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One thing’s for sure when it comes to Super Bowl parties: Regardless if you are there for game, the food, or the camaraderie, you are going to be eating. A lot. A whole, whole lot — especially if the NFL’s own, personal infographic is remotely true.
In fact, judging by the total weight of food consumed on Super Bowl Sunday, we eat enough food to end world hunger. According to the NFL’s infographic, almost 200 million pounds of food will be consumed throughout the various Super Bowl parties around the globe. The breakdown goes like this:
100 million pounds of chicken wings
53.5 million pounds of avocado
28 million pounds of potato chips
8 million pounds of popcorn
For those of you who will be consuming large amounts of the golden nectar that is beer, the NFL didn’t forget about you, either. According to their findings, 325.5 million gallons of the stuff will be imbibed as folks drink the pain away of losing yet another Super Bowl prop bet.
The graphic, in full:
One thing that stood out like a sore green thumb was the amount of guacamole that will be consumed during the big game. If the NFL’s projections are correct, you could spread all of it out on a regulation sized football field, and you’d have a football field that was covered by 11 feet of guacamole. 11 feet deep, that is.
That’s a lot of avocados, folks.
Other tidbits of interest: There will be around 61 million people in the United States attending Super Bowl parties, and of this bunch, 40 percent of the attendees do not consider themselves football fans, demonstrating, once again, just how popular the Super Bowl commercials are.
Does the NFL’s infographic feel accurate in relation to your yearly Super Bowl activities? Are you really planning on eating that much guacamole? Let us know what you think.


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Netflix has confirmed they are testing higher prices on their subscriptions, but denied it was the first move to a price hike for UK customers.
The TV streaming company raised prices for US customers at the start of this year by between 13 and 18 per cent.
Higher prices for some, but not all
Netflix confirmed some UK customers will see higher prices when picking their subscription, but that it did not mean there would definitely be a price rise in the future.
The company added those who see the higher prices would still pay the current market price for their plan, regardless of the potentially higher price they clicked on.
The test could be a way of checking whether customers are willing to pay more than they currently do for the streaming service.
Test does not guarantee a price rise
A spokesman for Netflix said, "We are testing slightly different prices to better understand how members value Netflix.
"Not everyone will see this test and we may never roll out these specific prices beyond this test. Our goal is to ensure that Netflix is always great value for money.”

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There is a solution to the single-use plastic problem, and it’s one that has been right under the noses of policy makers for decades.
It’s paper, said Jessica Kaknevicius.
Kaknevicius is the vice-president of SFI, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative – a partnership of industry, educational institutions and First Nations that uses “forest-focused collaborations” to create sustainability, new initiatives and green jobs.
Forest-based products are renewable, compostable and sustainable, Kaknevicius pointed out, and now is the perfect time, “in a time when we’re trying to look for sustainability,” to look for new solutions and educate the public.
Plastic was at one time hailed as the perfect solution to packaging challenges: lightweight, inexpensive, flexible.
It’s only recently that the scale of the problem created by plastics has become known. According to EarthDay.org, about eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans annually, including microplastics – the tiny fragments of plastic that can enter the food chain.
With growing public concern, Kaknevicius said, “We really believe that forests are the solutions now. Responsible packaging is needed.”
She was one of the speakers the Forests Ontario 2020 Conference, held at the Nottawasaga Inn Resort in Alliston on Feb. 14, talking about a new role for forests in finding solutions to environmental challenges.
Kaknevicius acknowledged that there is a need for a “culture shift” away from the current “disposable” society. She cited a recent survey in the U.S. that showed its citizens were as aware of the issue of plastic pollution in the oceans as they were of climate change – and far more concerned. Sixty-five percent of respondents said they were worried about single use plastics; only 58 percent were concerned about climate change.
And single use plastics topped the list of major issues that people felt they could impact.
Kaknevicius noted that the Canadian government plans to ban single use plastics by 2021. “We can help the government get to that point,” she told the audience. “Single use plastics can be replaced with sustainable forest products.”
Millennials in particular are demanding sustainable packaging, and a shift to a circular economy, she said, providing “a huge opportunity” to the forest sector to step up, educate, and provide the solutions.
Paper straws, paper rings to carry six-paks of cans, cellulose-based disposable cutlery – “this whole plastics issue is causing innovation,” she said. “Paper still rises to the top as the best alternative to plastic.”


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Rolls-Royce dips hand in flying car waters; expected to launch next decade
Back to the Future, soon to be a reality.
We were first introduced to the concept of flying cars with the Hollywood classic Back to the Future. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, which was of course disappointing. Then we spent a long time convincing ourselves that the concept wasn't practical, and a waste of money. Until now.
We have already heard about the Airbus and Audi collaboration, trying to build a city car/flying taxi concept. Uber is also said to be working on a flying taxi hub in Paris. Then we have Kitty Hawk, a secret company founded by Google co-founder Larry Page -- it's working on a project called Cora, which is another flying taxi.
But there's a new player joining the race- Rolls-Royce. Don't be confused, we aren't talking about the luxury car company. We are talking about the engine company that parted ways with the car company decades ago.
The company is planning to dip its hands in the flying vehicle waters and has drawn plans to build an electric vehicle that would be able to reach speeds up to 400 kilometers per hour (250 miles per hour). The company believes that the vehicle could see the light of day as early as the next decade, a timeline that its competition has been aiming.
Rob Watson, head of Rolls-Royce's electric team, believes the company is "placed well to play a leading role in the emerging world of personal air mobility."
"We believe that given the work we are doing today to develop hybrid electric propulsion capabilities," said Rolls-Royce, as reported by the BBC, "this model could be available by the early to mid 2020s, provided that a viable commercial model for its introduction can be created."
However, Elon Musk has a different opinion about flying cars. It seems that Musk believes flying cars are going to be a failure. In fact, he thinks they could potentially chop your head off.
"There will be zillions of these things flying all over the place and, inevitably, somebody's not going to service their car properly and they're going to drop a hubcap and it's going to guillotine somebody," said Musk, speaking at his event for The Boring Company.
This isn't the first time Elon Musk has rubbished an idea of a future tech. Elon Musk believes that in the age of AI, humans can create "an immortal dictator from which we would never escape." Musk can be seen saying this in the latest documentary called "Do You Trust This Computer?"


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While Facebook IPOs, moves to a new campus and becomes a house hold name, Hewlett-Packard is planning one of its biggest layoffs, where it expects to cut between 25,000 and 30,000 people on Wednesday. This is in addition to the 120,000 layoffs its has done in the last few years.
HP, is a bloated company with no focus. Its employee head count has grown from 60,000 in 2000 to 360,000 today. Yet the markets it serves have remained the same. Its still a printer company in a age where no-one prints anymore (for sure young folks like me barely print anymore). I see this as the first leg of many more layoffs to come. I believe HP will be back to a 30,000 – 60,000 company in 5-7 years. Hence many more major layoffs are on the way.
HP’s demise also, affects many other valley companies like Intel, Net App, their suppliers and competitors. A smaller HP is bad for Intel, as it will buy less from Intel. There is no way, Intel can make up for the loss of HP’s business for a long time, if ever. This will spawn major layoffs in Intel’s supply channel. Expect Applied Materials, KLA and many others to be hit hard.
All this in turn will accelerate the downward spiral that Silicon Valley is on, one that I believe it won’t recover from. Silicon based technology is no longer a growth industry like its been for the past 50 years. Most of the large computation problems have been solved. The bay area and Silicon Valley, depend heavily on the tech sector, which is expected to take a big hit for years to come. That’s being optimistic.
Facebook and many of the social startups cannot absorb the massive layoffs to come. I see people leaving the valley in droves, home prices heading to the toilet, tax revenues drying up, crime going through the roof. Already, 30% of the many people in silicon valley eat at food banks and these are the good times (see 60 Minutes video). There is no time for foolish optimism. Its time for reality. The valley game is over.
Image source: Michael TottenChannels: hpq, intc


