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EBay scraps stamp and coin review programs
The eBay Internet commerce site has ended two programs that regularly examined stamp and coin listings for the purpose of deterring fraudulent sales. Photo courtesy of eBay.
The giant California Internet commerce site eBay, a major forum for stamp and coin sales, has ended two programs that were created to protect collectors from fake and questionable sales.
The actions, which were not publicly disclosed, ended the “Enhanced Member Reporting” and community watch program for stamps and coins that had secret panels of stamp and coin experts reviewing suspect items on the eBay website.
In a statement to Linn’s Stamps News, eBay said it “remains committed to providing a safe, secure online marketplace for the sale of stamps.”
“… We’re currently moving toward a more formal process for reporting and removing any fraudulent behavior within various categories, including the stamp category,” said the statement from spokesman Ryan Moore.
“We’ve broadened our internal team within this category in an effort to detect and investigate fraudulent activity in a more streamlined manner.
“We are proud of the steps we have taken to combat the sale of counterfeits in recent years. Through continual investments in technology, human resources, key external relationships and infrastructure, eBay is committed to aggressively detecting and removing members who engage in any type of fraudulent behavior.
“We value the pivotal role our community members play in the detection of illegal and unwelcome counterfeit listings, and encourage them to continue bringing listings that are perceived to be fraudulent to our attention through the ‘Report Item’ link or form.
“Once submitted, a detailed review is initiated and vetted by our teams, and listings deemed fraudulent will be removed promptly,” the statement said.
The statement from eBay did not respond to concerns raised by collectors that the end of the enhanced member reporting and stamp watch program would make it easier for unethical practices to go unchecked, or why the changes were made.
Stamp expertizer William Weiss of Bethlehem, Pa., who served on the secret stamp committee since 2006, has made public his opposition to the shutdown of the stamp watch and enhanced member reporting programs. In a letter to eBay chief executive John Donahue, Weiss said that shuttering the programs “seems completely contrary to the spirit of fraud prevention.”
Weiss and another member of the defunct stamp committee voiced concerns that without the committee’s expertise, individuals intent on defrauding collectors once again would have easier access to eBay customers.
“EBay when it first started was the wild west show … anything goes,” recalled a stamp dealer who served on the review panel and asked not to be named.
The stamp watch program was started in 2003 at the urging of the American Philatelic Society and others who were alarmed by some of the stamps being offered on eBay in its early days.
The reviews were so important that the APS board was regularly briefed on the results, according to Ken Martin, the APS executive director.
The APS has not taken a position on the shutdown of the review programs, Martin said. He said eBay apparently closed them in the belief that doing so would reduce eBay’s liability in any lawsuit over a fraudulent eBay sale.
EBay remains deeply concerned about the sale of counterfeit items on its website, according to a May filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“We are continuously seeking to improve and modify our efforts to eliminate counterfeit and pirated items through ongoing business initiatives designed to reduce bad buyer experiences and improve customer satisfaction and by responding to new patterns we are seeing among counterfeiters and others committing fraud on our users,” the company said.
Formed with the help of Frank Sente, then director of administration for the APS, eBay created the stamp review panel consisting of about four or five individuals who were stamp experts.
They were told not to discuss their roles in the program and were not paid for advising the San Jose-based company, which initially paid some of the costs of the review programs.
“In the beginning, there was a lot of fraud on eBay and nothing was done about it,” said Weiss.
The stamp panel, which focused on U.S. stamps, helped put a dent in that, the two dealers and Sente told Linn’s. Many complaints dealt with sellers who didn’t know that much about the stamps they were selling, the dealers said.
These complaints were quickly corrected.
Sente said the APS convinced eBay to give the review process an “educational” side, so sellers would know why their listings were being questioned.
The Sente-led program lasted until 2008, when eBay told the APS it could no longer underwrite the program’s relatively small costs, he said.
“We had to fight to keep it going,” Sente said, recalling that there was a constant snipping at the stamp program from some eBay officials.
A peer-review program remained in place after 2008, Sente noted. But he also said he was “not surprised” that the replacement program has been scuttled.
EBay was convinced that the stamp fraud on its site was serious after Sente prepared a detailed slide presentation documenting how one individual had taken a bulk sale of U.S. revenue stamps, trimmed off the perforations on several stamps and sold them as rare imperforates.
Stamps the individual had purchased for pennies each were selling for hundred of dollars, he said. And numerous complaints about what was selling on eBay were directed at both eBay and the APS, Sente noted.
There was also a Romanian who posted stamps from a sale in Europe and sold them without delivering any stamps, a fraud that Sente said is not possible under current eBay rules.
There were others intent on defrauding collectors, posting stamps for sale for one day only, a practice which Sente said offered the committee no time to stop the sales.
Some of these individuals would simply change their eBay user names and offer the questioned items under another name after being challenged, the dealers said. Those sellers were chased away by the committee.
“It worked very well,” Weiss said.
When the panel agreed there was a problem with a stamp, eBay would either remove it or direct the seller to revise his offering.
While the committee members worked without pay, they were given a thank-you letter or desk set with an eBay logo as a reward.
The eBay website still has a form on which individuals can report concerns about an offering.
The form is so short that Weiss said “there is no way for you to give any details” about the suspect item.
“My question is who is receiving that report,” Weiss asked. “Does that person have any stamp expertise and is he going to know?
“How can those at eBay know? It’s just not possible,” he said.
Other than the committee, eBay had no one on its staff with a knowledge of stamps and the skills to judge the ones being offered, Weiss said.
“It’s a big problem … far bigger than the average eBay member with an interest in stamps knows,” he told Linn’s.
To help collectors, Weiss and cofounder Don Denman, a lifelong stamp collector and vice president of technology for Brookside Research and Development, have formed a website to help stamp collectors navigate the online stamp buying and selling process.
It is www.stampsmarter.com.
There is no question that eBay has become a major player in both the stamp and coin collecting communities.
Eric Jackson, a revenue stamp specialist from Leesport, Pa., described eBay as one of the “many bright spots for the hobby” in a letter sent by the APS to its dealer members in May 2013.
“I was just on eBay and note that there are, today, just under 3 million items offered for sale in the Stamps category of which about 10 percent are auction items,” Jackson said.
“As most auction items turn over every seven days and by doing some simple math, it becomes obvious that there are many millions of stamps being sold on eBay in a single year,” he said.
“That is a lot of stamps, a lot of money and that means there are a lot of collectors buying them.”
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Mitsui Chemicals to shut PP production line in Japan
The decision is as part of the earlier announcement to construct a new polypropylene manufacturing facility planning for a scrap-and-build-style restructuring of its production system
Prime Polymer Co., Ltd, a joint venture company of Mitsui Chemicals & Idemitsu Kosan, announced its decision to suspend operations of one polypropylene production line at its Anesaki works, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan in March 2023.
This decision is as part of the announcement in May 2021, to construct a new polypropylene manufacturing facility planning for a scrap-and-build-style restructuring of its production system.
The current polypropylene production capacity of the company is 1,170K tons per year which will come down to 1,060K tons per year after closure of Anesaki line.
Looking ahead, Prime Polymer will work diligently to address the needs of its customers by streamlining its operations in a bid to bolster its business platform and adding further value to its products.
Register Now to Attend NextGen Chemicals & Petrochemicals Summit 2024, 11-12 July 2024, Mumbai

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First Hawaiian Bank Signals Recovery with Business Up First Quarter
By Sonia Isotov
Reporting a 10.17 percent increase over last year, First Hawaiian Bank’s strength is signaling a recovery in the making.
The latest First Hawaiian Bank Business Activity Report (BAR) showed continued evidence of Hawaii’s economic recovery with a 10.17% increase in three months of the year “same store sales” over the first quarter of 2010, according to Keith Nagata, senior vice president and Business Services Division Manager.
“Each month during the quarter showed an increase over the previous year,” Nagata said. “This underscores the strength of Hawaii’s economic recovery. In fact, 14 out of the 16 sectors showed an increase over 2010. The early signs of the economic impact of the events in Japan do not appear to be as severe as first anticipated,” continued Nagata, in a written statement.
Reportedly, First Hawaiian has over 7,500 merchant locations thought-out Hawaii, Guam, and Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands and can be used to provide a broad measure of economic activity. This report in particular tracks retail sales activity in 16 different economic sectors including automobile, retail, hotels, home improvement, restaurants, shipping and travel, among others.
As the largest local processor of merchant services, in 2010, the bank processed over $3.8 billion worth of credit and debit card sales transactions, boasting more than any other local financial institution.


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Genius Sports and the NFL have expanded their ongoing sports betting content agreement to include sportsbook platforms throughout the United States. Among the first to offer NFL live games through Genius Sports platforms will be the Caesars Sportsbook app.
Football fans will have access to games and other select NFL content through live Watch & Bet video streaming.
Caesars Digital President Eric Hession said: “The addition of live Watch & Bet video streaming brings the best that the NFL has to offer right into the Caesars Sportsbook app. Delivering innovative technology like this remains a key emphasis for us, so being the first US sportsbook to provide customers with in-app NFL livestreaming isn’t something we take lightly.
“We’re thankful to bring an industry-leading new feature to our sports wagering app through our partnership with Genius Sports and the NFL.”
NFL Media Strategy and Business Development VP Brent Lawton described the expansion as the next evolution in the NFL’s relationship with Genius Sports.
He said: “We’re excited to offer fans a new way to experience and engage with NFL content. Watch and Bet is an innovative step forward in our partnerships with Genius Sports and Caesars.”
Genius Sports has functioned as the NFL’s official content distributor since April 2021. The initial partnership covered international markets but did not have a US focus, which is a key component of the expanded agreement.
Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke said the company is pleased to expand its content distribution into the US market.
He commented: “In our expanded agreement with the NFL and Caesars Entertainment, Genius Sports has created a unique solution that combines our exclusive official NFL data with live streaming content to deliver the most compelling sports betting experience available across the US.
“Accelerated by our long-term NFL partnership, Genius Sports continues to go from strength to strength as our innovative products enable our customers to grow their product offering and increase market share across North America.”


