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Good morning FinTech Fanatic!
Not a day without Revolut news it seems. Revolut made an interesting move and is now offering its in-house built HR software that manages its 7500 employees to external companies.
“The Revolut People” is now available: A system that they developed in-house and used for the last five years is now available for selected external companies (invite only).
According to Oleksii M., Revolut’s fast-paced, achievement-driven culture and experience are bottled in the Revolut People. This includes a unique 'secret sauce' that enhances Revolut's performance, recruitment, and HR processes.
They went all the way from the manual employee performance taking spreadsheet to hiring and managing more than 7500 internal employees in the system.
If you think that your company should be on the waiting list too, DM Oleksii M. on Linkedin and he'll set you up.
Beyond the latest updates on Revolut, there's a wealth of additional fintech news worth exploring. Simplifying it for you, I've compiled a list below👇
Enjoy the read, and stay tuned for more curated news tomorrow!
From 0 to 6 billion in two years: Samir El-Sabini CEO & Co-founder at Juni, discusses how to really nail your Go-to-Market strategy, the big hole in the market they saw, AI, the importance of not being afraid of taking decisions, and much more. Listen to the full podcast episode here
Which countries are at the top of their game when it comes to FinTech? Using data provided by research firm Statista, CNBC analyzed the top nations overall when it comes to financial technology. Read the full piece for more info.
🇺🇸 Ditch introduces AI-driven debt management app. This application represents a novel approach in the industry, aiming to alter the conventional methods of handling personal debt by incorporating AI-driven insights and solutions.
🇪🇸 Lightyear connects to Spanish exchanges. The company has connected with Madrid and Barcelona stock exchanges to offer Spanish investors the chance to buy into the IBEX 35, where 35 of Spain’s biggest companies are listed.
🇰🇪 Flutterwave cleared as Kenyan court okays agency’s request to withdraw second case. This development is a positive step for Flutterwave as it pursues a payments service provider and remittances license from the Central Bank of Kenya, which had flagged the company last year for operating without a license.
🇺🇸 Brex’s quarterly revenue growth slows to 1%, following post-SVB growth spurt. In Q3, the company reported annualized net revenue of $283 million, a mere 1% increase from the previous quarter's $279 million. Compared to the same period last year, Brex's annualized revenue has experienced significant growth, rising from just under $200 million.
🇩🇪 Christopher Plantener, former founder and CEO of banking startup Kontist, has embarked on a new venture in the tax sector after Kontist's sale. Plantener, along with ex-colleagues Benjamin Esser and Melchior Neumann, has founded "Neuplaner GmbH," focusing on professional assistance in tax matters.
Wise reports a near-quadrupling of profits in the first half of 2023, boosted by higher interest rates. The firm has been gradually increasing the incentives for its payment customers to leave their deposits with the fintech, with its total customer cash holdings now totalling over £8bn.
🇫🇷 Qonto issues 100% recycled cards. This initiative is part of Qonto’s “Impact” strategy, which aims to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, while also offering tailored cards that meet customers’ evolving needs.
🇺🇸 BNPL companies face grim outlook, Moody’s says. Intense competition, rising regulation, challenging economic times and persistent losses led credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service to paint a dire outlook for BNPL companies in a report last week.
🇺🇸 B2B payments platform Tranch has rolled out its expanded product to major enterprise clients across the US. With Tranch’s cutting-edge technology, clients can utilize Pay Now which integrates with the Real-Time Payment Network and FedNow to accelerate transactions through authenticated payments.
🇫🇷 Worldline has introduced Tap to Pay on iPhone for large businesses in France. The Worldline Tap on Mobile solution makes Tap to Pay on iPhone easy, secure, and private. Simultaneously, Viva.com is expanding its Tap to Pay on iPhone to France, allowing French merchants and businesses to accept in-person contactless payments using the Tap to Pay on iPhone and the Viva.com Terminal iOS application.
🇳🇬 The Nigerian government (Nasdra) signed a agreement with eGate and VISA to bolster the country's digital infrastructure, offering citizens digital identity and unified payment cards, with a focus on improving infrastructure, fostering financial inclusion, and creating innovative digital solutions for businesses and consumers.
DIGITAL BANKING NEWS
🇩🇪 N26 launched Instant Savings in Germany following a successful launch in Spain. N26 customers can earn up to 2.6% annual interest on their savings, paid out monthly. The account is free and provides full withdrawal flexibility.
🇲🇾 GXBank officially rolls out Beta digital banking app in Malaysia. This inaugural application will be accessible to an exclusive group of 20,000 Malaysian users, following a successful internal testing phase involving the bank’s employees and partners.
🇦🇺 Parpera pioneers 'Marketplace Banking' in Australia. With enhanced choices, convenience, and streamlined experiences in a single app, it empowers businesses to efficiently manage their finances and risks.
🇨🇴 Another Bancolombia app outage highlights the need for more competition in Colombia’s banking system. The Bancolombia app experienced a 24-hour outage the past weekend, affecting millions of users, highlighting the urgency of breaking down borders, emphasizing the critical need for open finance.
Tandem partners with home energy platform Kuppa. Launching in Q1 2024, the partnership will support new service for Tandem customers on its app and website, providing information and tools to help support green home decisions.
🇦🇪 Crypto.com granted Virtual Asset Service Provider licence by Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. Licence is subject to fulfilment of pre-operating conditions and qualifying for operational approval. Link here
🇧🇷 Nucoin reaches 13 million users in eight months, according to a newly launched block explorer tool that provides real-time information on the number of wallets and transactions, price and liquidity.
🇧🇷 Most Brazilian crypto firms remain unlicensed: The Central Bank is expected to issue specific rules for the sector by mid-2024, demanding from crypto players what it already requires from payment institutions.
DONEDEAL FUNDING NEWS
In the past week, we saw 14 deals in Europe for a total amount of €108.1m raised: Nine deals in the UK, one deal in Italy, one in Denmark, one in France, one in Austria and one in Switzerland. Link here
🇫🇷 Goodvest, a savings platform that finances companies commmitted to climate, raised €10 million. Founded in 2020, the startup offers life insurance and a savings plan aligned with the Paris climate agreement. It has just completed a €10 million round, a small feat for a fintech aimed at individuals.
🇸🇦 Tamara secures new debt financing, upsizes facility to up to $400 million. The new financing will support Tamara’s ongoing strong demand for its flagship BNPL product and release capital for investments into new products and services.
🇮🇳 Fintech Unicorn slice secures $9 Mn from Stride Ventures in debt funding. The joint venture seeks to integrate advanced technology solutions with initiatives to promote financial inclusion at the grassroots level, an official statement noted.
🇬🇧 Goldman Sachs and BNP Paribas lead £77.7 million investment in Fnality. The new equity will further Fnality's goal of establishing a global liquidity management ecosystem for new digital payment models in both wholesale financial markets and emerging tokenised asset markets.
🇫🇷 French Fintech Defacto tops up Series A with €10m extension. The instant embedded lending platform, founded in 2021, provides short term loans to small and medium-sized businesses. Read more
🇺🇸 Co-branded card provider Imprint bags $75 million funding round. The company says it will use the new funding to extend its technology stack to multiple new vertical markets over the next six months.
Till Payments changes hands for meagre sum. It’s game over for fintech Till Payments and its bigwig backers: Street Talk understands Canadian payments processor Nuvei is set to buy the struggling payments processor – once one of Australia’s hottest start-ups, valued at $500 million – for $47 million.
🇦🇺 AKG acquired by Fintel to further extend its industry-leading portfolio of ratings and reviews for financial services and investment professionals. The transaction will also enable Fintel-owned Defaqto to expand and deepen its relationships within the investment management and financial advice communities.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
🇺🇸 Unicorn Carta lays off another round of employees. According to a Fortune report, three employees have confirmed that Carta is undergoing restructuring for the third time this year. The two previous rounds occurred in January and July.
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The Government is considering giving car manufacturers a subsidy to help cover the wages of workers whose hours have been cut over the past few months. It follows a meeting between business secretary Lord Mandelson and industry representatives today (January 28) urging the Government to help ailing car makers bring in a shorter working week rather than laying off staff.
According to trade union Unite, the idea has not been ruled out and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform says firms need to come back to them with fully costed proposals.
Lord Mandelson had called the meeting to discuss the Government’s £2.3bn loan guarantee scheme announced yesterday (January 27), but industry representatives took the opportunity to press for specific proposals to ease consumer credit warning that without more help, tens of thousands of jobs could be lost.
Car sales are falling amid the economic downturn, with unions warning of a jobs catastrophe if the measures do not have an impact soon.
Several plants are on extended shutdowns, with firms including Honda, Nissan and Jaguar-Land Rover among those affected.
“I am confident that the actions we and the automotive industry will now be taking together will help the industry build the bridge to a greener future for the auto sector,” Lord Mandelson said.

