text:
New research from digital and data experts TWC has revealed that 39% of consumers are eating out less frequently as they attempt to balance spending with increasing bills. Summary slides from the research can be found here.
The TWC Trends research was conducted in June 2022 and showed that 53% of consumers agreed that they were having to reduce their spending to pay their bills; with younger consumers and those with children in the household most likely to be feeling the pinch. There continues to be a divided population, with 24% of consumers disagreeing with this statement, particularly consumers aged 55+.
In relation to managing their eating out spending, consumers were using a number of tactics, with 39% opting to eat out less frequently and 26% reducing their spend when they eat out, for example through choosing cheaper establishments, having fewer courses or not drinking alcohol when out of home.
Interestingly, consumers living in London bucked the national trend with those in the capital more likely to be reducing their spend than reducing their frequency of eating out.
There was also evidence of switching habits, with one in four consumers changing their behaviour by having takeaways rather than meals out; entertaining at home rather than out of home; and/or making food to take to work rather than buying lunch or meals out.
Sarah Coleman, Communications Director at TWC comments:
“Over half of GB consumers admit that they are having to reduce their spending to pay their bills and it stands to reason that discretionary spend would be scrutinised first. The younger generation are more likely to visit hospitality outlets, but they are also more likely to agree that they are struggling financially – so this unfortunately means there will continue to be an impact on the channel.”
“Given that many consumers are actively looking to reduce their spend when eating out, operators need to consider how they can communicate value and/or offer incentives for repeat visits to capture as many occasions as possible.”
The TWC Trends Summer Edition 2022 series is based on the views and sentiments of over 1,000 consumers across the UK. The research was conducted 14-18 June 2022.


text:
Rihanna Buys Hella, Ella, Ella Bling
7/19/2008 12:00 PM PT
Rihanna is buying more than umbrellas these days!
The singer was out shopping on Thursday, and we're told she dropped over $15,000 at Fred Segal in just two hours! Rih-Rih has just graduated from diva-in-training to certified diva!
Sources say the singer not only bought clothes, but seven different expensive jewelry pieces, including items like diamond bangles. Poor Chris Brown didn't even get the chance to buy bling for his lady -- she already beat him to it!

domain: news


text:
We can all agree that ever since the pandemic broke out, the business world has changed beyond recognition. Every company, regardless of its size, has been affected, but it goes without saying that small businesses have suffered the most. Typically operating on a small budget, small enterprises have really been struggling to survive this turbulent period. Many companies have their employees working from home or not working at all because of shutdowns, which are still present in some parts of the world. Even those companies that have their employees working at their places of work need to respect various restrictions imposed because of the pandemic. However, like always, they need to focus on the future. So, what does 2022 have in store for small businesses and how can they grow, despite all the obstacles?
Keeping employees motivated
It’s natural that many employees are worried about the future. That’s always been the case, but the past couple of years have aggravated such fears even more. Small businesses really need to keep their focus on their employees in 2022 and do whatever they can to help them stay positive and motivated, since only such employees can be productive. This can be done by offering benefits, such as health and retirement plans, paid time off, etc. This will also help small businesses develop a company culture that fosters and facilitates productiveness, efficiency and adoption of most popular trends in technology.
It’s vital that small enterprises continue creating and sticking to their budgets, but they might want to revise their budget with more scrutiny this year. Namely, creating a fresh budget will give them a roadmap to follow throughout 2022. As always, it’s important to set realistic and attainable business goals and allocate resources accordingly. For example, this might be the right time to invest in state-of-the-art products of custom engineering, which will help businesses stand out from their competitors.
We’re witnessing many restrictions regarding face-to-face events, which means social media is now more important than ever to stay connected. That’s why every small enterprise needs to have a social media marketing plan to ensure customer needs are met. Also, keeping active social profiles allows small companies to interact with customers, employees, partners and competition and stay fresh in their clients’ minds. This might be the right time to engage in a targeted ad campaign, for example.
Getting to know customers better
Small businesses have an advantage of knowing their main customers rather well and it’s these customers that will have been the lifeline during times of economic downturn. If small businesses use this period to get to know their customers even better and find out more about their potential ones, they can really expect 2022 to be marked by growth. Also, businesses should analyze whether there are particular products that core customers purchase more frequently or send out a survey to ask if there’s anything they need. This type of analysis is easily done using modern accounting software.
Being flexible and adaptable
We’ve seen over the past few years how important adaptability is, which is why next year’s successful business ideas will revolve around this theme. Being flexible and adaptable means preparing for worst-case scenarios and being willing to adapt budgets, marketing strategies, and even full business models accordingly. Employees can be an invaluable source of input when it comes to fresh ideas.
Identifying ways to improve
While the idea of taking a break might sound tempting when business activity is slower than usual, it’s exactly the opposite from what small businesses need to do. What they should do, instead, is come up with the next steps of business survival strategies and look at the ways to improve products or services to stand out from the competition.
When business activity slows down, it’s tempting to take a break. However, these slower times can be ideal for working out the next steps of business survival strategies. Look at ways you can improve your product or service to stand out from the competition. Take the opportunity that 2021 presents to rebuild your business, adding value from the ground up.
The final tip refers to streamlining and automating processes whenever possible. Namely, a lot of small businesses get bogged down in administration, thus wasting employee time and resources. That’s why owners need to constantly look for ways to make their business more efficient. Automation is certainly one of the ways, since it saves time and money, which means employees are free to work on growing the business, rather than maintaining it through routine tasks.
There is no denying that 2022 will impose many challenges on small businesses. Those that have been around will still be feeling the consequences of the pandemic, but we can expect many more small enterprises being established, since many people have been made redundant recently and their only choice now is to take the matters into their own hands and become responsible for their future. However, the same rules will apply to both old and new companies, which means these tips are applicable to both categories.


