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Two stories today indicate the beginning of the end of the long period of tense stability produced by Economic MAD.House panel approves China currency billAntiSpin: More bad craziness from our economic policy leadership. This is Smoot-Hawley version 2.0.
(Reuters) - A congressional panel, in a move likely to increase trade tensions with China, approved on Friday a bill that allows the United States to slap duties on goods from countries with fundamentally undervalued currencies.
Big Yuan Rise Would Mean Bankruptcies: Chinese Premier
An appreciation of 20 percent in China's currency would cause widespread bankruptcies in China's export sector, where firms operate on thin margins, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday.
"The conditions for a major appreciation of the renminbi do not exist," Wen said in a speech to U.S. businessmen in New York. He said the appreciation of China's currency demanded by U.S. lawmakers would not bring jobs back to the United States because U.S. firms no longer make such labor-intensive products.
The Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 turned a major recession into The Great Depression by launching a trade war in the middle of a global downturn. World trade fell by 66% between 1929 and 1934.
As Milton Friedman said, governments never learn.
The US dollar has fell 16 % against major currencies since 2009 and nearly 50% since 2001 yet US policy makers view China's currency policy as producing an unfair trade advantage.
The real problem is that the global debt deflation leaves every nation in need of a weaker currency to maintain exports for economic growth. That is especially true of a tangible goods exporter like China. A financial goods exporter like the US needs happy tangible goods exporters like China to finance its trade deficit or its fiscal deficit. Therein lies the conflict.
When Wen Jiabao says a stronger renminbi will cause mass defaults and economic crisis in China, he's not politicking like the folks on Capital Hill when they say China is manipulating its currency. China will have no choice but to respond with tariffs of its own.
This bill will either launch a trade war, or create a crisis in the economy of our largest creditor. Neither outcome benefits us.
The truth is we should never have allowed ourselves to get into this position in the first place, as I explained in Economic MAD back in 2006.
Instead of beating up our trade partners to sacrifice more to improve our weak export position, we need to boost our private sector to be more competitive. We can do it by investing in transportation, energy, and communications infrastructure that drives private companies to compete for projects and to develop new technologies and lowers the energy tax on consumers and producers. We need to reduce taxes and remove obstacles that hamper entrepreneurs: zero payroll taxes, zero capital gains taxes, and zero health insurance costs for companies under 50 employees. Call it the zero, zero, zero plan. It will be paid for by eliminating government subsidies to the housing industry. From the looks of things, that's coming.
Philly Fed researchers agree with Postcatastrophe Economy on housing
With the caveat the "The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia or the Federal Reserve System, Fed researches Wenli Li and Fang Yang today issued a detailed report "Benefits and costs of Homeownership" (attached) that questions the wisdom of a government subsidized housing market, as The Post Catastrophe Economy does:"Our review of the economic benefits and costs of homeownership suggests that the economic case for subsidizing homeownership has, at the minimum, been oversold. And we have not addressed the offsetting costs. Indeed, economists have found that government subsidies incur a cost to the general economy. For example, in his article, Martin Gervais studied the welfare consequences of the preferential tax treatment of housing capital and found that the current tax structure crowds out business capital and leads to a loss in consumption of over 1 percent.Coming from the Fed, despite the disclaimer, this paper reveals a sea change in official philosophy on housing. It reminds me of the "research papers" the Fed issued in 2003 about deflation and how they planned to handle if should it happen here.
"The net dollar value of owning one’s home remains a question for economists and policymakers to consider. One thing that is certain is that homeownership is not for everyone, and thus, based on the economic benefits, the case for trying to achieve a nation of homeowners needs to be rethought."
Decades old housing subsidies will in the coming years be dumped onto the ash heap of politically motivated, destructive and destabilizing economic policies along with protectionist auto import tariffs in the 1970s that resulted over-priced, low quality cars for consumers, especially from Chrysler.
iTulip Select: The Investment Thesis for the Next Cycle™
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Brexit: UK 'remains as a top financial market' says Powell
Industry chiefs previously warned the UK is facing a summer of food shortages due to the loss of 100,000 lorry drivers due to the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit. But now, a photo has been shared on social media of empty supermarket shelves across Scotland and other parts of the country.
Now, Scottish greengrocer, James Welby of Tattie Shaw's in Edinburgh, launched a scathing attack on Brexit.
He said: "Excuse my French – but it is a s***show.
"It is probably a combination of Brexit and Covid but the produce is taking much longer to get here than it used to and it often isn’t class one when it arrives.
"Everything has a cost – even delay.
Scottish greengrocer lashes out at UK economy’s dependence on EU
"The produce is more expensive – on average around 10 percent more I would say, but it varies."
Mr Welby also claimed the quality of produce has declined and said it is "not getting fixed any time soon".
He went on to say how Britain's food chain "is set up to get the stuff from Europe".
Mr Welby told the National: “It is just not realistic to say we should replace it with British produce.
"The whole way Britain’s food chain is set up is to get the stuff from Europe.
"It is cheaper to grow it there – they get two harvests a year, the weather is more reliable, they can get the labour.
"There is not much farming of that kind left in Scotland or the UK.”
Earlier this month, officials at the Department for Transport (DfT) held discussions with haulage industry chiefs on how they can tackle the shortage of truckers.
'Exploiters!' EU blasted over unethical Africa trade policy [INSIGHT]
EU dashes hopes of deal with Brexit Britain - eyes its own ‘interests [COMMENT]
Sturgeon crushed as Spain's verdict over EU entry unveiled [REVEAL]
According to reports, transport leaders have recommended a temporary easing of immigration controls as a way of quickly solving the crisis.
However, the Home Office opposed relaxing controls, which were tightened following Britain's departure from the EU when free movement ended.
Following the Home Office's refusal, the DfT asked the industry for evidence to demonstrate the value of a temporary visa scheme.
One person close to the discussion said: "Everyone involved is sworn to secrecy as the Home Office is taking a very hard line.
"The Home Office has the final decision on this and the DfT knows it has a very tough sell, so need the very best evidence."
It is believed informal discussions have begun at the start of the month but talks could still fail if the Home Office continues to oppose relaxing controls.
A source added: "There has been a subtle change of heart from Government.
"They know they need to explore how this can be solved."
It is believed around 15,000 European drivers have left the UK for mainland Europe due to Brexit.
The industry's plea comes after truckers warned there could be massive tailbacks at Dover following the end of the EU's trading rules.
This disruption was relatively short-lived and trade between Britain and the bloc has headed back to normal following a brief collapse in January.

domain: news


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SingTel is diving deeper into the digital advertising market. The company's Amobee subsidiary has announced plans to acquire Adconion and Kontera for a combined $385 million.
Adconion is a cross-channel digital advertising company, consisting of Adconion Direct North America and Adconion Australia. SingTel will pay $235 million to buy the company, including a $209 million payment and the assumption of $26 million in debt.
Kontera is a digital intelligence and marketing technology company with offices in the US, UK and Israel. SingTel has arranged to pay $150 million for this acquisition. Both deals are contingent on regulatory approvals and other conditions.
Amobee CEO Mark Stecker said the company plans to use the acquisitions to improve its mobile-led digital advertising capabilities.
“The digital advertising business is about scale and capitalizing on the market opportunities with technology as a core differentiator. With these two acquisitions announced today, we have extended our product offerings [and] increased our sales footprint,” he said.
Forrester Research senior analyst Clement Teo said SingTel has “made a good bet” with the acquisitions, “but it remains to be seen how it will use the new digital tools to add value for its clients.”
He noted that mobile and digital advertising are the current engines of growth for advertisers. “As more users get locked in a 'contextual mobile moment of need', the opportunity to insert highly personal, contextualized advertising will be the goal for all brands,” he said.
SingTel acquired Amobee for $321 million 2012, as part of an effort to break into the mobile and digital advertising market.


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SoftBank Vision Fund (SVF) is in final discussions to lead a new $120-150 million financing round in grocery delivery startup, Grofers, those may also see the German retail group Metro AG participate, albeit with a smaller cheque.
SoftBank in Japan had earlier backed the Grofers through its balance sheet that has moved its 2015 investment to the $100 billion SVF, which is signalling its bullishness on grocery retailing sector.
SoftBank’s move for further investments in Grofers also puts on hold the o -again, off-again merger talks has held with bigger rival, Alibaba-backed BigBasket.
ALSO READ: Know about Microsoft’s Digital Crime Unit
“SoftBank has decided to double down on its investment in Grofers as talks with Alibaba for a possible merger with BigBasket have not progressed. The round may see the participation of a new financial investor as well in which case the round size may go up $200 million,” said a person in the know.
SoftBank might End up with More Than 40 percent Stake Sources, those spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Other existing investors, those also include Tiger Global, Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, and Sequoia Capital, is likely to participate in the next round that would probably value the e-grocer at $500 million, pre-investment.
After the latest investment, SoftBank with the help of SVF will end up with more than 40 percent stake in Grofers, with the Tiger Global being the second-largest shareholder. Sequoia and Milner’s Apoletto are the other two big investors.
The sources those who are aware of the on going negotiations said that Metro was keen to strike the strategic partnership wherein it would become an exclusive sourcing platform for the online grocery startup.
However, this looks unlikely right now, one person said. “They were keen on leading the funding and wanted to invest a larger sum but the terms of the deal did not work out,” said the person.
Grofers claim to serve daily orders of approximately 46,000 with an average order size of nearly Rs. 1,300. The private labels those fetch the better margins are also contributing 28 per cent for the overall sales.
The Hyperlocal delivery players like Grofers have got a slug of capital in the hyped-up funding environment in the year 2015 but soon it has realised that on-demand delivery is the money pit.
“One defensive view for SoftBank and also for Alibaba has been that regular ecommerce growth seems to have stalled outside of devices and fashion. India may end up being a very different kind of a market where high margin categories don’t move online for a while which is why frequency becomes inordinately important for creating brands that people feel loyal to,” said a person closely tracking the sector.


