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Economies of scale are the cornerstone of on-demand businesses, and to that end one space aspirant has raised a grand tour to grow his business. Bolt – the startup and on-demand application of the same name for a shared car, car and scooter reservation service; and deliveries of restaurants and groceries – raised 628 million euros ($709 million at current rates), at a valuation of 7.4 billion euros ($8.4 billion). Funds will be used to continue expanding into new geographies and bringing more consumers and partners to the Super App; And newer business lines, such as the 15-minute grocery delivery option, Bolt Market will build “dark shops” in more cities to expand service beyond the ten in which it operates today.
“All of our business units are growing,” founder and CEO Markus Village said in an interview this week. Villig said that even its most mature business, the relay service, “is seeing double-digit growth,” while new businesses, being smaller, are expanding faster. “The new trend in the last year is that private cars are a bad thing and that people increasingly want to use other forms of mobility.” He added that Bolt is working to partner with more city governments to build their services as part of updated transportation strategies.
Sequoia Capital and Fidelity Management and Research Company LLC led the tour with Whale Rock, Owl Rock (a division of Blue Owl), D1, G Squared, Tekne, Ghisallo and other unnamed backers.
Financing news culminates in a few eventful months for the company, which raised €600 million at a valuation of over €4 billion just four months ago in Series E also led by Sequoia. Bolt now has more than 100 million customers in 45 countries and more than 400 cities using its services. As a measure of its growth, in August, when the company announced the previous round, it had 75 million customers.
Bolt’s growth is also notable given the difficulties some of its competitors have faced in the wake of Covid: First, the pandemic has had a huge scary effect on people who want to get into a car where they have to sit indoors. With another person (the driver). This situation then worsened when things recovered again but so quickly that many services are short on drivers rather than passengers.
Village admitted that Bolt, too, experienced some “short-term swings” in demand when the shutdowns first started. But it has made attracting and retaining drivers a huge focus by paying better commissions than its competitors (typically, Village said, you’ll pay 10%-20% better than competitors).
“There is a huge shortage of supply on these platforms, so we focused on getting the lowest favorable commission for partners,” he said. Village said this has paid off well for Bolt, which has now seen monthly revenue more than double compared to pre-Covid sales.
Bolt was founded eight years ago in Tallinn, Estonia (originally as Taxify), with a mission to bring delivery service to emerging markets and countries where others like Uber haven’t gained a strong foothold, a strategy it has used to expand modestly across regions such as Central and Eastern Europe and Africa, In the process it attracts investors like China’s Didi – it has built a huge company in its own emerging domestic market. (Diddy quietly gave up her stake in Bolt last year.)
Over time, the focus has remained on Europe and Africa, but Bolt has found that much of what he learned from those early editions can be easily applied in more developed countries, with more lucrative profits.
We started in Eastern Europe and Africa because those markets were in greater need. They had less car ownership, higher unemployment [making for a market with many freelance drivers]Village said. “But now we know that this model works everywhere, and it’s actually easier to grow in Western Europe because they are developed markets. We found that if you can make this model work in really cheap thrift markets, as soon as you go to London or Stockholm, it’s Financially easier. And the economy unit is definitely better because the prices are higher.” However, it is not a perfect system. Working in developed markets is “more regulation,” he said, and the limits that come with those restrictions.
Meanwhile, Bolt’s diversification approach, moving beyond cars into scooters and couriers, and now also food delivery services, is also part of his expansion strategy. Villig said offering multiple services within one app not only helps Bolt attract and sell new customers, but does so essentially without marketing costs by putting all the options and cross-promotions inside one app.
“There are two elements that set us apart and turn in our favour, which are the synergies and shared costs between these sectors,” he said. Most of Bolt’s competitors generally focus on one thing in every app, Villig continued, “and neither are we,” so it’s easier and less expensive for Bolt to build more services off each other’s back. “Now we’re passing on those savings to clients.”
“We are excited to deepen our partnership with Markus and Bolt to advance their mission to make urban travel affordable, sustainable and safe,” Andrew Reed, Partner at Sequoia, said in a statement provided to TechCrunch. “At Sequoia, we believe in the global potential of technology and entrepreneurship and have been inspired by the growth of Bolt from Tallinn, Estonia to more than 400 cities and 100 million customers across Europe and Africa. We are dedicated to helping them expand their footprint, increase their product offerings and improve the quality of life in cities over the long term “.


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1.Tesla Retreat? Shanghai Factory Loan Agreement Terminated Early
On May 7, Tesla responded to a lawsuit filed by Ms. Zhang, the car owner in Anyang, confirming Tesla will continue to make every effort to promote vehicle inspection matters, to provide the public with an explanation of the incident. The incident is heated, and Elon Musk, the Tesla founder terminated the loan agreement of the Shanghai factory earlier.
2.Steel Price “Hot”, Keeps Going up?
As the “May Day” holiday was over, domestic steel prices rose rapidly, resulting a new internet word, “unarmed” which describes the anxiety of the rapid rise in steel prices when there is no inventory in hand. However, the “crazier” rocks are behind the “hot” steel price. China Iron Ore Price Index on May 7 shows that imported iron ore exceeded $ 200 / ton, a new record high.
3.Minsheng Bank’s Stock Price Keeps Falling”, Is There Any Remedy?
Since the second half of last year, Minsheng Bank’s share price has not been recovering. With the recent release of the bank’s 2020 annual report and the first quarterly report in 2021, the share price has started a new round of “falling”, and many netizens even openly say “Dumping” to Minsheng Bank shares.
4.Didi Responded to the Kickback issue: Ride-Hailing Service Drivers’ Income Accounted for 79.1% of Total Passenger Payable Ride fee
BEIJING, May 7 (Reuters) – Chinese online taxi giant Didi said on its WeChat public account on Friday that 3.1 percent of total passenger ride fee last year was net profit from its ride-hailing service online, with drivers’ income accounting for an average of 79.1 percent of total passenger payable ride fee. Didi picks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley for U.S. IPO.
5.The “King of Henan” Jianye Real Estate Troubles
On May 6, Jianye Property (00832.HK) released its sales data for April 2021. The data showed that for the period ended April 30, 2021, Jianye Real Estate along with its subsidiaries recorded total contracted property sales of RMB 21.915 billion, an increase of 4.5% year-on-year; total contracted GFA sold of 3,194,200 square meters, an increase of 8.7% year-on-year; and average selling price of RMB 6,861, a decrease of 3.9% year-on-year.
The long-term credit rating issued by International Rating Agency S&P to Jianye Real Estate is B+, which is at speculative grade. According to Bloomberg, on April 1, 2021, the yield of the US dollar bonds of Jianye Real Estate maturing on November 7, 2023 is 10.78% based on its valuation.
6.Auto Sector Urges U.S. Congress to Help Fund Its Computer Chip Needs
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. auto industry and United Auto Workers union on Friday urged Congress to tie billions of dollars in government funding to boost semiconductor production to help fill the needs of automakers forced to slash production because of chip shortages. Congress “should prioritize production of the semiconductors necessary to assemble vehicles here in the United States. This will ensure that motor vehicle manufacturers have a fair share of chips needed to meet consumer demand,” said the American Automotive Policy Council, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association and UAW on Friday in a joint statement. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the U.S. motor vehicle and parts sector lost 27,000 jobs in April.
By 【Financial Team – Opal】
News Collection: Totoro

domain: news


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Facebook has posted a 195% jump in profit in Q1 of 2016 as the company continued to generate new advertising income.
The social network reported $1.5 billion in earnings for Q1 2016, compared to $512 million in Q1 2015.
As well as enticing advertisers to new products like live video, Facebook boosted sales on existing services.
The company also proposed a new class of shares, which will allow founder Mark Zuckergerg to sell his shares without losing control of Facebook.
It said the move will “encourage Mr. Zuckerberg to remain in an active leadership role at Facebook”.
Facebook shares rose over 9% in after-hours trading.
Sales for Q1 2016 reached $5.3 billion up from $3.5 billion in Q1 of 2015.
Mobile advertising made up 82% of Facebook’s overall advertising revenue, up from 73% at the same time last year.
Total monthly active users (MAU) increased 15% from a year earlier to 1.65 billion, which was ahead of analysts expectations.
On a call with investors, the social network said it intended to continue buying other companies, but only those offering services that could be “ubiquitous”.
Facebook has invested heavily in other companies – in 2012 it paid $1 billion for the photo-sharing site Instagram.
However, it is hard for investors to judge the success of such deals, as Facebook has not detailed earnings from acquired companies.
The announcement of the new share structure comes four months after Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan announced they would give away 99% of their wealth.
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan made the announcement after the birth of their daughter Max in December.