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Several businesses have either opened new stores or relocated to the Chronicle Times "neighborhood" lately. First mentioned in our Sept. 22 issue, The Kid2Kids consignment store, owned by Alecia Maurer, has now moved from its former location on Fifth Street to 201 West Main Street, the former location of "House of Yours."
Kid2Kids, which sells "gently used, quality kids, juniors, and young women's clothing, and furniture," is now open for business at their new location.
Schueder is a graduate of Faust Institute, Reiss the Le Mars Beauty College, and the two worked together at Cherokee's Degree of Style for the last six years before opening their new business on Oct. 31.
To the south of the Chronicle Times building and Carey's Restaurant, on the corner of East Second and Maple, Gay Strub is in the process of remodeling the former Tom's Shoe Repair for her business, Natural Health Solutions. Strub has been running a health supply business out of her home in rural Marcus for 23 years, and has now decided to "set up shop" in Cherokee. There is a lot of work to do on the building yet, but her goal is to have the store open by December.
Natural Health Solutions' business hours are going to be 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday - Wednesday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
"I'm really looking to working here, and being part of downtown Cherokee" said Strub.


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U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced legislation that he said will help prepare the U.S. for the next pandemic, dubbed the Preparing for the Next Pandemic Act of 2020. The bill would provide $5 billion in funding over a decade to foster a manufacturing base for vaccines, treatments and tests, and another $10 billion over that same period for state stockpiles of items such as N95 masks. The legislation allows the federal government to collaborate with the private sector to ensure the Strategic National Stockpile has adequate inventories to meet the demand for various items and supplies, and Alexander said, “I intend to keep legislation to better prepare for future pandemics on the top of the congressional to-do list until it’s done.” Alexander chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
The U.S. FDA has added five class II medical device types to the list of such devices that are exempt from premarket notification requirements under Section 510(k) of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, a list that includes assisted reproduction accessories under product code QKH. This procode is regulated under Title 21, Section 884.6120 of the Code of Federal Regulations, but the agency said procode MQG, also regulated by 884.6120, is not exempt. Other product codes now deemed exempt are QKI (Section 884.6180), QKC (890.5360) and QKD (890.5670).
The Advanced Medical Technology Association (Advamed) said in a July 21 statement that it has released the first data set derived from a national testing supply registry intended to ensure the availability of tests for the COVID-19 pandemic. The registry was set up with the cooperation of more than a dozen commercial diagnostics manufacturers, and the first publicly released dataset indicates that more than 65 million tests have been manufactured and shipped in the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic. Advamed said daily test shipments exceed 800,000. Scott Whitaker, Advamed’s president and CEO, said, “it is absolutely vital to our nation’s health and economic recovery that we have sufficient supplies to test everyone who needs it, and, just as important, to know where these supplies are so we can get them where they are most needed.” Whitaker said the registry “will be a crucial tool for federal and state authorities as they work to protect both patients and health care providers and move to reopen the U.S. economy.”
The FDA warning letter to Centurion Medical Products Corp., of Williamston, Mich., said the 2019 inspections of the company’s plants in Williamston and Howell, Mich., disclosed that the company is marketing convenience kits that are combination products that lack regulatory review. The kits are intended for use in “a variety of vascular and other medical procedures,” the agency said, adding that one of the kits in question includes lidocaine along with a scalpel, intravenous lines, and a needle. The company is said to assemble the kits from purchased products, and the FDA advised that any concomitant re-sterilization may compromise the safety and/or performance of one or more of the components. The agency also cited the company for deviations from the Quality Systems Regulations, including design controls, corrective and preventive action, and inadequate supplier evaluation procedures. The FDA advised Centurion that certificates for export may not be granted pending corrections, and that any PMA applications may also be held up pending those corrections.


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Tractor Supply Company delivered a solid third quarter ended September 29, 2018, driving growth across both comps, net sales and income.
Net sales for the third quarter of 2018 increased 9.3% to $1.88 billion from $1.72 billion in the third quarter of 2017. Comparable store sales increased 5.1%, as compared to an increase of 6.6% in the prior year’s third quarter. The comparable store sales results included increases in comparable average ticket of 3.6% and comparable transaction count of 1.4%. The increase in comparable store sales was primarily driven by broad-based strength in everyday merchandise, along with robust growth across spring and summer seasonal categories, the company said. All merchandise categories delivered increased comparable store sales, as did all geographic regions.
Net income increased 27.1% to $116.8 million from $91.9 million and diluted earnings per share increased 31.9% to $0.95 from $0.72 in the third quarter of 2017.
“We are delighted with Tractor Supply’s third quarter results and are on track to deliver a strong year in 2018. Our 5.1% comparable store sales growth increase in the quarter was driven by continued execution of our OneTractor strategy that drove both average ticket and transaction count increases for the quarter. The team did a great job managing our product assortment, marketing events and store experience as we cycled a strong comparable store sales increase of 6.6% in the prior year’s third quarter. We have raised our full year outlook to reflect the strength of our business and the positive macro economic factors,” said Greg Sandfort, Tractor Supply’s CEO.


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Uber Rides Can Expose Key Company Data, Appthority Says
Businesses may want to limit their employees’ use of Uber’s ride-hailing service to protect secrets such as merger discussions and the medical conditions of key executives, a Bay Area mobile cybersecurity firm says.
In a review of Uber’s privacy and security measures, Appthority found that the newer version of Uber’s app is expanding its collection of personal user data to include calendar entries; meeting schedules; camera inputs; text messages; and contact information for colleagues and others.
Uber is also sharing some of that information with hundreds of other apps, as it builds out its app as a home base within which riders can call up other mobile services, such as restaurant finders for their destination neighborhoods, Appthority says.
At the same time, the ride-hailing giant isn’t ensuring that the apps it links with are following its recommended privacy and encryption policies, the security firm says.
By tapping into the data gleaned by Uber, observers could detect activity hinting at an upcoming business deal, such as C-level executives visiting the address of a merger target, according to Appthority, which specializes in mobile security for companies. In another scenario, an outsider might figure out from the clinic address in a calendar entry that a top company executive has been diagnosed with cancer—a possibility that could move stock prices.
Hackers who merely know the topic of a conference and the names of a few attendees could send simulated e-mails from those people to their colleagues, and trick them into opening an attachment containing malware, Appthority’s co-founder and president Domingo Guerra says.
Information related to medical treatment is now passing through Uber’s network due to its integrations with two apps, Relatient and Medstar, which remind patients about their doctor’s appointments, Appthority says. Uber is also offering businesses a service that allows employees to claim travel expenses through their personal accounts.
Appthority advises companies that find the risks of using Uber too great to blacklist the app for all or some users. Those who are allowed to continue to use it can protect themselves and their employers by turning off the location services in Uber’s app. Users would then need to type in the address where they want to be picked up.


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Servicing the Underbanked
By Jamie Fulmer
February 13, 2014
A new report from the United States Postal Service inspector general proposes that the agency offer non-bank financial services, including payday loans. Opinion pieces and blog posts praised this idea as a way for the post office to solve its fiscal woes while reaching a portion of Americans outside the traditional banking system. A Reuters “Great Debate” piece, “Transforming Post Offices into banks", called the proposal a “win-win.”
These pieces overlook some practical problems, however, and leave numerous questions unanswered about implementation. While government and charitable-sponsored financial services should play a role in consumer lending, they cannot replace market-based solutions.
Notably, the USPS proposal underestimates the challenge of offering consumer financial services in an increasingly competitive marketplace regulated by complex federal and state laws. Without a sizable government subsidy, the report’s suggested interest rate for small-dollar loans would not even cover basic operating expenses.
A number of credit unions, community banks and nonprofit organizations have started similar, artificially low-priced, small-dollar loan programs only to struggle to sustain operations, much less make a profit. This has led many institutions — credit unions in particular — to conclude they cannot viably provide short-term credit, according to research by University of California, Davis Professor Victor Stango.
Local storefront lenders can offer market-competitive prices — with rapidly diversifying portfolios, insights from data on consumer trends and operational efficiencies — to meet the growing demand for short-term loans and other non-bank financial services.
There is room for increased competition in this short-term credit marketplace. Consumers are always best served by a well-regulated, competitive environment with diverse options.
But comparable products must be governed by the same rules. The post office proposal does not explain how its products would be regulated at the federal and state levels, both in the extension and repayment of the loans. It suggests, for example, that USPS could “collect debts from the tax refunds of debtors” — a prospect with troubling consequences for Americans already struggling to make ends meet.
Many regulators and commentators misunderstand why nearly 68 million Americans — more than one-quarter of U.S. households — now choose alternative lenders over banks and credit unions. Underbanked Americans by definition have a bank account and access to mainstream financial services offered by traditional banks, so why are millions opting for alternative lenders?
First, their bank accounts often get nickel and dimed by hidden fees. Roughly 41 percent of financial institutions, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, do not offer unconditional free checking accounts — up eight percentage points from last year. Monthly service fees have increased steadily since 2009 to a current high of $5.54.
These fees are often shrouded in opaque and confusing language. Customers value the transparency of alternative lenders, especially the clear disclosure of the fees associated with their loans.
Second, traditional lenders often force the underbanked or unbanked into expensive overdraft programs when they seek small-dollar credit. Moebs Services recently found that the median price per $100 borrowed through overdraft programs is $35 at large banks and $30 at smaller financial institutions. At storefront payday lenders, that same $100 costs $18.
Perhaps most important, the unbanked are put off by poor or even non-existent customer service at traditional banks. More than 75 percent said payday lenders were respectful and honest, according to a recent survey of borrowers by Harris Interactive and the Consumer Financial Services Association of America.
Lisa Servon, a professor at the Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at the New School who spent time working at an alternative lender, found that customers overwhelmingly value their local lender’s superior customer service and familiar faces.
Those who think that customers will be greeted with the same level of customer service at the U.S. Postal Service, without a considerable investment in training programs, should spend more time trying to mail a package from their local branch.


