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Cinedigm (NASDAQ: CIDM) announced today the launch of the popular The Bob Ross Channel on the streaming television service, Pluto TV.
The Bob Ross Channel showcases memorable moments and incredible paintings from the long-running public television series, featuring approximately 380 classic episodes and delivering hours of quality entertainment that is enjoyable for the whole family. As part of Cinedigm’s agreement with Bob Ross, Inc., Cinedigm has produced and distributed special messages of support for public television on the channel, as well as spots highlighting official Bob Ross painting products, and Bob Ross Certified Instructors. The free-to-stream channel will provide opportunities for advertisers to reach their target audience with regular ad breaks.
“We are excited about the continued success of The Bob Ross Channel and it’s continual expansion into all leading ad-supported streaming platforms. We are thrilled to partner with industry-leading Pluto TV to further expand the awareness of Bob Ross and bring his legacy to a whole new generation of viewers,” said Tony Huidor, Cinedigm’s General Manager of Digital Networks.
“Bob Ross has been a fixture on U.S. public television extolling the virtues of ‘happy accidents’ while teaching us all about the beauty and joy of painting,” states Amy Kuessner, SVP of Content Strategy and Global Partnerships at Pluto TV. “We’re proud to bring his legendary paintings and shows to Pluto TV, allowing millions of fans free and easy access to premium art content that they love to explore.”
Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service with hundreds of live and linear channels and thousands of movies and television series on-demand. Pluto TV’s millions of monthly users will now be able to easily access Cinedigm’s top-tier content as linear branded channels across all streaming, mobile and web-based devices.
For twenty years, Cinedigm (CIDM) has been at the forefront of the digital transformation of entertainment. Today, Cinedigm continues that mission by providing content, channels and services to the world’s largest media, technology and retail companies. Our content aggregation and distribution services power the world’s leading digital platforms and retailers. Cinedigm’s Digital Networks group provides channels and services that entertain consumers globally across hundreds of millions of devices. For more information, visit www.cinedigm.com.
ABOUT PLUTO TV
Pluto TV, a ViacomCBS Company, is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live and original channels and thousands of on-demand movies in partnership with major TV networks, movie studios, publishers, and digital media companies. Named by Fast Company as one of 2020’s Most Innovative Companies, Pluto TV has a global audience of over 33 million monthly active users, with 26.5 million in the U.S. Pluto TV has an international footprint that spans across three continents and 22 countries throughout the US, Europe and Latin America. Pluto TV is available on all mobile, web and connected TV streaming devices where millions tune in each month to watch premium news, TV shows, movies, sports, lifestyle, and trending digital series. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Pluto TV has offices across the United States, Europe and Latin America.


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Rana Plaza was a building that contained multiple factories located on the outskirts of Dhaka in Bangladesh. On the 23rd April 2013, attention was drawn to cracks in the building, causing evacuation, closure and a warning to avoid the building. Workers were subsequently sent back into the building the next day, and when the building collapsed on the morning of the 24th April, there were tragically more than 3,000 people inside. The collapse marked one of the largest industrial accidents in history and exposed the sector’s very serious challenges.
The industry challenges had been previously acknowledged, and investors had been engaging on issues of labour rights, decent work and living wages for some time. We had been one of 80 investors engaged in Oxfam’s groundbreaking Better Returns in a Better World project and had hosted a group of investors and labour rights experts at a Decent Work in Global Supply Chains roundtable in 2009. The project and roundtables debated equally ground-breaking sell-side research that was beginning to integrate the labour rights and safety issues into fundamental investment analysis to assess the sustainability of business models. The integration of labour issues into fundamental investment analysis has taken a significant step forward over the last decade. It remains a key interest for us now at GIB AM.
The scale of the tragedy in 2013 proved to be a catalyst to move conversations from corporate roundtables to high street stores and from discussions to people taking action. It sparked a number of movements that would work to educate and inform consumers, and it is clear to us that they accelerated a shift in the public’s perception of fast fashion. Notable amongst them was the launch of Fashion Revolution in 2013 and the release of the True Cost film in 2015, which focused on encouraging consumers, companies, and investors to ask more questions and drive more transparency.
Two significant agreements were established on the ground: the Accord and the Alliance. These initiatives brought together international brands, labour unions, and NGOs to collaborate on improving factory conditions and ensuring the safety of workers. As a result, over the past 10 years, more than 1,600 factories have been inspected, and substantial improvements have been made in fire and building safety. These include the installation of fire doors, sprinkler systems, and proper electrical wiring, as well as strengthening the structural integrity of buildings.
One member of our initial trip returned this year to Bangladesh and explained the significant impact that the Bangladesh Accord has had on factory safety through building integrity, as well as fire, electrical and safety considerations. They believe it has reduced the risk of additional large-scale factory accidents similar to what happened at Rana Plaza. We note the role of investor coalitions such as the Interfaith Centre on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) in engaging to drive change across the sector, facilitating dialogue between investors, brands, and stakeholders and targeting pressure to sign the Alliance or Accord. We believe that these investor groups played a key role in engaging with apparel brands to sign the Accord or join the Alliance against frequent initial resistance. The positive impact can therefore be attributed in part to their actions.
A key concern in 2013 was that these issues extended beyond Bangladesh and that responses should be global. We note the many global efforts in the last decade and point in particular to the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act in the UK, the creation of the Higg index and the Environmental Profit & Loss account as highlights for us.
The Rana Plaza tragedy exposed three key challenges; the difficulty of measuring decent work and a living wage, the reduced transparency and safety associated with outsourcing, and the risks created by short lead times on orders. Unfortunately, we believe that these issues remain largely unresolved a decade later.
There are indications that despite progress, access to decent work and living wages may remain a challenge in Bangladesh, highlighted by the minimum wage remaining unchanged since 2018. Outsourcing also remains a concern, as while the inspections covered a large number of factories, it was always hard to assess work that was outsourced beyond their walls. We note that the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has introduced a centralised database to track and monitor subcontracting in an effort to reduce unauthorised outsourcing. However, one of the people we engaged with expressed that subcontracting work to smaller unregulated factories over the years remains common practice.
The Fashion Transparency Index 2022 concluded again that progress on transparency across the 250 companies they measured remains too slow, with an average score of 24%, only a 1% improvement on 2021. We commend those three companies who scored the highest score of 78, and welcome the inclusion of brands that we have invested in and engaged with in previous roles above 50%, but also note that some we have engaged with remain below that level.
Short lead times also appear to be a persistent issue as the demands of fast fashion maintain the pressure to meet production deadlines. Another contact noted that while many of the brands we engaged with have improved their practices, new brands have arisen in the last 10 years that have not been subject to the same pressures to deliver decent work and have proved successful and profitable in the short term.
The global response following the Rana Plaza disaster was underpinned by collaboration, which we believe illustrates the power of partnership. We worked as a part of many collaborative efforts involving companies, civil society and investors, all focused on improving conditions in these supply chains to ensure future prevention and to improve working practices over time.
At GIB AM, we have created the Sustainable World strategies to apply all of the experiences and lessons of decades of investment in and engagement with companies on these issues to deliver financial returns for our clients. We believe that companies that positively impact these issues can have stronger, more robust business models. Companies providing a living wage and decent work should be better placed to avert tragedy in our view with more profitable, resilient and sustainable business models over time.
After what is always a difficult anniversary, we reflect on the efforts of civil society groups, factory owners, companies and investors over the last ten years to prevent further tragedies and applaud the progress made. Simultaneously, in our view, more remains to be done. We believe this provides an opportunity for more sustainable companies, their employees and those investors seeking to create financial performance through investing in companies delivering positive change on these critical issues.

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Eating Fish May Save Your Vision! (from Lighthouse International: http://lighthouse.org)
According to a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, women who eat omega-3 fatty acids – most commonly found in oily fish – are less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD, which is the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 60, destroys the macula, a cluster of light-sensitive cells in the central part of the retina. The macula allows for crisp central vision and the perception of fine detail.
While the progression of AMD cannot be stopped, it can be slowed. According to the study, older women who consumed one or two portions of fish a week could reduce their risk of sight loss by up to 42 percent. Tuna, sardines, salmon and other dark meat fish are recommended since they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
The study does caution people not to overreact and incorporate too much fish or fish oil supplements into their diet since randomized clinical trials are needed.
“The evidence on omega-3 fatty acids and the beneficial effects for individuals with AMD is beginning to accumulate,” said Dr. Bruce Rosenthal, Chief of Low Vision Programs at Lighthouse International. “The conclusion that most researchers agree on [at this point] is to stop smoking and eat a healthy diet in order to preserve vision.”
For more information on AMD, visit Lighthouse.org.


