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Find out when the ribbon will be cut, and the doors open to Maclean's long-awaited IGA store
26th Sept. 2019 1:09 PM
After six years, a start for multimillion dollar development
17th July 2018 1:07 PM
News the Federal Government is threatening to crack down on IGA supply chain hasn't put off planners of the Maclean project...
07th July 2018 12:07 AM
Despite a long wait, and several plans, Ritchies will start the build of new supermarket
07th June 2018 11:06 PM


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Back in September, all facts pointed toward Apple’s new initiative to take back the music industry being a major flop. With the confusing departure of Ian Rogers and high expectations for Apple in general, it pushed one anyoption writer to wonder whether Apple Music had a chance.
Numbers don’t lie
In late October, Apple chief executive Tim Cook announced some numbers on Apple Music: the subscription service has 15 million users at the moment, with 6.5 million of them paying users (the others are still in the 3-month trial).
With the company typically keeping things like this close to the vest, it makes you wonder why they decided to make this announcement. It may be that high expectations make people nervous when they’re not getting hard facts. Or it could just be that Cook wanted to put investors at ease. Either way, the numbers were impressive and here’s why:
- It took Spotify around two years before it reached 10 million users, 2.5 million of which were paid subscribers. Conversely, it took Apple Music just four months to reach 15 million users and 6.5 paying subscribers.
- Spotify currently has more than 75 million active users and 20 million paying subscribers, meaning Apple already has a third as many paying users.
Okay, okay. In a vacuum, all those numbers are great. But while numbers don’t lie, they also don’t tell the whole story.
The rest of the story
Before we start claiming Apple Music as a success, there are some things to take into consideration.
First of all, unlike Spotify, Apple Music doesn’t have a free option. While it’s impossible to say how long it takes for a Spotify user to start paying for the service, the fact that the streaming service does offer a free version makes it much more appealing to users than Apple Music, which gives you nothing after the three-month trial.
Another thing to consider is that Apple Music is a laggard, not the trailblazer. If you determine its success based on the early success of a service that started seven years ago, you’re not getting an “apples to apples” comparison. After all, considering the first generation iPhone’s sales, several lesser smartphones have performed better.
The last thing to think about is Apple’s sheer reach. Spotify didn’t have that option when it first started its service and, frankly, it still doesn’t. With that in mind, it’s really difficult to say whether or not Apple Music is a good move.
It’s still too early
In my opinion, we’re still months, maybe years, away from knowing whether or not Apple Music is a flop. After all, it’s only been around for a few months. Competitors Spotify and Pandora are certainly looking to respond with improved service and they better, because Apple’s existing user base and the seamless integration it has in the Apple iOS doesn’t help their case. Also consider that Apple recently launched an Apple Music app for Android, making it only the third app Apple has created for the rival operating system.
In other words, no one’s dead yet. Things are just starting to heat up.
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“This is exciting news for our company and cause for celebration,” said Michael Rainwater, general manager of Murphy-Brown of Missouri. “We are solidifying our position as a provider in Smithfield Foods' integrated supply chain, thereby providing increased career opportunities while continuing to be an economic engine in north Missouri. We are providing excellent jobs and strong futures for those of us who love to live and work in this rural setting.”
The company said adopting the Murphy-Brown label will better communicate the nature of Premium Standard's business and its role in the larger Smithfield Foods organization. Additionally, the change will present a more unified message for how the company is supporting Smithfield Foods' brands, creating value for investors, employees and other stakeholders, according to the company.


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The former top manager of the OpenSea trading platform will stand trial on charges of insider trading in crypto-assets. He faces up to 40 years in prison on the charges.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York has charged Nathaniel Chastain, a former top executive at trading platform NFT OpenSea, with wire fraud and money laundering stemming from an insider trading scheme he implemented with non-exchangeable tokens.
According to US District Attorney Damian Williams, Chastain manipulated market offers by using confidential information about when and which NFTs would be placed on the platform. Williams said:
“NFTs may be new, but this type of criminal scheme is not. We allege that Nathaniel Chastain betrayed OpenSea by using her confidential business information to make money for herself. The indictment demonstrates our commitment to eradicating insider trading, whether it occurs in the stock market or on blockchain.”
The first allegations against Chastain were made back in September 2021. At that time, several OpenSea collectors conducted their own investigation into the movement of NFT-related funds and raised the suspicion that Chastain was buying up potentially lucrative tokens before they were publicly presented on the site.


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It is no secret that US ban forced Huawei to develop its own operating system to run on their smartphones. Since Google has pulled its Android license from Huawei, we went through various other news of cutting-off deals with Huawei. Although, it seems the company was already working on its own operating system internally as a Plan B if anything goes wrong with the Android license, just like right now.
Huawei’s new operating system might be called “ArkOS”. The name is not yet confirmed though. But, it has appeared at German Patent and Trademark Office website. And now, it’s good to see that some screenshots of upcoming Huawei ArkOS have been surfaced online which help you take a glance. According to the reports, Huawei filed its new OS’ interface at the DPMA to protect the design. As a part of the evidence, in the patent application, the company also attached some screenshots which allegedly called ArkOS screenshots.
For the new operating system, it would be quite tough for Huawei to gain developer support. Although, we heard that the company is in talks with the Aptoid in order to fulfill app requirements. Now, the app store showed in screenshots can’t be confirmed what it is, but of course, it will allow users to download apps whatever are required. So, there will be Android app compatibility in new ArkOS.
It’s yet to be revealed when this operating system taking its place in Huawei/Honor devices. But, as of now, the company has 90-days temporary Android license to provide some crucial updates on their recent Huawei/Honor devices. So, it would be right to say that the company will launch it soon.
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America has a lot of problems, and one of them is the 35 BILLION water bottles we throw away every year.
My family used to buy plastic water bottles until we realized how much waste the four of us were making. Now we have refillable water bottles that we take to work and school, but a London-based company called Ooho! has an even better solution.
Introducing the edible water bubble! No plastic, no waste, just a mouthful of cool, fresh water.
The membrane is made from natural seaweed extract, but don’t worry — you won’t be able to taste it.
Nevertheless, a lot of people were skeptical when seeing them for the first time…
…once they tried it, though, they were hooked!
Sadly, they aren’t available to the masses yet. However, a crowdfunding campaign by Skipping Rocks Lab has already raised nearly double what they need to make these little babies a reality. Hopefully, we’ll all be kissing plastic water bottle waste goodbye and drinking water bubbles in the very near future!
As Skipping Rock Labs points out on their website, water isn’t the only product that could benefit from this type of packaging. Their idea statement reads, “Our packaging is cheaper than plastic and can encapsulate any beverage including water, soft drinks, spirits, and even cosmetics.”


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November 28, 2017
Learn how to become a Super Maker with RS Components, partner of Maker Faire Rome. By joining for free the DesignSpark community at RS Components booth, Pav.7, you will have the chance to get some inc...Become a Super Maker with DesignSpark
October 10, 2017
Maker Faire New York had a huge Future Food Zone: all the visitors could meet talented food makers and try innovative food developed by technological machines. And know we're looking forward to showin...Ready for #MFR17? Let’s see what happe...
September 19, 2017
Back to schools guys with a new kind of snack made from insects: it really worth a try! Are you hungry? Do you have a project to show at Maker Faire Rome - The European Edtion 4.0 (Dec.1-3, Fiera di R...Back to school! What will be the snack of the...
September 18, 2017
The European Maker Week is back! From Oct. 23 to 29 help promote the #maker movement across Europe: last year more than 500 events have benn organized. Now we can break the record! The European Maker Week is back: get on board...
August 31, 2017
Robotic doctor. Getting a check-up from a robot may sound like something from a sci-fi film, but scientists are closing and have already tested a prototype.The Robotic Doctor is up for action


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Mere is the latest supermarket chain to want to conquer Spain. The Russian supermarket is a real price fighter and – despite the fact the Spanish consumer has other ideas – will maintain its strategy in Spain.
It is highly likely the name Mere is still relatively unknown in Spain. Nevertheless, Mere’s general manager, Andrey Murzov, told Spanish news site Efe their goal is to open the first Mere supermarket in Spain as early as May. Murzov said he wants to focus mainly on the Spanish regions of Madrid, Murcia, Valencia, Catalonia and part of Andalucia.
Russian chain maintains its own retail model
Just like Aldi and Lidl, Mere wants to offer the best prices to its customers every day. It will do this by saving on operating costs such as rent, furnishing of buildings and staff. An example Murzov gives is of products offered to the customer directly on pallets and still in boxes. As the supplier places the products directly in the store, the supermarket requires fewer personnel.
Spanish consumers have different wishes and requirements
However, this strategy goes against the general Spanish consumers’ likes. According to Efe, industry sources’s research shows Spanish customers place great value on shopping in a pleasant and attractive environment. This is why many chains have invested in store refurbishment, to make them more attractive to the customer.
The biggest examples of this are Aldi and Lidl, who started with such a store model – narrow aisles and many products. However, they have changed their stores’ layout and produce, paying more attention to the presentation of their products and offering more fresh produce.
Russian supermarket has ambitious plans
The director of Mere says they are pursuing their own strategy. Mere has several contracts with suppliers in Spain already. For the time being, they will not offer an online service or its own private label.
By the end of 2021, Mere hopes to open between ten and fifteen stores in Spain. By 2025, there should be around one hundred Mere supermarkets across Spain. Within ten years, the chain hopes to be among the twenty largest retailers in the world. In 2017, Mere began to set foot outside of Russia with stores in Romania, Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine.