text:
Maybe she’s born with it? IMG model Gigi Hadid is the newest face of Maybelline New York. Hadid joins a Maybelline club of superstars such as Christy Turlington, Jourdan Dunn, and Emily DiDonato, all of whom have recently fronted campaigns for the number one cosmetics brand in the world. For 19-year-old Hadid, the gig is a dream come true. “In middle school, I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup. I secretly bought Maybelline’s SuperStay 24HR concealer at CVS. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world,” Hadid told Vogue.com.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gigi Hadid to Maybelline New York,” said Jerome Bruhat, Maybelline’s global brand president, in a statement. “As the fashion industry’s newest ‘it’ girl, Gigi is known for her confident, fun, seductive spirit. She reflects our brand values and represents Maybelline New York women all over the world who are smart, sexy, optimistic and full of life.”
2015 is shaping up to be Hadid’s biggest year, following her meteoric rise in 2014. The new top mod set the fashion world on fire last year working with Stephen Gan, Bruce Weber, Katie Grand, and Tom Ford. In September, she co-hosted The Daily’s Fashion Media Awards at the Park Hyatt with Joe Zee for an audience that included Marc Jacobs, Claire Danes, and Laverne Cox.
Carine Roitfeld can be credited with putting Hadid on the map after choosing her for the cover of CR Fashion Book last year. “Gigi is a beautiful person on the outside and the inside too. She is a warm and kind-hearted soul,” Roitfeld told The Daily this week. “When Stephen Gan introduced her to me, we jointly send her to see Bruce Weber, we knew she was a star about to be born.” Hadid also appeared on the The Daily Summer’s season premiere issue in May 2014, photographed by Gilles Bensimon.
Next week Gigi will receive the Model of The Year award at The Daily Front Row‘s first annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards, celebrating fashion’s finest for their unparalleled contributions to Hollywood style.


text:
Playtika, the Israel-based mobile game developer behind games like Best Fiends, has formally launched its Initial Public Offering.
As part of its IPO, the company is offering 69.5 million shares between $22 and $24 per share. 21.7 million of those shares are being offered by the company, while the other 47.8 million come from a pre-existing stockholder.
Playtika's userbase has grown steadily over the last two years. In its pitch to investors it's shared daily average user data from as far back as Q1 2018, showing growth from 6.6 million DAU in first quarter 2018, to a peak of 11.8 million DAU in the second quarter of 2020. (There was a dip down to 10.9 DAU in the company's third quarter.)
The company has spent the last couple of years getting busy in the acquisitions business, transitioning from the world of social casinos to everyday casual mobile games. In 2019, it picked up Finnish studio Seriously (behind Best Fiends), and Australian card game studio Supertreat.