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Just had to share this image that Christina Boutari sent me yesterday to post over at the Boutari blog.
Look at the rich color of the ripe Assyrtiko, a grape variety that has captivated U.S. wine professionals over the last few years.
Harvest is expected to begin early this year in Greece, writes Christina. “It was a warm year overall,” she told me in an email.
Boutari will begin picking Saturday, she said.
Santorini, where Assyrtiko is cultivated, is such an amazing place, entirely unique in the panorama of Mediterranean viticulture.


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Mamee Group recently surprised one of its stellar employees with the gift of a Tesla, a testament to their exceptional contributions and a powerful symbol of the company’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating success.
Recognizing and appreciating their dedicated workforce, Mamee-Double Decker (M) Sdn. Bhd (Mamee) recently hosted its annual dinner at The Vertical (VE Hotel & Residence) Connexion Conference & Event Centre in Kuala Lumpur, attended by 550 staff members. The highlight of the event was the surprise presentation of a Tesla Model 3 to an outstanding employee, marking a powerful gesture of gratitude for their exceptional contributions to the company’s smooth operations, as reported by China Press.
Mamee-Double Decker (M) Sdn. Bhd’s Deputy Manager at Mamee Jonker House, Xiang Xiaohui Shelby, emerged as the fortunate recipient of a Tesla car valued at approximately RM200,000. Shelby’s pivotal role at the iconic Jonker Street location in Melaka, a hotspot for tourists and consumers globally, contributed significantly to its success, making it one of the company’s top-performing outlets. The Chief Executive Officer of Mamee Group acknowledged Shelby’s instrumental role in elevating the company’s brand both domestically and internationally, earning her well-deserved recognition.
The recent dinner hosted by Mamee-Double Decker (M) Sdn. Bhd aimed at expressing gratitude to high-performing employees witnessed 45 staff members receiving well-deserved honors. Among the accolades, 15 lucky individuals secured overseas travel prizes, including an exciting trip to South Korea, while others celebrated their achievements with a cash prize of RM1,000.


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It's not usual for folks to have a few oysters with their beer. But what about oysters in their beer?
A couple of Harwich residents are brewing up a special batch of holiday stout with Chatham oysters as the special ingredient.
Devil's Purse Brewing Company's new Intertidal Oyster Stout, which will debut at a tasting event at Chatham Bars Inn Dec. 29, is enhanced by oysters from the Chatham Shellfish Company, the town's only commercial oyster farm. Adding the shellfish to the mix “definitely enhances the complexity of the taste of the stout,” said co-owner Matthew Belson, who lives in Harwich.
With no fishy or “oystery” aftertaste, he added.
Six dozen Chatham oysters in a mesh sack are added to the boiling wort – beer before it ferments into beer. The oysters cook in the brew, said Belson, but its the minerals, such as calcium, that leach from the shells and the salinity from the oyster liquor that enhance the taste of the final product.
This is the second batch of Intertidal Oyster Stout that the South Dennis brewery has produced. The first round in September used oysters from the East Dennis Oyster Farm; future batches will use oysters from other Cape locations, said Belson.
“Folks who appreciate oysters know that oysters in Wellfleet taste different from oysters in Chatham or Dennis,” he said. “We're trying to capture some of the locality of the oysters in the taste of each batch.”
“With each batch of our Intertidal Oyster Stout we hope to feature shellfish from different growers around Cape Cod and tweak the recipe to compliment the character of the different oysters,” added co-owner Mike Segerson, a Harwich resident.
Chatham Shellfish Company raises oysters in Oyster Pond, and is the town's only commercial oyster farm. Stephen Wright, the company's general manager, said the idea of using oysters to brew beer intrigued him when he was approached by Devil's Purse.
“This is certainly a fun and unique way to promote Chatham shellfish,” he said.
Playing around with ingredients is “part of the fun of brewing,” said Belson. The brewery, opened about a year and a half ago, features three year-round beers and a number of rotating and seasonally available brews.
The oyster stout will be available at local pubs and at a special holiday beer and oyster tasting event at Chatham Bars Inn on Dec. 29, which will feature Intertidal Oyster Stout and a raw bar staffed by Chatham Shellfish Company shuckers. A $10 charge covers the initial beer and oyster tasting. The inn's Sacred Cod Tavern will feature dinner specials created to pair with Devil's Purse beers.
Belson said Intertidal Stout will also be available at the Devil's Purse brewery at 120 Great Western Rd. in South Dennis for tasting and in growler and 32-ounce cans. The brewery is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m. and Friday, Dec. 23 and 30, from noon to 8:30 p.m. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For directions and more information visit devilspurse.com.


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Yahoo isn’t short of suitors - Verizon, Google and Microsoft have all been rumored to be considering purchasing the company's core web business, but as yet none of these have amounted to anything but speculation and hearsay.
As of this morning, another potential suitor has emerged, in the form of Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT), the company known to most as British tabloid Daily Mail.
Daily Mail and the private equity firms it has approached regarding a deal, have until an April 18 deadline to submit a bid. Yahoo is currently valued at $38bn (£27bn), with a 2015 headcount of around 12,500 employees.
Yahoo is as old as the modern internet. Founded in 1994 by Jerry Yang and David Filo, it officially became Yahoo in 1995. Offering search and messaging functionality, it has since been eclipsed by Google, Facebook and Microsoft for any and all of its existing services. And with 15% of its workforce to go before the end of 2016, Yahoo is facing an uphill battle to remain fresh and relevant in the face of such agressive competition.
DMGT is doing well though, posting a pre-tax profit of £216 million in 2015, set to rise to £269 million by October 2016, all with a little help from Mail Online and Wowcher’s advertising revenue. But the purchase of a once loved technology giant might not be the most prudent move – just ask Rupert Murdoch following his purchase of MySpace.


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MDSupplies Announces the Naming of Its DirectConnect Technology -A Major Disruptor in Medical Supplies
MDSupplies continues to shake up the medical industry by providing unprecedented direct access to the industry’s top name brand medical supplies using proprietary DirectConnect technology.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - March 12, 2015 - PRLog -- MDSupplies continues to shake up the medical supply industry by providing unprecedented direct access to over 50 medical supply vendors using proprietary DirectConnect technology. The DirectConnect technology is an online ordering portal serving as a single source for buying supplies from multiple vendors. The technology also allows clients to track shipments and analyze historical purchasing data, whether at one single site or across hundreds of locations.
Brad Reeser, VP/General Manager states, “We enjoy seeing our clients save 50% on medical supplies compared to what they were previously paying with one of the traditional distributors. While we provide direct access to the same products from the same vendors, our competitors must establish pricing that pays for their significant overhead; including fleets of delivery vans, huge warehouses, and territory managers supervising commissioned salespeople. With our competitors, all those expenses have to be paid for by someone - and it’s the end user.”
Reeser continues, “The beauty of our system is its simplicity - there are no software downloads, no account applications, no minimum orders, and no contracts to sign. Everything is public and can be found on our website. But perhaps the best part is that our clients can purchase from over 50 different vendors, in one single transaction, allowing them maximum flexibility and efficiency.”
MDSupplies continues to grow by adding products, manufacturers and vendors to their system. With a direct affiliation to industry-leading companies, MDSupplies brings you more than 30 years of combined medical industry experience.
MDSupplies DirectConnect Availability
There are no software downloads, no approvals, no account applications, no minimum commitments, and no contracts to sign. The MDSupplies DirectConnect technology is “live” and available to use for free on their website; http://MDSupplies.com
About MDSupplies and Service
MDSupplies and Service is a software company specializing in linking customers directly to major manufacturers and vendors. It is their goal to offer the best industry prices possible on supplies and equipment by eliminating traditional dealer, distributor, and sales people expenses. With a direct affiliation to industry-leading companies, MDSupplies brings you more than 30 years of combined medical industry experience.
MDSupplies and Service


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Maruti Arena dealers offering benefits of up to Rs 1.05 lakh on select models stocked at dealerships.
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Maruti Arena dealers are offering significant discounts and benefits across its entire range.
Substantial benefits are available on the complete range of cars and utility vehicles under the Maruti Arena umbrella.
The Arena network covers over 278 cities and towns in India.
Maruti Suzuki dealerships across India are offering discounts on select models.
Move aimed at making the Alto K10 compliant with the new safety norms that come into effect from April 2019; upgrades...
Get all the latest updates from the automobile universe