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Creating a new Image
Image Publications has doubled turnover by accepting change and seizing opportunities in new digital media, according to chief executive Clodagh Edwards
Bucking the trend in print media, Image Publications has doubled its turnover and staff count since 2010.
The company, which publishes glossy magazine Image, has seen an upturn since it started pursuing a multi-platform approach, looking to online, events and marketing to support its business.
It was the depths of the recession when Clodagh Edwards, now chief executive, joined as advertising director in 2010. Like most media organisations at the time, Image was “facing seriously challenging...
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Tom Maguire: Tax changes we make now could help business for years
The way we did business a few months ago may never return – so the opportunity is to make changes that will both aid recovery and set us up well for our new futures


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Attention Logic Studio users. Apple has released version 8.0.2 of Logic Pro. According to Apple, this update "...addresses specific customer and compatibility issues of Logic Pro 8.0. It includes Wavebuner 1.5.2 and Impulse Response Utility 1.0.2, which address issues for Waveburner 1.5 and Impulse Response Utility 1.0 respectively."
Version 8 of Logic Studio and Express became available in September of last year. If you think that rate of updates is slow, take heart. Apple recently re-affirmed their commitment to the pro applications, most notably Final Cut Server.
As usual, we ask you to report any issues you experience after installing this update.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!


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LAVA was co-founded by Vivek Ranadivé and Wen Miao. Technology pioneer Ranadivé, the founder and former CEO of software giant TIBCO Software, is widely credited with inventing real time computing, and has authored three New York Times best-selling books on the subject: “The Power of Now,” “The Two-Second Advantage” and “The Power to Predict.” Ranadivé’s technology transformed Wall Street trading floors and now powers the real time infrastructure for thousands of the world’s largest companies and government agencies. With the launch of LAVA, Ranadivé and Miao have introduced a brand new category of enterprise software: real time data activation. Miao, former SVP and General Manager of TIBCO, is a recognized technology leader and innovator in real time customer experience and engagement. Ranadivé will serve as chairman and Miao will serve as CEO. LAVA is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.
“In the same way that enterprises have customers, sports teams have fans,” said Ranadivé, who is also Chairman, CEO and Governor of the Sacramento Kings. “Fans are passionate...fans will support their team win or lose, and fans inspire new fans. With LAVA, world-class brands can now connect with their customers in the moment and turn every customer into a fan.”
LAVA has operated in stealth mode since its founding in 2016, and quietly built up an arsenal of customers that includes the most innovative brands in sports, live events, casino gaming, consumer packaged goods and retail. The company also announced today a partnership with industry giants STAPLES Center, Microsoft Theater, and L.A. LIVE. Additional customers include the Sacramento Kings, Detroit Lions, AEG Presents, Howard Hughes Corporation, The North Face, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), Pegula Sports and Entertainment (owner of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres), Las Vegas Aviators and Summerlin and Dignity Health Sports Park.
A New Era: Real Time Data Activation
Ranadivé and Miao founded LAVA to extend the real time computing paradigm, adding instant decision-making functionality, powered by Realtime AI™ , that will help businesses better connect with their customers. LAVA ultimately aims to usher in a new era of enterprise data and digital transformation: real time data activation.
“Two decades ago, we pioneered real time data integration and unlocked real time enterprise data for the very first time. In the past ten years, we have seen tremendous progress in the world of data analytics creating insights from this data. However, data and actionable insights do not act upon themselves,” said Ranadivé. “The future is about real time data activation — turning instant data into instant, intelligent action to make the biggest possible impact on your customers. Businesses will win and lose by their abilities to embrace real time data activation to engage their customers and improve their experiences in the moment.”
LAVA saw an opportunity in the exponential rise of internet-of-things (IOT) connected devices, which generate troves of real time data, and provide a channel for businesses to instantly engage with customers and deliver instant gratification.
“Connected devices produce incredible volumes of fast-moving data particles — small, fleeting pieces of data. These particles are everywhere and encapsulate profound customer insights, but its value expires quickly. Until now, there’s never been a way to intelligently act on this data in the moment of the customer’s experience,” said Miao. “LAVA is the first platform to instantly capture this data, make sense of it, and create actions that successfully surprise and delight customers — whether they’re in the retail store or shopping online; at a game or a music festival; or vacationing at a casino resort or a theme park. As a result, we are seeing significant interest from companies across all industries, all competing to provide superior customer experiences.”


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Next Call of Duty Will be Announced By the End of June, Says Activision
Activision revealed during a recent earnings call that the next Call of Duty game will be revealed sometime during this second quarter which ends on 30th June.
During the call Activisions COO Coddy Johnson stated that the team needs to do even more to maintain the breadth of its Call of Duty player base beyond the launch quarters. This then led to Johnson talking about what the team has in store for Call of Duty at the moment.
"The Call of Duty team is hard at work on that for this fall's big content release, excitement for which is incredibly high around the organisation. We expect that both the launch and the post launch will bring game-changing experiences to our fans."
As for the next Call of Duty, Johnson then confirmed that it will be officially announced sometime before the end of the second quarter. That means that fans can expect to see something happen between now and 30th June, whether this means an announcement will be made at E3 or during some other show is a little up in the air.
It's currently being speculated that the next Call of Duty will be Modern Warfare 4 and that it will also feature a traditional campaign unlike Black Ops 4, which was purely an online multiplayer game. Time will tell whether these rumours are indeed true.
Friday, May 03, 2019 @ 12:25 PM
Friday, May 03, 2019 @ 01:36 PM
Friday, May 03, 2019 @ 08:27 PM


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Signet Jewelers on Tuesday said it has an agreement to acquire off-mall rival Diamonds Direct for $490 million. The all-cash deal is expected to close in Q4 of fiscal 2022, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval, per a Signet press release.
Diamonds Direct's leadership team will remain, with company president Itay Berger reporting directly to Signet CEO Virginia Drosos, the company said.
Signet also raised its guidance for the third quarter and full year, based "on continued strong business momentum," per the release.
This marks the second time in recent months that Signet boosted its guidance, with a hike for the third quarter and full year that was hailed by Wells Fargo analysts Tuesday as an even bigger deal than this acquisition. The mall-based jeweler, whose banners include Jared, Kay and Zales, in September raised expectations for the year after second quarter comps nearly doubled.
As far as the deal goes, the Wells Fargo team led by Ike Boruchow called it "highly productive and profitable."
"[Signet] is now comping the difficult comparison of [last year] in stride, and with muted supply chain impacts this holiday, [it] appears to be one of the best positioned companies in our universe heading into 4Q," Boruchow said.
Notably, the company is largely escaping the supply chain travails that is unnerving much of the industry heading into the holidays. Its products are small and light enough to be shipped by air, thus avoiding the current cargo ship backlogs; its sourcing isn't centered in troubled spots like Vietnam; and it placed many orders early, Wells Fargo analysts noted earlier this month.
"While there remain factors beyond our control, our strengthened supply chain and vendor partnerships gave us the ability to plan earlier receipt of holiday product, and we currently do not expect any material supply chain disruptions," Signet Chief Financial and Strategy Officer Joan Hilson said in a statement Tuesday. "Signet uses air freight for the transit of the vast majority of our merchandise, thus avoiding current ocean freight congestion."
This acquisition helps Signet fulfill its stated goal to expand its market share, estimated by Wells Fargo to stand at about 6% now, with a goal to reach closer to 9% in coming years. But it's not entirely smooth sailing for the jewelry juggernaut.
"The company has numerous competitive advantages that cannot be replicated by its smaller, independent/regional competitors including robust digital and omni-channel capabilities," Wells Fargo analysts said. "That said, emerging competition from department stores that have aggressively entered the market as well as online pure plays could hamper [its] ability to achieve its ~9% market share goal."


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An official sustainability certification for U.S. soy was recently launched by the U.S. Soybean Export Council – providing exporters with verification that the soy products they sell on the world market are raised in a sustainable manner. The certification is verified by the U.S. Soybean Sustainability Assurance Protocol – which was developed by the United Soybean Board, USSEC and the American Soybean Association through a multi-stakeholder process to ensure the methodologies for measuring sustainable performance are thorough, transparent and credible. USB farmer-leader Laura Foell says it’s essential to show the rest of the world what U.S. soybean growers are doing with regard to best management practices on the farm and best social practices in the community. Foell notes farmers are doing the right thing and striving for continuous improvement – and customers need to know that.
The sustainability certification is based on farmer participation in U.S. farm programs. According to USSEC – 95-percent of U.S. farms currently participate. USDA estimates of total soybean supply are therefore multiplied by point-95 to determine U.S. sustainable soy supply. According to USB – the sustainability assurance protocol provides proof of reductions in carbon emissions, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion per acre of soybeans grown and per bushel of soybeans produced in the U.S. Certification is done at shipment point by Soy Export Sustainability, LLC based on an aggregate system representing nationwide soybean production.
USSEC, USB and ASA are introducing their sustainability assurance protocol and sustainability certification system through a series of meetings around the world this fall. They are holding meetings with soy customers in the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey and China.
Source: NAFB News Service


