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This Friday marks the day the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has given as the required 90-day notice to Congress to sign a trade deal with Canada. That technically gives a signing deadline until November 29, with the final text of the revamped trade package given to Congress by September 30.
The U.S. and Mexico signed what looks like a bilateral accord last week, giving Mexican auto workers more money and a win for both President-elect Obrador of Mexico and President Trump. Canada remains a sticking point in the NAFTA makeover.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau recently stole a line from Trump’s playbook, saying in a POLITICO article that he wanted a deal that was good for Canadians. A central contention between the two sides so far is U.S. agriculture getting higher duties, with U.S. calls for increased dairy market access. Canadian farmers have opposed it.
See: Donald Trump Is Onto Something —USA Today
“The scale of the potential win for American farmers in Canada could be significant,” says Chris Rogers, an analyst with Panjiva, the economic data crunching unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence based in the U.K.
Exports of all dairy products to Canada were $348 million in the 12 months ending June 30, or 7.5% of America’s total exports, based on Panjiva’s numbers. Within that particular farm-goods market, Canada accounted for 40% of U.S. butter exports and 48% of chicken eggs, and not much else. If the U.S. were able to increase shipments of milk powder, where Canada represents just 0.7% of the U.S.’ $1.31 billion in exports, and cheese (Canada is 4.2% out of a $1.51 billion market) could easily double.
Increasing farm exports has been an important part of the trade talks between the Trump and Trudeau administrations.
For Canada, the automotive sector is the most important item and one which Trudeau was most likely alluding to in the POLITICO article. Autos were not party to this round of negotiations with Canada. The baseline changes—NAFTA members' content requirements are set at 75% for duty-free treatment with 45% of vehicle content required to be made by workers paid $16/hour or more. This seems unlikely to prove controversial in Canada, Rogers says.
Trump has indicated that Canada could face “a tariff on cars.” That could indicate a minimum of duties being applied or a maximum of NAFTA being unwound and a stand-alone as a U.S.-Mexico bilateral deal.
Even though Trump has a preference for bilateral deals between two parties, turning the old NAFTA into two different trade arrangements is not as easy as it looks.
Under U.S. Trade Promotion Authority rules, the president can only present a revised NAFTA deal for an “up-down” vote in Congress. He cannot present a totally new deal. A withdrawal-and-replace would be subject to a full vote.
More on that should be known in the weeks ahead. Uncertainty over NAFTA’s future remains, sending Mexico stock market down 2.1% since the announcement on Monday. MSCI Canada is up 0.6%.
Most of the market’s focus regarding NAFTA has been centered on the Mexican-American relationship. But Mexico and Canada have separate problems that will have to be addressed if NAFTA was scrapped in favor of two bilats. Both countries are signatories to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that Trump ditched in his first few months in office. The TPP 11, as it is also known, has not been ratified by the 11 member nations. However, being party to it means, “a complex legal scrub once the new NAFTA deal is finalized,” Rogers says.


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Your wedding website can get you cool discounts
Marriages may be made in heaven but marketers are cashing in on couples tying the knot by giving them a page on the worldwide web to document their wedding, reports Aditya Ghosh.india Updated: Jun 25, 2007 03:44 IST
Marriages may be made in heaven but marketers are cashing in on couples tying the knot by giving them a page on the worldwide web to document their wedding.
Retailers are riding piggyback on such domains by offering couples discounts on jewellery, sarees and honeymoon packages. The pay off, say marketing experts, is direct contact with potential customers.
"Many companies are showing interest in sponsoring or offering discounts,” said bharatmatrimony.com Chief Executive Officer Murugavel Janakiraman. “The companies reach prospective clients and increase business while couples too benefit. Thanks to sponsorships, offering domains free is not a problem,” said Janakiraman.
His site has been offering free web domains to couples tying the knot since February. “Marriage is a lifetime event and we wanted to make it as memorable as possible,” said Hemal, who documented her wedding with Chennai-based creative designer Hitesh Mehta on www.hiteshwedshemal.com
“I plan to upload some videos for my relatives abroad,” said Hitesh. “And if we get some good offers in the process, it makes more sense,” said Hemal.
“This is a very intelligent way of pushing products and services,” said marketing consultant Jagdeep Kapoor. “Marriages are the perfect occasion to grab customers’ attention as people are in the mood to splurge,” he said.
“Personalised marketing makes sense for advertisers. It is a platform to interact with consumers directly,” said Anupam Mittal, chairman and managing director of shaadi.com.
First Published: Jun 25, 2007 03:38 IST

domain: news


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Businesses gain better control of cloud and mobile devices
Enterprises around the world are gaining control of previously unmonitored and unsupported cloud applications and mobile devices in their IT environments according to a new report.
The 2019 Trusted Access report from Duo Security looks at more than a million corporate applications and resources that Duo protects. Among the findings are that cloud and mobile use has resulted in 45 percent of requests to access protected apps now coming from outside business walls.
This has led to businesses enforcing security controls that establish user and device trust before granting access to applications, known as zero-trust security. These include strengthening user authentication, requiring screen locks and disc encryption, disallowing devices with out-of-date browsers and operating systems, or blocking anonymous IP addresses.
The findings show that many systems are still out of date, notably Android, with less than 10 percent of devices on the latest patch as of May this year. Out of date browsers are a problem too, with Edge the most frequent offender on 73 percent. Businesses are getting better at addressing vulnerabilities though.
"What is really fascinating is that one of the key findings is how effectively you can manage a vulnerability," says Richard Archdeacon, advisory CISO at Duo Security. "My view is you can manage the threat but you can’t manage the vulnerability. Not so long ago there was a big zero-day released around Chrome and we found an immediate uptake -- around 80 percent -- among organizations implementing a policy around managing the version of chrome. They were managing a vulnerability by making users upgrade."
Also good news is that fewer people are falling for phishing scams. Only 47 percent of campaigns managed to capture at least one set of credentials in 2019, compared to 65 percent in 2017. "There's a lot more education going on about phishing, but we should never get complacent, we only need one phishing scam to work," says Archdeacon. "The results show far more user awareness but phishing should still continue to be a focus in organizations. It's good news but let's continue to work on it."
You can read more of the findings in the full report which is available from the Duo website.


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ATLANTA — Newell Rubbermaid has announced the sale of its Teach platform, including the Mimio and Headsprout interactive teaching technology brands, to Skyview Capital, LLC, a Beverly Hills, Calif., private equity firm.
Terms were not disclosed. The transaction has closed with the signing of the agreement.
“Our Growth Game Plan is designed to accelerate performance by setting clear priorities for our business. This transaction further simplifies our portfolio as we continue to invest behind our highest-potential global growth opportunities,” said Michael Polk, Newell Rubbermaid’s president and CEO.
Newell Rubbermaid a global marketer of consumer and commercial products with 2012 sales of approximately $5.6 billion. Its portfolio of brands includes Sharpie, Paper Mate, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, Irwin, Lenox, Parker, Waterman, Rubbermaid, Levolor, Calphalon, Goody, Graco, Aprica and Dymo.
As part of the company’s growth game plan, Newell Rubbermaid is focusing on making sharper portfolio choices and investing in new marketing and innovation to accelerate performance.


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Budget online electronics vendor Kogan Technologies is making the jump to the UK market, with sales of products like the company's low-priced TVs beginning in mid-November.
Australian consumer electronics vendor Kogan is once again challenging major retailers such as Harvey Norman and Bing Lee by moving into the home appliance space.
Ruslan Kogan, founder and director of Kogan Technologies, yesterday announced a price drop across his company’s consumer electronics range. The announcement was made at Kickstart Forum 2010 Queensland, where key journalists and vendors meet to discus...
At a press event in Sydney today, Australian company Kogan revealed plans to release 19in and 22in LED TVs within the next two months.
Marketing success story Kogan Technologies has announced what it claims is Australia’s cheapest 10-inch netbook computer powered by the Linux-based gOS operating system.
Budget manufacturer and retailer Kogan today announced the KEVIN37, a 37in LCD television that will cost $900 — the same amount earmarked for individual tax-payers who earn $80,000 or less in the Federal Government's economic stimulus package.
Kogan, the Australian company behind the recently delayed Android-based Agora smartphone, plans to release a netbook and is turning to the community for inspiration and advice. In a blog entry on Kogan's Web site, company founder Ruslan Kogan asked f...
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.


