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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Mexican President Carlos Salinas and U.S. President George H.W. Bush, came into force on January 1, 1994. NAFTA has created economic growth and a rising standard of living for the people of the three member countries. By strengthening trade and investment rules and procedures across the continent, Nafta has proven to be a solid foundation for building Canada`s prosperity. NAFTA replaced Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA). Negotiations on CUFTA began in 1986 and the agreement entered into force on 1 January 1989. The two nations agreed on a landmark agreement that put Canada and the United States at the forefront of trade liberalization. For more information, visit the Canada-U.S.
Free Trade Agreement information page. In addition to its work with the WTO, the United States has concluded trade agreements with 20 countries that cover a number of issues, ranging from tariffs on goods and access to the agricultural market to intellectual property and the environment. For the FDA, the specific themes are chapters of agreements on regulatory issues such as SPS measures, OBTs and good regulatory practices – as well as sector chapters on cosmetics, medical devices and drugs, if any. The FDA helps develop negotiation proposals in the United States and the FDA is actively involved in trade negotiations with U.S. trading partners. If the Trans-Pacific Partnership of Origin (TPP) were to enter into force, existing agreements, such as NAFTA, would be reduced to provisions that do not conflict with the TPP or require greater trade liberalization than the TPP.  However, only Canada and Mexico would have the prospect of becoming members of the TPP after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement in January 2017. In May 2017, the remaining 11 members of the TPP, including Canada and Mexico, agreed to pursue a revised version of the trade agreement without U.S. participation.  The USMCA will have an impact on the way Member States negotiate future free trade agreements. Section 32.10 requires USMCA countries to notify USMCA members three months in advance if they plan to enter into free trade negotiations with non-market economies.


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Tag - Maine
A study conducted in Auburn, Maine suggests that the iPad may be able to improve literacy rates among kindergarten students, notes The Loop. The Auburn School Department recently assigned iPads to half of the district's 16 kindergarten classes for a period of nine weeks. This translated into 129 students being taught with iPads, and 137 without; to gauge results, all of the students were tested before and after the trial.
Plans are now in place to distribute MacBooks amongst Maine high school students, according to officials from the state's Department of Education. Known to have been in the works since at least March, a deal with Apple will see over 64,000 MacBooks reach students and teachers between grades 7 and 12. Another 7,000 notebooks should be ordered within the next few weeks, officials say.
Apple stands to benefit from a new deal being negotiated with the government of Maine, writes the Associated Press. Members of the state's Education Department are said to be negotiating a four-year lease, which would see 100,000 MacBooks handed out to students in grades 7 to 12. By this fall the state hopes to provide all students in these grades with a notebook, expanding on efforts first begun in 2002.
A new Apple retail store has been confirmed to be opening its doors on September 13th in Maine, alongside the openings of stores in Ohio and Australia. This will be the first official Apple Store to be opened in Maine, which will be located at the Maine Mall in South Portland. The shop should feature all of Apple's normal retail services, such as a Genius Bar, Business Services, Workshops, Personal Shoppers, One-to-One training and Youth Programs.
Construction has begun on Apple's first retail store in the state of Maine, separate facts reveal. Confirming rumors from April, the Maine Mall in South Portland now lists Apple in its store directory, with an opening timeframe set for "Fall '08." The store may easily finish construction before October however, as a MacNN reader has taken photos of a facade already in place within the mall. Apple Stores tend to be completed within weeks of such facades being erected.
Apple is planning to open its first retail store in Maine this year, the Portland Press Herald reports. The newspaper observes that Apple's official job listings mention a location in the Maine Mall, and listings on Monster.com refer to openings for artists, store managers, sales representatives and inventory specialists. An Apple spokeswoman has refused to confirm either half of the equation, but has not denied any claims either.
Now AAPL Stock: 100.41 ( + 0.79 )
Markzware updates Q2ID for QuarkXPress 12 files
Graphic design file conversion tool maker Markzware has launched a new version of its Q2ID tool. The InDesign plugin enables users to open QuarkXPress files within a new InDesign (INDD) document, without rebuilding the QXP document from scratch -- the new version includes support for QuarkXPress 12 files. Q2ID Subscription members can download the new version as part of their annual plan. A single-user can purchase the plugin for $200, with other licensing options available. http://bit.ly/1Z4dS9t
PopChar X 7.5 arrives
Ergonis Software has released PopChar X 7.5, an improved version of the company's tool for finding and inserting special characters and exploring fonts. PopChar X 7.5 adds support for combined emojis in the Apple Color Emoji font, enhances the "Font Info" view, and adds many further enhancements that improve overall speed and stability. PopChar X 7.5 retails for €30 ($34), and is free for anyone who owns a license for PopChar X 7 or purchased a license for PopChar X 6 on or after March 1, 2014 [4.5MB]
Safari Technology Preview release 5 arrives
Parallels Access 3.1 updated for iPad Pro
Virtualization software Parallels Access 3.1 has been updated with support for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, including Apple Pencil support. The software allows remote access to your PC or Mac from anywhere to control desktop applications from iOS or Android tablets and phones, with native touch gestures, as well as from any computer with an HTML5 web browser. Featuring three resolution choices for your mobile device ("Best for your Device," "More Space," and "Same as Computer") and 3D Touch support for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the update also adds a new Tablet Mode in Windows 10, which makes it easier to interact without a mouse or keyboard. http://bit.ly/1OWZqjg
Hyundai brings CarPlay to more 2016 models
Along with its previously-announced support for adding CarPlay technology to the 2016 Sonata, 2017 Elantra, and 2017 Ioniq, a leaked memo to dealers has revealed that CarPlay-supporting software updates will be available today that bring the infortainment tech to the 2015 and 2016 non-hybrid Sonata models, the 2016 hybrid Sonata, the 2015 and 2016 Genesis Sedan, the 2016 Tucson, the 2017 Santa Fe, and the 2017 Ioniq. Owners can upgrade the system themselves by visiting the Hyundai website, and will need a Mac or PC with either an SD card slot or SD card reader to transfer the update to the vehicle. http://bit.ly/1YZqkqS
Google Paris HQ raided by investigators
Google's Paris headquarters has been raided by dozens of French police. The Tuesday raid was part of an ongoing investigation into possible tax-avoidance practices, stoked by widespread dissatisfaction with the way multinationals like Google are structuring their business operations. Although trading in many countries around the globe, Google reports its international sales only in tax-friendly Ireland, similar to a practice adopted by Apple. According to French law, if it completes any of its sales contracts in France and not Ireland alone, it could be in breach of its laws. Google, for its part, denies any wrongdoing, and said that it is fully compliant with French law. http://reut.rs/1Udk2T9
Apple TV extends universal search to NBC
Apple has extended its universal search function on the Apple TV to now include NBC shows in its results, provided the user has installed the NBC tvOS app. The search results can be generated either through Siri, or through the Search app, and includes support for searches by title, genre, and actor, among other queries. NBC joins CBS, more recently, among other channels including: Disney Channel; Disney Jr; Disney XD; FOXNOW; FXNOW; HBO GO; HBO NOW; Hulu; Nat Geo TV; Netflix; PBS; PBS Kids; SHOWTIME; SHOWTIME Anytime; Starz, and Watch ABC, all of which are supported by universal search. http://apple.co/25lGi5R

domain: news


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- Ben Morris
- Simon Tulett
Last updated 19 June 2014Share
05:59Ben Morris, Business Reporter
It should be an interesting morning, with insights into the car market and mortgage lending. You can contact us at email@example.com and @bbcbusiness.
06:00Simon Tulett, Business Reporter
We'll also find out how falling inflation is affecting our spending habits, with the latest retail sales figures. Stay with us until 13:00.
06:03 AMAZON SMARTPHONE
Amazon has unveiled its first handset, offering 3D visuals - thanks to four face-tracking cameras. The Fire Phone allows its user to change an image's perspective by moving their head. It can also recognise millions of objects and offers users the opportunity to buy them on (you guessed it) Amazon.
06:09 TSB VALUED
Lloyds Banking Group is likely to value TSB at £1.3bn, according to the Financial Times. That's almost £300m less than Lloyds values TSB in its own accounts, the FT says. As a result Lloyds could be left with a hefty paper loss, it adds. The report says that Lloyds will price the shares later on Thursday.
06:16 AMAZON SMARTPHONERadio 5 live
What's the verdict on Amazon's smartphone? BBC North America technology correspondent Richard Taylor was at the phone's launch. "It's certainly novel," he says on Wake Up to Money. The 3D does have a "wow" factor. Todd Bishop, editor of Geekwire, says the phone will stand out, but wonders whether it will be seen as gimmicky. He sees "single digit" market share.
06:23 CHILD ENTREPRENEURSRadio 5 live
Should entrepreneurship be taught in schools to children as young as five? That's what Wake Up to Money is asking this morning. It's one of the proposals from Lord Young, the government's adviser on competitiveness, in a report due to be released today. Rose Marley, who runs a project supporting young tech entrepreneurs in Manchester, says schools are "inherently non-entrepreneurial".
06:35 ARGENTINA DEBTBBC Radio 4
Argentina is heading towards a default after losing a long-running legal battle against hedge funds that own its government bonds. On Today Stuart Culverhouse, head of research at Exotix, says the hedge funds are in a strong position. He adds that the latest court decision could make it harder to reach debt restructuring agreements in the future.
06:46 CHILD ENTREPRENEURSRadio 5 live
Watch out schoolteachers! Those plans for entrepreneurship lessons could lead to much more difficult classrooms. "The things that make you entrepreneurial like risk-taking and non-conformity are the sorts of things that get you expelled from school," Rose Marley tells Wake Up to Money.
06:49 UK CAR PRODUCTION
Spring shutdowns at some car plants resulted in a 9.8% fall in UK car production in May, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). But the prospects for the rest of the year remain bright, thanks to new UK-built models, the industry body says.
06:59 CHINA DEALSBBC Radio 4
Mark Boleat, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, was at Wednesday's banquet for Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The latter made a "very warm speech" and spoke with "great enthusiasm" about the UK, Mr Boleat said. He adds that the Chinese market is still "pretty closed" to UK financial firms, but they are poised to benefit when the market is opened up.