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ISOLAS LLP Partner and leading shipping lawyer, Christian Hernandez, will be speaking at the annual Ship Arrest Conference in London next month, organised by Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, the world’s largest provider of professional development in the maritime industry.
The two-day event, taking place on the 3 and 4 December, will hear from a range of experts discussing jurisdictional advice, regulation and the financial implications of ship arrest and related legal and commercial complexities. The event will also cover counter-party risk in bunkering, security credit in the bunker industry, alternatives to ship arrest and filing for bankruptcy among ship owners.
Christian’s talk will focus on alternative and practical considerations, alternative remedies and practical considerations to note before and during a ship arrest.
A corporate lawyer, Christian is known internationally for his ship arrest expertise and has addressed a number of international conferences around the world on this topic.
Christian is acknowledged as one of the leading lawyers in Gibraltar in the fields of admiralty and shipping law. He has been named as a top ranked individual by Chambers and Partners, the European Legal 500 and Global Counsel 3000, amongst others. His clients include major banks, the International Transport Workers’ Federation, P&I Clubs, bunker suppliers and ship owners.
Christian said: “It is a great honour to be asked to speak at the premier ship arrest event of the year to a global audience on some of the major issues in the shipping industry.”
“Gibraltar’s maritime industry offers one of the most efficient ship arrest procedures anywhere in the world, as well as being the only port in continental Europe with a common law legal system based on that of England & Wales.”


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by Matthew Mazzella ’20
Ryan McIntyre ’21 has always been ambitious, and he and a group of juniors have taken this ambition to the next level with his new business on campus called “GoFor.”
The startup is an errand-running service that strives to bring together the Friar family by connecting Friars who have spare time with Friars who have their hands full and are short on time.
McIntyre’s primary goal is to help Providence College students capitalize on their daily walking patterns across campus to make Friartown a more efficient and interconnected community, all while making a few bucks in the process.
The service is strictly student-to- student. It allows any student who is in a popular area on campus, like the Dunkin’ line in Slavin, to have the option to pick up and deliver an order for someone while they are already headed in a certain direction. The order will not take much time out of their route, and money can be made at the same time.
The junior self-starter has created an Instagram page to raise awareness about the new business around campus, and powers all orders through a Google Form, which can be found on their Instagram. The business runs on Venmo as their primary form of payment.
GoFor looks to open their errand running service to any student looking to make trips around campus with a similar model to Uber.
Students can sign up for deliveries whenever they want to work. They can make their own hours, and while they will not be paid at an hourly rate, workers will take a percentage of the profits for their trip. McIntyre and his team have been hustling around campus completing orders themselves.
This is McIntyre’s first time starting his own business, and he has his sights set on advancing his business during his remaining time in Friartown. The team of juniors who started GoFor have diverse skillsets to better develop their business.
McIntyre and Sean Noonan ’21 are finance majors with business backgrounds and will handle the business operations and marketing for GoFor.
Ahmad Mims ’21 is a computer science and economics major who has skills in coding and works for the IT department at PC. With his strong digital skills, he is in the process of creating a GoFor app, which will help advance their business significantly.
McIntyre is currently building up GoFor’s brand image around campus, as his team has already logged 10 orders in their first week of business. He has his sights set on expanding the business to include grocery shopping for Friars who do not have enough time to go shopping on their own.
There is a demand for this service on campus, and McIntyre and his team are filling it. They even pick up food from some local restaurants for students who want it, as well as from food delivery services, to minimize their customers’ walks.
Though GoFor looks to make profits through their errand running, it is not all about making money. McIntyre is really looking forward to engaging with the Friar Family, providing a forum for GoFors and users to meet more people and form friendships they would never have had before.
Matthew Williams ’22 is very intrigued by the new Friartown business, especially because of his daily Dunkin’ coffees. Williams said, “I usually have a pretty busy schedule, so I would definitely use GoFor in the future. I hate waiting in the Dunkin line for my coffee, so this sounds right up my alley.”
McIntyre’s entrepreneurial spirit is another example of what makes Friartown so special. Great minds like the junior team at GoFor came together and used their diverse backgrounds and skills to create something unique. Friars are busy people, and McIntyre realized this and created a platform that will help students get any order that they want around or off campus without having to sacrifice precious time.
While this business is very young, the team of juniors hope to become a household name on campus. McIntyre is very excited for what the future holds and looks forward to continue growing his business.


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Rep. Carolyn Maloney expressed her disappointment on Sunday over Amazon’s decision last month to withdraw its plan to build another headquarters in New York City after receiving fierce opposition from local officials and community members.
Continue Reading Below
“I find it tragic that they are not coming at this point,” Maloney, D-N.Y., told “Sunday Morning Futures.”
The congresswoman, who represents New York’s 12th District, which includes Manhattan, was one of many business leaders, union chiefs, community leaders and lawmakers to sign an open letter printed in last Friday’s New York Times asking for Amazon to reconsider building its “HQ2” in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens.
“We know the public debate that followed the announcement of the Long Island City project was rough and not very welcoming,” the letter reads. “Opinions are strong in New York – sometimes strident. We consider it part of the New York charm! But when we commit to a project as important as this, we figure out how to get it done in a way that works for everyone.”
As part of the agreement between Amazon and New York, the e-commerce giant said it would create 25,000 high-paying jobs, invest $2.5 billion and was expected to generate more than $10 billion in tax revenue. In return, Amazon would receive performance-based direct incentives of more than $1.5 billion – if the company didn’t create the promised amount of jobs, it would not receive the money.
“They wanted Amazon to come, they wanted the jobs, they wanted the transit improvements,” Maloney said.
Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents the district where Amazon planned to build its HQ2, was a vocal critic of the project and was skeptical when it came to whether it would have truly been beneficial to the local community.
“When you actually try to extract the details of this deal, all of a sudden the math got really fuzzy and it felt, to the community, that the details were falling apart,” Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat, told Fox News in mid-February, just days after Amazon scrapped its plans.
However, despite the conflicting views on the Amazon HQ2 project within her party, Maloney said she will continue to urge the Seattle-based company to reconsider its exit from New York City.
“We can always disagree … so you fight for what you believe in,” she said. “I believe in a diversified economy and I believe in more jobs for New York and I think this statement that we’re working to reach out to Amazon is an important statement to other businesses that we want to welcome jobs, that we want to work with them to help our country and help people.”


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Successful supplier management occurs when both sides work together for mutual benefit. As the best performing procurement functions know, it is not about something that’s done to suppliers, but...
With the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in the UK and the Modern Slavery Act 2018 in Australia, companies who have turnover over a certain threshold - £35mil and $100mil AUD respectively – are now required to produce an annual statement on how they identify and mitigate modern slavery risk in their global supply chains.
Much abuse that occurs in relation to workers happens in global supply chains, upstream in the chain where labour intensive and low value activities occur. Therefore, large companies located at the end of that global chain have a responsibility to work with their suppliers and suppliers’ suppliers to ensure that working conditions through the entire chain are ethical and legal.
In order to do this, efforts of global companies has largely been concerned with development of policies and tools related to supplier codes of conduct and auditing according to those codes. (Christ). Though a good place to start, the fact that labour abuses in supply chains continue to be uncovered is evidence that such an approach has so far been unsuccessful.
2020 Global SRM report: Supplier Management at Speed
Currently progress in addressing modern slavery is still limited by what private companies are willing to do in order to address labour abuse in their supply chains. In order to make actual progress, corporations need to cease viewing labour as a cost or merely as an input factor for production and make it a truly integral part of their supply chains.
Traditionally procurement organisations have focussed on their direct suppliers in terms of managing risk, continuity of supply and quality, however the modern slavery legislation requires organisations to think in terms of their entire supply chain, not just their key tier one suppliers. This is a shift in thinking that contemporary procurement practices and systems are not geared for. As such, procurement, compliance and sustainability teams are all grappling with the issue of how to gain visibility of their supply chain beyond their direct suppliers and how to ensure sustainable practices further down the chain and the COVID-19 crisis are not making things easier.
Just this week at the Global SAP Ariba conference in Barcelona, Amal Clooney called on corporations to put respect for human rights at the core of their business, highlighting the trend of ‘doing good’ as a way to bolster profits.


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// Landsec reveals new commitment to become a net zero carbon business by 2030
// The company owns a 30% stake in Bluewater shopping centre
Landsec has pledged to become a net zero carbon business by 2030 and has also committed to reducing absolute carbon by 70 per cent.
The commercial property development company, which owns a 30 per cent stake in Bluewater shopping centre, has committed to reducing emissions in a bid to keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C.
Landsec said its aim is to reduce the amount of energy used to run buildings and install renewable power sources.
Meanwhile, Landsec has said its first net-zero building will be its development at 105 Sumner Street, London, where it has begun implementing its commitments.
“Landsec’s net-zero target may be set at 2030, but we’re making tangible changes to the way we do business now,” Landsec director of corporate affairs and sustainability Caroline Hill said.
“We’re progressing our first net-zero building at 105 Sumner Street, we have solar PV installed on nine of our assets and we have set a new and stretching science-based target.
“It’s imperative that businesses set ambitious sustainability strategies which are in line with up-to-date climate science.”
Landsec currently has ownership in Westgate Oxford, Trinity Leeds, and West12 shopping centre in Shepherds Bush.