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2021 ‘Downtown Sioux Falls Burger Battle’ Wraps up This Weekend
This is the last weekend you will be able to try one of the burgers featured this year on the downtown burger battle.
With that said, plenty of people in the Sioux Empire already have, to the tune of 21,000 burgers being sold so far during this year's competition.
Dakota News Now is reporting the 2021 DTSF Burger Battle has been an excellent way for participating businesses to rebound after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic these past few months.
Lance White, the owner of Chef Lance's on Phillips Avenue told Dakota News Now, “The burger battle has been so good for us as a business, good for our team, good for our environment."
One of the most awesome things about the DTSF Burger Battle is how it benefits more than just the restaurants participating. A great example of this is the benefit it provides the state's beef industry. South Dakota Cattleman’s Foundation Board Member Brian Gilbert told Dakota News Now, “This event is so wonderful because it promotes beef and it promotes our producers that create such a wonderful product, and it teams us up with the great city of Sioux Falls."
Marketbeat is another collaborator with this year's DTSF Burger Battle.
According to Dakota News Now, Marketbeat teamed up with Chef Lance to add a charitable aspect to this year's burger battle. Marketbeat is donating one dollar to Call to Freedom for every special "Marketbeat Burger" Lance sells during this year’s competition.
The mission of Call to Freedom is an important one. They help to provide supportive services for victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation throughout the area.
The last day to sample one of the mouthwatering 8th Annual Downtown Sioux Falls Burger Battle burgers is Sunday (January 31).
You can take a look at the complete list of all the burgers in this year's competition here.
Source: Dakota News Now
2021 DOWNTOWN BURGER BATTLE


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|Croatian oil and gas company INA continued to reduce petrol and diesel prices as of March 19, which is the second fuel price decrease for this year, according to the companys new price list published on its website. The retail price of Eurosuper BS 95 Class was cut to HRK 10.49 (EUR 1.38) per litre from HRK 10.82. Eurosuper BS 98+ Class price fell to HRK 10.83 per litre, down from HRK 11.17. The retail price of Eurodiesel BS Class fell by 1.6% to HRK 9.77 per litre. Blue diesel fuel prices stepped down by 2.9% to HRK 6.1 per litre. The retail fuel prices in the country are adjusted every two weeks in line with the pricing of oil products on the Mediterranean market and the exchange rate of the US dollar.
The Croatian government decided on Thursday, March 21, to take over the ownership of all four companies part of local shipyard 3.Maj after which the privatisation of the parent company will be ... more
Croatian dairy producer Dukat said it intends to place a takeover bid for the 49.7% stake it does not yet own in Slovenian peer Ljubljanske Mlekarne. Dukats current stake of 50.3% in the ... more
Croatia's construction output fell 2.1% on the year in January 2013 after dropping an annual 19.9% a month earlier, the statistics office said, quoting unadjusted data. Working-day adjusted data, ... more


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Dialog Semiconductor warns in Conference Call that Apple has cut Power Management Chip orders by about 30% for 2018
In late November Patently Apple posted a report titled "Rumor of Apple Developing its own Power Management Chip Drops Dialog Semiconductor's Stock price in Frankfurt." Then in early March word was that Apple may continue to work with Dialog until 2019-2020 while their future chips were in development. Word today is that Apple will order 30% fewer chips from Dialog this year, according to a company statement.
The Financial Times report states that "Dialog Semiconductor has warned that revenue growth will be lower than expected this year after Apple, the chipmaker's biggest customer, confirmed plans to build its own power management chips for iPhones.The Anglo-German company said Apple had decided to order 30 per cent fewer of the chips despite reassurances less than six months ago that business this year would not be hit by "potential actions by Apple."
According to a statement released after the markets closed on Thursday, Apple will order fewer chips for new phones, knocking 5 per cent off Dialog's consensus revenue expectations of $1.5bn for the financial year.
"Dialog Semiconductor plc (XETRA:DLG) has been provided with a reduced share of the volume forecast from Apple for the main Power Management IC (PMIC) for the 2018 smartphone platform.
The projected volume for the sub-PMIC in the 2018 smartphone platform and all other PMICs including those for tablets, wearables, notebooks, remains unchanged.
This is the first time one of our custom PMICs for the smartphone platform is being dual sourced and it is estimated to reduce the FY 2018 revenue by approximately 5%. The company still expects revenue growth in FY 2018. As in previous years, revenue performance will be strongly weighted towards the second half of the year.
Dialog understands its continued role as Apple's main PMIC supplier is contingent on Dialog meeting Apple's technology, quality, price and volume expectations, as well as continuing to develop advanced technology to meet Apple's requirements. Dialog also intends to continue to explore new mixed signal opportunities outside of power management for future Apple products."
chief executive Jalal Bagherli stated during a conference call that "I would expect there would be a similar reduction [in demand for the power management chips] next year but beyond that I don't know. We are making a lot of new inroads with new customers."
The news sent its shares dropping close to 4% at one point but has since stabilized, down about 1%. Update June 1st 5 a.m.- shares down over 15% by the morning.
About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.


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Last Week in Review: Who won the $500K Ethereum bet made in 2018?
The highlights from last week’s headline grabbers. All the important news, numbers and events from the world of crypto in one place.
News from the block
🤝 A $500K Ethereum bet matures, who won?
- In 2018, industry heavy-hitter and Bitcoin maxi Jimmy Song and Ethereum co-founder Joe Lubin made a bet. Song was convinced that in five years’ time decentralised apps (dapps) will continue to play an insignificant role in the crypto ecosystem. Joe Lubin accepted, saying he was willing to bet any amount of bitcoin to the contrary – $500,000, it turned out.
- For Lubin to win, five or more applications built on Ethereum needed to hold onto 10,000 daily and 100,000 monthly active users for at least six months in any 12-month period before 23 May 2023, according to an article by CoinDesk. “A handful of Ethereum apps needed to get, as Song put it, the sort of traction enjoyed by a minimally successful Android or iPhone app.”
- So, five years later, who won? Well, neither of the participants seemed committed to the deal when recently questioned by CoinDesk, but they ran the numbers, anyway.
- Two blockchain data firms confirmed that five dapps met Song’s requirements for Lubin to seal the deal, but there is some uncertainty around whether these applications can actually be labelled a decentralised app. No consensus on the matter as of yet.
🏀 Nike, it’s in the game
- Nike’s .SWOOSH digital collectibles will soon be integrated into EA Sports games.
- .SWOOSH is Nike’s Web3 platform, built on Polygon (MATIC), and currently sells digital sneakers and membership cards. The platform is still in the testing phase.
- “EA SPORTS and Nike plan to make select .SWOOSH virtual creations available allowing members and players unique new opportunities for self-expression and creativity through sport and style,” Nike said. What this means for .SWOOSH NFT owners remains unclear at this point.
✍ The EU signs landmark crypto legislation into law
- The Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) legislation was signed into law in the European Union last week.
- The law was signed alongside a separate anti-money laundering law that requires crypto providers to verify customer identity when transferring funds.
- MiCA will allow crypto exchanges and wallet providers a licence to operate across the 27-nation bloc.
🟠 Bitcoin Standard author becomes economic adviser to El Salvador
- Dr Saifedean Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, was appointed an economic adviser to the National Bitcoin Office of El Salvador, as reported by CoinTelegraph.
- El Salvador is one of a few countries globally to have adopted bitcoin as an official currency.
- Ammous has declined remuneration for his new role. “Thrilled, honoured and excited to start working with the Bitcoin Office in the first country to adopt a bitcoin standard!,” the author and academic tweeted.
Are you a long-term investor or do you regularly buy and sell crypto as the market moves? Understand your investment time horizons, HERE.
Crunching the numbers
$3,499 – The price for one Apple Vision Pro, a virtual reality headset released yesterday by Apple.
📶 46% – Bitcoin dominance of the total crypto market.
💎 20% – Ether dominance of the crypto market, with stablecoins taking up 22%.
🧺 88% – Percentage of bitcoin addresses belonging to retail investors, individuals who own less than 0.1% of circulating supply.
🐋 14% – Percentage of MATIC (Polygon) addresses belonging to retail investors. Whales, investors who each own more than 0.1% of supply, account for 67% of addresses.
The crypto time capsule
Ethereum had a cracking 2017 👀
What is the Howey Test?
How does the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decide which investments are securities? They use a set of criteria under the Howey Test. Read more, HERE.