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Industry body SPAN has moved to warn the ICT community of several issues likely to impact it in 2006.
The body, which represents ISPs, telcos, and service providers in Australia is seeking leadership in three key areas to maintain growth, innovation and competition in the sector: The local wholesale services and the operational separation regime; infrastructure investments and the competitive environment; and, accelerating broadband-enabled services and applications.
While the Government’s telecom competition policies had accelerated Australia's economy by $12.4 billion since 1997 more focus had to be placed on the issues facing the industry in order maintain this growth, SPAN chairman, John Kranenburg, said in a statement.
Foremost of these issues was the fast escalating industry tensions in respect of Telstra-offered wholesale services.
“This will mature into a full-blown issue when the Government releases its first draft of the promised operational separation discussion paper,” he said. “Decisions in this area will profoundly influence the breadth and depth of future industry competition.”
The upturn in industry infrastructure investment announcements such as Telstra's own 3G network represented the first phase of a telecommunications arms race, Kranenburg said.
“That will escalate to legal and regulatory hostilities as the protagonists seek to guarantee investment certainty for their spending plans,” he said. “Decisions in this area will profoundly influence both future innovation and future industry structure.”
With the consumer and SME broadband markets exploding an appropriate balance also needed to be struck between consumer protection and unregulated competition principles, Kranenburg added.
A SPAN discussion on these issues is available from its website at www.span.net.au/index.asp?id=1003
Industry body flags comms issues in 2006
By Staff Writers on Dec 15, 2005 10:27AM


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To track or not to track? New data on iOS app tracking opt-in rates contradicts earlier estimates, but may ultimately offer a clearer glimpse into consumers’ real behavior.
On today's episode, we discuss what has stood out the most about Twitter's Q1. We then talk about Twitter's Scroll acquisition, what to make of its "Professional Profiles" test, and whether tipping via social media might catch on. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer senior analyst Jasmine Enberg and forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Nazmul Islam.
Starbucks considers leaving Facebook: The coffee chain is reportedly dismayed by hate speech on its Page, and its possible departure may signal the dwindling importance of organic presences on large social platforms.
To sell or to stream, that is NBCU’s question: What the media company decides for its regional sports networks all depends on how much faith it has in Peacock to carry the company into a post-TV world.
From hand sanitizer and kid-sized masks to DIY craft ideas and an inclusive range of skin-tone crayons, Crayola thinks about its marketing in the context of products, experiences, and content. Watch Industry Voices Spotlight on CPGs with Victoria Lozano, executive vice president and general manager of Crayola, to learn how social media has amplified its mission.
Apple set an industry standard with its privacy nutrition labels. Now Google is following suit with new app safety disclosure requirements.
The duopoly of Facebook and Google still dominates digital ad revenues worldwide, but a collective rival from the ecommerce industry is showing momentum.
On today's episode, we discuss whether HBO Max can break into the top four streaming services, what to make of the Academy Awards' ratings, the effect Amazon could have on live sports, whether people will pay with their palm, how NBCUniversal's Peacock is doing, the crazy things that happen in far away galaxies, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer director of forecasting Oscar Orozco, analyst Blake Droesch, and principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Jeremy Goldman.
Oversight Board punts on Facebook's Trump Ban: Following months of deliberation, the Facebook Oversight Board has decided to let Facebook make the final decision on how to enforce President Trump’s account.
On today's episode, we discuss the most interesting findings from Facebook's Q1 earnings, how Apple’s iOS 14.5 update might affect its business, and where it sits among the digital ad giants. We then talk about how many people are using Facebook Dating, measuring Facebook's "potential reach," and Facebook Reality Labs' upcoming smart wristband. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analysts at Insider Intelligence Debra Aho Williamson and Nicole Perrin.
Facebook's in the neighborhood: The social network's new location-based, Nextdoor clone could capitalize on the success of Groups—if it can avoid content moderation controversies.
New data shows iOS 14.5 can be worked with: While the tides have shifted permanently for mobile marketers, consumers aren't all rejecting the idea of apps tracking them, and some even look favorably on the pop-up request.
Telecoms vs New York: Organizations representing the US’ major telecoms have challenged a New York state law requiring ISPs to provide affordable broadband. The lawsuit could definitively determine whether states can regulate broadband pricing.
The encrypted messaging platform tried to buy ads that highlighted categories Facebook uses to target consumers. The stunt comes at a moment when Signal is differentiating itself on privacy against its Facebook-owned competitor, WhatsApp.
A paid version of Facebook: The social media giant asks users to enable tracking under Apple's new privacy framework in order to keep its services free of charge.
On today's episode, we discuss what stood out the most about Google's Q1 performance. We then talk about what kind of ad recovery we expect this year and why Google is in hot water again, as well as look at some survey data about third-party cookie doomsday. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Eric Haggstrom.
The proliferation of streaming services, and the fracturing of content libraries, will ultimately force consumers in Latin America to decide which platforms they value most. This will also create a unique opportunity for cheaper and free ad-supported platforms to swoop in and gain market share among the more price-conscious consumers.
App subscriptions overtake one-time purchases


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Want to buy a restaurant chain but aren’t made of money? Find a publicly traded company looking to offload a secondary concept to ease investor pressure on management.
The latest example came late last year, when Jack in the Box opted to sell Qdoba to Apollo Capital Management for $305 million.
To be sure, $305 million is hardly chump change. And Qdoba has struggled periodically under Jack in the Box, operating with lower unit volumes than its primary rival, Chipotle Mexican Grill—even after the latter chain’s unit volumes plunged 23% in 2016.
But the half-company-owned Qdoba was sold for a multiple that was likely between 3 and 5 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, based on conversations with various sources. At a time when limited-service chains are fetching otherworldly multiples, that kind of low price stands out.
By comparison, Darden paid $780 million for Cheddar’s—which, though it was almost all company-run, is still a casual-dining chain. The two chains have similar system sales.
As we said in December, however, Jack in the Box had little choice. Activist investors have been sniffing around the company in recent months. And since the deal was announced, Jana Partners revealed an activist stake in the company.
But Jack in the Box is hardly alone in offloading smaller concepts on the cheap. Consider this:
In 2016, the struggling Ruby Tuesday sold off the assets of its own fast-casual Mexican brand, Lime Fresh, in separate deals totaling $10.6 million. It had paid $24 million for the chain.
In 2015, Bloomin’ Brands sold Roy’s Restaurants for $10 million. Roy’s is considerably smaller than Qdoba, with just 20 locations, but that still amounts to a low $500,000 per unit for an upscale-casual concept.
That same year, Ignite Restaurant Group, desperate to improve its finances, sold its disastrous Italian chain Macaroni Grill for a meager $8 million less than two years after buying the chain for $55 million, believing it was too good a deal to pass up.
Alas, not even a stupid low valuation would keep Mac Grill from filing for bankruptcy two years later, the same year its former parent company went into debt protection.
This isn’t a new thing. In 2006, Wendy’s sold Baja Fresh for $31 million. It had paid $275 million in 2002.
In 2013, Bob Evans Farms sold the underperforming Mimi’s Cafe for $20 million in cash. Bob Evans paid $182 million for the brand in 2004.
And not every sale is cheap. Darden, under pressure from investors, sold Red Lobster for $2.1 billion in 2013 to Golden Gate Capital.
Still, in many cases, chains get sold at low prices because the company believes it would be better off without it, so they can concentrate on existing holdings.
And in many cases, the brands being sold are hopeful that new management will be able to concentrate on their needs.
That’s certainly the hope at Qdoba, where many franchisees seemed to welcome the sale to Apollo, believing that some singular focus could help the chain realize its potential.
Of course, history has not been kind in many of these situations—most of the chains mentioned above struggled further after their sales, as the Mac Grill bankruptcy attests. There’s often a reason chains get sold so cheaply.
But Qdoba has performed much better than any of those chains more recently, and as we said initially, the total price is comparatively large. There’s little reason to think that Apollo won’t work to grow the brand and get a return on its investment.
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Yahoo Mail still being hacked, says tech site
Hackers may be continuing to defy Yahoo’s efforts to boost security and fix vulnerabilities in its Yahoo Mail service, a tech site reported Thursday (Manila time).
A report on The Next Web said users of Yahoo Mail continue to complain that their mail accounts have been compromised, even after Yahoo claimed it has plugged two security holes.
“Not only are we still getting reports from individual Yahoo users about their accounts getting hacked, but we are seeing spikes in traffic from Google to our previous stories. We believe these clicks represent a rise in users realizing their inboxes have been hijacked after hackers send out a bunch of emails from already compromised accounts,” it said.
“Yahoo is the third largest email provider after Microsoft and Google. Regardless of whether the flaws haven’t been patched properly or if these are new flaws, it’s simply unacceptable for Yahoo Mail users to have their accounts hijacked so easily and for Yahoo to stay passive for so long. The company needs to do more,” it added.
The Next Web said Yahoo Mail users may have seen their accounts compromised as early as last January.
It said the attacks usually involve users getting an email from a friend or colleague or even a completely unknown party containing a link.
The link may lead to the account being hijacked, and sending emails to the victim’s contacts.
The Next Web quoted a Yahoo spokesperson as saying Yahoo “continue(s) to aggressively investigate reports of any email accounts exhibiting anomalous behavior.”
“We’re committed to protecting our users and their data. We strongly urge our users to change their passwords frequently and to use unique, alphanumeric passwords for each online site they visit,” the spokesperson added. — ELR, GMA News
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Typical EV Rental in China: Roewe e50 Electric Vehicle
The availability of rental plug-in vehicles is becoming increasingly common in the US with most of the major rental players offering EVs at certain locations across the country. Now, it's China's turn to join the EV rental party.
US-based Rent-A-Car, via its Shanghai division, will begin to offer rental electric vehicles in some of China's most congested, smog-riddle cities. Both Shanghai and Beijing are scheduled to take part in the EV rental scheme, which kicked off last week. Eleven additional cities will join the program at a later date.
The goal is to get urban dwellers in China into electric vehicles in hopes that they'll be overjoyed by the driving experience and then decide to buy one. This is all part of China's grand push to fill its roads with 500,000 plug-in vehicles by 2015 and five million by 2020.
Achieving that lofty goal takes some creative thinking, which for China includes subsidizing rental rate for plug-in vehicles. Through this EV rental program, curious and potential buyers can rent a plug-in vehicle for only 100 yuan (US $16) a day, and 998 yuan (US $160) a month. Yes, that's cheap even in China, where the average monthly income per individual is 4,387 yuan (US $706).
Will the EV rental program work? We doubt it. The Chinese seem incredibly reluctant to purchase plug-in vehicles, so why would renting one be different?