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Two rapidly growing Finnish tech startups, Vainu and Leadfeeder, today announce an integration that will enable the lead generation companies to provide even better sales insights for their international customers.
Last week Leadfeeder announced further focused expansion in Sweden resulting in a 300% rise in trials from Sweden in March. Meanwhile Vainu has opened new offices in Stockholm and Amsterdam and keeps up the 15% monthly growth.
Leadfeeder’s innovative approach to online lead generation has caught the public’s attention during the past 12 months and the tool has featured in notable publications like The Next Web, Computer Weekly and Kissmetrics.
Vainu – a 1.5-year-old tech startup of already 50 people – has developed a B2B sales software that helps companies prospect and sell smarter. The software enriches company databases by analysing external signals from the web, making sure that you never miss a lead again.
Head of partnerships at Leadfeeder, Jaakko Paalanen, sees a bright future for the companies:
“Both solutions are helping modern sales organisations be in the right place at the right time and naturally complement each other. Several prominent customers have been asking for an integration, so we decided to build an effortless integration that enables easy data flow in both directions.”
The integration means that Vainu automatically creates target groups from the companies that Leadfeeder shows have visited your website. You can easily follow these companies in Vainu and get notified whenever there’s an interesting sales possibility.
In the future Vainu’s data will be shown in Leadfeeder to enrich company information, which will help users to better understand which companies are the most potential customers for them.
Mikko Honkanen, COO and Co-Founder of Vainu, thinks the cooperation will have a synergistic effect:
“For a long time we have been using each other’s services and many of our customers are using both tools. It was pretty clear that there was a need for an easy integration for our tools and with that the collaboration was very natural. We are going to start off with trying and testing out the integration with our mutual customers and after that expand to all of our users.”


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Far Cry 4’s Valley of the Yetis will launch next month, the game’s publisher has announced.
The downloadable content rejoins Ajay Ghale following a helicopter crash high in the Himalayas, tasking the player with securing, upgrading and protecting a camp from a group of violent cultists who are searching for the Valley’s hidden secret.
Once captured, the camp will act as a safe house which players are able to fortify by completing side quests during the day, and protect from attackers at night.
Valley of the Yetis will be available to Season Pass owners at no additional cost. A standalone price has yet to be announced.
The DLC will launch on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on Tuesday, March 10th, 2015.


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Samsung has just announced its Galaxy S III smartphone – actually to be called as the most awaited phone at an event in London today. The phone specs include a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display at 720p resolution, 8-megapixel primary and 1.9-megapixel front-facing cameras with burst and best-shot modes, 16 or 32GB of storage (a 64GB version is coming later) with microSD expansion, Bluetooth 4.0 support, GPS with GLONASS reception, high-throughput 40MHz 802.11n Wi-Fi, NFC, and a relatively large 2,100mAh battery. There is no mention on processor specs, but with the recent announcement it would be sure that the company would be using recently-announced Exynos 4 Quad-core system-on-chip. There’s no word on carriers or pricing, but Samsung says that Europeans can look for the Galaxy S III to launch at the end of May; other markets around the world will follow after that.
(Image Source: Samsung Galaxy S III)


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Social software provider Spredfast today announced it has acquired Shoutlet, a provider of social data integration.
The merger is an aim to create “a company with substantial resources to deliver powerful products in the fast-paced world of social,” according to a press release. As part of the integration, Shoutlet’s Madison, WI-based headquarters and staff—which supports customers such as Best Buy, Four Seasons, and Lowe’s—will act as Spredfast’s newest development center.
“Spredfast’s proven leadership in the social software space makes it clear that they are absolutely the right company to leverage our technology and people. The combined company will provide customers with richer product options, lightening-fast innovation, and access to the smartest minds in the industry,” said Aaron Everson, president, cofounder of Shoutlet. “We’re looking forward to bringing these two strong teams together.”


text: Samsung last week unveiled the phones we’ve been discussing for the better part of the year, including the Galaxy Z Flip foldable and the new Galaxy S20 flagship series. The Z Flip was the first handset to hit stores, going on sale last Friday. The S20 preorders went live on Friday, with Samsung and its partners expected to ship the handset on March 6th. All three Galaxy S20 versions, including the S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra, come with 5G support, and you won’t be able to score a 4G-only variant in the US. That also means all of them are more expensive than we’d have expected, with prices starting at $999 for the cheapest option. We’ve already told you that it might be a good idea to wait a few more months for the prices to go down. It always happens with Android phones, and last year’s S10 series proved price cuts arrive a lot sooner than expected. We’ve also shown you a few deals that make Samsung’s prices much easier to swallow, especially if you’re looking to trade-in an old device fro the brand new phones.


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3i backs H.B.I to turn science into consumer brands
Acquisition Of Exciting Anti-'Flu Product Kick-Starts New Company
Healthcare Brands International (HBI), a new company helping to turn innovative medical product technology into successful consumer brands, was officially launched today. Backed by venture capital from a syndicate of leading life science investors, HBI is targeting companies which have successfully developed innovative technology but lack the commercial capability and resources to realise their true potential with consumers worldwide. HBI is focussing on consumer needs, which are currently either unmet or only partially met by available OTC products.
The specialist HBI management team is led by Barry Clare, architect of Boots Healthcare International, the hugely successful branded OTC arm of Boots recently sold to Reckitt Benckiser. The ten-strong team has more than 100 combined years of experience in identifying and commercialising new and unique healthcare product and brand opportunities at Boots and other leading consumer goods companies.
The elderberry extract Sambucol® will be HBI''s first brand, following its acquisition by HBI this week. Pioneering virologist Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu identified and developed a unique process for the extraction of an active ingredient in elderberry with antiviral properties which, amongst other benefits, helps combat the symptoms of influenza.
In a first clinical double blind, placebo-controlled trial unique to the Sambucol® brand, patients who suffered influenza symptoms and took Sambucol® saw significant improvements within one to two days. The duration of the ''flu was reduced to three to four days, compared to more than six days in the placebo group. In a separate study, patients taking Sambucol® were relieved of symptoms on average four days earlier compared to eight days in the placebo group and significantly improved within two days compared with six days for the placebo group.
In the most recent in vitro study, conducted in early 2006, Sambucol® was at least 99% effective at inhibiting growth of the avian ''flu virus H5N1.
Sambucol®''s effectiveness in the treatment of influenza, could not be more timely, especially given concerns about the supply of ''flu vaccines for seasonal ''flu. At least a third of the global population is at risk during a ''flu pandemic; the UK''s NHS crisis could affect hundreds of thousands of people, in particular the elderly population and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma. Sambucol® is a powerful example of taking the pioneering work of a leading scientist and delivering a product to meet the needs of today''s consumer.
Dr. Mumcuoglu says of the trials: "The elderberry is a traditional remedy now backed by modern science. Formerly known as ''the medicine chest of the people'', it has active properties as an antiviral, an antioxidant and in helping the body''s natural defence mechanisms."
Barry Clare, Chairman of HBI comments: "We are excited by the clear evidence that Dr. Mumcuoglu has developed a unique product from elderberry which helps relieve the symptoms of ''flu. The Sambucol® brand is the only elderberry product with these clinical trials to support such claims".
Sambucol® is currently on sale in a number of markets including the USA, UK and Western Europe. The Canadian Government actively recommends its use as a defence against ''flu. HBI will develop the brand further in these markets, through increasing availability and consumer awareness and will launch Sambucol® in new markets across the world. HBI will retain partnerships with existing Sambucol® distributors, including Brunel Healthcare in UK and Nature''s Way in USA.
Healthcare Brands International is committed to acquiring, developing and investing in healthcare products and brands to optimise their commercial potential. Backed by leading venture capital investors, Abingworth, MVM, 3i and Sofinnova, HBI will focus on products with real differentiation that meet a relevant consumer need and thereby help grow the global self-medication market. Further product launch announcements can be expected in the near future.
For further information, please contact Gillian Waddell or Barbara Hodgson at Fuel PR.
Notes to editors
3i is a world leader in private equity and venture capital. The company''s focus is on Buyouts, Growth Capital and Venture Capital and invests across Europe, the USA and Asia. Competitive advantage comes from its international network and the strength and depth of business relationships. These underpin the value 3i delivers to its portfolio and to shareholders.
3i''s Venture Capital business invests in scaleable early and late stage businesses. 3i''s VC team currently manage investments across Europe, USA, Asia and Israel, valued in excess of $1 billion. 3i''s VC investment fall into four main industry sectors, including healthcare, telecommunications, software and electronics/semiconductors. In the last twelve months, 3i''s VC healthcare team invested in TransMedics, Zonare, Small Bone Innovations, Carmel Pharma, Ulthera, Endosense and Triage Wireless.