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Los Angeles: Cinedigm, leading independent streaming entertainment company super-serving enthusiast fan bases, has finalised the acquisition of India-based FoundationTV. Founded in 2013 by a team of computer and data scientists from Apple, Oracle, NEC, and Yahoo, FoundationTV is a comprehensive video streaming technology, artificial intelligence, machine-learning, and data analytics platform provider.
The company co-developed the Matchpoint technology platform that currently powers Cinedigm’s portfolio of streaming channels and digital video distribution business.
With this acquisition, Cinedigm has integrated FoundationTV’s underlying technology portfolio with the Matchpoint digital distribution platform along with their respective software engineering team into a new Indian-based division, Cinedigm India. The new division will serve as the company’s engineering, research and development hub focused on next-generation video streaming technology and emerging technologies such as cryptocurrencies and NFT. As part of the acquisition, FoundationTV’s engineering team will join Cinedigm and will be responsible for further developing and extending the combined platform’s state-of-the-art capabilities and next-generation roadmap.
In addition to enhancing and supplementing Cinedigm’s technical prowess in OTT and digital distribution, the Cinedigm India team will begin architecting and developing the underlying technology for a global “umbrella” service that will allow Cinedigm to showcase its portfolio of more than 20 streaming channels and more than 15,000 hours of AVOD, SVOD & TVOD video content. The company plans to enable subscriptions individually, as well as offer bundled pricing for various Cinedigm services. It will offer subscriptions for purchase directly from Cinedigm, via all major App Stores across the streaming ecosystem worldwide, and through major video distribution partners around the globe.
The fully integrated platform will also be used to power and expand the company’s existing portfolio of streaming services while consolidating Cinedigm’s recent acquisitions like The Film Detective, Fandor and Screambox into one unified platform. Matching the engineering capabilities of Netflix, Hulu and others, FoundationTV’s flagship streaming platform is built to withstand a massive scale of up to 100 billion streaming events per day.
“This deal marks the beginning of Cinedigm’s global expansion with the entrance into the world’s fastest growing streaming market,” said Cinedigm Networks Chief Strategy Officer and President Erick Opeka. “Not only will we have a world-class engineering hub, we will also have an incredibly experienced team of professionals with deep, intrinsic market knowledge that will accelerate the growth of our streaming initiatives.”
“Through this partnership, we are thrilled to integrate our intelligence driven cloud-native streaming technology platform into Cinedigm’s growing streaming business,” said FoundationTV founder Samrat Ganguly. “There’s a strong need for content in the booming Southeast Asian market and the technology will allow Cinedigm to expand their global streaming footprint to a new enthusiastic audience.”
Cinedigm India will also be tasked with leveraging Cinedigm’s current roster of streaming channels and content to build new experiences for the entire South Asian market, the second largest in the world with an estimated 800 million streaming users monthly. As part of the acquisition, two founders of FoundationTV, Sudipta Ghorui and Sudeept Bhatnagar, will assume leadership roles and jointly oversee the Cinedigm India operations.
The FoundationTV transaction is expected to be accretive to Cinedigm’s earnings within the first twelve months due to associated cost savings associated with Indian operations, additional cost improvements related to the combination of Matchpoint and FoundationTV, revenues associated with 3rd party commercial licensing of the technology and distribution revenues from the exploitation of Cinedigm’s streaming channels and content in the southeast Asian market.
An innovator in the digital transformation of the entertainment industry for more than two decades, Cinedigm’s core mission is to entertain the world by building the world’s best portfolio of enthusiast channels and services for the streaming generation. Through a diverse mix of premium SVOD services and dedicated AVOD and FAST channels, Cinedigm’s streaming portfolio reaches indie film (Fandor), horror (Screambox & Bloody Disgusting) and family entertainment (Dove Channel), as well as dedicated channels for iconic entertainers, led by Bob Ross (The Bob Ross Channel). Cinedigm’s ultimate goal is to build destinations that immerse viewers in content they love while staying at the forefront of technology as the streaming industry continues to evolve.


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Internet users are curious to know how much the ‘Make Kanye West A Billionaire Again’ GoFundMe campaign made and fans are on a mission to make their favorite celebrity a billionaire again. The rapper earlier revealed through an Instagram post that he had lost $2 billion in a single day. Forbes has also confirmed that the rapper is no longer on the list of billionaires. However, fans of Ye are on a different mission. Here is why Kanye West lost $2 billion in a single day and how much his fans have gathered for him as of now.
Fans of Ye are going crazy and they are using all their means to make their favorite rapper a billionaire again. Earlier the rapper lost $2 billion after several brands cut their ties with him. The popular rapper and Yeezy founder made headlines earlier this month after making antisemitic comments.
His stance is condemned by several well-known celebrities. Not only celebrities but several brands also have come forward to talk about it and many of them also have cut their ties with him.
After this entire scenario, Ye took to Instagram to share with his friends that he has lost $2 billion in a single day. Sharing a post with the caption, “Love Speech” the rapper further wrote, “Ari Emanuel, I lost 2 billion dollars in one day and I’m still alive. This is love speech. I still love you. God still loves you. Money is not who I am. The people is who I am.”
How Much Did The ‘Make Kanye West A Billionaire Again’ GoFundMe Made?
After Ye’s fans have come to know about the situation, they have united to make him a billionaire again. A GoFundMe campaign titled, ‘Make Kanye West A Billionaire Again’ is also being launched and that aims at accumulating $1 billion.
Several sites have shared screenshots of the campaign and the money raised from it. As per, Pop Tingz, Say Cheese, and Daily Loud the campaign aims at collecting $1 Billion to make Ye a billionaire again.
After Ye made antisemitic comments, several brands have come forward to talk about it. Earlier this week, Adidas revealed that they have ended all their collaborations with Kanye West and they also have seized production of all Yeezy-branded products.
After this announcement made by Adidas, Forbes revealed that Kanye is no longer a billionaire. Several other companies including Gap and Balenciaga have also ended their partnerships and collaborations with the American Rapper.
Current Net Worth Of Kanye West
Though the GoFundMe campaign is currently unavailable, several users have opposed the idea of making Ye a billionaire again. Netizens have an opinion that they should instead of sending money to Ye, share it with people who are in need. Some have suggested donating the money for building schools while others have suggested to give it to hospitals or people who actually deserve it.
People have made several Tweets on Twitter opposing the GoFundMe campaign, ‘Make Kanye West A Billionaire Again’. Here is what the social media users have to say about this GoFundMe campaign:
One user asked, “People would rather donate to a multi-hundred millionaire and not charities?”
Another wrote, “I wish people did the same for others that are actually in need”.
One user who doesn’t know what has happened inquired, “I’m still confused what happened with him?”
Another user added, “There’re so many other people who can benefit from that money. You could build a whole school with that or help hundreds of children & families why even bother making him a billionaire again??”
As of now, Kanye West’s net worth has dropped to $400 million. The current net worth of Kanye is reported by Forbes. The Forbes website wrote, “The superstar rapper no longer has a place on the Forbes Billionaires’ list now that his lucrative deal with Adidas is over”.
Earlier in 2020, the rapper had a net worth of $3.3 billion which he confessed in a message to Forbes that read, “It’s not a billion. It’s $3.3 billion since no one at Forbes knows how to count.”
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The Last Words
This was all about how much the GoFundMe campaign ‘Make Kanye West A Billionaire Again’ has made and all the important information related to it. What’s your opinion about this campaign? Let us know in the comment box below.


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Jacksonville, FL. – November 24, 2015– Fortegra, a Tiptree Financial Inc. company (NASDAQ:TIPT), today announced a new partnership with Staymobile, a mobile device service company providing electronic repair, accessories, and protection to businesses and consumers. Delivering on its promise to help customers and partners Experience More, Fortegra and new partner Staymobile have joined forces to better serve the needs of K-12 school districts using mobile devices in classrooms.
“Today’s classrooms are drastically different from the classrooms of just 10 years ago, with mobile devices serving as key components for how students learn and how educators teach,” said Joe McCaw, Vice President of Sales for Fortegra. “Because of this shift, it’s crucial for educators to be prepared for those ‘uh oh’ moments with safe and secure services that protect mobile device investments. We’re proud to partner with Staymobile and look forward to serving their customers with one-of-a-kind protection plans designed to make M-learning environments even more successful.”
In addition to the range of affordable mobile services already available, Staymobile customers will now have access to the 360 Device Protection Plan, with insurance underwriting fully supported by Fortegra. Customers such as South Carolina’s Lexington and Berkeley County School Districts and Florida’s Millennium Academy are already utilizing the Staymobile and Fortegra protection pairing.
“Staymobile and Fortegra are built on the shared principle that above-and-beyond products and customer service is of the greatest importance for supporting our partners and customers,” said Chuck Morrison, President and COO of Staymobile. “Now, with Fortegra’s backing, we have improved our already standout services for educators and look forward to working together in order to provide services that will help educators incorporate mobile devices in the classroom both efficiently and safely.”
For more information on Fortegra and the company’s entire product lineup, visit fortegra.com.
Fortegra Financial Corporation, a subsidiary of Tiptree Financial Inc. (NASDAQ: TIPT), is a single source insurance services company that, through its subsidiaries and network of preferred partners, offers a range of specialty program underwriting, credit protection, and warranty solutions. Delivering multi-faceted coverage with an unmatched service experience for both resellers and their customers, Fortegra solves immediate, everyday needs, empowering consumers to worry less and Experience More.
Staymobile® is a mobile device service company providing electronic repair, accessories and protection for businesses and consumers with the goal of ensuring its customers’ personal and corporate mobility. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company currently operates 20 locations, both corporate and franchise, across the Southeast, with plans to expand nationally to as many as 300 stores over the next three years. For more information on Staymobile services or franchising, please visit www.staymobile.com.
- Fortegra Financial Corporation Announces $125 Million Capital Raise - October 18, 2017
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This Pinoy company is making an impact through financial technology
GoodTech Information Systems Inc., the parent company overseeing GoodBank, was notably the only Filipino company featured in the startups segment of the Asian Financial Forum held from Jan. 24 to 25, 2024
HONG KONG, China — “This business model is actually based on serendipity.”
This was how GoodBank co-founder Jove Tapiador described how their mission as a financial technology company started.
GoodTech Information Systems Inc., the parent company overseeing GoodBank, was notably the only Filipino company featured in the startups segment of the Asian Financial Forum held in Hong Kong last January 24 to 25. The company, founded in 2020, was inspired to mobilize digitalization and address key pain points for rural banks in the Philippines.
“We started by looking at transforming and [digitizing] rural banks. Along the way we discovered a number of pain points, one of which is how to improve their credit process,” Tapiador said.
To solve these challenges, GoodBank developed a digital platform aimed at streamlining operations for partner banks in a secure and compliant manner.
A pandemic project
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Tapiador said that this gave them the opportunity to catch up with other rural banks who were already in the market.
There were also logistical challenges that the company had to work through in the course of launching their product.
“Number one was the pandemic, obviously, you cannot go out and do your deals face to face. So we had to do it digitally online,” Tapiador said.
After becoming fully operational in 2021, GoodBank was able to secure a status of being a Minimum Viable Product that allowed their product to be offered to rural banks in 2023.
Initially, the company had to identify the kind of landscape that they were dealing with and subsequently match this need with the available technology.
“We need to have faster, better processes that [are] compliant and secure. We offer that and that’s the basic building block of our solution.” the bank’s cofounder said.
Because of this effort to digitize operations, they are now able to help their partner banks to reach out to more consumers without them having to physically go to the branch.
GoodBank co-founder Jove Tapiador
Tapiador also emphasized trust as a crucial factor when engaging with financial services and institutions as these companies operate within highly regulated environments, prompting careful consideration before venturing into the realm of FinTech.
“You have trust, and also the confidence that your products need to provide an answer for the pain points,” he added.
With the rapid development of technology, specifically in the area of financial services, there is a bigger opportunity to expand reach a wider market.
As a business that relies heavily on internet connectivity, Tapiador acknowledged that branching out to far-flung locations in the Philippines may be difficult for now. However, he is not closing future opportunities just yet.
“We will work first where there is connectivity. And that allows for faster adoption. However, having said that, we are developing mobile applications, downloadable applications, even while offline.” he said.
When the time comes for it, Tapiador said that there will be expansions in terms of what the company offers.
“As long as there’s a need to connect financial institutions, whether banks or non banks with target markets, we will be there.”