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Buoyed by the revenge travel-driven surge in occupancies, the gradual return of business travellers and an unprecedented upward spike in the industry bellwether, RevPAR (revenue per available room), hotel chains and developers are busy inking partnership deals and announcing a flurry of new openings.
The momentum for this reinvigorated interest in the hospitality sector, in fact, has come from the industry leaders, with the Indian Hotels Company Limited (better known as the Taj Group) flagging off one new collaboration or completed project every month since 2018, barring the Covid-afflicted months.
ITC Hotels, meanwhile, has just announced the launch of its own luxury marquee, Mementos, close on the heels of the rollout of its boutique hotels collection under the Storii banner and the renewed thrust given to the Welcomhotel brand as evidenced in the recent openings in Katra (Jammu and Kashmir) and Bhubaneswar in the space of three months.
Anil Chadha, Chief Executive, ITC Hotels, articulated the industry sentiment when he said that the hospitality sector had moved from "survival to revival" and the driver of this change was the rush, post Covid 2.0, to leisure locations "from the hills to the seas".
Unsurprisingly, Goa has emerged the RevPAR leader in absolute terms, notching up a 389.8 per cent increase in Q3 2021 (third quarter of this calendar year), in the real estate and investment management firm JLL's just-released Hotel Momentum India report.
This quarter-to-quarter increase, as the report points out, may have been partly because of the low base of Q3 2020, but the country's five other principal hospitality sector markets have seen triple-digit RevPAR growth numbers, from 102 per cent (Mumbai) and 111 per cent (Delhi) to 213 per cent (Bengaluru).
"Brand India has shown its intrinsic strength," Chadha said, pointing to the momentum provided by domestic leisure travellers. With so much positivity in the air, the effect was bound to be felt in new hotel signings and openings - and IHCL, clearly, leads in this department.
Speaking on IHCL's "journey of continuous growth and expansion", its Executive Vice-President (Real Estate and Development), Suma Venkatesh, said the company has signed more than 70 hotels and opened over 25 new addresses over the past three years.
"The growth momentum continued despite the pandemic, and according to a recent report by [hotel management consultancy] HVS Anarock, IHCL achieved the highest number of signings and openings in India in 2020," Venkatesh said.
Adding that IHCL will open "12 hotels this fiscal" (that is, one hotel a month), Venkatesh said: "Our upcoming hotels include those in Dubai, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai and Sikkim, besides Taj Wellington Mews in Chennai, South Asia's first-ever luxury residences managed entirely by women." The IHCL portfolio has 227 hotels, including 56 under development.
According to Achin Khanna, Managing Partner of the consultancy firm, Hotelivate, the country saw 60 new hotel projects being signed and these together represent 8,700 rooms (or an average of 145 rooms per signing).
This number is expected to swell considerably because, as Khanna points out, "November and December are the months when the bulk of the signings take place." And new hotels projects are being signed all over the country. Hotelivate alone has advised on collaborations in places as varied and Noida and Goa, Udaipur and Imphal.
The growth is also drawing the hospitality sector away from its traditional luxury fixation. "The middle-class traveller is an unrealised market," Rattan Keswani, Deputy Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels, pointed out. "Thanks to the growth of MSMEs, the customer base for the Rs 2,750-Rs 5,500 average room rate bracket has been expanding constantly."
And this customer segment, post Covid 2.0, now associates branded hotels with safety and security, according to Keswani, who has presided over nine openings in the past 18 months, with the tenth expected in Mumbai before the end of FY2022.
The shifting customer preference, as well as the changing demographics, explains the growing demand for branded hotels in non-traditional markets such as Lucknow, which is seeing a significant growth in weekend travel from Moradabad and Kanpur, and Gorakhpur, where new hotel business is driven by the expanding India-Nepal border trade.
The room for growth in these markets is more than tempting. In the third quarter of this year, supply rose by a mere 9.5 per cent, but demand soared by a whopping 159 per cent.
Hotel developers have been quick to respond to this palpable shift. It becomes clear from the numbers in JLL's Hotel Momentum India report - of the 32 new branded hotel signings in Q3 2021, 16 are in the midscale segment and nine in the upscale category, where average room rates are in the range mentioned by Keswani (Rs 2,750 to Rs 5,500).
Even among the 24 new hotel openings, 10 are midscale and three upscale. Interestingly, four of these hotels are in the luxury category and five are upper upscale - that is, nine out of the 24 new openings, compared with two each in the two categories among the 32 new signings.
The new openings were conceptualised, on average, four to five years ago, when the sentiment was still bullish on luxury and upper upscale hotels. Today, as Keswani put it, hotels are planned taking into account two factors - investment affordability (for the developer) and rate affordability (for the potential customer).
Significantly, all 24 new openings reported in the JLL report are in Tier II and III cities and towns, whereas 28 out of the 32 signings are for hotel projects in these previously under-served locations, which could be as varied as Siliguri and Visakhapatnam, Vapi (Gujarat) and Deoghar (Jharkhand).
"More is in store," promises Chadha of ITC Hotels, pointing to the growth momentum. Khanna of Hotelivate adds that even a third wave of the pandemic won't dampen sentiments, for the hospitality sector, like the rest of the country, is better prepared and both developers and hotel operators are of the view that new projects are long-haul decisions that shouldn't be pushed to the backburner because of short-term crises.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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After countless rumors, the Scuderia has finally made an official announcement regarding the team’s future driver lineup, with Sebastian Vettel confirmed as driver for the 2015 season. The announcement was made a few minutes after the team officially announced that Fernando Alonso will leave the team at the end of this season. [Read the full article…]
Following the 2012 scandal, when Hyundai and Kia were accused of breaking the “Clean Air Act” and of making fake mileage claims for some of their models, the two carmakers reached an agreement with EPA and the Department of Justice and will pay the biggest civil penalty in the history of the United States. The “Clean Air Act” was first introduced in 1963 as a federal law that controls air pollution and which forces carmakers to comply with EPA standards and to release the correct fuel efficiency numbers.
The penalty given to Hyundai and Kia is worth $100 million, but the two carmakers will have to spend an additional $50 million to establish an independent fuel economy certification group that will prevent similar things from happening in the future. But the part that will cost them the most will be returning a total of 4.75 greenhouse gas emission credits they claimed in the past, which are estimated at a total of around $200 million. [Read the full article…]
Starting with November 1, the Electronic Stability Control system became mandatory for all new vehicles sold in the European Union that weight less than 3.5 tons. Starting with November 1, 2015, the new law will also apply to all other vehicles.
According to stats provided by Bosch, the company that invented the system and introduced it in 1995, 84% of all new vehicles sold in the EU were already available with ESC as standard. The system is widely regarded as one of the most important safety innovations in the history of the automobile and many reports showed that more than 80 percent of all crashes caused by the driver losing control could be avoided if all vehicles came with ESC. In 2011 alone, the system prevented more than 33,000 accidents and saved more than 1,000 human lives, according to another study by Bosch. These results were reported in the European Union only, in a time when the system was offered as standard on only 40 percent of new cars. [Read the full article…]
The German giant has just officially announced the opening of a new production facility in Tianjin, a large city in northern China. The factory will build DSG automatic transmissions for models sold in China and can produce up to 450,000 units per year, a capacity which is scheduled to be extended to 1.2 million units by 2016.
The Tianjin facility is Volkswagen’s 107 production site worldwide and it was finished after a $330 million (265 million Euros) investment. By opening this facility, Volkswagen created around 5,500 jobs in the area. According to the German carmaker, the DSG transmissions built in Tianjin will be used on the Chinese versions of the Volkswagen Tiguan, Golf and Audi Q3. The transmission will be used alongside the 2.0 TSI engine which is also being manufactured in China, at the Changchun and Shanghai facilities. Combined with the DSG transmission, the petrol engine gets better mileage and also has an important reduction in CO2 emissions. [Read the full article…]
According to the most recent edition of Manager Magazine’s annual list of wealthiest people in Germany, the Quandt family are now in number 1 spot, with a combined worth of 31 billion Euros (almost $40 billion). Johanna Quandt, 88, is the widow of German industrialist Herbert Quandt, the man responsible for saving BMW during its crisis in the 1960s and together with her two children own 46.7 percent in the German carmaker. The family are also important shareholders in several other German companies such as chemical maker Altana and graphite and carbon company SGL Carbon. The Quandts also managed to overtake the owners of the Aldi supermarket chain for the first time in 10 years. [Read the full article…]


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This is CINET.
And here are the stories that matter right now.
Samsung announced the Galaxy Fold is now available in Korea.
The Ford was originally to launch in late April.
However issues with review units led to a delay.
Samsung says after career,the Fold will be released in certain European markets on the 18th.
The US will also get the fold but Samsung has not given a specific date yet.
This new version of the fold will be a bit tougher than the original.
The screen is reinforced and caps were added to the end of the phone to prevent debris from getting into the device.
Facebook wants to Facebook dating in the US.
The company says the service will help people start meaningful relationships through things like common interests.
Facebook is also allowing users to integrate their Instagram posts in their Facebook dating profile.
Dating profiles are separate from main profiles and the dating feature is opt in Facebook dating is already available in 19 other countries, a european launch is coming in early in 2020.
Nintendo announced that 20 super Nintendo games are now available on its switch online service .Titles include super marioworld super mariocat and starfox.
If something goes wrong in your game,you can use the rewind function- To head back when things were right and tend to also announce a new controller style like the original super Nintendo controller, it cost around $30 is wireless and charges using a USB cable.
Stay of the day the latest by visiting cnet.com.


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When frequenting cafes, fast food outlets or restaurants, it isn’t an uncommon practice for the WiFi password to be printed down on a customer’s receipt for their convenience, saving them the time to have to speak to the wait staff for it. However in the case of one popular fast food outlet here, their receipts look somewhat different as compared to those from other eateries.
McDonald’s Bukit Bintang keeps toilet doors locked with a password
In a post that was recently shared by local netizen Ikhwan Nazri, he revealed upon closer inspection that the receipt for his meal at the McDonald’s outlet located smack-dab in the middle of Bukit Bintang included one curiosity that many may not have anticipated to find: the password to the premise’s restrooms.
And while many may be curious as to why a restroom would require the use of a password to access, Ikhwan would go on to show in a subsequent Tweet that this was necessary as the toilet doors in the McDonald’s outlet are sealed shut behind an electronic door-lock, complete with a numerical pad.
“Shops that give out their WiFi passwords are common,
McDonald’s outlets that give the passwords to their toilets are extraordinary.” he wrote.
Not uncommon practice, say social media users
But the practice may not be as uncommon as one would think, as one netizen has responded and explained that the protocol of keeping toilets locked in McDonald’s outlet is commonplace in regions such as Europe, likely to prevent vandalism and abuse of the facilities.
Other social media users have also pointed out that the Bukit Bintang McDonald’s outlet has implemented the password system for some time now, in light of instances where some visitors have taken advantage of the facilities without paying for a meal.
“I have eaten there before during the day, and all of a sudden the staff raised their voice. As it turns out, they were angry at people who were just there to sit and enjoy the facilities, charging their phones, using the WiFi, using the toilet in the outlet. Basically, they will sit at any empty tables near a plug point.”
One even claims that backpackers have been using the toilets to wash up.
“McDonald’s Bukit Bintang has done this for a long time, because they wanted to stop non-customers from using the toilet. That’s all added cost. It got so bad that some people were even washing up in the toilet. Who else but foreign backpackers.”
However, one netizen points out that the outlet hasn’t changed their password in two years, and that the state of the toilet’s cleanliness is only subpar.
“Bukit Bintang, right? The password hasn’t been changed in 2 years. From the time they first implemented this system, if I’m not mistaken. The toilets are just average, they aren’t that clean.”