text:
By nature, the e-commerce industry lends itself to criminal activity, which is why the issue of online fraud continues to be one of its biggest threats.
Although online payments open up windows for all sorts of crimes to be committed, some of the most serious tend to be associated with identity theft and phishing.
One year on from the Equifax personal data breach, which saw unauthorised access to its customer credit report databases expose the confidential data of over 143 million individuals, no real changes have occured to prevent similar scandals from happening.
Instagram and Facebook also provide a platform that allows merchant fraud to become increasingly common. These social media networks offer an opportunity to easily generate a sales process for products that are either offered but never shipped or, instead, counterfeits sold to customers as genuine products.
Given that online gift cards can easily be hacked, the issue of fraud is also a big problem for e-gifting. Electronic gift cards, for example, can be bought with stolen credit cards, which makes them easily re-sellable and means criminals are able to take the cash. US multinational retail company Walmart has recently been sued for taking part in a gift-card hacking scam.
In the US, 2018 is predicted to be a significant year for e-gifting, with sales of online gift cards predicted to exceed US $160 billion. Industry experts have even dubbed it ‘the year of personalisation,’ expecting sales of product-based gift cards as opposed to amount-based gift cards to increase, along with personalised messages.
The development of fraud prevention services has therefore never been more important, and this has been done via a number of methods that range from machine learning and automated workflow, to insights dashboards and supported platforms.
One retail startup with a pioneering fraud prevention solution is branded gifting startup Jifiti, who are experts in the gift card industry and recently saw Yaacov Martin, the CEO and Cofounder, author an article in Total Retail. Aside from their gift registry and e-gifting systems, its fraud prevention technology has earned itself a 98.14% approval rating. With the industry approval standard recorded at 70%, Jifiti’s stands head and shoulders above the rest, lowering the number of declined transactions, which often poses a large problem for the customer, to just 2%.
With e-commerce fraud rates far from decreasing, more and more e-commerce businesses are investing in fraud prevention technology by default. However, with systems still very much developing, both customers and merchants remain in the process of familiarisation with the technology; a process which could take some time.
Disclosure: This article includes a client of an Espacio portfolio company


text:
Gulf Today Report
With a team of world-class chefs, access to the best food that money can buy, and dining rooms at palaces across the UK, you would have thought meal times are always prestigious in the Windsor household.
The chef of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II revealed her favorite eating habits, as he revealed that the Queen loves to eat a piece of cake at noon daily according to British newspapers.
Chef Darren McGrady, 59, explained that the 95-year-old Queen loves to eat cakes as a daily snack, especially gingerbread cookies and chocolate chip cookies.
He said: "The royal chefs send a whole cake to the queen every day in the afternoon, she distributes the cake among chefs and workers in the palace."
He pointed out that the Queen is keen to take cakes with her during her travels and trips out of her love for him. He explained that the Queen prefers two types of tea, "Assam" and "Earl Gray".
The chocolate cake along with her black bag, are the only two things the Queen doesn't give up on her travels.
McGrady revealed earlier that Queen Elizabeth has a small notebook on her desk in which she takes notes about food. She also hates strong flavors like garlic and onions, and loves cheese sandwiches and fish and chips. In the evening, the Queen likes to eat chocolate bars or fruits.
The Queen might only enjoy small portions of savoury food, but McGrady says she is a glutton for sweet. Charbonnel et Walker, Bendicks, and Prestat all hold royal warrants.
"She is absolutely a chocoholic," McGrady told Hello! magazine in 2016. "Anything we put on the menu that had chocolate on, she would choose, especially chocolate perfection pie [a layered chocolate pie with white and dark chocolate and chocolate shavings]."
Strict about children's appearance, the London school emphasises that hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back. Charlotte had done so neatly, with a whispy ponytail. She also bore a backpack with a sequin-studded unicorn keychain.
The Duchess of Sussex joined her husband at the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony, in her only official royal engagement since she gave birth to their son Archie in early May.
Last year, because of the health crisis, it was switched to a low-key celebration in the grounds of Windsor Castle west of London, and the palace said the same was likely again.
The story of Saud Bin Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, 70, baffled many, and social networking sites were buzzing with the elderly man’s story, which many saw as more like a fantasy, especially since doctors were unable to find a solution to make him sleep.
The flights will not be limited to hotel guests only, but anyone can book the plane for a trip of up to 12 hours, according to Bloomberg.
The person who took the pictures, Sophie Bell, was very thrilled to see him sleep with the greatest smile on earth.
For every kilo of plastic they deliver, they receive a small "symbolic" sum. The money is enough for a drink, said Arapakis, who was in Paris this week for global talks on limiting plastic pollution.