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Thursday, a The US International Trade Commission, which oversees import controls, confirmed that Google has trademarks violating technical patents held by the well-known Sonos company, Sonos’ biggest victory in the two-year trial of David v. Goliath. The Commission alleges that Google violated five Sonos Patents, and issued a “separate law” banning the import of certain word technologies, modifications, and tools developed by Google.
Google, not surprisingly, says he is not backing down: He is planning to appeal, and has 60 days to do so before the ITC ruling begins. Sonos, meanwhile, has two separate antitrust lawsuits against Google pending before the federal court. “The two pending cases are significant, because the ITC has no jurisdiction to pay the fines,” said Peter Toren, an attorney general in Washington, DC.
But Google clearly expects this to be the result of an ITC review, because in August 2021 the company showed remodeling of several items to ITC judge Charles Bullock, who confirmed that the measures he intended to take were carried out no breach of Sonos patents. In the wake of yesterday’s ITC ruling, Google shared some of the changes it is making to its smart speakers.
Then why they do The ITC ruling, which has the potential to ban the export of certain content unless Google does not comply, affect what has happened? First, the updates that Google will release apply to Google’s smart speakers and Nest Hub displays. Google has not provided the full list of affected devices, so it is unclear how this might affect other Google products, such as Pixel phones or Chromebooks. These changes will happen “in the coming days,” said spokeswoman Nicol Addison. And in the meantime, all updates are based on software.
Google says the ability to change the voice of the group is eliminated; customers now need to adjust the volume of each speaker individually. And, “you will no longer be able to adjust the volume of your Group Speakers using the volume button of your phone,” the company says. Throw-in will also apply to non-Google devices with a built-in Chromecast, such as those made by Lenovo or JBL, unless the speakers are updated to the latest firmware. And some users will no longer have software updates on their smart speakers; instead, they need to download and install the Device Tool. This will “ensure that your device is connected to Wi-Fi and receive the most up-to-date application,” says Google.
This may seem like a small adjustment, but a major part of the interest of smart wireless speakers – the Sonos market aided the pioneers when it was established 20 years ago – I was able to coordinate multiple speakers and direct them simultaneously. Some of the easy-to-use features will be eliminated with these updates.
The ITC decision could also affect Google’s future design. And many changes could come, depending on the results of federal lawsuits. (One of these, filed with the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, is pending until the ITC verdict is finalized, According to The New York Times. Another lawsuit, filed with a U.S. district court judge in San Francisco, continues.)


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Dahon Exchanges Fisher for Zyro In UK
Despite five years of beneficial cooperation with Fisher Outdoor Leisure, Dahon has decided to look for a new UK distributor which the biggest in folding bikes found
DUARTE, USA – Despite five years of beneficial cooperation with Fisher Outdoor Leisure, Dahon has decided to look for a new UK distributor which the biggest in folding bikes found with Zyro.
“Zyro has a great team, a stable of complementary brands, and above all, an unerring focus on service,” stated Joshua Hon, Dahon vice president. “Service to our dealers is an area where we have needed to improve and we expect to make some big progress in this area beginning in 2010.”
“We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Dahon, which is recognized as a leader and innovator in the folding bike market,” stated Simon Ellison, Zyro director of product and purchasing. “Dahon complements our existing product range, while also adding a new dimension to Zyro’s range of products.
“We recognize that retailers need a different level of support for a folding bike range, and are gearing up for this challenge with enthusiasm”, stated Simon Ellison, Zyro director of product and purchasing. “We feel that we will be able to help the brand grow by using our skills in brand management, after sales service, not to mention our process control and inventory management.”
“Fisher has been a good partner and has done an excellent job of helping us grow the Dahon brand,” stated Joshua Hon, Dahon vice president. “But our companies are moving in different strategic directions. We wish Fisher the best and look forward to exciting changes in our distribution strategy.”
“Over the past few years, both of our companies have developed different strategic needs and are starting to move in different directions”, stated Richard Allmark, chief executive of Fisher Outdoor Leisure.
Fisher Outdoor Leisure will continue to act as distributor for Dahon through December 31, 2009.


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As previously reported by JUICE, the fiasco surrounding the Malaysian whisky brand, Timah is one for the books.
Going from offending conservative consumer rights groups to deluding the public into “drinking Malay women”, what was once a simple award-winning whisky has turned into a national hot topic so much so that Timah is even thinking of rebranding.
But the take away from these controversies isn’t that Timah is necessarily a bad brand, it’s that Malaysians need to improve their critical thinking.
Pengerang MP Azalina Othman agrees with this as she brought up the topic at the Dewan Rakyat by highlighting another ridiculous debacle.
Did you forget about how conservatives wanted to change the name of “hot dogs” because they did not want to be confused with eating dogs? Yeah, we didn’t forget and neither did Azalina.
She said, “Since we were little, at A&W they sold hot dogs. My child likes eating hot dogs. Am I supposed to tell them they can’t eat anjing panas (literal translation of hot dog)?
“I feel like this is important. We have to teach our nation to think more logically.”
Watch the full clip below:
Pengerang MP Azalina Othman has criticised claims that the whiskey brand, Timah, will confuse consumers.
She told the Dewan Rakyat, people should be educated to think more logically.
— BFM News (@NewsBFM) October 28, 2021
This isn’t an isolated incident, of course.
Recently, an ice-cream named Golden Gaytime also angered conservatives because it had the word ‘gay’. In actuality, ‘gay’ was referring to a good time, not homosexuality.
Other than that, PAS MP Hassan Mohd Ramli has recently urged for more clarification regarding “pork-free” establishments.
He stated that there needs to be clear distinguishing between pork-free and halal restaurants because the two terms are not interchangeable and that Muslims might get confused when picking a place to eat.
These terms have been around for years but why only now is there a need for clarification? Was it not crystal clear before?
It feels as if a handful of Malaysians are either shutting their brains off or choosing to get offended by anything and everything.
If the matter doesn’t concern you, there’s no need to be bothered by it. If it does concern you, do your own research if you want to be cognisant.
In the words of Azalina, our nation needs to think more logically. Not everything is going to be spoon-fed to us and we should stop expecting that.


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One of the most intriguing 360 cameras I saw at CES 2017 was HEX, a new prosumer 360 camera from UK-based studio VISR VR.
VISR VR is a UK studio with clients such as Google, Microsoft, and Financial Times. According to co-founder Lindsay West, they were using cameras from other companies to produce content, but found that the quality fell short of what they needed. They therefore decided to design their own camera from the ground up.
HEX has six lenses, and each sensor has 2k resolution. Since there are few displays available with higher than 4k resolution, HEX photos and videos are down-rezzed to 4k. However, the photos and videos have a higher quality than many other cameras that have nominal 4k resolution because HEX’s photos and videos are effectively supersampled from 12k.
HEX’s pricing is not yet fixed but will be under $1,000, and it will be available in Q3 2017. VISR will be providing samples of photos and videos, which I’ll post as soon as I receive them.


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Casper Sleep has cut the price range for its IPO to $12-$13 a share, giving it a valuation befitting a mattress company and not a tech “unicorn”
Feb. 6, 2020
Why do companies that are not, nor never have been, technology companies try so hard to be treated as such? Well, the answer is actually quite simple: tech companies are more valuable. Their products are more scalable, they grow faster, their margins are bigger, their distribution is easier, their overheads are lighter, and so on and so forth. For this plethora of reasons, investors love tech companies. When a company is going public, trying to garner such investment, and hopefully earn the sought-after moniker of “unicorn”, it’s in their best interest to play up to this trend, even when the reality paints a very different picture.
Let’s look at the success rate of a few pseudo-technology companies who’ve gone, or attempted to go, public recently:
- Blue Apron (NASDAQ: APRN), a meal-kit delivery company, has fallen from a split-adjusted stock price of $150 in June 2017 to about $4 today
- Uber (NYSE: UBER), a ride-hailing company, lost more money than any IPO in the U.S. since these statistics began recording in 1975
- Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT), a slightly smaller ride-hailing company, has tanked roughly 40% since its IPO last June
- And last but definitely not least, WeWork, an office leasing company. A capitulation for the ages which saw more than $40 billion in market value disappear into thin air and a cancelled IPO
All of these companies have the same things in common: they brought an incredible amount of hype to their IPOs, they were not making a profit, they have tanked since then, and they have never sold technology products.
Casper Sleep’s IPO
These tales of hubristic woe bring us to the crux of the matter: Casper Sleep, which will be going public today under the ticker (NYSE: CSPR), and a CEO, Philip Krim, who had become obsessed with running a “unicorn” to the point where he had derailed sales talks with Target (NYSE:TGT) amongst others because they failed to come up with a valuation that boasted three commas. They are a direct-to-consumer mattress company which, before it filed its S-1, had a private valuation of $1.1 billion, putting it in “unicorn” territory by the skin of its teeth. However, since it has announced its intentions to go public, this valuation has been slashed and the company is now set the range for its IPO to $12-$13 a share, giving it a valuation of roughly $500 million.
Casper shares the same penchant for flowery language and overly-optimistic market valuations as their pseudo-tech predecessors. The mattress company has donned itself “the pioneer of the sleep economy”, valued by Casper to be worth as much as $432 billion globally and $80 billion in the U.S. It reminds me of when WeWork, in an Atlas-like gesture to us grateful global citizens, promised to “elevate the world’s consciousness.”
Thankfully, as investors, we saw through the veil of bullsh*t which proved too thin to cover up a company hemorrhaging money with despotic corporate governance. And to a lesser extent, we see through Casper as well. We’re not interested in investing in “the Nike of sleep” or sleep economy pioneers. In an attempt to pull the woolen weighted blanket over our eyes, Casper has been found out as another wanna-be unicorn whose balance sheet and market cap are sleeping in separate beds. Its valuation being slashed in half right before its IPO is a testament to investors pushing back and calling BS on what is basically a bait-and-switch. Casper Sleep will IPO as a mattress company and nothing more.
Read more from MyWallSt:
MyWallSt operates a full disclosure policy. MyWallSt staff does not currently hold long positions in companies mentioned above. Read our full disclosure policy here.