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The device brought in US$26.4 billion (A$37.6 billion) in revenue in the final quarter, down from US$33.4 billion a year ago.
And for the full 12 months ending on 26 September, iPhone sales brought in revenue of US$137.8 billion, down from US$142.4 billion for the 12 months that ended on 28 September 2019.
British news agency Reuters said this was the steepest quarterly drop in iPhone sales in two years.
Overall, the company said it had record September quarter revenue of US$64.7 billion and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $0.73. International sales accounted for 59% of the quarter’s revenue.
“Apple capped off a fiscal year defined by innovation in the face of adversity with a September quarter record, led by all-time records for Mac and Services,” said Apple chief executive Tim Cook.
“Despite the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, Apple is in the midst of our most prolific product introduction period ever, and the early response to all our new products, led by our first 5G-enabled iPhone line-up, has been tremendously positive.
"From remote learning to the home office, Apple products have been a window to the world for users as the pandemic continues, and our teams have met the needs of this moment with creativity, passion, and the kinds of big ideas that only Apple can deliver.”
Apple chief financial officer Luca Maestri said: “Our outstanding September quarter performance concludes a remarkable fiscal year, where we established all-time records for revenue, earnings per share, and free cash flow, in spite of an extremely volatile and challenging macro environment.
“Our sales results and the unmatched loyalty of our customers drove our active installed base of devices to an all-time high in all of our major product categories. We also returned nearly US$22 billion to shareholders during the quarter, as we maintain our target of reaching a net cash neutral position over time.”


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Pete Macomber is hoping for a little exposure after winning Mozilla's "Firefox Flicks" competition.
Times Reader harnesses the graphics power of Windows Vista to allow for better on-screen reading of the "Gray Lady."
California group tinkers with Toyota's hybrid car to let it plug into a wall socket--and get 100 miles per gallon.
In San Francisco, Samsung launches its new Origami minitablet Pc, dubbed the Q1.
Tech students in Japan load a lightweight aircraft with one pilot and lots and lots of batteries.
Listeners can play a full song five times free but must subscribe or purchase the song to hear it again.
TabletKiosk hoped to beat Samsung out of the gate with its "Eo," but had to halt most shipments because of a glitch.
A handful of readers may finally fulfill hopes of an e-paper revolution, making newspapers and books accessible anywhere.
DARPA and Carnegie Mellon University unveil Crusher--a new vehicle in the growing military fleet of robots on wheels.
Thousands of immigrant rights supporters in San Francisco join their counterparts nationwide in a one-day protest.
On day two of the auditions, team hopefuls show their stuff.
Microsoft Research's prototype software program for handset keypads is designed to let consumers conduct online queries using abbreviations.
Research into antisatellite laser weaponry is being conducted at the Starfire government observatory in New Mexico.
Nokia's newly released business phone is designed to compete directly with Research In Motion's BlackBerry.
Take a peek at screenshots of Microsoft's homegrown ad-delivery system.


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Investors reacted favorably to Feb. 13 news of an unexpected increase in first-time jobless claims for the previous week, as well as a decline in January retail sales sending stocks on a broad rally for most of the day’s trading activity.
The previous day, St. Louis Fed Reserve President James Bullard’s indicated that a progressively improving US economy would mean a normalization of the Central Bank’s monetary politics, which had somewhat rattled investors.
The Final Tally
● Standard & Poor’s 500: +0.58 percent to 1,829.83
● Dow Jones Industrial Average: +0.40 percent to 16,027.59
● Nasdaq: +0.94 to 4,240.67
Our Top Stories
● Equities.com’s respected analyst George Brooks on Wall Street’s reaction to US economic indicators.
● Mike Turner discusses strategies for an uncertain market that could break either way.
● CrowdCast’s conversation with Sam Hodges on peer-to-peer lending.
● The Life Sciences Report speaks with H.C. Wainwright’s Reni Benjamin about the prospects for regenerative medicine.
● Etienne Moshevich on Rango Energy ($RANO) and other producers working to unlock the vast crude reserves of the Monterey Shale.
● Andy Wadlock on the base that is forming in the corn futures market.
● The Mining Report tells us what Indonesia’s ore export ban will meanfor metals producers going forward.
● Jacob Harper on Olympic champions who went on to succeed in other careers.
On the S&P 500
Leading US cable service provider Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) shed almost 4 percent on the day, after the company announced a $45 billion all-stock purchase of it’s second-place rival Time Warner Cable (TWC) . Shares for TWC went the other direction, gaining about 7 percent by the closing bell. Telecommunications providers Sprint Nextel (S) and AT&T (T) seem to have been caught in the updraft on gains of 4 and 1.5 percent respectively.
One of the day’s worst performances was posted by Whole Foods Market (WFM) , who saw shares take a 7.5 percent dive after releasing disappointing guidance for 2014.
On the Dow
A strong day on the Dow saw 8 components in the red, most of them negligibly so with the exception of Cisco Systems (CSCO) , off over 3.5 percent after releasing its own underwhelming quarterly earnings report. Meanwhile, Unitedhealth Group (UNH) , Boeing (BA) and Nike (NKE) were on the winning-most end of the benchmark index, each up over 1 percent.
On the Nasdaq
Tech stocks were the big story on the Nasdaq exchange, with a number of companies scoring big gains, undeterred by the trouble over at Cisco Systems. Facebook (FB) jumped some 4 percent, while semiconductor company Applied Materials (AMAT) was up nearly 6 percent. Other hardware companies also trading higher were NVIDIA (NVDA) , up 2.25 percent, Intel (INTC) up 0.50 percent, Plug Power Inc. (PLUG) , up nearly 5 percent, and Himax Technologies (HIMX) , up nearly 2 percent. Leading device maker Apple (AAPL) added 1.33 percent ahead of the closing bell.
DISCLOSURE: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors, and do not represent the views of equities.com. Readers should not consider statements made by the author as formal recommendations and should consult their financial advisor before making any investment decisions. To read our full disclosure, please go to: http://www.equities.com/disclaimer


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Bowling Green, Kentucky – General Motors is adding a second shift and more than 400 hourly jobs at its Bowling Green (Kentucky) Assembly plant to support production of the Next Generation Corvette, which will be revealed on July 18, 2019.
The addition of the second shift will increase the plant’s workforce to more than 1,300.
“The Corvette’s iconic status owes so much to the men and women of Bowling Green, where it has been built exclusively for almost 40 years,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “This is the workforce that can deliver a next-generation Corvette worthy of both its historic past and an equally exciting future.”
United Auto Workers Vice President Terry Dittes added, “Members from UAW Local 2164 are proud to build the iconic Chevrolet Corvette and will be adding a full shift of production and over 400 new bargaining unit jobs through this investment. We hope to see more of this in the future from GM, which is good for our members, their families, the community, and all of America.”
Since 2011, GM has invested more than $900 million into Bowling Green, including investments in a new body shop, increased engine capacity, new paint shop, a new Performance Build Center (where Corvette buyers can pay a premium to help build their own cars), and additional plant upgrades.
Bowling Green Assembly has produced more than 1 million Corvettes since it opened in 1981.
The first-generation Corvette was introduced as a 1953 model year. Originally designed as a show car for the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show, it generated enough interest to go into production.
The seventh and most current generation Corvette was revealed in January 2013 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and was the first to bring back the Stingray nameplate since 1976. The final production seventh generation Corvette will be auctioned off this summer with proceeds benefiting the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.


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Cosmos Holidays is offering a seven-night holiday in Cyprus for two in June for £1,091 – a saving of £470.
Thomas Cook, a leading holiday company, has said that their summer holiday targets will only be met if they enjoy a last-minute surge of bookings, according to The Daily Mail.
Meanwhile Thomson, the country's biggest holiday company, is offering hundreds of pounds off the price of foreign trips, the newspaper said.
The moves come as fears mount that smaller companies may be forced into closure due to the recession.
According to the market researchers Ascent MI, holiday bookings are down 11 per cent on last year.
Dermot Blastland, the British boss of Thomson, told the newspaper: "There is no doubt more travel companies will cease trading in the toughest market for many years. In my view, up to one million people will be affected. Most will probably get their money back, but many more won't. This is scary stuff."
Juliet Dennis, of Travel Weekly, told the newspaper: "The ongoing credit crunch, the see-sawing cost of fuel, the pound's fall against both the dollar and the euro, and continued poor consumer confidence are all making things very difficult for travel companies."