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Even a month after the Centre slashed GST rates on 212 products, the whole advantage is yet to reach customer. Legal metrology sleuths have booked over 15,000 cases of MRP violations across India, with restaurants figuring among the top violators. The quick moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, specially bottled mineral water and oxygenated drinks, is found to be most accessible to illegal trade practices.
“Cases of MRP violations and anti-profiteering are being registered across the country and we are arranging a report based on inputs from personal states. It’ll be submitted to the Parliament on December 15,” said B N Dixit, director of the department of customer affairs, Government of India.
Dixit said a few sectors were compliant with the antiprofiteering clause of the GST law and were instantly passing the advantages of lower prices to customers. Many sectors were still selling goods at older prices, he added.
The GST Council had on November 15 decreased tax rates and moved 177 products from the top most slabs (28%) to 18% and lower brackets. The Centre had also set up an anti-profiteering authority to monitor consent. The traders were told to decrease MRP in accordance with the lowered GST in consultation with manufacturers and glue stickers of the new MRP on packages.
“If traders glue the new MRP, then it must not mask the older one, as the customer should know the difference between the old and new price. But many traders are found to be selling at old MRPs. There have been details where sellers are gathering higher prices than the old MRP in the guise of GST,” said M Mamatha, assistant controller of Karnataka Legal Metrology.
Mamatha, who heads a flying band, said the department of legal metrology carried out 1,557 inspections for four days after November 24 across Karnataka and 183 cases of crooked were booked. “A few sectors, concluding ceramic ware, are following the MRP rules, while many commodities, especially from the FMCG and stationery sectors, are being sold at higher prices,” she said.
Traders, however, are agitated over frequently changing GST rules, making consent practically impossible.
“On July 1 when GST was rolled out, they asked us to glue new MRP stickers on every package. While the manufacturers were supplying stickers to dealers, new rates were announced in November. How can you expect traders to dance to the changing tunes?” asked B Suresh, president of Kolar district Federation of Karnataka State Chambers of Commerce and Industries.
“The burden is that traders have already paid 28% GST and they should gather 18% tax from customers. There’s no clarity on how they will get back 10% of the excess tax they have paid. Unless the government sets up an effective mechanism for refund, the new rules will be seen draconian,” said B T Manohar, chairman of states taxation committee of FKCCI and member of Karnataka state GST advisory committee.
“It’s been a month since the Central government slashed GST rates on 212 products of mass utilization, but businesses are yet to fall in line. Many are managing the lion’s share of GST gains to themselves, leaving the common man to feel the pinch of the new tax rules. The government may have put in place guidelines and set up an antiprofiteering authority to monitor consent, but on the ground, concerted efforts are required to check malpractices related to pricing. Else, Goods and Services Tax, considered to be a transformative step aimed to benefit the whole economy, will assist only a few sections.”


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Last year we were promised that Sling Media would be touting its SlingCatcher accessory by Xmas. That time came and went and there was nothing. This year, it’s back at CES again, but amidst Sling’s busy year, the Sling Catcher has been through a couple of changes. It was originally – and to a large extent still is – a kind of reverse Slingbox; it takes web content and shows it on your TV (instead of taking content from your TV and transmitting it to your PC).
The newer version can also be used to bring content from a Slingbox to other TVs in the house and, when used with the Slingbox Pro-HD, is capable of trasmiting HD content around your home, as well as eliminating the need to have a PC as part of the equation.
The SlingProjector software automatically detects video windows on a browser and projects it to the TV screen to give you more of “lean back” viewing experience.
Sling has missed the sub-$200 price mark it was gunning for last year and the SlingCatcher is now set to retail for $249.99 when the unit launches later in 2008.
CES 2008 Special
Read all our coverage from the show in our CES 2008 category


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Primark has settled the debate over how to pronounce their name once and for all.
After years of debate over whether the high street store should be pronounced Pry-mark or Pree-mark, an industry insider has revealed to reporters how the actual pronunciation of the store is surprisingly different to the name familiar to much of the UK’s population.
Simon Williams, who wishes to remain anonymous but is out of luck on that front told us, “The company, that has always been keen to be open and honest, first registered the name ‘Child-labour-mark’ in a Ronseal-esque approach to customers knowing exactly what they were buying.
“However, after no customers walked into the flagship ‘Child-labour-mark’ store for the first two months, it was decided that maybe a name change was in order.”
He explained, “We wanted to let the children involved have a say, but on only 60p per day it was too much to ask for them to come up with a name as well as stitching fabrics together for twelve hours straight.
“So the name ‘Primark’ was stumbled across accidentally following a drunken game of Scrabble, and the debate over how to pronounce it has raged ever since.”
High street shopper and clothes enthusiast, Eleanor Gay, shrugged her shoulders when she heard the news, saying “Doesn’t make a lot of difference – I’ve been calling that shop ‘Cedarwood Shite’ for years anyway.”


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If you’re considering investing in some new software, this is the deal for you.


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PLANS are afoot for a residential development over the popular Hickeys retail store on Maylor Street.
A planning application has been lodged with Cork City Council for works to the well-known building.
Proposed above the retail store is six storeys of residential development to provide 32 apartments in total.
These would comprise of nine studio apartments, 11 one-bed apartments, and 12 two-bed apartments.
The development also includes plans to demolish a portion of the site, mainly to the northeast to facilitate an access to the residential units from Maylor Street.
Applicant John Kennedy is also seeking permission for the change of use of a portion of the ground floor of the existing Hickeys store from retail to residential in order to facilitate an entrance lobby, plant room, covered bin storage and bike storage and the consequent reconfiguration of a portion of the ground floor retail element retaining 980.44m2 of the Hickeys store.
Access to the store will be retained from Maylor Street as well as from 123 and 124 Oliver Plunkett Street.
The existing apartments above the store accessed at 125 Oliver Plunkett Street are not included in this development.
The planning application also seeks permission for drainage, landscaping and surface treatments including a podium garden, and all ancillary site development works.
Hickeys of Maylor Street has been in business since 1923.
The application is currently at pre-validation stage.
A decision on the planning application is expected by August 16.
It comes at a time when calls to develop more housing above shops in the city centre are mounting.
The topic was raised in the Dáil earlier this week by Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O'Sullivan.
In his reply, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that "every single avenue" to provide additional units of housing must be explored.
"The Minister for Housing in the context of the Housing for All strategy will be making provision for the restoration and the bringing back into use of houses that are currently idle and vacant in rural Ireland and in towns and the Town Centre First policy of the Government’s programme will also dovetail with that objective and also provide resources to incentivise conversion of over the shop premises to accommodation purposes," he said.