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Reed Midem announced the finalists of the fifth annual MIPLab video startup competition, which is meant to empower startups “working on products to enable the traditional TV and online video industries to better exploit opportunities offered by online and cloud-based platforms.”
The five finalists include UK-based Relevancy Data and Wildseed Studios, Sweden-based Dramatify, France-based Wildmoka, and US-based Rights Trade.
Relevancy Data focuses on, you guessed it, metadata, using technology to scan multiple digital videos to determine their content. Dramatify offers mobile and social production management solutions for video creators. While Wildseed Studios aims to help emerging video creators get off the ground, Wildmoka is building a cloud that offers new distribution and consumption methods for video content. Lastly, US company Rights Trade seeks to cut through copyright red tape and help distributors more easily acquire content.
These finalists will have the shot to deliver their final pitches to a panel of judges at the end of MIPTV, on Monday, April 16. The panel will include Caroline Casey, the director of product and audience at Yahoo7; Oscar Hoglund, CEO of Epidemic Sound; Muirne Mokart, the managing director of RTE Digital; Farid Mokart, the founder, CEO, and chief creative officer of Fred & Farid Group; and Jacques-Edouward Sabatier, the director of new content at Canal Plus.
Raphaëlle Toledano, senior project analyst at Fabernovel France, will present the final tier of the 2015 MIPLab competition. It is sponsored by CanalStart and Canal Plus. CanalStart, in partnership with Fabernovel, selected the panel of judges.


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Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Vodafone Returns to Growth (Just)
Vodafone reported a 0.1% year-on-year organic rise in service revenues in the quarter ending March 31. In Europe organic service revenue fell more than 2%, offset by a 6% rise in AMAP (Asia, Middle East, Africa and Pacific) organic service revenue "led by strong customer growth and rising data penetration." For the year to March 31, group revenue declined almost 1% on an organic basis to 42.2 billion British pounds (62.6 billion US dollars).
Vittorio Colao, Group CEO, commented: “It has been a year of continued progress, culminating with a return to organic growth in Q4. We have seen increasing signs of stabilisation in many of our European markets, supported by improvements in our commercial execution and very strong demand for data." Source: Vodafone statement
For more analysis of Vodafone's financial performance and how it compares with its peers, see the report on Europe's big five telcos.
WHERE WE'RE HEADED: TELECOMS TRENDS AROUND THE WORLD: SUBSCRIBE HERE


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During Quieter Hours stores will:
- Dim the lights
- Turn music and radio off
- Avoid making tannoy announcements
- Reduce movement of trolleys and baskets
- Turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down
- Place a poster outside to tell customers it’s Quieter Hour
Daniel Cadey, from the National Autistic Society said: “Around 700,000 people are on the autism spectrum in the UK. This means they see, hear and feel the world differently to other people, often in a more intense way. Morrisons’ ‘Quieter Hour’ is a step in the right direction for autistic people who find supermarket shopping a real struggle.”
The charity are also encouraging retailers to take part in a nationwide “autism hour” in October.
Last year, more than 5,000 retailers took part in Autism Hour, and they hope that even more retailers take part this year!
To get your workplace involved in an Autism Hour event, simply click on the pink button below which will take you to our business sign up form.
Angela Gray, Morrisons Community Champion at Woking said: “I was involved in the initial trial as my son is autistic and we found that these changes made a real difference. The trial showed there is a need for a quieter shopping experience for some customers.”


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Imagine or you're actually with a big company that has long since past its prime, that at one time been a regulated monopoly and as such been known for bullying or at best ignoring customers rather than innovating or going out of its way to serve them.
Even though the world has changed since your glory days--you have hungry competitors, your customers can drop your offerings at a flip of the appropriate fingers and they can cost you other buyers by telling the world via social media how lousy your outfit is--your culture hasn't.
So when a customer complains about your service to your CEO: a logical action because that person is ultimately responsible for the actions of your firm, what does one of your good soldiers, just following orders from their superiors of course, do? Threaten the customer, of course. Like how dare they?
Naturally when the word gets out about your actions, via a blog entry the customer posts for the world (and other customers) to see, you say "sorry for having told this guy to shut up or we'd do it for him."
This example of how not to respond to customers' complaints in this social media era, where unless you respond to them quickly and authentically including by the CEOs your rep is DOA, comes courtesy of--and perhaps to no surprise to those of us in or follow this industry)--AT&T, via CNN.
CNN reported Thursday that AT&T apologized to one of its customers after a staffer left a voicemail warning that individual had e-mailed the carrier's CEO with complaints.
So here's the story, verbatim (except near the end):
"Giorgio Galante, an AT&T customer and iPhone owner since 2008 from Buffalo, New York, told CNN that he was dissatisfied with the company's handling of questions surrounding his iPhone upgrade eligibility dates. He was also displeased with the recent news of AT&T's pricing plan restructuring, which, among other things, will end unlimited data plans. He decided to e-mail CEO Randall Stephenson directly about his issues"
"Please don't have one of your $12/hour 'Executive Relations' college students call me -- I've found them to be generally poorly informed (Engadget.com readers know more than they do about AT&T) and they have little authority to do anything sensible," reads a portion of Galante's e-mail to Stephenson. He posted this e-mail, along with the offending voicemail, on his blog, "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish," which he began Wednesday after receiving the message."
"After I sent the e-mail out [last week], on Wednesday I got that nasty gram back in the form of a voicemail," Galante told CNN."
"The message, left by an employee at the company's Executive Response Team, warns Galante that if he continues to e-mail the CEO, "a cease-and-desist letter may be sent to you."
"AT&T told CNN on Thursday in a statement about the incident, "We are apologizing to our customer. We're working with him today to address his questions and concerns. This is not the way we want to treat customers. From Facebook to significant customer service channels, AT&T strives to provide our customers with easy ways to have their questions addressed."
"Galante said he wasn't necessarily expecting a response from Stephenson, but he felt that he was at least providing customer feedback to the CEO. He said that he accepted AT&T's apology but wondered why Stephenson was so "out of touch" and wished he had received a phone call directly from the CEO."
(Now here's the kicker, one that deserves to hurt...)
"Galante said he received a personal phone call from a senior vice president at the company. He said the executive was "extremely apologetic" and asked whether there was anything she could do to keep him as a customer."
"No such luck for AT&T, as Galante is switching to Sprint's new HTC Evo phone immediately."
(Learn how best to use the social channel for your benefit. Attend the Social Customer Summit at ITEXPO West Oct.4-6, 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. See you there!)


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Helping those in need celebrate holy days is the goal of many organizations in the Jewish community. One way to do this is to provide food for them and their families. This allows them to meet at the celebration without the burden of holiday meal costs.
Avrohom Adler, Executive Director of Families Strengthening at the Jewish Family Service Association in Pepper Pike and Cleveland Chester Center in Cleveland Heights; Devora Alevsky, director of the Kosher Food Pantry in South Euclid, discussed how their organizations are providing food assistance to families as holy days approach.
“We offer a monthly shopping experience to our customers,” Adler said.
He noted that customers shop “with pride and dignity” in a store-like atmosphere with shopping carts and aisles.
“It’s an optional store,” he said. “They can choose what they want to take in and what they want to leave, which gives them an appearance of control and makes them feel good.”
Adler said the Cleveland Cheside Center adds to its regular distribution around the Great Holy Days.
“We add the grilled matzo ball soup mixture, graham crackers crust, dates, and honey,” he said. “We also try to get, from food banks, special foods that are eaten as symbols on New Year’s, such as apples, carrots and squash.”
Adler said they get these items from the Great Cleveland Food Bank or buy them from a local company.
There is a special package for school teachers that includes chicken, grilled fish, mustard, kishka and salami.
“(It can) really lighten the burden of holiday expenses when preparing food for their families on many meals, whether it’s the New Year meal or the pre-Yom Kippur meal, after the Yom Kippur and Sukkot holidays, so it really does make a difference for families, especially with the price of items food and inflation as it is now,” Adler noted.
One of the center’s missions, he said, is to ensure that families in the Jewish community are able to celebrate their holidays with peace of mind.
Adler noted that with today’s many challenges to mental health, employment, inflation and education, it is important to give families in need the opportunity to sit down to a meal, especially during holidays or Saturdays.
“It just makes a huge difference to them,” he said. “We are here to fill the need of the community.”
Alevsky said feeding souls and bodies is a central mission of the Kosher Food Pantry.
She noted that during Holy Days, the pantry adds to its regular food distributions of produce, canned goods, dry foods, and eggs.
“We serve special food in Rosh Hashanah, including chicken, apple, honey and challah round bread,” she said.
Alevsky said volunteers are providing door-to-door food deliveries to 10 large low-income apartment buildings and a weekly payment service is offered to families for food.
“Many of the people we are helping are elderly and some are still at home,” Alevsky said. “To enhance people’s celebration of New Year’s Eve, we offer traditional holiday foods and a connection to our ancient heritage that they might not otherwise experience.”
She noted that fall comes with increased costs such as school supplies, so it is especially important to provide families with food aid during this time. Since the holidays also fall at the beginning of the school year, pantry services lighten the burden of food costs.
While the store only distributes kosher foods, it is intended to serve not only the Jewish community, but the wider community as well, Alevsky stated.
“No one answered,” she said.