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SQM to Expand Lithium Production After Reaching Deal with Corfo
Under the agreement, SQM will be able to expand its lithium production by an extra 349,553 tonnes until 2030.
Major lithium producer SQM (NYSE:SQM) ended a long-running dispute with Chilean development agency Corfo over royalties in the Salar de Atacama, the company said on Wednesday (January 17).
As a result, SQM will be able to expand its lithium production by an extra 349,553 tonnes until 2030, allowing the company to take advantage of increasing lithium demand for electric car batteries.
The deal requires SQM to pay the communities near the Salar de Atacama between $10 and $15 million every year. The company has also agreed to supply Chile with lithium at a favorable price.
“SQM is going to make an important economic effort in the first years, with high lease payments and investments in production capacity, but in the long term we will be able to consolidate our leadership in the industry,” Patricio de Solminihac, CEO of SQM, said in a press release.
The three-year-long dispute started when Corfo accused SQM of underpaying royalties and violating environmental regulations at lithium deposits leased from the government. The top lithium producer denied the allegations and arbitration started in May 2014.
After this week’s deal was signed, Corfo Chief Eduardo Bitran said SQM has agreed to overhaul its corporate governance board to ensure adherence to global standards, a key condition put forward by Chilean authorities. Royalties paid by SQM will also increase to equal those established in a similar contract between Chile and lithium producer Albemarle (NYSE:ALB).
The SQM/Corfo agreement was highly anticipated and welcomed by analysts and market participants.
“I believe the deal is great news for all parties involved,” lithium expert Joe Lowry told the Investing News Network (INN). “In addition, it gives lithium-ion battery makers and car companies comfort that secure supply will be available over the next several years.”
Similarly, Chris Berry of House Mountain Partners told INN that the agreement is a welcome and transformational deal for the entire lithium market.
“Though SQM’s production costs will rise, it will allow them to remain a dominant player in the lithium sector for years to come, and hold out the possibility of building out downstream aspects of the lithium supply chain in Chile,” Berry added.
According to Lowry, prior to this agreement much of the assumed lithium supply between now and 2025 was from unfinanced junior projects.
“Additional supply from the Atacama will render many high-cost junior projects unnecessary in the near term and much more difficult to finance. [But] most of the best junior projects in Argentina and Australia are already financed and will still move forward,” Lowry added.
In fact, he said the new Atacama supply will replace high-cost junior capacity that was assumed “at best speculative,” and that it may be “a difficult road for the more speculative junior plays and projects in ‘high-risk’ jurisdictions.”
That said, Lowry still believes that, despite the potential output expansion of SQM, it will take time to ramp up in Chile. That means oversupply in the market is not expected any time soon.
Berry agreed, saying that even though the supply increase is significant, it is not likely to be felt for a few years as SQM works to build out additional capacity. “I would think that SQM’s downstream customers are breathing a sigh of relief tonight,” he added.
On Wednesday, shares of SQM closed up 1.64 percent in New York at US$59.55, a modest rebound after closing 6.6 percent down on Tuesday (January 16).
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Priscila Barrera, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.


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A diet rich in carbs, high in protein, and low in fat could be the key to preventing worms from growing into the gallbladder and causing the gallstones to form.
The diet is being introduced by the University of Queensland, which is hoping it will help millions of Australians to eat less meat, and replace it with plant-based foods such as cabbage and spinach.
The new diet aims to address an increase in infections, which could be linked to meat consumption.
It will replace a number of meat-based dishes such as beef stew, sausages, burgers and bologna, as well as some processed foods such a hot dog, chips and pasta.
“The diet has been designed specifically for people with gallstones and the problem is that they don’t like to eat meat or red meat,” said Dr Chris Smith, a University of Qld gastroenterologist.
“People who have gallstones will not eat any meat and are more likely to eat more plant- based foods, particularly vegetables and fruits.”
In some cases, such as those who have the gallstone-related condition gallstones in the throat, people will not have any type of food at all.
Dr Smith said a large number of people would be able to benefit from the diet, but the study has not yet been done.
“We’ve done a number tests and we’ve looked at a range of different food groups,” he said.
“So we don’t have an absolute answer to how the diet works.”
However, if we’re able to find a food that works well for people who have that condition, we’re confident it could work for the vast majority of people.
“The diet will replace red and processed meat with plant foods including cabbage and kale, as it will not add any saturated fat to the diet.
It is designed to help reduce the risk of gallstones, which cause an infection of the gall bladder and cause the gall bladders to swell up, creating a gap between the blood vessels.
It does not include the usual number of animal products, including pork and lamb.”
It’s not a total replacement of the animal products,” Dr Smith said.
He said the new diet could also help prevent infections.”
When you have a gallstone you will often get infections from your intestines, so you need to look after your stomach as well,” he explained.”
If you’re getting infections from the gut, you will also have problems with your intestine tract.
“What we’re trying to do is provide a diet that can help prevent these infections from occurring.”
Dr Smith is one of the authors of a study on the diet published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Wednesday.
“Our findings show that people who eat the diet will have a reduced risk of developing gallstones,” he told AAP.
“This is very significant, and we’re looking forward to seeing if this works in people who are suffering from gallstones.”
He said people who already had gallstones were likely to have less difficulty adjusting to the new food.
“They’re very unlikely to be eating anything that might trigger the gall stones in the first place,” he added.


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GVC made fresh €3.9bn approach for Coral Ladbrokes
It is the second time the online gambling group approached Ladbrokes about a tie-up
Online gambling group GVC approached Ladbrokes Coral, the UK bookmaker, in recent weeks with a takeover offer worth as much as £3.6bn to create one of the world’s largest betting companies
Online gambling group GVC approached Ladbrokes Coral, the UK bookmaker, in recent weeks with a takeover offer worth as much as £3.6 billion (€3.92 billion) to create one of the world’s largest betting companies.
According to two people close to the discussions, the talks broke down and are no longer active.
But they are the latest sign that British gambling groups are preparing for a fresh round of consolidation, with dealmaking disrupted as the industry braces itself for further regulatory crackdowns from UK authorities.
It is the second time that Isle of Man-based GVC has approached Ladbrokes about a tie-up, with talks held last year. At the time, Ladbrokes was completing its £2.2 billion combination with Coral.
Discussions have foundered for a number of reasons, including disagreement over the value of the companies, an issue exacerbated by the uncertainty surrounding the UK government’s review into the gambling sector that is expected to be released this autumn.
According to two people with knowledge of GVC’s proposal, it valued Ladbrokes Coral, which has 3,500 high street shops in the UK, at roughly 140p per share, or £2.7 billion. However, the online gambling company also proposed an uplift of about 50p per share depending on the outcome of the regulatory review. This could have pushed the final price up to £3.6 billion.
GVC and Ladbrokes Coral declined to comment.
GVC’s approach has been bolstered by the performance of its share price, which has climbed more than 16 per on the year and given the company a market value of £2.26 billion. On Tuesday, shares in Ladbrokes Coral were trading at 119.6p.
Among the expected changes from the UK review is a clampdown on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) – instore machines criticised by campaigners as the “crack cocaine of gambling”.
Some British MPs and activist groups such as the Campaign for Fairer Gambling have argued that maximum stakes on FOBTs should be slashed from up to £100 to £2. Should this happen, Barclays, the bank, estimates that Ladbrokes Coral would lose £449 million in machine revenues in 2018.
A deal would have been the latest in an industry that is consolidating at a rapid pace due to competition on traditional bookmakers from online upstarts such as GVC and Bet365, as well as the impact of new regulations.
GVC, which is led by chief executive Kenny Alexander, has been among the most aggressive at scoping out potential deals. In 2015, the company, which owns Sportingbet, beat rival 888 Holdings to acquire Bwin.party in a £1.1 billion deal. In the same year, Betfair and Paddy Power combined to create the world’s largest online gambling company.
– (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2017)


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Bobby Power, managing director of Go Wild Magazines and formerly of Galbally, has been awarded an All-Ireland Business All-Star accreditation as a Thought Leader in Advertising & Publishing – an independently verified standard mark for indigenous businesses, based on rigorous selection criteria.
The accreditation is overseen by the All-Ireland Business Foundation, whose adjudication panel is chaired by Dr. Briga Hynes of the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick and Kieran Ring, CEO of the Global Institute of Logistics.
Dr. Hynes said the accreditation, which is now held by over 350 firms, is needed by the thousands of small and medium businesses which operate to their own standards, but have nothing to measure them by.
“We evaluate a company’s background, trustworthiness and performance, and we speak to customers, employees and vendors,” she said.
Operating a well-known coast to coast tourism magazine business under the Go Wild brand, Bobby Power, in welcoming the award, told the Vale Star, “It’s great to be recognised by such a prestigious adjudication panel and I am delighted that Go Wild magazines, has achieved a quality mark, signifying that it meets the highest standards of service and trust.”