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Darden Restaurants has entered into a formal area development agreement with CMR to develop and operate Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden and The Capital Grille brands in Mexico. The agreement calls for CMR to initially develop a minimum of 37 restaurants in Mexico over the next five years.
“Last month we celebrated the opening of Red Lobster in Dubai, our first restaurant in the Middle East,” said Kim Lopdrup, senior vice president of Business Development for Darden. “Today, we’re excited to build upon that milestone with the announcement of our agreement with CMR, the leading full-service restaurant operator and franchisor in Mexico. With its growing middle class and strong affinity for American brands, Mexico is an attractive growth market for Darden.
“As we’ve stated previously, Darden remains committed to owning and operating its restaurants domestically. However we believe the best way for us to expand the reach of our portfolio internationally is by selecting the right partners, like CMR, with outstanding operations experience, local market knowledge, and the commitment to delivering our brands’ experience with excellence.”
CMR is Mexico’s leading casual dining company, with more than 100 restaurants in 26 cities throughout the country. For more than 40 years, the company has operated a variety of company-owned and franchised concepts within the casual dining and fine dining sectors, including: Fonda Mexicana, Destilería, Elago and Chili’s, among others.
“We are delighted to welcome Red Lobster, Olive Garden and The Capital Grille to our family,” said CMR Chairman of the Board Joaquín Vargas Guajardo. “The addition of these three highly regarded brands to our portfolio is a huge step towards our vision: ‘In casual dining, bring the best of the world to Mexico and share the best of Mexico with the world.'”


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Winners and losers of inflation
Exchange rates are tending to be detrimental to inflation control. Photo: Quy Hoa
Housewives in Saigon whispered to each other as they went into a market: "A hundred thousand Vietnam dong used to be enough for a meal, but now they can't buy anything. When the costs of food, groceries, market goods, and other necessities go up, inflation affects almost every family.
The "era" of the super-rich
August's consumer price index rose by 0.8%, according to the General Statistics Office. Compared to December 2022, the inflation rate went up by 2.02%, and it went up by 2.96% compared to the same time last year. The main reason is that oil and rice prices in the U.S. went up.
And perhaps the most common complaint about inflation is that it makes people poorer since more money can buy fewer goods. However, not everyone becomes poor because of inflation. In one sense, inflation has helped some people.
The highest inflation level in decades has affected the economy, especially in the US and Europe. However, the world's super-rich witnessed a sudden increase in net worth.
According to an Oxfam report published in early 2023, since 2020, the 1% richest group has held nearly two-thirds of global new assets, worth $42 trillion. Over the past 10 years, the 1% population has acquired about half of all new wealth.
"While ordinary people struggle to cut spending even on essential items like food, the super-rich have surpassed their dreams," said Ms. Gabriela Bucher, Executive Director of Oxfam International.
The period 2021–2022 is also the time when the assets of the richest billionaires on the Vietnamese stock exchange increased significantly. According to Forbes, at the end of 2021, the asset value of the six richest billionaires on the Vietnamese stock exchange reached $19.6 billion, an increase of $3.5 billion compared to the end of 2020.
Strong growth in the stock market has made them richer, with many records being set. After a "record" year, the VN-Index closed at more than 1,498 points, an increase of 35.8% compared to the end of 2020. In the context of positive market developments, the net asset value of the billionaires also underwent significant changes.
Who fears inflation?
However, Professor of Economics at New York University Edward N. Wolff pointed out that inflation has a downside for the super-rich when compared to the middle class. Unlike many feared, inflation has even helped mitigate the overall rise in wealth inequality.
In principle, economic transactions such as long-term loans or forward contracts connect economic organizations. If the real inflation rate is higher than projected, the borrower will profit at the expense of the lender. If the inflation rate is lower than projected, the lender would profit from the borrower's loss when they have to return the loan with a larger value than planned.
According to the book Essentials of Economics by authors Paul Krugman and Robin Wells, house mortgage loans are a source of profit and loss in modern American society. from the most significant inflation. Americans who took out house loans in the early 1970s saw their real payments fall rapidly due to higher-than-expected inflation.
In fact, moderate inflation will stimulate people and businesses to increase production and investment to compensate for the devaluation of the currency. However, inflation has a negative effect on the economy. It devalues currency, increases prices of goods and services, reduces people's purchasing power, disrupts business and investment plans, and creates instability in the business environment.
When inflation becomes too high, central banks will interfere in the economy to reduce inflation rates. The most conspicuous is the US Federal Reserve's (FED) decision to raise interest rates ten times in a row starting in March 2022 to combat inflation, increasing the country's interest rate level to around 5-5.25%.
In Vietnam, weak aggregate demand, slow growth in money supply, high-interest rates, stable exchange rates, and difficulty in increasing oil prices due to the world economic recession are important factors in curbing inflation in the last six months of the year. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung, CFA, Head of Investment Consulting Department, Thanh Cong Securities Company (TCSC), noticed that investors around the world as well as in Vietnam have reduced their attention to the issue of inflation.
"We estimate that by the end of the year, inflation will likely return when the index representing the world's goods, the Commodity Index, peaks in July 2022, gradually decreasing at the end of 2022 and the beginning of the year. 2023 and has recently been trending upward. This is a risk because when inflation continues to return, the FED's monetary policy cannot be reduced immediately," Trung said.
Commodity prices are showing signs of increasing again, and combined with the core CPI being difficult to reduce, inflation in the US is also a worry for the market in the near future, he said.


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Day One: 0700. London. Disable phone alarm, flick through news app. Twitter. Shower, change, get in car. Sit in traffic on the A406. Ponder grey clouds. So far, so normal.
But Waze is not set westerly for the office, in Twickenham, like it normally is. It is pointing north. I am en route to Kielder Forest in Northumberland to drive the new Porsche Cayenne S.
The Cayenne has long been described as the saviour of Porsche. Car enthusiasts have been fed the narrative that the Cayenne is a means to an end. Porsche makes this so that other, more interesting, purer Porsches can continue to live.
If this new model feels familiar, that’s quite likely because we road tested the new Cayenne S in last week’s issue, calling it an “enjoyable, uncomplicated SUV to keep forever”.
Our road test, of course, is a place for hard facts and objective assessment. But the circumstances around this particular model necessitate a wider appraisal of its place. So we have decided to see if the new Cayenne S really blends performance and practicality, with an epic day-long tour of the north of England and southern Scotland. Which, in turn, necessitated my early alarm call.
Still, to cover the mechanical bits. According to Porsche, the latest facelift is one of the most extensive product upgrades in its history. There’s the usual stuff – new screens, new suspension, more power, more efficiency.
It’s all geared towards keeping the Cayenne feeling fresh, because from 2026 it will sit alongside the technically unrelated Cayenne Electric, before disappearing entirely as Porsche switches to electric cars only. It’s too early to start writing an obit – but this is the beginning of the end of the ICE Cayenne, and as a result feels the right time to be appreciated.
Intriguingly, for me, the biggest change is not in hardware or software. It’s in nomenclature. Porsche has seen fit to return the S to a V8, this time a 4.0-litre twin-turbo also used in the Panamera and Lamborghini Urus. Mk1 Cayenne S models had a V8, and then midway through the second generation it switched to a V6. Now the eight-cylinder S is back.


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FTC to announce new measures for the underage online
The Federal Trade Commission is set to announce new rules today that strengthen current protection of minors on the Internet. Let’s be very clear here, this has nothing to do with sites advertising Cash4Gold or that Craigslist posting about a sweet piece of land your uncle forwarded to you with the subject line that read: “you in?” No, that’s miners on the Internet.
The new FTC rules will be aimed at closing loopholes in the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which was written before the days of snooping Like buttons and mobile apps. The commission is concerned with different ways these emerging technologies can gather information on your kids. From the Wall Street Journal:
Under the proposed rules, which could go into effect after a 30-day comment period:
• Third parties like advertising networks or Facebook that know or have reason to know they are attaching software to children’s websites won’t be allowed to collect any personal information without first obtaining parental consent. Currently, many websites secure consent by sending an email to an address provided by the child.
• Those third parties will be responsible for any unlawful data collection. The rules will also make the host website responsible for those infractions.
• The FTC will tighten proposed rules prohibiting advertising to children based on their previous online behavior.
Sounds like common sense stuff, but with these rules written in stone, the FTC will have better grounds to fine companies who might be in violation. Advertisers and companies like Facebook think there are already enough rules in place. Again from the Journal:
Facebook, in a filing with the FTC in December, spent four pages arguing that software such as its “Like” button should be exempt from Coppa. Data gathered by such software isn’t used to target ads based on users’ behavior, Facebook said. Exempting the software from Coppa, Facebook said, “would create more legal certainty for operators and facilitate the development of innovative, engaging online content for teens.”
See “teens,” if it wasn’t for that pesky government, you would all be having a great time being engaged with Facebook content. Instead you’re bored, bored, bored, bored, bored.
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Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.