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Keith's note: Ardbeg Distillery recently announced its "U.S. Ardbeg Rocket Tour" - which apparently has a rocket prop as part of the overall PR effort. [Larger image via Facebook]. Ardbeg has a commercial experiment that is currently operating aboard the International Space Station via Nanoracks. While this company seems to be extremely excited and willing to use space research as part of their overall advertising campaign, NASA doesn't seem to be remotely interested in talking about it - despite all the agency's hype about wanting to encourage commercial research on the ISS. Go figure.
- Whisky in Space - the Road Show, earlier post
- An Actual ISS Commercial Experiment that NASA/CASIS Ignores, earlier post


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CORONA DEL MAR, Calif. /Advertising Industry Newswire/ — J. McLeish PR, a public relations company that handles work for the San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board, was honored at the Inland Empire Public Relations Society’s Polaris Awards on Oct. 24. The Polaris Awards, signifying the highest standards of performance in the Inland Empire, celebrate outstanding public relations tactics and programs. J. McLeish Public Relations received a Capella Award for an Annual Report developed for the San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board.
Category: Industry Awards
Advertising and Marketing Industry Awards and Honors
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. /Advertising Industry Newswire/ — National LTC Network member Long Term Care Associates (LTCA) recently became a finalist in the ‘Social Media Rockstars – Organizations’ category of SeniorHomes’ 2012 ‘Best Of The Web Awards.’ The contest identified some of the most valuable resources across the web for seniors, caregivers and industry professionals in 10 categories, and was judged by a panel of leading experts in the senior living industry.
TORONTO, Canada /Advertising Industry Newswire/ — Voices.com, one of Canada’s fastest growing digital media companies, has been recognized in PROFIT Magazine’s 11th Annual PROFIT HOT 50. “Being included among Canada’s[...]
LONDON, Ontario, Canada /Advertising Industry Newswire/ — Voices.com was honoured with a “Best in Class” Interactive Media Award (IMA) for professional services. “The Best in Class” award is the highest[...]
TORONTO, Canada /Advertising Industry Newswire/ — Voices.com, one of North America’s fastest growing Internet brands and digital media companies, is pleased to announce that in PROFIT Magazine’s “10th Annual PROFIT[...]
KIRKLAND, Wash. — LTC Financial Partners (LTCFP) was honored for marketing excellence at the 2008 conference of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, held in Atlanta, Georgia. Taking home four awards, the agency shared the limelight with leading insurance carriers that were also honored.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Resorts and Lodges, a leading niche portal Web site providing advertising for the hospitality and travel industry, has received a WebAward for excellence in Web site design and development from the Web Marketing Association (WMA). The company was chosen from among 2,400 entries from more than 40 countries during the WMA’s annual WebAward competition.
TORONTO, Canada — Voices.com, the leading online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of voice over and voice acting services, was named a winner in CRM Magazine’s 2007 CRM Market Awards.
ORADELL, N.J. — The winners in the 2007 Telly Awards competition have been announced and MRC Medical Communications has been honored with five awards. The annual competition, now in its 28th year, recognizes the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, and corporate video departments in the world. This year’s competition received more than 13,000 entries from all 50 states, 30 countries and 5 continents.


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The holy month of Ramadan though invigorating, can also sometimes be a little taxing simply because we tend to miss our favourite foods while fasting. And even though the Ramazan fast is anything but devoid of amazing noshes, there are very few things that come to satiating your craving for a good and juicy burger. And McDonald’s India understands that, which is why the burger chain will remain open till later hours during the last week of this holy month.
That’s right, starting 18th June through 26th June, McDonald’s outlets in Mumbai’s Fort, Bandra, and Mumbai Central will remain open till 2am in the morning for all the fasting customers. But hold up, that’s not all! The fast food chain won’t only have its regular menu on offer. McDonald’s has introduced a juicy new kebab burger across all its outlets in South and West India.
So what is this new kebab burger that we speak of? According to a press release, the latest addition to the McDonald’s menu “is a special blend of a spicy square shaped tandoori patty made from a blend of minced and juicy chunky chicken seasoned with real Indian spices, breadcrumbs, chickpeas, accompanied with sliced red onion.
“This delectable sandwich comes inside a soft toasted bun enveloped with the all-new traditional and aromatic Haryali sauce infused with ethnic flavour of green and red chillies, mint and coriander leaves” it reads.
Image: THE HANS INDIA
The gorgeous new kebab burger will be available in three different options valued at three different prices – Chicken Kebab Burger (INR 59); Chicken Kebab Double Patty Burger (INR 99); and Chicken Kebab Wraps (INR 69).
Feature Image: Retail News Asia


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IGT Branding Includes Linkup With ‘Avatar’ CreaturesChristopher Palmeri
International Game Technology, the world’s largest maker of slot machines, will feature its IGT logo more prominently on gaming devices and websites to better connect its brand with consumers.
The new campaign includes painting IGT vans that service casino clients blue and a new slot machine tied to the blue world of the “Avatar” film characters, the Las Vegas-based company said today in a statement.
“This is so much more than a logo change,” IGT Chief Executive Officer Patti Hart said in a statement.
IGT faces increasing competition in slot machines and weaker betting by consumers. The company paid as much as $500 million for Double Down Interactive last year in a bid to capture players of casino-themed social media games on Facebook.
“Our industry is in a state of flux,” the company said in publicity materials, citing “more competitors, new technologies and more demanding players.”
Casinos and their suppliers are trying to link online games with land-based properties. More than 360,000 people participated in an online poker tournament on IGT-affiliated websites in July. Winners received a free trip to Las Vegas’ Casino del Sol Resort, which features IGT games on its website.
Earlier this year, the company fought a proxy battle that resulted in one dissident director from New York-based Ader Investment Management being elected to its board.
IGT, whose business dates back to the 1950s, unveiled the branding changes today at the industry’s annual Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.
The shares fell 1 percent to $20.81 at the close in New York. They have risen 47 percent this year, compared with a 19 percent gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.


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THIS SITE HAS MOVED — Please visit our new site at http://www.celiacFacts.com
Celiac disease is more common among children born in the spring and summer months, according to a new study from the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children
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Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 series confirmed to have Gorilla Glass and IP52 rating
Redmi Note 10 series to launch on March 4 in India
Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro could have 4G and 5G variants.
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Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 series is confirmed to launch on March 4 in India and the upcoming phones have officially been teased ahead of its launch. The microsite on the official Xiaomi website has teased the key specifications and features of the upcoming lineup.
As per the microsite, the Redmi Note 10 series will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with a lightweight profile and large capacity battery to boot. Xiaomi has also confirmed that the Redmi Note 10 series will have Gorilla Glass protection on the front and it is also IP52 rated making it resistant to dust and water.
We can also expect one of the phones in the lineup to feature an AMOLED screen since the teaser image does not point to a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Additionally, we can also see a centre punch-hole cutout on the top for the selfie camera.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 series has been leaked previously hinting at the possibility of separate 4G and 5G versions of the Note 10 lineup. The Redmi Note 10 is rumoured to be offered in three colours: White, Green and Grey with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB storage. Meanwhile, the Redmi Note 10 Pro could arrive in three colourways including Blue, Grey and Bronze and could launch in three storage variants: 6GB/8GB RAM paired with 64GB and 128GB storage.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro has previously surfaced on different certification websites across the world, and it could have a 120Hz high-refresh-rate display. Apart from this, we expect the next generation of Redmi Note phones to run on MIUI 12 based on Android 11 out-of-the-box.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro is also rumoured to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G processor with 64MP quad-camera setup on the back. The phone is also expected to be fitted with a 5,050mAh battery with fast-charging support.
We will know more about the Redmi Note 10 series in the heads up to the launch which is scheduled for March 4.
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Digit caters to the largest community of tech buyers, users and enthusiasts in India. The all new Digit in continues the legacy of Thinkdigit.com as one of the largest portals in India committed to technology users and buyers. Digit is also one of the most trusted names when it comes to technology reviews and buying advice and is home to the Digit Test Lab, India's most proficient center for testing and reviewing technology products.
We are about leadership-the 9.9 kind! Building a leading media company out of India.And,grooming new leaders for this promising industry.


