force in North America slid by 7.4% last year, and fell about the same amount in Europe, to 66,000 and 72,000, respectively.
Overall marketing shifts varied widely country-by-country. Pharma has been zeroing in on emerging markets, ramping up spending and recruiting thousands of reps there as the industry consolidates and cuts costs in mature markets. So, pharma's big hopes boosted marketing spending in the the usual suspects--China by 9%, Brazil by 11%, and Russia by 16%--but also in second-tier emerging markets like Mexico, where spending grew by 9%.
Offsetting all those increases were big cuts in some mature countries. Marketing investments in the U.K. slid by 13%, for instance. And in the U.S., where pharma's biggest marketing budgets live, spending took a 4% hit.
We'll leave you with a bright spot: Digital. E-detailing, emails, and e-meetings grew; together, spending on these channels jumped by 14% year-over-year to $1.9 billion. Even more impressive, in absolute terms, were the gains in spending on pharma websites, social media, banner advertising and mobile apps. Drugmakers plowed nearly $2.5 billion into these avenues, an increase of about 6%.
As Wooden suggests, the rise of digital may help offset the decline in face-to-face physician promos. "In absolute terms, digital marketing investment is still a relatively small portion of the mix," Wooden said. "However, we expect the use of these channels will only continue to advance as marketers seek to maintain reach through ease of access while delivering a high level of information quality to HCPs."
- see the release from Cegedim
Special Reports: Top 10 pharma companies in social media | Top 10 drugmakers in emerging markets


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Title: Five Signs That Cryptocurrencies Will RiseIntroduction:
Cryptocurrencies have gained significant attention and popularity in recent years. With the rise of Bitcoin and the emergence of various altcoins, the world of digital currencies has sparked the interest of investors, tech enthusiasts, and the general public alike. While cryptocurrency markets can be highly volatile and unpredictable, there are several signs indicating a potential upward trajectory for these digital assets. In this article, we will explore five key signs that suggest cryptocurrencies will continue to rise in the future.Increasing Institutional Adoption:
One of the most notable signs pointing towards the rise of cryptocurrencies is the increasing institutional adoption. Major financial institutions, including banks, asset management firms, and payment companies, are recognizing the potential of cryptocurrencies and integrating them into their operations. Notable examples include Tesla’s investment in Bitcoin and PayPal’s support for cryptocurrency transactions. The involvement of established institutions not only lends credibility to the digital asset class but also paves the way for further mainstream acceptance.Growing Global Acceptance:
Cryptocurrencies are gaining global acceptance at an accelerating pace. Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are gradually acknowledging the significance of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Countries like Switzerland, Malta, and Singapore have implemented favorable regulations to attract crypto-related businesses, fostering innovation and investment. Furthermore, El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. The growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies by governments and businesses indicates a positive outlook for their future growth.Tech Giants and Blockchain Integration:
Major tech giants are increasingly exploring blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. Companies such as Facebook, Amazon, and Google are investing resources into blockchain research and development. Facebook’s Diem (formerly Libra) project aims to create a stablecoin that facilitates global transactions, while Amazon is rumored to be considering accepting Bitcoin as a payment method. These developments indicate that the world’s tech leaders see the potential of cryptocurrencies and are actively seeking ways to incorporate them into their platforms.Limited Supply and Inflation Hedge:
Many cryptocurrencies have limited supply mechanisms built into their protocols. For instance, Bitcoin has a maximum supply of 21 million coins. As demand for cryptocurrencies increases, the limited supply feature can contribute to rising prices. Additionally, cryptocurrencies are increasingly seen as a potential hedge against inflation. Traditional fiat currencies are subject to government policies and economic fluctuations, which can erode their value over time. Cryptocurrencies, with their decentralized nature and fixed supplies, are viewed by some as a store of value and a safeguard against inflation.Innovative Use Cases and Decentralized Finance:
Cryptocurrencies are not just digital assets; they also serve as the foundation for innovative use cases. Decentralized finance (DeFi) applications built on blockchain networks enable various financial activities without the need for intermediaries. DeFi platforms offer lending, borrowing, and yield farming opportunities, providing users with greater control over their financial assets. Furthermore, the rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has demonstrated the potential for cryptocurrencies to revolutionize digital ownership and creative industries. These emerging use cases showcase the versatility and utility of cryptocurrencies, driving further adoption and growth.Conclusion:
While cryptocurrencies can be subject to market volatility and risks, there are several signs that suggest a positive outlook for their future. Increasing institutional adoption, growing global acceptance, tech giants’ integration of blockchain, limited supply mechanisms, and innovative use cases all contribute to the potential rise of cryptocurrencies. As the world continues to embrace digital transformation, cryptocurrencies are likely to play an increasingly significant role in the global financial landscape. Investors and enthusiasts should stay informed, exercise caution, and seize the opportunities presented by this evolving ecosystem.