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Sterling’s depreciation has not led to an export boom
Devaluing your way to prosperity is not easy
SINCE the Brexit vote of June 2016, the pound has lost 15% of its value against other currencies. Traders have sold sterling because they fear for the economy’s prospects. Yet some see an upside to the slump. With products more competitive abroad, the argument goes, the economy will “rebalance” away from consumer spending towards export-led growth. Last month Liam Fox, the international-trade secretary, spoke of the “increasing demand for home-grown summer essentials”, boasting about British exports of swimwear and ice-cream. Unfortunately, however, sterling’s depreciation is likely to go down as one of the least successful in history.
For most of the past three centuries, Britain has run a trade surplus. Its biggest, worth 6% of GDP, was in 1881, at the height of the British empire. However, in recent years Britain has run large trade deficits.
Past depreciations have helped reorient the economy back towards export-led growth. In 1967, when Harold Wilson devalued the pound against the dollar, assuring Britons that the “pound in your pocket” had lost none of its value, a jump in exports followed (see chart). The conditions looked good for a repeat this time around. Despite protectionist rhetoric from Donald Trump, world trade has grown decently in the past year.
Yet exporters have responded meekly to the depreciation. The real-terms value of exports has risen only slightly. In April to June the trade deficit was just a squeak below its five-year average.
The impact of sterling’s depreciation has been underwhelming for a few reasons. For one thing, firms are locked into global supply chains and rely heavily on foreign inputs. Half the components in a “British-made” car come from abroad. If exports rise, so do imports.
The economy is also highly geared towards high-value-added stuff like pharmaceuticals. Buyers of these goods and services are insensitive to price changes. Not all industries fit this mould, notably tourism. Dollars buy more rides on the London Eye than before. In June visits by foreigners (including businesspeople) were up by 7% year on year. Yet visitors seem to be economising: their overall spending in real terms is no higher than before.
Optimists maintain that the benefits of a depreciation take a long time to filter through. Firms need to get finance together and seek out new markets to exploit their new competitive advantage.
The case of Dr Fox’s ice-cream industry, however, suggests that exporters are in no rush. Though export revenues have risen, this largely reflects the fact that with a weaker pound a given quantity of foreign-currency sales leads to higher sterling revenues. In the first half of 2017 firms exported about the same quantity of ice cream (600m scoops, by our reckoning) as in the same period the year before. Firms seem to be using sterling’s weakness simply to bank bigger profits, rather than to move into new markets.
It is a similar story across the private sector. Profitability is near record highs yet investment is stalling. Last year non-financial firms stuck an extra £74bn ($96bn) in their bank accounts, by far the largest figure on record. Firms’ tentative behaviour should be a wake-up call for ministers, who expect them to lead the charge of a reorientation of British trade away from the EU after Brexit.
Following a period of stability in early 2017, sterling has once again started to slide downwards. On August 29th it hit €1.08, its lowest level against the euro since 2009. There remain few indications, however, that an export boom is around the corner. It turns out that devaluing your way to prosperity is not easy.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "The ice-cream economy"


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First-quarter earnings reports are in full swing, and all eyes are on big tech. FAANG member Amazon (AMZN 0.90%) recently reported mixed results, with most investors focusing on the company's flagship e-commerce business. At first glance, the lackluster results in Q1 may cause some to question the direction Amazon may be headed.
However, with a long-term mindset, the sell-off in the stock following the earnings report may be a blessing in disguise. So let's analyze Amazon's first-quarter results across all aspects of the business and determine if now may be an opportune time to buy.
Should investors be worried about an e-commerce slowdown?
For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, Amazon's online stores generated $51.1 billion in sales, representing a 3% decline year over year. Additionally, the company's North American and International segments, both of which are primarily comprised of e-commerce, posted operating losses of $1.6 billion and $1.3 billion during the first quarter.
On the surface, it may seem alarming that Amazon's largest business of online sales is experiencing slowing growth and operating without profitability. However, during the conference call, management provided thoughtful detail about the e-commerce business and what the future could hold.
Amazon's Chief Executive Officer, Andy Jassy, commented on the online business dynamics. More specifically, he reminded shareholders that consumer demand sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic forced Amazon to double the size of its fulfillment network. Although this took nearly two years and significant capital to complete, management believes that the company no longer faces staffing capacity or physical storage constraints. The primary objective is to achieve cost efficiencies through its new, larger fulfillment network.
Jassy addressed this challenge head-on by stating that achieving this goal will take time as Amazon combats continued challenges from inflation and supply chain disruption. However, one silver lining is that investors learned that Amazon had improved its delivery speed performance and is now reporting levels congruent with the early months of 2020 before the pandemic.
Although revenue growth in the online consumer business declined year over year, investors should keep in mind that e-commerce companies experienced more pronounced demand during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, management seems to have a solid plan regarding the long-term profitability profile of the consumer business. Despite near-term challenges related to inflation and hiccups in the supply chain, Amazon has incurred the upfront costs related to increased labor needs for the fulfillment network in order to achieve long-term profitability and margin expansion.
The cloud could be significantly undervalued
Amazon's cloud business, Amazon Web Services (AWS), grew 37% year over year during Q1 2022 by posting $18.4 billion in revenue. While AWS is well on its way to becoming Amazon's next $100 billion revenue stream, investors should be keenly aware of its margin profile. For the quarter ended March 31, 2022, AWS reported 35% operating margins compared to 31% during the same period prior.
These results are particularly encouraging for a few reasons. First, Amazon is able to reinvest the profits from its cloud unit into other areas of the business. For example, the expanding margins from AWS and its subsequent cash flow benefits facilitate Amazon's needs on the consumer side by providing the company with the financial flexibility to increase hiring and fulfillment needs. Additionally, a number of high-profile Wall Street investors have not only praised Amazon's growth in the cloud but have alluded to this business segment being significantly undervalued.
It is important to note that cloud computing is still in its early innings. Given the increased adoption of remote work as well as companies increasingly relying on big data to help with real-time business decisions, IT leaders face the challenge of transitioning more budget spend from on-premise solutions to cloud computing protocols. Amazon will directly benefit from this dynamic and could witness significant growth in AWS in the years ahead.
Keep an eye on valuation
As of writing, Amazon stock is trading at just 2.4 times its trailing-12-months sales. This ratio is the lowest level in over a year. Moreover, the stock is down 26% over the last month and nearly 34% year to date.
Third Point Capital founder and CEO Dan Loeb recently wrote a letter to his clients in which he made a case for Amazon being 40% undervalued. The crux of his thesis hinged on the underappreciated value of AWS. Although the cloud could be a long-term catalyst for the stock, Amazon also carries some objectives near-term that could spark some life back into the stock.
Earlier this year, Amazon announced a 20-for-1 stock split alongside a $10 billion stock repurchase. Generally speaking, stocks tend to move higher immediately leading up to a stock split, as well as over the long term after the stock split occurs.
Although Amazon's consumer business faces near-term headwinds, the company's cloud business is thriving. Additionally, the upcoming stock split and buyback could provide a much-welcomed jolt for the stock over the next few months. Given the heavy selling following the earnings report, coupled with the near-term and long-term catalysts, now may be an ideal time to dollar-cost average into Amazon stock.


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- 1 min read
Indiabulls Ventures to raise Rs 588 crore from global investors
Indiabulls Ventures said that it will raise Rs 588 crore via preferential allotments of shares from global investors. The board of directors of the company have approved the preferential issue of up to 33.6 million equity shares at face value of Rs 2 each.
The board has approved the preferential issue of up to 33.6 million equity shares at face value of Rs 2 each. This will comprise 5.5% of the post preferential issue share capital of the company at an issue price of Rs 175 per share to certain foreign investors, it said in a regulatory filing.
The company added that Ribbit Cayman will be offered 1,05,00,000 shares, while 84,00,000 shares will be extended to NWI Emerging Market Fixed Income Master Fund, Inteligo Bank and First Royalty Ventures will be getting 42,00,000 equity shares each. TIMF Holdings will be offered 37,80,000 shares and Think India Opportunities Master Fund will get 25,20,000 shares of the company.
The board of directors have also approved the appointment of Sameer Gehlaut as chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company and Divyesh B Shah has been approved to be re-designated as the chief operating officer of the company, Indiabulls Ventures said.


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SRINAGAR: A financial scam involving Rs 60 crores has surfaced in the Kashmir valley. The scam has allegedly been committed by an organisation called “Curative Survey Agency”.
Investors have alleged that they were duped of their hard-earned money by a private company based in the Valley. Some investors held a protest in Srinagar, alleging that a private investment firm duped them for their hard-earned money.
“We were lured to invest money in the company stating that the money you invest will double within 15 days. This prompted us to invest money in the firm and the first few months they received the money as promised, however, after some time they didn’t get any response from the firm, which created doubt in their minds,” said one of the protesters.
She said that she and her other family members invested around Rs 5 lakh in the firm. They were motivated by a social media influencer after posting some videos on his YouTube channel, claiming the firm was authentic. He has invested his money in the same firm.
“A few days ago we tried to contact the firm and its employees, but we have not been getting any response. We have now been duped of our hard-earned money. This company is a fraud as it cheated many people here and duped them of crores,” she added.
Meanwhile, local employees who were working in the firm and were directly dealing with the customers or investors claimed that they had been duped of their money as they were not aware of the firm’s credentials.
“We would be asked by administrators of the firm, who are based in Chennai and would sometimes stay in Srinagar also, to ask customers and investors to invest their money based on some plans and their money would be doubled in 15 days,” said one of the employees of the firm.
He said that initially the doubled amount was credited to the bank accounts of customers or investors and they (employees) also started to invest their salaries in the firm, however, they have also been duped of the money as well as of their employment.
A senior official of the Cyber Police Kashmir told The New Indian that “ A case has been registered under Section 66D of the IT act and 429 IPC based on complaints against the private firm at Cyber Police Station Srinagar. We are investigating the matter and those involved will be brought to justice.”
He said, “Investigations have revealed that the Curative Survey Agency has lured investors by promising to double their investments within 15 days. However, the agency was found to be diverting funds through complex schemes and deceived local people as well as their employees”.
The Curative Survey agency used local influencers to promote its promises. The influencers who promoted the company have claimed to have verified all the necessary documents such as GST numbers, Aadhar and PAN details of the handlers of the firm before creating promotional videos. They received a fixed fee for promotional videos.
As per reports, approximately 50,000 people in Jammu and Kashmir have invested in this company, with some even selling their properties and jewellery to invest their hard-earned money.