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Nike has apologized and pulled a soccer line it planned to launch with LA-based label Undefeated after the US Naval Academy addressed the brand on Twitter calling the graphics an abuse and infringement of the USNA Crest.
A new Beach category will show this August at Swim Collective in Anaheim, CA, aiming to offer a curated assortment of apparel and accessories designed to round out buyers' purchases at the swimwear trade show.
Six former and current employees of Fitbit Inc were charged in a federal indictment for possessing trade secrets stolen from rival Jawbone, according to a statement from the Department of Justice on Thursday.
In a page right out of H&M's recent graffiti copyright lawsuit, Oakley has been sued by two graffiti artists who claim the action sports company used their work in a campaign without getting their permission first.
The New York City administration and industry and community leaders recently unveiled a comprehensive support package for fashion production in the Garment District, a neighbourhood located in the borough of Manhattan.
U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in May as consumers bought a range of other goods even as they paid more for gasoline, the latest indication of an acceleration in economic growth in the second quarter.


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Bruce Baird is on a mission to encourage customers to buy clothes made in the United States.
Baird has been on this quest since he opened his upscale clothier, Bruce Baird & Co., 23 years ago in downtown Chattanooga. In recent years, though, it hasn't been easy to keep his racks stocked with domestic clothes. American clothing companies are nearly extinct, he said.
The problem, he said, is that the cost of skilled labor, including high health-insurance rates, has caused manufacturers to shut down or leave the county.
"Of all times to support America, it's now," Baird said. "With the economy down and so many people out of work, we need to support American-made goods. I heard on an ABC News report recently that if every American spent an extra $3.33 on something made in America, it would create almost 10,000 new jobs in the United States."
Baird said he is committed to selling American-made products not only because of the down economy but because production standards are high.
"When I first opened, finding merchandise made in America wasn't an issue because there were at least 300 major clothing manufacturers in our country. Now there are roughly eight," he said.
"People in America started shopping elsewhere for cheaper products, and the majority of these products were made offshore. The bad part is that many products are inconsistent and do not hold up to the standards of products made in America," Baird said.
Some American-made products, particularly clothing, are more costly than those made in other countries, Baird said. "In this economy, people aren't willing to pay for quality. But in some cases, people just don't pay attention to labels."
Virginia Spangler Polley, of Chattanooga, said she doesn't limit herself to buying only American-made merchandise.
"I am a free-market person and buy well-made products that offer a good value," she said. "I try to encourage manufacturers that are competitive. If America can't make a product competitively, it should change its practices or switch to manufacturing something it can do well."
Some people are taking it a step further.
Maddie Kertay of Chattanooga said she has starting making her clothes.
"I have taken this in my own hands this year and am working on sewing all my own clothes," she said.
Still, finding fabric made in America is difficult.
"According to data from the 2010 Census, nearly 100 percent of all apparel Americans use is imported, up from nearly 57 percent in 2000," the ABC report noted.
"My goal tends more to the side of being self-sufficient in this age of crazy prices, so it is not so much about it being made here or there, it's about cultivating the ability not to be tied to the economic market of any country to the point where I would not be able to dress my family," Kertay said.
Mark Carter of Cleveland, Tenn., said finding clothing made in America is "a losing battle."
Baird admitted it's difficult, if not impossible, to stock a retail business with only American-made products.
"I'm a minority," he said of his stock that is roughly 70 percent made in America. "But I'm finding more and more that people really appreciate it. It is amazing to me how many people don't realize how much is not made in America. I tell people to look at labels of what they're wearing, what they're sitting on, etc., and it never fails that the majority of people are surprised to find out that most of it is not made in America."


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Tunisia's trade balance deficit rose 27 per cent in 2021, to reach 16.2 billion dinars ($5.8 billion).
The National Institute of Statistics in Tunisia said yesterday that the trade deficit was in the range of 12.7 billion dinars ($4.55 billion) by the end of 2020.
This rise in the trade deficit is due to the increase of imports at a faster rate than exports.
According to the data, exports improved to 20.5 per cent in 2021, to reach 46.6 billion dinars ($16.6 billion) on an annual basis.
The National Institute of Statistics attributed the improvement in exports to the rise of energy exports by 39 per cent, phosphate and its derivatives by 83.2 per cent, and the mechanical and electrical industries by 21.9 per cent.
On the other hand, imports rose 22.2 per cent to reach 62.8 billion dinars ($22.4 billion) in 2021, compared to 51.4 billion dinars ($18.3 billion) in 2020.
According to the data, this trade balance deficit is mainly caused by the deficit recorded with China of 6.32 billion dinars ($2.25 billion), and Turkey of 2.65 billion dinars ($948.5 million).


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Final Beam in Place for Five-Star Carmel Hotel
(CARMEL, Ind.) -- The final beam is in place for a new five-star hotel in Carmel.
The Hotel Carmichael will open in May, right next door to the Palladium. It'll be part of Marriott's "Autograph Collection" brand of boutique luxury hotels. The brand includes hotels in 32 countries on six continents, including Washington's Mayflower Hotel, New York's Algonquin, Chicago's Blackstone, and the Cosmopolitan on the Las Vegas Strip.
Carmel has about a dozen hotels, but the Carmichael will be the first in City Center. Mayor Jim Brainard says visitors want to be able to walk around downtown. The hotel will overlook the Monon Trail, and offer easy access to the Palladium and its neighboring theaters, as well as the city's Arts and Design District.
Brainard says adding a five-star hotel is critical for the companies headquartered in Carmel who want to impress corporate clients. Carmel Redevelopment Commission president Bill Hammer says while the hotel is aimed at corporate clients, filling rooms on the weekends will be critical to its success. He says the Carmichael's marketing will likely entice getaway-weekend visitors with the prospect of a show at the Palladium and a jazz brunch at the hotel to cap the weekend.
The Carmichael name is a hybrid of "Carmel" and "Michael" -- as in Michael Feinstein, the Grammy-winning pianist who serves as artistic director of the Center for the Performing Arts. The hotel restaurants will include the Feinstein Club, joining supper clubs in New York and San Francisco bearing Feinstein's name, and featuring music dominated by the Broadway and songbook standards in which he specializes.
(Photo: Eric Berman/WIBC)


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Network 10 told a court Thursday it would “fiercely defend” a trade mark case brought by Fairfax Media over 10’s recent rebrand and its newly approved trade mark, 10 Boss.
Cable TV giant Foxtel has succeeded in a second challenge to a digital download patent by a subsidiary of global tech giant Cognizant, but IP Australia has given the patent owner yet another go at fixing it.
The Copyright Agency has brought proceedings against the peak body representing Australia’s universities over copyright costs, after negotiations over a new licencing agreement broke down.
A court has delivered a loss for Germany-based B. Braun Melsungen, dismissing its allegations that US-based device manufacturer Becton Dickinson infringed three of its intravenous catheter […]
Keyboard specialist PKT Technologies has returned for an encore in a six-year long trade mark dispute, appealing a $384,000 judgment against it for violating a […]
Drug maker Neurim Pharmaceuticals is battling to amend its Australian patent for the blockbuster sleeping pill Circadin over opposition from two generic pharmaceutical companies, which […]
Italian deli meat producer AIA has lost its opposition to a trade mark application by competing salumi manufacturer Borgo, with the Registrar of Trade marks […]
A software-implemented business method could be patentable if programmed into a computer with “some ingenuity”, IP Australia told the Full Federal Court as a landmark […]
Fintech company Encompass has asked the Full Federal Court to take a more “nuanced” approach to software patentability than the one currently held by IP […]


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Alberta punks Trashed Ambulance are kicking off 2021 with the “Leapfrog” EP. Out now digitally via Thousand Islands Records, it’s the band first new material since releasing the “Shorthanded Cassette” EP in 2019.
The new EP is comprised of new singles “On The Mend”, “Leapfrog” and also a remastered version of fan-favorite, “Delinquent”.
Fans can find the release via their favorite digital platform right HERE. The music video for “On The Mend” is available to watch below.


