text:
The properties of blockchain, like immutability and being a distributed network, makes it an attractive underlying platform for future innovations. It might be too early to say, but blockchain might prove to be a technology as disrupting as the internet was.
The recent spread of COVID-19 has shaken the world. Researchers are keen to use blockchain technology to fight the challenges related to medical science, supply chain, and dealing with user data. There is a need for a trusted platform to help with these daunting challenges.
Supply chains have been significantly disrupted during the crisis. COVID highlighted issues in the world trade mechanism that nobody could have foreseen. In the past few months, there was no gateway to track the supplies, such as medical kits or even online orders. The general lack of global connectivity became a hindrance to fast and efficient sourcing of goods across the border.
When it comes to supply and demand, the main issue is tracking the product as it passes through various geographical regions. The current system is complex, inefficient, and not transparent. Blockchain could completely transform the system and help dealing with scenarios similar to the current pandemic situation.
Blockchain is completely connected and transparent. There is no central authority and its system of incentives increases the efficiency of the overall process. For example, the food market already use blockchain to ensure that supplies arrive on time. Big giants like IBM and SAP use blockchain to simplify and accelerate supplier qualification and to take new suppliers on board. There is no need for trust between supplier and business when blockchain is used.
The outdated medical surveillance system failed to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In some places, there was no such system. If there was, it was outdated. An aggressive approach was needed to share the data globally in order to contain the virus, but no such system existed, and the required prevention measures were taken too late in some countries.
Eventually, blockchain took over and big firms like Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, and Hacera started entering into the field. The World Health Organization joined hands to come up with a data hub and sharing platform. The main goal of the platform is to diagnose people with Covid-19 quickly and efficiently.
Besides this, various apps are designed to track the spread of the virus and see if the people around you are infected or not. MYNXG has developed an app that uses NFC (Near Field Communications) technology and alerts people if there is an infected person in their contact list. The app makes sure that user data is secure. Acoer is also working on tools to track the spread of the virus.
When it comes to healthcare, efficient data sharing on behalf of hospitals and healthcare centers play a vital role. Unfortunately, there is no such system that exists. National Healthcare systems only realized the importance of such a system after the virus outbreak. Blockchain technology enables the user to keep their data secure and maintain control over it. Data leaks could cause severe issues if not appropriately handled. Features like decentralization, i.e. there is no single source of data, make it difficult for single individuals to temper or leak data.
When it comes to reliability and security of user data, the blockchain could help in the following ways in the current pandemic.
- Health Services could develop smart contracts to regulate the relationship between patient and medical professional. The contract could contain information like who has access to data, thus improving efficiency with faster diagnoses. For example, we could gather data from patients who recovered from the virus and share the data for research purposes.
- As information on blockchain is temper proof, data will remain safe. No-one could steal them, or use them for illicit activity.
The virus spreads via physical cash payments. The World Health Organization is encouraging and advising the use of digital currencies. The cashless payments could be in the form of online card transactions or cryptocurrencies.
Governments who are keen to develop their digital cash systems using digital currencies have started to think about blockchain technology. In the current pandemic, people are making digital transactions more than usual, and over time we might see it becomes a norm to use them frequently instead of cash payments.
Another issue that came as a result of the ongoing crisis is related to the insurance sector. Insurance companies needed a fast and efficient solution for faster insurance payouts. Such major insurance companies like Blue Cross are using blockchain to reduce the lengthy paperwork and use blockchain to manage multiple transactions at a given time.
Apps based on smart contracts make it easier for customers to receive payments and settle disputes. The current economic conditions are affecting almost everyone around the world. When millions or billions of users want to claim insurance, the blockchain could prove to be the solution.
The current COVID 19 crisis has shown the world that crisis could take place at any time and place. There is no warning, and the containment of these kinds of crisis is not easy to do.
When it comes to the question of the role of blockchain, it cannot stop the crisis, but it has the potential to become the first line of defense for the pandemics. It could predict the time and location of outbreaks based on the data and fast-tracking solution.
It will take time and research to make blockchain efficient enough to become a global defense management platform, but we are on the right track already!


text:
agreed Wednesday to buy control of European rival
NV for about €5.49 billion ($6.1 billion), in a move that would further cement the Ray-Ban maker’s global position as the leading manufacturer and retailer of eyewear and lenses.
The deal comes after EssilorLuxottica disclosed earlier in July its talks to acquire the almost 77% stake from
NV, a holding company. EssilorLuxottica said that after completing the HAL transaction it would seek to buy out the rest of GrandVision, which could ultimately value the Dutch company at more than €7.15 billion.
EssilorLuxottica, based in Paris, was created last year from the €46.3 billion merger between Italian sunglasses maker Luxottica and French lens manufacturer Essilor. That tie-up allowed the two companies to access each other’s markets of frames and lenses without competing.
It didn’t, however, address the competitive shortcomings of the combined company’s network of stores that offer optical services and products ranging from eye testing to contact lenses. An acquisition of GrandVision, a big optical retailer, is meant to help fill that gap.
EssilorLuxottica operates more than 9,000 stores, with a large presence in North America through brands like LenCrafters and Pearle Vision, as well as in parts of Asia and Latin America. However, with the exception of Italy, the company’s retail network in Europe is relatively small.
The acquisition of Grandvision would give EssilorLuxottica access to about 5,300 stores across Europe that the Dutch company operates as part of a global network of more than 7,200 outlets. GrandVision oversees 30 retail banners including Vision Express in the U.K. and Apollo in Germany.
GrandVision, meanwhile, could benefit from accessing EssilorLuxottica’s bigger retail network in the U.S. to reach a broader customer base. The greater scale would also allow the companies to pool their e-commerce offerings as they seek to address growing consumer demand to shop online.
In European trading, GrandVision’s stock was up 5.2% at €26.68 following news of the deal.
The acquisition is dependent on meeting various conditions including antitrust clearance. EssilorLuxottica agreed to increase its per-share offering by 1.5% to €28.42 from the current offer of €28 if the deal with HAL doesn’t close within 12 months. That increase is recognition of the strong retail presence EssilorLuxottica and GrandVision have in different countries and the greater time regulators are taking to review transactions.
The deal comes at a tricky time for EssilorLuxottica, which could raise questions among investors. The company is searching for a new chief executive and is still integrating operations to wring out the promised cost savings from the merger of Essilor and Luxottica. In addition, analysts have questioned the fit between GrandVision and EssilorLuxottica, as the latter has had a greater focus on offering premium products.
Write to Ben Dummett at firstname.lastname@example.org
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

domain: news


text:
Each week we compile the best stories in data, so you don’t have to search for them. Subscribe to Data Republic to stay in the loop.
Four questions every privacy officer needs to ask
The GDPR rules now state every business under its jurisdiction needs to appoint a privacy officer. Smart move. But…how they make sure their employer is switched on? Forbes has a great article with four questions they should ask – it’s a good list for any company dealing with data, really.
“…data is worthless if you can’t access and use it. There’s no benefit in mere collection of data for a business…So, if you understand how data may move when processed, you then have to determine who and what has access to that data.”
What’s the secret behind Alibaba’s success?
Cheap prices aren’t the be all and end all. As Axios points out, the success of the enterprise is really in the data it collects and then sells on to third parties. And it’s ramping up that effort, identifying massive companies like Mars and Samsung to help them understand the Chinese market.
“One success story that’s already come from the data-sharing is the 麻辣 (mala) Snickers bar. Alibaba told Mars, Snickers’ parent company, that Chinese snackers were consistently buying food with a classic Szechuan spicy flavor called 麻辣 (mala). Snickers used that to develop a spicy chocolate bar for China that’s been wildly popular.”
The future of payments comes to Sydney
Sibos, one of the largest financial services conferences is in the world, is in Sydney next week – and the topic of conversation will be the future of technology and payments combined. Given the huge amount of activity in Australia regarding data sharing and open banking, it’s certainly the right place.
Oh – and Data Republic will be exhibiting there too! Drop by, won’t you? Booth #DZ74 in the Discover Zone
“Among about 300 exhibitors next week will be the four major Australian banks, the Reserve Bank of Australia, global central banking counterparts the European central bank and US Federal Reserve, and dozens of global banks, fintechs, cybersecurity firms, management consultants, global investment banks and various tech giants, including Google, IBM and Microsoft.”
Hong Kong needs to combat financial crime with data laws
And not just Hong Kong, really. The South China Morning Post points out that other jurisdictions need to standardize their data privacy laws to crack down on financial crime. It comes as a recent report found 19 countries spent $US1.28 trillion on chasing crime…but the money wasn’t “invested effectively”. Geez.
“There needs to be a global movement to harmonize what we mean by data privacy and what is an acceptable standard, and what isn’t for people and for individuals’ rights.”
Australia’s Consumer Data Rights bill gets some changes…
Speaking of data laws, Australia’s Treasury has made some changes to the draft Consumer Data Right legislation. As Allens points out, some of the changes roll back the power of the laws and more specifically define some important points. Probably for the best…
“In the first round of consultations on the draft CDR Bill, one of the biggest sticking points for industry was the exceptionally broad definition of CDR data…Treasury has responded to these concerns by clarifying its position that the scope of data that should be included in the CDR is consistent with what the Open Banking Review recommended.”
That’s our wrap for this week. Thanks for reading – we hope you found it entertaining and informational. We’d love to hear your thoughts on these articles and anything else data related! Email us anytime at email@example.com!
Until next week,
Team Data Republic


text:
In a year filled with new regulations, new rules, new
financial models, new viruses, and new ways of interacting remotely with
patients, New Year’s Day will bring one final present: a package of new … [Read more...]
Corporate Headquarters 1000 Corporate Centre Drive, Suite 400
Franklin, TN 37067
Acumen Physician Solutions is an InterWell Health company.
Acumen Physician Solutions has joined InterWell Health, setting the new standard in value-based kidney care in the U.S., driving innovation and transformation in the industry. Read the press release here at TransformingKidneyCare.com.