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Since 1970, Earth Day has engaged nearly 200 countries and mobilized one billion individuals to take action. This year, the global movement is igniting change with its Earth Day Climate Action Summit that’s focusing on offering key solutions that will help deliver the greenhouse gas reductions needed by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement.
For many of today’s youngest consumer brands, sustainability isn’t just a priority, it’s a brand mantra. To celebrate Earth Day, we’re highlighting some sustainable, emerging consumer brands — all of which are SKU alums — that are creating positive change in their respective industries and in the world at large.
Mushroom Revival is on a mission to revive health with functional mushrooms so you can go back to feeling your best self. In honor of Earth Day, the functional mushroom company is planting 10,000 trees in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest with the partnership of One Tree Planted.
Raven & Lily
Austin, Texas-based Raven & Lily offers sustainable, handcrafted accessories made by skilled artisans from around the world. As a certified B Corp and member of the Fair Trade Federation, the company plans to celebrate Earth Day in-store at Neighborhood Goods with the launch of the Remnant Leather Collection, which uses repurposed pieces of leather that would otherwise go to waste.
Launched in 2015, American Provenance has long understood that the industry’s reliance on plastic packaging is unsustainable and that’s why they’re part of the change. This year, the company has been a leader in the deodorant industry by reformulating deodorant tubes and caps to contain 60 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. American Provenance is also committed to rolling out aluminum bottles and jars for all its products moving forward. Not only is aluminum infinitely recyclable, but 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today.
SHAZ & KIKS
Haircare brand SHAZ & KIKS is reimagining ancient Indian rituals by focusing on Ayurvedic ingredients and practices to create holistic haircare from root to tip. The company works with CleanHub to collect plastic waste in Edvanna, India before it can enter the most precious ecosystem on earth: the ocean. So far, SHAZ & KIKS has offset its plastic usage and recovered 500 lbs of ocean-bound plastic. Through CleanHub, they partner with Green Worms plastic waste collected by women’s self-help groups (also creating critical employment opportunities). The waste is then sorted into recyclables and non-recyclables. The recyclables are sold at local scrap markets (to encourage a circular economy), while the non-recyclables are co-processed by Geocycle, which means the mineral materials are recycled while recovering energy all through a single industrial process.
Blenders & Bowls
Austin’s favorite smoothie bowls are no longer exclusive to their Texas cafes. Since launching in 2010, Blenders & Bowls is now a nationwide sensation offering frozen smoothie bowls in pint-sized packages. The brand also offers merchandise that’s reflective of the company’s adventurous and colorful spirit. To celebrate Earth Day, the team will be participating in Austin’s Earth Day Clean Up.
ForceBrands offers end-to-end hiring solutions for all stages of growth. Whether you’re just starting to hire or are looking for the next step in your career, we’re here to help you be a positive Force that makes an impact.


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Ready at Dawn boss Ru Weerasuriya has lamented the negative impact of the pre-owned market on game developer revenue in a new interview, suggesting that while he likes used games he’d like to see GameStop pass a percentage of the income along to developers.
Speaking with GI.biz, Weerasuriya – whose team is currently working on the PS4-exclusive action romp The Order: 1886 – argued that greedy pre-owned tactics harm developers and consumers alike.
“I think the problem is right now there are retail outlets that are really taking everybody for a ride,” he began. “You can’t make a living at the expense of everybody else.
“Unfortunately, they’re not just making a living at the expense of developers but also the consumers because the consumers will see less and less games come out if developers can’t get revenue to make more new titles and keep going as a business.
“I think this is something we need to curb on the retail side. We’re putting the consumers in an awkward spot and we shouldn’t have to.Why should they be the ones to deal with a flawed system? They are the guys we do this for. They are the ones who should be able to benefit the most from being able to buy it.”
He recalled an experience he had at a GameStop store, in which an employee tried to aggressively sell him a used version of a game, and added, “There are developers out there who are making games for [years] and some of them will go down purely because the revenue stream is basically flawed and creating this place where developers don’t see even a little part of it.
“I don’t think we should stop used games, but we should do something about getting part of the revenue back from GameStop and places like that. That’s not penalizing the consumers; they’ll still get what they want. But I don’t know who’s going to address it.”
Microsoft did try to address this issue with its unpopular Xbox One DRM policy, which would have seen retailers installing systems that tracked pre-owned sales, along with fees for consumers looking to activate second-hand code. The policy was quickly abandoned following E3 last month.
What do you make of the above? Can anything be done about this issue? Can a middle-ground be reached where retailer, developer and consumers get a solid deal? let us know below.


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Now Apple fans can get their hands on an iPhone X at the price of an iPhone XR! The tech titan has slashed $150 off of the refurbished ‘X’ variants.
The price has been updated on Apple’s official website. The iPhone X (64GB) is now available at $769 ($130 discount) and is available in Silver and Space Grey. Whereas the 256GB variant is available for $899 ($150 discount).
Furthermore, it is reported that the models will come with a one-year warranty and a new battery and outer shell.
The day Apple unveiled the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max back in fall, it pulled the iPhone X from its online store, sending a clear message: buy the new models or find the old one elsewhere reports TechRadar.
One of the reasons for Apple to slash its prices is because of the loss the company is facing as sales have dropped. On the other hand, users have traded-in old models to get new ones so there is a lot of old inventory to get rid of.
Have something to add to the story? Share it with us in the comments below.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more news and updates.


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New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (Inc) Media release, 17 January 2017 NZIER Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion Embargoed until 10am 17 January 2017
The latestNZIER Quarterly Survey of Business Opinionshows business confidence remained high at the end of 2016, with a net 26 percent of businesses expecting an improvement in economic conditions over the coming months. Although there was a modest softening in demand in their own business, activity indicators remain higher than a year ago. This indicates continued solid momentum in the New Zealand economy, which should provide a buffer against the downside risks from unexpected events both here and abroad.
Businesses were particularly buoyant in Southland, with confidence at its highest level since early 2014. The continued recovery in global dairy prices has supported higher business confidence in the rural regions over the past year. Business confidence was also high in Wellington, with little sign the recent earthquakes dented confidence.
Confidence remains highest in the building sector
Business confidence was high across the sectors, but remains strongest in the building sector. This reflects continued strong demand in construction, although architects’ work in their own office suggests some softening in pipeline growth in residential, commercial and Government construction. There has also been an easing in shortages for both skilled and unskilled labour in the building sector, likely reflecting the effects of the surge in net migration over the past year.
Meanwhile, solid household demand underpinned a rebound in retailer confidence, with retailers looking to invest for expansion. This is despite weakening profitability in an increasingly competitive environment.
Pricing indicators point to a pick-up in inflation
Capacity utilisation rebounded to 92.7% in the December quarter, and more businesses reported capacity as a constraint. Businesses are finding it easier to raise prices, with the net 7 percent of businesses raising prices in the December quarter – a turnaround from the net 4 percent cutting prices in the previous quarter.
Improved pricing power points to a lift in inflation over the coming year. With the risk of persistently low inflation dissipating the Reserve Bank has indicated it is unlikely to cut interest rates any further. We expect the Reserve Bank will keep interest rates on hold until mid-2018, before embarking on a gradual tightening cycle.
The recovery in global dairy prices has supported a strengthening in business confidence in the rural regions
For further information please contact: Christina Leung Senior Economist & Head of Membership Services Ph +64 21 992 985 | email@example.com


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Part of the appeal of hybrid and electric cars is their quiet operation, but regulators fear this also poses a danger to pedestrians.
That's led to several attempts to equip new hybrids and electric cars with noise-making devices, to alert blind or unaware pedestrians to their approach.
MORE: Laws To Add Noise To Silent Electric Cars: Latest Updates
As a result of lobbying by the National Federation for the Blind, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act was signed into law in 2011 to do just that.
But implementation has apparently stalled: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has pushed back the date for a final ruling on the proposed noisemaker standards until the end of the year, according to Wards Auto (via Autoblog Green).
That means the new rule won't be implemented until 2018.
2015 Nissan Leaf
The latest delay further lengthens a debate that's been going on almost since the first hybrids were launched in the U.S. 15 years ago.
The rise of hybrid and electric cars has drawn concern from some groups--particularly the Federation, which fears blind and visually-impaired pedestrians won't be aware of oncoming cars without familiar engine noises.
Publicity over the issue led the NHTSA to convene a conference in 2008, and to conduct two subsequent studies.
RELATED: Will Europe Too Write Rules To Make Quiet Electric Cars Noisier?
One 2009 study found that hybrids and electric cars were twice as likely as conventional internal-combustion cars to be involved in a pedestrian collision, while a 2011 NHTSA study estimated the chances of a pedestrian collision to be 35 percent higher.
However, there was relatively little data for researchers to work with.
The 2009 study only included data from 12 states, and was limited to injuries from 2000--when there were very few hybrids on the road and around 10 years before the current generation of electric cars went on sale.
2015 Toyota Prius Liftback
Nonetheless, the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act was signed into law, and the NHTSA is still trying to implement it.
Carmakers have criticized the agency's proposed rules--saying the sounds would be too loud--and it would likely require the devices to be fitted to the quietest of cars, not solely those with electric or hybrid powertrains.
Some hybrid and electric-car owners reportedly oppose such devices as well, because they enjoy the silent operation of their cars.
2015 Chevrolet Volt
Still, in anticipation of the standards, many electric-car makers have already provided an alert noise as a standard feature.
The Nissan Leaf is equipped with an automatic chirping noise below 18 mph, while the Chevrolet Volt and Spark EV have alert sounds that can be actuated by the driver as needed.
Some other carmakers are waiting until the law takes effect to add noisemakers to their vehicles, but it is starting to look like there may not be a lot of hurrying required.