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You’ve probably come across influencers on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok promoting cryptocurrency projects. Some claim they made a fortune overnight or urge you to invest right away before you “miss out.” Even though the cryptocurrencies themselves are not scams, some of the promoters have been caught either defrauding people directly or failing to disclose paid promotions.
It’s no secret that social media influencers can make a lot of money from sponsorship deals. Nevertheless, when it comes to speculative investments such as cryptocurrency, the lines between right and wrong become blurred. Some social media personalities are making a killing by promoting shady crypto ventures to their impressionable followers.
This is because while influencing pays well, introducing crypto promotions can be quite risky and misleading for fans. There are instances where certain influential people have pocketed thousands of dollars after endorsing different digital cash initiatives without necessarily disclosing that they were paid.
Regulators have begun clamping down on influencer-promoted bogus cryptos recently. They identified numerous situations where famous people exaggerated fraudulent business or forgot to indicate that the content was sponsored by someone else.
Ben Armstrong, a prominent figure in the crypto space and widely recognized as one of the most influential crypto influencers on YouTube, recently confronted a moral dilemma that prompted him to reassess his business practices. At the start of this year, he decided to put a stop to this.
As the BitBoy Crypto channel’s owner, with over 1.5 million subscribers, Armstrong took payments from crypto companies to promote their products to his large audience. However, he now regrets participating in this practice, as it ultimately resulted in significant losses for some of his viewers.
An incident that particularly contributed to Armstrong’s change of heart occurred in the fall of 2020 when he announced his partnership with a cryptocurrency called DistX, proclaiming it as his most trusted coin. The purpose behind DistX was to combat scams within the crypto community.
The truth is, this undertaking turned out to be another scam. The creators of DistX engaged in a “rug pull” by artificially inflating its market cap before abruptly withdrawing, leaving investors with tokens that have no value. Today, the value of DistX has plummeted by 99%, leaving the coin valueless.
These occurrences were a sudden realization for Armstrong and made him reconsider the moral ramifications brought by his deeds and how they negatively affected those who were watching him. This made him more responsible and cautious when it came to promoting projects within the crypto industry.
Even though Armstrong stopped accepting paid promotions in January, there are still many other influencers who seem to be heavily involved in this highly rewarding business. According to CNBC’s findings, a multitude of online personalities receive huge sums just to hype up shady projects.
A while back, an X post from an anonymous blockchain investigator surfaced listing 44 YouTube crypto influencers with their respective prices for paid promotions. The list shows that some social media stars received up to $65,000 for one video advertisement.
To ascertain the truthfulness of these fee disclosures, CNBC contacted the listed influencers named above. Some claimed that the amounts had been inflated, but those who revealed theirs affirmed making no less than $1,000 per promotion video.
In contrast to Armstrong, who openly declares his paid promotion videos, some influencers do not tell their audience about the huge sums they are paid for endorsing products.
As a matter of fact, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the UK Trade Commission require clear disclosure of paid sponsorship’s and endorsements across social media platforms. This allows audiences to recognize possible bias.
Despite FTC endorsement guidelines, state regulators have discovered influencers promoting fraudulent crypto enterprises without disclosing compensation. Others do not reveal the risky nature of the asset. This violates consumer protection laws. Some influencers carefully follow endorsement rules, but the lack of transparency by others erodes consumer trust.
Most influencers mean well, but when you can earn four, five, or even six figures from such projects, it’s difficult to resist the temptation. Fraudsters know this very well. They will willingly pay an influencer thousands of dollars just to get the attention of their followers.
The next time an influencer raves about some hot new crypto asset, approach with healthy scepticism. Do your research before investing, as the crypto space still lacks adequate consumer protection. Don’t let yourself get drawn in without doing due diligence first.
Image Source: Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.


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As is my habit during the course of a Saturday morning I did our weekly food shop at the local Eveleigh Farmers’ Market. When I returned home I made a cup of tea, and settled in with the lunch I bought: gluten-free mushroom, kale and leek tart made from, the friendly stall-holder informed me, market ingredients. At the computer I arbitrarily clicked on ABC News. The first headline I saw was
“The Federal Government has scrapped the $1.5 million Community Food Grants program.
The funding was announced last May by the former Labor government as a key initiative of the National Food Plan.
It would have seen money invested in projects such as farmers markets, food co-operatives and hubs, community gardens, and city farms across the country.
But applicants have now been advised by letter that the program has been reviewed and a decision made that it won’t be continued due to the ‘tight fiscal environment’…
…The Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance is also disappointed. The alliance’s national co-ordinator, Nick Rose, says it was the first time that work by the community food sector had been recognised at a federal level…
…A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture says the Australian Government remains strongly committed to a vibrant, innovative and competitive agriculture sector…
This is why the government is developing a White Paper Agricultural Competitiveness, which will drive long-term agricultural policies and ensure Australia’s agriculture sector remains a significant contributor to the national economy and local communities.
The White Paper will take into account the analysis done for the National Food Plan, in the context of the government’s agriculture and food related policies.
A priority of the White Paper will be to generate jobs, boost farm gate returns, investment and economic growth in the agriculture sector…”
So, the Federal Government is ditching a scheme where 364 applicants have gone to the trouble of placing submissions for grants. Instead of fulfilling it even to some extent, simply by virtue of a change of government more time and money will be diverted to a White Paper to reinvent the wheel. Rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water could they not reassess the submissions and at least make some grants?
If the government insists on the White Paper, I suggest a field trip to Eveleigh Farmers’ Market, both to buy great fresh produce and to talk to the stall-holders/producers.
Maybe they could interview Mr Apples, who I’ve had enough conversations with to know a little about. He’s been a farmer his whole life. At one stage he expanded operations buying neighbouring properties. His adult kids have jobs elsewhere. One of the first chats I had with him he said it wouldn’t make sense for his kids to be farmers. Too much work. Too little income. He makes more money now since he downsized his orchards and sells at farmers markets rather than to the supermarket chains. His farm at Batlow is 4 and a half hours drive from Sydney. He & his wife leave on Saturday mornings to be in Sydney in time for the market’s 8am start. Sometimes his wife does the Sydney markets and he goes to other markets on Saturdays, and they go to markets on Sundays also.
Last year I was paying $5 per kilo for his fruit. This year it’s $6. I spent $4 on 8 white peaches and apples but the shopper after me bought 1 apple. As an exercise I think a good but possibly unlikely case scenario, if 200 people bought a kilo of his fruit over the course of a weekend – 200 kg is lot of apples, it would gross $1200 cash. Out of that we have to assume costs – fuel, accommodation, farm costs, tax…
How many kilos of fruit would Mr Apples need to sell to earn the equivalent of our incomes?
Mr Apples has one advantage. He’s established. Instead of getting out of the industry completely he made a change to his business. Many farmers walk away. If they all walk away, if no new producers are encouraged, where will the food come from?
Eveleigh Farmers’ Market is a hugely popular market in the middle of Sydney. We are incredibly fortunate to have these producers spend time and money bringing their produce to us.
Conversely, when the G.O. and I spend time in the country at Taylors Arm, despite it being an agricultural region, we don’t have access to weekly farmers’ markets, and those markets that exist need more support. I see few enough shoppers at the local markets to believe the stall-holders show up out of principle rather than profit. Already the monthly Medlow School Markets and the weekly Nambucca Valley Farmers Markets’ which started during the last 5 years in the Nambucca Valley no longer operate. It’s not like the producers don’t make the effort; I see Ausbuff from local Eungai, 5 hours drive from Sydney, at Eveleigh Farmers Market every week.
I enjoyed the cup of tea and the tart but not the article. The politics left a bad taste in my mouth.