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The second edition of the Smart SMB Summit & Awards is set to be held on the 11th of September at the Atlantis in Dubai on the 11th of September.
Business leaders from the UAE and Africa to mentor high-potential startups as they build their businesses and target new market opportunities; announcement comes ahead of the 5th Global Business Forum (GBF) on Africa, takin
Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, together with the DIFC FinTech Hive, the largest financial technology accelerator in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), are the first in the region to cer
Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the Middle East, has partnered with SAP, a market leader in enterprise software, to become the first bank globally to implement SAP Financial Services Data Platform.
Dubai Retail, the retail management arm of Dubai Holding, has announced that JRG Dubai, its home-grown restaurant management company, has rebranded as Sarood Hospitality, marking a n
Emirates District Cooling LLC [Emicool] – a leading district cooling service provider in the region and a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai Investments PJSC has been conferred with its 9th consecutive IDEA District Energy Aw
To highlight its vision for the future of urban mobility and to underscore its commitment to a sustainable future, Uber recently partnered with telecom service provider du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), to demonstrate
The UAE ranked as high as 22nd from among 180 countries overall, and ahead of other Middle Eastern countries.
Under the patronage of H.H.
With the UAE becoming a hotbed for global tech design and innovation, developers from around the world have flocked to Dubai to show off the latest Virtual Reality (VR) experiences built as part of the recent VR & Beyond competition, establish
Meydan One, a next-generation lifestyle and retail destination, today announced its partnership with SMEDistrict, the Dubai-based incubation platform, that aims to bring to life a comprehensive start-up development programme focused on the retail
With more than 1,700 projects worth USD 1 trillion, China’s ambitious One Belt, One Road Initiative aims to positively impact 4.4 billion people, or 65 percent of the world’s population that equals to about 40 percent of the global gross domestic
Keeping with their commitment to support entrepreneurs and build key networks across the region, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) and Endeavor, a global non-profit pioneering in the high-impact entrepreneurship movement, have signed a
Etisalat and Huawei , a leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices—today announced during Mobile World Congress a strategic partnership to deploy end-to-end 5G network in UAE in 2019.
The National Program for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises and Projects of the Ministry of Economy, held a press conference for the launch of AIM Starup 2019 with the theme “Harnessing Global Digitization to Empower Startups and SMEs” which will
His Excellency Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, today announced that Dubai will host the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge i
he Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai launched three quality initiatives today aimed to accelerate future-readiness of the economy and enhance private sector participation in developing a competitive policy framework for achieving s
Four-in-five UAE consumers expect an immediate response from the organizations and vendors they contact—part of a growing demand for ‘SuperServe’ customer engagement, according to the latest global research conducted by Avaya Holdings Corp. and Da
The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in the Department of Economic Development (DED) has announced an automatic settlement facility to traders eligible for 50% reduction on commercial fines.
The Department of Economic Development (DED) has launched the 'Dubai Economic Report 2018,' which reviews the major macro- and sectoral level economic developments and growth in the emirate during 2017.
In line with its efforts to support the UAE National Innovation Strategy, H.H.
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) Service Centre – Al Hamra has been awarded with a 4-star rating by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prime Minister’s Star Rating Program for Service Centres for its commitment to delivering high
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) Academic Zone has announced its collaboration with Canadian University Dubai (CUD) on a series of initiatives toward encouraging entrepreneurship among youth.
Under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Sheraa (Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center) hosted its inaugural Seed program Showcase Day, at the Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival, earlier today.
Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory authority for Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), the integrated free zone technology park has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-
Honeywell today announced the official opening of an innovation hub at the company’s regional headquarters in Dubai.
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) has once again bagged a prestigious recognition at fDi’s Global Free Zones of the Year Awards 2018, winning the ‘Bespoke Award – Reduction in Red Tape’. Representatives from fDi Intelligence ma
The Federal Electricity & Water Authority (FEWA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Honeywell (NYSE: HON), a global leader in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies for buildings, to dr
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced that it will install 270,000 new s
Wahed Invest, a New York headquartered investing platform, is, the first fin-tech Islamic Economy startup, with a valuation of $100m


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Hinckley could soon have a fourth Greggs as plans have gone in to build a new takeaway outlet of the bakery chain next to a petrol station on the A5. The shop would be built north of Dodwells Service Station, next to Aldi, where an LPG tank is currently located.
The new bakery would be the latest change in a series of new developments in the area. A new two-storey, drive-thru McDonalds opened at nearby Dodwells island in 2020.
Plans have also been approved to knock down the Aldi store and replace it with a larger shop. The store will be replaced with a larger supermarket, increasing the size of the store by just over 500 square metres and adding 40 spaces to the car park, bringing the total to 118.
A £4.7 million scheme to install traffic lights on the roundabout was carried out by Highways England between 2014 and 2015. However, plans to turn the section of the A5 near the service station and Aldi into a dual carriageway were scrapped in July 2021, with planners saying the upgrades would deliver "little additional benefit".
The new Greggs would would be open every day from 7am to 10pm and create five full-time and three part-time jobs. It would be the fourth branch the chain has opened in Hinckley.
The last one opened In December 2019, as part of a new retail complex off Rugby Road, run by Heart of England Co-operative Society. The steak bake specialists also have two branches in the town centre, in the Britannia Shopping Centre and on Castle Street.


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With the Xbox One S console now on the market, all eyes seem to be focused on what Microsoft calls “Project Scorpio,” the evolution of the Xbox platform. It’s going to be a huge deal during the 2017 holiday season, a console package bursting with performance to play 4K games beautifully while also supporting older titles released for the Xbox One. But one worrisome detail is the console’s price, which is expected to be not-so-cheap given what’s packed inside.
In a recent interview with NZGamer, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer provides somewhat of a window regarding the next-generation Xbox pricetag. He said that the Xbox team designed both Xbox One S and Xbox Scorpio in parallel, with both units focused on offering price points relative to their performance.
“I think you will feel like it’s a premium product, a premium console,” he said. “And not something, anything more than that. So I wouldn’t get people worried that this thing is going to be unlike any console price you’ve ever seen. We didn’t design it that way.”
He pointed to the current crop of Xbox One S consoles packing different hard drive capacities. Head over to GameStop and you’ll find the 500GB model packed with the Halo Collection costing $300. The store also offers a bundle consisting of the 1TB model and Madden NFL 17 costing $350. By comparison, a bundle with the original Xbox One, a 1TB hard drive, and three games costs $280.
“The opening price point for the Xbox One S, and the different hard drive sizes, that is a critical part of this whole product,” Spencer added. “When I think about it as a product line, you should expect the pricing to kind of be in line with that.”
As previously reported, current Xbox One owners won’t be left out in the cold when Xbox Scorpio appears late next year. Previously, Xbox 360 owners essentially had to start all over when they purchased the Xbox One given the newer console didn’t provide backwards compatibility. That’s changed of course, with Microsoft adding support for Xbox 360 games seemingly each month. But with Xbox Scorpio, all games starting from the Xbox One will work on the new hardware: no backward compatibility needed.
And that’s Microsoft’s new console road map: refreshing the Xbox platform without having to start anew. Microsoft is seemingly taking the hardware refresh road map used by smartphone manufacturers, eliminating that huge gap between hardware generations.
Microsoft originally set out to sell 200 million Xbox One console units. According to Spencer in another interview, the Xbox team saw a shift in consumer media consumption that moved away from standard television to over-the-top services like Netflix. The root of the Xbox brand focuses on serving as the living room’s media center, but the Xbox One was to really make that happen. The device even sports HDMI input for connecting a cable box, another console, or other media-producing gadgets.
But Spencer’s main focus was pure console gaming.
“When we came in after two and a half years ago and started running the Xbox program, I centered us back on not trying to become something other than a game console,” he said. “You don’t earn the right to be relevant in other categories of usage for the console until you’ve earned the gaming right, so let’s go make sure that’s what we deliver.”
That’s where Xbox Scorpio comes in. The upcoming console is slated to transform the Xbox brand back into a super-charged gaming platform powered by Microsoft’s Play Anywhere initiative. Hopefully, the pricing won’t be supercharged as well.
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- Microsoft just turned the Edge browser into a gaming powerhouse
- American Arcadia has all the markings of a future indie darling
- Why I sold my gaming laptop to buy a Steam Deck


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Zoovu has rolled out a “self-service digital assistant” platform for retailers and brands that aims to bolster engagement with consumers while creating a more personalized and relevant shopping experience. Powered by artificial intelligence, the interface “fuels a new means of brand/consumer interaction and engagement via solutions like chatbots and voice assistants, providing authentic personalized experiences and conversations for shoppers as they progress through their purchase journeys,” the company said.
The rollout of the platform comes as companies accelerate the deployment of machine learning and virtual personal assistant technologies. Researchers at Zoovu found that despite investments made by brands and retailers in this area, there are shortcomings in how well the technologies work. The company said it found that “nearly one-in-four marketers said their digital assistant solutions aren’t intelligent, scalable or adaptive enough, underscoring the need for an augmented product offering.”
Join Zoovu and WWD for a digital event, April 30 at noon EST. Click here to register for this free event.
Zoovu, which is an AI conversational marketing platform provider, noted that as e-commerce sites evolve and shoppers seek more “contextual and personalized experiences,” its new interface “looks to fill this gap.” Rob Mullen, chief executive officer of Zoovu, said self-service technology options offered in the market “are an increasingly growing ask amongst our customers, and we’re helping to revolutionize this market as it relates to brands’ digital assistant deployment efforts.”
“We’re in the business of helping brands create more relatable, conversational touchpoints with consumers, and our platform only enhances this effort,” Mullen said adding that the interface provides “the opportunity for digital assistants to be an attainable asset for all brands regardless of size, industry or target audience.”
Zoovu said in a statement that the suite of solutions offered provides more than 200 “bespoke templates. Each template has unique layouts as well as designs and “conversational flows,” which empower brands “to create an entirely customized digital assistant based on their respective needs, as well as those of their customers.”
The interface can be enhanced with various “add-one capabilities,” such as plugins for lead generation and CRM integration.
Zoovu is also differentiating its platform by touting several “under the hood” features that can help brands and retailers better serve shoppers. The company said that with the interface, retailers and brands “no longer require dedicated IT costs or resources to create and deploy digital assistants and can take charge of the experience they wish to provide by having direct access to the technology’s infrastructure.”
“On the back-end, Zoovu constantly collects interaction patterns to understand the positive and negative elements of Q&A feeds, while also capturing behavioral data, providing real-time insights to help brands and retailers optimize their product recommendation and customer profile building efforts and ensure more personalized and streamlined shopper experiences,” the company said.
Mullen said brands and retailers can use these AI capabilities “to monitor and draw insights from every conversation and learn from them to determine how certain areas of a brand can perform better in the future.”