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Spot prices of non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies and anything related to blockchain technology have been in freefall for most of August, with the largest losses coming over the past two days where Bitcoin dropped by approximately $2,000—falling from $23,435 to today’s price at $21,324.
Yet even despite the downtown, the global blockchain technology market size was valued at USD $5.92 billion in 2021 with anticipated growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 85.9 per cent from 2022 to 2030, according to Grandview Research. The reasons for this substantial growth are because of the increasing venture capital support and funding put into blockchain technology companies.
Here are five blockchain or blockchain adjacent companies to keep your eye on.
Galaxy Digital terminates BitGo acquisition
When bitcoin (and other cryptos) are doing well, the CEOs of these companies are lauded like geniuses. When the inverse is true, then these CEOs, if they’re smart, aren’t available for interviews and keep their Twitter habits to a minimum. If they’re not then they end up like Michael Saylor of Microstrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR): a target for ridicule.
Earlier this month, Saylor and Phong Le, his former chairman, swapped roles. Saylor, naturally, didn’t exactly back off from his regular showings on social media—changing his profile picture to himself with lightning for eyes and weird, outlandish statements on the future of Bitcoin. Like he’s got some inside knowledge none of us can access.
Mike Novogratz is another big name CEO—this time of Galaxy Digital Holdings (TSX:GLXY), a financial services and investment management company in the crypto and blockchain tech sector. He’s not known for his laser-eyes or weird outlandish statements. Instead, he’s knuckled down and gone back to work, trying to get his company through the winter.
In this case, it’s by choosing to terminate its acquisition agreement with BitGo after BitGo’s failure to delivery audited financial statements for 2021, thereby reniging on one of the stipulations of the agreement.
“Galaxy remains positioned for success and to take advantage of strategic opportunities to grow in a sustainable manner. We are committed to continuing our process to list in the U.S. and providing our clients with a prime solution that truly makes Galaxy a one-stop shop for institutions,” said Novogratz.
Galaxy is a cryptocurrency and digital asset exchange offering institutions, startups and individuals access to the cryptocurrency economy. It possesses a full suite of financial services for trading, asset management, investment banking, mining and ventures.
The deal didn’t work and now it’s time to move on. Moving on means completing the reorganization and domestication to become a Delaware-based company, and uplist to the NASDAQ, when the SEC’s review is finished.
Right now, Galaxy is working on its business objectives and long term performance for investors. That includes Galaxy One Prime, a platform offering for institutional investors including trading, lending and derivatives alongside access to custody.
GBLC still bets big on the non-fungible token market
About six months ago, non-fungible tokens (NFT) were the hottest item going. Multiple companies were performing pivots, moving away from selling shoes or beer, and getting into the white-hot NFT market, offering artists a chance to tell their stories and mint the proceeds using NFT airdrops with the hopes of riding the same wave that made artists like Beeple rich.
Yeah. It was a big fat bubble and like all bubbles, it burst. Millions were lost.
Graph Blockchain (CSE:GBLC) is one of those companies that made the pivot but apparently didn’t get the memo. Now its subsidiary, New World, is in the process of revamping its on-line NFT marketplace.
The revamp has New World rebranding its marketplace to be more in line with its company culture. Specifically, the platform deals with creators, musicians, celebrities and consumers in an NFT distribution marketplace to create and sell digital art.
“We truly believe that augmented reality focused NFTs will change the process of how creators can monetize their work by bridging the gap between the physical and virtual world,” says Caz Derkowski, founder & CMO of New World.
Updates include improvements to geo-pinning technology, more augmented reality features and quality, properties to NFTs for profile picture projects and a complete user experience overhaul. New World will be pumping out several NFT collections with its partners shortly after.
On June 21st, 2022, the New World team onboarded Brazilian soccer legend, Ronaldinho, as he suited up for a friendly match called “The Beautiful Game” at the DRV PNK Stadium in Miami. Ronaldinho at the time was just the latest in a network of celebrities, including Roberto Carlos, Steve Nash, Jimmy Butler, Blessd, Paul Pogba and more.
New World, and Graph Blockchain, take partnerships seriously as a marketing strategy. The company has continued to solidify NFT projects with its celebrity connections with the hopes of drawing substantial revenue from curated NFT drops. Now the company is starting the next phase of its marketing strategy by onboarding community members, crypto enthusiasts, NFT collectors and more using social channels including Discord, Twitter, Telegram and Instagram. The overall goal is to onboard 10,000 new members by the end of the year.
This ties in well with Graph’s overall aim of providing shareholders with exposure to decentralized finance (DeFi). It focuses on altcoins through its subsidiaries, Babbage Mining and Beyond the Moon, which gives exposure to decentralized exchanges as they go live.
“We are creating a new way for consumers to interact with NFTs by focusing on 3D animation, augmented reality and an all-immersive experience as we continue to innovate the platform. The possibilities are endless with New World” said Derkowski.
Hut 8 enjoys revenue bump despite market slump
Hut 8 Mining (NASDAQ: HUT) (TSX: HUT) released its financial statements earlier this week.
Overall, despite the volatility and general market downturn in the cryptocurrency space, Hut’s fortunes have improved as Q2 2022 revenue increased $10.3 million to $43.8 million compared to $33.5 million for the same time last year.
“We have been anticipating market volatility for nearly a year and took proactive measures to successfully navigate the current downturn through the balance of the cycle,” said Jaime Leverton, CEO of Hut 8. “Our continued growth in digital asset mining operations and in our Bitcoin reserves, coupled with our first full quarter generating uncorrelated fiat revenue in our high performance computing business, has positioned us well to drive future success.”
Hut 8 is one of North America’s largest digital asset miners involved in bitcoin, blockchain, building Web 3.0 projects and building bridges between the new and emerging high performance computing worlds. Presently, the company can boast on one of the highest capacity rates in the industry in terms of self-mined bitcoin, with 36,000 square feet of data centre space and cloud capacity connected to electrical grids powered by renewable and emission free resources.
Hut 8 mined 946 Bitcoin in the quarter, which was a 71 per cent increase over the same period last year thanks to a hashrate bounce from additional miners and scaling of activities at the company’s third mining site at North Bay, Ontario. In terms of recurring revenue, Hut 8’s high performance computing operations pulled in an extra $4.7 million in revenue over the quarter.
Finally, the company installed 7,199 new MicroBT M30S, M30S+ and M31S+ miners at the Drumheller, Alberta, Medicine Hat, Alberta, and North Bay, Ontario facilities during Q2 2022. The installation of these miners brought Hut 8’s operating capacity to 2.78 EH/s as of June 30, 2022, an increase of 9 per cent in hashrate compared to March 31, 2022.
Overall mining profit was $14.9 million Q2 2022, compared to $19.3 million in Q2 2021. The change is because Bitcoin has taken a dip over the past year, coupled with increased average partly costs, which had been partially offset by the revenue from the number of Bitcoin the company mined.
LUXXFOLIO gets with immersion mining for debt relief
The ongoing story about Luxxfolio Holdings (CSE:LUXX) (OTCQB:LUXFF) as after many rounds of negotiations, it finally agreed to a debt settlement arrangement with its major lender this week. The settlement will have the company reducing its debtload by approximately USD$5.8 million, and in exchange LUXX will unload some of its mining fleet, including 1900 machines.
The company had previously sold 100 petahash worth of cryptocurrency mining machines, or roughly 970 machines, to cut costs with an attached two-year immersion hosting agreement. Now it seems Luxxfolio is looking to deal with one of the biggest drawbacks propping up its liabilities column—that being debt.
The debt is the company’s entire obligation to the lender, and is effectively the end of LUXXFOLIO’s long term debt. The miners were originally machines bought by the company via the financial facilities offered by the lender.
Luxxfolio has a cash position of $313,604 and more assets than liabilities as per its recent financial statements, the gulf of which will widen with the next release with the unloading of this debt. Ultimately, this is a strategic move on the company’s behalf in order to manage risk while Bitcoin goes through its volatile period, allowing the company to retain financial flexibility and capacity at its New Mexico site while it pursues its immersion mining strategy.
Luxxfolio is a publicly-traded digital asset company in Canada. It primarily mines bitcoin using an industrial scale cryptocurrency mining facility in the United States, powered by renewable energy.
The company believes that immersion mining for application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) servers involved in Bitcoin and other Proof-of-Work coins is the future because it provides a risk-mitigation business strategy for bitcoin mined through hash-rate overclocking.
Immersion mining resolves the problem of how to keep ASIC rigs from overheating when the demands made by the Bitcoin algorithm make the machines run hot. Some companies, especially if they’re geographically located in a temperate or cold climate, can offset their air conditioning costs by enlisting mother nature, but others can’t and it adds substantially to their overhead. Immersion mining is a proposed solution to this problem.
Regardless, the company’s present strategy reduces the capital requirement to buy and maintain the present generation of ASIC rigs while pushing the life cycle for mining equipment higher, especially when coupled with a stable environment and consistent year round temperatures, even in warmer climates. The company’s immersion system started on August 8, 2022.
What this means is that the miners are kept cool by a novel technology wherein said ASICs are regularly dunked, or immersed, in a cooling liquid, which reduces the heat output from the high functioning servers.
LootMogul brings sports fans to Aftermath Island Metaverse
LootMogul and the Aftermath Islands Metaverse, a subsidiary of Liquid Avatar Technologies (CSE:LQID), announced a multi-chain metaverse partnership to move head the adoption of blockchain gaming for sports organizations and athletes.
The two companies are going to create an entirely new virtual island dedicated to sports gaming, and are in the process of developing unique customized (and customizable) avatars for celebrities, as well as college and professional athletes to get them involved in web 3.0 activities in the metaverse.
“LootMogul is super excited about this partnership as it will help the global sports community to scale their identity across chains and will drive hyper fan adoption with avatars and personalized lands – create, secure, and customize your digital version with your real-world avatar benefits,” said Raj Rajkotia, CEO, LootMogul.
Essentially, this companies make sense together. LootMogul is an athlete-led sports led metaverse powered by virtual real estate, training academics, blockchain games, non-fungible token led commerce, and in-real-life rewards.
“We are very excited to partner with LootMogul to accelerate their Metaverse activities and bring their programs, celebrities and athletes to Aftermath Islands. Today, more than ever, it is imperative that brands and personalities stake their value in blockchain and Metaverse activities as they become the next level of consumer engagement,” said David Lucatch, managing director, Aftermath Islands Metaverse Limited.
LootMogul intends on aiding in expanding the web 3.0 community by bringing web 2.0 gamers and sports fans into the metaverse, where they can create their own sports metaverse using professional athletes from the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, Soccer and more. Aftermath Islands is a Barbados-based corporation that is 50 per cent owned and operated by Oasis Digital Studios Limited, itself a subsidiary of Liquid Avatar Technologies.