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France supports the idea of tech giants' profits to be registered and taxed where businesses have significant interaction with users through digital channels. This proposal, introduced by the European Commission in March 2018, would enable EU countries to tax profits that are generated in their territory, even if a company does not have a physical presence there.
France, backed by some EU members, believes that the new system would ensure a real link between where digital profits are made and where they are taxed, specifically by a 3% interim tax on sales.
The Romanian Presidency (incoming January-June 2019) called for a "reasonable and appropriate way to tax the digital economy" during the macro-economic dialogue, part of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council to start on November 6.
Like France, the British government has argued in favor of a digital services tax (DST). In his budget announcement, British Finance Minister Philip Hammond said a "narrowly-targeted tax" is due to enter force in April 2020 in Britain. It would apply to firms making $650 million in annual global revenues so that only "established tech giants rather than our tech start-ups shoulder the burden."
“We will now introduce a UK Digital Services Tax.— HM Treasury (@hmtreasury) October 29, 2018
…It will be carefully designed to ensure it is established tech giants – rather than our tech start-ups — that shoulder the burden of this new tax.” #Budget2018 pic.twitter.com/h2hKxMrO1Y
Meanwhile, Germany believes in the minimum global tax regime based on profits, while Ireland and several northern European countries who host the European bases of the tech companies, firmly opposed the French-led taxation crusade.
Germany's stance hasn't yet discouraged the French Finance Minister, who said on Monday that Paris is "determined to reach a decision together" and professed a "Franco-German accord on the matter."
"But Germany has also said they will keep going, they will use the following weeks, that they also want a deal with France," Bruno Le Maire added.
Unrest in Washington
Among other arguments, Berlin has also suggested that if the EU targets the likes of Google, Amazon, Facebook and Amazon, it would trigger retaliatory measures from US.
Washington sees the EU proposal to introduce a 3% DST on revenues resulting from the supply of certain digital services as "troubling news."
In its letter to EU leadership, the US Senate spelled out the doom the DST will bring and pointed out there was no end date for that so-called "interim tax," which means it could "conceivably last indefinitely."
"The EU already has a revenue tax based on the location of the customer — the VAT. Consequently, the digital services tax will undoubtedly lead to double taxation of multinational companies," the letter signed by senators Orrin Hatch and Ron Wyden and sent in October 2018 stated.
The US Senate Committee on Finance also argued that given the EU's inability to enforce mechanisms against non-EU companies with little or no footprint in the EU, third country corporations, such as Chinese companies, "would effectively fall outside the proposal's scope, further enhancing the legal problems with the interim proposal."
Legislative proposals on digital services tax by the European Union are expected to be submitted to the Council for adoption and to the European Parliament for consultation.


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SURREY — Guildford Town Centre celebrated its 50th anniversary in a big way on Tuesday by setting a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest carrot cake.
A Guinness World Record adjudicator was on-site at Guildford Town Centre to make the record official, on the same day that Guildford Town Centre opened its doors in 1966.
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS
Guildford Town Centre partnered with Chef Mickey Zhao of Saint Germain Bakery to bake and assemble the 20-foot, record-setting carrot cake, weighing about 2.25 tons (2,250 kg), and containing 460 kg of carrots.
The assembly of the cake took place over a three-day period between Sunday, Nov. 6 and Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Photos: GORD GOBLE


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ENOC Group have announced major expansion plans to build 45 new service stations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the next five years. The group’s plans are aligned with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs’ plan, which aim for the construction of over 1,200 petrol stations across the Kingdom.
All 45 ENOC service stations will be strategically built on the Kingdom’s vast network of highways that inter-connect the 13 provinces and serve as a major logistics and trade land-corridor; connecting the Kingdom to the rest of the GCC and the Middle East region. Over the next two years, ENOC’s plan will focus on building stations in the central region, mainly Riyadh and the Eastern province.
ENOC currently operates 14 stations across the KSA. The group’s future service stations will also include ZOOM convenience stores. Customers will also enjoy a variety of retail outlets like Pronto. Alongside extending its retail network, ENOC will also provide employment opportunities to Saudi nationals.
“With Saudi Arabia’s long-term vision to diversify its economy, boost tourism and infrastructure and enhance business and trade, our plan to expand our retail network by over 220% in the next five years is aligned with the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to reduce oil dependency, increase privatisation and implement the Saudi nationalisation scheme,” says Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO, ENOC.
“Our 40-year heritage in building and operating best-in-class service stations across the UAE and Saudi Arabia are testament to our ability to build the infrastructure required for a robust network of service stations that will cater to the increased demand for fuel in the Kingdom,” he adds.
The first two days of the 25th edition of Beautyworld Middle EastOctober 6, 2021 | By RetailME Bureau
Words by Farimah Moeini, Snapchat Head of Industry – Retail and Travel TheJuly 5, 2021 | By RetailME Bureau
Union Coop, a consumer cooperative in the UAE, revealed that 78% of
Union Coop has opened its 23rd branch within the UAE in Jumeirah
Nando’s has revealed their revamped Sheikh Zayed Road outlet where newcomers and
UAE-based Al Maya Group announced that it will be boosting import of
UAE-based grocery retail chain, Grandiose has opened its first hypermarket in Abu
UAE-based Carrefour announced its theme and plans for Ramadan 2021. The brand
Locally owned supermarket Spinneys celebrates 60 years of doing business in the
UAE-based Carrefour will become the first retailer in the region to offer new levels
The Organic Farmers’ Market is back in Bay Avenue for its 12th
UAE-based Lulu Group recently inaugurated its first-ever all-female staff store in Jeddah,
Jones the Grocer, the gourmet grocer and cheese retailer launches the Jones
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia has
Extravagant, conceptual, great food and views are some of the ways that
Abu Dhabi’s state investment company ADQ is in talks to invest about $500 million
The once powerful department stores that anchored malls and streets around the
Who isn’t a sucker for discounts? Customers today are spoiled for choice
The various e-commerce and virtual retail stores that cater to different product
A private helicopter carrying the chairman and managing director of Lulu Group,
Tighter restrictions on hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and entertainment venues on account of
All hotels and restaurants have been directed to temporarily hold entertainment activities
The new Dubai Gold Souk is “very much on track”, according to
Gone are the days of traditional brick-and-mortar as well as purely e-commerce
The Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group’s ongoing jewellery campaign, held in association