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Archos has just released a 2.4.19 firmware update for Generation 8 devices (Archos 28/32/43/70/101 Internet Tablets).
Major improvements are:
– PowerVR SGX530 GPU clocked at 220MHz instead of 166MHz before
– Skype video chat now works
– Google Music now works
According to the revision history this updates carries the following changes:
Version 2.4.19 – August 18th, 2011
Please note that Android Market installed thru ArcTools is still working on this firmware. Tested on an Archos 70 after a Reset Android procedure and ArcTools 0.50 installation (downloaded from Appslib).
As previous firmware version, Archangel rooting method does not work anymore: the application gets stuck on “Please wait”.


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On September 10, 2015
In Basics, News, SUP, SUP Training, SUP Yoga, Yoga&Fitness
While the Boga SUP Yoga Board was somewhat of an exotic toy a few years ago, most of the big brands now have SUP Yoga Boards in their lineup.
In Fitness SUP Board, SUP Boards
Yoga on a SUP is a trend that cannot be ignored anymore. Fanatic has just launched a great new board for that. We tried it out and truly love it.
SUP Dream Destination: Virgin Islands
September 25, 2016
Team Badfish SUP- 2016 Season Highlights
Bart did it again – Muskoka River X 2016
Copenhagen SUP City Trip
September 24, 2016
Bart de Zwart wins Muskoka River X 2015 – Interview
September 24, 2015


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This week, Mumbai's popular nightclub Athena closed down for renovation. It will re-open three months later in a brand new avataar: a night club dedicated to vodka.
While Ssteel in Delhi and Czar in Mumbai's InterContinenal already have vodka counters, the Aura bar at the capital's Claridges Hotel has literally made vodka its USP.
The recently renovated bar boasts of having the largest selection -- at least 36 vodka brands from all over the world -- at its counter.
"While we do have guests who want their regular whiskies, vodka is in demand among the younger crowd," says Manoj Kanojia, captain of Aura.
Kanojia's consumers perhaps still don't ask for the specialty Polish potato-based Luksusowa vodka or Zubrowka, another Polish vodka infused with bison grass, but taking vodka shots or asking for a vodka platter that serves four different kinds of the white spirit for Rs 699 is becoming trendy.
The market is high on new products. Two new super premium vodkas -- Belvedere and Grey Goose -- were brought in last year. Four months ago, Seagram India introduced its first vodka brand Fling in the country.
Kyndall India, which imported its premium brand Absolut in November 2003, plans to add more flavours next month. That is not all. Come May, the Rs 727-crore Radico Khaitan Ltd will launch its first mid-premium brand called Magic Moments Vodka.
Liquor industry experts claim that young drinkers between the age group of 25 and 30 are driving vodka sales and the category is growing at the rate of 20-25 per cent a year.
Kashmira Chadha, assistant vice- president, Seagram India, says about 80 per cent of the vodka consumers are young men.
"Since it's a good mixer, it also is preferred by women. But the young people are getting into vodka as it's a trendy drink to start with," she says. Fling is currently being bottled at Seagram's Nashik factory.
Santosh Kanekar, director, marketing at UDV, which bottles the popular premium vodka brand Smirnoff at its Aurangabad factory, pegs vodka consumption to be even higher at between 35 and 40 per cent this year over the previous year.
"Our growth rate is faster than the industry average. The underlying social change is driving the growth. Drinking is shifting out of the domain of homes into public spaces such as bars and restaurants," he says.
Agrees Abhishek Khaitan, MD, Radico Khaitan Ltd, "Either new consumers are getting into white drinks or dark spirit drinkers are turning to white drinks. Trends indicate that day-drinking has also gone up."
Compared to spirits such as rum and whisky, the total vodka market is still minuscule, at a conservative estimate, not more than 500,000-800,000 cases (one case has 12 bottles).
The white spirits segment, including vodka, white rum and gin comprises 5 per cent of the total 9.4 million IMFL cases sold in the country.
But as consumer interest in vodka grows, thanks to vodka-based cocktails being promoted in restaurants, not less than 40 imported brands or BIOs (Bottled in Origins) are available in India today as opposed to three brands five years ago.
According to Moet Hennessey's market estimate, about 15,000-20,000 vodka cases were imported last year.
Says Ashwin Deo, managing director of Moet Hennessey India, which launched the Grey Goose (Price: Rs 2,800-Rs 3,500) brand in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore recently: "The response has been heartening in the metros as people who are well-travelled are already familiar with the brand".
According to him, luxury vodka is the fastest growing segment in the world.
Kanekar says Indian consumers also want a share of the "international experience." Vodka bar chains are becoming popular in the US and Europe, and this is one reason, says liquor promoter Aman Dhall who imports Grey Goose and Finlandia, which is also making the market specialised and fragmented at the same time.
"The vodka market is getting more fragmented as it has added more flavours and ready-to-drink products to capture a wider market," he says.Companies, meanwhile, are working hard to boost sales. While Smirnoff has been promoting vodka through the Smirnoff Taste Maker's workshops in different cities, Seagram has been organising Fling Wicked Nights with channel MTV.


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TriQuint to merge with North Carolina firm, create new $2B company
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The combination of Hillsboro-based TriQuint (NASDAQ: TQNT) and RF Micro of Greensboro, N.C.,(NASDAQ: RFMD) is expected to generate at least $150 million in savings from overlapping functions of the two companies.
The new entity — to be owned 50-50 by shareholders of both companies — will have around $2 billion in revenue. TriQuint shareholders will receive an implied price of $9.73 for each company share, or a 5.4 percent premium over the closing stock price on Feb. 21, the company said in a statement.
The new company will be led by RF Micro Devices CEO Bob Bruggeworth, with TriQuint CEO Ralph Quinsey becoming a non-executive chairman. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year and no actions regarding facilities will be taken before the transaction closes, said TriQuint spokeswoman Brandi Frye.
“We are certainly right-sizing our business for TriQuint, we have been doing that for a little while,” she said, “but no actions related to the merger before the close.”
TriQuint makes radio frequency chips used in mobile phones, network infrastructure and aerospace markets, among others. Its biggest client is Apple Inc. contractor Foxconn, and its chips have been found in most of Apple's major mobile devices. The deal will diversify TriQuint’s customers by adding RFMD’s major client, Samsung, to TriQuint’s already substantial work with Foxconn, Frye said.
“I believe this is an industry shaping event,” said Quinsey in a written statement. “Through this combination of RFMD and TriQuint we form a diversified market leader with a highly compatible combination of products and technologies and a world class team focused on innovation and superior financial results.”
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When you work with CorTrust, you'll get more with your mortgage. Like more personalized service, more ways to apply, and more help packing with 10 moving boxes!*
What's In The News
When it comes to buying a home there are a lot of misconceptions about the process. We've set out to squash several common myths and shed light on the realities of home buying and mortgages.
Elder financial fraud is on the rise. Use our tips to protect yourself from the latest scams.
CorTrust Bank has been named a 2022 Best Bank in South Dakota by Forbes Magazine.