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Capcom Showcase Announced Amid Dragon’s Dogma 2 Speculation
Geoff Keighley’s not-E3 celebration Summer Game Fest will soon take the stage and this week is expected to be quite the hype-spurrer (but not too spurring) for fans of the gaming medium. Leading up to and following the showcase are even more game presentations with everyone from Xbox, Devolver, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Xbox again doling out mass handfuls of announcements. Now, it looks like we can expect Capcom to also roll out the trailer wagon with the premiere of an official Capcom Showcase.
The Resident Evil developer announced its big plans in an official press release, confirming the Capcom Showcase would take place on June 13th at 3pm PT. The aforementioned “livestreamed digital event” was teased to involve “upcoming Capcom games” and is mainly centered around “diving deeper” into “details and news on previously announced titles.” Lasting around 35 minutes, the Capcom Showcase is set to stream from both the official Capcom Twitch and YouTube accounts.
While “previously announced” games like Street Fighter 6 and the very ‘not-Dino-Crisis’ Exoprimal are shoe-ins for the event, there’s also the likelihood of the long-awaited Dragon’s Dogma 2 to think about as well. The sudden appearance of a 10th-anniversary website recently reignited suspicions of the medieval RPG sequel, making this new showcase appear all the more telling. In addition, Hideaki Itsuno, director of the original Dragon’s Dogma, retweeted the Capcom Showcase on Twitter, significantly contributing to the online chatter.
Regardless, Capcom has already generated supernatural levels of hype in the last few days at Sony’s recent State of Play event, which brought electrifying reveals for the Resident Evil 4 remake, RE Village VR, as well as the first gameplay for Street Fighter 6. As for the Capcom Showcase, while not too much is confirmed yet, a fair amount of time is already scheduled for the likes of Resident Evil 4 and the new Sunbreak expansion for Monster Hunter Rise.
What do you think? Could the Capcom Showcase be where Dragon’s Dogma 2 is finally revealed, or do you believe Capcom when they suggested “previously announced titles” would feature at the event? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day!
If you enjoy this writer’s work, please consider supporting them by tossing a Ko-fi their way! Every little bit helps and aims to keep DFTG independent and free of bias. Thank you so much for your support! Eric Hall @ Ko-fi
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.


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Will host farmers market
After sitting out months of intense community discussion about the implications of its impending move to Jamaica Plain, Whole Foods plans to spend a half-hour on community comments at a “Town Hall” meeting June 2. The meeting is scheduled for 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Curley School at 493 Centre St.
?The market also has a new email address that local residents can use to make product suggestions for the new store: [email protected].
The meeting plan and email address were announced in a May 16 open letter from Whole Foods North Atlantic Regional Vice President Laura Derba, a copy of which was emailed to the Gazette.
Derba also says Whole Foods is planning this summer to host farmers markets in the parking lot of the future store at 415 Centre St. Once the store opens this fall “we will also try to support these local producers and many others by carrying as many local products as we can,” she said.
And Whole Foods is planning to donate a salad bar to the Curley K-8 School to “help encourage healthier lunch options through access to fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains.”
Whole Foods spokesperson Heather McCready told the Gazette the details of the farmers market and salad bar plans have not yet been worked out. They will be described in more detail at the June 2 meeting, she said.
The leadership at the new Whole Foods will include Store Team Leader Mike Walker and Associate Store Team Leader Wanda Hernandez. Derba’s letter describes them both as having “ties to the Jamaica Plain area.” McCready told the Gazette they are both former JP residents.
Whole Foods’ long-awaited, hour-and-a-half-long “Town Hall” meeting will largely be devoted to “formally introducing ourselves and our store leadership team as well as presenting our plans for the store. There will also be a 30-minute Q&A period that will give community members an opportunity to ask questions about the store, as well as [make] suggestions…,” Derba said in the letter.
McCready told the Gazette that the meeting agenda is flexible. There is a chance that more time could be devoted to questions and comments, and the meeting could run longer if Whole Foods does not get kicked out of the school right at 8:30 p.m.
She said Whole Foods’ presentation would focus on “taking a comprehensive look at our entire plan, who we are as a company and what we are bringing to the community.”
McCready could not say if that presentation would include responses to issues raised by community members in recent months. Inspired by concerns that Whole Foods’ move to the neighborhood is a sign of gentrification, some have suggested the company could set up a trust fund to support local affordable housing development. Others have expressed concerns about traffic and parking issues in Hyde Square and asked Whole Foods to commit to specific local hiring goals.
Whole Foods plans to hire about 100 people. “We…hope that many of them will be from the local JP community,” Derba says in the letter.


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Technology continues to have a fundamental effect on the way that many industries operate.
An example in point is the casino business which has managed to thrive over the past year despite the fact that many bricks and mortar premises have remained shuttered, with their doors locked for months on end because of the global pandemic and resultant government restrictions.
Instead, they have harnessed the power of the internet to go online, in the process tapping into a new customer base, many of whom have turned to gaming as a source of entertainment, but also as a way of alleviating the boredom and stress of lockdowns.
Certainly, all the new online casinos in Canada, such as those listed here have realised the benefit of having an online presence, not just in terms of broadening their product offering, but also to offer improved levels of customer service as well.
And the investment involved has paid off – many online casinos recorded record revenues and profits in 2020.
The ubiquity of smartphones mean that people now have access to online games wherever they go in the world, liberating them from their desktops. And now that smartwatches have taken off in big numbers, the possibilities have been expanded. Smartwatches that support casino games can be expected in the near future.
Undoubtedly an empowering factor has the roll-out of faster internet speeds, with the expansion of 4 and 5G networks. This is essential, for instance in online in-play sports gaming, where the odds are constantly changing.
Virtual (VR) and Augmented (AR) Reality are also expected to play an increasing role in the online experience going forward. Now remote users will be able to get the experience of being in a land-based casino with audio and visual effects, and some entrepreneurs are even experimenting with olfactory effects as well.
Live dealers are related to this. Increasingly online casinos are using live dealers in their games, realising that people who are at home or on the move enjoy the interaction with a real person rather than a computer-generated avatar. During the pandemic poker enthusiasts were able to form online poker rooms, continuing to enjoy their favourite game, whilst remaining safe at the same time.
Another advance that is being embraced is cryptocurrency. Although they have long been viewed with suspicion, the reality is that they are becoming more mainstream, as evidenced by the recent decision of Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy US $1.5 billion of Bitcoin.
More and more outlets are now accepting such currencies as a method of payment, and the online casino business is no exception. Operators have realised the benefits in terms of customer convenience of accepting them as well as the online safety and protection offered by the blockchain technology which powers man of these alternative currencies.
Meanwhile machine learning, artificial intelligence and advances in big data processing means that casinos are now able to learn much more about their online customers than ever before, enabling them to offer promotion and bonuses that are much more personalised and targeted.
Online casinos have learned a key lesson – embrace all that modern technology has to offer, or risk being left behind.


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Here’s Why Ethereum is a superior Store of Wealth than Gold ! ￼￼
After a recent inflow, the worldwide market cap has grown to $1.90 T, despite a 1.16 percent gain in value. Trading volume has decreased by more than 30% since the beginning of the year as the worldwide market size has shrunk.
IMF: Crypto Is No Match for Well-Designed Central Bank Digital Currencies
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, says that crypto assets and stablecoins are no match for well-designed central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). “If CBDCs are designed prudently, they can potentially offer more resilience, more safety, greater availability, and lower costs than private forms of digital money,” she said.
Top 5 Metaverse Crypto Coins With a Market Cap Below $15 Million to Watch in 2022
As cryptocurrency markets trade sideways this weekend, Metaverse crypto coins also struggle to hold support. This means that now is an excellent time to accumulate underrated projects with a high potential for significant price gains in the near future.
Switzerland's Largest Bank UBS Expects US Crypto Legislation to Take Time
Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, expects the United States Congress to take a long time to pass cryptocurrency legislation despite mounting interest in crypto investments and regulators calling for Congress to weigh in on crypto legislation.
Coinbase 'Free Bitcoin' Super Bowl Ad Causes Site to Briefly Crash
Coinbase made the first big crypto splash during this year's Super Bowl after the company aired a bold commercial that consisted of nothing but a QR code floating around the screen for 60 seconds.
Popular Trading App Robinhood's Global Expansion Will Be 'Crypto First'
Popular trading app Robinhood has revealed that its international expansion will be “crypto first.” The company said from the regulatory standpoint, crypto is “probably the easiest way to go global.” The trading platform is also looking for compliant ways to list more cryptocurrencies.
Love in the time of crypto: Does owning cryptocurrency make daters more desirable?
Cryptocurrency has become one of the most widely discussed topics of 2022. As such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that mentioning “crypto” in an online dating profile may generate additional attention.
Crypto Lending Firm Set To Pay $100,000,000 To Settle Allegations From SEC and State
A popular crypto lending platform is reportedly going to pay out $100 million to resolve accusations from state and federal regulatory agencies.


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Following the Global launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at the MWC 2018 a few days back, Samsung has today introduced a special variant of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy A8 in Germany. Sto add security to sensitive information and make it easier for IT to work with.
Available in the hybrid dual SIM forms, both devices will be augmented with three-year licenses for Knox Configure (Dynamic Edition) and the Enterprise Firmware Over-The-Air service (E-FOTA on MDM) allowing an administrator to remotely and selectively install firmware updates as well as scheduled updates.
Gizchina News of the week
Samsung says both devices are entitled to two years of warranty, with the Galaxy S9 Enterprise Edition is tipped to receive three years of monthly security updates and quarterly updates for the fourth year, while the Galaxy A8 Enterprise Edition is limited to monthly security updates for three years.
The flagship Samsung Galaxy S9 Enterprise Edition will cost €849 (~$1050) in Germany and is set to be available from April, while the Galaxy A8 Enterprise Edition goes for about €499 (~$550) with pre-order already in progress.