text:
Green Thumb Industries Inc (OTCMKTS:GTBIF) recently announced it will open Rise Hermitage, the seventh Rise™ retail location in Pennsylvania, on September 19. According to its release, Rise Hermitage will host an open house for the community on September 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The open house will be held before cannabis products are on site so all are welcome to attend and meet the Rise™ team, including the General Manager and Pennsylvania Market President.
“We’re honored to open the seventh Rise™ store in Pennsylvania and to be the first to provide cannabis to people throughout Mercer County,” said GTI Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ben Kovler. “With 32 stores now open across the country, we look forward to expanding our footprint in Pennsylvania while being an active member of the Hermitage community.”
Green Thumb Industries Inc (OTCMKTS:GTBIF) as a producer and distributor of cannabis products including flower, concentrates for dabbing and vaporizing, edibles, and topicals. The company markets its products through third party retailers. It also owns and operates a chain of 50 retail stores under the RISE dispensaries name. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
The company is a national cannabis cultivator, processor and dispensary operator, is dedicated to providing dignified access to safe and effective cannabis nationwide while giving back to the communities in which they serve.
As a vertically integrated company, GTI manufactures and sells a well-rounded suite of branded cannabis products including flower, concentrates, edibles, and topicals. The company also owns and operates a rapidly growing national chain of retail cannabis stores called RISE(TM) dispensaries.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, GTI has seven manufacturing facilities and licenses for 50 retail locations across seven highly regulated U.S. markets. Established in 2014, GTI employs more than 350 people and serves hundreds of thousands of patients and customers each year.
The company was actually also named a Best Workplace 2018 by Crain’s Chicago Business.
And the stock has been acting well over recent days, up something like 3% in that time. Shares of the stock have powered higher over the past month, rallying roughly 16% in that time on strong overall action.
Green Thumb Industries Inc (OTCMKTS:GTBIF) managed to rope in revenues totaling $2.9M in overall sales during the company's most recently reported quarterly financial data — a figure that represents a flat rate of top line growth. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($122.7M against $32.5M).
KushCo Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:KSHB) has been posting strong fundamental data, but the stock has been weakening by the day. For such a divergence – a paradox of a kind – there must be some answer: is it a wrong situation getting justifiably more wrong? Or is it a big deep-value opportunity waiting for the right moment to spring?
To help us with an answer, the company just announced that it is reconfirming its annual revenue guidance for its fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 of between $145 million and $150 million in sales.
According to the release, major initiatives that the Company launched and/or accomplished during Fiscal 2019 include: The Company renamed and rebranded itself as “KushCo Holdings, Inc.” The Companys main operating company subsidiary is now Kush Supply Co., the Company opened its new corporate headquarters in Cypress, California, the Company opened its product sourcing office in Ningbo, China and a regional distribution center in Taylor, Michigan.
KushCo Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:KSHB) casts itself as the parent company to a diverse group of business units that are transformative leaders in the cannabis, CBD, and other related industries.
KushCo Holdings’ subsidiaries and brands provide exceptional customer service, product quality, compliance knowledge and a local presence in serving its diverse customer base. KushCo Holdings’ brands include Kush Bottles, a dynamic sales platform that is the nation’s largest and most respected distributor of packaging, supplies, and accessories, Kush Energy, which provides ultra-pure hydrocarbon gases and solvents to the cannabis and CBD sector, Hybrid Creative, a premier creative design agency for cannabis and non-cannabis ventures, and Koleto Packaging Solutions, the research and development arm driving intellectual property development and acquisitions.
Founded in 2010, KushCo Holdings has now sold more than 1 billion units and regularly services more than 5,000 legally operated medical and adult-use dispensaries, growers, and producers across North America, South America, and Europe.
KushCo Holdings subsidiaries maintain facilities in the five largest U.S. cannabis markets as well as having a local sales presence in every major U.S. cannabis market.
Moreover, the company provides various products and services for the regulated cannabis, CBD, and other related industries. It distributes vaporizer products, packaging, supplies, and accessories, as well as offers branding services to cannabis operators; and provides hydrocarbon gases and solvents to the cannabis sector. The company also operates a creative design agency for cannabis and non-cannabis brands that provide brand strategy, design and marketing, Web application development, and e-commerce solutions.
In addition, it researches and develops packaging solutions to the pharmaceutical and veterinary industries. The company was formerly known as Kush Bottles, Inc. and changed its name to KushCo Holdings, Inc. in September 2018. KushCo Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Garden Grove, California.
KushCo Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:KSHB) generated sales of $41.5M, according to information released in the company’s most recent quarterly financial report. That adds up to a sequential quarter-over-quarter growth rate of 17.9% on the top line. In addition, the company is battling some balance sheet hurdles, with cash levels struggling to keep up with current liabilities ($12.2M against $29.8M, respectively).
CRESCO LABS ORD (OTCMKTS:CRLBF) shares dove on Monday to test key support in the $7.00-7.25 area, where there exists a significant technical level of interest at the stock’s pivot support from early August.
The company manufactures and sells medical cannabis products in the United States. It offers cannabis dry flower; vaporizer forms of cannabis; cannabis oil in capsule, oral and sublingual solutions; cannabis in topical; and other cannabis products.
To help flesh out the story guiding recent action, the company just announced a significant expansion of its presence in Nevada and Arizona through the signing of a purchase agreement to acquire certain assets from Tryke Companies, LLC, a vertically integrated seed-to-sale cannabis company, including six prime Reef Dispensary locations in Nevada and Arizona, expanded licensed cultivation and process capacity in Las Vegas and Phoenix and entry into the Utah market.
The company also provides cannabis infused edibles, including chocolate and toffee confections, fruit-forward gummies, and hard sweet and chews. Cresco Labs Inc. sells its products under the Cresco brand. In addition, it operators a Hope Heal Health dispensary in Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts. The company was formerly known as Cresco Labs, LLC and changed its name to Cresco Labs Inc. in November 2018. Cresco Labs Inc. is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Cresco Labs CEO and Co-founder Charlie Bachtell commented, “We have been very clear with the market that we have entered the second chapter of the Cresco Labs story as we position the Company to lead in the middle two verticals of the value chain – brands and wholesale distribution. With significant in-state populations and tourist traffic, Nevada and Arizona were key near-term targets for expansion. Creating the most strategic geographic footprint in the U.S. cannabis industry is not just about the number of states you operate in. Rather, our thesis for success in establishing a normalized and professionalized cannabis industry as well as providing the greatest ROIC for our shareholders calls for us to leverage our existing operations in states of significance to rapidly attain material and meaningful market-leading positions. This Transaction meets every point in our ROIC framework. It accelerates top-line growth, enables efficiencies across our network through the addition of one of the most impressive operating teams in the country and brings a pipeline of high return projects that we expect to execute on at a measured pace over the next several years.”
CRLBF has a significant war chest ($89.8M) of cash on the books, which stands against about $41.2M in total current liabilities. CRLBF is pulling in trailing 12-month revenues of $90.4M. In addition, the company is seeing recent top-line growth, with sequential quarterly revenues growing at 42.9%.
CRLBF has had a rough past week of trading action, with shares sinking something like -24% in that time. That said, chart support is nearby and we may be in the process of constructing a nice setup for some movement back the other way.
Cresco Labs Inc (OTCMKTS:CRLBF) managed to rope in revenues totaling $40M in overall sales during the company’s most recently reported quarterly financial data — a figure that represents a rate of top line growth of 0%, as compared to year-ago data in comparable terms. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($89.8M against $41.2M).