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Today, Vertigo Games and InnerspaceVR have announced their award-winning VR title A Fisherman’s Tale is coming to Oculus Quest later this year. The announcement was made at Oculus Connect 6 in San Jose, California. The mind-bending VR puzzle adventure is already available on PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets since its initial launch on January 22, 2019.
Watch the Quest Teaser below:
The critically acclaimed A Fisherman’s Tale utilizes innovative game mechanics exclusive to VR, making it a truly unique and immersive experience. Players work with infinite, even smaller and bigger replications of themselves, using real-life movements to pick up, throw, combine and use all kinds of objects to solve puzzles and find their way out of a world where physics are utterly broken. Set in a world of infinite recursion, A Fisherman’s Tale is a journey of introspection and extrospection that requires the player to reach both inside and outside themselves if they want to uncover the truth of an unusually tall tale.
Balthazar Auxietre, creative director and co-founder at InnerspaceVR commented:
We are thrilled to announce that A Fisherman’s Tale will soon be available on Oculus Quest. We are putting in all our efforts to create an experience that is on par with the PC version, but with the complete untethered ease offered by Quest. We have been amazed by how powerful the platform is for such a compact and affordable device. Being able to bring our game to a new platform with such potential is really exciting and we hope that Quest users will be delighted by the adventure of our little fisherman puppet.
The mind-bending VR puzzle adventure A Fisherman’s Tale is already available on PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets since its initial launch on January 22, 2019. Later this year, VR players can bend and twist reality when the game launches for the Oculus Quest. For more information, visit afishermanstale-game.com, subscribe to the newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
For more gaming news, click right HERE.


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Jun 6, 2014 More and more of us aren't using the term "middle class" anymore.
May 20, 2014 A contest for telecom dominance between cable and satellite in the developing world.
Apr 25, 2014 Middle-skill jobs can support middle-class lives, but our education system isn’t getting people ready for them.
Apr 3, 2014 In Latin America, the gap between the rich and poor is narrowing.
Mar 28, 2014 The director talks the first bio-pic to celebrate the history and accomplishments of activist Cesar Chavez and his movement.
Mar 27, 2014 More than 90 percent of limes we enjoy in the country are grown and sold in Mexico.
Mar 7, 2014 Competition and other factors can lower the price of consumer goods in this country.
Feb 25, 2014 "El Chapo" likely left a successor to continue in his steps.
Feb 20, 2014 Incomes aren’t going up—but the cost of homeownership is.


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US giant sets out its strategy, commitment to keeping devices and users safe in a rapidly developing tech-driven world
The future of cyberspace is more than about just bigger numbers. By 2025, it is forecast that more than 91 per cent of people in developed countries and nearly 69 per cent of those in emerging economies will be using the Internet – but with more users/usages, there are more risks involved.
Adrienne Hall, general manager of Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing Group, said Microsoft had released a report called “Cyberspace 2025: Today’s Decisions, Tomorrow’s Terrain” that unveiled three scenarios for the future of cyber-security. These are detailed in the report and described as “Peak,” “Plateau” and “Canyon”.
To continue delivering ground-breaking new services, governments, industry and other interested parties need to find the right policies to manage both the complexities and opportunities posed by information and communications technology (ICT).
For example, policy choices can enable economic growth, or potentially restrict progress through more insular approaches that stifle innovation, she said.
Microsoft’s “The Cyber 2025 Model” study predicts that there will be 4.7 billion Internet users in 2025 and that nearly half of them will have come online between 2012 and 2025, almost entirely from emerging economies.
By 2025, India will experience growth of over 3,000 per cent in the total number of broadband subscriptions, from about 20 million in 2012 to more than 700 million.
“Microsoft Trustworthy Computing [TwC] is set to deal with the cyber-security issues that are foreseen as the big challenge in the near future,” said Hall.
The force and pace of technological change over the next decade will present challenges and opportunities for individuals, societal organisations, businesses and governments. One of the primary challenges facing government policy-makers is how to balance massive technological change and simultaneously manage the new generation of risks to cyber-security, she said.
The World Economic Forum has also identified cyber-security among its top global risks for the last eight years. Amid the increasing complexity of today’s computing-threat landscape and the growing sophistication of criminal attacks, enterprise organisations and governments are more focused than ever on protecting their computing environments so that they and their constituents are safer online.
Currently, the cyber-space scenario is that around 70 per cent of enterprises are already using or moving toward cloud computing, while 15 billion devices will be connected to the Internet. It requires government-led strategies and frameworks and needs a collaborative response to deal with cyber-security, she explained.
Microsoft’s TwC commitments
The company’s Trustworthy Computing organisation focuses on creating and delivering secure, private and reliable computing experiences based on sound business practices.
TwC security centres comprise the Microsoft Malware Protection Centre, Microsoft Security Response Centre and Microsoft Security Engineering Centre.
To help protect users from malicious Web pages, Microsoft and other browser vendors have developed filters that keep track of sites that host malware and phishing attacks and display prominent warnings when users try to navigate to them.
According to the “Microsoft Security Intelligence Report”, most attempts by malware to infect computers are unsuccessful. More than three-quarters of Internet-connected personal computers worldwide are protected by real-time security software that constantly monitors the computer and network traffic for threats and blocks them before they can infect the computer, if possible.
Therefore, for a comprehensive understanding of the malware landscape, it is important to consider infection attempts that are blocked as well as infections that are removed.
Microsoft uses two different metrics to measure malware prevalence: encounter rate and computers cleaned per mille.
Encounter rate is simply the percentage of computers running Microsoft real-time security products that report a malware encounter. Meanwhile, computers cleaned per mille, or CCM, is an infection-rate metric that is defined as the number of computers cleaned for every 1,000 unique computers executing the Malicious Software Removal Tool, a free tool distributed through Microsoft update services that removes more than 200 highly prevalent or serious threats from computers.
Paul Nicholas, senior director of Microsoft’s Global Security Strategy and Diplomacy, said that in an era of massive technological change and innovation, privacy is important to people around the world, particularly as data-intensive online activities become the norm.
Robust privacy management is important in gaining and maintaining customer and stakeholder trust, and to enable valuable data uses.
“Microsoft found a strong relationship between technology adoption and cyber-security. In particular, the research revealed that emerging economies are likely to experience an increase in cyber-security incidents as their technology adoption grows,” he said.
Understanding the growth patterns of technology and the resulting risks will be essential to designing appropriate protections against online threats. With more than a billion systems using its products and services worldwide, Microsoft collaborates with partners, industry and governments to help create a safer, more trusted Internet, he added.
Nicholas explained that there are five technology trends with privacy implications: ubiquitous computing, natural interactions, bid data in the cloud and data-driven innovation, tailored and social experience, and data collection and use by government.
Microsoft’s chief privacy officer Brendon Lynch said that Microsoft’s security technology approach to helping businesses keep their privacy promises with customers was not just about the technologies, as it offered the policy and process as well as people.
“It is not just software products, it is about the cloud. Over 10 years of our investment in privacy and security programs as a part of Trustworthy Computing, privacy is designed with a commitment to use enterprise customers’ information only to deliver services – and not for ads,” said Lynch.
Microsoft’s chief online safety officer Jacqueline Beauchere described children’s online safety as a key Microsoft’s commitment.
Online safety is about risk management maximising online experience while minimising those tied to illegal, inappropriate or illegitimate the online risks that normally involve the “4Cs” – content, contact, conduct and commerce.
“Microsoft’s approach to online safety is to offer technology innovation, to be a partner, and to provide awareness and education about children’s online safety,” she said.
Microsoft believes that public and private-sector leaders working together can chart a course that enhances the security, privacy and reliability of cyberspace in 2025 and expands ICT opportunity for economies in all stages of development.
Microsoft encourages public and private-sector leaders to prioritise these key areas. First are governance models that provide clear policy direction and a national or regional framework for cyber-security.
Ideally, these models will include commitments to an open, free Internet where privacy is protected, harmonisation of cyber-security laws and standards internationally, and support of global free trade.
Second is talent development that is supported by strategic investments in infrastructure and research and development. These investments should balance talent mobility and retention, with an emphasis on educating a modern workforce that can sustain innovation.
And third is global cooperation that advances cyber-security risk management and coordination among stakeholders both domestically and internationally, with a focus on developing global norms that support stability and security in cyberspace.
_ 80 per cent of Internet connections could originate from a mobile device by the year 2025.
_ Over 50 billion objects are expected to be connected to the Internet by 2020.
_ By 2025, emerging economies will have overtaken developed countries as the larger market for in-home consumer electronics, with emerging economies comprising more 60 per cent of the global market.
_ By 2025, most of the data created in the world will move through or be stored in the cloud at some point.
An exploit is malicious code that takes advantage of software vulnerabilities to infect, disrupt or take control of a computer without the user’s consent and typically without their knowledge.
More than 75 per cent of the e-mail messages sent over the Internet are unwanted. Not only does all this unwanted e-mail tax recipients’ inboxes and the resources of e-mail providers, but it also creates an environment in which e-mailed malware attacks and phishing attempts can proliferate.
Attackers often use websites to conduct phishing attacks or distribute malware. Malicious websites typically appear to be completely legitimate, and provide no outward indicators of their malicious nature even to experienced computer users.