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Bruce Campbell's Top Picks
Bruce Campbell, president and portfolio manager, StoneCastle Investment Management
FOCUS: Canadian stocks
June was another awful month for investors and 2022 has been even worse. Investors continued to be concerned with high inflation across the globe. We have started to see some moderation in certain areas of inflation (used cars, some commodities, shipping rates), but the largest components, shelter and food costs continue upwards. This may mean inflation will only moderate at a limited rate in the back half of 2022 and as a result, central banks will continue to aggressively raise interest rates.
Most investors’ focus has turned from solely inflation (and rate increases) to also being concerned about a future recession. Ned Davis Research’s (NDR) global recession probability model is now at 89.3 per cent and it has never moved above 90 per cent without the global economy heading into a recession. Now the question becomes, when will the recession be recognized and how long will it last?
If we do experience a recession how much has been discounted into the markets? Bulls will argue it is mostly priced in, but bears know that if it is a deep recession the market has further to drop. Consumer sentiment is at historic lows and bottoms in consumer sentiment have historically been times when future equity price returns have been positive.
Investor sentiment is washed-out and at historically low levels. Sentiment Trader has found that five-week market volatility is the highest rate since 1928. In the last 90 years, similar declines in market sentiment have corresponded with the end of bear markets.
NDR cycle composite looks at historical market cycles and based on the one-year, presidential and decennial cycles are looking for a strong market rally in the second half of the year.
At that point in time, investors must determine their time horizons. If you are a short-term trader (time horizon of less than one year) you will want to be defensive and trade and fade market rallies. If you are a long-term investor (longer than one year) you can start to take advantage of attractive prices for the inevitable market recovery.
- Sign up for the Market Call Top Picks newsletter at bnnbloomberg.ca/subscribe
- Listen to the Market Call podcast on iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts
Salona Global Medical Devices is focused on medical devices for the post-operative and recovery markets. SGMD has been growing organically and via acquisition. The company recently announced two accretive acquisitions that once closed will move their revenue from $47 million to $70 million. The stock trades at an attractive valuation and has several potential acquisitions in the pipeline. Last purchase was $0.55.
Verano Holdings (VRNO) Verano is a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state operator in 13 U.S. states. The company has 120 retail locations and 13 cultivation facilities. Looking out over the next year, we anticipate multiple catalysts that could result in closing the valuation gap with peers that trade at twice the multiple of Verano. Last purchase was $14.81.
Lightspeed provides cloud-based point of sale systems for payment processing, accounting, reporting and analysis in restaurants and retail. The company has delivered 78 per cent revenue growth and is guiding towards breakeven EBITDA in 2024. A return to in-person shopping and dining should continue to accelerate the company’s revenue. Last purchase was $27.83.
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Avanti Energy (AVN TSXV)
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Playdom is not, as I imagined, some sort of novelty prophylactic. It is in fact a rather successful developer of casual games for online social platforms like Facebook. They currently have 42 million active users logging in to games like Mobsters, Social City, Sorority Life, Market Street and Bola every day.
Disney – who fairly recently purchased Marvel – obviously believes this to be worth something, as they’ve just snatched up the developer for a not so casual $563.2 million.
Disney handed over the cash in a bid to â€œstrengthen its already-robust digital gaming portfolio, acquire a first-rate management team and provide consumers new ways to interact with the company on popular social networks like Facebook and MySpaceâ€.
â€œWe are at the start of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way people of all ages play games with their friends across devices, platforms and geographical boundaries,â€ said John Pleasants, former EA COO and now CEO of Playdom. â€œDisney is an incredibly forward-thinking company that shares our vision and is the ideal partner to further our mission to bring great entertainment to people around the world.â€
I still think it sounds like a sex aid.
Source : Reuters
Last Updated: July 28, 2010


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Check out our list of seven upcoming cars that are either scheduled to or expected to launch in the Indian market in March 2022
In the Indian market, plenty of new cars are expected to launch this year. A lot of carmakers in the country have new models in the pipeline, including a few brand-new cars and updated versions of existing models (or new versions of cars previously on sale in the Indian market). Interestingly, a lot of these upcoming vehicles are slated to arrive this March!
Here, we take a look at all the vehicles that are confirmed to or speculated to launch in the Indian market in March 2022.
1. Toyota Hilux
Toyota officially unveiled the Hilux in India in January this year, and the pickup truck’s price reveal is set to happen in March. This upcoming Toyota Hilux will be powered by a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, with 204 PS and 500 Nm (420 Nm on MT variants) on tap. A 4WD system will be offered as standard, along with a low-ratio transfer case and electronically locking differentials (front and rear), to improve its offroad abilities.
2. Maruti Ertiga facelift
Maruti Suzuki is planning to update the Ertiga MPV in India with a minor facelift, and speculation suggests that the facelifted Ertiga will launch in March. As per spy pictures, the styling update will be limited to a redesigned front grille on the exterior, and we don’t expect any significant changes to the interior. Some additional tech and equipment may be offered, but the 1.5L petrol engine (105 PS/138 Nm) will likely remain unchanged (the CNG option will continue to be offered as well).
3. MG ZS EV facelift
MG India is expected to launch the facelifted ZS EV in India in the second week of March. The updated electric SUV will have a larger battery pack powering it – a 51 kWh battery instead of the 44.5 kWh unit on the outgoing version. There will be better equipment on offer as well, like a larger 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, a new 7-inch digital instrument console, Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), 360-degree camera, etc.
4. Toyota Glanza
Maruti Suzuki recently launched the facelifted Baleno in the Indian market, with major styling changes and lots of additional features. Toyota is expected to launch the updated hatchback very soon under its own brand, likely sometime this month, as the Glanza facelift. The facelifted Toyota Glanza will be identical to the 2022 Baleno, likely with changes limited to just a new grille.
5. Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Mercedes-Benz will officially announce the prices of Maybach S-Class in India on March 3. It will be available with two engine choices – a 4.0-litre petrol V8 (503 PS/700 Nm) on S580, and a 6.0-litre petrol V12 (612 PS/900 Nm) on S680. Transmission choices are limited to just one – a 9-speed automatic gearbox. Of course, being a Maybach, the sedan will have almost unparalleled comfort and luxury on offer.
6. New-gen Lexus NX
Lexus is all set to launch the new NX350h in the Indian market on March 9. Compared to the previous NX, the new one will have a sharper interior and exterior design, as well as plenty of additional features. It will be powered by a 2.5L petrol engine, paired with two electric motors, one on each axle, effectively making this a four-wheel-drive model. The combined power output from the hybrid powertrain is rated at 244 PS.
7. BMW X4 facelift
BMW India recently started accepting pre-bookings for the new X4 facelift, which is expected to officially launch this month. Along with cosmetic changes, the coupe-syle SUV will get a host of new features. Engine options on offer are expected to include a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit (252 PS) and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel unit (190 PS). A limited-edition ‘Black Shadow’ version will also be offered alongside the standard variants of the X4.
Bonus – Volkswagen Virtus
Volkswagen Virtus will have its global debut on March 8, although its India launch is expected to happen a few months later. Upon arrival, Virtus will serve as a replacement for VW Vento, which is quite an old and ageing product now. The upcoming Virtus will share its architecture with the recently launched Skoda Slavia, along with the powertrain options – a 1.0L turbo-petrol unit (115 PS/175 Nm) and 1.5L turbo-petrol unit (150 PS/250 Nm). Its styling, however, will be unique compared to its Skoda cousin.