text:
Deliveroo wants to make it’s own food and replace chefs and riders with robots
Deliveroo has revealed plans to change it’s business model to include creating its own food offerings!
The delivery giant has told it’s investors it’s looking into halving the cost of food, automated delivery and wants to double its profit margins.
In a huge presentation it has stated it has goals to create personalised meals for each customer using artificial intelligence as well as replacing those riders with robots!
Investors have for some time been asking how the business gets significantly bigger volumes, and more crucially, becomes profitable. Deliveroo has made significant strides since it first started supplying residents around Chelsea with a few restaurant options in 2012.
They launched Deliveroo Editions, custom built kitchens which meant orders were being made exclusives for Deliveroo.
Although just trading for six years, it claims to now serve over five million people in 12 countries. Orders jumped by 18 times last year to the volume in 2015, according to the company’s investor pitch.
The company also talks about the efficiency of its ‘expansion playbook’: while it took 96 weeks to get to 10,000 weekly orders in London from when it launched, it took just 33 weeks to hit that milestone in Paris and 18 weeks in Singapore.


text:
In need of some comfort food? There’s nothing like vegan fish and chips. Fish and chips are a British staple, but as consumers turn towards healthy, ethical, and environmentally-friendly alternatives to animal products, demand for plant-based seafood is on the rise. According to a customer survey by Sainsbury’s, up to 91 percent of British consumers […]
The post All the Best Vegan Fish and Chips You Should Be Eating appeared first on LIVEKINDLY.


text:
Apple Expected to Offer OTT Subscriptions Through TV App
According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is expected to add the ability to buy video subscriptions directly though their TV App.
The TV App, which currently merges content from apps like HBO, Showtime, and ESPN — would soon allow users to subscribe to channels directly through the app.
This is most similar to Amazon’s Prime Video Channels which let’s Amazon customers subscribe to OTT services directly from the online retail giant.
The timing of the launch is not known, but some speculate the announcement could come during their Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote on June 4th.


text:
* Backers including Samwer brothers sell 7.3 pct of company
* Transaction worth about 460 mln eur -source
* Kinnevik not selling in the placement (Adds details on sellers, lock-up, source on value of stake)
FRANKFURT, March 10 (Reuters) - A group of early backers of German online fashion retailer Zalando is selling 7.3 percent of shares in the company in a placement, joint bookrunner Morgan Stanley said on Tuesday.
Global Founders, Holtzbrinck Ventures, AI European Holdings and Rocket Internet will place up to 17.9 million shares in an accelerated bookbuilding, Morgan Stanley said.
Global Founders is the investment vehicle of founder brothers Marc, Oliver and Alexander Samwer, through which they also hold 38 percent of Rocket Internet, run by Oliver Samwer.
AI European Holdings is part of Ukrainian-American billionaire Len Blavatnik’s conglomerate Access Industries.
Two sources familiar with the transaction said the shares being sold were worth roughly 460 million euros ($493 million).
Morgan Stanley said it and the other joint bookrunners, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse, had partially waived a lock-up agreed by the sellers in connection with Zalando’s initial public offering.
Other pre-IPO shareholders and option holders not participating in the sale would also automatically be released from their lock-up obligation agreed at the IPO on a pro-rata basis for a total of 23.7 million shares, Morgan Stanley said.
Biggest shareholder Kinnevik, Bestseller Handels and founder-managers Robert Gentz and David Schneider are not selling in the placement.
They agreed to extend their lock-up commitments until June 28 for a total of 64 percent of the company. ($1 = 0.9337 euros) (Reporting by Georgina Prodhan and Arno Schuetze; Editing by Kirsti Knolle and Susan Thomas)


text:
The world’s first ever free mobile service is now offering a paid subscription plan. However, FreedomPop is still trying to make a mark of its own by ‘destroying the current pricing model in the industry.’ That is because its latest offer is a subscription package that would only cost $4.58 per month.
The mobile startup has formally launched its postpaid plan, which is obviously the cheapest so far offered in the market. In a statement, the company said the new pricing plan would somehow declare a war in the industry that it claims ‘has long taken advantage of the market.’ It even accused other major players of widening the digital divide.
Stephen Stokols, the CEO of FreedomPop, said the company is not only offering 12 months of service comparable to the price of a single month subscription in other carriers. At the same time, he assured that all the billing complexities that usually frustrate consumers would be gone. He assured that users would not need an annual contract if the total annual cost is just below $100.
Through this offer, users who agree to a two-year subscription period would enjoy unlimited voice, text, and even voicemail for just $100. That would translate to a $4.58 monthly bill. The users would also enjoy 500MB of Internet data upfront in the package.
Consumers could consider other options. Those who prefer to be tied to a one-year contract would be charged $80 for the entire year. That would be equivalent to $6.67 of monthly billing. Those who don’t like any contract and prefer to go month by month would be charged $10.99. That is still not bad, though.
FreedomPop’s other and older plan called the gratis plan is still available. The package includes up to 200 minutes of voice service and 500 free text messages in a month. Those are on top of a 500MB data.
The company has so far attracted about 500,000 users who are interested on its beta invitation list. FreedomPop even started offering BYOD or bring your own device scheme for consumers who would prefer to use their own handsets to save more on services. But for those who want to buy a new device along with the plan, the company is selling brand new Samsung Galaxy SII units for just $169.
FreedomPop said it is still working harder to add more high quality devices into its packages. It assured its customers that it would continue its commitment to meet growing demand for cheap services.


text:
Building on its expertise in neurotoxins, Allergan ($AGN) has in-licensed some new product candidates in a deal with Korea's Medytox. Allergan is paying $65 million upfront, promising $116.5 million in development milestones plus another $180.5 million in sales milestones.
The release on this deal is noticeably lacking in detail. Medytox was founded back in 2000 and focuses on the development and sale of neurotoxins as its main business. Allergan is gaining worldwide rights to new drugs outside of Korea.
Just a few weeks ago Allergan won a new approval to sell Botox as a treatment for crow's feet. That was a rare bit of good news for the company, which has had to absorb the impact of new guidance from the FDA that would allow for the early entry of generic competition to its best-selling drug Restasis, the rejection of its migraine drug and the loss of patent protection in India.
- here's the press release


text:
Advanced Absorbent Technologies LLC is Bringing Dignity to Incontinence Products
Joe Howard, a Pittsburgh native with an MBA and a sales and marketing background in specialty steels and ketchup, isn’t a flashy guy. But he sure has a flair for magic.
From his black shopping bag of tricks, he pulled a beaker filled with 100 milliliters of water, a clear-plastic drinking cup, and a gallon-size food storage bag containing 1 gram of superabsorbent particles that look like sand, but aren’t.
Howard poured them and the water into the cup, swirled it, and turned it upside down. Not one drop fell from the cup, its contents transformed to a solid similar to slime in under six seconds.
“I told you it was really cool,” the president and chief executive of Advanced Absorbent Technologies LLC said, pleased with his performance. “That’s why we don’t need wood pulp.”
For absorbing urine, that is.
Without wood pulp, a common ingredient in diapers, the five-year-old start-up believes it has developed the most dignified underwear for adults coping with incontinence — and even long-distance runners and postpartum mothers — in an absorbent-wear industry dominated by big corporations such as Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble.
“We truly believe this is a paradigm shift in the category,” Howard said.
The dignity Advanced Absorbent affords, he says, comes from how thin and flexible its Alyne brand underwear for women and men is without bulky, moisture-retaining wood-pulp filler. Testing has shown absorbency is not sacrificed with the less-cumbersome design, Howard said.
“It’s not the most glamorous of categories, but it’s one of the most important ones,” said the 62-year-old resident of Glenmoore, Chester County, who has formed Advanced Absorbent with two former colleagues in the vast industry of disposable absorbent products, including sanitary napkins, baby diapers and pull-ups, and adult underwear.
Adult protective underwear is big business, estimated at $2 billion in the U.S.; $9 billion worldwide, with a virtually guaranteed robust market for years to come, thanks in part to the huge sector of baby boomers, the oldest of whom turn 72 this year; the youngest, 54.
“If we’re lucky enough to live long, we’re all going to be customers,” said Mark de Grandpre, 61, director of investments for physical sciences at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania. It has invested in Advanced Absorbent with a $400,000 convertible loan, believing it has “a really innovative product in a field that hasn’t seen much innovation,” de Grandpre said.
He acknowledged a sizable challenge: “These guys are going head-to-head with some of the largest consumer-products companies. That’s a daunting task.”
With more than $3 million in funding and soon making its market debut on Walmart.com, Advanced Absorbent believes it’s up to the challenge.
Read the full article here.