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Prolific leaker Evan Blass has let us in on more upcoming hardware news with a 10-inch Amazon Fire tablet taking center stage. If this leak is accurate then this would be the largest tablet released by Amazon to date. There is no real information beyond the render leak, but the tablet appears to be running a slightly modified Android Lollipop.
Amazon seems to be trying to forget their failed foray into the phone market last year when the Fire Phone failed to catch on. The emphasis seems to be on tablets ranging in prices that fits every price range.
Stay updated with more information on geek culture by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and Flickr.
[source Evan Blass Twitter]


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Making a device that turns seawater into drinking water ‘at the touch of a button’, as big as a suitcase, with very little electricity
The device is especially useful for people who live in coastal places like California and who are dealing with droughts caused by climate change.
The new desalination device is roughly the size of a suitcase, weighs less than 10 kg and uses less energy than a mobile phone charger. With the push of a button, it can automatically produce drinking water that exceeds the quality standards of the World Health Organization. Ease of use was one of the main driving forces behind the development of this device.
MIT professor Jongyoon Han’s new device doesn’t rely on any filters like traditional desalination machines. Instead, it disintegrates seawater with an electric current to remove the minerals and salt particles in the composition. It is known that Professor Han’s research team took up to 10 years to produce this work.
The new device solves some of the problems that exist in most desalinators on the market.
Firstly, getting water through the pump and then through the filters is quite energy intensive, so it is difficult to create a compact and portable version. Instead, the MIT team’s device is based on a process called ion concentration polarization (ICP) that uses an electric field.
The electric current separates the charged particles and contaminants into a separate pipe to remove them. The remaining clean water will be filtered to an outlet pipe for human use.
The product is already good, but the researchers still want to continue working to improve the production speed and usability of the device. Not only is the device compact, the device must also be able to produce as much clean water as possible. Professor Han is targeting users who will be residents in areas where fresh water is scarce.
The professor also explained that he wants to tackle bigger challenges beyond desalination including detecting and removing heavy metals and pathogens such as viruses and bacteria in water supplies.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: genk.vn – Read the original article here


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Amazon yesterday announced plans to hire 30,000 part-time workers in the US over the next year, including 5,000 positions that would allow employees to work from home as customer service representatives.
The company's part-time hires would work 20 or more hours and receive benefits.
About 25,000 of the positions floated by Amazon would work in the company's sorting and fulfillment centres, as the company seeks to expand the number of logistics facilities across the US over the coming years.
Amazon said all its part-time workers were eligible for a Career Choice programme that pre-paid 95 per cent of employees' tuition costs if he or she was working in fields that according to Amazon were "in demand."
Amazon is expanding its business from its online retail roots into other areas and along with its growing entertainment business and formidable cloud computing arm.
It is also developing drone technology that could ultimately see it rely upon its own unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver products to customers' homes.
It has also expanded its offering of same-day delivery to compete against brick-and-mortar retailers.
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos had said, he planned to "open new fulfillment centers" across the world and invest in "advanced logistics" technologies like drones.
The 30,000 positions Amazon announced yesterday followed the company's announcement in January that it planned to hire 100,000 full-time employees by the middle of next year.
That sum, plus the 30,000 part-time workers Amazon looked to hire, would expand the company's US employee base to over 300,000 people.
However, Amazon would still be far behind its chief competitor Walmart which currently employed 1.5 million people across the US.
Those interested in applying for Amazon's part-time employment could do so now through the company's jobs site.


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Pinterest announced Thursday that it has improved its search function, as results are now customized by language and country.
Pinterest engineering manager Rui Jiang elaborated on the search update:
Now that there are all these international Pins to discover, we wanted to make it easy for locals to find the best Pins being saved in their own country. So we’ve made some improvements to how search works wherever people use Pinterest.
Pinterest Search results are now customized by language and country, to help international Pinners find local Pins that are more familiar and relevant to them. So now if someone in Germany searches for cake-baking ideas, they’ll find all the best local Pins about baking, frosting and decorating cakes—and both the Pin descriptions and the sites the Pins link to will be in German.
Pinterest also announced that spell-check and search suggestions will be available for users who search in French, German, Japanese and Portuguese.


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01 Oct Friesland: Most profit from additives
Infant formula contains about 60 different additives allowing it to be sold at record prices.
In an article in the Dutch daily, De Volkskrant, on 27 August 2015, the FrieslandCampina cooperative explains its huge earnings during the first 6 months of 2015. Its profits came to Euro 192 million, 85% more than during the same period last year. While farmers are earning less on raw milk and orders from China are down, the company is earning “spectacular profits” on dairy products such as baby milks. “Although milk prices are down…. we can make money by adding value to products.” As an example, the article cites baby food which may contain “some 60 different ingredients and is therefore sold at a significantly higher price than ordinary milk powder”. In addition, worldwide infant feeding sales have risen by 15%, which helps to explain a huge part of the extra profit.
The 19,000 dairy farmers who are members of the Friesland cooperative will each receive around Euro 8,000 as their share in the profit.


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Wedbush reiterated their outperform rating on shares of PTC Inc. (NASDAQ:PTC) in a report issued on Thursday morning. They currently have a $59.00 price target on the stock, up from their previous price target of $56.00.
Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on PTC. Brean Capital restated a buy rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of PTC in a report on Thursday, October 27th. Barclays PLC restated a buy rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of PTC in a report on Wednesday, November 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of PTC from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 9th. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of PTC from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 5th. Finally, RBC Capital Markets reissued an outperform rating and issued a $55.00 target price (up previously from $53.00) on shares of PTC in a research note on Wednesday, November 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $53.85.
Shares of PTC (NASDAQ:PTC) opened at 52.16 on Thursday. PTC has a 12-month low of $27.06 and a 12-month high of $52.27. The company’s market cap is $6.01 billion. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $47.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $44.84.
PTC (NASDAQ:PTC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 18th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.26. PTC had a negative net margin of 3.50% and a positive return on equity of 7.04%. The company had revenue of $286 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $287.11 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that PTC will post $1.26 earnings per share for the current year.
In other news, insider James E. Heppelmann sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.46, for a total transaction of $1,161,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 561,006 shares in the company, valued at $26,064,338.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Staats Aaron C. Von sold 13,588 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.46, for a total transaction of $644,886.48. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 61,443 shares in the company, valued at $2,916,084.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 92,315 shares of company stock worth $4,442,607 over the last quarter. 1.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PTC. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in shares of PTC by 221.8% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,044 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,000 after buying an additional 2,098 shares in the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of PTC during the third quarter valued at $114,000. US Bancorp DE raised its position in shares of PTC by 1.8% in the second quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $136,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of PTC by 99.8% in the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,739 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,000 after buying an additional 1,868 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DIAM Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of PTC during the third quarter valued at $172,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.27% of the company’s stock.
PTC Inc develops and delivers technology solutions, which consists of software and services that transform the way the customers create, operate and service their products. The Company has two segments: Software Products and Services. Its Software Products segment includes license and related support revenue (including updates and technical support) for all of its products except training-related products.