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Posts Tagged ‘moceanlab’
Kia Motors has been pretty busy in recent years, and although COVID-19 hit the auto industry hard, the automaker came back swinging. Alongside purpose-built vehicles, Kia Motors has also jumped into investments with Aurora Innovation, and started several joint ventures with EV startups, like CODE42.ai to revolutionize the way electric vehicles work today. Part of the Hyundai Motor Group, Kia Motors is always getting in on the ground floor of new ventures and benefits from the results, like the MoceanLab development, working on self-driving electric vehicle fleets as a new ride-hailing service. One problem automakers have faced since the dawn of electric vehicles (EVs) was the development and production of EV batteries and how they impact the ecosystem. The Hyundai Motor Group enters into a collaboration with SK Innovation Co. to design new forms of battery management service and battery reuse and recycling, as well as improve the image of EV batteries in the industry.
Does anyone remember MoceanLab (pronounced as it sounds, Motion-Lab)? It’s an experiment of sorts started by Kia Motors, and largely the Hyundai Motor Group, in California, aimed at launching its own fleet of self-driving cars via a car sharing program that will basically give Hyundai its own autonomous ride-hailing network. We last heard about this MoceanLab was in November 2019. After the holidays, COVID-19 started to quickly spread, and the pandemic did a number on a lot of industries, including the automotive industry. Kia Motors was quick to bounce back and get started on the development of new vehicles for a post-pandemic world, including micro EVs and Purpose-Built Vehicles. Becoming part of the solution, Kia Motors has also joined many automakers and organizations in aiding its community in its COVID-19 relief efforts, and Kia Motors continues to push forward by providing eco-friendly transportation to frontline personnel through its mobility service venture – MoceanLab.
“We recognized the critical need for safe and hygienic transportation during the pandemic, and wanted to offer an innovative mobility solution, particularly for frontline workers…We are pleased that MoceanLab’s ‘LA Heroes Fleet’ is contributing to the city’s fight against COVID-19, and we will continue to work closely with the City of Los Angeles to find more opportunities to make a positive impact in the region.” – Kyounglim Yun, Executive Vice President and Head of Open Innovation Strategy Division of Hyundai Motor Group
Kia Motors is one of the automakers that bounced back from the pandemic shutdown with a vengeance. Right from the gates, Kia Motors blew up the auto industry by spearheading the production of Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBVs), investing in a new 800-volt battery system for electric vehicles (EVs), and announcing a new plan to design and produce micro EVs. Kia Motors, part of the Hyundai Motor Group, is also working with the automotive group to develop new forms of transportation, with projects like the MoceanLab. The most recent venture for Kia Motors is a new partnership for the development of customized EV mobility services.
Called “Purple M”, a new joint venture was created in partnership between Kia Motors and CODE42.ai, a Korean technology firm pioneering the transition to autonomous Transportation-as-a-Service (TaaS). Unlike the customization app Kia Motors released for EV models, the goal of customized EV mobility services are to create transportation services tailored for specific needs, such as ride-hailing, fleet management, demand-responsive shuttle, and smart logistics. With the implementation of CODE42.ai’s unrivalled IT technology to Kia Motors already strong global presence, Purple M will make use of CODE42.ai’s proprietary Urban Mobility Operating System (UMOS), a comprehensive mobility platform, to create new concepts for mobility services. The two groups share a common goal many automakers are currently chasing after – creating a mobile ecosystem where anyone and everyone can get some kind of private or public transportation.
“With the newly established Purple M, Kia will be reborn as a leader for the era of e-mobility…CODE42.ai is a leading Korean company in the field of future innovation technology, and is the best partner for successfully promoting a differentiated e-mobility service business.” – Ho Sung Song, CEO and President of Kia
The challenge will be how quickly the common public will adapt to autonomous vehicle and air transportation services. A self-driving electric vehicle is one thing, with many organizations gaining popularity across the world, but trusting a total stranger to fly you somewhere? Sure, thousands of people get on planes driven by someone they don’t know every day, but that guy is a for sure board-certified pilot. We have a way to go before AirUbers become a thing.
Back to the electric vehicle side of things, Purple M is all about establishing a comprehensive and flexible e-mobility service platform that can deploy EVs anywhere. To do this, the joint venture will need to expand and shake hands with specialist providers in the country, specifically Korea and its various mobility market players to develop a flexible e-mobility infrastructure that can offer a wide range of services to a broad consumer base versus a small, controlled populace. Most-likely though, any e-hailing service will start small.
Purple M also aims to develop models and vehicles that will set new standards for mobility business models in the post-coronavirus era, an objective Kia Motors was also quick to learn about. Automakers can’t just keep producing the same bread-winning models and expect business as usual. Purple M was made to challenge conventional designs and reimagine transportation for the future. We’re also going to see part of Kia Motors Plan S Strategy come to fruition. The Korean automaker wanted to establish a leadership position in the future automotive industry when it came to electrification, connectivity, and autonomy. Through Purple M, Kia Motors will be collaborating between larger, well-established firms as well as smaller, younger companies in Korea to establish a new start-up ecosystem, an empire of sorts.
As Kia Motors continues to push the auto industry forward, we’ll continue to eagerly watch what comes next. Follow along with us on Miami Lakes Kia social media.
Photo Source/Copyright: kianewscenter.com
Kia Motors, part of the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) will be seeing a lot of interesting changes in the coming years. Even with European Kia Chief Operating Officer Emilio Herrera optimistic about future sales, and the future of the company, we may see a pause in some of the larger endeavors, like the MoceanLab opened up in Los Angeles, California, U.S., and the Air Taxi concept debuted at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, a shared endeavor between Kia Motors, Hyundai Motors, and Uber. Still, before all of this came to pass, Kia Motors launched a Plan S Strategy, and by golly, it’s on like Donkey Kong!
Fueled by South Korea-based Hyundai Motor Co., amongst plans for future vehicle design and production, a market ripe with possibility is quickly gaining attention. It’s the world of purpose-built vehicle (PBV) services, and HMG wants to get on the ground floor with a combined investment total of $81.5 billion – $49.8 trillion by Hyundai Motor and $23.6 trillion by Kia Motors – over the next six years. Kia Motors has already announced two new upcoming electric vehicles, following the path set out by their Plan S Strategy, but this train is running on two tracks. The PBV market was also announced as a part of Plan S, with designs ranging from self-driving pizza delivery vans to mobility hubs in various cities.
Kia Motors has a lot going for it in terms of its product lineup and developing technology. A part of the Hyundai Motors Group, whatever automotive endeavors Hyundai becomes involved in, Kia Motors is right there with them. It’s kind of like a competitive partnership, and it’s exciting, to say the least whenever a new project takes shape. MoceanLab, the home base for a self-driving carsharing pilot program, is the stepping stone to creating a personal mobility ecosystem. During the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show, we saw even more of this with the partnership with Uber to debut an air taxi service. The latest journey for these two automakers is a partnership with Canoo to co-develop an all-new all-electric platform for future electric vehicles.
Could it be the powertrain for the upcoming Kia Futuron concept? Set to be Kia Motors first all-electric vehicle – as in the first vehicle to be released as a stand-alone electric vehicle (EV) and didn’t have an internal combustion engine or hybrid or plug-in hybrid model before it. It’s part of Kia Motors statement to eventually become an all-electric automaker despite their testament to sports cars with GT trims. The Kia Futuron is just a concept for now, and if waiting for the right powertrain, this development with Canoo could be it.
Wow, the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show is underway and automakers are blowing us away with some of the amazing technology they’re presenting. Although the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is more so focused on personal electronic devices, it’s also an exhibition of technology, and what better way for automakers to share new technologies and integration by joining CES 2020? The Hyundai Motor Group and Kia Motors are definitely sharing the biggest surprise. The two have just joined Uber in their mission to design and produce air taxis.
Tell us if you heard this joke. Uber riders may one day become airborne. If that’s true, they’ll call it a Hyun-day. Get it? Hyun-day – Hyundai? You get it.
The Hyundai Motor Group is the first automobile group to join Uber in designing and producing air taxis that the everyday consumer can hail, just like people do every day with Uber and Lyft already. Except instead of driving through busy streets and dealing with traffic, we have lift off. Unlike regular airplanes that need a runway to gain speed and take flight, these air taxis will be electric, able to rise into the air from a standstill, powered by several propellers. The two will be creating a new network of personal transportation that no longer relies on the schedule of airlines or finding a licensed pilot.
The Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) is one of several automobile groups working towards an interconnected and mobile future. Back in October 2019, the HMG signed a contract with Aptiv, a global technology company dedicated to developing safer, greener, and more connected solutions for the future of mobility. Together, the two entered a joint-venture to work towards a global autonomous driving ecosystem. Now in November 2019, the HMG establishes a new mobility service venture to further that initiative. For those not in the know, Kia Motors is one of the brands under the HMG umbrella, just like Jeep and Dodge are under the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) umbrella – good news for HMG means good news for Kia.
They’re calling it “MoceanLab”. Was “Motion Lab” already taken? Perhaps the name came from the city the project is launched in. After considerate review, the HMG chose Los Angeles as the home base of MoceanLab. With the large and diverse population, challenges with traffic congestion, and the progressive commitment to transportation innovation and sustainability (the number one state self-driving vehicles go to for test rounds), L.A. was the prime choice for launching a new mobility platform.
“Hyundai Motor Group will introduce innovative mobility platforms and demonstrate diverse mobility services in Los Angeles…More and more customers, including citizens of LA and tourists, will greatly benefit from MoceanLab as its service gradually covers a larger area of LA and diversify its mobility services. With such efforts, Hyundai Motor Group aims to lead the technology development for clean mobility.” – Kyounglim Yun, Executive Vice President of HMG.
That’s right, the HMG is working on launching their own self-driving car sharing program. We can see some influence of their joint-venture with Aptiv, the company that conducted the first coast-to-coast automated drive in the United States, has deployed commercial autonomous vehicles on a global scale, operates more than 100 autonomous vehicles on multiple continents, and is the leading ride-hailing network in Las Vegas. However, the MoceanLab project is starting small with a pilot program.


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Major Bitcoin mining hardware producer Bitmain today announced that it may launch a “hard fork” in August. Labeled a “contingency plan,” the announcement is a response to the upcoming user activated soft fork (UASF), as defined by Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 148 (BIP148) — and the wipe-out risk that comes along with it.
After an initial 8 megabyte proposal, Bitcoin Classic, the Hong Kong roundtable consensus, Bitcoin Unlimited, and SegWit2x, this marks the sixth time the Chinese mining giant has announced support for a hard fork in the space of two years.
Here’s what their latest proposal looks like.
Hard Forks, Coin-Splits and Altcoins
On August 1st, a segment of the Bitcoin community will activate the BIP148 UASF. These users and miners will only accept Bitcoin blocks that signal support for Segregated Witness (SegWit), the protocol upgrade proposed by the Bitcoin Core development team. If, at that point, a majority of miners (by hash power) does not signal support for SegWit through BIP148, Bitcoin’s blockchain and currency could split in two: a coin-split.
Now, with Bitmain’s hard fork announcement, it seems there could be a third part to the split … sort of.
Bitmain refers to its announced hard fork as a “UAHF” or User Activated Hard Fork. While perhaps a clever play on UASF, this is not a very accurate term because the “contingency plan” will actually be very explicitly activated by Bitmain — and Bitmain alone.
Moreover, use of the term “hard fork” is questionable in this context as well. Originally, at least, the term referred to a change to the Bitcoin protocol that makes previously invalid blocks or transactions valid. But for it to be a change to the Bitcoin protocol, it arguably at the very least requires the Bitcoin ecosystem to follow these new rules. Under Bitmain’s own stated condition this wouldn’t be the case, at least not to the full extent.
Rather, the “UAHF” will only be launched in response to a successful BIP148 UASF. It is thus more or less assumed that not everyone will adopt the new rules, which indeed seems likely. Technically, at least, Bitmain’s “hard fork” would be better described as the creation of an entirely new coin that shares a common history with Bitcoin.
For purposes of this article, Bitmain’s version of Bitcoin will be called “Bitmain’s Bitcoin.”
So what. specifically, will Bitmain’s Bitcoin look like?
Bitmain announced it will create Bitmain’s Bitcoin exactly 12 hours and 20 minutes after the UASF activation, though this is configurable. At that specific point in time, under Bitmain’s new rules, a block must be included in the blockchain that’s bigger than one megabyte. This will automatically “split” the chain — or create a new chain depending on how you look at it. All existing full Bitcoin nodes would reject this block and ignore this chain, and would continue to follow the chain adhering to Bitcoin’s current consensus rules.
From that point on, Bitmain will first mine on Bitmain’s Bitcoin chain privately for three days. After these three days, Bitmain will “officially” launch Bitmain’s Bitcoin to the public if three circumstances are met.
First off, the BIP148 UASF must have been successful enough to have gained significant hash rate. Second, there must be strong market demand for Bitmain’s Bitcoin. And third, the non-BIP148 side of the split must not be doing great, comparatively.
Then, if launched, Bitmain’s Bitcoin will accept bigger blocks. The statement mentions an initial limit of up to 8 megabytes, though this is slightly ambiguous as the same blog post mentions there will be “no hard-coded consensus rule” at all. The hardware manufacturer does add that miners should impose a “soft limit” of less than 2 megabytes, which is really more like a recommendation. Additionally, Bitmain writes that there will be a new protocol limit on “sigops,” which, in short, should counter some potential attack vectors on bigger blocks that could otherwise significantly slow down propagation times.
For the longer term, Bitmain lays out a “future roadmap” that includes a version of Segregated Witness, Extension Blocks, Bitcoin NG, Lumino, Schnorr signatures, Weak Blocks, and Bitcoin Unlimited-inspired base block size increases up to almost 17 megabytes in two years. Overall, this “future roadmap” part of the announcement does not seem very concrete yet, however.
What This Means for You, and What This Means for Bitcoin
The good news is that anyone who holds bitcoins (meaning: their private keys) at the time of a split will receive coins on both (or all) sides of the chain. In other words, you will get free "Bitmain bitcoins", which you can keep, sell or spend as long as someone is willing to accept them as payment. Bitmain will even implement replay protection on Bitmain’s Bitcoin, which means that there should be no risk of accidentally spending the same (copied) coin on both chains.
From a broader Bitcoin and scaling perspective, the chances of BIP148’s success may have actually increased, due to this announcement. If Bitmain follows through on their blog post, it means the company will take hash power that could have otherwise frustrated the UASF “off the table,” to mine on Bitmain’s Bitcoin chain. As a result, there is a greater chance that BIP148 miners will claim the longest chain versus non-BIP148 miners, avoiding a coin-split on the original blockchain. Additionally, Bitmain’s blog post seems to have angered some Bitcoin users that were so far undecided, further increasing support for BIP148.
The other scaling proposal in the running is SegWit2x, which is also supported by Bitmain. SegWit2x code should, according to its timeline, be up and running before August 1st. If that deadline is met, it may or may not prevent a coin-split in the first place, depending on its compatibility with the BIP148 UASF. But since this proposal has been mostly developed in private, the status of this project — as well as its (in)compatibility with Bitmain’s “contingency plan” — remains largely unclear.
And of course, in the end, it's possible that neither BIP148, nor SegWit2x, nor Bitmain's Bitcoin will gain much traction. Status quo could prevail, in which case not much would change at all.