text:
What's a better economic development model: Creating an incentive package to attract a superstar company with huge potential returns on investment or creating a business environment that attracts and sustains many companies?
That was the main line of debate at the Albany Business Review's economic development/political outlook Power Breakfast, held last week at Hilton Albany.
GlobalFoundries was used as the prime example of the state attracting a major company. Thomas Caulfield, senior vice president and general manager at GlobalFoundries, outlined how the chip maker has exceeded expectations in the area. The original commitment of a $3 billion factory is now a $12 billion complex with an annual payroll of $340 million, he said.
Click through the photos on this page for some key takeaways from the three panelists.


text:
Two giant cruise ships to serve as floating hotels during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will anchor at Doha Port on November 10 and 14, an official has said. They will have a capacity to accommodate over 9,000 people.
“We made an agreement with MSC Cruises to charter two giant cruise ships to accommodate fans during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” said Executive Director of Housing Department at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), Omar Al Jaber.
Speaking to Qatar TV yesterday, he said one of the cruise ships is under construction and will be making its first trip to Qatar slated to be anchored on November 10, 2022, at Doha Port. “A ceremony will be held on November 13 to name this brand new cruise ship. The second cruise ship will anchor on November 14,” said Al Jaber.
He said that both cruise ships with a combined capacity of 4,000 rooms can accommodate up to 9,400 people.
The cruise ship hotels will offer a variety of cabin options, from traditional and ocean-view cabins to balcony cabins and luxurious suites.
The cruise ship hotel will offer multiple dining possibilities and an entertainment programme for all ages. Speaking about booking accommodation in the cruise ships, Al Jaber: “In March we launched an official website for booking for the World Cup www.qatar2022.qa. Through this website, fans can book tickets for the matches and in the second phase they can book accommodation if not residing in Qatar. The third phase is for residents and fans from the outside to get issued Hayya Card, which is a fan ID.”
He said all booking are available at this integrated website, including cruise ships, fan villages, hotels, camping accommodation and other options. Speaking about the preparations to provide accommodation to fans, Al Jaber said: “We are almost ready on many fronts. A big portion of residential units were readied; only final touches are going on. The remaining will be readied in coming period.”
He said there are multiple accommodation options available to the fans. “They can book accommodation through www.qatar2022.qa which offers cabin accommodation, fan village, camping accommodation, hotels, floating hotels and empty homes among others.”
He said details of new accommodations upon completion are being uploaded on the website on a weekly basis. Al Jaber urged fans who have secured match tickets to book accommodations as soon as possible to ensure their travel to Qatar for mega sporting event.


text:
The Imaging Centre, the UK’s leading greeting card digital printer has just gone live with IC Simplicity Direct, a brand new print on demand service which is enabling 54 of its greeting card publisher customers reach the end consumer.
“Never has it felt more important to feel connected and be part of a community,” Adam Short, managing director of The Imaging Centre, the Kent-based digital printing business, told PG Buzz. “We were working really hard to come up with ideas on how to help our customers continue to get their designs out, with the vast majority of their retailer customers having been forced to shut their doors – and one idea that gathered momentum was launching a B2C site,” he explained. “It felt important that, at a time of social distancing that we could encourage social interaction through the sending of greeting cards,” he added.
So, encouraged by the enthusiastic response from so many of the publishers which The Imaging Centre works, IC Simplicity Direct was born.
With hundreds of thousands of card designs already in its IC Simplicity system (which has enabled publishers to print cards for their retail customers), finalising the new consumer-facing site was achieved in whistlestop time.
The new service has just gone live https://media.theimagingcentre.co.uk/ICSD_storeFront@home.html offering designs from 54 different publishers, though the number is set to grow.
Publishers can feature a maximum of 25 designs which are then placed into one of seven different card categories (birthday, thinking of you, anniversary, engagement and marriage, seasonal, congratulations and others).
There is no set up fee for the participating publisher, who will receive a royalty payment for each card sold. All cards are being sent out with a recycled Kraft envelope by Royal Mail. If the purchaser requires, the cards can be handwritten by The Imaging Centre team.
Adam is keen to stress that IC Simplicity Direct is a temporary solution to a situation.
“The last thing we want to do, is compete with retailers. We have always prided ourselves on providing the best possible service to the retailers within our industry. We are simply trying to continue to get publishers’ designs out to people at a time when we feel it’s really needed. Therefore, when we come out of the current situation, and retailers are open and back up and running, we will close down this site.”
He also clarifies that The Imaging Centre’s main printing operation is still running. “Simplicity Direct is an additional service, not a substitute.
The new service is to be promoted via social media channels using #ICSimplicitydirect and #stayconnectedsendacard.
Top: The machinery at The Imaging Centre is being re-purposed to also accommodate B2C orders now.


text:
Qualcomm has announced a number of new chips aimed at enabling the advancement of next-generation IoT devices.
The semiconductor company said at the Hannover Messe trade fair in Germany that its new and upgraded solutions offer a breadth of capabilities, advanced features, and versatility aimed to meet the needs of demanding industrial and commercial IoT applications, with use cases including video collaboration, cloud gaming, retail, and more.
New processors enabling performance-heavy IoT applications
Qualcomm says its QCS8550 and QCM8550 Processors combine maximum compute power, extreme edge AI processing, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and vivid graphics and video to enable and quickly deploy performance-heavy IoT applications, such as autonomous mobile robots and industrial drones.
This premium offering, the company added, is engineered with Qualcomm Technologies’ AI architecture optimised to deliver extreme processing power to a diverse range of business models and use cases. The Qualcomm QCS8550 and QCM8550 also feature robust video and graphics processing for enabling immersive cloud gaming, video collaboration, and video streaming experiences.
Meanwhile Qualcomm said its new QCS4490 and QCM4490 processors will deliver key advanced features such as premium connectivity and next-gen processing to industrial handheld and computing devices.
The solutions are equipped with both 5G and Wi-Fi 6E for multi-gigabit speeds, extended range, and low latency, and powerful, efficient processing to handle complex computing tasks. The Qualcomm QCS4490 and QCM4490 Processors are designed with planned support for Android releases through version 18, meaning they can be used in industrial designs through 2030, providing flexibility and longevity for maximising development time and cost savings.
“Qualcomm Technologies is uniquely positioned to take the IoT ecosystem forward,” said Dev Singh, Vice President, Business Development and Head of Building, Enterprise & Industrial Automation at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Our new solutions bring together the industry’s leading technologies across edge AI processing, innovative power efficiency, crystal-clear video, 5G connectivity, and more to fuel the next-generation of resilient, high-performing IoT applications.”
- Digital Transformation key to Reaching Business AmbitionsDigital Transformation
- Cognizant and Microsoft Partner to Drive Enterprise Gen AIAI & Machine Learning
- How Intel AI is Powering the 2024 Paris Olympic GamesAI & Machine Learning
- PwC New US CIO to Further Embed Technology into StrategyIT Procurement


text:
GoPro said on Tuesday that it is entering a multiyear global deal with Red Bull as the energy drink company's exclusive point-of-view camera and content partner.
Shares of GoPro spiked 8 percent after the announcement. The stock ended the day up nearly 5 percent.
Speaking from JPMorgan's Technology, Media and Telecom Conference in Boston, Nick Woodman, founder and CEO of GoPro, told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" that the announcement was the logical next step in the relationship between the two companies.
"We've been working with Red Bull for years and we've helped co-promote each other and help each other globally rise above the noise and scale awareness for our respective brands, but we decided that it was time to get official about it," Woodman said.


text:
WESTPORT, Conn. — A diabetes community network is offering tips to diabetics that are traveling this holiday season.
DLife emphasized that since diabetes doesn't take a holiday, managing the condition shouldn't either. On its website, DLife.com, the company is offering such tips to diabetics as:
- Double the amount of diabetes medicine and supplies you might need and put it in your carry-on luggage;
- Be prepared for a low -- pack healthy snacks, extra glucose gel or tablets;
- Check to see if a healthy meal is going to be available. If not, bring your own;
- Always bring your medical insurance card and know an emergency number to call, just in case; and
- Wear medical identification.
Additional self-management tips can be found at DLife.com/travel.