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How to Sell bitcoin tidings to a Skeptic
Bitcoin Tidings, a brand new website that gathers data about various investments as well in currencies that are available on various cryptocurrency exchanges, is currently operational. Keep up-to-date with the latest news about the most well-known virtual currency. It is used to promote Cryptocurrency's use online. Advertisers earn a commission based on how many people click on your advertisement. The platform is used by many advertisers to advertise their services.
The site also has news about futures markets. Two parties can enter into a futures contract by agreeing to each sell a particular asset at a given date and at a certain price over a certain time. The asset is usually gold or silver, however other types of assets can be traded. One of the major benefits of trading in futures contracts is that one party has a limited time limit to exercise its option. The limit guarantees that an asset will continue to appreciate if the other side declines, which allows an extremely stable profit source for individuals who opt to buy futures contracts.
Bitcoins are a commodity, just similar to gold and silver. A shortage on the spot market can have a significant impact on the prices. For instance, an abrupt shortage could happen in China or in the Middle East. This could result in a drastic reduction in the value Chinese coins. It's not just governments that are affected by shortages. Any country can be affected, and often at a later or earlier stage that the market is recovering. If traders are in the field of market for a while, the situation will be more sporadic.
Consider the consequences of a global shortage in coins. It could be that bitcoin will cease to be worth the value it has. Many people who have bought large amounts from abroad would be affected by this shortage. There are numerous instances where people who purchased large amounts cryptos have lost their money because of a shortage of spot currency.
Insufficient institutionalized trading of this alternative currency has led to the bitcoin and Dashcoin's values to plummet in the last few months. Large financial institutions still don't know what to do with this form of currency. This limit its access to the financial market. Therefore, the majority of buyers buy bitcoins to hedge against spot market price fluctuations, is not an investment opportunity. There is no legal requirement for individuals to invest in futures market if it's not their preference. However, some brokers permit the use of their services in part-time arrangements.
Even if there were a national shortage, there'd still exist a gap in some regions like New York and California. The residents of these regions have decided to hold off making any move towards the futures market until they understand the ease of selling or buying them within their region. Local news reports have reported that there has been a drop in prices for coins in these areas due to a lack. However, the issue has since been resolved. The big institutions and their customers have not seen enough demand for a widespread run on coins.
Even if there's a shortage across the country however, there is an issue locally in the United States. Even those who aren't in New York City or California https://slashdot.org/submission/0/10-undeniable-reasons-people-hate-bitcoin-tidings are able to use the bitcoin market if they wish. The problem is that most people don't have enough funds to put into this very lucrative and exciting way to trade the currency. If there was a widespread shortage,, it is likely that institutions would quickly follow suit and the value of coins will decrease across the country. It's difficult to determine whether there will be shortages. The best method to know is to wait for someone else to figure out how to manage the futures markets with the currency that isn't even in existence at the moment.
Many people believe that there will not be enough, while those who have purchased them decide that it's not worth the cost. Some who have these are waiting for their price to go back up again so that they can make some real cash on the commodities market. There are also many who have invested in the market for commodities long ago and have taken out in case there is likely to be a market crash in the currency they own. Their reasoning is that they would like to make cash as quickly as they can, even if the currency they have isn't going to provide long-term benefits.


text: As we begin the month, Crop Quality testing and analysis is in full swing. Dozens of samples began arriving last week including hard red winter, hard red spring and soft white samples from Washington. During harvest the team concentrates on grading and testing samples for weekly crop quality reports. Visiting Scholar Shikhadri is in the final stages of her research spending most of the week in the bake lab. Later in the week we host visitors from SPC – a south Korean food company producing a wide range of baked goods and confections as well as a flour milling company. Our visitors will include former WMC technical director Gary Hou.


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Disney is sharing many new details regarding the Christmas season at The Most Magical Place on Earth. Here is where you can find Santa Claus. Get those lists and letters ready!
Christmas at Disney
We are just under one month away from the start of the Christmas season at Disney World. Although Hollywood Studios has already started decorating, final details are still being announced.
Just today, Disney shared many experiences we can expect to find at the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs this season. This includes a brand new stage show called Mickey and Minnie’s Very Merry Memories. You can read more about this HERE.
For now, however, we are going to focus on where to find Santa Claus this Christmas season. Get those Christmas lists and letters ready! He can be spotted in quite a few spots.
Santa Claus Sightings
What trip to Disney is complete without meeting Santa Claus? This will surely look different than years past as social distancing and mask wearing continue to be implemented throughout Disney.
You can catch the jolly man himself in various places through December 24:
First, the Santa Claus Merry Motorcade at Hollywood Studios will be happening again this year. See more photos of this HERE.
Second, Santa will be in the flotilla at Animal Kingdom. See more photos from last year HERE.
Third, he can be spotted at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney Springs in various places. Guests will have individual time to meet and share wishes with Santa in these locations.
The experiences at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will be socially distanced and more of a “passing by” encounter versus the ones elsewhere. We are looking forward to a more normal holiday experience compared to last year, however.
Are you adding Santa to your touring plans this holiday season? Or, are you planning to skip if social distancing and masks are required? Join the conversation in the comments below and on Facebook.


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This article, written in conjunction with Creddy, looks at the way the business can power sales
Women are increasingly leaving the corporate world to start their own businesses where the majority are achieving greater success. In this article, Ian Symes shares his insights from Right Management’s research report When Women Lead, Businesses do Better, to explain why women-owned businesses are powerful ‘real models’ for other businesses.
Last year's Pitch to Rich winner Carl Thomas writes on how he has used fear to his advantage in his first year of running a business
Brazilian entrepreneur Eduardo Ferre speaks exclusively to Growth Business about succeeding despite ‘some bad advice’ and the desire to pass on his experience to the next generation of entrepreneurs
Tech Invest Liverpool saw the brightest prospects in the North-West tech scene present for some of the best investors in the sector: Read on for profiles of the presenting companies
Europlus Direct and Jim Hart's investment in native speaking salespeople has led to export success and growth of revenues to £8 million. It's a move which Hart believes is his best ever, and has also led to the founding of a company supplying recruitment and translation services.
Luke Lang, co-founder and chief marketing officer of equity crowdfunding platform Crowdcube, reveals why teaming up with a boutique PR agency is his best business decision to date.
For Chris Barling, founder of e-commerce software supplier SellerDeck, making the call to be customer centric when it wasn't a fad term has worked in the long run.
Renaud Clarke, managing director of digital marketing shop Atelier Studios, explains why the agency teamed up with data stalwart Simon Lawrence to produce a data-led digital creativity.
Subaskaran Allirajah, group chairman of Lycamobile, explains why corporate social responsibility has been pivotal in building a brand and customer trust.
Mark Blythe, CEO of Lietcorp, describes how a chance encounter while re-fitting his boat led to an incredible business journey.
When Michelle Gill decided to return to the UK to help run her father’s business, the last thing on her mind was their pensions. But, they proved to be a business saviour.
While keeping a firm grasp of the company financials was never something he enjoyed, for James Uffindell, founder and CEO of Bounty Network, it is something he's learnt to take seriously.
Treating staff like his own family has worked wonders for Kevin Taylor, CEO of online marketing services company Gravytrain.
Eric Collins, managing director of Nampak Plastics, explains how his decision to concentrate on employee engagement has lead to greater innovation throughout the organisation, and why this has been instrumental in the company’s successes.
Top names will pick the winners of the Virgin Media competition on 26 June
Many were surprised by the election result: but as the dust settles how will small businesses find themselves and their environment affected?
Serial entrepreneur Ivan Massow has entered the race to succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor of London: but is it ever a good idea for people from the world of business to cross over into politics?
The gap in businesses’ measurement of customer experience means they don’t know what customers really want, research finds