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Hurricane Grill & Wings, an up-and-coming brand looking to create franchises across the country, is headed for Birmingham.
Atlanta-based Category 6 Restaurants LLC has contracted with the Florida brand to develop 10 beach-themed restaurants in Alabama over the next eight years, including a minimum of four in the Birmingham area with the first finished within a year.
Including Alabama, which could get even more restaurants if all goes well, Category 6 founder and owner Tom Petska said he plans to help investors open 55 franchises in four states. The brand already has more than 46 restaurants in five states.
“This is a concept that within the next 12 to 16 months will hopefully become a household name,” he said.
Northern Alabama, Petska said, was ripe for restaurants that mirror the casual “down the street” beach bars of the coast, especially considering the sluggish economy.
“One of the reasons I decided to acquire the Alabama market was because there’s a lack of development,” Petska said. “Alabama is a growing area that often gets overlooked by most corporations. Alabama has a lot of draw, a lot of potential.”
Lawrence Fidel, president of the Alabama Restaurant Association, said the “worst is behind” the restaurant industry, which is beginning to pick up speed, especially in the Birmingham area.
“Now is probably an opportune time to come in,” he said.
Birmingham has had fewer restaurant closures than elsewhere in the state, Fidel said.
Petska said he’s currently in communication with investors in several cities here – including Hoover, Bessemer and Trussville – who are looking at the Birmingham market.
While franchise owners would be looking at a $296,000 to $800,000 investment per location, Petska said the sales-to-investment ratio was a high 3-to-1. On average, investors are recouping their investments within 16 to 18 months.
“The restaurants are just successful, period,” he said.
Martin O’Dowd, president of Hurricane Grill & Wings, said he expects the franchises will establish a “strong presence” in their areas.
“Continuously expanding Hurricane Grill & Wings into new markets is very exciting for us,” he said.
The eateries will each employ about 30 to 40 people and sport a sand-between-your-toes atmosphere, Petska said.
“Hurricane’s coming,” he said.


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Brokers launch apps to reach users on the run
As more people rely on their cell phones and other mobile devices to keep up with the world, residential brokerages are creating various apps in a race to follow them.
Some 18 months ago, The Corcoran Group, an early leader in the effort, launched a free iPhone app that now has roughly 30,000 users. It shows sales and rental listings and also helps users find shops, restaurants and other services near their current location.
It's difficult to measure how many calls or e-mails agents get from app users, but Corcoran interactive chief Matthew Shadbolt says the effort seems to be working. To tap more consumers, Corcoran created an Android app that has drawn 5,000 users since it debuted in October.
“Our primary goal for all our interactive platforms is to get people to take online conversations offline,” said Mr. Shadbolt, adding that users of the iPhone app spend three times longer accessing Corcoran info than those surfing the firm's website.
Two years ago, Warburg Realty Partnership launched an iPhone app dubbed AroundMe, which was named one of Time magazine's 50 best iPhone apps of 2011. AroundMe pinpoints a user's location and helps him find nearby amenities, as well as available properties that Warburg is exclusively marketing.
“It's not going to change business overnight,” said Frederick Peters, Warburg's president. “It's just a way of getting your brand out there.”


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As if 2020 wasn’t a disappointing enough year already, the release of the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 had turned out to be a dud, and the game has been removed from the PS Store with refunds offered to people who had purchased the game. While a lot of people online are angry that CD Projekt Red would release something that was clearly incomplete, it’s revealed that the developers who had also worked on the game are mad at the heads for marketing the release poorly.
According to Bloomberg, an ‘internal video meeting’ last week was held with the management apologizing for the poor launch. As it turns out, angry staff members had fired questions at the board for botching the release, one employee asking the board why they said the game was ‘complete and playable’ last January.
If anything, the developers had been boxed into a corner thanks to the marketing of the game, and it was said that the biggest flaw was that the deadlines set by the board of directors ‘were always unrealistic’. Besides the game getting delayed three times, developers were said to have been forced to crunch with mandatory 6-day work weeks just to meet deadlines, and when the game was released, it was still full of bugs.
CD Projekt Red directors were said they would have plans to improve production in the future, but even then they didn’t elaborate on what those plans necessarily are. As of now, it’s said that shares for CDPR are plummeting, and it’s all thanks to Cyberpunk 2077’s poor launch.
While we should expect Cyberpunk 2077 to be fixed well into the next year, it is a disappointment that the game should release under such terrible circumstances. The culture of game development has been a major source of scrutiny lately, and hopefully other studios can learn something about employee exploitation when it comes to this whole fiasco.
Cyberpunk 2077 is now available for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.


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Olive Healthcare faces legal action over violations
Olive Healthcare was found to be manufacturing enclomiphene, a drug that is approved neither in India nor elsewhere
New Delhi: Drug regulators across Monday and Tuesday raided the Daman factory of Olive Healthcare Ltd and seized drugs not approved for manufacture, two people aware of the development said.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) may initiate legal action against Olive Healthcare for various violations, the people cited above said.
The firm was found to be manufacturing enclomiphene, a drug that is approved neither in India nor elsewhere, one of the persons cited above said.
“As safety and efficacy of this drug (enclomiphene) is not proven, it is a great risk to patients’ health,” said one of the persons cited above.
According to the people mentioned above, Olive Healthcare manufactures enclomiphene, an estrogen receptor antagonist to treat testosterone deficiency in men; ulipsristal, a medication for emergency birth control and uterine fibroids; cetilistat, a drug to treat obesity; and dinogest for management of pelvic pain associated with endometriosis. All these drugs were found to be manufactured without permission.
During the raid, the company was also found to be procuring unapproved active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) illegally.
Drugmakers need approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) before launching any product.
Violations under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and rules relate to making drugs without approval for human use, putting patients’ health at risk and using bulk drugs not meant for human use for commercial purposes. According to Section 18 (c) of the D&C Act, penalty for violation is 3-5 years imprisonment and Rs1 lakh fine.
The firm had sought approval of enclomiphene and cetilistat. “However, due to lack of safety and efficacy data same were rejected in February 2015,” said the CDSCO report, following the raids. Mint has seen a copy of the report.
It was observed during the raid that the company was manufacturing products even before applying to CDSCO and despite the rejection of its application. “The said manufacturer continued to manufacture the drug and marketed it in collusion with the marketing firms,” added the notice.
According to the second of the two persons earlier mentioned, even APIs for enclomiphene manufactured and sold by a Bengaluru-based firm was not approved. “The company producing the APIs was manufacturing it under the ‘test licence’ which means they can’t use it for commercial purpose,” said the first person.
The authorities seized 46 batches of enclomiphene, with each batch containing around 3 lakh tablets, this person said. Around 7-8 kg of raw material is still available at the site, hye added.
CDSCO has already directed the company to recall the products from the market immediately. “The ministry of health and family welfare may also take up the matter with the Daman administration,” said the second person cited above.
When contacted, Olive Healthcare denied any wrongdoing and said that the raids were normal audit check by the regulators. “This is just a rumour,” an Olive Heathcare spokesperson replied to an email sent by Mint.
According to the information available on its website Olive Healthcare manufactures more than 150 different formulations in all dosage forms.
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While new and used car sales continue their slow comeback, one thing that never changes – in fact, it may be increasing, with more older cars still on the road – is consumer demand for auto service and repair.
As suggested in the Radio Advertising Bureau's “Radio Matters” blog, the way is clear for radio to, well, drive listeners to dependable oil change, tire or transmission/muffler service centers. “According to J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Aftermarket Service Index Study, vehicle owners’ satisfaction levels are low, [and] when it comes to service advisors, those levels are even lower,” RAB Senior VP/Insights Annette Malave says. “Promoting a promise of great service, waiting area comfort and more can help to eliminate doubt and improve customer perception. Radio can help to drive this message.”
The customers are certainly there, as Malave points out, citing S&P Global Mobility data showing more than 284 million vehicles currently on the road, with nearly 122 million of those more than 12 years old. “With the average aftermarket repair of 6-11 years, many vehicles will be prime for service and repair,” she notes.
As it stands, radio is already reaching most of those drivers. According to Scarborough data, the medium reaches 84% of adults who received an oil filter/oil change, 85% who purchased new tires, and 86% who repaired their transmission and more.
The real proof of radio's power comes via results of an Analytic Owl study of 140,600 radio ad campaigns from May 2022-May 2023, showing that ads increase visitor traffic to auto service websites by 5%, and up foot traffic to brick-and-mortar locations by 22%. Additionally, for every auto service spot aired, radio drives two new site visits and four new location visits.
Analytic Owl's data also shows that midday and afternoon drive are the best dayparts for auto service businesses to use for increasing web traffic, while, surprisingly, overnights deliver more new users than morning. While website activity was shown to be highest on Wednesdays, radio ads drove the highest new foot traffic to brick-and-mortar locations on Tuesdays.
“The opportunities for auto service business to increase their revenue are plentiful,” Malave says. “Auto businesses should address any possible concerns that potential customers may have about their service experience by addressing waiting area comforts, service advisor expertise and more. Using radio to communicate this information will not only accelerate activity to website and brick-and-mortar locations, but it will deliver it in a trusted environment.”