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The Tourism Innovation Summit 2023 (TIS) returns to Seville from October 18-20, promising an event full of innovation. The main objective of TIS is to present the latest technological advances and revolutionary solutions in the tourism sector.
For the fourth consecutive year, Bracelit will be present at this highly anticipated international meeting, where companies from all over the world share their innovative ideas and solutions for the industry. This year, in addition to being invited by Andalucía Lab, we are excited and grateful to offer our services at this great event.
If you are interested in learning all the details about this exciting event and discovering how Bracelit plans to take innovation to the next level, you are in the right place.
Join us on this exciting adventure and keep reading the blog!
The world is constantly evolving and the tourism sector should not be left behind. One of the reasons why Bracelit was created was to offer innovative solutions in this sector.
Our proposals are designed to simplify and streamline every step of the management process, from booking in hotels and resorts to controlling group travel.
Reap huge benefits by implementing Bracelit!
The Bracelit technology could not be more in line with the objectives of the TIS. We are committed to technology, innovation and sustainability in the tourism sector. Bracelit is the ideal management software for hotels, resorts and travel agencies.
During the day we will be fortunate to share with all attendees our latest solutions and discover first-hand the benefits we offer. In addition, this year we have been able to implement NFC wristbands for all the companies invited by Andalucía Lab. This will make value data capture easier and faster than ever before, making communications clear and direct!
If you want to implement the most innovative technology in your event or business, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.org We are happy to hear about new projects!


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On July 6, 2016, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall for more than 500,000 hoverboards due to fire hazards. The recall involves ten manufacturers, retailers, online retailers and/or US importers, with over half involving the popular Swagway model. The basis for the recall is: “The lithium-ion battery packs in the self-balancing scooters/hoverboards can overheat, posing a risk of the products smoking, catching fire and/or exploding.” According to the CPSC’s recall, there have been 99 incidents of fire, with some involving personal injury and property damage.
The recall warns consumers and users to “immediately stop using these recalled products and contact the recalling company to return their hoverboard for a full refund, a free repair or a free replacement depending on the model.” This warning, when combined with news reports of fires from hoverboards, also presents a challenge to recovery professionals handling new claims involving these models. Inevitably, as more time passes from the recall, and more news of hoverboard fires gets circulated in the media, the parties to this recall will start to have a defense that insureds and users should have stopped using the devices altogether due to known hazards. While there are of course counter arguments to be made in response to such a defense of comparative fault, which would vary by jurisdiction, this is certainly a point all insurance claim professionals, recovery personnel and subrogation counsel need to explore with their insureds as more time passes.
Another interesting piece of information included in this recall is a Note at the end which provides:
At the request of the Commission, Alibaba Group has taken voluntary action to require certifications from testing agencies for hoverboards listed by third-parties on the AliExpress.com and Alibaba.com online marketplaces. Consumers are urged to immediately stop using hoverboards which do not comply with applicable safety standards and dispose of them in accordance with local and state regulations.
This Note goes beyond standard recall language and shows the CPSC is actively engaging online retailers to protect consumers, which may signal a new trend of the CPSC taking greater action to address defective products in the global marketplace, especially since Alibaba is a Chinese e-commerce group with online marketplaces where products are sold to US consumers. The notion of third-party testing agencies for products sold through online marketplaces is also a sign that perhaps new obligations may start to be imposed on online marketplaces and hosting sites to ensure products sold online are tested and certified to applicable safety standards.
The following is a link to the CPSC’s full recall, which also contains a useful chart by recall company which links to each company’s individual recall: http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2016/Self-Balancing-Scooters-Hoverboards-Recalled-by-10-Firms/


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Informatica expands enterprise data catalog capabilities
Informatica expanded its Smart Details Platform with new abilities, thanks in portion to the acquisition of info governance vendor Compact Methods.
Compact Methods, primarily based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., has a portfolio of metadata administration abilities that Informatica will now use to enhance the Informatica Company Details Catalog.
Informatica disclosed the acquisition July two, two times after the company cloud info administration vendor introduced the summertime update of its Smart Details Platform, which incorporates new info privacy analytics, info governance and company info catalog options.
Informatica, which is privately held, did not disclose the rate of the acquisition.
The Compact Methods acquisition will give Informatica the means to regulate extra forms of metadata, reported Mark Beyer, a Gartner analyst. Getting extra metadata forms could serve as an on-ramp for potential new customers, as properly as an integration pathway to carry on coexisting with competitive goods to Informatica’s, Beyer included.
“1 of the major focal points for the increasing metadata administration marketplace is the ability to guarantee constant acquisition of metadata from exterior belongings,” Beyer reported.
Beyer noted that Gartner consumers have expressed that info integration need to be automated considerably extra primarily based on metadata analytics. Equally, Gartner has observed that businesses are seeking to blend multiple info integration platforms into a extra consolidated technique, he reported.
“Gartner consumers typically point out they believe that they will have to have a low-price option for extra conventional info integration demands, and extra impressive system for the extra elaborate integration calls for,” Beyer reported.
Informatica’s rising Company Details Catalog
Compact Methods was an Informatica lover in advance of the acquisition. So some of Compact Solutions’ applications are already deployed with joint customers, noted Jitesh Ghai, senior vice president and normal manager of info administration at Informatica.
Mark BeyerAnalyst, Gartner
Informatica programs to release extra updates of Compact Solutions’ innovative metadata scanners in the up coming month to a few months, Ghai reported.
The Compact Methods order enhances Informatica’s current info governance and info cataloging portfolio.
“Compact Solutions’ engineering workforce has deep expertise in extracting metadata from some of the most elaborate techniques together with company info warehouses, mainframes, 3rd-party ETL applications and extra,” Ghai reported.
Details Asset Analytics provides info price to company info catalog
As portion of Informatica’s summertime update, released on June 30, Informatica released a Details Asset Analytics (DAA) ability that helps evaluate info use in an firm.
Informatica is including DAA to the Informatica Company Details Catalog. An company info catalog has a selection of different use cases, together with serving to businesses acquire far better comprehending of info belongings.
The DAA attribute delivers insight to businesses on how they are working with their info. Figuring out info price is a calculation that entails having an stock of all info belongings, measuring the volume of collaboration on a supplied info asset and how commonly the info asset is applied, Ghai reported.
“Details Asset Analytics truly is about enabling info executives to articulate the contribution and price of info to the business,” Ghai reported.
Details privacy will get a dashboard
A different element that is portion of the Informatica summertime update is a new privacy analytics dashboard attribute in the Details Privacy Administration (DPM) component of Informatica’s system.
DPM delivers governance and controls above info to support comply with company and regulatory insurance policies. The new privacy analytics dashboard exhibits a risk profile of an organization’s delicate info, together with studies on how considerably personal info the firm is holding.
With privacy regulation these as GDPR and CCPA, businesses have to have to proactively ensure their privacy checks are in location, Ghai reported.
“We are in a position to scan, find out, classify and categorize info and area all of that up into a dashboard to support privacy groups prioritize what they will perform on up coming, to protect compliance or perform toward demonstration of compliance,” Ghai reported.