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On Wednesday, March 13th, 2019, a pharmaceutical brand and CUMULUS MEDIA partnered on a nationwide “takeover” of a four hour time period on 173 stations across 77 markets. The only advertising sponsor for this takeover, which aired 10AM to 2PM, was the pharmaceutical brand, running their ad 2 times per hour.
This ad had also been running on network radio since January 2017. The ad explains a specific disease state and drives listeners to an educational website.
To quantify the effect of the March 13th campaign, CUMULUS MEDIA retained MARU/Matchbox to survey consumers on awareness and recall for the AM/FM radio advertising. 698 consumers were surveyed from March 18th through March 25th, 2019 in markets where the campaign aired.
Here’s what we found:
Older demographics and women were most likely to recall the website mentioned in the ad. 32% of Boomers 55+ could recall the URL promoted in the pharmaceutical ad, higher than the 28% average. 30% of women could recall the website.
The website address was only mentioned in the creative once. The best practice for brands? Mention website addresses or important information early and often for better response.
17% of heavy AM/FM radio listeners recalled the pharmaceutical brand’s campaign, 2X greater than the average. Heavy AM/FM radio listeners were twice as likely to recall the campaign compared to the 8% average. Heavy AM/FM radio listeners were also more likely to recall the ad than heavy TV viewers (9%).
When played the commercial, nearly one-third of heavy AM/FM radio listeners could recall the ad, +72% greater than the average. After being played the commercial, a higher percentage of heavy AM/FM radio listeners could recall that they had heard the ad compared to the average (18%) and heavy TV viewers (18%).
Heavy AM/FM radio listeners were more likely to take action after hearing the ad. Compared to the average and heavy TV viewers, heavy AM/FM radio listeners who were exposed to the ad were more likely to take action. 23% of heavy AM/FM radio listeners were somewhat likely or very likely to visit the pharmaceutical brand’s website. 27% would recommend the product and 23% would talk to someone about it.
Radio makes your pharmaceutical TV campaign better: Moving 20% of a massive TV budget to AM/FM radio causes a +22% lift in campaign reach. In another pharmaceutical brand case study, a brand spent $24 million dollars in August 2018 on network television. Pharmaceutical brands are heavy users of TV as television does a fantastic job of delivering lots of older Americans.
The TV investment yielded a strong 77% reach of the adult 35+ demographic. With such a big TV budget and such impressive reach is it even possible that the addition of AM/FM radio could generate any incremental reach? The answer is yes.
Using Nielsen’s recently enhanced Nielsen Media Impact, the industry-leading cross-platform media planning solution, the reach lift of adding AM/FM radio to the TV plan could be quantified.
A reallocation of 20% of the TV budget into AM/FM radio causes reach to jump from 77% of adults 35+ to 94%! That’s a +22% increase in reach for the same budget!
American AM/FM radio is being rediscovered by big brands. After decades of inactivity, Procter & Gamble is now the fastest growing advertiser on U.S. AM/FM radio as a result of digital fraud and eroding TV audiences.
Pharmaceutical brands can generate significant reach, brand equity growth, and sales lift by adding AM/FM radio to the media plan.
- Older demographics and women were most likely to recall the website mentioned in the ad
- 17% of heavy AM/FM radio listeners recalled the pharmaceutical brand’s campaign, 2X greater than the average
- When played the commercial, nearly one-third of heavy AM/FM radio listeners could recall the ad
- Heavy AM/FM radio listeners were more likely to take action after hearing the ad
- Radio makes your pharmaceutical TV campaign better: Moving 20% of a massive TV budget to AM/FM radio causes a +22% lift in campaign reach
Lauren Vetrano is Director of Content Marketing at CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One.
Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodone.com.


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Evans Cycles has seen its Shimano supply halted for a chunk of the first quarter due to “supply and invoicing issues” with UK supplier Madison.
In emails seen by CyclingIndustry.News, head office issued a recall on Shimano goods with a mid-April deadline in a bid to balance supply to “where it is most needed” in the network, while head office settled the invoicing problems. The recall also covered Brompton spares and accessories, but no reason was attributed for this action.
According to a statement from Evans, replacement Shimano stock arrived with the business yesterday after a period of staggered supply.
“We are aware of a temporary supply issue, which has now been resolved,” said a spokesperson today. “We have normal stock levels in-store and online and it’s very much business as usual for us.”
Alternative suppliers were sought to fill the gap during the period of downtime, according to the messages seen by CI.N today, with alternative goods from SRAM and Clarks filling the servicing gap. Shipments of Garmin and Kryptonite stock were also put on hold, according to the messages.
“This mean we are unable to service bike to the standard customer expected (such as using cheap cable outers instead of Shimano’s),” said our source.
If you read more of the story than what I copied it seems Evans may be/was having financial problems.


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A U.K. newspaper over the weekend announced new restrictions on books it will review, saying it will no longer take a look at any books that are specifically geared for girls or boys only.
The move by the Independent's literary editor Katy Guest came after publishers Parragon — which distributes some Disney books — and Usborne announced they will no longer publish books specifically titled “for boys” or “for girls," in response to the online campaign "Let Books Be Books."
A petition in the U.K. is asking publishers to stop putting out books labeled as "for girls" or "for boys." (Image source: Let Books Be Books)
"There are those who will say that insisting on gender-neutral books and toys for children is a bizarre experiment in social engineering by radical lefties and paranoid 'femininazis' who won’t allow boys to be boys, and girls to be girls. (Because, by the way, seeking equality of rights and opportunities was a key plank of Nazi ideology, was it?) But the 'experiment' is nothing new," Guest wrote.
Guest argued that toy companies and book companies are not giving people more choice by segregating content according to gender but are "convincing children that boys and girls can’t play with each other’s stuff [and are] forcing parents to buy twice as much stuff."
To Guest, books that are very specifically geared to boys or girls are "letting them down" by pigeon-holing them. As the Let Books Be Books petition put it:
Children are listening, and take seriously the messages they receive from books, from toys, from marketing and the adults around them. Do we really want them to believe that certain things are off-limits for them because of their gender? They’re not ‘getting it wrong’ if a girl likes robots, or if a boy wants to doodle flowers. These artificial boundaries turn children away from their true preferences, and provide a fertile ground for bullying.
Just like labeling toys for girls or boys, we think these book titles are limiting and restrictive. It’s time that publishers Let Books Be Books and leave children free to choose their interests for themselves.
Megan Perryman with the campaign explained to the U.K.'s the Guardian that the petition isn't about banning books but "letting books speak for themselves without labels indicating who can read them."
For these reasons, Guest announced that neither she nor the any section of the Independent will review "any book which is explicitly aimed at just girls, or just boys.
"Any Girls’ Book of Boring Princesses that crosses my desk will go straight into the recycling pile along with every Great Big Book of Snot for Boys. If you are a publisher with enough faith in your new book that you think it will appeal to all children, we’ll be very happy to hear from you," she wrote.
As for books that are beloved among readers without a gender-specific sway one way or another, Guest pointed to works like "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins and the "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling.
Let us know what you think of books being geared toward a specific gender by taking our poll:


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Another day, another Snapchat update. Snapchat has announced that Snapchat For Web will be available to users around the world. The feature was announced in July and was only open to paid subscribers. Here I will give you the updated information about: Snapchat for web and its use.
So let’s take a closer look at Snapchat’s fall updates and the latest news from Snapchat for the web available to users around the world!
Snapchat for web available to users around the world
Snapchat for the web is the desktop version of Snapchat and was announced in July for Snapchat+ subscribers. Previously, the feature was available to Snapchat+ users in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The Snapchat company has now announced that the new desktop version will now be available to all Snapchat users. Snapchat for the web allows users to chat and video call with friends and sync their conversations between the devices.
Also read How to Get Snapchat on Mac in 2022 | With and without BlueStacks
So far, Snapchat for Web provides basic features of the Snapchat app, but the company has announced that the other features, including viewing Stories and Memories, will be available in Snapchat for Web in the near future.
The decision to make Snapchat for the web available to all users comes in conflict with other social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
The company has also announced new features, including new chat shortcuts, missed calls, and replies to stories. Apart from that, Snapchat is also launching Question Stickers that allow users to ask AMA-style questions.
Also read How to save snaps in chat | Apply 4 steps and save now
How to use Snapchat for the web?
Any Snapchat user can now use Snapchat for Web. Follow the steps below to experience Snapchat for Web on your desktop.
1. Log in to your Snapchat account by clicking this website in your Chrome browser.
2. The page needs your details and states: your username and password.
3. You can access your Snapchat Account on the Web.
4. Now you can pick up any conversation you have left and video call your friends anytime.
Also read How to Get Super BFF on Snapchat | 3 steps to get your BFFs
What is Snapchat for web function
Snapchat has announced the launch of many new features on the platform. The news of new features comes as a piece of information in the company’s fall update. Know about, Snapchat for web available to users worldwide, read the whole article and share it with your friends!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Snapchat for Web Feature?
The Snapchat for Web feature allows users to send snaps and chat with their friends via a desktop
Is Snapchat For Web only available to Snapchat+ users?
Previously, Snapchat For Web was only available to Snapchat+ users, but now the feature is available to users around the world.
What are the other features being launched by Snapchat?
The company has also announced new features, including new chat shortcuts, missed calls, and replies to stories.