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Some solemn news for all fans and dedicated players of Pokemon Duel.
God has come to Duel. Are you ready?
The Pokemon Company announced today Pokemon Duel has been downloaded over 36 million times on smartphones.
The Pokemon Company is going all out to celebrate the 34th million download of Pokemon Duel by rewarding players with gifts throughout May 2018.
The Pokemon Company has announced mobile game Pokemon Duel has been downloaded 34 million times worldwide on both iOS and Android.
Pokemon Duel, a free to play Pokemon board game for smartphones, has surpassed 30 million downloads worldwide.
To celebrate the 1 year anniversary of Pokemon Duel, The Pokemon Company is giving away tons of gifts, Monthly Loyalty Rewards, and hosting a big sale.
The Pokemon Company has released a huge update for Pokemon Duel, a mobile strategy game for Android and iOS.


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Construction has been halted at the Van Phong Port project in central Vietnam's Khanh Hoa Province
The decline of Vinalines from a strong shipping group into what the government has called a bad example of a state-owned company has also put Vietnam's goal of becoming a sea transportation giant at risk.
As the largest port operator in the country, the group had been assigned the task of developing Van Phong, a multi-billion dollar seaport in central Vietnam that would help the country become a trade hub like Hong Kong or Singapore.
But without enough money, construction of the international transshipment seaport in Khanh Hoa Province stalled a few months after it began in October 2009.
Following several failed attempts to kick-start the project, the government last month decided to halt construction and look for new investors to replace Vinalines, which is now mired in huge losses and one of the biggest corporate corruption scandals in the country over the past few years.
Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Hong Truong said his ministry has ordered Vinalines to review its work so far and proposed that the government seek assistance from foreign consultants.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority from the Netherlands has agreed to help Vietnam come up with new strategies and after a new plan has been finalized, the country will invite local and foreign investors to join the project, he said.
Vietnam plans to have 39 seaports by 2020, and Van Phong is one of the most important parts of this network.
Due to the lack of deep-water seaports to accommodate large vessels, shipments from Vietnam have to be transported by small ships that will gather somewhere else in the region where the goods are put on heavy-weight ships for a longer journey.
The general idea is that Van Phong would facilitate trading, with a designed capacity to accommodate ships of 15,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, or twice the size of the largest ship that most current ports in Vietnam can handle. According to the World Bank, ports and terminal handling takes three days for exports and four days for imports in Vietnam, compared to just one day in Singapore.
The government also hopes that the port, which carries a cost projection of US$3.6 billion, can take over the role of a regional transport center and in the process boost the economy in central Vietnam.
But now, with the fate of the project uncertain, experts have expressed concerns about these goals.
Nguyen Manh Ung, deputy general director of Portcoast Consultant Corporation, which provided the basic design and carried out the feasibility study for the project, said Van Phong is supposed to compete against other international transshipment terminals, but prolonged delays could blunt its challenge.
Vinalines has failed to attract foreign investment, which was said to be key to the project's success, he said.
If it loses out to regional ports, Van Phong will not be chosen by shippers to even handle shipments from Vietnam, Ung said, noting that the port sits in the middle of Cai Mep-Thi Vai, a port area close to Ho Chi Minh City, and the upcoming Lach Huyen International Seaport in the northern city of Hai Phong.
"Goods from northern and southern economic hubs could just go straight to these two major ports before heading out and shipping lines will have no reason to pass through Van Phong," he said.
Hoang Dinh Phi, deputy director of the management board of the Van Phong Economic Zone Authority, said the whole zone is waiting to be "triggered" by the port, so its delay will have a certain effect on other projects.
The zone has attracted $14.2 billion into 120 projects, including a $2 billion power plant and a
$4.5 billion oil refinery and petrochemical complex, he said.
Chu Quang Thu, former director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, said the project is no longer as attractive as it used to be since transshipment ports in Hong Kong, Singapore and especially mainland China have grown strongly.
As a late entrant, Van Phong will face a tough fight against these ports and it can only attract enough shippers if it offers lower fees, Thu said.
But Thu also said the country should not give up on the project, even though delays would reduce its chance of success.
Van Phong has a great location, and with favorable policies, foreign investors will come and turn it into a major shipping hub, he said.
Analysts estimate that a year of delay will cost the project an extra $100 million, not to mention a VND20 billion ($960,000) bill for the original project design that may have to be replaced.
Vinalines posted losses of VND1.44 trillion ($69.1 million) in the first half of this year, blaming the downturn in the sea transport industry for its poor performance. Several senior executives of the company have been arrested for alleged financial mismanagement.
Its former chief, Duong Chi Dung, was arrested in a neighboring country last month after an international manhunt. Before being wanted by police, Dung headed the Vietnam Maritime Administration, which oversees the whole sea transport sector.
Industry insiders say that many seaports have not been able to attract enough shippers even after sharp rate cuts and were suffering losses. The ports in Cai Mep-Thi Vai, for instance, have each faced losses of between $6 million and $30 million since the second half of last year.
Ngo Minh Tuan, deputy director of Tan Cang-Saigon, a major port in Ho Chi Minh City, said investors had been too optimistic, launching many new port projects in 2006 and 2007, but transportation demand turned out to be lower than expected.
The problem is while many ports are struggling, new ports continue to pop up, he said. Building and expanding ports will just make the oversupply problem more serious, he warned.
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Arizona's first bitcoin machine broken by lightning strike
The electricity in the air over Arizona's first bitcoin ATM proved too much for the machine, which was knocked out of commission after lightning struck Bookmans Entertainment Exchange in Tucson Friday said Brian Williams, founder of Javelin Investments LLC and the machine's owner and operator.
It appears the building was struck by lightning and that in turn caused a power surge knocking out some of the ATM's core components, Williams said.
"It's kind of like getting punched in the face. I'm trying to pick up the pieces and trying to figure out where we are at," Williams said.
Bitcoin is a decentralized virtual currency, also known as a cryptocurrency, first introduced in 2009. The currency is recognized as one of the most prominent forms of digital currencies and is currently valued at around $600 per coin.
Williams had just installed the state's first bitcoin ATM, one of only 25 in the U.S. and 145 worldwide, two weeks earlier on Monday, March 14 at Bookmans Entertainment Exchange on west Ina Road in Tucson.
The bitcoin ATM was also William's first, a $1,000 machine he purchased from Oregon-based startup, Skyhook, to see if Arizona residents are interested in using the cryptocurency to make purchases.
About a dozen people used the ATM while it was in service. Most used the machines to buy between $5 and $20 worth of bitcoin, which is then transferred into a digital wallet on the user's phone by scanning a QR code. One person even bought an entire bitcoin, valued around $600, but the amount was so large that Williams ended up doing the exchange in-person using laptops.
Purchasing bitcoins at an ATM is faster and more convenient than purchasing the digital currency online where they need to undergo multiple bank account verifications and wire transfers, Williams said.
People can then use the currency to make purchases at agrowing number of businesses including certain Subway franchises, Newegg, WordPress, Amazon, Soundcloud, OKCupid, an Arizona charity and an Arizona-based company, Arizona's Printer Services Inc.
"We haven't got a whole of bitcoins, but we figured it's another market." said Rod Smith, vice president of Arizona's Printer Services Inc.
Arizona's Printer Services started using bitcoin about 2 years ago, Smith said. Despite most bitcoin owners using the currency to make online purchases, Smith believes that the digital currency is best used when making face-to-face transactions using smartphones, he said.
"The best place to use it, is face to face, if you know who you are dealing with at the other end, it's not a problem," Smith said. "It's going to start going brick and mortar, it's a no-brainer."
At the moment, Williams, the bitcoin ATM owner, is back to the drawing board.
Williams is in the process of determining the damage done to the machine. While he can't be sure that the damage was caused by a lightning strike, he is certain that the surge didn't affect anyone's accounts, including his own, and was able to recover all of the hard currency in the machine, he said.
He also knows that a power surge affected one of the machine's core components. Now he's trying to learn if the surge also affected the machine's bill acceptor and touchscreen interface, Williams said.
"It was a totally avoidable thing. Everything was going great. The community was getting kind of excited about it," Williams said. "The main thing I want is to apologize to anyone that was inconvenienced."
Williams said he hopes he can get the bitcoin ATM up and running again by the end of the week.