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Samsung has finally and officially unveiled the new Galaxy S20 series smartphones and the Galaxy Z Flip foldable clamshell Android phone. The South Korean tech giant’s Unpacked 2020 event has been anticipated for months and D-Day has come. Samsung didn’t disappoint, but of course, there are still questions. We’ve got a team that was there and did the hands-on treatment. Samsung also did a Livestream and for those who have seen it, you may probably be wondering why the quality is not that excellent.
It’s okay–decent enough for the untrained eyes. Well, we just learned the South Korean tech giant used a Galaxy S20 phone. We understand why Samsung had to do that. The company wanted to prove the Galaxy S20’s camera system is awesome.
Unfortunately, the results are mediocre. It’s mostly dark. Some strange colors were seen. Oftentimes, the resolution would drop while other livestream issues are experienced. Samsung didn’t just use one Galaxy S20 but several units.
Watch Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2020 Livestream below:
It’s not clear what Samsung Galaxy S20 variant is used here but we’re assuming the Galaxy S20 Ultra since it has the most powerful camera specs. The other variants may also be in use maybe that’s why the resolution and quality differ. What can you say about the live stream quality?


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Minneapolis, Sept 16 - The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) and KS95 FM teamed up on Sept 15 to educate drivers on a the benefits of using E15 during an hour-long promotion at a Holiday station in White Bear Lake.
Drivers who fueled up with E15 during the promotion were rewarded with prizes such as $20 in cash, Stay & Play passes for St Croix casino in Turtle Lake, tickets to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, packages to the Urban Air Adventure Park and KS95 merchandise.
KS95’s personality, Greg “Hutch” Hutchinson, was at the station with MN Bio-Fuels staff during the promotion to talk to drivers on the many benefits of fueling up with E15.
“E15 reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, boosts Minnesota’s economy and makes us more energy independent,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.
The hour-long promotion was held from 12 pm to 1pm at the Holiday on 4540 Centerville Road in White Bear Lake.
In the first seven months of 2021, 47.49 million gallons of E15 was sold in Minnesota. In 2020, a total of 74.39 million gallons of E15 was sold.


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DENVER (CBS4) – The rate of inflation in the United States jumped to a 40-year high in March, up to 8.5%. It’s the fastest inflation rate since 1981.
With higher prices on just about everything everywhere, many families in Colorado are finding it hard to make ends meet. Even resources for those in need are feeling the pinch – like Food Bank of the Rockies. The non-profit coordinates with more than 800 food pantries across Colorado and Wyoming, distributing 1.5 million meals every week on average.
“It’s impacted us more than we could’ve imagined,” said Erin Pulling, CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies, “because we purchase food by the truckload.”
Inside the organization’s distribution center in Denver, volunteers unload those trucks and stock the shelves with pallets of various foods. From canned goods to fresh produce, all to eventually be enjoyed by people in need of food assistance.
“We’re focusing on fresh foods more than ever before,” Pulling told CBS4’s Kelly Werthmann. “And culturally responsive foods and high-quality foods for those in need.”
Yet, like everyone, that is getting more and more expensive to do.
“Almost every food item we purchase has gone up dramatically,” Pulling said. “Items we purchase a lot of are things like ground beef which has gone up 27% in the last year, spaghetti is up 15%, canned fruit is up 30%.”
Add in surging gas prices to transport the food and Pulling said the non-profit’s monthly costs have tripled since 2019, before the pandemic.
“We are now spending almost $1 million every single month on food and freight,” she said.
That 7-figure monthly cost is also spurred by a decrease in USDA food available, she added, along with an increase in need.
“So many people over the last two, two and a half years have needed help with food assistance for the first time in their lives,” Pulling said. “We’ve seen a slight drop-off in that, but just slight. We are still serving more people than we were pre-COVID.”
Even with a rise in costs and people trying to make ends meet, Pulling said it won’t stop Food Bank of the Rockies from providing healthy and nutritious products.
“We’re working with local agricultural partners to purchase fresh produce as well as increase the amount of food that we get donated,” she explained. “What that means is we’re depending on the generosity of community truly more than ever.”
LINK: Food Bank of the Rockies


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Containerized Imports Headed for a Record in the United States
With the economy zipping along at a nice pace, consumers are out there spending their money, as seen in the number of cargo containers that are landing at the nation’s major ports.
The Port of Los Angeles is one example of a busy port that has slogged its way back after it saw its cargo volumes dive in 2008 and 2009.
In July, the port saw its total container traffic jump nearly 16 percent to 796,804 cargo containers passing through its docks compared to the same month last year. So far this year, total volume from January to July has mushroomed 9.5 percent to nearly 5.3 million containers, which includes inbound, outbound and empty boxes.
Ports around the country are equally as busy and may set an all-time record, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report recently issued by the National Retail Federation and prepared by Hackett Associates. Statistics show that import cargo container volumes are expected to reach a new annual record.
“Consumers are buying more, and retailers are scrambling to import more merchandise to keep up with the demand,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy. “Docks have been busier than ever as ships unload cargo headed for store shelves, and that’s a good sign both for retail sales and the nation’s economy.”
The report showed that in July – the most recent month with full statistics – import container traffic totaled 1.78 million 20-foot containers, up 9.2 percent from July 2016. It was the highest monthly volume since the NRF began tracking imports in 2000 and beats the previous record set in March 2015 for 1.73 million containers.
However, August is expected to see a 0.1 percent dip from last year with an estimated 1.71 million containers, but it will still be one of the five highest months on record.
Import cargo container volumes for September are forecast to be 1.67 million containers, up 4.7 percent from last year; October at 1.7 million containers, up 2 percent; November at 1.61 million containers, down 2.3 percent; and December at 1.58 million containers, up 0.5 percent.
While Hurricane Harvey slowed Gulf Coast cargo in areas like Houston and Hurricane Irma is expected to do the same in Florida, neither is expected to significantly impact national totals.
Growth has slowed from the first half of the year, but major U.S. ports this year are expected to handle 19.7 million containers, topping last year’s previous record of 18.8 million containers, a 4.8 percent boost. That compares with 2016’s 3.1 percent increase over 2015. The first half of 2017 totaled 9.7 million containers, up 7.5 percent from the same period in 2016.
After the busy holiday season, a slowdown is expected for January 2018 with only 1.63 million containers coming in, down 2.6 percent from January 2017.
The NRF said the import numbers come as retail continues a long-term pattern of increased sales. Total retail sales have grown year-over-year every month since November 2009, and retail sales as calculated by NRF – excluding automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants – have increased year-over-year in all but three months since the beginning of 2010.
Imports are marching along even though the NRF recently downsized its forecast for 2017 retail sales, predicting they would rise between 3.2 percent and 3.8 percent rather than the 3.7 percent to 4.2 percent that had been predicted earlier.
Despite the record imports, Ben Hackett, founder of Hackett Associates, cautioned that cargo volume increases are expected to slow in the coming year.
“2017 is turning out to be a bumper year, causing a sense that growth is unstoppable,” Hackett said. “Taking this view is risky, however. As we look forward, our models are projecting a slowdown. The positive takeaway is that this is a slowdown in growth, not an actual reduction in volume.”
West Coast imports are expected to grow only 0.3 percent during the first half of 2018 over the same period in 2017, Hackett said. On the East Coast, which has been gaining market share from the West Coast, volume should grow 1 percent.


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Mass Effect would be a "really nice fit" for Wii U. That's according to EA Games chief Frank Gibeau.
In an interview with GameTrailers, Gibeau was asked if Mass Effect 3 would be coming to the Wii U and although he said that EA hasn't announced anything, he admitted that it would be nice.
"I can't say we are going to do it on the Wii U, but you can imagine what we could do with that controller in the Mass Effect universe. It feels like a really nice fit, but we'll announce that when the time is right."
I’d say this pretty much confirms that the game will be appearing on the Wii U sometime next year. What do you think?