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By Corey Mann
Roofing Industry Trends: Innovative Software is Enhancing the Sales Process
Roofing industry trends indicate that new technology is enhancing the sales process for companies of all sizes. In addition, many businesses are falling behind their competitors because they haven’t modernized.
Going digital is driving the sales process forward, making everything more efficient and effective for contractors. At RoofCon in 2022, industry experts explained exactly why this is the case. The team at Leap spoke with many contractors to learn just why technology is helping the industry evolve.
Roofing Industry Trends at RoofCon
According to IBIS World, roofing is currently a $56.7 billion industry. Moreover, the market size is expected to grow substantially over the next decade. That’s a great sign for contractors across the country. However, it also shows why the industry is utilizing innovative technologies to become more efficient and serve more customers.
“It sets the process for follow-ups and blast emails to be easier,” Nick Miller of A1 Roofing told us at RoofCon. “It’s a lot easier than writing it on paper or using your calendar.”
Is it really that simple? In fact, going paperless is one of the most important roofing industry trends to consider. Contractors are utilizing new software that centralizes the paperwork into one digital application.
Are carbon copy estimates and manila folders costing you time, money, and your sanity? There’s a less stressful way to manage your sales operations. Technology gives your reps sales reps in the field everything they need at their fingertips to clearly convey pricing, home measurements, materials, and contracts to customers.
Automation is Changing Everything for Roofers
Automating the sales process has become the new standard within the roofing industry. It’s helping contractors streamline their operations. Better yet, it’s helping bridge the gap between the services you provide and the customers you are trying to serve.
Easy-to-use software fast tracks onboarding for new reps and helps you build a repeatable sales process. It’s eliminating common mistakes and errors as well. But in general, contractors are going digital to become more efficient with their time and more effective at the kitchen table with potential customers.
You don’t have to travel back-and-forth to the office to drop off paperwork or pick up contract forms any longer. The moment an inspection is finished, the pricing is already there for you to present to the customer.
“Look what technology has done. We have companies like EagleView that are coming out with drones that are fully autonomous,” Bailey Barnard of Dom Restoration & Roofing told us at the event. “We have companies like Leap and JobProgress that are automating everything for us and making our jobs easy and making it so that we can continue growing our business and train easily.”
Your focus is now on selling the job, instead of running numbers and materials. This will help you reduce turnaround time, boost your sales, and establish credibility in your service area. “I would say technology is really helping us develop as a company,” Barnard added.
To learn more about Leap’s point-of-sales software, book a 15-minute phone call now!
Evolving with the Roofing Industry
New roofing companies are being established all the time. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 120,000 roofers in the country! That’s why it’s so important to get a step ahead of your competition.
“Every time you turn around, there is another roofing company that just got started yesterday,” Michael Kuzy of Storm Guard told us. “The trend now for us is to look at measures that we can take and separate ourselves from those companies.”
By analyzing recent roofing industry trends, you can see that companies that don’t evolve will eventually get left behind. That’s why you’re seeing more contractors adopt software to improve many aspects of their business.
And it’s not just helping you save time and money; it’s also helping you train better and work smarter. You can now focus on driving higher margins and bringing in new revenue.
Learn More About Leap
As you can see, most experts agree that the industry is changing for the better and you don’t want to be left behind. That’s why events such as RoofCon are filled with contractors looking to find new ways to improve their businesses.
A great place to start is with Leap’s point-of-sale software. It’s a digital resource that centralizes all your reps’ needs. You can access marketing materials, pull measurements, select products, and offer pricing packages easier than ever before. You can also sign contracts, offer financing, and process payments!
At Leap, we have partnered with some of the best roofing software companies, such as EagleView or JobProgress mentioned above. Therefore, you can have access to a network of partners that, combined with Leap, will shore up your sales process and give you an edge over your competitors.
Recent roofing industry trends show that going digital isn’t just a concept. It’s here to stay and now may be the best time to optimize your sales with this innovative software. For more information, fill out the form below and book a 15-minute demo to learn more.


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These New Yorkers just tried Cracker Barrel for the first time, bless their hearts
A group of New Yorkers recently hated on Cracker Barrel after trying it for the first time, and Southern Twitter was real quick to come for 'em.
In a video shared by Food Insider, a group of New Yorkers recently had an experience most Southerners have before they can even walk -- they ate at Cracker Barrel for the first time.
The video, which was was billed as "millennials try Cracker Barrel for the first time," consisted of four people trying some of the Tennesse chain's most popular dishes -- Chicken 'n Dumplins, country fried steak, loaded hash brown casserole and mac 'n cheese.
The foursome was quick to find fault with the appearance of most of the dishes although one of 'em was wise enough to know that looks can be deceiving. They called the dumplings "sad," said the mac and cheese was fast food-quality and claimed the country fried steak was a heart attack waiting to happen.
Naturally, Southerners on social media did not take too kindly to these comments.
Among the responses, Southerners were quick to point out how New Yorkers can't be trusted when it comes to Southern food given what they think barbecue is -- bless their hearts. It's also worth mentioning that there's a whole lot more on the menu worth trying.
...and while this might be the first meal from Cracker Barrel, let's all pray that this is not their first taste of Southern food because we all know that needs to come from a homegrown restaurant located somewhere in the actual South. Not New Jersey.
You can see the video below, and you can read the Twitter comments here.
Millennials Try Cracker Barrel For The First Timewww.youtube.com


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The annual Google developer conference has returned. Google I/O is a yearly conference for google developers normally held in San Francisco, yet due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, it has been held online.
At this conference, you can expect loads of varied talks and seminars about google and android development. What you can also expect are keynotes about: new google play features, what’s new in google assistant news about the web platform, and much much more.
The learning lab is a place where you can improve your skills in many different googles and android coding languages like Kotlin, Lit Element, Swift, and many more!
Because google I/O is being held online it’s totally free. All the seminars and keynotes are saved online to watch again.


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Casinos, sports betting, lottery – oh my! A proposal to legalize gaming in Alabama got the most attention in the first week of the Alabama Legislature’s 2024 regular session.
By the end of the third legislative day, 242 bills had been introduced, including gaming and school choice, both endorsed by the state’s governor. In her state-of-the-state address Tuesday, Gov. Kay Ivey also encouraged the state’s voters to go to the polls March 5 in the Super Tuesday primary.
She has proposed a $3.3 billion general operating budget and a $9.3 billion education spending plan for 2025. In budget presentations early in the week, fiscal expects revealed that there is not enough growth the education budget to allow for another 1-cent reduction in the state’s tax on groceries this year.
The Alabama House will convene at 1 p.m. and at Senate at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, for the fourth day of the 2024 regular session.
Your Alabama Retail Association will keep you informed throughout the session as issues of interest to retailers arise. Keep reading for this week’s top stories.
For legislative and other news of relevance to retailers,
read This Week in Retail News.
THIS WEEK IN RETAIL NEWS
Gambling legislation, including criteria for lottery retailers, could get public hearing next week (alabamaretail.org)
Details released on casino-style gaming, limited sports betting and state lottery proposal (aldailynews.com)
Ivey says ‘now is the time’ for a statewide vote on lottery and gambling bills (apnews.com)
Poll shows support for gambling, school choice proposals as session begins (aldailynews.com)
Proposal to raise flat tax rate for remote sellers introduced; more bills expected (alabamaretail.org)
Grocery tax study group to meet Monday; further reduction in grocery tax not expected this year (alabamaretail.org)
Alabama’s state sales tax on food won’t drop another percentage point this year (al.com)
Baby, maternity and menstrual product exemption and elimination of eligibility to work form for 14- and 15-year-olds among introductions (alabamaretail.org)
Fish and shrimp country-of-origin labeling proposed for restaurants and grocery stores (alabamaretail.org)
Senate panel seeks more info on excluding excise taxes from gross receipts business licenses (alabamaretail.org)
Mixed Spirit Beverage Task Force to meet next week (alabamaretail.org)
Alabama lawmakers briefed on new ‘ALL Health’ insurance coverage expansion plan (aldailynews.com)
Governor makes education savings account bill her top legislative priority (governor.alabama.gov)
Ivey’s school choice bill allows for $7,000 tax credit for private school education (aldailynews.com)
Alabama Retail names 2024 officers and directors (alabamaretail.org)
Alabama Bankers Association shares top five tips to protect your business from check fraud (alabama.bank)
Task force to promote responsible use of generative artificial intelligence in state government (governor.alabama.gov)
Previous Alabama Retail Reports
CONTACT YOUR LAWMAKERS
Find Your Lawmaker
2024 Legislative Roster Coming Soon!