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Today, the Tropicana Casino's parent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. While this is probably not the correct time to invest in casino stocks, it does signal a key investment strategy: Buy on Bad News.
Frankly, it amazes me how many people want to buy into the hot markets when profits are gushing and P/E ratios are outrageous.
My philosophy for individual stocks or other targeted investments, buy on things that have been beaten down and have the potential to bounce back.
Good Example: The Gaming industry is probably to take a beating in the short run. Now is the time to start shopping for that "good buy" at a "good price" at the right time.
Bad Example: Landline phone companies. Every US phone company will tell you they are losing landline customers by the boatload. They are all investing in their wireless and internet platforms and disinvesting in landline businesses. Do not invest in the modern version of the buggy whip company. While landlines will be around for another 50 years or more, they are unlikely to ever "bounce back."


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Dawnne Sulaitis sections Drive Video Food drive at a Wal Mart store pre black friday deals is once again stirring up a bit of controversy the food collected certainly won't a shelter shall Wal Mart employees.
For the second year in a row mens boots black friday sale food is being collected for workers in neat as we are heading into dec holidays. But then green then it's raising some eyebrows many wondering why employees of one of several richest retailers in any hemisphere. We help getting food the group making change at Wal Mart says it is best thanksgiving sales being introduced on by low wages paid by the retail giant. Madonna was the kind of food drive at a store in Midwest City, Oklahoma this year's says it is primarily about showing compassion for others. This year to a for web shops 300 or so staff is in crisis. Full time Wal Mart employees make an average of just about black friday angebote thirteen dollars an hour Wal Mart just and the donation efforts are not organized by the firm.
But by business team. Company also says is proud of the jobs they have their associates. This records has been promptly generated and may not be 100% accurate.
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The Sara Lee Corporation said on Tuesday that it would sell its North American bakery business to Grupo Bimbo of Mexico for $925 million, the latest move to shrink what was once a sprawling company with a product lineup including hot dogs and underwear.
After the sale, in which Bimbo will also assume $34 million in debt, Sara Lee will focus on meats and coffee, with brands like Hillshire Farm lunch meat and Senseo coffee pods.
The North American bakery unit generated $2.13 billion in sales in the fiscal year that ended Oct. 2, out of $10.79 billion for the entire company.
“It was not a make-it-or-break-it piece for Sara Lee,” said Timothy Ramey, an analyst at D. A. Davidson. He said that the company might look more attractive without that low-margin business, which has been pressured by higher wheat costs and discounts on supermarket store shelves.
Because of the sale of the bakery business, Sara Lee said it planned to accelerate its share buyback plans. It expects to complete the repurchase of $2.5 billion to $3 billion in stock by July 2012.
For Bimbo, the acquisition is part of its push to become one of the largest players in North American bakeries. The company bought the United States bread-making unit of George Weston Ltd. of Canada for $2.38 billion in December 2008.Continue reading the main story
The companies expect the deal to close in the first half of 2011.
Sara Lee also reported first-quarter results and said its income fell to $194 million, or 29 cents a share, from $287 million, or 41 cents a share, in the period a year earlier.
Sales in the period, which ended Oct. 2 and was the first quarter of its fiscal year, fell 0.5 percent, to $2.58 billion.
Shares of Sara Lee, which is based in Downers Grove, Ill., rose 41 cents, to $15.21.Continue reading the main story


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Wayne, N.J. – Babies "R" Us announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with TheBump.com, a leading pregnancy and parenting website that offers advice, ideas, resources and support to first-time parents as they navigate pregnancy.
Under the arrangement, Babies “R” Us’ registry will now be available to a new, expanded audience of moms-to-be who can create and share their registry directly from TheBump.com via its gift registry center.
In addition, the patented registry search tool on TheBump.com allows friends and family to easily find Babies "R" Us registrants' lists and buy them a gift. The partnership will continue to evolve and develop over time.
"When a mom-to-be learns she is expecting, she is eager to obtain information and recommendations from trusted parenting resources. Time and again, millions of moms have turned to both Babies "R" Us and The Bump throughout their journey to motherhood," said Peter Reiner, senior VP, marketing, Toys "R" Us, U.S. "Through this partnership, we are pleased to extend the reach of our Babies "R" Us Registry even further, and allow parents convenient and efficient access to create, build and share their registries with their loved ones through a respected and reputable site."
The two brands will support the partnership with a comprehensive cross-promotional program, inclusive of digital advertising, signage, registry materials and via The Bump My Pregnancy Calendar mobile app and newsletters, among other avenues.


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This is a very important announcement for ICICI Bank customers. Transaction fees are set to change from next month. ICICI Bank has issued a major announcement in this regard. ICICI Bank’s currency transactions, check rates and ATM fees will change. That’s right how much these fees have been increased.
When looking at cash transaction fees, the first 4 transactions per month are declared free. Thereafter a fee of Rs.150 is charged for each transaction. Depending on the value, a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh per month can be transacted at a branch with a bank account. When it exceeds that, you have to pay a fee of Rs.5 per 1000 rupees.
Permission to make only Rs. 25,000 per day when transacting through a third party. It will not be allowed beyond that. Accordingly, for every transaction above Rs. 25,000, a fee of Rs. (subject to a minimum of Rs 150) Senior citizens will have a daily limit of Rs 25,000 per day. But there is no charge for more transactions.
The first 3 transactions are free in six cities including Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Apart from these the first 5 transactions per month in other areas are free. The maximum transaction fee is Rs.20 per financial transaction and Rs. 8.50 for non-financial transactions.
There is no charge for 25 checks a year. A book of more than 10 checks will be charged at Rs. 20. This includes the GST fee in addition to the above fee.
Follow us to get the latest news.


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News mentioning Michael Woods
Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler and Ben Klock are all billed for the first edition of the event, taking place at Lotherton Hall in September.
Reboot, Josh Wink and a dozen other artists have been added to the bill for the New York festival.
The Swedish young gun's first mix CD draws exclusively from Strictly Rhythm's catalogue.
The Slovenian DJ takes the reins of Toolroom Records' next compilation.
A new album from the masked producer will hit stores in December.
The double-header mix CD is due for release next month.Search news for Michael Woods


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SCARBOROUGH — Starting Tuesday, residents in Scarborough will be able to have their beer delivered straight to their door, saving them from having to go out into the barren suburban sprawl that they toil in.
“Getting beer delivered sure beats the old method,” beamed Scarborough resident David Smith. Smith went on to describe how he normally takes a bus to “some godforsaken plaza” so he can wait for another bus that takes him to “a second godforsaken plaza with a Beer Store.”
The community of Scarborough, which residents lovingly describe as “basically Bowling Alleys, No Frills, and The Zoo”, is part of a limited pilot project, according to Beer Store District Manager Mario Di Paolo.
“Research over the next few months will help us determine if similar communities will benefit from our humanitarian service,” Di Paolo told reporters, “How much better can we make life for the citizens of Scarborough? Would home delivery ease the ennui of living in a Matrix-like ocean of identical subdivisions? Would it make it less stressful to back into narrow parking lot plazas that must have been designed by a malevolent sadist? Or would it simply help citizens get drunk enough to ignore that weird smell at Parkway Mall?”
Di Paolo revealed provincial officials had initially planned to make Beer Stores more accessible to Scarborough by placing them inside subways stops. “But then we realized that the Scarborough subway is decades away, if it ever actually gets built.” Di Paolo added, “Yet another reason the people of Scarborough need home beer delivery, now.”
Residents in Scarborough have been receptive to the idea, holding a town hall to brainstorm ways the new beer delivery service could improve their self-soothing techniques.
“We could drink ‘til we forget all our problems,” suggested secretary, Gladys Jones, “We could drink ‘til we actually like bowling.”
As of reporting, Downtown Toronto residents were scoffing at the idea of living in the suburbs, whilst walking to their nearest Beer Store with their seven roommates.


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Twitter is killing Fleets less than a year after launching the Stories-like feature to all its users. All Fleets will disappear for the final time on August 3rd.
The short lived feature was at times controversial. Soon after it rolled out to all Twitter users last November, many raised questions about how the feature could be used to target others for harassment. Others questioned whether Twitter really needed a “Stories” feature of its own.
In a blog post, Twitter VP of Product Ilya Brown said the company hadn’t “seen an increase in the number of new people joining the conversation with Fleets like we hoped.” Brown added that Spaces will continue to get placement at the top of users’ timelines and that the company is still analyzing the full-screen ads it started testing in Fleets last month (Twitter hinted at the time that the new ad format could eventually make its way to other places in the service, too).
Both Brown and Twitter Product Lead Kayvon Beykpour pointed out that “winding down features every once in awhile” is something the company fully anticipates as it tries to reinvent itself. Twitter has been working on a number of new features that could dramatically change its service – including subscriptions and paid features for creators — and has publicly previewed several new ideas it’s considering in recent months.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi provided a written message at the Jump Festa 2022 event in regards to when will the manga end.
It was announced at the Jump Festa 2022 event that the upcoming Chainsaw Man anime and the manga's upcoming second part, "School Arc" will both get a 2022 release.
It was announced at the Kamen Rider 50th Anniversary and Beyond panel at this year's San Diego Comic Con Special Edition that the Kamen Rider Kuuga manga will get an English language.
It was announced at the November issue of this year's Ultra Jump that the new JoJo's Bizarre Adventure spin-off manga will launch this December.
It was announced at this year's 45th issue of Weekly Young Jump magazine that the Kaguya-sama: Love is War manga will enter its final arc.
It was announced at the 43rd issue of this year's Weekly Shon Jump that Boichi and Riichirou Inagaki's Dr. Stone manga will enter its final arc.
The official Yu-Gi-Oh! website announced that in commemoration of the original manga's 25th anniversary, Konami will release the Ultimate Kaiba Set.