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In recent news about NFT, it seems that GemUni has made headlines with its decentralized gaming platform. Apparently, the platform makes use of NFTs to reward its players and operates on a play-to-earn model. Such a model not only helps the platform sustain financially but also increases the engagement of the users with it.
Moves of Success
An NFT project is all about the journey that is planned by its developer. If the journey is practical and ambitious enough to make profits, only then are investors convinced. GemUni’s GENI pass NFTs were a huge success at the INO Grand inauguration back in December 2021. For its upcoming journey, GemUni has also managed to raise around 2 million dollars from its investors. Its GENI pass NFTs are already very popular in most NFT markets. In fact, quite a few notable names in the gaming industry, as well as the blockchain community, are acquiring them. This has also helped them boost their reputation in the market.
Effects on the Market
This unpredicted success of GemUni was a result of careful planning and meticulous execution. It has disrupted other NFTs and businesses that were looking forward to capturing the gaming market. Apart from that, GemUni is also planning to launch a token on 19th January 2022 that will start its price at 0.2$. This offering will be available at the following platforms – KrystalGO, Red Kite, and GameFi. These are some of the major platforms out there that were being eyed by many NFT projects. Surely, GemUni has made a significant impact on the industry.


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Discover will match 2% of all donations made to JDRF using a Discover Card from September 1, 2013 through January 31, 2014. Over the past 14 years, Discover has been a valued supporter of JDRF. Please remember to use your Discover Card when making a purchase!
Make Miracles Happen! Miracle on Canal Street is Potawatomi Bingo Casino’s signature community program that raises funds for children’s charities – and JDRF is in the running to be a beneficiary. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Miracle program that has raised more than $12.5 million for hundreds of area children’s charities. The […]
Outreach is a key activity for JDRF, both nationally and locally. The JDRF Outreach team for Southeastern Wisconsin aspires to serve the individuals and families in our community who live with type 1 diabetes (T1D). We strive to provide personalized support, along with the information and tools to help people thrive with T1D through every […]


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Community bankers may be eager to serve merchants who want to offer customers smartphone-friendly payment options, but they’re far from the only ones.
Remember the choice between Betamax and VHS or, more recently Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs? Those were easy.
“It’s absolutely the Wild West out there right now,” says Lee Holman, lead retail analyst for the IHL Group research firm based in Franklin, Tenn. “There’s a decided lack of standards — no standards, really.”
That means merchants who want to get onboard the mobile payments train, there’s going to be some research involved. Holman said banks have been in control of consumer transactions for decades, but they’re going to have to fight to keep that control.
Big retailers backing MCX
One of the strongest challenges to bank-backed systems may be from MCX, for “Merchant Customer Exchange,” which was announced as a mobile payment platform last year by a consortium of retailers ranging from Best Buy, Target and Walmart to Sheetz and Hobby Lobby.
MCX’s mobile platform is still in development, and details of how it will work haven’t been released yet. MCX said in October that it will “focus on offering consumers and merchants a mobile-commerce solution that seamlessly integrates payments with a wide range of offers, promotions and services through virtually any smartphone.”
“They’re trying to establish themselves as a key player in this space, and the key thing they’re saying is they’re not attached to the banks — they’re looking out for the best interests of merchants” when it comes to determining fees and benefits, Holman says.
The list of other options is long, and varies by type of business. In 2011, for example, Greensboro-based gasoline pump manufacturer Gilbarco introduced a mobile payment system that allows convenience store customers to pay for gas and sundries by waving their phone at the pump, if that phone is equipped with a wireless “near-field communication,” or NFC, chip.
Big banks aren’t letting go of the mobile payment market willingly. Last fall Bank of America started testing a system based on quick-response, or QR, codes. The code would be displayed at the cash register or on a restaurant bill and the customer would scan it with his or her phone, which would be linked to a bank account that would automatically be deducted for the payment.
One common concern among all platforms is security, and Holman said there is a push now to adopt the so-called “EMV” global standard for authenticating transactions in the U.S. EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard and Visa, card issuers that hope to retain their relatively universal acceptance worldwide as technologies evolve.
Whether or not EMV does take hold in the U.S. is still an open question, Holman says, so one piece of advice that might apply in various situations is to look for systems that are EMV-compliant, though not necessarily EMV-enabled.
That would allow the merchant to plug in an EMV accessory later on if appropriate without paying the added expense now.
It would also be a perfectly rational decision for many merchants to not do anything now, Holman says. Some of today’s technologies may not be around tomorrow, or something better may be just around the corner.
“I’m a guy who’s supposed to keep up with all this stuff and I’m running as fast as I can, but it’s tough,” Holman says.


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Dawn Dickson is a serial entrepreneur and inventor. Dawn Dickson is well-known for raising capital through crowdfunding means. In 2019, she made history using the same fundraising route usually overlooked by Black entrepreneurs.
Dickson became the first Black founder in history worldwide to raise the highest secure token offering (STO) crowdfunding round from the general public. Her company PopCom was able to raise $1.07 million in capital from more than 2,117 investors.
The tech genius did it again recently after successfully completing PopCom’s second equity crowdfunding campaign on Start Engine. In just 47 days, PopCom raised $1.3 million in capital exclusively from crowdfunding investors, the first time ever for any female founder, according to Black News. In effect, Popcom’s crowdfunding total is $2.3 million.
Early in her career, she spent a couple of years as marketing and business development coordinator at HBCU.com (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). During that time she was also working as the founder and managing partner of D1 Consulting Group, a national event management, non profit business development, fundraising and marketing consulting firm with divisions in Atlanta and Dallas.
In 2011 she set off to found yet another company, this time a unique venture called Flat Out of Heels. The company produces vending machines that provide compact ballet flats in areas where women need relief from wearing heels, like airports, nightclubs, retail centers, convention centers, conference facilities, and other high traffic areas. She started her next company (Solution Vendings Industry, which is now PopCom) as a means to distribute her Flat Out of Heels idea.
In 2012 Dickson founded PopCom, a next generation kiosk and vending machine company that uses facial recognition, AI, and blockchain technology to help retailers collect valuable customer insights. Dickson went through NewME, a startup accelerator for minority entrepreneurs that was started in 2014. She was also in the Canopy Boulder accelerator program, Google accelerator program and Techstars, she spoke about it in an interview:
She also appeared on The Breakfast Club where she spoke about how hard it is being a woman of color trying to raise money from venture capitalists.
Dawn is an aggressive go-getter and her trophy wall shows that. Here are just some of her accomplishments:
She was named “Hero in the Movement” from the NUL Young Professionals Association at the National Urban League Gala in August 2018.
She was a finalist at the G4A Generator Competition
She was a finalist at the ShopTalk Start Up Competition
She was a finalist at the Rise of the Rest Competition
She won the 2016 American Dreamer Award
She placed 2nd in the national SBA InnovateHER Business Challenge
She took first place and won $25,000 in the PowerMoves NOLA Big Break Power Pitch competition
She won a Miami Legacy 40 Under 40 Award
She was named one of 50 Young Visionary Women Leaders to Watch in 2015
She placed second in the REVOLT Music Conference Business Pitch Competition
She was a National Finalist at the Tech Cocktail Start Up of the Year
She took first place at Miller Coors Tap the Future 2 Minute Pitch Competition
She was recognized in Who’s Who of Black Atlanta
She was recognized in Who’s Who of Black Columbus in 2007 and 2008
She holds a patent for her intelligent vending machine


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According to Emerson Aguirre Medina, the president of the Association of Banana Growers of Colombia (Augura), despite the challenges that the Colombian banana sector has faced this year, exports in 2020 are expected to range between 800 and 900 million dollars at the end of the year, a similar figure than in 2019.
"2020 has been the most atypical year for the banana sector. The arrival of the Fusarium R-4 fungus to a reduced area of La Guajira in 2019 increased production costs. Then, in March, the coronavirus pandemic forced us to make investments in biosecurity,” he stated. "In conclusion, costs have been increasing, including logistic costs to export the fruit."
95% of Colombia's banana production is destined for export and only 5% goes to the national market, Aguirre added. That's why the sector is waiting for the improvement of the logistics that the new port of Antioquia will offer to the sector. "In addition, we seek to diversify the production in this area of other raw materials that will be mobilized by this port, including a good volume of imports."
Forecasts for 2021
The banana sector aspires to achieve exports of 1 billion dollars for the first time in 2021. "We will achieve this through best practices in production, climate management, improved information for producers, and the consolidation of our sales to markets such as China, South Korea, Japan, and Turkey."
"In addition, we are making progress in negotiations with the German supermarket chain Aldi, which has already announced it will decrease its purchase prices in 2023," Emerson Aguirre stated. “There is a wave of international sustainability labels, which have their cost, and we agree with them, but that strategy must also include fair payment for the products. They have said there will be sustainability premiums, but none of the supermarkets are willing to pay them."
The sector aspires to construct an irrigation and drainage district in the region of Uraba, the country's most important banana area, where there are 35,000 hectares devoted to banana crops. “This is strictly necessary to increase productivity. It is a super ambitious project that would enable an additional 30,000 hectares for the production of bananas and other crops. This is the way we could expand the agricultural frontier.”