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Some accused Keller of greed when he imposed the 20 percent charge, which raised the price of Per Se's $175-per-person meal to $210. But he told the press that retention issues were what convinced him to make the move. Among the last straws were the departure of one key Per Se kitchen staffer and a request by another to come out of the kitchen and wait tables so he could pay off some personal bills.
Big, big, problem for Keller. Back-of-the-house turnover is something you can't have when you're the proprietor of a world-class restaurant where consistent perfection is supposed to be a given.
But it was hard to disguise the fact that at Per Se, as at many, many other restaurants, the waitstaff was raking it in and the kitchen staff wasn't. Theoretically, kitchen workers are considered to have the more glamorous jobs, sharing in the halo effect of working for someone like Keller. Chefs and their chief underlings are the stars; waitstaffers are interchangeably anonymous. However, that's not how the money shakes out at the end of the night. Yes, the cooks get the better line for their resume. But that doesn't help them pay their bills today.
The result: a condition known status-income disequilibrium. It's a touchy situation at any full service restaurant, one that is exacerbated when the place is a roaring success like Per Se. Some employees make way more money than others do, yet everyone has to pay the stratospheric rents that prevail in a place like New York City.
'We realized the imbalance of earnings and that a change needed to occur in order to provide everyone in the restaurant an opportunity to pursue their dreams," Keller told reporters."
Fair enough, except not many Per Se waitstaffers were dreaming of working in a flat-fee service charge environment that yields the same hourly wage to everyone no matter how dazzling their service.
"Some of the dining room staff is understandably concerned," Keller said. "They're going to be compensated in a new way that they're not used to."
The deal now: Everyone gets a salary every week of the year, even if the restaurant is closed. It's a system that's been in place at Keller's French Laundry in Yountville, CA, for the past seven years. The service fee there: 19 percent.
Another noted California restaurant, Chez Panisse, has had a service charge policy for a long time, too. Once 15 percent, it's 17 percent now. A two-percent raise last year enabled the restaurant to provide health insurance for its employees. Chez Panisse's Alice Waters told attendees at last fall's Association of Food Journalists conference that the system is designed to create some sort of balance between front and back-of-the-house compensation.
Keller told the same convention that's also why he installed a flat fee at the French Laundry and then later at Per Se. He said that, prior to making the switch, front-of-the-house workers made three times as much as someone of similar experience and responsibility did in the kitchen. Now, it's about a two-to-one ratio. Resistance was stiff among waitstaffers when this scheme was first imposed, but their pain was eased when they learned they'd still draw salary when the French Laundry is closed.
It's interesting that Per Se had turnover problems at all. It's a prestigious place to work, and it already offered employee perks most restaurants can only dream about. Check out how Per Se described its benefits when it advertised briefly for help on website Craigslist.com in New York City: "We offer three weeks paid vacation a year during our annual closures, full medical, dental and vision benefits after 90 days and 401(k) contribution opportunities.
A sweet benefits package, especially by restaurant industry standards. And offering one like it at your place, funded by a flat-rate service charge, might make your life easier. But how would customers react? Our advice: Don't sweat it. Maybe you shouldn't worry about tipping schemes because it appears that customers don't.
That's a conclusion that can be drawn from a recent study conducted by Sandelman & Associates. Released in mid-December, "Tipping in Restaurants" found that people feel compelled to tip at restaurants even when scant service or personal interaction is part of the experience.
"Tips long have been customary at full-service restaurants and rare, if not unheard of, at fast-food restaurants," the researchers declare. "But fast-casual restaurants are neither full-service nor fast-food. Nonetheless consumers report that they leave fairly generous tips at fast-casual restaurants.
"Tipping is common at fast casuals despite the fact that these restaurants do not provide table service and offer food that, while perceived to be of higher quality than fast-food, is not as high quality as casual, family or fine dining restaurants."
OK, just how often do customers drop change in the tip jar? Forty-five percent of Sandelman's survey respondents said they tipped all or most of the time at eat-in dining, even at fast casual restaurants. Eleven percent said they tip all or most of the time at carryout fast-casual occasions. Carryout tip frequency for family dining was 14 percent; for casual dining, 19 percent; and for fine dining, 24 percent.
How much are customers kicking in? Survey respondents reported an average of 14 percent for satisfactory service for eat-in fast casual occasions, as compared with 18 percent at higher-level dining. Carryout tips are four to six percentage points lower across all restaurant types--still mighty high when you consider the low level of customer-employee interaction.
Can this behavior be explained? Not exactly, says Cornell School of Hotel Administration tipping guru Michael Lynn. "Tipping is an interesting behavior because tips are voluntary payments given after services have been rendered," he says. "Consumers rarely pay more than necessary for goods and services. Tipping represents a multibillion-dollar exception to this general rule. It is an exception that raises questions about why people tip."
Answers will always be elusive, but Lynn argues that a better understanding of why people tip would help restaurant managers make better decisions about tipping/service fee issues.
"It would help managers develop training programs and operational policies that increase servers tip incomes, which in turn should increase employee morale, reduce employee turnover and ultimately enhance customer satisfaction."
Translation: If you've got issues in these areas, it might be time to give the service charge method a try. Granted, it won't solve all your problems. For one thing, you'd probably have to ride herd on waitstaffers who no longer would have a strong personal incentive to turn tables. But gains in staff retention in both the front and back of the house could well outweigh these impacts.
Keller's situation at Per Se is unique. But his ideas about service fees might not be.


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There is another large building under construction for downtown Sacramento. And this one will replace a beloved community library.
Anthem Properties of Vancouver, British Columbiafiled an application with the City of Sacramento to construct a seven-story apartment building on the north side of the 900 block of S Street.
To make way for the building, Beers Books will be demolished. But lovers of the old bookshop where readers have been buying, selling and exchanging for decades can be reassured: the store is moving a few blocks away.
Andy Naify, the store manager, said the store will move to 712 R St. Renovation work on that site will begin once the current tenant moves out and Beers Books is expected to open there “in the first quarter of 2023”, did he declare. .
Beers Books has been around for about 80 years and has been in its current location since 2003, Naify said. The shop has already moved “at least three times”, he said.
Anthem is a major player in local development. The company has two large apartment buildings under construction in the downtown area: 15S, a 137-unit building on 15th and S streets, and Cathedral Square, a six-story project on the 1000 block of J Street, long destroyed.
Riaan De Beer, Anthem’s vice president of development, said earlier this year that the company’s aggressive plans for the city – as well as broader interest in the urban core – “is not an anomaly momentary”.
“Our long-term vision is to have thousands of units on the rental market, not hundreds,” De Beer said.
The latest project at 905 and 925 S St. will include 44 studios, 90 one-bedroom apartments, 50 one-bedroom units with dens and 41 two-bedroom apartments, according to the company’s application to the city. Jenna Anderson, a spokeswoman for the company, said the current buildings will be demolished next year – construction could begin soon after if the city approves the work.
The new building will also have 6,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor facing the corner of 10th and S streets.


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An enterprising buyer can find the remaining details through open source datasets or by crypto market darknet harvesting the parents’ other online presences, such as social media accounts. Dec aggravated in part by a big theft, fully shutdown by 23 December. The members of Big Tech have become among the most valuable publicly traded companies in the world, with each having a market capitalization between 500 billion and two trillion USD. Blackberry Market is a fast-casual cafe and bakery in downtown Glen Ellyn and La Grange, IL offering up daily handcrafted meals, dinners to-go, premium coffee drinks, memorable baked goods, and a robust catering menu. There is a pressing need for further research on Darknet drug markets, as the efficiency of law enforcement efforts to combat drug use depends on it. While you're visiting The Rocks, drop in to the Ken Done Gallery, which houses the most extensive collection of celebrated Australian artist Ken Done's works, including signed limited edition prints.
“Sep 9, 2021, 05:20am EDT Pro-China Online Campaign Urges Covid Protests In U.”
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If you’re not already revved up for the holidays, Twisp is the place to be on Thursday (Dec. 6) to kick-start the seasonal spirit.
TwispWorks will host Gear Up for the Holidays from 4 – 7 p.m. Shop and visit with local artists at the studios of TwispWorks partners and find local, unique holiday gifts and Methow Made products at the grand opening of Valley Goods, the holiday gift store in Your Space@TwispWorks.
The Fork food truck folks will be operating a “pop-up” restaurant out of Kathy B’s Kitchen. There will also be live music throughout the campus, from The Apostles, The Danbert Nobacon Trio featuring Kira Wood and Anna Dooley, and classical guitar by Alex Nicolazzo and Kellen Miles.
TwispWorks coincides with Mistletoe Madness, which promotes other local artists’ shops and businesses that will be open for extended hours. Shop at stores on Glover Street and Highway 20 (and take advantage of discounts, drawings and refreshments), take a free horse-drawn carriage ride through town, listen to carolers, and visit with Santa either on Glover Street or at Hank’s Harvest Foods.
The Valley Goods Holiday Shop and Gift Emporium will feature goods from more than 30 local artists and craftspeople, located in the Hosey Building. Valley Goods will be open every day through Christmas Eve. Hours are 11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on weekends.
For information, call 997-3300 or email email@example.com.


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“Don’t call me, I’ll call you.” Over three million Australians say they love being able to contact others via mobile phone whenever and wherever it suits—but don’t enjoy being contacted themselves, Roy Morgan Research shows.
When it comes to their mobile phones, 14.2 million Australians aged 14+ (72%) agree, “I love being able to contact my friends wherever I am”.
But only 10.8 million of them also agree, “I enjoy people contacting me on my mobile phone”. That leaves the 3.4 million who are more than happy to call others at their own personal convenience, but are not always keen to pick up.
Almost another million (unusual) people enjoy being on the receiving end, but not contacting others, for a total 60 percent of Australians overall who enjoy people contacting them on their mobiles.
Percent who like to make or receive mobile phone contact:
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source, January to December 2016, sample = 50,144 Australians aged 14+
The gap between wanting to be the caller or receiver exists across gender and generations. Women are more likely than men to enjoy contacting others (75 percent vs 69 percent) or being contacted themselves (63 percent vs 56 percent).
Generation Z are the most likely to enjoy mobile phone contact either way (87 percent and 76 percent), but the pleasure of both making and receiving calls declines with age: to 83 percent and 71 percent among Gen Y, and 72 percent and 58 percent among Gen X.
Proportionally, the gap is widest among Baby Boomers: 63 percent love being able to contact others, but less than half enjoy being contacted themselves (49 percent). Meanwhile only 35 percent of Pre-Boomers enjoy being contacted on their mobile phones—but not that many more are keen on making contact themselves either (43 percent).
Michele Levine, CEO – Roy Morgan Research, says:
“Communication is a two-way street, but many Australians prefer staying on the more personally convenient side. We all know some friends and family members who never quite manage to pick up when we call or reply directly to messages.
“Even among the 12 million who enjoy being contacted on their mobiles, 75 percent say they like having the ability to screen calls.
“Mobile phones are all about convenience, but it’s important to understand how different types of consumers react to being accessible wherever and whenever they are. The broader issue isn’t only the evolving nature of interpersonal contact, but the impacts of having information, entertainment, and shopping literally at hand 24 hours a day.”