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This article is more than 1 year old
AMD snaps up server upstart SeaMicro
Jumpstarting a cloudy server biz with an interconnect
AMD's new CEO Rory Read was fired up about executing better in the server racket at the company's analyst day earlier this month and has wasted little time in stirring things up with the acquisition of low-power server start-up SeaMicro for $334m.
SeaMicro is the server upstart founded four and a half years ago that came out of stealth in June 2010 with an Atom bomb: a 10U chassis crammed with 512 single-core Atom servers in a 10U chassis, all linked by a 1.28Tb/sec 3D torus interconnect implemented on an ASIC that also virtualized all I/O in the cluster of server nodes and provided load balancing across those nodes.
Over time, SeaMicro has added 64-bit Atoms, boosted the number of Atom processors and main memory in the system, and only a month ago announced a variant that used single-socket Xeon E3-1260L processors to give the SM10000 system some "brawny cores" to do heavier computational tasks.
The acquisition of SeaMicro will no doubt irk Intel, which has used SeaMicro as a poster child for its microserver and cloud computing efforts in the past two years. So there's some public relations fun in that. But there isn't much Intel can do about SeaMicro being in AMD's hands.
In a conference call with Wall Street analysts announcing the deal after the market closed, Andrew Feldman, SeaMicro's CEO and co-founder, said that his company had been buying Atom processors and chipsets from the distribution channel, not from Intel. SeaMicro does not anticipate any changes in getting its supply of Atom and Xeon processors or building systems for current and future customers.
In the call, Read reiterated that AMD was "seizing the inflection point" in the server business. The acquisition of SeaMicro, which along with Cisco Systems is one of the first new entrants in the server racket in years to actually look like it has a chance of making it, would "accelerate out transformation into an agile and disruptive innovator."
As we can now see, looking at the past month in hindsight, is that AMD figured out that is needed to hunker down on its Opteron processor roadmaps and not force server makers to absorb a socket change in 2012, as was the original plan, but rather to get an improved "Piledriver" core for Opteron processors into the field this year and do lots of performance tuning to show what "Bulldozer" class of chip can really do. The company then looked around and decided that it didn't need a new chip or chipset so much as a whole different set of technologies to sell to its server OEM partners. That's where SeaMicro came in.
Much will be made of AMD entering the server business with the acquisition of SeaMicro. But that's not the point, even if it will be technically true over the next months. Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager of the new Global Business Units at AMD, who is tasked with making sure the company has the components from which server makers want to build systems, put the kibosh on that idea.
"This is a technology play for us," Su explained, calling the interconnect used at the heart of the SeaMicro system a "unique technology" that would be a "building block" that AMD integrates with its processors and chipsets and then in turn sells to server makers. The company will work now to get AMD's Opteron server processors embedded in the SeaMicro machines, which it expected to have accomplished by the second half of this year. The company will not divulge what Opteron chips it will weld onto the SeaMicro server boards, but it stands to reason that it would be a low-voltage Opteron 3200 or 4200 part.
In an interview with El Reg, Mark Papermaster, AMD's CTO, deflected all of the interesting questions about how the SeaMicro 3D torus interconnect might be used, such as extending it beyond one chassis to span multiple chassis under a single management and cluster domain, or maybe adding cache coherence and shared main memory across all or a portion of a SeaMicro server's nodes.
The acquisition, said Papermaster, "allows us to redefine the server building block," and he noted that AMD was keen on becoming "an agile SoC company," referring to system-on-chip designs that put processors and other system elements into a single piece of glass.
And he confirmed El Reg's sense that AMD was not getting into the server business. "You have that exactly right," said Papermaster.
When asked about when AMD and SeaMicro started talking, Papermaster would not be specific, except to say that AMD "moved very, very rapidly."
This was quite possibly to keep someone else from buying SeaMicro and very certainly in part as a reaction to Intel's purchase of the InfiniBand networking business from QLogic back in January for $125m.
Papermaster would not comment on rumors that AMD has been taking a look at ARM server chip maker Calxeda, but it could very well turn out that if AMD had tried to do that deal, it might be grateful that it fell through. The SeaMicro deal is a much better option if it wants to sell server interconnects and help OEM customers build cloudy servers and maybe even clustered supercomputers based on the SeaMicro "Freedom" fabric, as the latest generation is called.
That fabric is processor and instruction set agnostic, as Feldman has said many times, and SeaMicro only started out on Atom processors because they gave the best bang for the watt. And it could turn out that Calxeda and AMD partner to make ARM servers somewhere down the road. Why not?
Read wanted to make sure that everyone understood that the SeaMicro acquisition would have no effect on the company's 2012 and 2013 Opteron processor roadmaps and system plans, and that AMD was not leaving the traditional x86 server business. "We're in that business to stay, and we're going to grow it and invest in it," Read said.
AMD is paying $281m in cash and $53m in stock to acquire privately held SeaMicro, which raised $35m in two rounds of funding and also got $9.3m in funding from the US government as part of the $787bn American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.
Feldman is staying on at AMD after the acquisition closes and will be general manager of a new Data Center Server Solutions business unit, reporting to Su. ®


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Late last week, Microsoft detailed some of the Xbox One and Windows 10 gaming-related upgrades it plans to launch in the springtime. Among the more interesting tidbits was the mention of a new Xbox One dashboard designed to speed up the console’s current sluggish user interface.
“Every Xbox One will see an update coming to the Guide that will make it faster to complete common tasks,” said Mike Ybarra, head of platform engineering at Microsoft’s Xbox division, in a statement. “Through one press of the Xbox button on your controller, you’ll be able to pull up the newly enhanced Guide as an overlay on the left side of your screen no matter what you’re doing.”
On Monday, Ybarra demoed the new dashboard during a stream on his Beam channel. A video of the interface was subsequently captured and uploaded to YouTube by Windows Central reader Jakosaur.
Somewhat reminiscent of how the Xbox 360 did things, a new Guide menu allows Xbox One owners to quickly access recent apps and games, pins, as well as the Microsoft’s e-commerce store, without first visiting the Xbox One’s home screen. We only get a brief glimpse at the functionality in the video Windows Central uploaded, but it’s safe to say the new interface is significantly faster.
The updated dashboard is expected to make its way to Xbox One Preview members in the next few weeks, before rolling out to all Xbox One consoles sometime in the spring.


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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intrivo Diagnostics, a Los Angeles-based diagnostic testing provider for high-quality testing solutions for COVID-19, today announced that it will begin national distribution and commercialization of diagnostic testing products developed by New Jersey-based testing manufacturer, Access Bio, Inc. through McKesson Medical-Surgical. McKesson joins Concordance Healthcare Solutions and NDC, Inc. as key national partners within the Healthcare Supply Chain to help bring the CareStart™ line of COVID-19 testing products to the US market.
“Our agreement with McKesson Medical-Surgical is a monumental step in our efforts to reopen America through the use of rapid testing on a mass scale. By enhancing our supply chain to ensure greater access to Access Bio’s testing products, we can play a large role in curbing the spread of this virus,” said Reeve Benaron, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Intrivo Diagnostics. “We are delighted to welcome McKesson to our family of authorized distributors.”
As Access Bio’s exclusive US commercialization partner, Intrivo’s new channel agreements will expand the supply chain for the CareStart™ line of COVID-19 testing products across the country, ensuring greater access to testing supplies for healthcare providers and organizations. To date, Access Bio has received FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its RT-PCR test, IgM/IgG antibody test and most recently, a rapid point-of-care (POC) antigen test.
The CareStart™ COVID-19 antigen test is a lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay capable of producing results within 10 minutes of being administered with 88.4% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The test is a self-contained, single-use product designed to detect extracted nucleocapsid protein antigens specific to SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal specimens collected from individuals suspected of being infected with COVID-19 or exposed to COVID-19. The assay includes a swab, a vial of extraction solution and a cassette the size of a small flash drive. A positive test result is indicated by a visible line in the cassette and doesn’t require any special technical training to use. Each kit can administer up to 20 antigen tests.
McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc. is an affiliate of the McKesson Corporation. McKesson Corporation is a global leader in healthcare supply chain management solutions, retail pharmacy, community oncology and specialty care, and healthcare information solutions. From providing technologies and delivery solutions, to contract and sales support, their involvement will help Intrivo Diagnostics and Access Bio guarantee delivery of CareStart™ testing solutions safely and cost-effectively throughout the US.
“Testing will continue to remain a key element in America’s fight against COVID-19,” said Mr. Young H. Choi, Chairman and CEO, Access Bio. “Our goal is to enhance our supply chain to ensure greater access to our products. Our tests are critical in providing diagnosis, tracing and curbing the pandemic’s spread to help America regain a sense of normalcy.”
Established in 2002, Access Bio has a proven track record of releasing top-performing products, including its CareStart™ Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT).
Access Bio distributes its products to more than 120 countries around the world, thanks to scalable infrastructure consisting of R&D and production facilities in the United States, South Korea and Ethiopia. Access Bio is traded on the Korean Stock Exchange (KRX) under the stock symbol, KR: 950130.
For more information about Access Bio and the CareStart™ COVID-19 line of products, please visit: https://accessbiodiagnostics.net/


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Jun 2, 2021 - 11:53 am
Rimac C_Two named Nevera ahead of serial production
Rimac Automobili has unveiled the production version of its all-electric hypercar C_Two, first presented in 2018. The two-million-euro high-powered slingshot is now called Nevera and has four electric motors that together produce 1.4 MW and offer 2,360 Nm of torque.
Jun 17, 2020 - 04:52 pm
Rimac postpones delivery date of the C_Two til 2021
The first examples of the second hypercar from the Croatian electric car manufacturer Rimac Automobili, presented for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show 2018 under the designation C_Two, will not be delivered to customers this year, but only in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mar 22, 2018 - 11:11 am
This Rimac EV is Hammond-proof
Former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has had a hard time coming to terms with electric supercars. There was a fallout with Tesla during testing on the popular TV show, and Hammond has repeatedly voiced his dislike of electric vehicles.
Mar 7, 2018 - 02:59 pm
Rimac’s hypercar C_Two faster than Tesla Roadster
The second vehicle by the Croatian EV manufacturer Rimac Automobili, the C_Two, will be presented at the Geneva Motor Show. The successor to the electric hyper-car Concept_One received a serious performance boost compared to the prior incarnation.