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The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is pleased to announce its Board of Directors’ newly re-elected Directors-at-large, who will officially begin their second two-year term at the close of ASTA’s Global Convention in San Francisco in August 2022. There were three open Director-at-large seats this year.
The following are the newly re-elected national Directors-at-large:
Marc Casto, President Leisure Americas, Flight Centre Travel Group
Jackie Friedman, President, Nexion Travel Group
Tiffany Hines, President & CEO, Global Escapes, Inc.
The other at-Large Directors returning to the board for 2022-2023 term are as follows:
Kelly Bergin, President, Duglin Travel Group
Roger Block, President, Travel Leaders Network
Kareem George, President, Culture Traveler, LLC
Vanessa McGovern, Co-Founder & Chief Sales Officer, Gifted Travel Network
Patricia Thorington, Manager, Plaza Travel
Appointed or Elected by Committee
The following Board seats are either appointed or voted on by a subset of ASTA membership: ADVERTISEMENT >CAC Chair – Michael Dixon – returning to the Board as the CAC Chair and will sit on the Executive Committee for one more year.
CAC Vice Chair – Kathy Bedell – returning to the Board as the CAC Vice Chair for one more year.
Small Business Network Director – Rhonda Shumway – serving the second year of her first term.
Consortium Director – John Werner, MAST Travel Network, will take the place of Helen Enriquez, representing Ensemble, on the ASTA Board of Directors.
Elected Regional Director – Southeast – Eddie Woodham – elected to a second term.
Returning Regional Director – North Central – Deb Belchak – serving the second year of her first term.
Returning Regional Director – Northwest – Lynda Phillippi – serving the second year of her first term.
Looking ahead, in 2023, five At-Large seats, one Small Business Director seat and two Regional Director seats on the Board of Directors will be open.
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ABTA has launched its events programme for autumn 2022-summer 2023 offering a host of high-quality, professional training events and conferences for businesses of all sizes, designed to keep the travel industry up-to-date on important, business critical issues.
As the industry continues to rebuild from the pandemic and tackles new issues never faced before, ABTA is keen to provide a brand-new line up of events for this new era of travel.
Taking on board the feedback from our Members, a significant part of the programme is focused on in-depth training events from high calibre specialists and industry experts.
Attendees can expect advice and guidance in a diverse mix of areas including customer service, social media and marketing, finance, travel law and regulations. The training that is being introduced is suitable for new recruits as well as those returning to the sector and includes:
CRM and Data Management Strategies for Travel – 13 September 2022Introduction to Travel – 15 September 2022An Essential Guide to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for Travel – 5 October 2022Carbon Literacy for Travel – 3 October 2022Employment Law – 1 December 2022ADVERTISEMENTTo reflect the growth in new recruits entering the industry, ABTA is offering the option for businesses that wish to book multiple training sessions across the year to book discounted delegate packages that they can use at a time that suits them.
ABTA will also be hosting its annual conferences, including:
Travel Trends – 17 November 2022Travel Matters 2022 – 6 December 2022 (rescheduled from June 2022)Travel Finance Conference – 1-2 March 2023Delivering Sustainable Travel – 15 March 2023Travel Law Seminar – 10-11 May 2023Travel Marketing Conference – 17-18 May 2023Travel Matters 2023 – 21 June 2023
In addition to the multiple training sessions discount, ABTA is offering a 10% discount on all event bookings made before 31 August using the code ABTASUMMER22*. The events are open to the whole travel industry with reduced rates available for ABTA Members and Partners.
ABTA’s Head of Events, Eve Coburn, said:
“Following high demand from our Members, we have focused our events programme to offer a wide range of training sessions and conferences as the industry moves forward in the aftermath of the pandemic. ABTA is offering our Members and travel professionals the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills in our ever-changing industry.”
All ABTA events can be found listed on the Breaking Travel News Travel Events Calendar – https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/events/
Emirates extends Rugby World Cup partnership
Trip.com announces long-term green tourism goals More
Destination Canada is pleased to announce the return of Innovate Canada, a Destination Canada signature business event that highlights the groundbreaking work taking place across Canada’s leading innovation sectors to attract aligned international business events. Running from July 25-28 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Innovate Canada 2022 will give international delegates the opportunity to explore Canada’s blue economy and global leadership in ocean sciences, including the people and facilities behind some of the most transformative sustainable technologies and solutions for ocean restoration and marine health.
“Bounded by three oceans and home to the largest coastline in the world, it should be no surprise that Canada has a rich history of innovation and global leadership in the ocean’s sciences sector,” says Virginie De Visscher, Senior Director of Business Development, Economic Sectors, Destination Canada Business Events. “After a two-year hiatus, we are thrilled to bring the Innovate Canada program to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The city has a global reputation as a centre of ocean excellence and is home to some of the most exclusive facilities, advanced post-secondary institutions and renowned ocean research and training centres. Combine this leadership with the warmth of Newfoundland and Labrador hospitality, and there’s little wonder why global organisations in ocean sciences continually choose to host their events in St. John’s.”
In addition to educational site visits to disruptive startups and established businesses across St. John’s ocean science related industries, the Innovate Canada program will take delegates on curated tours of:
The National Research Council’s Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre for research being conducted in the Ice Tank, one of the globe’s largest facilities of its kind; the Offshore Engineering Basin, one of the most advanced indoor model ocean facilities in the world; and the Tow Tank, which simulates marine conditions to evaluate the performance of marine systems.The Marine Institute of Memorial University to experience the most advanced marine simulation technology, pilot underwater vehicles in the Underwater Exploration Lab, and discover the newest technologies being applied to the global fisheries industries in support of sustainable aquatic resources.“From ocean technology, aquaculture and fisheries, ocean defense, marine bio-products, marine renewable energy, shipbuilding, and marine transportation, St. John’s is changing the way business in the ocean economy is conducted,” says Cathy Hogan, Executive Director at OceansAdvance, Newfoundland and Labrador’s ocean technology cluster organisation. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Destination Canada through the Innovate Canada program, to put local leading innovators, cutting edge innovations and world class oceans research facilities on the global stage and show delegates why St. John’s is an incredibly distinct and unique location to host ocean-related business events.”
Aligned with Destination Canada’s national meeting strategy, Innovate Canada aims to drive regional economic growth and compel global organisations to host their business events in Canada.ADVERTISEMENT“When conference-goers meet in Canada’s innovation hubs, they can tap into the country’s brain trust, connect with some of the brightest minds and thought leaders, preview made-in-Canada solutions to the world’s greatest challenges and explore the Canadian innovations that are creating a more sustainable world,” adds Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, Executive Director, Business Events, Destination Canada. “When this intellectual capital is combined with our vibrant urban centres and unique natural landscapes, it provides a thriving ecosystem for business events that foster creativity, collaboration and ultimately, leave a lasting impact. We can’t wait to provide a look at just that.”
Innovate Canada rotates destinations and industry sectors each year and will return in May 2023 to share the brilliant minds and transformative work being done across Waterloo, Ontario’s advanced manufacturing sector including automotive, aerospace, food processing, cutting-edge robotics and automation innovation. Aligned with Destination Canada’s new Canadian Business Events Sustainability Strategy, Innovate Canada 2023 will, for the first time, be carbon neutral.
American Cruise Lines announces first-ever California cruise More
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, along with NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organisation and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City, has kicked off the 30th anniversary of NYC Restaurant Week® with a press conference at Gage & Tollner, one of the original 1992 participants, while also announcing Savor NYC: a yearlong culinary celebration. A full list of restaurants participating in NYC Restaurant Week, sponsored by Mastercard®, is available at nycgo.com/restaurantweek.
“NYC Restaurant Week provides New Yorkers and visitors the ability to eat at hundreds of restaurants, in dozens of neighborhoods, across all five boroughs,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “This year’s Restaurant Week is bringing diners an array of flavors with amazing deals. No matter where you dine, there is no better time to support our city’s restaurants than NYC Restaurant Week.”
“We are proud to celebrate 30 years of NYC Restaurant Week, marking three decades of exceptional deals to diners across the five boroughs,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of NYC & Company. “To continue celebrating the City’s world-class dining scene, we are pleased to announce the launch of Savor NYC, a yearlong culinary initiative that will spotlight the culinary community across the City’s multicultural neighborhoods encouraging visitors to go deeper and explore more.”
The dining program, running 30 days from July 18 through August 21, highlights more than 650 restaurants across all five boroughs with more than 60 different styles of cuisines in 85 neighborhoods. The program encourages locals and visitors alike to explore the City’s vast, diverse and accessible restaurant scene while helping to support small businesses, the industry and its workers.
Running Monday through Friday (with the option to participate on Sundays), NYC Restaurant Week offers a multitude of options for dining enthusiasts to enjoy. Participating restaurants will be offering either a two-course lunch or three-course dinner prix-fixe menu of classic, favorite and new menu items. Inclusive price points for carefully crafted dishes are $30, $45 or $60, depending on the restaurant. This pricing structure was created to ensure establishments from all five boroughs can participate, from neighborhood eateries to fine dining. More than 100 restaurants will also offer $30 bottles of wine to commemorate the 30th anniversary, available on participating menus. ADVERTISEMENTDiners can browse participating restaurants by filters including “location,” “cuisine,” “has menu,” “$10 Mastercard rebate,” “accessibility,” “ownership,” “weeks participating,” and “meals.” Collections will also be available at nycgo.com/restaurantweek to help consumers choose restaurants by interest, including “Restaurant Week Classics,” “Lunch Break,” “Summer Vibes,” “Impress Your Followers,” “Dress for the Occasion,” “James Beard Honorees,” “Wine Spectator Winners’’ and lastly, “Make it a Stella,” a collection from Stella Artois, the official beer sponsor of NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2022. Mastercard cardholders can pre-register here to receive an exclusive $10 statement credit on each transaction of $45 or more while dining on-site (for up to three (3) transactions, totaling a $30 rebate), when dining out through July 31.
“Bringing visitors and locals a meaningful way to experience world-class dining in New York City is truly Priceless,” said Rustom Dastoor, executive vice president of North America Marketing & Communications at Mastercard. “Together with NYC & Company, we are excited to provide cardholders exclusive discounts during NYC Restaurant Week Summer 2022 as they explore their passion for food and travel.”
In this landmark anniversary year, 15 of the original 1992 NYC & Company NYC Restaurant Week participants have returned, including: Barbetta, Carmine’s (Upper West Side), Dock’s Oyster Bar, Fraunces Tavern, Gage & Tollner, Gallagher’s Steak House, The Palm, Sardi’s, Shun Lee West, Sylvia’s, Tavern on the Green, Tribeca Grill, The Russian Tea Room, Union Square Café and Victor’s Café. NYC Restaurant Week is the original Restaurant Week created during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in 1992, which has been replicated in cities nationally and globally.
“A true testimony to a savory milestone – NYC Restaurant Week’s 30th and Sylvia’s Restaurant’s 60th Anniversary. As an inaugural participant and fan, I’m overjoyed to support the best restaurant city on the planet one plate at a time,” said Tren’ness Woods-Black, co-chair of the NYC & Company Culinary Committee.
“As an original participant in the 1992 program, I’m honored to be a part of the 30th anniversary of NYC Restaurant Week, a cherished tradition in New York City. NYC Restaurant Week has always been a way for people to experience new restaurants, including some of the best in the world at an affordable price. This special anniversary is the perfect time for people to reconnect and celebrate over a memorable meal,” said chef and restaurateur David Burke, co-chair of the NYC & Company Culinary Committee.
NYC & Company has long been committed to championing the local business community, with NYC Restaurant Week at the forefront of those efforts. The continued success of NYC Restaurant Week is a key indicator of New Yorkers’ and visitors’ desire to explore the five boroughs through food.
During today’s NYC Restaurant Week 30th anniversary kick-off event at Gage & Tollner – one of the oldest restaurants in New York city having first opened in 1879 and an original 1992 Restaurant Week partner—Mayor Eric Adams and NYC & Company also announced an initiative to double down on supporting and promoting every culinary corner of the five boroughs with a program titled, “Savor NYC.” The yearlong campaign will highlight monthly content including cuisines across all cultures, street carts, established restaurants, accessible cuisine, sustainable cuisines, culinary events and more across the five boroughs that make New York City the most celebrated dining destination in the world.
A list of participating NYC Restaurant Week eateries is available at nycgo.com/restaurantweek.
The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment has partnered with NYC & Company as a sponsor of NYC Restaurant Week, to offset participation fees for businesses across the boroughs in response to New York City’s ongoing tourism recovery.
In honor of this milestone 30th anniversary and in support of local students’ pursuit of careers in restaurants and hospitality, NYC & Company has made a donation to the Food Education Fund.
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The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) is pleased to announce their partnership with Discover Puerto Rico to host the 2023 ASTA Global Convention (AGC) in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino and the Puerto Rico Convention Center, May 2-4, 2023. As a result of member feedback over the years, ASTA has decided to change the dates of AGC from late August to early May.
“We’re thrilled to partner with our friends at Discover Puerto Rico for the 2023 ASTA Global Convention. Puerto Rico has been a longstanding partner of ASTA. Brad, Ed, and the entire Discover Puerto Rico team have gone above and beyond to support the travel advisor community,” said Zane Kerby, President, and CEO of ASTA. “By hosting the Global Convention, Discover Puerto Rico is committing significant resources to support travel advisors who want to learn, or become certified, in selling Puerto Rico. As a frequent visitor to the island, I know first-hand the variety of unique cultural experiences that await ASTA Convention attendees. ASTA is excited to extend this immersive learning opportunity to our members.”
With a year-round warm climate, Puerto Rico offers visitors a unique and authentic Caribbean experience. From Old San Juan with the cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, historic fortresses, and Spanish colonial architecture to the Island’s sandy beaches, impressive rainforest, and bioluminescent bays, Puerto Rico has for decades captured the attention and imagination of locals and visitors alike. Attendees will have access to the best of Puerto Rico’s rich history and culture through an offering of unique customised tours that will highlight the destination’s exceptional food, pristine beaches, majestic mountains, relaxing backdrops, and active adventure – all packed into one Caribbean paradise.
Travel advisors can expect all the same fantastic features they’ve come to love and expect at the ASTA Global Convention, such a robust trade show and education program, and a soon-to-be announced Puerto Rican keynote that you won’t want to miss. In addition to the sightseeing tours to local landmarks, AGC 2023 will also include options for extended Pre/Post Educational Journeys around Puerto Rico.
Special Promotion:ADVERTISEMENTAll travel professionals who register for this year’s AGC in San Francisco, August 24-26, 2022, by August 5th will receive $100 off their registration for ASTA Global Convention in Puerto Rico, May 2-4, 2023, in addition to receiving early access to all sightseeing tours. Registrants must be registered for the 2022 AGC in San Francisco by August 5th to receive early access to sightseeing tours and the $100 savings for AGC 2023 in Puerto Rico.
“We are delighted to partner with ASTA to host their 2023 Global Convention. Travel advisors are at the core of our industry, and these days, in which we are imagining and creating new paths to reignite and reshape travel, we want to be facilitators of the process and support our great partners. In Puerto Rico, you will find not only an excellent place for meetings and conventions, but you will also find an authentic and unique Caribbean experience that will enrich the educational and networking process, as well as provide inspiration for future endeavors within our industry,” said Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.
Save the date for ASTA Global Convention in Puerto Rico, May 2-3, 2023.
Tourism statistics inform UN reports on sustainable development More