text:
A look at the 2022 full-size truck sales data should give you a good idea of what to expect from the medium-duty truck market. Unfortunately, minimal improvements in the supply chain, combined with other extreme spending for American consumers, are sure to result in losses for this segment as well. Overall, however, sales of midsize pickup trucks in 2022 were mixed. Below we discuss the numbers and the factors that contributed to the results.
Medium-duty truck sales: 4.4% decrease across segments
For General Motors, mid-duty trucks have gained considerable ground in the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon over the past year compared to 2021. This could indicate that GM has made great strides in solving problems in his chain of supply that may have contributed to his 2020 stock shortages. And in 2021.
As for the Ford Ranger, sales in 2022 have declined year-on-year, falling from third to fifth place in sales of all medium-duty trucks. Ford has been hit hard by a chip shortage, but customers may be waiting for the upcoming new Ranger, and trucks may be being ripped off by the much-needed Maverick pickup trucks. be.
When it comes to best-selling mid-duty trucks, Toyota’s Tacoma still reigns supreme, but sales fell 6% last year, more or less in line with the brand as a whole. A redesigned Tacoma is scheduled for 2024.
Overall, total U.S. medium-duty truck sales in 2022 will be 608,144 units, down just 4.4% from the 2021 model year.
Now let’s look at the concrete numbers. Toyota Tacoma said in 2022 he sold 237,323 units, down from 2021 where he sold 252,520 trucks. However, with annual sales of the Chevrolet Colorado and his GMC Canyon combined, GM put him second in medium-duty truck sales. Chevrolet Colorado sales were 89,197, a 22.2% increase from his 73,008 truck sales last year. Meanwhile, GMC Canyon’s sales were 27,819 units for him, up from 24,125 for 2021.
The Jeep Gladiator finished the year with 77,855 units sold. Compared with the previous year, 89,712 trucks were sold, and the overall sales volume he decreased by 13.2%. Ford Ranger is his 5th place behind Nissan Frontier with 57,005. By comparison, Ford said he sold 94,755 Rangers in 2021. This means that sales have fallen by 39.8% over the past year. Hopefully, the next-generation Ford Ranger coming later this year will increase that number a bit, but by how much remains to be seen.
This article was optimized by the SEO Team at Clickworks SEO


text:
Cleveland development adds structural LED digital signage, 'one of the largest display surfaces in the US'
A new "luxury urban resort" opening in Cleveland, The 9, has transformed an historic building in the city into a high-end mixed-use building featuring a 156-room luxury hotel, 194 luxury apartments and a market featuring gourmet groceries — and nearly 5,000 square feet of LED digital signage displays.
According to an announcement from Cincinnati-based lighting and graphics technology company LSI Industries, which manufactured the LED displays, among themore conspicuous and dynamic features of the new structure are the colorful LED video displays on the north and south ends of the parking garage exterior. The two 16mm video displays measure approximately 48 feet by 49 feet and contain almost 900,000 LED chips each. The full-color dynamic content can be seen from blocks away, the company said.
"The nearly 5,000 square feet of LED display provides one of the largest display surfaces in the U.S.," LSI President Scott Ready said in the announcement.
The GEIS Companies, a design/build company headquarted in Streetsboro, Ohio, has spearheaded the building project, and Geis Hospitality Marketing and Creative Content Manager Ryan Arthur is in charge of creating content for the video displays. "The response from the billboards has been extraordinary since they day they went live," he said in the announcement. "They're far larger than anything else of their kind between New York City and Las Vegas. One of our images even wound up on MSNBC and ESPN. LSI has provided us with an immeasurable tool to amp up our advertising."


text:
Quiet Black Friday on Main Street
No frenzy in Red Bank, N.J., where merchants expect bigger sales as Christmas draws closer. A group of artists in Iowa gets an enthusiastic turnout at their buy-local market.
RED BANK, N.J. (CNNMoney.com) -- Black Friday was slow and steady for Main Street retailers, a sharp contrast from the door-busting stampede of bargain hunters that rush Wal-Marts and Best Buys across the nation.
But small, independently owned businesses never see the post-Thanksgiving shopping spree that malls get. Consumers hunting for novelty items they can't get at big box discount retailers tend to show up later in the holiday shopping season.
Patti Siciliano, the owner of Funk and Standard Variety Store in Red Bank, said that two hours into Black Friday, her sales were in line with the same time last year.
But the economy has affected her customers. "People aren't spending what they used to," Siciliano said, who has owned the store since 1998.
While customers are shopping on a budget, that could work to Siciliano's advantage. "Inevitably, we do well in the holiday season because we are gift-driven and reasonably priced," she said. "A little book that costs $12 could make the whole family laugh for 1-1/2 hours." The majority of her clothing line retails for between $20 and $32.
Red Bank merchants work to draw in customers: Small businesses are using lower-priced merchandise, sales and customer service to drum up business this holiday season.
Another retailer on the same street as Funk and Standard is tailoring its inventory to a budget-conscious consumer. A.H. Fisher Diamond has been on Broad Street since 1983.
Black Friday does not bring huge crowds, but foot traffic should likely pick up. "We anticipate it to be a little bit of a better day," said Matthew Fisher, vice president of the store. "But as we get closer to Christmas, that is when it gets really busy."
Fisher has noticed customers pinching pennies and is adjusting his inventory accordingly. He ordered two new jewelry lines that start at a lower price point, retailing for between $50 and $300. One line arrived about a week and a-half ago, and the second is due before Christmas.
Janet Schmierer, the owner of JFS Interiors in Red Bank, found that customers were asking her whether she would have any Black Friday discounts at her antique and consignment shop. Schmierer decided to offer between 10% and 30% off, and she placed an ad in the local newspaper and a big sign on the loan in front of her sale to advertise.
The down economy has affected demand for Schmierer's custom design work and she has had to adapt. Shoppers "are bargaining more. I have been more flexible with my pricing," she said.
Tom Fulton, partner of the olive oil boutique Carter & Cavero, said that small businesses don't get the same traffic as larger stores on Black Friday, but that his temporary stand in the Bryant Park Holiday Market in New York has been seeing better-than-expected holiday sales.
"It is a hard economy, but our clients like the service we provide," said Fulton. "We greet them and let them taste the product." The attentive customer service has earned the olive oil and vinegar store a slew of loyal, repeat customers.
Avoiding Wal-Mart; buying local: A survey from the National Retail Federation released earlier this week found that two thirds of Black Friday shoppers would be heading to discount stores.
For some, the slower pace of Main Street is exactly the draw. Paul Shangold, 44, of Middleton, N.J., says his Black Friday shopping will include "anywhere but the big stores. I don't think you could pay me to go into those stores today."
Paul's wife, Gena, also prefers the smaller stores. "It's a lot more fun to shop at the little stores," she said. "They have interesting things, they are different. If you go into the mass merchants, then you see the same things over and over."
Shopping Red Bank's indie stores is also about protecting the community. "We like supporting the local business," said Sean White, 38, of Red Bank, who was strolling the town's streets Friday morning with his wife, Sarah.
Cities across the nation are actively working to encourage shoppers to spend their dollars at home. Market Street Media Foundry is a space in Des Moines, Iowa, for local artists to work. The group organized an event with 30 different artist-vendors called Market Day Black Friday to encourage holiday shoppers to spend their dollars locally.
Scott Kubie, the "floor boss" at Market Street Media Foundry, said the turnout was overwhelming. "People are buying; they are walking out of here with gifts and lamps and hair pieces, original paintings, prints, magnets."
Feedback from shoppers was very positive, too. "The vibe I was hearing from people was that if this wasn't going on today, they might not have gone out today -- they would stayed at home, ate leftovers, and watched football," said Kubie.
But given the opportunity to buy locally made goods, Des Moiners got off the couch. People "are feeling good about buying local and they are thinking about buying local for the rest of their gifts, and that is great," said Kubie. "If we can make that happen even a little bit, then it is definitely a success."To write a note to the editor about this article, click here.


text:
Burger King has learned a valuable lesson: When it comes to french fries, customers might be more interested in ones made of breaded chicken than they are with a healthier option.
The fast food chain announced in a statement that most of its franchises in North America will phase out the lower-calorie “Satisfries” that was rolled out last September as a limited-time offering. About 2,500 of its 7,400 restaurants have opted to keep the item.
“At launch, Burger King Corporation (BKC) announced that guests would ultimately determine how long SATISFRIES™ would remain on the menu,” the statement said. “Earlier this week, franchisees in North America were given the option to continue offering SATISFRIES™ in markets where this game-changing product continues to perform well.”
A small order of Satisfries, which Burger King began automatically adding to kids meals in March, costs 30 cents more than normal fries but has 70 fewer calories. However, the small serving of Satisfries still has more calories—270—than McDonald’s small serving of fries, which has 230 calories and even weighs less.
News of the lower-cal fries’ rollback comes shortly after Burger King’s announcement that it would bring back the cult-favorite Chicken Fries for a limited time due to high customer demand.