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Dogecoin Surges by 12.63% as Token Launches on Coinbase Pro
Coinbase, the top US cryptocurrency exchange, announced today that Dogecoin would be `available for trading on Coinbase Pro accounts.
- Jun 02, 2021 06:40
Coinbase, the top US cryptocurrency exchange, announced today that Dogecoin would be available for trading on Coinbase Pro accounts.
All Coinbase-supported jurisdictions will provide support for Dogecoin (DOGE). If liquidity conditions are fulfilled, trading will start at or after 9 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on June 3.
Currently, the token is not available yet for trading on Coinbase.com or Coinbase's mobile apps.
However, Coinbase officially stated that Coinbase Pro, as the professional trading department of the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange, is now accepting inbound transfers from DOGE to Coinbase Pro. Lay the foundation for the subsequent trading of meme-based digital assets.
Coinbase Pro, the professional trading department of the Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange, has accepting inbound transfers of Dogecoin (DOGE), laying the foundation for the broader adoption of meme-based digital assets.
The platform will be divided into three phases, including post-only, limit-only, and full transaction to support DOGE-USD, DOGE-BTC, DOGE-EUR, DOGE-GBP, and full transaction DOGE-USDT order book transactions after accumulating enough dogecoin. The platform states that:
"If at any point one of the new order books does not meet our assessment for a healthy and orderly market, we may keep the book in one state for a longer period of time or suspend trading as per our Trading Rules."
Dogecoin is an altcoin cryptocurrency founded in 2013 based on the popular Doge meme. DOGE is one of the more colourful coins on the cryptocurrency spectrum.
Dogecoin has penetrated the mainstream, endorsed by Elon Musk, but other celebrities such as the billionaire boss Mark Cuban have also embraced the joke cryptocurrency.
According to Coinmarketcap, dogecoin ranks as the 6th largest cryptocurrency, with a market capitalisation of $48,364,910,258.
Dogecoin undoubtedly will be benefited from a positive effect by being listed in the Coinbase Pro. The token has a strong performance in the past 24 hours, increasing by 12.63%.
As early as May 14, Coinbase revealed that it plans to list Dogecoin within the next two months.
Coinbase announced the launch of dogecoin in just three weeks, which also proved the dogecoin market boom.
Image source: Shutterstock


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Disney announced yet another round of price increases for access to its streaming channels which also include Hulu and ESPN+, during a Wednesday, August 9, 2023 results call. Despite the fact that the number of its Disney+ subscribers declined by more than 10 million viewers in the third fiscal quarter of the firm, which ended on July 1.
How Much Price Did the Disney Raise for Streaming Services?
In an effort to boost corporate profitability, Disney is hiking the pricing for practically all of its streaming services. Starting on October 12, the price of Disney+ without commercials will increase by 27% to $13.99 per month.
Disney+ will continue to cost $7.99 a month with ads. Beginning Nov. 1, Disney will also extend its ad-tier service to a few markets in Canada and Europe. Disney is raising the cost of Hulu without advertisements by 20% to $17.99 per month. Hulu with advertisements will continue to cost $7.99 per month.
Comparatively, the monthly cost of Netflix’s regular package without ads is $15.49. Max from Warner Bros. Discovery is $15.99 a month. You can check out the below post in which you can see the list of increased prices.
Disney announces new price hikes for their streaming services:
• Disney+ without ads will have a price increase from $10.99 to $13.99 per month for US customers.
• Hulu without ads will increase from $14.99 to $17.99 per month. pic.twitter.com/AMX9HxWdqP
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 9, 2023
Disney believes its video library can compete with both Netflix and Max, as seen by its choice to price Disney+ almost as expensive as those services’ commercial-free counterparts and charge even more for Hulu. Disney CEO Bob Iger purposefully priced the specialized family service at $6.99 per month when he introduced Disney+ in 2019, making it less expensive than Netflix.
Customers can pay $19.99 per month in a new “premium duo” package for Disney+ and Hulu without advertisements saving them $12 per month. The commencement date for that offer is September 6. The $9.99 monthly cost of the Disney+ and Hulu combo with commercials won’t change.
Disney also raised the cost of its package which includes Disney+ (ad-free), Hulu (ad-free) and ESPN+ (with advertising), from $19.99 per month to $24.99 per month. The monthly cost of the $14.99 all-product package with advertising represents an increase of $2.
Take a look at the below tweet for increase prices:
Disney+ Premium, and Hulu Premium will increase in price by $3 each
$10.99 to $13.99 Disney+
$14.99 to $17.99 Hulu
The Bundle is moving to $24.99 pic.twitter.com/Xahe06B5Mb
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) August 9, 2023
Disney reported a $512 million loss for the third quarter of its fiscal year. 800,000 new customers to Disney+, excluding Hotstar in India were gained during that time. With Hotstar excluded, there were around 146 million Disney+ subscribers at the end of the third quarter.
Disney is also raising the monthly cost of Hulu + Live TV with Ads from $69.99 to $76.99. The monthly cost of the ad-free Hulu + Live TV will increase to $89.99 from $82.99.
NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, has reportedly lost more than $650 million, to know more about it you can read our below post:
What Did Iger Say About the Disney Prices?
Disney upped the monthly cost of Disney+ by $3 last year. Iger confessed that he was surprised by the low number of service cancellations caused by the price hike. Iger stated on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 during Disney’s earnings call:
“We took a pretty significant price increase at Disney+ sometime late in 2022, and we really didn’t see significant churn or loss of subs because of that which was actually heartening.”
Iger pointed out that by maintaining the same fees for those services, Disney is consciously attempting to push consumers toward its ad-supported services. Iger stated that the streaming advertising environment is more favorable than that of conventional linear TV.
Iger stated on the call that since the service’s December launch, Disney has added 3.3 million customers for the country. According to him, the advertising tier has been chosen by almost 40% of new Disney+ users.
Even if the next Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes threaten to disrupt its supply of material, Disney is now wagering that consumers would pay more for its streaming services.
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Cloud infrastructure automation platform HashiCorp announced better-than-expected results in the Q1 FY2024 quarter, with revenue up 36.8% year on year to $138 million. However, guidance for the next quarter was less impressive, coming in at $138 million at the midpoint, being 2.71% below analyst estimates. HashiCorp made a GAAP loss of $53.3 million, improving on its loss of $78.2 million, in the same quarter last year.
Is now the time to buy HashiCorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.
HashiCorp (HCP) Q1 FY2024 Highlights:
- Revenue: $138 million vs analyst estimates of $133.1 million (3.65% beat)
- EPS (non-GAAP): -$0.07 vs analyst estimates of -$0.14
- Revenue guidance for Q2 2024 is $138 million at the midpoint, below analyst estimates of $141.8 million
- The company dropped revenue guidance for the full year, from $593 million to $567 million at the midpoint, a 4.38% decrease
- Free cash flow of $744 thousand, up from negative free cash flow of $1.11 million in previous quarter
- Net Revenue Retention Rate: 127%, down from 131% previous quarter
- Customers: 4,392, up from 4,131 in previous quarter
- Gross Margin (GAAP): 80.6%, in line with same quarter last year
“HashiCorp remains focused on its role as a partner to the Global 2000 as they transition to the cloud, and, despite the difficult macroeconomic environment, we saw meaningful progress with new customers in the first quarter,” said Dave McJannet, CEO, HashiCorp.
Initially created as a research project at the University of Washington, HashiCorp (NASDAQ:HCP) provides software that helps companies operate their own applications in a multi-cloud environment.
As Marc Andreessen says, "software is eating the world" which means the volume of software produced is exploding. But building software is complex and difficult work which drives demand for software tools that help increase the speed, quality, and security of software deployment.
As you can see below, HashiCorp's revenue growth has been impressive over the last two years, growing from quarterly revenue of $66.9 million in Q1 FY2022, to $138 million.
And unsurprisingly, this was another great quarter for HashiCorp with revenue up 36.8% year on year. But the growth did slow down compared to last quarter, as the revenue increased by just $2.2 million in Q1, compared to $10.4 million in Q4 2023. We'd like to see revenue increase by a greater amount each quarter, but a one-off fluctuation is usually not concerning.
Guidance for the next quarter indicates HashiCorp is expecting revenue to grow 21.2% year on year to $138 million, slowing down from the 51.6% year-over-year increase in revenue the company had recorded in the same quarter last year. Ahead of the earnings results the analysts covering the company were estimating sales to grow 22.3% over the next twelve months.
In volatile times like these we look for robust businesses with strong pricing power. Unknown to most investors, this company is one of the highest-quality software companies in the world, and their software products have been the default standard in critical industries for decades. The result is an impressive business that is up an incredible 18,152% since the IPO. You can find it on our platform for free.
One of the best things about software as a service businesses (and a reason why they trade at such high multiples) is that customers tend to spend more with the company over time.
HashiCorp's net revenue retention rate, an important measure of how much customers from a year ago were spending at the end of the quarter, was at 127% in Q1. That means even if they didn't win any new customers, HashiCorp would have grown its revenue 27% year on year. Despite the recent drop this is still a great retention rate and a clear proof of a great product. We can see that HashiCorp's customers are very satisfied with their software and are using it more and more over time.
Key Takeaways from HashiCorp's Q1 Results
Since it has still been burning cash over the last twelve months it is worth keeping an eye on HashiCorp’s balance sheet, but we note that with a market capitalization of $6.8 billion and more than $1.29 billion in cash, the company has the capacity to continue to prioritise growth over profitability.
It was good to see HashiCorp outperform Wall St’s revenue expectations this quarter. That feature of these results really stood out as a positive. On the other hand, it was unfortunate to see that HashiCorp's revenue guidance for the next quarter and full year missed analysts' expectations. Overall, this quarter's results could have been better. The company is down 26.7% on the results and currently trades at $25.49 per share.
HashiCorp may have had a tough quarter, but does that actually create an opportunity to invest right now? It is important that you take into account its valuation and business qualities, as well as what happened in the latest quarter. We look at that in our actionable report which you can read here, it's free.
One way to find opportunities in the market is to watch for generational shifts in the economy. Almost every company is slowly finding itself becoming a technology company and facing cybersecurity risks and as a result, the demand for cloud-native cybersecurity is skyrocketing. This company is leading a massive technological shift in the industry and with revenue growth of 70% year on year and best-in-class SaaS metrics it should definitely be on your radar.
The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.