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Thomas Molander. | September 22 2022
Thomas Molander. | September 22 2022
As of late, the increasing popularity of cryptocurrency payments within the sports industry is a promising sign of growing crypto adoption by some of the world’s top sports teams, leagues, and athletes.
Sports marketing seems to be an advantageous trend for crypto firms. More and more, cryptocurrencies have been popularized in sports sponsorships, deals, and salaries as a method of payment.
Meanwhile, fans and franchises have embraced the security and ease of blockchain-based ticketing, along with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and fan tokens representing a new means for fan engagement within the sports industry.
As the mainstream adoption of decentralized digital assets continues, it’s more important than ever for users to have access to platforms uniting the entire crypto market. Orion Protocol is one such decentralized access point—a revolutionary aggregator of centralized and decentralized crypto exchanges that offers expansive tools to bridge the gap between crypto users and the liquidity they seek.
Let’s take a closer look at how teams, players, and fans are embracing advances within the crypto landscape and where the future of crypto in sports may be headed.
Crypto deals in pro sports are a win-win. Crypto brands have an opportunity to align themselves with beloved public figures who themselves have the opportunity to get involved with crypto companies that can represent investment value, hedges against inflation, and secure, instantaneous transfers.
The involvement of crypto firms in sports shows a strategy for sports leagues and brands to appeal to the everyday crypto enthusiast of the younger generation. This also represents new opportunities for the athletes themselves.
Compared to other high-paying careers, professional sports players tend to spend a relatively short period at peak performance. Stories of top performers who blow through their millions shortly after their playing days come to an end have been sadly common over the years. These days, many players enlist the help of trusted financial advisors to ensure they’re planning for the future.
For example, to secure an income, players are incentivized to enter sponsorship deals or offer a celebrity endorsement to bolster their careers.
It may be inspiring for users in the cryptocurrency space to learn that a growing group of players are being advised to take part or all of their salaries and sponsorship payments in crypto. This kind of use can encourage long-term investment strategies and innovation in sports marketing using crypto.
Crypto payments may offer investment potential and could also serve as hedges against inflation. Cryptocurrencies like the ORN token offer abundant additional revenue streams to holders, while serving as a utility token for the Orion ecosystem and addition opportunities across the market.
One symbol of the large presence of sports deals in crypto was the 2021 renaming of one of America’s most iconic stadiums to “Crypto.com Arena” in this sponsorship in Los Angeles. This arena is home to notable teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Kings, Clippers, and Sparks.
Crypto.com is a company that has since become one of the more innovative crypto brands while being one of the top crypto exchanges by market cap in their market segment.
Sports sponsorships have even been seen in Nascar, like the landmark crypto deal that saw Dogecoin sponsor driver Tom Wise back in 2014. Just this past year, Nascar also saw the debut of the Baby Doge brand in another sponsorship deal.
For players, aligning oneself with crypto projects is also a way of joining the cutting edge of the Web3 ecosystem, which can encourage a sense of connection with the dynamic nature of online sports audiences.
Many recent deals in the sports industry that have seen athletes receive all or part of their salaries in crypto have included partnerships with specific cryptocurrencies or exchanges.
NFL players Odell Beckham Jr. and Aaron Rodgers both announced partnerships with CashApp in 2021 that saw portions of their salaries converted into Bitcoin. Odell Beckham Jr.’s partnership also included a charitable aspect, with $1 million worth of Bitcoin going to followers.
Given the Golden State Warriors’ proximity to Silicon Valley, it may not be surprising that the team’s players are embracing cutting-edge blockchain technology. Players Klay Thompson and Andre Igoudala converted part of their salaries to Bitcoin—calling it “the future of money.”
Other prominent figures who’ve taken part of their salaries in crypto include MLB player Shohei Ohtani, NBA player Cade Cunningham, and NFL player Trevor Lawrence. For now, these salary payments have mostly only included Bitcoin, facilitated through large, centralized tech companies like CashApp.
Today, an overwhelming majority of crypto buyers are under forty years old, and new generations of tech-savvy young athletes can go a long way toward enhancing public education and enthusiasm towards crypto. The future of decentralized finance is made more promising by partnerships like those seen using crypto payments in sports.
In the future, athletes may embrace a wider range of cryptocurrencies and may show interest in controlling their own private keys. If they do, they could benefit from the use of a straightforward, unifying platform in Orion, built for the future of digital assets and creating global access to the largest CEXs and DEXs with aggregated liquidity in one place.
A prominent use case for crypto payments is the purchase of tickets to international sporting events. In the past, buying tickets to sporting events in other countries could be a headache and often involved slow transaction speeds and high fees. Crypto has the potential to help erase this pain point with blazing fast transactions and borderless payments.
This was shown during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, in which fans from all over the world bought tickets to matches using crypto. Crypto-based ticketing can also offer increased security for teams and fans alike.
In June 2020, the prominent FC Barcelona soccer sports team introduced their own crypto fan token. These tokens expand their brand’s value by offering multiple ways to use these tokens to interact with the team. Fans can access VIP experiences, earn memorabilia, and even influence some of the team’s decisions.
Crypto offers plenty of potential for sports ticketing—both as a convenient payment method and because of the underlying security blockchain-based tickets can possess.
Beyond being disappointing to fans, fraudulent tickets can have disastrous effects, as seen at the Champions League final in Paris in 2022 in which conflict stemming from widespread ticket fraud led to violence.
Tickets that integrate blockchain technology often provide unfalsifiable codes, leading to a secure and streamlined experience for fans.
In 2021, one of the world’s biggest ticketing giants, Live Nation, partnered with a blockchain-based payments service. This partnership may hint toward a future wherein payments to all sporting events could be made using crypto.
The Titans and the Kings
The Tennessee Titans were one of the first sports teams to accept Bitcoin payment for tickets, and the Sacramento Kings were one of the first to do so in the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks, owned by noted crypto advocate Mark Cuban, accept both Bitcoin and Dogecoin, while the San Jose Sharks of the NHL accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin.
Crypto salary payments and crypto ticketing are two major developments that signal a growing alliance between professional sports and digital assets. Professional athletes are often seen as beloved figures that can lend a relatable face to the crypto market—a world that crypto novices can perceive as being intimidating or complex.
As more teams embrace ticket payments using cryptocurrencies, it will be important for fans to have a user-friendly and secure platform to safely trade their crypto. Orion Terminal is the first decentralized, non-custodial gateway of this sort, providing access to a growing number of blockchains and a vast array of decentralized and centralized exchanges, putting powerful crypto trading tools in the hands of sports fans and crypto enthusiasts.


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AutoDeal.com.ph; the Philippines’ no.1 online automotive marketplace finished 2020 in high spirits despite a 40% drop in annual vehicle sales as more consumers shift to the platform as a means of facilitating their vehicle purchase online.
“We experienced more than 70% growth in our partnerships with vehicle brands last year; helping both automakers and dealers to reach and transact with consumers at a very efficient cost. At the same time we helped consumers to stay safe by enabling them to do the vast majority; and in some cases, all of the transactions online through our platform with minimal physical contact at the dealership,” states AutoDeal.com.ph Chief Executive Officer, Daniel M. Scott.
Now coming to its seventh year of operation, AutoDeal solidified its position as the market leader by achieving 30,000,000 annual website visits* and by expanding its overall partnership network to more than 75% of all new car dealers in the country. Notable new partnerships last year included prominent brands like Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Isuzu, Kia, and Chery.
In total, the AutoDeal platform helped generate more than 25,000 customers in 2020. Accounting for just over 10% of the total market but claims that sales alone may be a lagging indicator of the role that digital plays in the overall purchase journey.
“We are pleased with the sales that we were able to contribute, which accounted between 2% to 20% of our partners’ total retail sales. However, we believe that the influence of marketplaces and digital mediums, in general, should also take into consideration how consumers use platforms like ours to make digitally-influenced decisions early on in the car-buying process. As more budget-conscious consumers come online, AutoDeal will become essential at fulfilling multiple legs of the car buying journey to help consumers find the best deal.”
“2020 has highlighted the importance of a digital strategy and how that will fit together in an omnichannel experience over the coming years. As we move into 2021, we will continue to provide ways to bring continuity between the manufacturers and dealers, reduce friction in the sales process and increase transparency across organizations, ultimately elevating the customer’s experience and increasing the financial return for our partners.” Added Scott
Looking forward, AutoDeal is expecting that digital transactions will continue to help drive the recovery of the Philippine automotive industry and is continuing to invest in systems and processes to provide more convenience for consumers while at the same time enabling dealers to leverage its digital platform with increased efficiency.
The company’s efforts are being reciprocated by an industry that is becoming increasingly receptive to digital commerce. In 2020, the response time experienced by consumers after requesting a full quotation from a dealer on AutoDeal accelerated by sixty-six minutes; with its top 50 fastest operating partners being able to furnish the required information within thirty minutes during business hours. The platform was also able to pilot an online payment gateway that enabled a portion of its consumers to facilitate the reservation phase of the buying process across its platform.
As online replaces many of the traditional practices done at the showroom, digital marketplaces offer the perfect destination for brands and dealers to attract in-bound consumers with high purchase intent at relatively low cost. As the market continues to recover, AutoDeal promises to build more ways to help dealers efficiently manage high inquiry volumes without the need to increase overheads. Through continued innovations in our platform’s lead-management service; we aim to generate a win-win outcome for both consumers and dealerships. – BusinessWorld