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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) – Krispy Kreme wants to make your new year a little sweeter.
Behold their new Mini Doughnuts, which launched Monday and will be permanent additions to the menu.
They come in four varieties: Original Glazed, Chocolate Iced Glazed, Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles, and Strawberry Iced with Sprinkles.
The mini doughnuts are modeled after the chain’s four most popular doughnuts and are 90 calories each, the company said.
To make things even sweeter, Krispy Kreme is inviting you to “cheat sweet” every Monday afternoon where participating locations will be hosting “Mini Monday Break.”
From 4-7 p.m. every Monday in January, you can get a free mini doughnut at any participating location.
To find a participating location near you, click here.
You can check out Krispy Kreme’s commercial featuring Shaq and the minis here:
- MultCo sheriff to DA: Don’t dismiss riot charges
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- 25 Oregon counties again report COVID cases; 8 more deaths
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Android 8.0 Oreo beta testing now open to Nokia 5: HMD Global
Cardinals send Piscotty to A's for two minor leaguers
Apple releases iOS 11.2.1 update, fixes a bug in HomeKit
Microsoft new Bing update aims to tackle fake news with artificial intelligence
Toyota and Panasonic look to form battery alliance
Honor 7X launched in India, prices start from Rs 12999: Specifications here
06 December 2017, 12:41 | Patty Hardy
Honor unveils View 10 with 5.99-inch screen & AI capabilities
Amazon India will exclusively begin the sale of the newHonorsmartphone on December 7. The Honor V10 will be making its way to India soon for a yet unspecified price. For Europe, the device will be priced at €299 as it features higher RAM and storage - 4GB RAM/64GB storage - with one additional colour option, i.e.
The first smartphone in this new series is called as Honor View 10. The Xiaomi Mi A1 is also a worthy competitor. It would seem that Huawei's Honor brand is coming directly for the market that OnePlus just left behind.
It looks like a neat package, and despite it's affordable price, Honor have always impressed us with its build quality. Sporting a dual rear camera (16 MP and 2 MP), which can capture Portrait Mode-like bokeh shots with in-focus foregrounds and blurred backgrounds, the photos came out pretty well in the daylight and outdoors. Huawei was actually the one that started the whole dual-camera fad this time around, and it looks like its here to stay. The Honor 7X'sbattery measures in at 3340mAh and it's running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box underneath Huawei's proprietary EMUI 5.1 user interface.
The Honor V10 was launched in China a week ago, and now, Honor's back with the launch of the Honor View 10, the global variant of the V10. The smartphone is what Honor claims to be its first AI smartphone.
Honor 7X and View 10: Specs, Price, and Availability Details
For starters the Honor 7X has already grabbed eyeballs for its edge to edge large 5.9-inch, 1080 x 2160 FHD display with 18:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by a Kirin 970processor and comes with the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for improved artificial intelligence.
The Kirin 970 SoC features an octa-core setup and is accompanied by a GPU with an additional 12 cores. The Honor 7X is shaping up to be a great smartphone, especially for those that don't want to spend a ton of cash. It comes with 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of internal storage... The Moto G5S Plus sports a pair or 13-megapixel sensors, and an 8-megapixel one on the front. The camera is capable 300K pincloud reconstruction in 10s, and apart from 3D facial recognition can also create 3D scans of small objects. The phone boasts dual SIM functionality as well, with the capability to maintain LTE signals in both trays, though if you use a microSD card, you'll have to forgo that second SIM card.
The handset runs Android 8.0 with EMUI 8 to keep things refreshed.
Battery capacity for the phone is 3750mAh with support for fast charging via Huawei's 5V/4.5A SuperCharge technology.
Asus, HP Debut Snapdragon-Powered Windows Laptops
These devices are deigned to be always on like your phone and Asus says the NovaGo will offer more than 30 days of standby time. At Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii, the first Windows 10 laptop running on Snapdragon has been announced .
Google's first ever coding Doodle is as cute as it is fun
This week is also Computer Science Education Week , which also makes it the flawless time to look back on 50 years of kids coding. With Logo, children could program the movements of a turtle, giving them the opportunity to explore ideas in math and science.
Local mall offers "Sensory Santa" event for children with Autism
So in years to come, when families look back on their holiday photos, they can remember a good day with snacks, family and Santa. According to Autismspeaks.com, Santa Cares is a sensory-friendly Santa photo experience in partnership with Cherry Hill Programs.
Apple Pay Cash is now up and running
A support document issued by Apple tells users to turn off notifications for all apps on the iDevice before installing iOS 11 .2. These phones earlier supports fast charging up to 5 watts, and with the new update adds to 7.5 watts of wireless charging.
Hales cleared to play, Stokes made to wait
Kitchen, 33, whose reputation has been built on his batting, had picked up his 20th wicket in 76 List A games. On Stokes's performance he added: "If anything he tried too hard".
White House infested with cockroaches, mice, ants
He added that maintenance projects at the White House are especially challenging due to the building's status as a historic site. It certainly looks grand on the outside, but the White House appears to be plagued with cockroaches, mice and ants.


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Lily Allen gave birth to her second child on Tuesday, according to reports - but what did she name her?
Lily Allen and husband Sam Cooper have welcomed a baby girl, according to reports.
The songstress, who often goes by her married name of Lily Cooper, is thought to have welcomed her second child on Tuesday, with the couple said to be 'ecstatic' at the news.
And what have they named their adorable new addition? Reports suggest the pair have chosen Marnie Rose for their second born.
The tot will join the couple's first daughter Ethel, born in 2011.
One insider told the Sun: 'Marnie is a real cutie. Sam and Lily are ecstatic about adding another girl to the family.
'A little sister for Ethel is brilliant news to lift the January blues for the family.'
Lily has been keeping fans up to date on her baby news via Twitter, writing on January 4: '3rd curry this week... cosywomb.'
Lily Allen and Sam Cooper announced they were expecting their first child at their Cotswolds wedding in June 2011, with the delighted groom reportedly confirming the happy news during the reception, and telling guests Lily was 12 weeks into her pregnancy.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
WATCH: Behind the scenes with Lily Allen on Lucy In Disguise shoot...
What do you think of Lily Allen's baby name? Let us know in the comments box below..
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Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have to miss an A-list event for a very relatable reason
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Shiba Inu’s apparel collaborator John Richmond teased his new SHIB-themed collection via his official Twitter handle. The post came with a blue-haired caricature donning a jacket with the meme token inscribed over it.
Richmond, an accomplished fashion designer from Italy has been a long-time SHIB supporter. The two formed a collaboration in February 2022, and he began displaying attires with Shiba Inu themes at various design shows, including Milan Fashion Week, which took place in September 2022.
Apart from boosting Shiba Inu’s popularity, Richmond also directed his energy on enticing members of the SHIB community.
The fashion designer asked the SHIBArmy to offer fresh suggestions for improving the SHIB X John Richmond clothing line last year.
During these interactions, the English-Italian designer also created many versions of SHIB-themed T-Shirts, while incorporating some of the recommendations.
In his long career, Richmond has worked with many celebrities, including critically acclaimed artists like Madonna, the Rolling Stones, and Gwen Stefani.
The Manchester-born designer only recently began focusing on Web3. The new strategy is a result of the ideals decentralization delivers to the global community, he claimed.
Another factor that drew him closer to Web3 innovation was that it reminded him of the iconic 80s punk rock trend. According to Richmond’s tweet, he found a lot of similarities between the two movement
“Just like the punk rock movement of the UK in the 80s, it represents a powerful energy and a desire for change,” explains the renowned stylist.
Shiba Inu Army Was Ecstatic Due To This
Even though John Richmond has previously worked with a star-studded cast, he just made a magazine cover with Snoop Dogg for Vogue Magazine public. The well-known Hip Hop artist infused the world of fashion with a touch of the West Coast.
The SHIB Army was ecstatic when Snoop Dogg was featured in Vogue Magazine because his rebellious street attire perfectly complemented John Richmond’s plan to experiment with various styles.
In response, a few SHIB Army troops tweeted Shytoshi Kusama, the game’s lead creator, asking whether Snoop Dogg could perform in Ryoshi Plaza or Bark Park.
In the end, Shiba Inu’s developer team’s planned Web3 project is called SHIB: The Metaverse. However, Shibarium’s Layer-2 scaling solution must first be made available before SHIB: The Metaverse may go online.