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It’s been a while since you’ve heard of full-pledged premium games going for cheap via the Google Play Store, so you may want to take advantage of this. EA Games and Chillingo are taking part in a promo where they are now
The Need For Speed franchise needs no introduction – they’ve been one of, if not THE, most popular car racing games in recent history. And so when the franchise puts out a new game, a lot of people will usually want to know
Comcast and EA revealed a partnership today to get people gaming on their high-bandwith Comcast X1 set-top box. They call it "Xfinity Games" and the US cable outfit is partnering up with video gaming giant EA to bring casual
We’ll understand if you say it has been a while since you’ve heard of Zynga. They were once big when Facebook games were the “in thing”, but a rapid decline also saw Zynga take the full brunt of Facebook being an unstable
Who says plants and zombies cannot fall in love? Well the mortal enemies might be constantly trying to kill each other on your mobile devices, but at least this Valentine's day, they can show each other how much they really care.
A little less than a month ago, the still-hugely popular Plants vs. Zombies game app received an update called Big Wave Beach part 1. A little late for Halloween, but part 2 of the Big Wave Beach update has just arrived and gives
Who among us have never enjoyed a SIMs game (and maybe you still are addicted to it!) or an entertaining-at-the-start-but-might-get-repetitive-eventually city building game? A new game from EA combines the best of both worlds as
Electronic Arts is still banking on Plants vs Zombies to bring in money. Why wouldn’t it since the mobile game is still popular although nothing compared to when it first came out. The Plants vs Zombies 2 was released October
EA Games has just pushed out a massive update to celebrate 150 million downloads of Plants vs Zombies 2. In this Far Future expansion, players will be faced with the zombies of tomorrow, but in return, they will be also be able
EA and Mythic announced Dungeon Keeper for Android back in August of 2013. At the time the game was expected to arrive in the Play Store during the winter months, however the initial availability was limited to a few markets.


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21 August 2015
We launch our first ever Pay What You Like concert
12 August 2015
We're working with digital wizards We Are AD to bring you a brand new Hallé website later this year.
06 August 2015
David McKee's Elmer the Elephant comes to Hallé St Peter's this October.
29 June 2015
The Hallé reaches its milestone £1,000,000 Catalyst scheme target
29 May 2015
Our rights and freedoms have come into sharp focus this year, as 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the sealing the Magna Carta.


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TROY >> A discount department store is coming to the Troy Plaza on Hoosick Street, part of the property owner’s plans to revitalize the aging plaza.
A stone facade has already been erected where a Peebles store will be opening on Nov. 14, according to Todd Drowlette, a principal at Icon Realty Group, the firm managing the plaza tenants. The department store, which is often described as a smaller version of a Macy’s or JCPenney, will occupy a roughly 23,000 square-foot space, and is the first of several new businesses that will move into the plaza.
Peebles is owned by Specialty Retailers, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, a firm that operates more than 800 department stores throughout the U.S. Peebles is the chain’s brand in the Northeast, while a similar store, Goody’s, is well-known in the South. The new store will be a larger format and located in much more dense market than the chain has customarily occupied. The chain’s nearest locations are in Johnston and Hudson, New York, as well as North Adams, Mass.
The Troy Plaza, first constructed in 1950, was purchased by Pennsylvania-based Magellan Realty earlier this year for $3.9 million from a bank that had foreclosed on the property. It had been previously owned by WP Realty Inc. of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a developer that had come into financial difficulties with its lender.
A contractor for Magellan, a firm that focuses on redeveloping aging plazas in urban areas, recently completed a stone facade for the new Peebles. In the spring, they will be constructing a new facade on the rest of the plaza, which will have a similar theme to the Peebles facade.
The plaza is presently home to, among others, a Friendly’s, Big Lots, Save-A-Lot, and a Radio Shack, and will soon house a national shoe store chain, which already has locations in the region, as well as a Little Caesar’s pizzeria.
There is presently a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise operating out of a former bank on a pad in front of the plaza. However, franchise owner Ivo Garcia recently opened a Dunkin’ Donuts across the street within a Hess gas station, and has plans to open a drive-thru Dunkin’ franchise further up the street, at 198 Hoosick St., on a long vacant site between 16th and 17th streets. Garcia hopes the new building will be complete by this spring, and the current franchise at the Troy Plaza will be able to move to the new location.
When construction, which began this week, is complete at the new site, there will be a two-story building, with a Dunkin’ Donuts and a small retail space on the first floor, and office space on the second. The general contractor is S&S Construction, out of Greenwich, New York.
“I think it’s a better investment in the long term if I can own the property, rather than leasing it from someone else,” said Garcia, during a phone interview on Tuesday. “It was really a business decision.” Garcia owns numerous Dunkin’ Donuts franchises throughout Troy, Brunswick, Green Island and Watervliet.
Garcia also owns the building at 198 Hoosick Street, at the corner of 16th Street, which currently houses a Domino’s. That building will be maintained, but an adjacent building, at 200 Hoosick St., will be taken down by DiTonno & Sons, out of Albany.
Ian Benjamin can be contacted at 270-1287.


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The Fanta range is getting some spooktacular additions, as Coca-Cola Enterprises bids to make the most of the Halloween opportunity.
The brand has also launched a seasonal media partnership with MTV, targeting mums and teens.
Fanta’s packaging will be haunted with spooky jack-o’-lanterns across its two-litre Orange, Orange Zero and Fruit Twist variants, as well as its 6 x 330ml and 8 x 330ml multipack can ranges.
The Halloween packs will be supported with themed in-store visuals, point-of-sale material and an outdoor advertising campaign to drive awareness.
To further enhance the reach of the campaign, Fanta has partnered with MTV to launch a #TrickorTreat prize draw competition which will be amplified across the MTV channel as well as its online and social media sites throughout October, reaching over 1,500,000 teens.
Caroline Cater, Operational Marketing Director at CCE, said: “With Halloween becoming an increasingly prominent celebration in the social calendar and landing on a Saturday this year, retailers can tap into the excitement of the occasion with these new Fanta pack formats, making the most of the brand’s increased marketing support to help drive sales in store.”


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From today, children aged 6 and 7 can visit their GP for free.
Under 6s have been able to avail of free visits since 2015.
While doctor visits will be completely free of charge, medicines will still have to be paid for.
Parents can register their kids for the visit cards on the HSE's website.
Shaun Flanagan, from the HSE (Health Service Executive), encourages parents and guardians to apply online.
Our expectation is that about 78,000 children will get access to GP visit cards under this measure.
Over the last few months, our staff have worked very hard to ensure people can register as simply as possible.
So, we would be asking and encouraging individuals who want to apply to use our online application system.
Families and guardians can apply online from today via the HSE website - hse.ie/gpvisitcards