text:
According to the reports, thousands of casinos are available on the market offering varieties of bonuses and prizes. Many new types of casino games are redesigned, and it has been improving since the past years. However, a survey found that many gamblers switch sites to newer features and sites. Visuals and interface have been seeing more upgrades in online casino games recently.
Virtual reality is expected to come to online casino games in the near future. Some online casinos and developers are showing interest in the VR platform. The community of casino online highly impacts the player base, a social platform with better interfaces, smileys, chats, etc. attracts more frequent players. Many people are more dedicated to a better social platform.
The live betting services offered on the phone have made it much accessible and flexible. Phone devices are now capable of putting up deals and watch live matches. The last world cup hit a record in the history of football betting; the wager amount accounted for about $130 billion worldwide. Betting is legal in almost every region of the world. The Asia Pacific contributes the highest in betting net worth.
Online casinos may dominate the gambling industry as the trend continues to grow all over the world. The revenue of gambling is expected at about $150 in 2018. As one of the biggest revenue generating industries across the globe, online gambling is responsible for almost 30% of the total revenue. Online casinos have high potential as technology grows rapidly and most people prefer digital over traditional. Online casinos attract a massive range of audiences across the world; it is only a matter of time that online gambling takes the top. To get more information visit https://tr.canligazinolar.com/gazino-metropol/
Canligazinolar is one of the biggest online casino sites available. They offer a wide range of casino games with easy accessibility. It is a trusted site with thousands of players every day.
Ph. No +1.3478717726


text:
EU iPhone Users Get Limited Time Access To Alternative App Stores While Travelling Outside
Apple’s new iOS 17.4 software update has been released to the public and it’s now available for everyone who wants it.
But in the EU that software update adds support for third-party app stores but only while you’re actually in an EU country. It turns out, anyone who happens to travel outside of the EU will mean that they have a limited time to use those third-party stores before Apple blocks them.
That’s according to a new support document from Apple which that notes a short-term travel grace period will be allowed.
If you leave the European Union for short-term travel, you’ll continue to have access to alternative app marketplaces for a grace period. If you’re gone for too long, you’ll lose access to some features, including installing new alternative app marketplaces. Apps you installed from alternative app marketplaces will continue to function, but they can’t be updated by the marketplace you downloaded them from.
It isn’t yet clear how long the short-term grace period actually is, however. The EU third-party app stores are available in all 27 EU countries, and this is the first time that those in such countries can download apps outside of the App Store.
To be able to access these app stores users must have an Apple ID that is registered in an EU country and they must also be physically located in one of those countries, too.


text:
Truckstop.com on Verge of Launching Rate Forecasting Tool
ORLANDO, Fla. — Truckstop.com will launch within three weeks the industry’s first rate-forecasting tool, a move that underscores the advantage of posting rates on the spot market, a company executive said April 10.
“The rate is the most important thing,” said Brent Hutto, chief marketing officer at Internet Truckstop Group, the parent of load matching Truckstop.com.
Hutto told the shippers and brokers in the audience that if they posted a rate with the load, the load will move 3.9 times faster compared with those posted without a rate, which then requires negotiations over the telephone.
He spoke during a session at the Nasstrac 2017 Shippers Conference and Transportation Exposition on April 9-12.
“When you think about rates, how do natural disasters, market conditions, market changes or regulations affect your ability to do rates? It’s kind of guess work, right,” Hutto said.
The forecasting tool is meant to take all of that into consideration, he said. The tool combines Truckstop.com’s data with research company FTR’s algorithm and analytics.
Hutto said the forecast “is week-over-week, a year out, adjusted every week."
"It’s never been in the marketplace before,” he said. “It’s accurate data that has been compiled for 10 years.”
The tool zeros in on three-digit ZIP codes [three-digit codes refer to the first three digits of the five-digit zip code], tracks about 160,000 active lanes and 6 million origin-destination pairs, even weather, he said.
One shipper underscored the practicality of posting rates.
“How many of you would like to go to a grocery store and have no prices on things, then have a haggling session when you go to check out over each item? Just have some perspective about what you are doing about loads,” said Nate England, manager of supply chain transportation for Stein Mart.
RELATED: Video - Truckstop.com Emphasizes Value of Data for Truckers


text:
By Satoshi Sugiyama and Kantaro Komiya
TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s nominal base salary grew at the fastest pace in 28 years in May, government data showed on Friday, adding fuel to the debate over when the central bank will unwind its ultra-loose monetary stimulus.
Global financial markets have been closely watching Japan’s wage data, as Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda regards pay growth as a key gauge to consider in deliberations about a shift in policy.
Regular wages rose 1.8% in May from a year before, labour ministry data showed, the biggest gain since February 1995. The strong base pay growth boosted worker’s total cash earnings, or nominal wages, by 2.5% in May, after a revised 0.8% increase logged in April.
“If inflation stabilises around 2% and nominal wages accelerate to 3% to 3.5%, the condition could be set for the BOJ to dismantle monetary easing framework from the Kuroda era,” said Hisashi Yamada, economist and Hosei University professor.
Japan’s largest labour organisation Rengo said on Wednesday that major companies had agreed to average pay hikes of 3.58% this year, the highest since 3.9% in 1993.
The result of the spring labour talks, known as “shunto”, will be increasingly seen in government wage statistics over the next few months, a labour ministry official said.
Still, real wages contracted 1.2% in May, the 14th consecutive month of year-on-year declines, as relentless consumer inflation outstrips nominal pay growth and squeezes households’ buying power. Analysts say the real wages will remain in contraction for the rest of 2023.
Separate data on Friday showed Japanese household spending fell 4.0% in May from a year earlier, down for a third month and more than the median market forecast for a 2.4% decline. Spending on a variety of items from food to clothes to transportation were down, the data showed.
On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, household spending was down 1.1%, versus an estimated 0.5% gain to mark a fourth month of decline.
“The effects of consumer price inflation are becoming more prevalent in the household spending, offsetting the boon to Japan’s consumption from eased coronavirus restrictions,” said Takumi Tsunoda, senior economist at Shinkin Central Bank Research Institute.
In an interview with the Nikkei newspaper published on Friday, BOJ’s Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said the central bank must support the economy with easy policy.
Taro Saito, executive research fellow at NLI Research Institute, said next year’s spring labour talks are expected to yield wage growth mostly equivalent to this year’s, because of the longer-than-expected price inflation and labour shortage.
“But the biggest risk to the scenario is if the economy itself remains robust until next spring, given the wobbly global economic conditions,” he said.
(Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama and Kantaro Komiya; Additional reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Sam Holmes)
Brought to you by www.srnnews.com


text:
ERA Convention postponed
Due to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus, the 2020 ERA Convention will now take place on 9 and 10 September. The event, originally scheduled to take place on 10 and 11 June, will still be held at MECC Maastricht in the Netherlands alongside the European Rental Awards, the International Rental Exhibition and the aerial platform exhibition APEX, which have also been postponed.
The convention, themed around ‘Smart Rental’, is otherwise unchanged. It will explore the role of data and digitalisation in the equipment rental industry and feature sessions on digital platforms in the construction sector, the importance of technological innovation, using data to improve customer experiences and transforming a business with digital technology. With the coronavirus pandemic disrupting rental companies’ usual modes of operation, these topics are given additional focus.
The 13th annual European Rental Awards will take place on the evening of 9 September following the conclusion of the first day of the convention. The awards will celebrate excellence in the equipment rental industry, including in digital innovation and sustainability.
In addition to the convention and awards, the ERA will be present on all three days of the International Rental Exhibition, 8 to 10 September.
Registrations for the convention and awards dinner remain valid for the new dates.
Find out more about the ERA Convention at https://erarental.org/events/category/era-convention/ or contact [email protected] if you have any further questions.
Coronavirus and the rental industry
With the coronavirus continuing to spread across Europe, the rental industry is increasingly being affected by reduced activity in the construction sector, including the closure of some construction sites, and the cancellation of events. The events industry has been particularly hit in some countries, with near total cancellations.
To facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experiences among our members, the ERA is convening regular video conferences with national associations and is liaising on an ad hoc basis with our international partners in the Global Rental Alliance and representatives of related sectors, such as construction.
Of primary immediate concern for rental companies is the health and safety of staff members, with rental companies needing to change their procedures for customer visits, provide personal protective equipment for staff, which is not always possible as there are shortages in some countries, and decontaminate machinery.
The cancellation or suspension of rental contracts also presents rental companies with difficulties. Customer liabilities may be connected to whether governments mandate the shutdown of sites and the suspension of contracts raises the question of who is responsible for the equipment during that time.
Indeed, with a reduction in business, rental companies need to manage the storage and maintenance of equipment and machinery that is not in use, the latter of which may be affected by the disruption of cross border supply chains. Furthermore, the retention and payment of staff is problematic in these difficult times. Reductions in business leave rental companies with difficult decisions to make concerning the payment of salaries and temporary reductions in staff. Government support is often imperative to help rental companies and their staff through this time.
This article was first published in the International Rental News (April-May 2020).