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GOOG's cost per click down 4 quarters in a row due to mobile (iOS, Android)
Google makes 96% of its revenues from Internet searchword advertising on traditional desktop PC's, which has been falling off a cliff during the past 4 quarters because iOS and Android devices are killing and taking eyeballs away from the PC. Mobile devices just have far less screen space to display Google's ads. This trend toward mobile is a permanent change, and the genie can never be put back into the bottle. Ironically, as Android's market share goes up, Google's cost per click goes down, so even though Android has a 72% market share for mobile devices, Google's cost per click keeps diving since price-sensitive Android phone buyers are the least likely to click on ads and buy anything online. Last quarter, Google missed its EPS estimate by about 17% and its cost per click fell 15%, so Google's stock price tanked $80 in a day. Mobile devices sold like crazy in the just-completed holiday quarter while sales of traditional PCs dropped for the 1st time in 10 years, so it's essentially guaranteed that Google's cost per click dived even more in Q4. Any analyst who thinks Google's EPS is actually going to exceed $10 and hit a new lifetime record is smoking crack. Google missed its EPS estimate 2 out of the last 4 quarters, which it never used to do before, so Google's searchword business on traditional PC's that make up 96% of its revenues is undergoing a sea change and basically getting slaughtered.
The more Android share increases, the more goog's cost per click decreases because there are just fewer eyeballs to view goog's cash-cow ads on pc's. Android phone buyers just bought them because they were the cheapest available. These buyers are not interested in clicking on any of google's ads and spending money online. To them, Android phones are nothing more than feature phones. Incredibly, Android's 72% market share is still mostly cheap Android Gingerbread 2.3 phones, which still far outsell Android Jellybean phones at all the cheap phone vendors like Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. These low-income people never even clicked on goog's ads on traditional desktops, so they can't be expected to click on them on Android phones with smaller screens.