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If you're looking to invest in the cannabis industry, you have to be prepared to take on some significant risks. The industry's been struggling during the past year, and a turnaround is not necessarily imminent. This year is already setting up to be a challenging one for many pot stocks, and investors should be careful not to be lured in by low prices. Here are four signs that the industry is still extremely risky and why a turnaround isn't likely just yet:
1. Lack of M&A activity
When things were going well for the industry, all the talk was about mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Aurora Cannabis (ACB -11.03%) was busy scooping up many of its rivals, buying MedReleaf Corp for $2.5 billion and CanniMed Therapeutics for $852 million, both in 2018. There was also excitement about a partnership with soft drink giant Coca-Cola (KO -0.05%).
Nowadays, however, not only is there scarce M&A activity, but companies are also backing away from deals, even small ones, that already exist. Just this year, Harvest Health & Recreation (HRVSF) halted plans for an $850 million purchase of Verano Holdings; Cresco Labs (CRLBF -5.66%) abandoned a $282.5 million purchase of Tryke; and Planet 13 (PLNH.F -9.33%) even gave up on a $10 million acquisition that would have seen it expand into California.
It's the era of anti-M&A activity in the industry and a sign that companies just don't have the money or aren't willing to invest it into growth. Neither of those factors are particularly attractive for investors.
2. Growth is stalling
It used to be easy for cannabis companies to generate revenue growth. The industry was still in its early stages, so as markets opened up, prior-year periods were easy to beat with minimal revenue. But that's changed, and the bar to be beaten isn't so low anymore.
OrganiGram Holdings (OGI -12.17%) is a great example of that. When the company released its second-quarter earnings on April 14, sales were down from the previous year. Revenue of 23.2 million Canadian dollars declined by 14% from CA$26.9 million a year earlier. In April 2019, however, the company looked like a rock star, with its sales up nearly 700% from the CA$3.4 million in revenue it had earned in 2018 -- back when recreational pot wasn't yet legal in Canada.
Growth isn't a given anymore in the industry, and many companies were struggling to expand even before the pandemic. Now, with COVID-19 putting millions of people out of work, generating sales growth will be an even bigger challenge for the industry. And that can make posting a profit even more problematic.
3. Profits aren't consistent and are usually boosted by nonoperating items
For most cannabis companies, profits are a rarity. Sometimes investors will see a pot producer record a profit thanks to investment gains, fair value adjustments, or nonoperating income -- but usually not as the result of day-to-day operations. Going back to OrganiGram, the company was profitable a couple of years ago. In Q2 2018, it netted a modest profit of CA$1.2 million, and it even had an operating gain of CA$2.3 million. But that wouldn't have been the case without a CA$4.4 million fair value change that boosted its gross margin.
In each of its past five quarterly results, OrganiGram's finished in the red as expenses have risen even when revenue hasn't. Industry giant Curaleaf Holdings (CURLF -14.53%) reported a loss of $67 million in 2019, which was even deeper than the $56 million loss it incurred in the previous year. The lack of profitability in the industry is a big concern for investors, as it could lead to more cost-cutting and prevent companies from taking on growth initiatives. It could even exacerbate the industry's biggest problem: lack of cash.
4. Cash is scarce
There's a concern that cannabis companies will run out of money this year. Investment bank Ello Capital projected in February that some companies only have a few months of liquidity left. Ello Capital estimated that Aurora was in one of the worst positions in the industry and that it had just a couple of months' worth of cash available to= tap into.
Cannabis companies can obviously still raise money through debt and equity, but either one of those options will likely spell trouble for their respective share prices. Using OrganiGram as an example again, it is no exception to cash problems. In the past six months, the company has used CA$25 million in cash -- which is more than half the CA$41.1 million in cash it had on hand as of Feb. 29. On April 22, the pot producer announced an at-the-market equity program under which it could issue as much as CA$49 million in common shares to help boost its cash balance.
Shares of OrganiGram have tumbled 24% since then, while pot stocks have generally shown a lot more stability:
Should investors avoid the industry altogether?
If you're a risk-averse investor or investing with retirement money (or any money that you can't afford, for that matter), then buying cannabis stocks may not be the right strategy for you. There are safe ways to invest in cannabis, but you still need to be diligent in analyzing a stock in the industry to ensure you're comfortable with all of the risks involved. Otherwise, you could face significant losses. Although pot stocks have been crashing, there's no guarantee that they've reached the bottom just yet.


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For millions of COVID-19 survivors, the struggle back to health often is slow and painful. And for many, that recovery comes with a lingering and disheartening symptom ― a loss of smell and taste. Just when the body needs nourishment to fight back against the disease, every bite of food is utterly tasteless.
“I’m a foodie, so not being able to smell or taste anything put me into a depression,” Jane Nilan, a coronavirus survivor, told HuffPost. The Minneapolis resident contracted the illness in mid-March, when much less was known about the symptoms and trajectory of the disease.
“I knew that yogurt with live cultures would be good for my gut, so I ate some of that every day,” Nilan said. “I made rice in a steamer, but I really couldn’t enjoy it. I had no interest in eating, but I tried to ‘trick’ myself with textures that I thought might trigger at least the memory of certain foods, with varying levels of success. I ate a lot of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, that’s for sure.”
What’s going on here?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes ”new loss of taste or smell″ as a symptom of COVID-19. As cases continue to rise, more people will be affected by loss of smell, known as anosmia, and loss of taste, known as ageusia.
While many people report a loss of taste as a primary symptom, it’s a loss of smell that’s often a worse culprit, since most of what we perceive as taste is actually a combination of smell and taste. (Skeptical? Try the jelly bean test while holding your nose.)
“It’s estimated that around half of COVID-19 patients experience changes to their sense of taste and smell. Most will recover within two to three weeks, but many thousands are still working towards recovery many months later.”
Valentina Parma is chair of the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research, research assistant professor in psychology at Temple University and an adjunct member at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. She and her colleagues have gathered and analyzed thousands of surveys from people who have lost their sense of taste or smell because of COVID-19.
“When this damage occurs as part of COVID, it tends to be a more extreme issue than when people lose those senses due to flu, colds or other respiratory issues,” Parma said.
The loss also tends to occur suddenly. “People will say, ‘I was sipping coffee, and it was delicious, and then suddenly I couldn’t smell or taste it,’” she said.
While there are many hypotheses about why this is occurring, Parma said that evidence now suggests the virus could be binding itself to the proteins of supporting cells that surround olfactory neurons. “When those cells are attacked by the virus, the neurons stop working,” she said.
There is no known cure for loss of smell and taste. But the body can — and sometimes does — heal itself, at least eventually, Parma said.
“Time is an important variable for recovery,” she said. “There is plasticity in our system, and olfactory neurons can regenerate and reestablish function. How long this process can take following a COVID infection is still under scrutiny.”
AbScent offers hope
After Chrissi Kelly lost her sense of smell in 2012, she founded the nonprofit patient advocacy group AbScent. In the months since the pandemic began, she’s seen a groundswell of interest and a growing audience for the organization’s coronavirus-related Facebook support page, which has more than 14,000 members.
“It’s estimated that around half of COVID-19 patients experience changes to their sense of taste and smell,” Kelly said. “Most will recover within two to three weeks, but many thousands are still working towards recovery many months later.”
Kelly encourages those for whom food tastes miserably bland to focus on creating contrasts, like creamy with crunchy, tart with sweet, or warmer temperatures with cooler ones. For those suffering from parosmia, a condition in which food can smell disgusting, she suggests avoiding trigger foods like roasted meat, fried foods, eggs, onions, garlic, minty toothpaste and coffee.
One clever workaround for coffee lovers is to drink canned cold brew, using a straw, Kelly said. “That way it goes right down the throat, so you’re less likely to gag on the aroma.”
Kelly said that smell training could help in recovery. She began doing the training on her own and has regained enough to experience what she describes as a “good quality of life.” The training requires actively sniffing a panel of scents twice a day for at least four months, spending at least 20 seconds per scent and being mindful about the experience.
“It’s safe, anyone can do it and it’s well researched and recommended by doctors,” Kelly said. “It isn’t a cure, but it can be a way of hastening and amplifying the natural recovery process.”
“Chocolate smelled like red meat. My taco soup could have been water, for all I knew.”
The AbScent website offers tips on making your own smell training kit, or you can purchase one from them directly, with all proceeds going to the organization.
When an RDN can’t taste anything
Amanda Frankeny is a registered dietitian nutritionist who lives in Boulder, Colorado. Like Nilan, she contracted COVID-19 in March, when little was known about some of her symptoms.
“During the second week I was sick, things started tasting and smelling funny,” Frankeny said. “Chocolate smelled like red meat. My taco soup could have been water, for all I knew. For me, the disease was slow and steady. Each day brought something new, as my other symptoms worsened. Losing my sense of taste was one of the worst parts.”
She used her professional knowledge to make sure she stayed nourished. “I was intentional about getting enough to eat at every meal,” Frankeny said. “I ate from every food group, and I tried to eat regular, colorful plates of food even when the blandness took over.”
Other tips from Frankeny include remembering to drink water regularly. “A dry mouth can affect your ability to taste,” she said. “Fluids help dissolve taste components, allowing them to reach the taste buds. Also, chew slowly to release flavors and increase saliva production.”
While it’s tempting to want to treat yourself when you’re sick, Frankeny warned against highly processed foods like chips, fast foods and sugary treats. “There’s no point in wasting a pint of delicious ice cream if you can’t taste it. Instead, eat things that make you feel a little better. Try a hot drink or soup, mostly because higher-temperature foods will feel nice.”
More suggestions appear on the National Institutes of Health’s website section about taste disorders, including using aromatic herbs and hot spices to add more flavor, avoiding combination dishes like casseroles that can hide individual flavors and dilute taste and, if your diet permits, topping food with small amounts of cheese, bacon bits, butter, olive oil or toasted nuts.
Tasting and smelling again: ‘Glorious, glorious’
For Jane Nilan, other COVID-19 symptoms went away within weeks, but smell and taste didn’t return for three months. “After about two months, I noticed those senses creeping back in,” she said. “I began to go to extremes to see how much I could taste, so my diet was full of hot curries, Mexican food and lots of spices. I was so afraid it would go away again, so I pushed myself right to the edge.”
Nilan said that while a return to health has been a blessing, being able to enjoy her favorite foods is another one. “I had no idea how important those senses were to me,” she said. “I still open jars of spices before I use them, stick my nose in and say, ‘glorious, glorious.’”
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These parish-based cafes offer the perfect blend of coffee, conversation, and hope.
Back in 2004, when the Catholic parish of St. Monica in Los Angeles was drawing up plans for a new building, it set in motion a new initiative that would change the lives of those in the community, as well as young people struggling to reinsert themselves into society after incarceration. And it’s all thanks to a simple door opening on to the street.
The door went into a building adjoining a church. But it was accessible from the sidewalk, to be a little less intimidating to those who weren’t regular churchgoers. While it was earmarked to become a coffee shop, it was only in 2013, with a little help from the experts, that it become a thriving ministry run by the St. Monica Church and its congregation. Thanks to the joint teamwork of parishioners, and another local coffee shop called Urth Caffé, which lent a helping hand and a few managers, Holy Grounds opened its doors and its heart.
Yet there is more to this cozy meeting place than meets the eye. The baristas serving the locals are young people who’ve been in prison and are in need of a second chance. “That’s our God, second and 70 chances,” said Merrick Siebenaler, the parish’s director of marketing communications, in the NCR article.
And this chance to turn over a new leaf is certainly paying off. One ex-employee, Jimmy Valdez, who’d been in prison for three years and had spent much of his early adulthood addicted to drink and drugs, is now happily married, sober, and has gone on to start his own business. But, as he told NCR, it wasn’t until he found God and started working at Holy Grounds that things started to change for him.
“One of the best things we can do is acknowledge each other,” the 29-year-old Valdez said he learned through this experience. “I felt acknowledged there and loved and supported.”
The coffee shop, which also sells Bibles, rosaries, and even CDs, is proving popular among the local residents. Parents from St. Monica School pop in with their kids, teens stop by to savor anything from a latte to a pastry, and passers-by might be enticed to sit down under a red umbrella and soak in the view of the adjacent church. It’s a way for the parishioners to introduce to others what their church and its community has to offer.
Holy Grounds is actually just one of many church coffee shops springing up in the Los Angeles area.
Café Ignatius, a non-profit organization belonging to St. Agnes Korean Catholic Church, opened its doors in 2011. It is run by Fr. Choi, who has a passion for coffee and is an expert brewer, and he explained to Sprudge: “As a Jesuit and in the Jesuit faith, we find God in all things — coffee is in God and God is in coffee.”
But Choi and his team of volunteers don’t just serve up any old coffee — theirs comes with a prayer of “happiness, peace, and health.” Choi “believes that the mission of his faith is ‘for others'” and wishes for his customers to be able to spend time enjoying each others’ company.
Although these coffee shops aren’t profitable for the parish, their role is crucial in bringing about a sense of community that so many seek.
Not every church can offer an evangelizing coffee shop to its local community, but members can certainly offer a coffee or tea to a neighbor, someone in need, or — if your organization skills are up for it — arrange a parish picnic.