text:
by Alex Steelsmith
“McDonald’s debuts plant-based McNuggets… in Germany follow[ing] a limited-time test…
European customers have generally been more receptive to McDonald’s plant-based meat products
than those in the U.S.”
tried the new nuggets, but
tended to scowl.
Germans more pleased with their
happily noted they
didn’t taste fowl.


text:
Ace Hardware on Tuesday announced an “Extra Mile Promise” — a guarantee at participating stores nationwide that the retailer “has the expert advice and supplies needed to help consumers successfully tackle any paint project with just one trip to the store,” according to a press release.
The guarantee was created to address shoppers’ frustration over having to make extra trips to the store because they forget items or need more paint. If one trip doesn’t suffice, the retailer will provide free delivery of additional paint supplies, the company said.
The new guarantee applies to all brands of paint and paint supplies available at Ace, and is only applicable with the original receipt showing the purchase of at minimum one gallon of paint.
For decades Ace Hardware has branded itself as not just a retailer selling supplies but one with helpful staff. Its “helpful hardware man” was retired in 2006 for a more gender-neutral tagline, but the idea remains.
With its free delivery pledge for anyone who may not be helped quite enough to avoid multiple store trips, the retailer has quite ingeniously worked it out so that people go to the store, but enjoy delivery if they didn’t accomplish what they needed in that visit. It relieves a pain point and protects store traffic while providing added services — a twist on the omnichannel balance so many retailers are after.
"While it hurt our pride to learn this, the truth is that while consumers trust Ace as the Helpful Place, far too many of them believed that our speedy sized stores didn't have enough product to complete their paint project," Ace Hardware CEO John Venhuizen said in a statement. "We know this isn't the case, so to assuage these misperceptions, we decided to stand behind our large paint assortment with the Extra Mile Promise. Our objective is simple: to be known as the #1, best, most convenient, most helpful and most credible store for paint in the neighborhood."
The company’s service stance has paid off over the years: The J.D. Power 2017 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study ranked Ace "Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Retail Stores" for the eleventh straight year in a row, according to a press release.


text:
Experts from digital and financial firms have advised government to re-think and take digital transformation as a top priority if Uganda is to realize a digital financial economy in the coming years.
Speaking during the breakfast meeting organized by MFS Africa/Beyonic Uganda Limited to discuss the power of Digital transformation in Corporate Governance on Tuesday, Michael Niyitegeka, the Director of Refectory noted that it’s the right time for experts from both the private sector and government to talk about digital transformation from a holistic side of perfection starting from the grass-root level.
Mr Niyitegeka said policymakers together with the digital solution developers must always work together to make sure their products are fit and can solve the problems of the end-users without fear of incurring high internet costs.
“We must also find out if digital is making more inclusive or putting people out of financial space. As we think of digital transformation strategy, people should not only think about the financial side of it, but they should also put into consideration the enterprise side of the game because that is the basis of everything,” he said.
Mr Niyitegeka added that digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how a businessman operates and deliver value to customers. And it’s also a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure.
He however, cautioned that any business or economy undertaking digital transformation without focus and active commitment by the policymakers or executives, there is almost no chance of success because a digital transformation is a business-model reinvention that requires different functions across the organization to work together in new ways and this can only happen through large-scale investments in building an entirely new set of capabilities.
He also advised digital solution developers and businesses to reimagine value and be clear about getting it, make their companies attractive to top talent, become a tech and data business, build for speed and promote adoption across the enterprise.
“Key Elements in Digital Transformation are; Customer experience, Operational agility, Culture and leadership, Workforce enablement, Digital technology integration. Also, one of the main reasons for the thriving global digital economy is digital payments with a rising user base of smartphones, mobile/internet banking, e-commerce and improved internet penetration, however, in Uganda, we still have the problem of internet penetration in rural areas also digital illiteracy. This problem can only be solved by involving both policymakers and private sectors,” Mr Niyitegeka asserted.
Lawrence Micheal Oketcho, the Acting Executive Director / Director of Trade Information, Uganda Export Promotion Board also noted that there is still a bigger gap between the end-user and the digital solution developers or digital financial intuitions. He, however, stated that with digital transformation becoming inclusive, trade is being made easier.
“Role of government is key to industrial policy, and export promotion and funding exports in part of the winning formula for any developing country.”
On the other hand, the Vice President of Global Enterprises MFS Africa, Doreen Lukandwa revealed that since they act as an accelerator to enable other financial Institution make transfers of monies in more than 33 countries, they are working with services providers such as MTN, Airtel to reduce costs of transactions.
“We have done a lot of work in building relationships with FITSPA, UIA and UEPB at the policy level to help create awareness of what is needed and through those relationships we continue to lobby for these companies like network expanding, lowering costs of the internet, increasing access to mobile phones,”Ms Lukandwa said.
She added that internally they are trying to build products that are user friendly to even those that are not well conversant with the digital technology.
“We are doing this with both private sector and government to help create that awareness and continue to bridge that gap as we get to the digital financial inclusion that we want to see thriving in Uganda.”