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- The New York Times looks at the malpractices and toxic culture of OYO Rooms in India & abroad through this news report which exposes the reality.
Oyo, a start-up offering budget hotel rooms, has grown into one of India’s most valuable private businesses and aims to be the largest hotel chain in the world by 2023.
Yet, according to financial filings, court documents and interviews with 20 current and former employees, as well as others familiar with the start-up’s operations, at least part of Oyo’s growth in India was focused on activities that raise questions about the health of its company. Some thought about the condition of anonymity for fear of the company’s retaliation.
Here are few findings from the report on these malpractices of OYO by The New York Times-
- Oyo offers rooms from inaccessible hotels, such as those that have left their service, according to the organization’s chief executive and nine of the current and former employees. This inflates the number of rooms on the Oyo site. This is one of the malpractices inside OYO Rooms.
- According to interviews with hotel owners and staff, emails, legal reports and other records examined by The Times, Oyo also levied additional fees on hotels and refused to pay the hotels the full amount they claimed to have been owed. Some hotel operators have tried to file criminal complaints against Oyo, alleging that they have withheld payments mainly on the customer service issues of the hotels.
“It’s a bubble that will burst,” said Saurabh Mukhopadhyay, a former Oyo operations manager in northern India who left the company in September..
- In a recent interview, Ritesh Agarwal, chief executive of Oyo, admitted that some of the room listings of his company included hotels with which he no longer worked. He said Oyo left the listings and labeled them as “sold out” as the hotels were being wooed again.
- As acknowledged by their owners, hundreds of rooms come from unlicensed hotels and guesthouses. According to nine of the current and former employees and internal WhatsApp messages seen by The New York Times, Oyo also provides the police and other officials with free accommodation to keep the authorities from having trouble over the illegal rooms.
- Oyo managers also gave free rooms to the police and other government officials on request to placate the authorities over unlicensed properties, said current and former employees. They said the details in dedicated WhatsApp groups were recorded, one of which was reviewed by The Times.
Founded in 2013 by Mr. Agarwal, then a 19-year-old student, Oyo set out to organize budget hotels in India that were historically small, family-run businesses. The business coaxes hotels into Oyo-branded destinations marketed exclusively through its website; it then markets these rooms online to travelers and takes a cut from each stay. There are also some hotels operated by the start-up itself.
Oyo is trying to expand internationally and now has more than 1.2 million rooms available in 80 countries, including the United States. It employs over 20,000 employees and has received funds in excess of $2.5 billion. Mr. Agarwal became a business star with India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, hobnobbing.
Yet Oyo’s losses have mushroomed as it has expanded. According to recent government filings, the organization expects to lose money by at least 2021. Many efforts to expand have flopped in countries such as Japan.
You can find the whole report here.


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The owner of a newspaper delivery round in Wisbech has added a postal service to his daily rounds.
Brian Webb who has been delivering newspapers around Wisbech for 50 years has created his own stamps at a cost of 30 pence each, half the price of Royal Mail.
Webbs of Leverington already runs a newspaper delivery business around the Wisbech area and now offers its current customers a postal service.
Click below to see what Brian Webb says about his new business venture.
This is only the second scheme of its kind in the country, the first was in Somerset.
Brian's postal service has been approved by the communications watchdog OFCOM.
Brian says he's not trying to rival the Royal Mail, but just offering an extra service to customers.


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Tata Steel has been accused of “bully boy” tactics after demanding its suppliers slash their prices by 30pc as it attempts to pass on the cost of the steel crisis.
The Indian-owned company has written to businesses in its supply chain telling them it requires an immediate 10pc price reduction on all purchases, and plans to increase the cuts to 30pc.
Either Tata gets cost reductions from its suppliers or it goes bust and the suppliers get £0 in business from Tata.
It’s the same with wages: sure, we’d all love it if the workers were paid more. But forcing that means that some of them will get paid £0.


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CORPUS CHRISTI (KIII NEWS) - Friday is our annual Share Your Christmas Food Drive. For 29 years, Kiii-TV has partnered with the Food Bank of Corpus Christi to put on the event, and on Monday some local schools helped out.
The food drive kicks off at 5 a.m. Friday during 3News First Edition. Expect students from schools all over South Texas to cheer you on as you donate canned goods or money.
© 2018 KIII-TV


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Aviva to pay £14m compensation to investors who sold preference shares after it said it would cancel them
Aviva has pledged to pay compensation to holders of preference shares
Investors who sold special Aviva shares after the insurer said it would cancel them are to get £14million of compensation.
Aviva has pledged to pay the cash to holders of preference shares, which are meant to guarantee high yields for their holders.
The firm stunned analysts in March by threatening to cancel the shares for less than their market value so it could save money – triggering a price slump and a stampede to sell.
It was later forced to back down in the face of an investor outcry, but thousands of savers sold their stock cheaply before the U-turn and lost cash as a result.
Aviva is making £14million of goodwill payments to these investors in an effort to salvage its reputation.
Chief Executive Mark Wilson, 51, said: ‘The board and I want to do the right thing and make this goodwill payment.’
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Unveiling the Largest Iranian-made Water Pump; Sattari: Tabriz Is Turning into a Technological City.
In the first part of his trip to East Azerbaijan, the vice president for science and technology affairs unveiled an Iranian-made product made by a knowledge-based in Tabriz to boost the innovation and technology ecosystem.
Pumpiran Co. in Tabriz has produced a prototype of a pump following the localization of its technical knowledge. Today, the product is unveiled in the presence of Sorena Sattari after successful trials.
During the ceremony, Sattari considered a bright future for East Azerbaijan regarding the development of technologies and knowledge-based economy, adding: the main priority of the Vice-Presidency during these provincial travels has been the knowledge-based economy.
East Azarbaijan province, especially the city of Tabriz, is one of the main poles in the field of science and technology, and we hope that the steps taken today in support of the innovation and technology ecosystem will pave the way for change in the knowledge-based economy.
Pointing out that special investments have been made in the technological infrastructures of the province, he added: today, considerable investments have been made in this field.
According to the vice president for science and technology affairs, the most important necessity for boosting the knowledge-based economy is forming a suitable ecosystem for startups and knowledge-based companies. In this regard, he marked: all links in the innovation chain, from accelerators to innovation centers and factories, must work in the same direction to form a knowledge-based economy.
He also mentioned: in this regard, development is the culture of support and attention to the knowledge-based economy in society. We must all try our best to promote this culture. In addition, government and private centers and community should support the development of the creative human resource in the country.
The vice president for science and technology affairs talked about the considerable share of knowledge-based companies in supplying sanctioned products, asserting: many government departments and large industries, especially in the shadow of sanctions, have turned to the capabilities of knowledge-based companies, and for example, industries that procured their products at high cost from foreign companies use this product of Pumpiran knowledge-based companies. A significant number of the company's projects have been strongly supported by industries and government departments.
Supplying the Needs of Water Industry with Knowledge-based Suction Equipment
According to the report, the largest Iranian-made two-suction water pump will be used in industries of the southeast of the country. This two-suction pump has the ability to transfer 2800 cubic meters of water per hour and is used to transfer water from the Persian Gulf to the central regions of Iran.
During the ceremony of unveiling and exploiting the largest Iranian-made two-suction water pump, it was announced that 22 samples of this product have been ready for delivery for use in mega-projects in the central and southeastern regions of the country. This system will make the transfer of Persian Gulf water to industries such as Mes Sarcheshmeh and Gol Gohar Co. possible.
This technology company, as the first manufacturer of this pump, is also producing the pumping equipment required for the transfer of Oman Sea water to Sistan and Baluchestan.
During visiting various parts of the industrial unit, Sattari learned about the latest activities of the factory.
“Cyber Park” of Tabriz Is Opened
During the trip to Tabriz, Sattari started the stage of technical and economic studies in the Cyber Park” of Tabriz. The first "Cyber Park" in Tabriz provides information and communication as well as services in this area to the community while creating a suitable infrastructure for related businesses.
The establishment of the Cyber Park will lead to a way to provide support services, analysis and data flow infrastructure, and high-quality communications to engage with knowledge-based companies, researchers, and universities at home and abroad. This cyber park is equipped with welfare and sports facilities and the staff of knowledge-based companies and university graduates can use these facilities.
Presenting more than 30 Iranian-made Achievements by Sahand University Technologists
The vice president for science and technology affairs learned about the achievements of growth centers of this important academic center during visiting the knowledge-based exhibition of Sahand University of Technology. In this exhibition, 30 Iranian products made by knowledge-based companies were presented for display and sale.
Continuing his one-day visit to East Azerbaijan Province, the vice president for science and technology affairs visited 11 technological projects.
A report by the public relations and information center of the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs


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In India’s 12 steps to boost exports, 4 Dubai-style mega shopping carnivals
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced a slew of steps by the government to promote exports that have been adversely affected due to the slowdown in global growth. Sitharaman’s announcements come against the backdrop of merchandise exports declining by 6% to US $ 26.13 billion in August compared to a year ago.
Sitharaman, who announced new schemes to incentivise and encourage exporters, said India would launch four mega shopping festivals like the ones organised in Dubai. These shopping festivals would be held at four locations across the country.
These festivals would be held on specific themes such as gems and jewellery, yoga, tourism and textiles and leather. The first of these festivals would be held in March 2020.
The Gulf emirate organises several events such as the Dubai Food Festival and the month-long Dubai Shopping Festival. The shopping festival has been on for a little more than two decades and had been originally launched to increase Dubai’s retail trade. It was later promoted as a tourist attraction.
At Saturday’s news conference, the steps announced by Sitharaman focused on the exports and the realty sector including support for incomplete projects that were not getting loans from banks.
Sitharaman said there is a clear sign of revival of industrial production and inflation has been kept “very much” below 4 per cent.
The government has mandated the Reserve Bank of India to keep the retail inflation in the band of 2-6 per cent.
“We see clear signs” of improvement up to July 2019 inspite all worries on industrial production front in the fourth quarter of 2018-19, she said.
Sitharaman also informed that she will be meeting heads of public sector banks on September 19, a day before the GST Council meeting in Goa, to access the credit flow scenario to the economy.