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Bryan Martin had always wondered what it would be like to run his own business, but it wasn't until insurance giant Zurich opted to shut down its regional Indianapolis office where he sold insurance that he decided to turn his pipe dream into a reality.
"It's the scariest thing I've ever done," says Martin, who turned 51 last week and has a wife and 13-year old twin children. "Right now, I'm just worried about financially making this all work."
Martin isn't alone. With the unemployment rate hitting its highest level in more than a quarter-century, a growing number of the nation's jobless are striking out on their own to pay their rent and put food on the table some doing freelance and contracting work, others launching full-blown independent businesses.
But as the number of spanking-new entrepreneurs surges, so is the likelihood of tax errors and even yikes IRS audits.
"Absolutely, without a doubt, there's going to be more errors," says Jacob Gold, a CFP and author of Financial Intelligence: Getting Back to Basics After an Economic Meltdown. "The IRS will look at all of these new tax returns where people are declaring themselves as sole proprietors ... and I would not be surprised if the number of audits increased."
Many newbies, strapped for start-up cash, will likely try to cut corners by forgoing the use of accountants and attorneys and picking up TurboTax or other software to handle their taxes on their own, says Gold.
And there are plenty of newly minted entrepreneurs on the way. "We've seen a 50% increase in people looking to [start a business]," says Mitch Free, an angel investor and chief executive of MFG.com, a company that matches up businesses with manufacturers who can produce a company's products. "Once they've been pushed out of the nest, they're going to try to fly."
"There's been a discernible increase" in the number of clients opting to go out on their own in the past year, concurs June Walbert, a certified financial planner with USAA Financial Planning Services.
Many budding business owners grow wide-eyed at the prospect of generous tax deductions including those for business expenses ranging from travel and entertainment to home-office and computer costs. But many have no clue what is permitted and what will bring the IRS knocking at their doors. "There are many misconceptions about the tax laws, where people say, 'My neighbor told me I could do this,'" says Jackie Perlman, a tax analyst at H&R Block's Tax Institute. And a wrong or uninformed decision can affect the ultimate success or failure of the new business.
One problem for newbies is the sheer magnitude of available tax breaks. "When you're a self-employed small business, pretty much everything is a deduction, whether it's entertainment, marketing dollars or stationary," says Joseph Leonard, founder of Coastal Financial Associates and author of The Retirement Vault.
But those money-saving tax deductions and perks can quickly turn into profit-bleeding blunders that can threaten the very survival of a business. The most common mistakes: poor record-keeping, questionable deductions, failing to make quarterly tax payments to Uncle Sam and putting expenses on the wrong lines on a tax return.
It's critical that owners maintain books, records, separate bank accounts and different credit cards for the business, says Brenda Schafer, a CPA and CFP at the Tax Institute at H&R Block.
"In court cases, when people lose, it wasn't because they were attempting to deduct something that was nondeductible, but because they just had no records," says Perlman.


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Should it be Illegal to Harass a Store Employee Who’s Enforcing Mask Laws?
We've all seen people freak out on some poor kid who's trying to enforce the mask requirement while working at a local grocery store. Should there be laws on the books to protect grocery store clerks from customer outrage?
We've been dealing with a global pandemic for almost six months and there are still people who refuse to wear a mask in public. It seems strange but some people are still putting up a fight about the mask requirements from the state. I recently witnessed a situation at a local store myself. Why do you feel the need to verbally attack a 17 year old kid just trying to do his part time job?
According to USA Today, Illinois has made it a criminal act for anyone to verbally or physically assault a store employee who is enforcing the mandatory face mask rule. Offenders could be charged with an aggravated battery and face a huge fine.
Should a law like this come to the sate of New York? Have you seen customers attack employees over the mask requirement?


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No beer deliveries in Milwaukee today. Thanks a lot, Mother Nature.
Wait, what? Milwaukee was so cold Wednesday that beer couldn't be delivered.
Milwaukee-area wholesale beer distributors, including Beechwood Sales & Service, Beer Capitol, General Beverage and Breakthru Beverage, wouldn't deliver on Wednesday. Most didn't want their drivers out in the extreme temperatures.
In extreme cold, beer cans and bottles can explode. For some, like Wisconsin Distributors in Sun Prairie, drivers have to pick up the beer and then drive it quickly enough to accounts before cases and kegs reach their breaking point.
More:Here's a rolling list of what's closed in Milwaukee because of the cold
Ray's Wine & Spirits, 8930 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa, was open Wednesday but didn't expect any beer deliveries, said beer director Spencer McCoy.
McCoy said even if a distributor hadn't canceled delivery early, he told them not to come. Beer is unstable in cold temperatures and "you don't want it to freeze," he said.
Other beer outlets, like Discount Liquor, closed for the day.
Discount Liquor closed both locations — 5031 W. Oklahoma Ave. and 919 N. Barstow Ave., Waukesha — on Wednesday due to cold. The stores will open at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
RELATED:Highchairs next to barstools? Breweries welcome kids in the taproom
RELATED:This Milwaukee man started selling kegs when he was underage. Now he has an international brewing business.


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On August 27th, 2019, Allbridge presented a webinar in conjunction with TraknProtect to review new staff safety regulations going into effect across the United States. The regulations themselves vary across different jurisdictional areas and hotel brands, but the core requirement is that hotels must provide safety buttons to their in-room service employees. The buttons are to be utilized when the employee is presented with a situation where they feel unsafe.
The webinar, hosted by Allbridge Chief Product Officer, Matt Koch, and TraknProtect Chief Executive Officer, Parminder Batra, dives into who will be affected, what led to these mandates becoming so widespread, and how to ensure your hotel is in compliance. Batra explains how the regulations, which began as labor union requirements in New York and Washington D.C., quickly took off following the rise of the #MeToo movement.
Shortly thereafter, several cities made these regulations a legal requirement, with mandates coming out in New York City, Seattle, and Miami Beach. New Jersey was the first to implement a state-wide regulation, which was passed on June 11th, 2019, with Washington state and Illinois following suit. On top of that, the American Hotel & Lodging Association now has the 5-Star Promise, an initiative to ensure in-room hotel staff across the country are equipped with employee safety buttons. Several major hotel brands, including Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, and Wyndham have committed to upholding the initiative. Batra notes that all hoteliers should be prepared to meet regulation:
"There’s twenty-four brands today that have made the commitment to that same 5-Star Promise, as well as multiple property management groups that host hotels who have also made the commitment. Every hotel, pretty much, in the US will either fall into a jurisdictional area where it's required, such as Sacramento County, Oakland, Long Beach, or they'll fall into a brand where this is required."
Batra goes on to explain that with so many jurisdictions having upcoming deadlines to meet compliance, it's in hoteliers' best interests to act now to get the devices implemented.
"New Jersey hotels have until the end of December to implement, and from a best practice perspective, I would say the earlier you can start, the better. Because as we found in Chicago, what happens at the end is everyone’s in a rush. Given Christmas and holiday seasons, inventories can be low, shipments get derailed with the Christmas traffic, and rather than face that - with any vendor that you choose - that’s something you need to take into account. So I would say the sooner the better, and that also allows you to train your employees, which is also part of the requirement."
New Jersey has one of the highest penalties in the country for non-compliance, with a $5,000 penalty for the first violation and a $10,000 penalty for each subsequent offense.
Batra gives several useful tips during the webinar for property owners to use as they implement the devices:
- Start early. Implementation plans must be set in motion soon to ensure availability of devices and allow for property installation before the end of the year.
- Review the safety procedures with your employees. Every device is different. TraknProtect, for example, must be pressed and held for three seconds. Other vendors' devices may function differently.
- Not only should employees be trained on how to use the devices, but also how to respond in a dangerous situation. Being aware of their surroundings, being assertive, and leaving unsafe situations are imperative.
- Employees should get to a safe location after pressing the button, if possible. The TraknProtect button has location tracking, so security will be able to locate the employee in possession of the activated button.
- Encourage employees to report harassment. 67% of hospitality workers who experienced sexual harassment did not report the occurrence to a manager or supervisor.
- Ensure your devices have LTE failover in case your property Wi-Fi goes out.
Watch the full recording of the webinar below:


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Mayor De Blasio should try not hating on cops and have some chicken. My advice is to pick the spicy chicken sandwich with the waffle fries. How absolutely insane that a government official would call for a boycott of a business. This is overreach that the mere mention of it should make everyone extremely angry. I wouldn’t put it past De Blasio to harass Chick-fil-A with his Health Department.
How awesome is it to have a company out there like Chick-fil-A that has a great quality product everybody loves, AND they stand for traditional conservative values? More
Last week, in the name of equality, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio petitioned his city to boycott chain restaurant Chick-fil-A because at the corporate level they have supported organizations that promote a traditional definition of marriage.
But Chick-fil-A has come through a number of protests, boycotts, and threatened boycotts relatively unscathed in the past. The “Same Sex Kiss Day” planned for August of 2012 drew limited crowds, while the corresponding Customer Appreciation Day brought record-setting sales.
And the long lines seen outside the New York locations in the past few days suggest that the current call for a boycott is going unheeded:


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If you strayed away from Disney+ during the summer, the streaming service has a promotion to get you back onboard.
Now through Sept. 20, new and returning customers can subscribe to the Disney+ Basic tier (with ads) for $1.99 per month for three months. The regular monthly price is $7.99, so you could save $18 over the 3-month period.
Over those three months, you get access to the newest animated Pixar film, “Elemental,” which debuts on the service Sept. 13, the live-action “The Little Mermaid,” which hit the service Wednesday, and the new Star Wars series “Ashoka,” which landed on Disney+ on Aug. 22.
Other new programs include season two of the series starring the “Guardians of the Galaxy” breakout star, “I Am Groot,” and National Geographic’s “Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory,” available Sept. 13.
‘You feel it all deeply’:Pixar’s first rom-com ‘Elemental’ talks frankly about racism
How do I get the Disney+ special $1.99 promotion?
Go to disneyplus.com and look for the promotion.
The special offer comes as Disney+ prepares to increase its prices on many of the subscription options. The regular monthly price for Disney+ with ads remains $7.99. Prices for many of the other subscription options are increasing on Oct. 12.
For instance, Disney+ without ads increases from $10.99 to $13.99. The Trio Basic plan of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ with ads goes up from $12.99 to $14.99; Trio Premium of Disney+ and Hulu with no ads, and ESPN+ with ads, increases from $19.99 to $24.99.
Disney launched its Disney+ subscription service in November 2019 with premium content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. The service has 46 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, in the three-month period ending June 30 – down 1% from the previous quarter, and a total of 146.1 million subscribers worldwide.
What’s everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day


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Beijing Baidu Netcom Science and Technology Company Ltd. is claiming CNY500,000 in damages as it sues rival Beijing Qihoo Technology Company Ltd. for for allegedly plagiarizing the sitemap documentation content and format of the Zhanzhang.baidu.com…
Chinese e-commerce and online payment behemoth Alibaba Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with MasterCard.
Chinese Internet company Xunlei announced that its search service Gougou.com will soon terminate operations.
Cloudary, the Internet literature subsidiary of Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited, and Qihoo 360 have inked a strategic cooperation to jointly provide Internet literature search contents to Chinese users.
Chinese Internet video providers Sohu video, Tencent video, and Iqiyi.com have together established an organization named Video Content Cooperation to implement deeper cooperation in resource sharing, platform development, copyright protection and broadcasting sector growth.
Coach, a leading American designer and maker of luxury lifestyle handbags and accessories, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Taobao.com, the Chinese Internet shopping subsidiary of Alibaba Group, to prevent the sale of fake…
In meetings concluded last week in the central Chinese city of Chengdu, the United States and China agreed on a number of initiatives that may provide more fairness and transparency to foreign businesses operating in…
Chinese application service provider UC will sue Tencent, the Chinese Internet giant, for alleged unfair competitive practices.
Chinese Internet video website Tudou.com has announced that it has created a joint venture with another Internet video website, Letv.com, in Shanghai.
Chinese search engine Baidu.com announced that is plans to make a USD306 million investment in Qunar.com, a Chinese travel search engine.


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Roger E. Block, president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group, presents agents Bonnie and Walter Lee with the “Associate of the Year” award.
ATLANTA, Georgia -- As part of our coverage of the recently-concluded 2013 Travel Leaders National Meeting, Travel Agent was on hand for the company's "Associate of the Year" award presentation, in which franchisees Bonnie and Walter Lee of Albertville, Minnesota took home the honor.
The couple was honored with this year’s “Associate of the Year” award for epitomizing excellence in service to clients and for their effective use of the Travel Leaders brand over the course of the past year," says Roger E. Block, president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group. The honor was bestowed during a special ceremony at the 2013 Travel Leaders National Meeting that took place at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
“Bonnie and Walt literally started their agency from the ground up – in their basement in the 1990’s," says Block. "From the outset, their intent was to build a successful travel agency in a way that was different. Their focus and dedication on a model that specializes in independent contractors is what helps drive their growth. In the last five years, Travel Leaders Albertville has added an additional 350 active agents and increased their sales volume by 125 percent."
The Lees have taken Travel Leaders Albertville from a start-up business to a thriving enterprise – predominantly focused on leisure travel – that is well over $50 million in annual sales. Their business now hosts over 475 ICs across the country, in addition to their full-time travel agents working out of their Albertville agency location.
The Lees have also created an environment that is inclusive of talent that is new to the travel industry. In attracting younger professionals to the travel agency business, the average age of their agents is only 36 years old – roughly 20 years below the national average.
“Their investment in younger talent means it may take a little longer to see the ‘fruits of their labor,’ but they understand that their patience in teaching and training the next generation will benefit their business in the long term,” says Block. “The Lees have also cultivated a successful niche in planning destination weddings and honeymoons. It’s a key cornerstone of their business and the demographic of their agents fits nicely with that segment of their clientele.”


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Researchers at Milan Polytechnic University in Italy presented a "Efficient & Intelligent Lighting Report", in which they described a scenario in which the market of LED and Intelligent Lighting in Italy is expected to grow at a double-digit rate by 2020. This means that in 2020, in addition to the 140 million euros worth of smart lighting market, the Italian LED market is bound to grow from 900 million euros in 2015 and exceed 1.2 billion euros.
Researchers from Milan Polytechnic University and the Trade Association jointly study LED transmission and intelligent lighting schemes for residential, industrial and public lighting. Research shows that although the future development of LED technology has great potential, the penetration of current LED technology is still low. The report also points out that by 2020, LED and intelligent control systems will increase from 8% to 42%.
Shops (third party market) are characterized by small penetration of LED and high penetration of intelligent lighting schemes. In the office, LED and intelligent lighting schemes are very popular. But in terms of industry, both growth rates are very slow. Among them, the largest share is the residential part, the main reason is the rapid expansion of LED lights in household use.
Let's take a closer look at the forecast of Italy lighting market in 2020. The number of LED products for home lighting in Italy will reach 400 million. Compared with 2015, the lighting market in industry will grow by 80%, and the installation ratio of LED products in Italian manufacturers will account for 20%. In public lighting, the number of LED street lamps will reach 3.5 million by 2020, saving 1 TWh of electricity per year (5% of the total electricity consumption).
Intelligent lighting in offices is more popular.
In the field of office, the market of LED and intelligent lighting is very broad. They are not only more efficient, but also more intelligent and humane. Lighting system includes intelligent control and management equipment, with a series of more perfect sensors and intelligent urban service infrastructure.
The report points out that in 2020, more than 680,000 households in Italy will be involved in intelligent lighting products (almost 2.7% of the total number of households). Compared with 180,000 households in 2015, there is a significant increase (accounting for 0.7% of the total number of households); in the industrial sector, in 2020, there will be 20,000 small enterprises, 770 medium-sized enterprises and 150 large enterprises to achieve intelligent technology, a total of 20% of the total number of enterprises, which is expected to improve the penetration of intelligent lighting in business and offices in the future; In terms of lighting, the proportion of intelligent street lamps is expected to increase from 3% in 2015 to 8%.
Over the past five years, the Italian LED and intelligent lighting market is expected to expand dramatically. How should domestic enterprises enter this period of growth and win the Italian market? There is such an opportunity in front of you...
2017年10月6日-8日，第6届意大利国际电子照明展(Illuminotronica 2017)将于意大利帕多瓦举办。为期三天的意大利照明展览会由Consortium Tecnoimprese展览公司主办，一年一届，它得到当地政府的支持，以及意大利电子协会和意大利照明协的大力推广，作为意大利唯一的、最专业的国际电子照明展览会，展会规模正在逐年增大。
From October 6 to 8, 2017, the 6th International Illuminotronica 2017 will be held in Padua, Italy. The three-day Italian Lighting Exhibition is sponsored by Consortium Tecnoimprese Exhibition Company once a year. It is supported by the local government and promoted by the Italian Electronics Association and the Italian Lighting Association. As the only and most professional international electronic lighting exhibition in Italy, the scale of the exhibition is increasing year by year. .
The products exhibited at the last Italian International Electronic Lighting Exhibition are of high quality and novel design. They are integrated with technology, innovation and design. It is a milestone in the development of Italian LED lighting and home intelligent lighting technology. It also lays a foundation for the next expansion of exhibits and the display of new lighting technology.