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‘Maui Friday Town Parties’coming to Lahaina and Makawao
LAHAINA – Seeing the growth and success of Friday night events in Wailuku and Paia, the county Office of Economic Development (OED) is partnering with two more communities to stage “Maui Friday Town Parties.”
Beginning this month, the Maui town party slate will be Wailuku-First Friday, Lahaina-Second Friday, Makawao-Third Friday and Paia-Fourth Friday.
Coordinator Jill Holley said the soft opening for Lahaina’s town party this week will feature free admission to Lahaina Restoration Foundation (LRF) museums, art gallery receptions and special music at restaurants.
The first official Lahaina party on Dec. 9 will have a holiday theme and include special events and promotions at art galleries, restaurants, retail stores and museums, Holley said.
“First Friday” in Wailuku will be the only festival with a regular closure of Market Street, but Holley said that in 2012, Lahaina’s party may include a Front Street closure once per quarter.
LRF will help coordinate the events, which could include activities in Campbell Park, Banyan Tree Park or Lahaina Public Library’s lawn.
Makawao’s first party on Nov. 18 will feature entertainment and food throughout the town, said Coordinator Melissa Sands.
The county held a press conference last week Wednesday in the Mayor’s Conference Room at the County Building to discuss the “Maui Friday Town Parties” initiative.
OED Director Teena Rasmussen said that she met with Maui Chamber of Commerce President Pamela Tumpap last spring to brainstorm ways to help Maui’s small business community during this “very long, hard recession.”
Tumpap suggested rolling out the Wailuku “First Friday” concept to other towns. OED took the idea and ran with it, Rasmussen said.
“Maui Friday Town Parties” has been in the works for six months. OED staff met with merchants in the four towns, which are all completely unique with different character and ambiance, Rasmussen said.
The weekly events will entice residents and visitors to rediscover these historic towns, she added.
Merchants in Wailuku and Paia have embraced the concept and offer pupus, store specials, street vendors, art and music at the Friday night parties.Rasmussen went to Paia’s event on Oct. 28. It was the first time in her 35 years on Maui that she spent two hours walking around in town.
She did some shopping, ate dinner, spoke to shop owners and saw friends. That’s the fun experience she envisions for all of the town parties.
For the events to succeed, it’s important for merchants to participate and engage with customers.
Store owners in Wailuku and Paia said they have gained new clients, exposure and strong revenues during the festivals.
OED will provide umbrella marketing, and the public relations firm Gilbert & Associates will promote the events through a website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Maui Visitors Bureau will also promote the parties.
Wailuku “First Friday” promoter Yuki Lei Sugimura said the monthly fetes have generated growth and excitement for Wailuku Town in the last four years.
Saedene Ota of Sae Design and the Wailuku store Maui Thing said stores in town don’t see the same foot traffic as shopping malls.
“We rely heavily on First Friday,” she said.
E-mail lists grow, visitors discover stores they never heard of, non-profits raise funds at these monthly community parties, and “every ‘First Friday’ our sales increase,” Ota commented.
She sees the four-town promotion “exploding” in popularity.
Teri Edmonds, owner of If the Shoe Fits and a merchant in Wailuku for 12 years, said “First Friday” has helped revitalize the town.
It grew from a small street festival to a major event that draws thousands of people. The waiting list for vendors is now 100 deep.
Edmonds said “First Friday” boosts revenues for all participants. People that have lived on Maui for decades spend their first nights walking around in Wailuku Town, and some return to shop at stores.
Paia Inn owner Michael Baskin said he is really impressed with his town’s “Fourth Friday” gatherings. It’s an excellent campaign for the town, he said, and visitors like Paia because it is unique.
“It’s very exciting to see what’s happening in the town of Paia,” he commented.
Mayor Alan Arakawa said Wailuku merchants bought into the concept, and now “First Friday” is a huge gathering that people look forward to attending.
He hopes that Lahaina and Makawao generate the same kind of enthusiasm.
Residents and visitors seek new experiences, Arakawa said. The festivals can be successful if everyone makes the best of the opportunity, works together, and merchants buy in.
Gilbert & Associates also unveiled the “Maui Friday Town Parties” logo based on street art. With names and different colors for each area, the artwork features a town scene, musician and night stars.
The colors are green for Wailuku, representing the lushness of the area and Iao Valley; gold for Lahaina, for its spectacular sunsets and historic Hawaiian past; red for Makawao, representing the area’s rodeo and paniolo heritage; and blue for Paia, for its ocean and surf town feel.
Rasmussen said “Maui Friday Town Parties” could be expanded to Kihei during months with five Fridays.
South Maui needs a merchants’ association to coordinate the parties, she said.
Kihei also lacks a street area that’s the focal point of the town, Rasmussen added. She feels the parties should not be held at shopping centers.


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Why mobile money uptake is sluggish: Airtel CEO
By Kokumo Goodie, Lagos, Nigeria
Chief Executive Officer Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, has called for a review of the current mobile money model, saying a telco-led model will help expand retail banking, thereby driving financial inclusion in the unbanked segment.
Currently, telecoms companies are not permitted to provide their own mobile money services as the model approved by the financial regulator, Central Bank of Nigeria, empowers banks to provide mobile money services while telecoms companies play only a supporting role.
Speaking at the annual lecture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, Mr. Ogunsanya said for the mobile money market to reach its full potential, it is important that restrictions on telco activity in m-money are lifted.
According to him, agency/agent banking as well as mobile money can help deepen penetration in retail banking in the country, suggesting that the mobile money sector is rather slow at this time because they are led by banks.
“The overwhelming majority of the adult population is unbanked; however, mobile penetration is approximately 78%. The market opportunity for mobile money is therefore vast. The number of mobile money transactions has increased at a rapid rate over the past 3 years - further adoption will be driven by increased awareness.”
Mr. Ogunsanya also advised that for banks to expand its retail footprints, they must seek to develop simple products, push for transparency and ensure that their products and services are relevant to the target segment.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Michael Lafferty, Chairman, Lafferty Group, UK and guest lecturer at the occasion, said he is a strong advocate of retail banking becoming a profession and he passionately believes that retail bankers should be required to act in the best interests of their clients at all times.
“This means that retail bankers must be educated to a similar standard as accountants and lawyers, bound by a demanding ethical code and required to commit to continuing professional development,” he said.
The theme of this year’s lecture was ‘The Changing Global Retail Banking Landscape: How Competitive are Nigerian Banks?’ and the event was chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former secretary General of Commonwealth.
Hosted by the president/chairman of council, CIBN, Otunba (Mrs.) Debola Osibogun, FCIB, the lecture attracted various chieftains of the banking and finance industry, top public officials, foreign diplomats, academia as well as top executives of the organized private sector
The CIBN annual lecture focuses on topical issues within the Nigerian economy and aimed at highlighting key issues and ideas that will influence policy makers.


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12 Russian banks, including Sberbank and VTB, will begin testing the digital ruble in January 2022. Based on the testing results, a plan for its implementation in the country’s financial system will be created.
“The development of a prototype platform for the digital ruble is planned to be completed in December, and testing will begin in January 2022. It will take place in several stages throughout the year. Based on the results of this work, a roadmap for the introduction of the digital ruble will be formed, ”the Central Bank’s website says.
Pilot group for testing the digital ruble:
- Ak Bars Bank
- Alfa Bank
- Bank “Dom.RF”
- VTB Bank
- Tinkoff Bank
- Bank “Soyuz”
Recall that at the end of 2021, a prototype of the digital ruble will be created. According to the leadership of the Central Bank, in 10-30 years it will replace cash. Clients will get access to their wallet, where the money will be stored, through the bank’s mobile application.
On the concept of the development of the third form of money in Russia – in the material of “Kommersant” “The Central Bank will fill wallets with digital rubles.”


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Turo announced on Wednesday a $92 million funding round led by Daimler which included a deal to take over the automaker's German rental service, Croove. The series D funding round brought Turo's total funding to $193 million and brought on new investors such as South Korean conglomerate SK and Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures as well as existing investors Kleiner Perkins, GV and Shasta Ventures. Turo's Croove deal allows the tech start up to expand into Europe, where car and gas prices are considerably higher than in the United States. Company officials also said new investor SK will be exploring options for the company to expand into Asia. For those unfamiliar, Turo is the essentially car version of Airbnb. It is a peer-to-peer car rental service that match owners with renters in selected cities and price ranges, all within an app. Currently it is operating with 170,000 privately owned vehicles on its service. It currently operates in every state except New York due to group-coverage insurance laws.
Turo currently boasts around 4 million members. The company is going through a growth spurt where they were able to triple the number of vehicles and quadruple their members within two years. "We want more and more people to realize that they have at their disposal a platform that can change the economics of car ownership," CEO Andre Haddad said. "With 1.1 billion cars in the world, we're just scratching the surface." Turo's rise is exactly at the same time auto manufacturers are looking towards hedging their bets against ride-hailing and ride-sharing which is a major obstacle towards new car ownership. According to AAA, car ownership costs an average $9000 a year for an asset that is used for less than 10 percent of the time. Turo statistics show that an owner of a new Honda Civic can cover a $283 monthly finance payment with 11 days of renting, while a new Tesla Model S owner can cover their $1020 payments in 7 days. Turo users that list their vehicles need to present a car in good condition and can opt between having the car picked up or offering delivery. Renters must return the vehicle in such said found condition and full of gas. Certain fees may apply if the vehicle is deemed to need cleaning or is late.