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Thanks to Huffington Post.com
Four weeks ago, I figured out something that took Bruce Springsteen months to conclude: it’s a mistake to do business with Wal-Mart.
This week, Springsteen had to do a little “shuffle” of his own to explain his strange consort with the company that puts profits ahead of people.
In this space (Dec. 28th ITunes, Wal-Mart, Springsteen Killing Off the Independents) I wrote: “The Boss has signed on with the Retail Boss, much to the chagrin of his many fans, who saw Springsteen as the voice of the disenfranchised. Now he’s just another Walton commodity. Born in the U.S.A. meets China-Mart.”
It is jarring to see the Greatest Anti-Union Corporation promoting Springsteen’s Greatest Hits CD as a “Wal-Mart exclusive” (for $10–you save $2.98). Now Springsteen is apologizing to his fans for having “dropped the ball on it.” But until he “drops the money” from this deal, Springsteen’s regret doesn’t go far enough.
“It was a mistake,” Springsteen told the New York Times. “Our batting average is usually very good, but we missed that one. Fans will call you on that stuff, as it should be.” In response, Wal-Mart went right to the heart of the problem, anticipating the backlash Springsteen would cause: “We are proud of the good jobs, benefits and career opportunities we provide to more than 1.4 million U.S. associates who choose to work at Wal-Mart and serve our customers every day.”
If Springsteen didn’t get it—Wal-Mart certainly did. This is fundamentally a worker’s rights controversy, and the pop rocker walked smack into it. Wal-Mart, which conducts surveillance over its ‘associates’ to weed out any union ‘salts’ that might be working in its ranks, has become the emblem of the union-bashing employer in America. Wal-Mart assiduously trains its managers on how to spot, and eliminate potential union sympathizers on its sales floors. This is the company that tried to deny it was coaching its employees to vote against Barack Obama. This is the company that together with the Retail Industry Leaders Association will spend millions this year to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress, which would expand the choices of workers to organize into a union.
Some of the money to fuel that anti-union effort will come from the sale of Springsteen’s CD at 3,500 Wal-Mart stores across America. When someone makes a “mistake” with Wal-Mart, by definition it’s a big mistake.
But the Boss still has a chance to redeem himself. Tomorrow, during half-time at the Super Bowl, Springsteen could score a touchdown of his own by announcing that he is donating the profits from all sales of Greatest Hits at Wal-Mart, to support groups working for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.
Then he can launch into an ‘exclusive’ version of one of the trademark songs on his Wal-Mart album, retitled: “Made in the U.S.A.”
Al Norman is the founder of Sprawl-Busters, and has been helping communities fight big box stores for the past 15 years. His website is http://www.sprawl-busters.com


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No one could imagine a day would come when voice assistant technology merges with the automobile world. Well, the latest announcement by Toyota on its collaboration with Amazon will turn that dream into reality.
The announcement was made on January 8th at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas, Nevada where Toyota unveiled use of Amazon Alexa in the automobile will commence from 2018 onwards.
However, the specific models compatible with the technology are unknown with speculations having that a ‘select’ App suite infotainment systems will have Alexa. Already, the models are said to be fitted with voice- control enhancements thus making it easy to introduce the voice assistant.
At the same venue, Toyota unveiled the autonomous e-palette concept. The exorbitant car is expected to provide on-demand offices with office sharing capabilities and uses guardian technology – to act as a safety net. It will encompass online services from Pizza Hut, Didi Chuxing, Mazda and Uber. This aside, the car is expected to have Alexa in its infotainment system.
Interestingly, multiple electronic companies have endorsed Alexa voice assistant in their products. This includes; Panasonic, Byton (electric car manufacturer) and Garmin. From the look of things seems Amazon’s Alexa is outdoing itself as it sneaks its way past its household application that allows users interact with .
An awesome collaboration between Amazon, Toyota and Lexus
To show enthusiasm of the latest move, Zack Hicks, senior vice president Toyota Motor North America and CEO Toyota Connected, said in a statement, “Voice services are rapidly becoming more popular and through our integration with Amazon Alexa, Toyota and Lexus customers will soon be able to easily speak to Alexa in their cars while on the go.”
“This makes Toyota and Lexus vehicles among the first to bring the convenience of Alexa into the car and onto the road,” announced the Toyota official.
What Alexa brings to Toyota and Lexus automotive system
So what’s with the fuzz of Amazon Alex been integrated into Toyota cars? Well, the sophisticated voice assistant will enable users to do numerous things which include; engine ignition, lock controls, adjusting heat and air conditions, environmental controls and switching directions.
“Alexa, turn on the car” or “Alexa, lock the doors” are simple commands that drivers can use to achieve basic car functions. Other luxuries to be enjoyed via Alexa includes; music player, a recommendation of restaurants and food stores.“Voice is a simple, natural and safe way to communicate, especially when you’re in the car,” said John Scumniotales, head of product for Amazon Alexa Automotive – also present the .
Alexa has previously partnered with Ford so as to have the incorporation of the voice sensor in future models produced especially from 2019. Other endorsers include BMW and Volkswagen.
One cannot fail to mesmerize the fact that Alexa in the infotainment system is no ordinary voice aid but also a hazard detector. Cool!!Well, the voice assistant can alert drivers of an impending road danger.
Vision of Amazon Alexa
From the latest trend, it is evident that Alexa is geared to having the tech integrated and usable at all places. This falls in line with Company’s vision of having all users link with their smart-home appliances conveniently be it at home, in office, on phones and now in cars.
At home, Alexa connects users with their smart-appliances with the likes of Nest, Phillips Hue and Hive having integrated the voice command system.
Currently, digital voice systems are spreading on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay where users can easily access the gadgets.


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I read your editorial about Quiky Car Wash (Tribune, March 29) and am a neighbor to the business. The noise coming from Quiky is as bad as it sounds. But what is worse is that the city of SLO is not taking all of the action it could to improve the livelihood of its residents.
Quiky Car Wash paid to have a “sound engineer” come and test its sound levels at a date, time and set of conditions set by the business. Those conditions resulted in sound levels that were “just under” the permitted volume. From there? The city of SLO code enforcement has “closed the case.” This pattern has happened over and over for more than eight years!
And the offer by the business to put in landscaping is just a tactic to buy time without any positive impact to our neighbors. We are all for businesses being in the area, but we want to know why this business is being given such special privileges. And why won’t the city do what it can to help our neighbors?
Alex McClure, San Luis Obispo
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Two of the key macro data trends we want to be paying close attention to in order to know how, when, and if there is a recovery, are jobs and consumer sentiment.
Tomorrow we get several releases from the height of the pandemic on job openings and consumer sales. This will give us some clear insight into how the COVID-19 situation is evolving.
We can expect the April data to be key because it’s from what we hope will turn out to be the worst month for the economy. Barring a second wave, hopefully from here, it’s a climb back to normal.
Part of getting a handle on what to expect from a recovery is knowing how far down things have gone. If all goes well, that’s the data we’ll be able to analyze tomorrow.
What We Are Looking For
We can expect retail sales figures to be the driving force behind the market for the rest of the week. Many retailers had better than expected sales in March because of panic buying, but that’s not the case in April.
In fact, we expect to see the full measure of how much lockdowns affect consumer spending, and by extension, the economy.
Projections are for retail sales to have dropped -10.0% in April, which would be on top of the -8.7% in March.
If we exclude the more volatile auto market (with the vast majority of dealers closed for the whole month), projections are for retail sales ex-auto to have fallen by -8.6% on top of the -4.5% in March. The control group largely doesn’t move the market but analysts also expect it to fall -3.9% compared to +1.7% in the prior month.
Already last month’s Retail Sales reading was the worst on record. It nearly doubled the worst loss seen during the 2008 recession.
However, expectations are for tomorrow’s data to be even worse. The total loss of sales in the last two months is likely to be well beyond the total loss of sales during the entire 2008-2009 recession.
Normally retail sales are considered in the context of inflation and Fed policy. On Wednesday, the market took a turn for the worse after Fed Chair Powell said he expected the economy to be affected for an extended period of time.
One or two percentage points difference from expectations in retail sales isn’t going to change that outlook much.
Where to Get Growth
As the Fed continues to push record amounts of liquidity into the market, and the US government prepares another record-breaking spending package, the problem isn’t a lack of money.
In order for people to buy things, they have to be made. Factories are closed, and people are increasingly worried that they won’t be able to return to work. Cold, hard cash is just a facilitator of the economy. It is no replacement for actually providing the products and services people want and need.
With that in mind, the JOLTS job openings might be the most interesting data to come out. Right up until March, there were more job openings than there were people unemployed in the US. That has changed.
But, as long as the number of job openings remains somewhat upbeat, people might still feel they can find employment. The possibility of a quick recovery might evaporate quickly if there is a significant JOLTS drop.
Current projections are for there to be a minor decrease in line with the nearly year-long trend in job openings to 6.84M compared to 6.88M in March.