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Torrid Holdings (NYSE:CURV) fell sharply in early trading on Thursday after the retailer lowered its Q3 guidance. Torrid now expects sales of $290M to $3305M vs. $312M consensus and adjusted EBITDA of $32M to $38M vs. $52M consensus. For the full year, CURV sees sales of $1.26B to $1.30B vs. a prior view for $1.30B to $1.37B and $1.33B consensus.
On Wall Street, Bank of America is defending the mall stock.
The firm reiterated a Buy rating on Torrid (CURV) given its differentiated fit, underserved and growing addressable market, and opportunities to engage the customer with new marketing.
"We are encouraged to hear that disruptions from its recent distribution center update were corrected by quarter end, and the changes will enable higher throughput in 3Q."
Analyst Lorraine Hutchinson and team think the CURV guidance that was issued is potentially conservative due to new launches, more targeted promotions and better inventory controls in place. BofA has a price objective of $6 on the stock.


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The Hills Market Downtown Celebrates 5 Years With Anniversary Party
The Hills Market Downtown is coming up on its five year anniversary, and to celebrate, the market will host a party featuring its most popular dishes and drinks, games and live music.
The party, set for March 10, will be an afternoon event serving in-house lobster rolls, local potato chips, Der Dutchmen hand pies, pulled pork sandwiches, barbecue chickpea sandwiches and build your own Bloody Marys.
WCBE 90.5 FM will be preparing kids games, prizes, while local band Matt Monta & the Haymakers will return to the market for a live performance. There will also be a raffle for a $500 gift card for customers who register on its Eventbrite page.
This anniversary party marks five years of The Hills Market’s Downtown location. In the last few years, the market has added a host of new components, including pop-up lunches with Willowbeez vegan soul food and Asempe Kitchen West African cuisine, and weekly food specials like taco Tuesdays and barbecue Fridays. The market has also largely expanded its beer and wine selection.
“As the Columbus beer market expands, with a new brewery opening almost every week, there’s more demand for the local brew,” says Amanda Anderson, The Hills’ Wine & Cheese Director.
The Hills Market is a popular destination for customers looking for a meal on the go. But another addition to the market has also been an increased the number of events, based on what customers are into these days.
“Instead of being a place where you go buy your groceries, it’s a good thing to be a place where people want to hang out,” Anderson says. As a result, the market has added wine tastings every Saturday, cocktail and wine dinners, and winemaker meet and greets.
The food retail industry has seen some major developments as of recently, including a bid by Amazon to create the first automated, check-out free grocery store of the future. But Anderson says that The Hills isn’t worried about any changes in the grocery business.
“We’ve never really been a traditional grocery store anyway. We focus on events, we focus on making sure we have food ready for people to go, food for people to take home and cook, reheat at home,” Anderson says. “I mean, we do have several customers that are here every day buying their weekly groceries, and I don’t think they’re going to go anywhere else, because they like it here.”
The Hills Market Downtown’s anniversary party takes place March 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 95 N. Grant Ave. The market will also host a March Madness wine tasting on March 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.


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Published on in “Business”, language — English. 52 pages.
Blueberry and raspberry production has grown roughly tenfold in the past five years, spurred on by growing local consumption and massive growth in berry sales internationally. Industry leaders believe production will continue to increase for some years to come as global demand continues to surge. More
EVENTS: Elite Fibre celebrates new lease on life
EVENTS: Where are we with the HCFC phase out?
EVENTS: Cape Industries Showcase flaunts new technology
FEATURE: Conformity and compliance: what’s the difference? More


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Yesterday, Apple (you may have heard of them) showed off a lot of what they’ve been working on for the past year: namely, for non-developers, OS 10.10 Yosemite and iOS 8.
The thing that caught our eye with the new iOS: HealthKit. Previously thought to be “Healthbook,” HealthKit (labeled “Health” on the phone) is an all-encompassing health and fitness app that tracks your weight, sleep, diet, activity levels and more.
You might ask: So what? There are tons – tons – of health apps and devices out there.
And the answer: Exactly. HealthKit isn’t just an app, but a hub. One neat thing about it is that it will sync with the health and fitness devices you already have, and if you’re info is scattered across many devices and apps, HealthKit will put them all in one place. Apple has already partnered with Nike in this regard, and undoubtedly more alliances are coming. The other neat thing about HealthKit is that Apple is partnering with the Mayo Clinic and will send your info to them – if your vitals or blood glucose levels are in trouble, they’ll know and assist you.
It should be noted that HealthKit comes on the heels of Samsung’s recently revealed Simband, a smartwatch with advanced sensors to track vitals, blood glucose, and even air quality. Samsung recently took the fitness tracking world by storm with the Galaxy S5 and it’s integrated S Health app, but so far, the company has kept its apps exclusive to Samsung technology. Like HealthKit, Simband might play nice with other apps and devices.
HealthKit will be released this fall with iOS 8; no word on Simband’s release date yet.
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Fiber optic, broadband Internet and 5G29. June 2023 Published by Raphael Doerr
Germany is going flat out when it comes to expanding fiber optic networks, and aims to achieve the digital revolution with its current Gigabit Strategy. “Home office, streaming on board an ICE, and network access from a chalet in the mountains finally need to be possible without any difficulty. For that, we require powerful digital infrastructures everywhere, in other words, fiber optic into the home and the latest mobile standard.” So said Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, after the German government adopted the Gigabit Strategy. The aim of the German government is to triple the number of fiber optic connections by the end of 2025. 50 percent of households and companies should then be connected to the network via fiber optic cable. In mobile communications, uninterrupted voice and data communication nationwide should be achieved by 2026.
According to the German “Tagesschau” news show, however, many German households only have fast connections on paper. The fact is that they must regularly contend with network restrictions and interruptions. That’s what the third edition of the Deloitte “Broadband Consumer Survey” reveals, for which around 2,000 consumers in Germany were surveyed in March 2023. 27% of the respondents said that their broadband connection was unstable or slow at least once a month. Based on that, you might think that Germans were fed up of slow networks and permanent interruptions. In fact, the opposite is true.
Better than its reputation
Consumers in Germany across the board give their communication networks a mostly positive rating. The high level of satisfaction among German consumers with their broadband providers even went up further in 2023. Eight out of ten consumers give their Internet provider a basically positive rating, which is eight percentage points more than in the previous year.
It’s striking that the need for very high bandwidths is still very low, and is rising only slowly, even though the share of connections with 250 Mbit/s went up to 26 percent in 2023. The stability of the connection and a favorable price are decisive criteria for future Internet connections for customers and have top priority (78%), while only one in two respondents specify download speeds as a decisive criterion (48%).
Even though experts expect the need for permanently fast and powerful broadband connections to increase in the future, there is currently still very little sign of that. According to the Deloitte survey, the demand by consumers for super fast gigabit connections is sluggish. That’s due to the relatively high price: 42 percent said that these connections were too expensive for them. Only 13 percent said that they would opt for a Gigabit connection at an acceptable price. In Europe, countries such as the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland are the leaders when it comes to broadband expansion. The penetration rate in both countries is 99%. Germany cannot compete with that and, with just 89%, ranks in the lower midfield, even behind Albania.
Fiber optic expansion is on its way – but slowly
According to a report by the German Federal Network Agency, there are currently around 3.4 million active fiber optic connections in Germany. However, according to data from the OECD, only 8.1 percent of all stationary broadband connections in Germany are connected with a fiber optic cable. Austria, Belgium, and Greece are the only three OECD countries where the percentage is even lower. That currently puts Germany in 36th place in the country rankings, still behind Costa Rica and Colombia. The absolute world leader is South Korea with an optic fiber share of around 87 percent. In the top spot in Europe is Spain, with 81 percent.
Nevertheless, fiber optic is slowly but surely winning out among consumers over DSL, mobile, and TV cable, as the results of the Deloitte survey show.
5G and fiber optic
One reason for that is certainly also 5G technology. From video chats on the go to music streaming, smartphones are part of everyday life. To cover the growing need for mobile communication, and speed up mobile Internet, Germany is focusing on the fifth mobile generation (“5G”). The new technology enables even large volumes of data to be transmitted practically in real time. The basis for high-speed mobile communications is a successful connection via fiber optic cable. No matter whether out in the countryside or at a company, fiber optic cables are the basis for high-speed mobile communication, since a single transmission mast with 5G technology sometimes only covers a few 100 meters. That means that the new mobile network comprises numerous small cells. The new mobile base stations should ideally all be connected to the core network via fiber optic cable.
The Gigaset 5G smartphone
The new Gigaset GX6 is without a doubt the classiest outdoor smartphone on the market and supports the fast 5G mobile standard. No more choppy connections, everything runs smoothly: streaming services, online games, downloads, navigation apps. Thanks to its 2.4 GHz MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G octa-core processor, users can surf, listen to music, or stream without any difficulty.
Do the test: with the broadband speed checker (“Breitbandmessung” desktop app). Here you can find out the actual data transmission rate for Internet access and compare it with the contractually agreed rate. For mobile testing, please use the dead spot checker app (Breitbandmessung/Funkloch-App).


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Think Should, Not Can.
“We know we can make significant dollars in mobile Web advertising in 2007,” said John Harrobin, vice president of marketing and digital media for Verizon Wireless quoted in the New York Times announcement that Verizon will be accepting advertising on its mobile internet services.
I refer Mr. Harrobian to point 5 of my Geek Marketing 101 by way of crystallising the doubts that caused him to add.
“That said, we likely will not — we want to take it carefully and methodically, and enable the right experience.” More generally, he added, “Mobile advertising is going to take off in 2007.”
Maybe. But maybe people don't want an interruptive experience crafted by a financially-motivated intermediary?