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Ford will launch a new model this year. The developer will also introduce a new Sasquatch suite, which is optional for customers, following the release of six Bronco models.
Ford recently posted pictures online of what eagle-eyed customers saw as the company’s upcoming Mustang Raptor or Wartog.
The developer also recently applied for a trademark for Warthog, which will reportedly be used for passenger cars, pickups and SUVs. This has led many to suspect that the new trademark will be applied to the new Bronco.
There is speculation that the upcoming Bronco Warthog will have a larger model, possibly based on the same body as the F-150.
The developer says it will continue to refine the Bronco and take the range to new heights. Ford confirmed that the new Bronco will have a twin turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 that can deliver 310 horsepower.
For more advanced models, the developer will likely use one of the EcoBoost engines, the 400-hp 3.0-liter and the 450-hp 3.5-liter.
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According to a study released by J.D. Power, Lexus and Porsche are tied for top spot in a list of the most dependable automotive marques after three years of ownership, while Toyota takes the lead among non-premium brands.
Now in its 28th year, the study took a look at issues experienced by 35,186 original owners of 2014 model year vehicles, with overall dependability determined by the number of problems per 100 units (PP100).
Conducted between October and December 2016, the study concluded that the industry average is 156 PP100, while the top 10 sellers among 2014 model year vehicles is 134 PP100.
This is the sixth straight year that Lexus has ranked at the top of the list, tied with Porsche with a rating of 110 PP100. Rounding out the top five nameplates are Toyota (123 PP100), Buick (126 PP100) and Mercedes-Benz (131 PP100).
Taking into consideration all segments, Toyota models captured 10 of the 18 highest rankings for dependability, with the Lexus ES, Lexus GS, Lexus RX, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camry, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius v, Toyota Sienna and Toyota Venza taking top spots.
General Motors captured second place among manufacturers with four segment awards recognizing the Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Sonic, Chevrolet Silverado HD, and Chevrolet Tahoe.
The following is the list of the most dependable vehicles by segment, according to the J.D. Power study:
Small car: Chevrolet Sonic
Compact car: Toyota Prius
Midsize car: Toyota Camry
Midsize sporty car: Chevrolet Camaro
Compact premium car: Lexus ES
Midsize premium car: Lexus GS
Large car: Toyota Avalon
Compact SUV: Toyota FJ Cruiser
Small SUV: Volkswagen Tiguan
Midsize SUV: Toyota Venza
Large SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe
Compact premium SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLK class
Midsize premium SUV: Lexus RX
Large light-duty pickup: Ford F-150
Midsize pickup: Honda Ridgeline
Large heavy-duty pickup: Chevrolet Silverado HD
Minivan: Toyota Sienna
Compact multi-purpose vehicle: Toyota Prius v


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£1bn Regus float delayed
Mark Dixon, the entrepreneur behind the Regus office services business, has announced he was delaying the group's much-heralded flotation. The share issue was expected to value the group at £1 billion but has now been called off.
The group, which provides ready-to-use office space, will instead finance its immediate growth plans with £100 million bank loans.
Mr Dixon, founder and chief executive of Regus, said the company needed to prove its value in its overseas markets before it would be ready to face the City.
'I have decided that the company will be better placed to demonstrate its full potential to the market once the validity of its business model has been fully demonstrated in the new countries in which we have opened centres, particularly in the important US market,' he said.
'Consequently, I have decided to finance the next stage of the company's growth through a £100 million debt finance facility which is in place today.'
The flotation of 25% of Regus would have raised around £250 million and left Mr Dixon with a 60% stake in the group - valued at around £600 million. The flotation was to have included a share option plan for Regus' 1,200 staff.
Mr Dixon said an employee share scheme would still be put in place in anticipation of a flotation in the future.
The Regus group offers ready-to-use office centres across the UK including sites in London, the Thames Valley, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Its clients include BT, Prudential and Energis.
The group, which reported a turnover of £111.6 million last year, is now pursing overseas expansion plans.
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WASHINGTON — Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said Tuesday his agency is on a fact-finding mission as it prepares to launch a major textile import-monitoring system next week amid intensifying pressure to curb surging Chinese apparel and textile exports to the U.S.
Gutierrez laid out the President’s trade agenda in a speech Tuesday at the Washington International Trade Association, but barely touched on China, even as U.S. trade officials met with their Chinese counterparts to discuss a range of issues, including textiles and apparel.
The new secretary, in response to a reporter’s question after the speech, said the launch of the textile import-monitoring system is “all about getting the facts.”
“We will let the process be driven by facts at this point,” he said, sidestepping whether it signaled that the administration is preparing to self-initiate a review of safeguard quotas on China. “We have to put in place the monitoring system and we will see what the facts tell us.”
Gutierrez announced the new monitoring system last week and said it would initially provide textile and apparel import data from the first quarter and be updated biweekly. The new system will eliminate the one-month lag time in reporting import figures and provide the data faster to a coalition of domestic textile and fiber groups that has complained the delay has prevented it from filing market-disruption cases.
China agreed to a safeguard mechanism — or temporary quotas — when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. An importing nation can invoke the quotas on apparel and textile exports from China if it determines they are threatening to cause or are causing market disruption, which the U.S. did in 2004 on bras, robes, dressing gowns and knit fabrics.
The domestic coalition filed 12 safeguard petitions based on the threat of market disruption in October, targeting $1.9 billion in Chinese imports for further restraints, but those petitions have been caught up in a legal battle and suspended by a preliminary injunction for three months.
“It shouldn’t take significant review of the facts to discern that China is making massive inroads into the market,” said Auggie Tantillo, executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition. “It’s time for self-initiation.”
Issa Rae stopped by WWD's NYC headquarters to talk about season two of "Insecure," which premieres this Sunday on HBO. Click link in bio for all the details. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery; Styled by @mayteallende)
A Stella McCartney sketch of a custom dress made from protein-based silk in partnership with biotech lab Bolt Threads. The dress will be displayed at The Museum of Modern Art's upcoming design exhibition, "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"


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The Tata Nexon could be the first hybrid model by the Indian automaker to go on sale. With the government’s strong push towards electrification of automobiles, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Tata Motors is working on a hybrid version of its brisk selling crossover.
Team-bhp reports that, according to its sources, Tata Motors is working on a hybrid version of the Nexon crossover. Given then all automakers are working towards making their fleets compliant with the upcoming BS-VI emission, it’s imperative for Tata Motors to get its compact crossover electrified. The company already has pure EV technology at its disposal and it would be easy to come up with market-ready hybrid powertrain.
The Nexon’s 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine would be easy enough to obey the stringent BS-VI norms with some tweaks but the 1.5-litre diesel engine could use hybridization to reduce its emission levels. Needless to say, the Tata Nexon hybrid would be pitted directly against the upcoming Maruti Vitara Brezza hybrid which is also in the works.
It’s too early to speculate about the specifications of Nexon’s hybrid powertrain but we suspect the crossover to share core components with the Tiago and Tigor EVs. In addition to reduced emissions, the hybrid powertrain is also expected to have more net power than the existing oil burner.
The current Nexon diesel variant is powered by a 1.5-litre Revotorq diesel engine which delivers 110 PS and 260 Nm of torque when mated either to a 6-speed MT or AMT. The hybrid version is expected to employ a standard automatic transmission.
Team-bhp also reports that Tata Motors has ordered about 10,000 units of electric drive modules for the Nexon from its suppliers which are to be delivered by end of FY 2018. By the turn of this decade, we are set to witness hybridization of more and more mainstream models.


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Late-in-the-Year Demand Surged in 2020
A resurgence in absorption was one of the key themes in the last half of 2020, a trend that was perhaps surprising to some considering underlying economic weakness. After apartment leasing slowed drastically in the spring and early summer of 2020, demand shot up to decade peaks in both 3rd and 4th quarters, showing just how much new shopping occurred during the back half of the year. In 3rd quarter, some 156,000 units were absorbed while nearly 79,000 units of apartment demand registered in 4th quarter. Together, that resulted in about 234,000 new leases during the second half of 2020. That was 70% greater than the previous second half of the year peak, which was a comparatively meager 138,000 units absorbed in 2010.


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*NSYNC has released a lifestyle merch collection that’s every millennial’s dream
The new products are a modern take on throwback songs and lyrics.
*NSYNC saw all of us millennials thirsting over the ’90s and ’00s and decided to get in on that. They’ve released a new limited-edition apparel collection that is the perfect modern take on our boyband nostalgia, inspired by some of their most iconic songs. You’ll see nods to “Dirty Pop,” “Just Got Paid,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” and more on a palette of bright, retro colors. And did we mention matching sweatsuits?
“This new lifestyle collection feels like an evolution in merch style for us,” the band said. “It’s been fun working together creating a new aesthetic and we are excited to share it! Hope the fans and everyone feel this special line!”
Check out photos of the collection below, and pre-order your favorites on NSYNC.com.