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(Updated August 19, 2019). US-based vegan company JUST’s liquid egg is outperforming chicken eggs, according to new data.
The plant-based egg product, made from mung beans, is currently available in a handful of chains in the Midwest, and this week began hitting shelves at Gelson’s, Southern California. Reportedly, the new product is already performing well across the board, however, in one unnamed major retailer, it has completely outsold liquid whole eggs in its first week of launch.
CEO of the company Josh Tetrick told LIVEKINDLY, “We’re grateful to see this extraordinary sales data. We’ve always said that if you make it easy for good people to eat well, they will.”
The liquid egg is now the best-performing liquid egg product in the category – outselling liquid chicken egg products.
Around the world, the vegan egg and egg replacer market is growing. According to a new report by global market intelligence firm Fact.MR, the industry is expected to reach a value of $1.63 million by the end of 2028. Several outbreaks of avian influenza, health risks such as high cholesterol, and environmental concerns are listed as key factors driving consumers away from chicken eggs, as well as a rising interest in plant-based eating.
According to one recent report by Nielson, sales of vegan food in the U.S. now exceeds $3.7 billion. In the past 12 months alone, sales of vegan meat, eggs, and dairy-style products have grown by 17 percent.
To satisfy this growing interest, JUST offers a number of vegan products, including mayonnaise, dressing, and even cookie dough. According to the new sales data, the latter is also performing well. Just two months after it launched at a top retailer, JUST Cookie Dough is now the store’s second highest selling SKU in this category, beating well-established brands such as Nestlé Tollhouse.
The company is also in the midst of developing clean meat and hopes to deliver its first lab-grown product to market this year. Speaking at the Future Food Asia Awards in Singapore earlier this year, Tetrick said, “I’d like to think [clean meat] will be [available] before the end of 2018. It will probably first be in a restaurant or foodservice outlet and we’ll then look to expand from there.” He added, “This is sustainable, it eliminates all of the food safety risks of traditional meat, and it tastes exactly the same.”
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Black Hops and Fibre King co-develop a mini case packer for craft brewers
As Australia’s ‘craft beer boom’ continues, manufacturers are working with breweries to develop more focused, industry-specific technology.
Packaging company Fibre King, is the first in Australia to tailor packaging machinery design to accommodate the needs of independent, craft-sized breweries. The company designs, builds, installs and maintains end-of-line packaging equipment for companies across Australia, New Zealand, U.S., Canada and Asia.
While most of their customer base have high volume facilities, Fibre King saw an opportunity in the craft brewery market and set about developing affordable, compact solutions that would help brewers get their product to market more efficiently and cost effectively.
“We’ve identified craft breweries as a growing industry and knew that we could develop equipment specific to their needs that would eliminate the need for manual packing processes,” said James Windsor, Chief Executive Officer of Fibre King.
“Having had the opportunity to work with breweries such as Stone and Wood and Balter Brewing we were able to understand the challenges within their production line and alter our machines to suit,” Windsor said.
Fibre King with the help of Gold Coast-based Black Hops Brewery worked together to develop the first can-specific case packer that’s affordable, flexible and compact.
“This collaborative R&D project provides the market with an off-the-shelf machine that solves a common problem within small to medium sized craft breweries; of how they can transition away from manual packaging processes to an automated one that ensures that their beers are packaged and ready for distribution efficiently, consistently and cost effectively,” said Windsor.
Introducing the “Little Packer”
The new brewery-specific case packer named “Little Packer” has been designed for smaller operations and packs four- and six-pack clusters, with the option to pack loose cans if required, and can run both 24 and 16 can cartons and glue the boxes with no full-time operator.
“Because most machinery manufacturers focus on high value, high speed machines, the requirements of the Australian craft industry have been overlooked. Fibre King’s Little Packer is the first-of-its-kind and is designed specifically for craft breweries and is compact, flexible and affordable.
The payback on the machine can be as low as 12 months depending on the number of people you have manually erecting, packing and gluing boxes within your facility,” Windsor said.
For Black Hops owner Michael McGovern, the new machine will help the two-and-a-half year old brewery jump into its next growth stage. What started as a contract gypsy outfit in 2014, Black Hops is now producing 500,000 litres per year at its own production facility on the Gold Coast. “It’s been almost like a new evolution in Australian craft beer,” McGovern explained.
“We’re moving on from small boutique businesses into large national brands, and with that comes growth and scaling up production. “This project that I worked on with Fibre King was really coming up with a solution that I couldn’t find anywhere in the world.”
“I spoke to a number of case packing manufacturers and they all offered solutions but they were all just so big, just too big to suit our needs.”
The collaboration has resulted in a case packer and sealer that suits Black Hops’ “small but larger” canning line.
Focus on efficiency
McGovern explained that with its current setup, Black Hops’ canning line can do about a 24-pack carton a minute with three or four people.
“With the automated case packer and sealer, that allows us to maintain those three to four operators on the packaging line but increase our output,” he said. “Without that case packer, we would have five or six guys there, with potentially three or four of them just gluing boxes shut like mad all day long, every day.”
McGovern explained: “The new machine, will free staff up to engage in more rewarding work and help Black Hops to compete in the larger retail market, particularly in packed beer.
“The neat part is that the technology can be applied to other applications such as bottling,” said Windsor. “We have also supplied a Little Packer to Newstead Brewing Co and are in discussions with over 10 breweries Australia wide and anticipate the interest to increase as the word gets out about the piece of equipment and the cost savings it provides.”
If you are looking to replace manual packing processes within your operation then call the Fibre King team on 07 3293 8800 or email on email@example.com for more information. Or visit us at https://www.fibreking.com/brewery-packaging-machinery


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On-licence hospitality venues across the ACT will again be able to offer takeaway alcohol, as part of a plan aimed at boosting business amid the current covid situation facing the country.
From Thursday, venues will be able to sell takeaway alcohol and offer it for home delivery until the end of the month.
It comes as a mandatory mask mandate for indoor settings across the Territory is now in effect.
Despite that being the only added restrictions placed on Canberrans at this time, it’s prompted a string of cancelled bookings across the city as people look to stay at home during this latests covid crisis.
The Minister for Business and Better Regulation Tara Cheyne said the ACT Government is continuing to look for ways to support our businesses during this quieter than normal period.
“Canberrans are reminded that this is a great time to support the local businesses that support us,” said Minister Cheyne.
“Money you spend in local businesses goes back into the community and supports local jobs.”
This is the second time on-licence venues have been able to offer takeaway alcohol with a similar initiative introduced back in March last year when businesses were forced to shut their doors during the height of coronavirus restrictions.


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Kenyan based company Safaricom has scooped a GSM mobile money certification as awarded in the city of Abidjan in Ivory cost. The GSM mobile certification is a global initiative that promotes excellence in mobile money provision services.
Vodacom Tanzania is one of the most prestigious East African brands that scooped a GSM award alongside Safaricom. Listed with other mobile money service providers, the GSMA chief regulatory officer commended all African achievers as he added.
[bs-quote style=”default” quote=”The GSMA Mobile Money Certification is a consumer-focused initiative, aimed at giving customers confidence that a provider has taken steps to ensure their funds are in safe hands, their rights are protected and they can expect a high level of customer service” author_name=”John Giusti” author_job=”Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA” align=”centre” ]
While Orange Ivory coast emerged on the list. Here are some of the other competitors who won the prestigious GSMA certifications although MTN didn’t emerge on the list with its Mobile money service spreading wings
- Orange Côte d’Ivoire
- Safaricom (Kenya),
- Telenor Microfinance Bank Ltd. (Easypaisa Pakistan),
- Tigo Tanzania (Millicom Group) and
- Vodacom Tanzania


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Ashley McEvoy, who has led Johnson & Johnson’s medtech business as its EVP/worldwide chairman, is leaving the healthcare products company to pursue other opportunities, J&J announced earlier this week.
The 27-year company veteran is being succeeded in her role by Tim Schmid, currently chairman for J&J’s Asia Pacific (APAC) medtech unit. To support the transition, McEvoy will remain at the company into the first quarter of next year, the pharma giant said.
J&J CEO Joaquin Duato praised McEvoy for leading a “significant transformation of our medtech business resulting in improved performance.”
Indeed, 12 of the franchise’s platforms deliver more than $1 billion in sales, and of those, it has the top or second place market position in 11 out of 12, according to a recent analysis by Shagun Sing of RBC Capital Markets.
“My time at J&J – and in particular leading the medtech business, our team of more than 70,000 colleagues worldwide – has been the honor and privilege of my career,” McEvoy wrote in a LinkedIn post Monday. “I’m proud of the way we have transformed the medtech business.”
Under her watch, the unit’s pro-forma growth has risen from 1.5% to 7.9% (year-to-date), she noted.
The business has also deployed more than $22 billion in capital in acquisitions. Most notable of those was its $16.6 billion acquisition of cardio medtech firm Abiomed, which closed in 2022 and pushed J&J into the high-growth heart failure market.
Looking ahead, RBC’s Sing forecasts the medtech business to deliver organic growth above pre-pandemic levels with 7.5% in 2023 and around 6% in 2024 and beyond.
During the early 1990s, McEvoy joined J&J in the consumer products group, overseeing classic brands like Tylenol and Zyrtec before going on to serve as president of the company’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit.
She moved to medtech in 2009, serving as president of Ethicon before advancing to become company group chairman of vision and diabetes care prior to assuming her current role.
She is also chair of the board of directors for AdvaMed, a global trade group representing the medical device industry.
As for her successor, Schmid is also a 30-year J&J veteran who, prior to his APAC tenure, held a variety of leadership roles in sales, marketing and general management. These included chief strategic customer officer for medtech.


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After Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon (no, not the rainforest) is the newest billionaire who is donating money. As Forbes reports, Jeff Bezos will be donating US$ 96.2 million to organisations that help homeless families in the US. His charitable fund, Bezos Day One Fund announced that they will give these 'gifts' to 32 recipients from 21 states.
The Day One Fund was established in 2018 by Jeff and his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott. The ex-couple committed $2 billion to 'help families experiencing homelessness, and creating a network of new, non-profit tier-one preschools in low-income communities'.
For the fourth year in a row, the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund is making donations to organizations helping families in need across the U.S. These grants will provide support including housing, food, clothing, and other resources to help families get back on their feet. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/JeI1CgX8Ft— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) November 17, 2021
RESPONSE FROM THE NON-PROFITS: Anne Miskey, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services in Pasadena, California, said, "We are totally over the moon about this." She added that her organisation will be receiving $5 million in Amazon stock on November 18. Anne said, "We really want to make it more of a trauma-informed environment, to build in more privacy for individual families so they don’t have to sleep in a dorm-style area. We want to provide a safe, comfortable and dignified space to help them get into permanent housing."
Jeff Bezos. Photo: Getty Images
RESPONSE FROM THE PUBLIC: Since Amazon went public in 1997, Jeff has donated nearly $27 billion worth of stock. According to Securities and Exchange Commission filings, Jeff gifted 16,283 shares of Amazon that are worth $58 million to nonprofits. However, an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on where those shares went and were they ever received by those non-profits. In early 2021, Jeff also pledged $200 million to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Yet, people are not happy and want more from the world's second-richest person. Here are some reactions to Jeff's announcment:
You single handedly could make a difference. You won't even make a living wage for every Amazon employee. You know the peeps you credit for your space tourism.— Curtiss Kluczinske (@CKluczinske) November 17, 2021
Is this the same Jeff bezos who said it's good actually that workers regularly break down crying at work because then they'll try harder?— ?von haunting? (@vonhonkington) November 17, 2021
Meanwhile…Ms @mackenziescott has become one of the most generous philanthropists in history, announcing $8.6bn in gifts in the 12 months to June. That is widely thought to be the largest sum ever given to charitable groups in such a short period.https://t.co/bgLQXaxOw3— just thinking (@isawthesethings) November 18, 2021
A NEW BILLIONAIRE RACE? Billionaires have historically been known to exploit resources, including human capital, in attempts to become the world's richest people, but it is in 2021 that we see some of the richest people in the world donating large sums of money (for example, Elon Musk recently sold $6.9 billion worth Tesla shares) in an attempt to outdo each other. The question that comes up here is whether this is philanthrocapitalism or just plain, heartful philanthropy. What do you think?