text:
Hotel Management Services, Inc. (HMS), the growing hospitality arm of Mitch Cox Companies, used the first half of 2018 to focus on its expanding extended stay hotel portfolio.
In April, HMS sold its select-service property Brookstone Lodge in Asheville, North Carolina. “As a management company, we are focusing on extended stay projects,” said Philip Cox, President of HMS.
In the second quarter, HMS placed a contract on an additional property in Birmingham, Alabama. The hotel will be a Suburban Inn, the extended stay product created by Choice Hotels.
On the development side, Cox announced another joint partnership with Knoxville-based hospitality management company M. Gibson Hotels to build a Fairfield Inn & Suites in Florence, Kentucky. This joint effort harkens back to a similar collaboration between the companies on the Fairfield Inn project in Johnson City, Tennessee, which opened in May 2016. “Florence is a strong market,” said Cox, noting the city’s close proximity to Cincinnati, Ohio. Online retail giant Amazon announced plans to invest $1.49 billion and bring 2,700 new jobs to a new international shipping and cargo facility in the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area.
This combined with tourism attractions including the Creation Museum and Noah’s Ark Project are key features of the Florence market. The Fairfield Inn & Suites is expected to open in April 2019.


text:
The perfect coffee mug to keep at work is lovingly protected from thieves in the office break room and is often treasured by its owner for years, if not decades. But with so much talk about environmental pollutants and “sick” buildings, is it possible that the cherished coffee mug could be harboring nasty germs, or worse? One expert, Jeffrey Starke, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and until last year was the director of infection control at Texas Children’s Hospital for 22 years, weighs in on the potential hazards of an old mug of joe and when washing that ceramic cup is bad for your health.
Where Germs Lie
The surface of a typical coffee mug isn’t terribly conducive to harboring germs, says Dr. Starke, but when you fill it with coffee, sugar, cream—then touch it with lips and hands “you provide the opportunity for organisms and bacteria to fester,” he says.
more on wsj.com