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Under the proposed rule, any manufacturing facility would be required to install the most technically advanced pollution control equipment possible. According to the FPA, the rule change would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for each printing press, making it cheaper for some companies to shut down rather than buy the required equipment. The result could be significantly higher prices for such packaging materials. Also troublesome to converters, says FPA, is the implementation of the new National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which consist of more aggressive air pollution threshholds.
Flexible packaging price hikes?
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a change in its New Source Review program that has the potential to be the most expensive rule to affect flexible packaging in the last 20 years, according to the Flexible Packaging Assn.
Jul 31, 1999
Companies in this article
New ebook focused on cartoning equipment
Read about the various types of cartoning equipment, how to select the right one, and common pitfalls to avoid. Plus, read equipment advice from CPGs for ultimate cartoning success.Read More
How Can You Honor a Leader?
Induction into the Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame is the highest honor in our industry. Submit your leader to be considered for the Class of 2024 now through June 10th. New members will be inducted at PACK EXPO International in ChicagoRead More


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There’s a reason Accor’s 2013 to-do list begins with significant reinvestment in its distribution systems.
Accor is undergoing a period of unprecedented change. In case you missed my overview that ran Wednesday, the Paris-based owner, operator and franchisor realized €2 billion ($2.7 billion) of adjusted net debt in asset disposition, overhauled its suite of budget brands and opened a record-setting 38,085 rooms—all within a single 12-month period.
And President Denis Hennequin, the former McDonald’s executive who is breathing new life in the company, is not content to rest on his laurels. During the company’s year-end investor event, he laid out a five-part plan for continued success in the years to come. It includes:
- A reinforced brand and distribution system
- An aggressive development plan
- An ambitious asset-management plan for owned and leased hotels
- An organization to be aligned on the new model
- Operational excellence to improve competitiveness
Notice the order of these goals. While expansion drives the lion’s share of revenue in today’s increasingly asset-light global hotel chains, Accor’s No. 1 priority is to reinforce its distribution system.
That’s not by accident. The company continues to see an evolution in booking behavior throughout its global portfolio, with more people booking online than ever before.
It’s not the first hotel company to recognize the importance of online booking channels. Accor, along with countless others, have observed similar trends in recent years.
The shift is backed by new data from TravelClick, which found that transient roomnights booked through online channels including brand.com and online travel agencies saw the most growth during the fourth quarter of 2012.
The OTA channel saw a 6.1% increase in demand year over year while brand.com increased bookings through its channels by 5.7%, according to the TravelClick North American Distribution Review. The hotel direct channel, consisting of phone calls direct to property and walk-ins, increased 5.5%. The global distribution system (used by travel agencies) and central reservation system (calls to a hotel's 800-number) channels also showed increases from a year ago—by 3.9% and 2.1%, respectively.
Here’s how the share of roomnights breaks down for the fourth quarter and the full year:
Hotel companies are responding by investing more in their digital platforms. Accor, for example, will invest about €30 million ($40 million) a year between now and the end of 2016 to increase online bookings to 50% of all bookings and to limit the influence of OTAs.
They’re playing offense and defense at the same time. By investing back into their systems, Accor executives ensure their online platform becomes more robust, personalized and user-friendly, which encourages more bookings. And at the same time, they begin to ward off some of that pressure from an expanding roster of OTAs.
Hennequin said the goal is to position Accor at the top of its competitive set in all aspects of its guest experience. I would imagine countless other CEOs are aiming for the same thing, which should ultimately benefit the consumer in the end.
Now on to the usual goodies …
Stat of the week
40% to 79%: The projected stock price premium Strategic Hotels & Resorts’ shareholders would receive if executives sold the company, according to shareholder Orange Capital LLC.
This was one of the more bizarre news items of the week. Orange said a sale would result in proceeds of between $11 and $14 per share. They went public with the proposal because executives said they did not receive “an adequate response” from Strategic’s board of directors. Orange owns 6.25 million shares, or approximately 3%, of Strategic common stock.
Strategic responded: “The Board of Directors of Strategic Hotels & Resorts acknowledges receipt of a letter dated February 1, 2013, from Orange Capital, a shareholder who only recently acquired shares in the Company. The Board carefully reviewed the letter in its entirety and strongly disagrees with certain assumptions and conclusions outlined in the communication. While we are disappointed Orange Capital released its letter publicly to advance its short-term trading interest, we remain focused on maximizing the longer-term interests of our shareholders.”
Quote of the week I
“There are other opportunities, too, from a standpoint of nongaming opportunities, whether it be Vdara or Mandarin and other opportunities we'll look at.”
—Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, during an earnings call with analysts while discussing the possibility of selling non-gaming CityCenter assets to realize some returns from the group’s multibillion dollar JV with Dubai World.
The most likely candidate for sale at CityCenter, however, is the luxury retail center Crystals. It was initially designed to be sold, Murren said. “That's a high target opportunity for us,” he added.
Quote of the week II
“I’ll be very candid with you guys, that wasn’t my first choice.”
—Ryman Hospitality Properties’ Colin V. Reed, discussing the decision by Gaylord Entertainment Company’s board to become a REIT.
This is the second week in a row Reed is the subject of my quote of the week. I found this one, which he shared at Ryman’s investor day last Friday, particularly fascinating. When Gaylord was investigating the best way to unlock value in the company, some outspoken shareholders—including TRT Holdings and Gabelli Funds—called for an outright sale. It appears Reed wasn’t as opposed to that idea as many of us thought.
“We had our bankers go out and talk to a handful of (private equity) companies that had come to talk to us in the past,” he said. In the end, Reed said Gaylord received two verbal offers for the company priced at between $32 a share and $37 a share. The company even put in a call to Robert B. Rowling, TRT’s co-founder, to gauge his interest in an acquisition. At the end of the day, however, no deal was ever struck.
My colleague Shawn A. Turner shares some other juicy tidbits in his blog, “Behind-the-scenes look at Gaylord evolution.”
Reader comment of the week
“The black cloud Arne sees is the shadow from my black swans circling overhead. Nice to see someone else recognizes the reality of the risks we face, the fiscal cliff being just one.”
—Commenter and HotelNewsNow.com columnist Joel Ross lauding Marriott President and CEO Arne Sorenson for his recognition of headwinds still facing the hotel industry.
The opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the opinions of HotelNewsNow.com or its parent company, STR and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to comment or contact an editor with any questions or concerns.


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PRAGUE (Reuters) - Unions at Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) Skoda Auto have withdrawn from a deal on flexible working shifts, they said on Wednesday, adding pressure on the Czech carmaker as they seek a double-digit pay raise and threaten strikes.
Union leaders said in a statement more shift agreements could be canceled if wage talks broke down.
Unions have said they could call a strike in May if no deal is agreed and said on Wednesday they would seek a 14 percent wage rise for the next 12 months.
Last week, they rejected management’s offer of a 10 percent increase.
Strikes are a rare event in the central European country whose economic growth is propelled by the car sector.
With strong growth in recent years and unemployment dropping to its lowest level in two decades, wages have been rising rapidly across sectors, putting pressure on employers.
Skoda, the country’s biggest exporter, has blossomed under nearly 30 years of Volkswagen ownership to become one of the group’s profit drivers, even beating luxury brand Audi’s (NSUG.DE) and BMW’s (BMWG.DE) operating margins last year.
Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Mark Potter


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If youre a Friends fan, you might remember Rachel Greens rise through the fashion world, eventually becoming an executive at Ralph Lauren.
Now the fashion brand is paying tribute to their most famous fictional employee with a real-life Friends-themed collection.
The range is being released for the 25th anniversary of the show this year.
It includes everything from cashmere turtlenecks to leather blazers, just like Rachel would wear while sipping coffee in Central Perk.
Theres even a pleated lambskin miniskirt and knee-high boots with a chunky heel like the ones she wore in the I got off the plane scene in the final episode.
Theres pieces for men too, who want to recreate that preppy nineties vibe.
Could we BE any more excited?
In a statement, the brand said: Just as Friends has proved to be a perennial favourite series for viewers over the last 25 years, this collection reflects Ralph Laurens timeless styles and archetypes that have remained a go-to for the modern working woman.
The Friends collection is available in-store at Bloomingdales, where theyve even created a replica of Central Perk and Rachels office to celebrate.
The recreation of the famous set starts at the flagship store in New York but will move to a different Bloomingdales store every two weeks.
For those outside the US, the collection is available online and in select Ralph Lauren retail stores.
The pieces are pricey, as you would expect with a luxury brand like Ralph LRead More – Source


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Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The most recent edition of the Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index (PCI) brought home about the only consistent theme regarding the stalled economy of recent months: not much seems to be changing.
Misperceptions about 2D imagers are changing fast, which is why 2D imagers are the fastest-growing category of bar code readers. Only a few years ago 2D imagers were (wrongly) considered a niche technology mostly used for reading 2D bar codes. Now they are becoming the technology of choice for most bar code applications, and lasers are on the way to becoming a niche technology. The reasons: 2D imagers are as fast or faster than laser scanners, can read all the same bar codes as lasers plus 2D symbols that lasers can’t, and can do much more.
Company officials say this service will leverage Schneider’s more than 20 years of intermodal service into and out of Canada
Economists wasted little time in assessing the impact on the supply chain from the alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States and to bomb Saudi Arabian and Israeli embassies
Diesel prices headed down for the fifth straight week, falling 2.8 cents to $3.721 per gallon, according to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
At a time when capacity tightness in some ways has become the new normal, the differences between fixed and variable capacity are different than they used to be in some ways, according to FTR Associates Partner Noel Perry.
UPS announced it will offer an innovative air freight container for healthcare products, providing a premium level of shipment monitoring and product protection for temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, vaccines and biologics.
Posted on 10/11 at 10:03 AM
Air Cargo •
Air Freight •
While the biggest ocean carriers seek the economies of scale from ever-larger super post-Panamax ships, they run the risk but of introducing too much capacity at the same time, thereby ruining the already fragile supply/demand balance.
A consensus that has been oft-repeated lately is that Peak Season is likely to fall short of previously promising expectations. That was one of the main takeaways from a recent report published by the Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium, entitled Peak Season Trends and Strategies Survey Report.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Ocean cargo activity at the Port of New Orleans expanded earlier this month, with the announcements that CMA CGM and CSAV (Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores) have added New Orleans to the Gulf Bridge Express service, which links the Gulf Coast to the Caribbean and ports in Central and South America.