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Nintendo and Fujifilm Release Mini Photo Printer for Switch
CPG - Electronics - Gaming - Tech
Fujifilm and Nintendo have announced a new collaboration. The camera company is releasing a new Switch-themed version of its Instax Mini Link photo printer, as well as a new app that’s designed to l...
April 23, 2021


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There are certainly several crucial speedbumps for the trucking industry as Canadian business and the backlogged supply chain are sounding the alarm: Canada must keep on truckin’!
While there are faulty assumptions that the recent North American supply chain crisis implicates trucking as a cause, the logistics reality is that delays, backlogs and unloading of shipped cargo are the culprits. Trucking is a well known and high-profile modality for moving merchandise and materials including backed-up supply chain cargo to its destinations.
The simplified and accurate trucking business bottom line causing a trucking crisis is that the trucking industry has lots of work, but not enough workers!
Trucking companies are confronting the urgent fact of Canadian trucking industry life that, for several years, there has not only been a festering driver shortage, the situation is now worse and critical. “The latest labour market research indicates that in the second quarter of 2021, there were over 18,000 driver vacancies,” explains the knowledgeable Matt Faure, president and CEO of the Calgary-based Trimac Transportation, one of the largest transportation service companies in North America.
“We saw a driver shortage surge in 2018, which levelled off in 2019. When the pandemic hit, a lot of businesses were negatively impacted and that trickled down to less trucking activity as well, so we needed fewer drivers. At first people thought this could solve the driver shortage issue. Then the economy kicked back up in to high gear quicker than most people predicted and many drivers who left the profession in the downturn are gone and have not returned.”
He notes that, because there isn’t just one cause for the shortage problem, there can’t be just one solution. But there is industry consensus. One key factor causing Canada’s driver shortage are demographics – age and gender.
“Compared to other industries, trucking has a higher average age. Thirty-one per cent of drivers are over 55 years old. The national average for all workers in all employment categories is 22 per cent over 55,” he says. “The trucking sector was already having a hard time attracting the next generation of drivers at a pace that could keep up with the number of people retiring, and then the pandemic hit.”
Chris Nash, the plugged-in president of the province-wide, not-for-profit Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) agrees that the trucking industry is struggling to attract both young drivers as well as women drivers. “The average age of a driver is 46 years old in Canada (Conference Board of Canada). The employers’ cost to onboard drivers can on average cost $10,000.
“Drivers are leaving for retirement or for other opportunities,” he says, “and it can be difficult attracting new people, particularly young people, to the industry. With the high cost of insurance, it’s difficult to bring young people (25 and under) into the industry.”
Trimac’s Matt Fauer emphasizes that the generation gap plaguing the trucking industry is aggravated by an occupational Cath-22. “Attracting new, young drivers is difficult enough but it’s compounded by the requirement to be 21 years old to get a commercial driver’s license.” He explains that most major trucking firms require experience but, as with many other employers, getting experience takes time. “By then, many find a trade or other profession to go into and they are set on a different career path. It’s hard to change professions once somebody starts earning a stable living doing something else.”
On the Calgary front line, Hamza Alaaridhy at Calgary’s Derek Brown’s Academy of Driving, considered southern Alberta’s leader in driver education, has tremendous expertise about all aspects of the trucking industry, as well as unique empathy and people skills to understand the wants, needs and expectations of professional drivers. “The biggest issue today is that new drivers can’t find jobs, since they do not have experience. And they don’t have experience, because they can’t find a job!
“Some of the key expectations of today’s drivers are professionalism, better wages, a balanced work and home time and having clean reliable equipment. Another vital aspect is having more companies offering a training program for new drivers.”
Faure points out that, accurate or misleading, the misunderstood perception of truck drivers – like the stereotypical dilemma in how-you-gonna-keep-‘em-down-on-the-farm agriculture – is an essential factor of the truck driver shortage. “The profession doesn’t seem have the respect it once had, when it was glamorized in TV shows and movies. Younger generations are finding other trades or the technology industry easier to get in to or more appealing.”
The AMTA’s Chris Nash emphasizes the trucking industry’s difficulty attracting women. “In Canada, only three per cent of commercial drivers are women. In the United States that number is 10 per cent, an increase of 2.2 per cent compared to just three years ago. For women drivers especially, COVID affected labour in industry.
“Trucking HR (the influential non-profit organization advancing Canadian HR solutions for the trucking and logistics workforce) reported that women accounted for only 3.7 per cent of driver employment in the first half of 2020, but 15.9 per cent of the decline of driver employment in the second quarter of 2020. The numbers showed that the labour force for female truck drivers had recovered to pre-pandemic levels by June 2021.”
Faure urges that the industry needs to continue encouraging young people and women to enter the profession. “We can do that by innovating our operations and equipment to attract a younger audience that is used to – and expects – high tech in their lives. It may be a cliché but the thinking used to be that women do not enter the profession as they do not want to be away from home too long. The research suggests that being away from home is actually more important to men than women. Women are more concerned about being safe, especially when they are driving alone.
“It’s why the industry must continue to invest in safety and also get creative with our customers to dispatch differently to have everyone home much more often. And it would be extremely important if the federal government would recognize truck drivers as a professional trade. They currently do not,” he notes. “It not only continues to tarnish the reputation of the hard working, safe, diligent men and women in this industry, who see themselves as not just drivers but as professionals.”
“The driving pool is shrinking,” Nash says with urgency. “The aging work force is compounded by more people – young, old and underrepresented – exiting the profession and it’s why we’re seeing the driver shortage continue to grow. At the same time, the problem is exacerbated even more by the growing demand for goods to be transported.
“As the economic recovery continues, the demand for transportation will grow and the supply chain capacity diminishes without drivers.”
Trucking industry experts are concerned that it is crunch time. An increasing number of drivers are entering the age of retirement and, they urge that it’s up to the trucking industry to showcase the vast number of career opportunities and opportunities for growth in the industry, including those behind the wheel.
“Commercial transportation has lived with a negative stereotype, and AMTA and industry has been working to highlight just how rewarding a career in transportation can be. Carriers are now including competitive salaries and benefit packages, supporting flexible schedules, and ensuring that the mental health and wellness of employees is at the forefront. Tech disruption such as ELDs and newer equipment are increasing driver comfort, safety, and the ability for a good work/life balance.”


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They all display dynamic economic growth but in terms of trips abroad the picture is different for each country. When it comes to travelling abroad and their economic situation the so-called BRIC countries* display no similarities. Neither China and Brazil, the economic powerhouses of the BRIC countries, nor China and India, the most populous in this group, generate the largest volume of trips abroad - instead it is Russia that leads the ranking in this category. According to a special analysis of the World Travel Monitor commissioned by ITB Berlin, there is no correlation between trips abroad, economic prosperity and population density. Russia is the most sparsely populated of these countries and its economy ranks third, but in terms of outbound travel the Russians come first. They undertake 1.3 times as many trips as the Chinese, 3.4 times as many as Indians, and 4.6 times as many trips as Brazilians.
In terms of growth in outbound trips Russia also ranks first. Five years ago 15.9 million Russians and 13 million Chinese went on trips abroad. According to the latest surveys, 23.8 million Russians and 18.3 million Chinese (not counting trips to Hong Kong and Macau, which remain the most popular destinations) travel abroad. During the period surveyed Russian lust for travel rose by 50 per cent, as opposed to a 41 per cent increase among Chinese.
As far as outbound travel from India and Brazil is concerned these BRIC countries lag a relatively long way behind. At 7 million trips abroad, India’s total exceeds that of Brazil (5.2 million trips). However, developments in these countries over the last five years show India growing by 30 per cent (previously 5.4 million trips abroad in 2006) and Brazil expanding by 85 per cent (in 2006 Brazilians undertook only 2.8 million trips abroad). By comparison, Brazil’s figures may indeed be lower and its economic growth less than India’s, but the Brazilian market is the more dynamic of the two. Looking at China and Russia, despite reporting a high outbound volume for many years, Russia’s growth rate is higher than China’s. Thus no parallels can be drawn between economic developments and the number of trips abroad, as China has the highest economic growth rate.
At close to three billion, despite the population of the BRIC countries being nearly six times larger than that of the EU (around 500 million), these countries’ citizens still travel abroad considerably less. In 2011 they undertook 54 million trips abroad, approximately six times less than EU citizens (345 million). Overall, however, the volume of travel abroad in the BRIC countries continues to grow. Five years ago the citizens of the BRIC countries undertook nine times less trips abroad than Europeans.
Dr. Martin Buck, director of the Competence Center Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin: “The tourism figures for the BRIC countries, in particular for Russia, are very promising for the tourism industries of the host countries and destinations. They show that the BRIC countries are now catching up, not only economically but as well in terms of outbound trips . This is a process that will no doubt continue.“