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Virgil Abloh’s label Off-White™ is a behemoth within the streetwear industry, with a steady flow of red-hot collaborations and headline-grabbing drops. But a new report from the fashion search platform Lyst suggest that the brand’s dominance of the market might be shifting.
The Lyst Index analyses the shopping behaviour of more than nine million shoppers per month, incorporating Google search data, sales from retailers, and social media engagement. It publishes its findings in a quarterly report which ranks the top twenty most popular brands with shoppers.
For the last three quarters, Off-White™ has sat at the top of the Lyst Index. Yet for Q2 – the period covering April through June of this year – the brand has slid into second place, behind
Off-White™’s second-place position still puts it ahead of mega-brand competitors in the luxury menswear space including Gucci, which took third place, Balenciaga, and Prada, which took fourth and fifth respectively. But its loss of position to Nike may be a reflection of shifting consumer habits during the COVID-19 lockdowns: Lyst reported a 106% uplift in demand for activewear as consumers sought products for at-home workouts and for loungewear.
Nike’s “Don’t Do It” campaign in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement may also have won it favour with consumers – the video was liked over 5 million times on Instagram during Q2. It’s also impossible to ignore the monumental success of Nike’s collaboration with Kim Jones at Dior, which has been one of the most widely-hyped launches of the year so far.
The global pandemic continues to cause worldwide instability for consumer spending: the luxury conglomerate Kering, which owns Gucci and Balenciaga, has reported a 30% drop in revenue for the first half of 2020.


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A steep learning curve for manufacturing and launching electric vehicles is leading to initially high repair costs but one recent high-profile electric SUV is outclassing its competitors according a study released this week.
The study by analytics company We Predict looked at full service histories for about 19 million total vehicles accounting for $20 billion in labor and parts costs for 2016-2021 model year vehicles.
In general, vehicle service costs increase over time, according to We Predict’s Deepview Truecost study, but when spending for electric vehicles is broken out, it appears just the opposite is the case.
“The cost of keeping the vehicle in service for the EV, even as the EV gets older, becomes smaller and smaller and actually less, than keeping an ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle on the road and that’s not just maintenance costs, but all service costs, individual component failure and what have you,” said We Predict founder and CEO James Davies in an interview with Forbes.com.
According to We Predict data, the cost to repair an EV after three months of service is more than 2.3 times higher per vehicle than the costs to repair other vehicles. That ratio lowers to more than 1.6 after a year in service.
A year after an electric vehicle’s launch We Predict found the the number of so-called “incidents” per 1000 vehicles dropped 33% from its initial launch and repair costs declined 27%. But by the second year incidents per 1000 vehicles fell by 14% but the cost to repair those vehicles decreased 65%.
“It looks like the EV costs are actually very front-loaded,” explained Davies. “Once you get through the launch of a vehicle and get through the first three to six months it’s just about trying to figure out how to fix the problems you have. Those costs begin to come down precipitously.”
One company that got the launch right was Ford Motor Co. for its Mustang Mach-E electric SUV.
“The Mach-E launch as a premium brand has completely and utterly outperformed everybody else who’s launched a premium brand EV in the last four or five years,” said Davies.
Indeed, according to We Predict data, it got off to the best start of any premium electric SUV with per vehicle service costs of just $93 during the first three months of ownership. That compares with $366 for the Audi e-tron, $667 for the Porsche Taycan and $834 for the Jaguar I-PACE.
Davies chalked up the higher post-launch costs to simply trying to figure out how to build a new type of vehicle.
“Diagnosis and fixing the first time is much harder with these launch vehicles. A lot of the cost on the I-PACE and Taycan was just trying to figure out how to get the thing back on the road and maybe making multiple repairs where the right one would have done,” said Davies. “Once each manufacturer has settled down how it’s going to approach the software aspect, managing the energy cells themselves— that was certainly a big feature of the (Chevrolet) Bolt recall.
Last month the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advised owners of 2017-2019 Bolts to park their cars outside, away from their homes due to risk of fire. Those vehicles were originally the subject of a recall last fall for the potential of an unattended fire in the high-voltage battery pack underneath the backseat’s bottom cushion.
GM has since updated and improved the Bolt and added a utility version for the 2022 model year. “It’s not just a reliable EV, it’s a reliable vehicle,” said Davies.
Looking ahead, Davies believes the smooth launch of the Ford Mustang Mach-E portends a similar result for the upcoming F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. As automakers have more experience engineering, building and launching and servicing EVs repair costs will decline even further.
“The good news,” said Davies, “is it looks like manufacturers are getting better at launching these vehicles.”


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A nail salon has been charging overweight customers more for a pedicure.
A Facebook user shared a photograph of the notice on the door of Rose Nails in Tennessee, US, and it has been getting quite the reaction from people on the social media site.
The handwritten note reads: "Sorry, but if you are overweight, pedicures will be $45 (PS36) due to service fees for pedicurists. Thank you! (sic)"
Rose Nails is yet comment.
A study has proved almost 70 per cent of people living in London have to look good when they work out.
Research carried out by Hammerson a company which owns a variety of large shopping centres across the UK has revealed almost three quarters of people living in England's capital are style conscious when they work up a sweat, with fitness fanatics spending on average just over PS50 on their athleisurewear.
Meanwhile, 80 per cent of Welsh people are more concerned about the actual exercise, and 71 per cent ditch the technological gadgets when they exercise.
Speaking about the change in attitude across the UK to fitness, the head of marketing at Hammerson, Fiona Campbell-Roberts, said:
"Sportswear and athleisure has seen massive growth as a category with fashion brands extending their ranges to include fitness clothing.
"Our research shows that as fitness has become a bigger priority for people in their everyday lives, so has the desire to buy the right kit to help motivate themselves even more."
Deliveroo has teamed up with Design Works and built a bicycle out of unused kitchen utensils. The online food delivery company has discovered almost 30 million households in the UK don't use an average of PS7 billion worth of cutlery, which totals over 900 million appliances, and to put the neglected items to use Deliveroo has collated the items and designed a fully functioning two-wheeled mode of transport that will be used by 12,000 members of staff to deliver feasts to their customers.
The innovative campaign is in the hope it will encourage more people to spring clean their kitchen and leave the cooking to professional chefs.
Speaking about the creation the head of production at Design Works, Sean Miles, said: "My cupboards are full of expensive cooking gadgets that are collecting nothing but dust. It's so sad to see these materials steel, wood, and glass fall into obsolescence. This project, to make unloved and unused equipment useful again, appealed to my 'Make Do and Mend' sensibilities. It's so exciting to work with Deliveroo to give a new lease of life to thousands of perfectly good raw materials."
People think the 'world's largest chicken' is a man dressed up in a costume. A video of the oversized bird appeared on Facebook and has left viewers flabbergasted about whether or not it is a legitimate animal.
The clip shows the bird poking its head through a small gap in a hutch.
The poultry then shows off its size as it parades around the farmland.
One Facebook user wrote: "I could have sworn as it was first stepping out that it was a man in a chicken costume. (sic)"
The bird is said to be of the Brahmans variety, which is the largest type of


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Nigerian online shoppers have expressed their distrust of e-commerce platforms offering Black Friday deals.
Monitoring the black Friday conversations on social media, most Nigerian online shoppers revealed lack of trust, as they believed many e-commerce companies offering Black Friday sales were doing so simply to boost their sales without really offering great discounts to buyers
A tech blogger, Wale Ladipupo said the concerns of customers were reasonable since the major platforms had given online shoppers several reasons to be suspicious of their Black Friday deals.
He also mentioned cases where Black Friday prices of products seen online were significantly higher than the price of products in stores.
However, in spite of these concerns, major Nigerian e-commerce companies have continued to announce bigger sales each year and they’ve made Black Friday sales a month-long event.
We’ve had situations where prices of products are jacked up few days before Black Friday only for the added amount to be removed and they say that was a great Black Friday deal.


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Mahabis takes its first step into retail with Nordstrom
2 days ago - By Fashion United
London - British slipper brand Mahabis has announced its first retail partner: US department store Nordstrom.
The award-winning slipper brand is set to launch in selected Nordstrom stores across the country in November as the London-based label expands and takes its first step into physical retail.As over half of Mahabis online sales are from the US, the partnership sees the brand reaching out to one of it larger customer-bases, to allows US customer the chance to see the slippers and buy them in store for the first time.
“We are thrilled to partner with Mahabis in the US, launching in...
Read more ...
Seeing Double: Accessories Brand Sophie Hulme Sets Two London Stores
2 days ago - By WWD
LONDON - British accessories designer Sophie Hulme, known for her low-key, no-logo leather handbags embellished with gold hardware, is finally getting a retail space of her own - and then some.
Hulme, who has been steadily building her handbag business for nearly a decade, will open her first stand-alone store in London's Burlington Arcade on Wednesday, and is already planning a second, on Chiltern Street in Marylebone, for early next year.
The openings are part of a larger plan to build up the business as the brand marks its 10th anniversary next year.
Hulme has recently secured new...
Read more ...
The headlines of TopFash
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Serena Williams was the belle of the ball last night as she married her long-time love Alexis Ohanian during a star-studded ceremony in New Orleans. Over 200 people descended...
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On what should have been a joyous occasion - her friend Serena Williams' wedding to Alexis Ohanian - Kim Kardashian looked downcast. The...
'SNL' Alum Bill Hader And Wife Maggie Carey Split After 11 Years Of Marriage
The two have three daughters.


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Project MAYBACH, Mercedes-Maybach x Virgil Abloh. Project MAYBACH coincides with 100 years since Karl Maybach and his father
Rolls-Royce CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, announces Spectre – Rolls-Royce’s first fully electric car. By 2030 all Rolls-Royce products will
The Battista hypercar will be presented in production specification for the first time globally after being crafted by
All newly launched architectures will be electric-only from 2025 onwards. In 2025 Mercedes-Benz will launch three electric-only architectures.
From debut unveilings to the latest technology developments, Future Lab at this year 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed
We humans have not yet been able to harness the energy of the sun to transform transportation… Until now.