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World production falls, but Europe holds its ground | by Giorgio Costa
2020 was a difficult year for the Italian tile industry. Amid the contraction in the global market, the industry experienced a slowdown in sales but was able to limit the damage and maintained a more than 50% share of sales by value in Western Europe. It is now ready for the challenges that lie ahead in 2021.
The figures compiled by Prometeia in its December 2020 forecasting report for the world ceramic tile industry speak for themselves: amidst an 8.7% decline in global production to 11,349 million square metres, Italy was the worst hit of the world’s top five producers with an 18% contraction compared to the -12.6% of India, the -9% of Brazil, the -8.4% of China and the 4.9% of Spain. One of the factors responsible for this decline in production was the factory shutdowns imposed in May last year, which were longest in Italy (5 weeks), shorter in Spain (2 weeks) and entirely absent in Turkey. In Spain and Italy, the second quarter losses had already been largely absorbed by July, and following the boom in production in August (plants continued to operate at full capacity in what is normally the slowest month of the year) by September the production index had returned to similar levels to those of 2019. The overall result was a full-year decline in sales for Italy of -4%.
The slowdown in production led to a 5.8% drop in world trade and a generalised fall in purchases by importing countries (USA -8.4%, France -2.3%). The sole exception was Germany, which saw a 9.4% increase in its purchases on the global tile market. The Far East, which accounts for 24.6% of world consumption, recorded a significant drop in tile consumption (648 million square metres less, or -8.6%). This downturn was in line with the trend in residential building investments. The large contractions in France (-13.8%) and Italy (-9.2%) were matched by a decline in tile consumption of 3.4% and 11.7% respectively; in the USA building investments grew by 3.7% but tile consumption fell by 5.6%; and in Germany investments grew by 2.8% and tile consumption increased by 10.8%, fuelling a corresponding increase in imports from Italy. The fact that the tile market was much more dynamic than construction investments in France and Germany reflects the growth in popularity of ceramic tiles.
The figures for Italy
Returning to Italy, tile sales in 2020 totalled 390.6 million square metres, down 4% but a significant improvement on the -16.8% recorded in May. The situation would have been far worse if it had not been for exports, which fell by just 1.9% compared to the forecast of -14.1%, limiting losses to 6.2 million square metres. This was attributable to the trend in the third and fourth quarters of the year, which offset the negative performance in the second quarter (-19.6%). It is worth noting that sales to the German market played an important role in propping up the Italian tile industry in 2020, as exports would otherwise have fallen twice as rapidly as they actually did. The fact remains that Italy holds a 12% share of global export trade, while China remains firmly at the top of the rankings with 22.6% followed by Spain and India (15.7%).
A return to pre-Covid levels in 2022
The growth in construction investments will fuel a recovery in sales in almost all markets, resulting in a return to pre-Covid levels in 2022. As for Italy, the 110% Superbonus tax incentive may boost domestic sales by a further 1.6 million square metres compared to the forecast 10.8 million square metres. The pandemic has resulted in global market losses of 2.2 billion square metres in the two-year period 2020-2021, equivalent to half of China’s total annual consumption. As for Italy, this means that 32 million square metres of potential domestic and export sales have been lost to Covid, a value equivalent to the entire consumption of a country like Greece.
It is interesting to take a look at the global trends in tile demand.
In Western Europe, the health emergency led to construction sites being shut down and fewer building permits issued in the first half of 2020, in turn resulting in a significant drop in construction investment as a yearly average. While this affected all areas of activity, it was more pronounced in the residential construction segment. However, the situation varied significantly between the different countries in the region, from a sharp decline in investment in Spain, the UK and France to growth in Germany. The expansionary phase in German construction is expected to continue through 2021-2022, albeit at a more moderate pace, while construction investments appear likely to return to positive territory in Spain, the UK and France. In 2021 tile consumption in the region will increase by 4.8%, fuelling 3.1% growth in exports and pushing Italy’s market share up to 34.1% compared to 33% in 2018.
Unlike what happened after the 2018 crisis, residential construction investments and tile consumption are both expected to pick up in 2021 (when GDP is forecast to increase by +5%), largely as a result of the government’s expansionary policies such as the 110% Superbonus tax incentive. This will benefit both domestic producers (who can expect to see an approximately 8 million sqm increase in sales) and foreign importers. Although a slowdown may occur in 2022, by the end of the year Italian domestic sales will have exceeded the 2019 levels.
The double-digit decline in residential construction investments had a negative impact on the Spanish tile market and consequently on imports from Italy, which fell by more than 0.5 million square metres in 2020. But the expected recovery (in 2021 GDP is forecast to increase by 6.6% and tile consumption by 8.6% to 151 million sqm) will enable Italy to make up the ground it lost in 2020 by the end of 2022.
The renovation market propped up demand for tiles and compensated for the sharp decline in the new build market (consumption fell by just 3.4% in 2020). The rebound in GDP (+7.3% in 2021) will drive strong growth in construction investments (+14.1%), in turn boosting tile consumption by 2.5%. This will also benefit Italian exports, which are expected to grow by 3.3%.
Despite the recession in 2020, when GDP fell by 6%, investments in construction are estimated to remain in positive territory (+2.5%) and tile consumption is expected to see a small increase. This trend will benefit Italian exports, which are estimated to have grown by 10.1% in 2020 to 59.9 million euros. Even better figures are expected for 2021 with sales of 62.3 million euros, up 4%.
GDP is estimated to have fallen by 12.5% in 2020, with a sharp contraction in building investments (-13.4%) and a 17.8% drop in Italian tile exports (bear in mind however that sales totalled just 8.1 million square metres, less than one seventh of the volume sold to Germany). The outlook for the two-year period 2021-2022 is more encouraging, with GDP recovering and imports from Italy and Spain remaining stationary or decreasing slightly.
Together with Germany, Austria remains a reliable export market for Italian tile manufacturers. GDP is forecast to grow by 5.3% in 2021 and construction investments by 2.6%. In this context, tile consumption will reach 22.1 million sqm, with Italian exports accounting for more than 50% of total consumption at 12.7 million sqm (up 1.6%). In 2022, sales will be close to 13 million sqm, a level not seen since the early 2000s.
The direct and indirect effects of the pandemic (including the fall in oil prices) led to a sharp contraction in Russia’s GDP in 2020 (-6.25%) and a corresponding decline in construction investments. Tile consumption has consequently decreased (-6.6%) and Italian companies are struggling to penetrate the market (Italian exports amount to just 1.8 million sqm). This is not expected to improve in the next two years given the competition from producers in India and Eastern Europe.
Although residential construction continued to expand in 2020 (+3.7%), it was a poor year for tiles with a 5.6% decline in sales by volume. With import duties imposed on products from China, tile sales are expected to see a strong recovery in 2021 and this should also benefit Italian exports (33.6 million sqm, up 3.2%).
The fall in crude oil production in Saudi Arabia, Iran and the UAE led to a contraction in the region’s GDP in 2020 (-3.7%) and a consequent decline in construction investment (-7.3%). The outlook for 2021-2022 is more favourable with construction recovering by more than 3%. Italian tile exports are also expected to see a recovery (+6.9% in 2021 after the -10% in 2020) and reach 8.6 million sqm out of the region’s total consumption of about 760 million sqm.