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Aircraft maker Boeing will slash up to 500 jobs from its Melbourne plant at Fishermen's Bend within two years.
All production at Boeing's Melbourne base, except for its Dreamliner contract, will be relocated to its Sydney plant, with 350 jobs immediately axed.
A Boeing spokesman says workers have been aware of the job cuts since May.
But Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) state secretary Steve Dargavel says the manufacturer is slashing jobs needlessly, as it attempts to drive up the price of its Sydney site.
"We believe that this company plans to sell the Sydney site and it is about trying to increase the sale price of that site by transferring contracts there," he said.
"This is the short-term profit gouging of which the union speaks. It is absolutely that this company sacks hundreds of workers from this site.
"In this case it is not because of market downturn, it is because the company has decided to act in its self interest at the expense of the workforce and the community," he added.
"We think that this company needs to be held to account by government."
Yesterday car maker Ford announced it would be cutting about 350 jobs at its Broadmeadows and Geelong plants.


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The number of purchase orders and invoices exchanged across global supply chains rose by 15% in Q3 2020 after falling by a similar margin in Q2, the latest Index of Global Trade Health from Tradeshift has revealed.
The report, which is based on analysis of transaction data flowing between buyers and suppliers across Tradeshift’s network, suggests activity levels in major supply chain hubs in the West and China are beginning to stabilise after a tumultuous period. Transactions in the Eurozone grew by the greatest margin, up 26% in Q3 as supply chains in the region added further momentum to the recovery Tradeshift saw towards the end of Q2. Trade activity between buyers and suppliers in the US also exceeded the global average, growing by 17% in Q3.
In the UK, where trade activity levels had dropped by 23% in Q2, the bounceback in transaction volumes during Q3 was much weaker. After a relatively strong July, a significant drop off in activity during August and September meant that UK supply chain activity finished the quarter just 6.1% up on Q2.
Activity slows as pent-up demand recedes
Other regions also showed signs of a similar slowdown, suggesting the release of pent-up demand after lockdown restrictions eased in the West may have fuelled the early burst of activity across supply chains in July.
Transactions on the Tradeshift platform surged 24% in July. But month on month activity subsequently fell by 12% in August, before recovering slightly in September. In China, activity levels across the Tradeshift network looked on course to reach a level not seen since Q4 2019 in July. By September however, total transactions across the region’s supply chains had fallen by more than 18%.
“Global lockdown restrictions created a pressure cooker environment for supply chains,” said Christian Lanng, CEO of Tradeshift. “When the restrictions began to ease, we saw orders start to surge in June. This momentum continued into July before tailing off rapidly as supply lines normalised. Order volumes on our platform are comfortably ahead of where they were in Q2, but supply chains will need to hit a higher gear again in Q4 before we can to point to a sustainable recovery. The next few months will be critical.”
Liquidity crunch putting supplier livelihoods at risk
A 20% rise in order volumes during Q3 should provide a welcome cash flow boost to suppliers towards the end of the year. But according to Tradeshift, action may be needed before then to address the current liquidity crisis affecting suppliers. A record fall in order volumes during Q2 meant invoice settlements remained low throughout the quarter. With the average small business having just 27 days of cash in reserve, many will be coming dangerously close to running out of money.
“Lack of digitisation in global supply chains makes it very hard to unlock the liquidity that’s owed to suppliers,” added Lanng. “ So, instead of getting paid quickly, suppliers have to wait months before orders translate into cash. We should start to see some of the current liquidity pressure begin to ease in Q4. Whether or not every supplier will make it that far is another question. If ever there was a time to rip up the old playbook and start doing things differently, it is now.”
B2B volumes also up on the US ACH Network
The ACH Network in the US continued to show strong growth in the final quarter of 2020, with 7 billion payments made, an increase of nearly 9% from a year earlier according to data from Nacha. Combined with data on cheque payments, the results show the dramatic impact of the pandemic on the use of payments by Americans, businesses and government agencies compared to a year ago, before the pandemic had significantly impacted the US economy.
“Using the modern ACH Network for remote, electronic payments is an even better choice today for American consumers, businesses, and government agencies,” said Jane Larimer, Nacha President and CEO.
ACH growth accelerated in key areas that represent a quickening shift away from cheque payments. Payments to individuals by Direct Deposit increased by 11.1% to more than 2 billion. Direct Deposit is used for payroll and other disbursements from businesses to individuals, and for government payments such as Social Security benefits, unemployment assistance, tax refunds and Economic Impact Payments.
Business-to-business (B2B) payments by ACH for vendor and supply chain payments rose almost 15% from the fourth quarter, to 1.2 billion. At the same time, the volume of ACH payments initiated by a cheque (i.e., cheque conversions) declined by more than 23% in the fourth quarter compared to a year ago. Cheque conversion is used by some companies to process cheques mailed to pay bills, and cheques presented for purchases at the point-of-sale. In addition, the most recent data from the Federal Reserve on cheque payments (for the third quarter, 2020) show an overall decline in commercial cheque payments of 13.2%.
Same Day ACH had 96.7 million payments moving US$139.2bn in the fourth quarter. These represent growth rates of 35.7% and 101.2%, respectively, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, the last full quarter before the increase in the Same Day ACH dollar limit. The limit was raised to US$100,000 per payment in March 2020.
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How Germany, Japan impact U.S. bond market
Long-term Treasury rates broke out of a month-long range…upward, and today above last November's two-year high at 4.68 percent. Mortgage damage is modest for now, fixed-rate loans still within sight of 6.25 percent, but we are going higher.
The source of pressure is global, having nothing to do with new domestic economic data. The rate rise on Thursday was, if anything, limited by weakish news: February retail sales disappointed, consumer confidence continued to sag, home sales slid for the fourth-straight month, and long rates rose anyway.
Global: the European Central Bank raised its cost of money for the second time, from 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent, and signaled that more hikes are coming. Inflation in Germany is running 2.7 percent; all modern central banks are trying to hold it below 2 percent.
Global: Japan's consumer prices appear to have risen for the first time in a half-dozen years. During that time the Bank of Japan has kept the cost of money at zero, trying to get out of a deflationary spiral that began 15 years ago. The BOJ this week said that it will soon reinstate a cost of money –- no matter how low, a shock.
Yields rose on all bonds everywhere in response to these changes in foreign central bank outlook, German 10-year bunds to 3.6 percent, and the 10-year JGB to 1.64 percent (after years and years 1.5 percent or lower).
Reade the entire Lou Barnes article at Inman News


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2022 started out with a healthy dose of COVID-induced revenge spending, but within a matter of months higher interest rates and inflation had brought many Canadians back to Earth.
Concerned about higher food prices and rising interest rates, many Canadians are now meeting up with their financial advisors to plan in advance and get advice on how to get the most for their money on everything from food shopping to Christmas gifts, says Julie Martini, Vice President of Strategic Engagement at Advocis.
With November being Financial Literacy Month, advisors are noticing that clients are on board with planning in advance, budgeting and looking for sales. “That is definitely a shift we have seen from earlier this year in terms of attitudes toward spending.”
According to a recent Advocis poll, 73 per cent of members said the main measures clients are using to cope with inflation is to cut back on buying food, clothing and general impulse items where possible. About 40 per cent said clients were shopping more frequently at discount stores and buying unbranded items.
Martini said the financial situation just shows how important it is to have knowledgeable advisors provide that essential guidance all year round.
“That ‘do-it-yourself attitude’ is scary when times are tough,” she said. “Having that reassuring presence of an advisor really demonstrates the value that advisors can bring.”
While this is Financial Literacy Month, most advisors provide guidance all year long for their clients, and see helping educate their clients as part of their job, she said.
“Basic understanding of things like budgeting and insurance, investments, taxes and death, etc. is so important when it comes to improving the quality of our lives,” said Martini. “I think we all know we have a long way to go on that front in terms of making this an [essential] part of the knowledge we grow up with, but this is a very good start” in terms of providing people with expert guidance, encouragement, support and peace of mind.
And it’s not just adults that require financial literacy knowledge, said Martini. She noted that when it comes to children, it’s crucial to make financial literacy a part of their lives because of how they handle financial issues in the future.
Last year, Advocis developed a platform on how to support life goals from primary school onwards called financialadviceforall.com, or FAFA – basically a junior financial advisor kit with a book to help children understand money. Martini said the platform has been used by parents, teachers and even advisors, to the point where a teen edition is now available. Content comes from a variety of Canadian financial organizations.
“It’s getting a lot of pick up from our members who are using it with their clients. Teachers are using it. it’s also about making financial literacy fun and interesting and leaving them with tools and knowledge they can walk away with.”
Advocis has also created a financial literacy game called Roadblock, an obstacle-like board game in that kids can only move forward if they have answered a question correctly.
Advocis also taps into advisors who write about the topics they feel are most important to consumers.