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Galaxy Digital CEO calls blockchain the salvation from dipfakes
Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz called blockchain and cryptocurrencies the salvation from the threats posed by the development of AI
Mike Novogratz believes that cryptocurrencies will help combat identification problems that may arise from the proliferation of dipfakes created by artificial intelligence
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain will play a huge role in combating the threats posed by the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz said during a conference call with company shareholders. According to him, there will soon be a huge number of dipfakes (fake photos and videos) created by AI, which will lead to a crisis in the field of identification.
Crypto-regulation and the use of blockchain technology were brought up in the discussion. Novogratz said that one of the best uses for them could be identity identification in the age of AI.
"In many ways, one of the best uses of cryptocurrencies will be identity identification in the era of AI development, because very soon you're going to get a fake Mike Novogratz. The dipfake world will become much more common, and how do you prove your identity in such a world?
At the same time, he noted that the government spends a lot of time trying to regulate cryptocurrencies, but fails to notice the risks posed by the development of AI.
Earlier more than 1 thousand famous scientists and engineers, including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, published an open letter calling to suspend the training of artificial intelligence systems, more powerful than GPT-4, at least for six months.
Studies have shown that such systems competing with humans could pose a serious danger to humanity, the statement said.
Cryptocurrency companies have also begun to use AI technology. The Coinbase exchange tested ChatGPT as a tool to verify tokens before a possible listing and compared the results to a standard verification procedure. The results showed that ChatGPT has not yet reached the desired level of accuracy, but showed enough potential that Coinbase will continue to explore.


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In separate incidents on opposite coasts last week, the seriously thin became a serious issue. Celebutante Nicole Richie was arrested Dec...
In separate incidents on opposite coasts last week, the seriously thin became a serious issue.
Celebutante Nicole Richie was arrested Dec. 11 for driving under the influence after she was spotted driving the wrong way on a Los Angeles freeway. According to the booking sheet, the 25-year-old star of “The Simple Life” is 5-feet-1 and 85 pounds.
By coincidence the next day, designer Diane von Furstenberg, in her capacity as president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, sent the organization’s members a letter urging them to take a position on the issue of underweight models. Her letter followed a meeting last week of industry leaders such as Vogue editor Anna Wintour, designers Derek Lam and Vera Wang, and health and nutrition experts.
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The letter called dangerously thin models a “global fashion issue.” Von Furstenberg wrote that “as designers, we cannot ignore the impact fashion has on body image. We share a responsibility to protect women, and very young girls in particular, within the industry, sending the message that health is beauty.”
Forty years after the Twiggy era, critics might say that message is coming too late. Thinness has become so deeply ingrained in our food-obsessed culture that the ultra-thin standards of beauty have infiltrated the psyche of nearly every public and private figure, whether a teenage model or a red-carpet-strolling actress.
At the extreme, a preoccupation with weight leads to eating disorders, which affect nearly 7 million women and 1 million men, an epidemic level according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders of Highland Park, Ill.
Alarming recent events have put the gaunt under increased scrutiny. In August, a model in Uruguay collapsed on the runway and died of heart failure, possibly from being underweight. In September, the organizers of fashion week in Madrid, Spain, issued the world’s first catwalk ban on models who didn’t meet a minimum body mass ratio of 18, a number calculated on height and weight that would exclude Kate Moss. In November, a 21-year-old Brazilian model, Ana Carolina Reston, died in a Sao Paulo hospital from complications of anorexia. She was 5-feet-8 and weighed 88 pounds. Brazil has joined the campaign to create guidelines.
After initially refusing to follow Madrid’s standards, representatives of the Italian government and its fashion trade group, the Camera Nazionale della Moda, said last week that they would establish minimums for the weight and age of models. The rules would take effect with February’s shows, making Milan the first fashion capital to embrace such guidelines. Fashion houses that don’t abide might be prevented from showing.
Von Furstenberg said it’s important that the American industry join the dialogue: “We have an opportunity to help, and I think we have to seize that opportunity.”
Richie’s well-publicized shrinking frame has again caused concern that she has become an unhealthy fashion role model, particularly since she has become ubiquitous in style and celebrity magazines and television shows.
The anorexia association is drafting a news release that will encourage the United States fashion industry to acknowledge its responsibility in promoting ultra-thinness and take a leadership role to prevent abuses, said spokesman Keith Sanderson.
“We’re urging those in the industry to think before they glamorize the ultra-thin,” he said. “Anorexia nervosa kills. No other mental illness matches eating disorders for killing you.”
Michael Strober, director of the Eating Disorders Program at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles, warned against linking fashion or celebrity imagery with anorexia. The disease has many complex causes, including genetics. And there is no proven link between the disease and the effect of fashion or the media.
“I don’t think you can assume that there will be a dramatic protective effect if the fashion industry alters its standard of the body aesthetic,” he said. Still, Strober called the measures “a useful step forward because it calls attention to the issue.”
Designer David Meister said the issue of underweight models gets distorted because so much attention is paid to a few “that the normal ones are ignored.”
Banning skinny models can only go so far. One need only listen in on chatter in Los Angeles dressing rooms, lunch crowds and beauty salons to know that this is a city obsessed with physical ideals. The list of anorexia symptoms from the anorexia association sounds like a description of standard L.A. party chatter: a preoccupation with food, weight and the body; unrelenting fear of gaining weight; distorted body image.
In questions of weight, it’s an ever-losing game. Celebrities are bashed for being “fat” — think Mariah Carey or Alicia Silverstone — when they may still be pounds thinner than the average American. When they reduce, they’re criticized for being too thin.
“Showbiz Tonight,” on CNN Headline News, has a twice-weekly feature on Hollywood’s obsession with weight and body image. Regular cover stories on mainstream magazines such as People and US Weekly intensely scrutinize every curve or bump. In recent months, People’s cover headlines have screamed: “Kate’s Body After Baby,” “Shockingly Thin,” “How Kirstie Lost 71 Lbs.” and “American Idol’s Katharine McPhee: ‘My Battle With Bulimia.’ “
There are encouraging signs that the fashion and entertainment industries could be getting past their thin obsessions. Just look at the curvy Jennifers — Lopez, Garner and “Dreamgirls” newcomer Hudson — who return the definition of femininity to its sensuous and assertive origins. It’s a message that could go a long way, said Von Furstenberg.
“I always think it’s a good idea to promote health,” she said. “I believe in strong women.”