text:
A BRIGHOUSE company supplying specialist oils for racing cars has landed industry’s top prize.
Millers Oils has won the Queen’s Award for International Trade in recognition of “exceptional” growth in overseas sales over the past three years.
The company, which has about 100 employees, will be able to display the award emblem for the next three years and will also receive a trophy from the Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Dr Ingrid Roscoe.
Managing director Steve Woollven said: “Despite the difficult economic conditions of the past three years, Millers Oils has produced consistent, strong growth in its business, both domestically and internationally.
“Receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise is an enormous honour for the company and will help open doors for us as we continue to develop our export business.
“We already have a strong presence in Europe and the Far East and are now developing distributor networks in Africa and South America.”
In 2009, Millers Oils decided to invest heavily in the company – building a state-of-the-art technology centre to support development of advanced new oil blends for use in a range of industries, including manufacturing, motorsport and automotive.
Millers Oils was founded in 1887 by John Watson Miller – since when it has achieved a number of industry firsts.
Millers Oils was the first to offer diesel specific engine oil for cars and continues this tradition of innovation to earn its place as a world leader in the technology of low friction.
In January this year Millers Oils launched “nanotechnology” engine oils, which reduce friction at high operating temperatures.
Now the company is using the expertise gained in motorsport and performance car development to remain a leader in commercial vehicle oils, classic vehicle oils and industrial lubricants.
The independent company’s research and development capability and global distribution networks enable it to supply high technology products and services to customers in Europe, Asia, North and South America.
The award comes just days after Millers Oils reported an 8% increase in sales across its entire range, including lubricants and fuel additives during the financial year ending March, 2012.
The strong results mean Millers Oils is on track to reach its target of doubling revenue by 2015. It reported a record turnover of £25m globally last year.
The firm said its growth was due to the addition of new distributors and direct partnerships totalling nearly 1,000 new accounts in the year.
While sales in all areas have been good, the automotive and industrials sectors put in a particularly strong performance.


text:
In the six years since it launched in 2012, Grab has expanded into 168 cities in eight countries. Having bought out Uber’s regional operations, it currently occupies a 97% market share in Southeast Asia.
In the last two years, the app has grown rapidly, doubling its number of users, with daily rides increasing from two and a half million to six million.
Grab’s achievement is part of a wider Southeast Asian tech revolution. Since 2015, over 90 million new internet users have come online, a number that is increasing exponentially and at unheard-of speed.
Frontier-minded MBA students need little encouragement to relocate to Southeast Asia. At its epicenter is Kuala Lumpur, where Asia School of Business (ASB) is offering students the lucrative opportunity to access the fastest growing tech market in the world.
Using tech to solve problems
One student who took the leap into Southeast Asia’s tech market is Jack Farrell.
From selling lemonade to buy baseball cards, to reselling second-hand college textbooks at Duke University, Jack has always been entrepreneurial in his attitude.
“I look for problems that I can build businesses around,” Jack says.
Applying to ASB was an easy decision for Jack. Southeast Asia’s rapid growth, ASB’s link to MIT Sloan, and a long-term desire to earn an MBA made the opportunity attractive to him.
With experience in tech startups in the US, including co-founding pet services platform PawedIn, Jack benefitted most from the immersion in Asian industry as part of the school’s Action Learning curriculum. Throughout the program, students undertake five extended consultancy projects with leading organizations in up to five countries, working closely with their employees to deliver impactful change.
“It was a chance to go into different countries and see how different they are—their stages of development, their habits, the ways people buy,” Jack recalls.
At Hotel Equatorial, a hospitality group, Jack created a digital marketing strategy to increase on-site conversion for bookings. At Ananda Development, Thailand’s largest condominium developer, he advised on how to increase the price per square foot by developing internal and external technology.
While the problems were different, both projects played to Jack’s interest and skill in using technology and entrepreneurship as problem-solving tools.
Jack, a self-proclaimed ‘Southeast Asia Evangelist’, has used his time at Asia School of Business to produce his own video series—‘Jack SEAs Tech’—on regional digital trends and innovations.
After graduation, Jack is deciding between the equally enticing opportunities of venture capital and starting his own enterprise—perhaps to be a part of the next decacorn like Grab. Either way, his gaze is firmly fixed on Southeast Asia.
“Everywhere I look, there is so much opportunity to build business, because of how quickly everything is growing,” Jack enthuses.
“Everyone wants to enhance digitally”
Saloni Saraogi’s (pictured) path to Southeast Asia’s tech revolution was slightly different—born in India, and raised in the Middle East, a bachelor’s in finance and accounting at the University of Nottingham paved the way for a career in finance.
Choosing to earn an MBA was a way of advancing her own business competency, at the time based at BNP Paribas in Mumbai. “As I started to get more leadership roles in the bank, I started to think, ‘I need to expand my toolkit.’”
The Action Learning program at ASB, as Saloni remembers, gave her the opportunity to get actively involved in industry, and to get her hands dirty.
It also exposed her to developments in the finance industry—in particular, the growing role that fintech plays in modern financial institutions, even in long-standing establishments such as Bangkok Bank. Last year, she completed an Action Learning project with the firm that involved leveraging existing technology platforms to help it attract more customers.
“[In finance], there is an understanding that everyone wants to enhance digitally,” Saloni remembers.
As someone with digital literacy, Saloni found Southeast Asia to have abundant opportunities to work in technological developments.
A summer placement at the consultancy Frost & Sullivan found her working alongside the APAC head of fintech, building an index that measured the digital readiness of insurance companies in Malaysia.
In the meantime, Saloni produces her own newsletter, ‘Exploring Digital’, which details digital and technological trends and thought-pieces. It is currently distributed to all ASB students monthly.
The transformative power of tech
While the digital boom is good news for tech companies, Jack and Saloni both recognize the transformative implications for the region.
Jack believes that initial public offerings (IPOs) for successful start-ups like Grab could start in the next few years, using that wealth generation to reinvest in and grow the Southeast Asia tech economy.
Saloni, meanwhile, sees the ability of technology as a development tool, closing the vast gap between countries like Malaysia and developing countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, where around 90% of the region’s impoverished population is based.
It is worth considering that, while only 27% of Southeast Asia’s population has bank accounts, there are roughly 1.4 mobile phones per person.
“Tech can be used to promote financial inclusion,” Saloni notes, an ambition which is driving her own career, and which she plans to explore further through a research project with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), which she landed through Asia School of Business.
For frontier-minded students with an interest in tech, Southeast Asia’s rapidly growing market offers lucrative and life-changing opportunities to tap into an industry that is evolving constantly.
The revolution, it seems, will not be televised—it will be digital.