text:
Generac (NYSE:GNRC) will be posting its quarterly earnings results before the market opens on Tuesday, February 13th. Analysts expect Generac to post earnings of $1.18 per share for the quarter.
Shares of Generac (NYSE GNRC) opened at $48.29 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.77. Generac has a 52-week low of $33.77 and a 52-week high of $53.78. The company has a market cap of $3,000.00, a PE ratio of 25.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.57.
In other news, CEO Aaron Jagdfeld sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.03, for a total value of $980,600.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 990,411 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,559,851.33. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: This news story was first published by American Banking News and is owned by of American Banking News. If you are accessing this news story on another website, it was illegally copied and reposted in violation of U.S. & international copyright and trademark legislation. The original version of this news story can be accessed at https://www.americanbankingnews.com/2018/02/06/generac-gnrc-scheduled-to-post-earnings-on-tuesday.html.
Generac Company Profile
Generac Holdings Inc (Generac) is a designer and manufacturer of power generation equipment and other engine powered products. The Company serves the residential, light commercial, industrial, oil and gas, and construction markets. Its segments include Domestic and International. The Domestic segment includes the Generac business.
Receive News & Ratings for Generac Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Generac and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.


text:
PowerBand Solutions (TSX.V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (Frankfurt: 1ZVA) today announced that its U.S. leasing division, MUSA Auto Finance, LLC (“MUSA”), has obtained lease financing from a federally chartered U.S. depository financial institution (“National Funder”) to begin leasing vehicles to U.S. consumers. According to the update, lease originations will begin today. “This is the right solution at the right time, when the automotive industry and consumers are looking for innovations to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic,” PowerBand CEO Kelly Jennings said in the news release. “Consumers and dealers will be able to buy, lease and finance their vehicles on PowerBand, as easily as they purchase a product on Amazon. Our strategy is to aggregate further funding facilities in the weeks and months ahead, to offer multi-billion-dollar financing opportunities to consumers and dealers using our platform in the United States and Canada.”
To view the full press release, visit http://ibn.fm/XD84Z
About PowerBand Solutions Inc.
PowerBand Solutions Inc., listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the OTCQB markets, is a fintech provider disrupting the automotive industry. PowerBand’s integrated, cloud-based transaction platform facilitates transactions amongst consumers, dealers, funders and manufacturers (“OEMs”). It enables them to buy, sell, trade, finance, and lease new and used, electric- and non-electric vehicles, on smart phones or any other online digital devices, from any location. PowerBand’s transaction platform – being trademarked under DRIVRZ – is being made available across North American and global markets. For more information, visit www.PowerBandSolutions.com.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to PWWBF are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/PWWBF
QualityStocksNewsBreaks provide a rapid summary of corporate news that catch the attention of QualityStocks. QualityStocksBreaks are designed to keep investors up to date on important and breaking news in the small-cap and micro-cap markets. Spanning all industries, including energy, entertainment, telecommunications, healthcare, retail and more, these news breaks deliver opportunities the investment community may have missed. Whether it is earnings results, mergers and acquisitions, or any other market-moving news, our news breaks keep you in the know. QualityStocks is committed to connecting subscribers with companies that have huge potential to succeed in the short and long-term future. It is part of our mission statement to help the investment community discover emerging companies that offer excellent growth potential.


text:
With earnings season in full swing, markets were not kind to Corning Inc. (GLW) on Tuesday following the pre-market release of its second-quarter earnings. It was not a bad quarter, as Corning reported earnings that were in line with the consensus (45 cents a share) and revenue of $2.99 billion that was a bit better than forecast, but the stock was greeted by an 8% haircut. Could be that investors have gotten used to Corning producing better-than-expected results; it has done so in 11 of the last 13 quarters.
Corning bought back $150 million in stock during the quarter, which likely puts the repurchase in the range of 5 million shares. The buyback activity will continue in light of Corning's recently announced new $5 billion repurchase authorization. Based on Corning's dividend history and stated intention to increase dividends at least 10% annually, the next increase can be expected in early 2020 and should push the quarterly payout to 22 cents a share. Corning currently yields about 2.5%.
Following Tuesday's drubbing, Corning trades at about 14.4x next year's consensus estimates. Perhaps the markets will be in a better mood in the coming days as far as GLW is concerned; Tuesday's treatment was seemingly unwarranted.
Here on Wednesday morning, Bloomin' Brands (BLMN) , a name I've been intrigued by for quite a while, reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings per share (36 cents vs. a 35-cent consensus) while falling just short on revenue ($1.02 billion vs. $1.04 billion). Same-store sales of company-owned restaurants were positive at Outback Steakhouse (up 1.3%), Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (up 1.6%), and Bonefish Grille (up 0.1%), and negative at Carrabba's (down 1.6%). Outback Steakhouse is the flagship brand with 861 worldwide locations (674 company-owned and 187 franchises) out of a total of 1,481 locations for the company. Total U.S. same-store sales were up a tepid 0.6%. Restaurant-level operating margins of 15% showed some improvement versus the same quarter last year (14.6%).
Since the company's $150 million share repurchase program was announced in February, Bloomin' Brands has bought back $107 million of stock, or 5.5 million shares, which puts the average price in the $19.50 range.
Investors have not been happy with the stock's performance over the years; it has done little since going public in 2012. Bloomin' Brands also has sparked the ire of some activist investors; I would not be surprised if we see more of this.
BLMN trades at just under 10.5x next year's consensus estimates and yields 2.2%. I'm not sure how it will be greeted by markets here on Wednesday given its second-quarter results; the earnings beat here was rather small compared to the past six quarters, where surprises have ranged from 3.4% to 29%.


text:
According to Amitai Sasson, VP of Marketing and Development for overstockArt.com, the parent company of ArtistBe.com, the redesign was done so that the website was more focused on the art and artist and less on shopping.
“It’s more geared toward conversation and the social environment and less on price tiers,” said Sasson.
Sasson said the redesign brings the artist and the artwork front and center. Those visiting the site will find a biography of the artist, any upcoming shows, and any influences for the artist.
The redesign also features more social tools including Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter along with the ability to comment between artists within the art community.
Sasson said ArtistBe.com was born out of the need for contemporary art. OverstockArt.com is known to showcase traditional artwork from artists like Monet and Van Gogh and this website offers its clientele original contemporary art.
“Initially, it was a way for us to give them that option, to show them artists of our time,” said Sasson.
Sasson said this gives contemporary artists the platform to showcase their art. Sasson added, artists get commission because the company makes canvas prints out of their art every time their artwork is sold.
“It is a very social platform, it really sparks a conversation among the artists,” said Sasson.
Sasson said overstockArt.com does not advertise ArtistBe.com at all, other than social media. It is still very much organic growth and since its inception in 2011, it has been able to accumulate 1,500 artists.
OverstockArt.com hand-picks the artists from ArtistBe.com that it thinks are the most sought after and trendiest and they are taken over to overstockArt.com and their art is reproduced by hand and added to its contemporary art line.
“It gives the clientele a chance to decorate with contemporary art,” said Sasson.
Sasson said while it is too early to tell what kind of results there are from the redesign, he said the artists are ecstatic and they have garnered much more art and artists since the redesign.
“The customers have a great way to see art now, we haven’t seen a lift in shoppers as much as we like to see, but I think it has to do with the advertising part, that is the next step,” said Sasson.
Sasson added that conversions have increased by 15% and the amount of page views increased close to 75%.
Plans going forward include integrating ArtistBe.com and overstockArt.com. The two platforms will be integrated with their search. In addition, both sites will be moved to Amazon Web Services so that the platforms are linked together.