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As more information from the leaked data packages continues to trickle out, Capcom’s alleged game development plans for the next four years appear to have made their way online. The schedule includes a mix of sequels and remakes, while others are only listed under their codenames.
Here is a list of the biggest names listed in the purported schedule:
- Resident Evil Outrage - Q4 FY21
- Dragon’s Dogma 2 - Q2 FY22
- Street Fighter 6 - Q3 FY22
- Rockman [Mega Man in North America] Match - Q3 FY22
- Resident Evil 4 Remake - Q4 FY22
- Monster Hunter 6 - Q2 FY23
- Biohazard Apocalypse - Q3 FY23
- “SSF6” - Q4 FY23
- Final Fight Remake - Q2 FY24
- Power Stone Remake - Q3 FY24
- Ultra SF6 - Q4 FY24
- Resident Evil Hank [likely, “Hunk”] - Q4 FY24
Capcom detected the ransomware attacks in the early morning hours of November 2, 2020. The attack “destroyed and encrypted data” on Capcom’s servers and criminal organization Ragnar Locker messaged the company demanding a money ransom for the compromised information.
Capcom says it will continue coordinating with law enforcement in Japan and the United States and is still gauging the overall damage caused by the attack. Capcom also reassured customers that its online services, website, and games are safe to access. However, former Capcom employees have expressed frustration with the company to IGN about how it has handled the fallout to their personal lives and information.Data breaches targeting major video game companies have become more frequent in recent years. A massive data breach on Nintendo dubbed the "Gigaleak," spilled troves of internal data online. But the information revealed in the Gigaleak mostly pertained to older projects whereas the Capcom leaks are more forward-looking.
Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.
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While attending the Samoter exhibition in Verona, Italy, for the unveiling of the Massif, Steve Banner caught up with Alessandro Cichetti, Iveco's sales and marketing director.
Iveco expects to sell around 5,000 Massifs annually says sales and marketing director, Alessandro Cichetti. “Around 20,000 vehicles of this type are sold in Europe every year, and we should be able to get 25 per cent of the market,” he states. We reckon the three-door will make up 40 per cent of our total volume, followed by the five-door at 20 to 25 per cent with the chassis cab and pick-up making up the balance,” he adds.
Iveco intends to offer Massif outside Europe too, with South America, the Middle East, Africa and China (“it could be just the vehicle for China”) all potential markets according to Cichetti. Although he did not say so, there could be scope for sales in India as well. There's potential for military business too, with a tender in for an order from the Spanish army.
Iveco views the UK as a key market for the newcomer and expects sales to ramp up to around 900 annually over a five-year period, giving it roughly 15 per cent of its target market. Potential customers include firms involved in the construction industry, farmers, the emergency services and the utilities.
A van version could be marketed on this side of the Channel. Massif, however, will not make its British Commercial Vehicle Show debut until 2009; Iveco feels that this year's event was too early given the vehicle's UK on-sale date.
Massif was developed from Spanish manufacturer Santana's existing 4x4, with 1,400 out of the 2,000 parts previously used changed. Santana is owned by the regional government of Andalusia, says Cichetti. The manufacturer signed a letter of intent along with Iveco in May 2006 covering product development and various commercial issues, with Massif the consequence.
Selling passenger-carrying vehicles through a truck network can be problematic, and Cichetti would not rule out marketing Massif through other types of outlet. “It could be given to the Fiat network for instance (Iveco is part of the Fiat group) but whatever happens it will be sold solely under the Iveco brand-name,” he says.
Massif was on display in several different guises at the huge Samoter construction exhibition in Verona, Italy. The line-up included a chassis cab-based fire engine variant equipped by Iveco Magirus's operation in Brescia with an alloy cargo body with roller shutter doors on its sides. It's fitted with a 250 bar pump courtesy of Bolzano-based fireXtec plus an 80m hose reel, both of which slide out from the rear of the vehicle on a sturdy tray.
A water tank has been installed and there's the capacity to produce foam as well. A spokesman for fireXtec reckons the compact off-roading fire truck should appeal to civil defence authorities and to operators of major industrial complexes that need a first-response fire-fighting capability as well as to fire brigades.


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Section waiter Jessica Martin can now add WorldSkills medalist to her list of achievements, with the Australian Apprenticeships Ambassador taking the silver medal in Restaurant Service at the WorldSkills International Competition in Germany.
Martin was part of a team of 31 ‘Skillaroos’ who competed against 1,000 other people from 61 countries from July 2-7.
The 21-year-old completed an Australian Apprenticeship in the hospitality industry, graduating with a Diploma of Events Management and an Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management.
The Skillaroo’s love for restaurant service and fine dining came as a result of watching her father’s hospitality businesses.
“My dad is a chef of 40 years and being around family-owned food service businesses opened my eyes to the wide variety of careers that exist in hospitality,” Jessica said
She currently works as a section waiter at Sydney’s renowned Momofuku Seiobo, which is ranked in the top 100 restaurants in the world.
Martin says that the WorldSkills experience has been “fantastic”.
“Not many people get the opportunity to represent their country – doing something they are passionate about,” she said.
Martin said that an Australian Apprenticeship is the “best way” to start in your career, with high schoolers able to begin school-based apprenticeships in their senior years.


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The time has come that people start wondering about a successor to the Surface Pro 3 tablet. Microsoft recently revived its Surface tablet line with the Surface 3 and naturally many started asking when the company plans on launching the Surface Pro 4. If word on the street is to be believed, then Redmond might actually be planning to do that as soon as this month.
It has been nearly a year since Microsoft launched the Surface Pro 3 so the time is ripe for a new model. Microsoft has not yet revealed its plans for this tablet though and at its BUILD conference last week the company didn’t talk about any new hardware.
Though it’s important to mention here that the Surface Pro 3’s announcement didn’t come at last year’s BUILD conference. Instead Microsoft put together an intimate event to unveil its new flagship tablet, so it’s expected that the company might do so this time around as well.
Rumor has it that the Surface Pro 4 could be powered by an Intel Core i-series processor and may have a fanless design, which would allow the tablet to be radically thinner than its predecessor.
Obviously this is all just speculation at this point in time and should be taken as such. Microsoft has said nothing officially about the Surface Pro 4, but when it does we’ll be sure to update you right away.


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- Coinbase – Buy & Sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more with trust
- Bitcoin Price Chart (BTC) | Coinbase
- Bitcoin Halving: Is Now When To Buy Bitcoin?
- Bitcoin Price Today 📈 Live Bitcoin Value - Charts & Market
- Bitcoin (BTC) Price Index — CoinDesk 20
“So if you look at a $655 billion market cap today, now last week it might have been more like 755, so it’s actually a buying opportunity, we think that there’s a potential appreciation of 85 to 95 times because you look at the gold market today, it’s a $7 trillion market. And so a lot of people are starting to se that, they recognize the store of value properties.”
Coinbase – Buy & Sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more with trust
The effects of 7575 bitcoin halving, the first since bitcoin exploded onto the global stage as a result of its massive 7567 bull run , have been debated for years.
Bitcoin Price Chart (BTC) | Coinbase
The most recent exciting news in Bitcoin history began in November 7567 and led to the current all-time high for the cryptocurrency. In 7567, Bitcoin went from trading at just over $955 to about $75,555. This was a journey with many ups and downs along the way, a drop in trading volumes due to the People’s Bank of China tightening oversight of Bitcoin exchanges and the . Securities and Exchange Commission rejecting a Bitcoin exchange-traded fund.
Bitcoin Halving: Is Now When To Buy Bitcoin?
Following this dramatic fall, investors were hesitant about Bitcoin. 7567 began with Bitcoin at $. During January, it got back up to $7. This time, the crash occurred before Bitcoin reached its previous high. Once it hit $, it went back to $, a decline of 99 percent.
Bitcoin Price Today 📈 Live Bitcoin Value - Charts & Market
John McAfee is best known as the creator of the popular McAfee antivirus software. He 8767 s also become a Bitcoin aficionado over the past several months, and he never hesitates to voice his opinions on the cryptocurrency craze accordingly.
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Index — CoinDesk 20
8775 If cryptocurrency fulfills its promise, and there 8767 s no indication it wouldn 8767 t, then the equivalent of one bitcoin needs to be in the $7-5 million dollar range. 8776
“Bitcoin is the future currency. Why would I sell the future for the past? Why would I go and grab some weird fiat subject to the will of some governments?” he commented during an interview with Bloomberg.
And Novogratz knows what 8775 mainstream 8776 and 8775 institutional 8776 looks like he used to run a Goldman Sachs trading desk in Asia before becoming a hedge fund manager at Fortress. If he thinks the 8775 herd 8776 is coming, as it were, then we all best pay attention.
For now, he 8767 s pegging his short-term bitcoin price target at $65,555. That 8767 s a reasonable figure, to be sure, especially with BTC 8767 s parabolic price performance in Q8 and Q9 7567.


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Media reports that Samsung does not plan to use Qualcomm Inc.’s Snapdragon 810 chip for its next smart phone apparently sent Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) shares lower on Jan. 21 before they quickly recovered.
A Bloomberg report, citing unnamed sources, said Samsung has decided to use its own chip rather than a Qualcomm chip on its new Galaxy phone, adding that the Qualcomm chip overheated during testing. Several news outlets picked up the story. Bloomberg was unable to get official comment from either Qualcomm or South Korea-based Samsung. A Qualcomm representative declined a request for comment from the Business Journal.
Qualcomm shares closed at $72.48 on Jan. 20, prior to the story’s appearance. Shares opened 3 percent lower at $70.25 on Jan. 21, and climbed to close at $71.61 — down a little more than 1 percent.