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WASHINGTON, D.C. (DTN) -- After eight consecutive sessions of gains, oil futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Brent crude on the Intercontinental Exchange settled Wednesday's session lower after weaker-than-expected economic data in the U.S. fueled recession fears, souring sentiment in broader markets.
U.S. retail sales declined in December at the sharpest pace of 2022, marking a dismal end to the holiday shopping season as rising interest rates joined with still-high inflation dragged on consumer spending. Sales at stores and restaurants unseasonably declined by 1.1% from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. Sales were also revised lower in November and have now fallen in three of the past four months. The decline in retail sales clearly shows the U.S. economy slowed late last year as American consumers pulled back on spending.
Further signs of slowdown could be found in industrial production data for December that showed output declined more than expected, indicating manufacturing activity is rapidly losing momentum as inflation pressure and higher interest rates cut demand for goods.
Manufacturing output dropped 1.3% last month, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday. Data for November was also revised lower to show production at factories decreased 1.1% instead of the previously reported 0.6%.
Earlier in the session, the oil complex got a leg up from upbeat demand projections by the International Energy Agency that forecasts global oil demand this year would reach a record high 101.7 million bpd helped by the reopening of China's economy. Paris-based energy watchdog lifted its 2023 estimates for worldwide oil consumption by 200,000 bpd to 1.9 million bpd. In the final months of 2022, weak industrial activity in OECD countries coupled with zero-COVID policies in China sliced off nearly 1 million bpd in global demand growth.
Also on Wednesday, oil traders positioned ahead of the release of U.S. inventory data delayed one day due to the observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday (1/16). Analysts expect U.S. commercial crude oil inventories to decrease by 1.1 million bbl, with estimates ranging from a decrease of 4 million bbl to an increase of 4.5 million bbl.
The decrease would be partly due to the U.S. government not transferring any crude last week from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the commercial side.
Gasoline stockpiles are expected to have increased 1.7 million bbl from the previous week, with estimates ranging from a decline of 2 million bbl to an increase of 4.6 million bbl.
Stocks of distillates, which is mostly diesel fuel, are expected to fall by 400,000 bbl.
Refinery use likely increased by 3% from the previous week to 87.1% as refiners continued to claw back toward normal activity levels following cold weather-forced shutdowns in late December.
At settlement, WTI for February delivery declined $0.70 to $79.48 bbl after climbing above $82 bbl in intrasession high, and Brent March futures on ICE fell $0.94 to $84.98 bbl. NYMEX RBOB February contract dropped $0.0216 to $2.5235 gallon, and front-month ULSD futures added $0.0120 for a $3.2630 gallon settlement.
Liubov Georges can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Meyer Tomatoes announced that it is discontinuing its contract withCalgene Inc. for producing Calgene's genetically engineered tomato.
"At this time, the goals and objectives that Calgene has set forth donot coincide with the immediate plans of my organization," saidRobert Meyer, owner of Meyer Tomatoes of King City, Calif. "I nolonger feel that our contract with Calgene supports the best interestsof Meyer Tomatoes."
Calgene's vice president of marketing, Stephen Benoit, said thosegoals and objectives pertain to packaging of the company'sgenetically altered tomatoes, which require special handling. Meyer'soperations are not adequate for this packaging, he said.
Analyst George Dahlman of Piper Jaffrey & Hopwood in Minneapolissaid Calgene had initially felt that Meyer's operation would beadaptable, but as Calgene went through the commercializationprocess, it became apparent that the company would need its ownfacilities.
Meyer's contract will be discontinued at the end of the growingseason in November and will not affect Calgene's supply for plannedmarketing this fall. Calgene (NASDAQ:CGNE) of Davis, Calif., said itexpects to receive FDA approval of its food additive petition soon andwill then initiate a small-scale rollout in the Midwest. The companyplans to begin national distribution in 1994.
In 1990 Calgene requested that FDA issue an advisory opinion on thesafety of the kanamycin-resistant selectable marker gene, which isadded to the tomato to identify it as a genetically modified plant. Theantisense gene, which causes slower softening of the fruit, is attachedto the marker. As a procedural move, Calgene converted this requestto a food additive petition last January.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates the growing andtransportation of agricultural products, determined in October 1992that Calgene's Flavr Savr tomato did not require special regulation.
Calgene currently has about 13 contracts with independent growers,whose acreage replaces that provided by Meyer and the Floridagrower Taylor & Fulton, which also recently ended its contract withCalgene.
A Calgene spokesman explained that larger growers such as Meyercontract with independent growers, and that Calgene will now do sodirectly. This will enable Calgene to control the quality of the tomatofrom the field to the store, acting as grower, packer, shipper anddistributor, the spokesman said.
Meyer also has an agreement with DNA Plant Technology Corp.(NASDAQ:DNAP) of Cinnaminson, N.J., for producing non-bioengineered tomatoes, which it is renegotiating to includeproduction of genetically altered tomatoes. John Bedbrook, DNAP'sexecutive vice president and director of science, expects that hiscompany's tomato will be commercially available in early 1995.DNAP is not seeking FDA approval of a food additive petition, but isworking with the agency.
DNAP's strategy involves turning off the Accsynthase generesponsible for production of ethylene, a ripening hormone. Thecompany is also pursuing bioengineered carrots, cherry tomatoes,peppers and peas. Bedbrook said DNAP has a two-tiered approach toproduct development, first marketing vegetables that have beenimproved through accelerated breeding techniques and thenbioengineering them.
Calgene said it is also looking at other fruits and vegetables, includingmelons and berries, for potential bioengineering to delay softening.
Monsanto Co. and Zeneca (formerly ICI plc) of London are alsoworking on genetically engineered tomatoes, and Asgrow, thevegetable seed company division of Upjohn, is developing a squashgenetically engineered to resist a virus.
-- Brenda Sandburg News Editor
(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.


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The Brickman is back with a whole new show.
This time last year, Ryan McNaught — the only LEGO Certified Professional in the southern hemisphere — wowed Brisbane when he brought The Brickman Experience to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Now he’s back with an even more spectacular show, Brickman: Wonders of the World, featuring more than 50 awe-inspiring and never-before-seen models, taking visitors on a hands-on journey through history.
Some of the new models being showcased include a giant Arc de Triomphe, Empire State Building (complete with King Kong), Big Ben, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Michelangelo’s Statue of David, the Great Wall of China, and even the Tokyo Subway System, all made entirely from LEGO bricks.
Incredibly, the exhibition took 4,944 hours to build.
“I am beyond excited to debut the global premiere of my brand new exhibition, Wonders of the World, in Brisbane,” McNaught says. “This exhibition is like nothing that has ever been seen before, every model is brand new and infinitely more detailed than anything I’ve ever created.”
Each model includes a plaque with info about the real place, item or vehicle it’s based on, as well as the behind-the-scenes story of how the model was built.
The exhibition is interactive, too — there are build stations scattered around the exhibit, giving you a chance to build your own models to add to the show.
“The exhibition is super interactive with lots of activities for LEGO fanatics to get involved in,” McNaught says. “Builders will have the chance to build a statue of themselves next to the mighty Statue of David, and they can also help me build some LEGO cars for the traffic jam around the Arc de Triomphe. There’s so many hands-on things to get involved with — hopefully all the budding builders out there are up for the challenge!”
Brickman: Wonders of the World is open now at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre and will close on Wednesday 14 December. For more information and tickets, visit Ticketek.


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Barista bandits! Cost of high street cappuccino up 20 per cent despite bean prices the lowest in SEVEN years
- Research by MoS found price of coffee beans has plunged 67 per cent since 2011
- But a 'tall' cappuccino in Starbucks has risen from £2.15 to £2.60 since that year
- MPs accused coffee giants of making extra profit at their customer's expense
It's enough to whip coffee-lovers into a latte-lathered fury.
Despite coffee bean prices falling to their lowest level for seven years, the cost of a high street cappuccino has risen by up to 20 per cent.
Research by the MoS found the price of beans on the international markets has plunged 67 per cent since 2011, from £2.23 per pound to a low of 74p last month.
Yet in that time, a ‘tall’ cappuccino in Starbucks that cost £2.15 in 2011 now costs £2.60 in most outlets – a 20 per cent increase, according to industry experts Allegra.
Research by the MoS found the price of beans on the international markets has plunged 67 per cent since 2011 (file photo)
Rival Caffe Nero’s regular cappuccino has risen 40p from £2.30 in 2011, at Pret a Manger it has gone up from £2.19 to £2.45 and at Costa, the £2.15 ‘primo’ now costs £2.35.
MPs last night accused the coffee giants of making extra profit at the expense of their customers and called for the price falls to be passed on.
Tory MP Charlie Elphicke said: ‘It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. It’s time the corporations passed on wholesale savings to consumers.’
And Labour’s Caroline Flint, who serves on the Public Accounts Committee, said: ‘British consumers have a right to ask why they aren’t passing on the fall in price.’
The extraordinary contrast between the price of a high street coffee and the coffee-bean market emerged after Costa Coffee was bought by Coca-Cola for £3.9 billion and Pret a Manger was sold to German-owned JAB Holdings for £1.5 billion.
A ‘tall’ cappuccino in Starbucks that cost £2.15 in 2011 now costs at least £2.60 in most outlets
Selling coffee is now so profitable that the UK market has grown larger than Italy’s, according to Allegra. Britain now boasts about 24,000 outlets, while the amount being spent by customers is growing at 7.3 per cent a year.
The falls of the wholesale price has been widely attributed to a global oversupply of beans. This will have provided a financial boost to chains such as Caffe Nero, whose parent company Italian Coffee Holdings said in its latest set of accounts that it made a profit of £26 million.
Both Caffe Nero and Starbucks have in the past come under fire for paying less corporation tax than they could on UK profits.
Selling coffee is now so profitable that the UK market has grown larger than Italy’s, according to Allegra (file photo)
A Starbucks spokesman said: ‘Many factors contribute to pricing decisions, including rents, labour, competition, distribution, commodities – and coffee.’
A Costa spokeswoman said: ‘The price of a cup of coffee does not simply reflect the cost of the beans.’ A spokeswoman for Pret a Manger said: ‘Our coffee prices take into account the cost of our ingredients, as well as operational costs such as wages.’
Cafe Nero declined to comment.
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