text:
There have been a number of extremely exciting developments in the world of gold and silver this week, not least the price. Gold is once again flirting with $1,000 an ounce.
As you might have noticed, I like to look at the markets from a technical point of view. I stare at charts, I note moving averages, momentum indicators, trend lines and goodness knows what else. $1,000 is a key level for gold. A lot of us have been waiting a long time for $1,000 gold.
But what has me really excited at the moment is not in fact the price, as you might expect. It's the news...
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Hong Kong is taking delivery of its gold
The tremors in the gold market began last week when Hong Kong announced it was pulling all its physical gold holdings from depositories in the UK and moving them home to newly-built vaults near the city's airport. We've said it before: wealth is moving east. Yes, Hong Kong has ambitions to be the bullion trading hub of the Orient, but there could be more to it than that.
It's estimated that they own some $63m worth of gold. In the international scheme of things, that isn't much. There might even be a banker somewhere who takes that home this year as his bonus. What is noteworthy is that Hong Kong is taking delivery of its metal.
Many gold followers have argued that if everyone who owned futures, exchange traded funds, warrants, options, CFDs - and any other gold derivative you care to mention - decided to take delivery of the gold against which their contract is written, there wouldn't be enough physical metal to go around, and the price would rocket.
Indeed, it was the French government's insistence in the late '60s and early '70s on taking delivery of the metal in lieu of US dollars that eventually forced the US off the gold standard in 1971. The US didn't have the physical metal to back the quantity of dollars it had put out. Gold quickly went up tenfold. Perhaps Hong Kong is taking delivery while it still can.
Just a few days later, Barrick, the world's largest gold producer, announced plans to eliminate its gold hedges. (Hedging is when a miner sells its metal before it has actually been mined in order to lock in a price. This can work well in a falling market, as you have sold your metal for a higher price than it is when you actually mine it; but it can be a disaster in a rising market because you miss out on the higher prices). Barrick's hedging strategy has rightly attracted a great deal of criticism. The company failed to recognise a bull market and sold its gold too cheap. The chart below shows what a costly error this has been.
The black line shows how the gold price has performed over the past ten years. The blue line shows the rise in the HUI, the index of unhedged gold miners. The comparatively feeble-looking yellow line shows Barrick's woeful share price performance over the same period. If only it hadn't hedged, it'd be up some 500%
So costly has been Barrick's hedging strategy, a contrarian might argue that their now eliminating their hedges could mark the top of the market.
But what's interesting is that, rather than deliver the gold it has sold forward, Barrick has chosen to raise cash by issuing shares and using the money some $3.5bn to pay off its obligations. In other words, the largest gold miner in the world thinks that it's worth buying its way out of the hedges with cash now, because it'll get a better price for its gold in the future.
Enjoying this article? Sign up for our free daily email, Money Morning, to receive intelligent investment advice every weekday. Sign up to Money Morning.
Why the Chinese government is telling its people to buy gold
Meanwhile, we hear that China has doubled its reserves to 1,054 tonnes. They are buying gold, "carefully so as not to stimulate the market" says Chinese economic ambassador Cheng Siwei, reports Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in The Telegraph. Siwei continues: "Credit in China is too loose. We have a bubble in the housing market and in stocks so we have to be very careful, because this could fall down."
Is the risk that "this could fall down" the reason that the Chinese authorities are pushing their citizens so hard to buy gold so that they have some protection from any credit bubble collapse? Analyst Paul Mylchreest notes in his Thunder Road Report that the main state-owned television company is promoting gold and silver as an investment. The government is telling its people to buy gold. What's more, every bank will sell gold and silver bullion bars in four different sizes to individuals, and China's largest bank, the ICBC, is setting up a precious metals department to handle growing investor demand.
Where is all this gold going to come from? Well, if 1.3 billion people start buying one-ounce coins, heaven only knows. China is already the biggest gold producer, last year superseding South Africa. Pretty soon it will replace India as the largest consumer.
And if the Chinese authorities are pushing gold as an investment to their citizens, it obliges them to 'protect' the gold price, as Lawrence Williams of Mineweb notes. It would be tantamount to a betrayal if it fell, never mind the loss of all-important face that would result. Just as the US and the UK stepped in to bail out its banks, so China will be duty bound to prop up gold.
But the surprising strength we have seen in gold over the summer we never really got the summer low I was looking for suggests that somebody is already 'buying the dips' anyway. Indeed, the gold price has this week repeatedly gone through $1,000 during overnight trading, only to fall back when the US markets open. That indicates that the buyers are out east somewhere. I have written about this before: Gold is shifting from West to East along with the balance of power.
$1,000 an ounce is just the start
There are some who argue convincingly that the $1,000 will mark a double top in gold, and then we'll go down from here. There are other technical indicators that suggest a top.
But there is too much impetus to force the price higher. We may hover around here for a while - in spring 2008, oil spent almost six weeks bouncing between $95 and $100 before bursting through and $100 oil is like $1,000 gold. Indeed, there is a little bit too much bullishness about the place at the moment, so a pullback would be healthy. But once we have a break above $1,000 and a weekly close above the old high at $1,032, the news on gold will be splashed everywhere. It all points to much higher prices in time.
Of course, that'll be good for gold stocks - in fact I've recently released a report detailing my six favourite gold stocks to capitalise on gold's next big move.
Our recommended article for today
Make big money from society's next big trends
Nobody has got really rich in the last decade by predicting economic growth and interest rates. But many have made big money spotting society's next big trends. Tom Bulford examines some current themes - and picks one company to watch.
American Express introduces 'Plan It' payment instalment option
News Amex users can now split parts of their credit bill into further instalments. Is it worth it?
By Marc Shoffman Published
Three fund ideas for your stocks and shares ISA
If you have yet to maximise this year’s £20,000 ISA allowance, here are some funds worth considering.
By Katie Williams Published


text:
By Deanna Tate
Taking care of your dogs while away from home has become easier.
Homeward Bound, owned by Kellie Owens, allows pet lovers to leave home for hours at a time and not have to worry about coming to check on their animals. Homeward Bound comes to their homes to help feed, play and groom dogs while the owners are gone.
They believe pets should be spoiled and taken care of at all times, and they treat each pet in a unique way.
“Every pet is different, just like humans,” said Crystal Lowe, pet owners and nanny. “They can’t all be treated the same.”
Kellie was inspired by a cat she rescued named CeCe.
In 2006, she created Homeward Bound, an in-home pet care service for pets and their parents.
“They’re very reliable, friendly and convenient, and they offer a great service at an affordable price,” said Brooke O’Bald, a customer for two years.
Bri Chrimes said it’s about trust.
“I trust them with all five of my pets,” said Chrimes, a customer of three years. “They have done a great job, and I love the prices.”
Owens staff includes Maria Gress, Paige Hammer, Angelica Crowell, Angie Brummett, Bessy Musselwhite and Alisha Tucker. They all share a common interest, which is their urge to love and care for their animals, but most importantly others’ animals.
Homeward Bound is located on 426 South Lamar Boulvard #6 in Oxford. Office hours are by appointment only.
To make an appointment, visit their website at homewardboundoxford.com.


text:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to use blockchain to identify, track, and trace prescription medicines and vaccines distributed throughout the country. International Business Machines (IBM -2.47%), along with Walmart, Merck, and KPMG, have been chosen to assist the FDA and other drug supply chain stakeholders in developing a blockchain-based system. This pilot project is expected to be completed by the end of the year, at which time next steps will be evaluated.
This blockchain project adds to a growing list of blockchain initiatives for IBM. Other notable examples include IBM Food Trust, which is being used by Walmart to trace certain food products, and TradeLens, a blockchain network aimed at the global shipping industry. In total, IBM has worked with more than 500 clients on blockchain projects so far.
In creating this blockchain network, the FDA has a few goals. These include reducing the time it takes to track and trace inventory, allowing for timely retrieval of distribution information, increasing data accuracy, and better determining the integrity of products in the distribution chain.
The goals here are similar to those of IBM's blockchain efforts in the food industry. Walmart has now run blockchain pilots to trace leafy greens, mangoes, and pork through the supply chain, testing the ability to trace products from farm to store. In the event of an outbreak of food-borne illness, the goal is to be able to trace the source of the contamination in seconds, instead of days or weeks. Speeding up that process can cut costs related to dealing with outbreaks, and it could potentially save lives.
In the case of this pharmaceutical blockchain trial, building trust and ensuring the integrity of products is the aim. "We believe we have to go further than offering great products that help our customers live better at everyday low prices. Our customers also need to know they can trust us to help ensure products are safe," said Karim Bennis, Walmart's VP of strategic planning and implementation, health and wellness.
"We believe this is an ideal use for the technology because it can not only provide an audit trail that tracks drugs within the supply chain; it can track who has shared data and with whom, without revealing the data itself," said Mark Treshock, IBM Global Solutions Leader for blockchain in healthcare and life sciences.
This pilot is part of the FDA's efforts to support the U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act, which was enacted by Congress in 2013. The legislation lays out steps to build an electronic system to trace prescription drugs, aiming to protect consumers from counterfeit, stolen, and contaminated products.
A multibillion-dollar opportunity
The market for blockchain totaled just $706 million in 2017, according to WinterGreen Research, but it could explode to $60 billion by 2024. Whether this explosive growth materializes remains to be seen. But if it does, IBM is well positioned to be a market leader.
Some of the blockchain projects that IBM is working on, including Food Trust, TradeLens, and this FDA initiative, have the potential to yield industry-standard solutions. These projects benefit from network effects -- the more companies and organizations that adopt them, the more valuable they become. If any of these blockchain networks are eventually widely adopted by their respective industries, IBM will have a business that's very sticky -- and very difficult to disrupt.
Blockchain is one component of IBM's long-term growth strategy. With the FDA choosing the company for its blockchain pilot, momentum continues to build for IBM's blockchain business.