text:
Aave DAO, the governance physique behind decentralized finance (DeFi) large Aave (AAVE) protocol, has unanimously voted in favor of making an overcollateralized stablecoin referred to as GHO.
The Aave firm put up the GHO creation proposal on July 28, which obtained an amazing 99.9% community vote over the course of three days. The proposal ended on Jul 31 at 10:00 am GMT with 501,000 AAVE tokens pledged in favor of making the crypto-collateral backed stablecoin.
Aave DAO GHO Voting Snapshot
GHO can be an Ethereum-based and decentralized stablecoin pegged to the U.S. greenback that may very well be collateralized with a number of crypto belongings. The subsequent step within the course of can be the creation of the GHO utilizing a brand new Aave enchancment protocol (AIP), and any consumer trying to mint GHO can achieve this by depositing some other crypto asset accepted by the Aave protocol.
Aave is a non-custodial decentralized crypto lending and borrowing platform that’s hoping to leverage its overcollateralized stablecoin to supply higher liquidity and passive revenue alternative.
Being an overcollateralized stablecoin, customers should at all times deposit a better quantity of crypto than the minting worth of the GHO. This would guarantee an overcollateralized mortgage on these stablecoins. Once the consumer repays the mortgage, their place will likely be liquidated, and their borrowed GHO will likely be burnt.
The lending protocol will even cost curiosity on loans taken out in GHO, with funds going again to the Aave DAO treasury, quite than the usual reserve issue collected when customers borrow different belongings.
Related: Aave to launch overcollateralized stablecoin referred to as GHO
Aave’s announcement a few crypto-collateralized stablecoin introduced again reminiscences of the just lately depegged TerraUSD (UST), the stablecoin collapse that worn out almost $40 billion in buyers’ cash. Many customers had been fast to dismiss it as one other stablecoin slated for depegging.
They at all times work out. Go #AAVE
Just deploy extra capital. Steady gals. pic.twitter.com/PnNFLwX8mX
— Turbolion (@HogSomFan) July 31, 2022
Many Aave proponents had been fast to level out the flawed working of the UST that made it uncollateralized, which ultimately led to its depegging, nonetheless, the upcoming GHO can be overcollateralized much like DAI which implies the belongings backing the stablecoin will at all times be of upper worth. One consumer wrote:
“UST was uncollateralized and run by a crook that attacked people who called out that he was a crook. Aave is building an overcollateralized algorithmic stablecoin similar to DAI. Aave is the biggest DeFi lending protocol in the world and has been nothing but transparent.”
The native token of the favored DeFi protocol rose over 15% over the previous week within the wake of the GHO proposal and has seen a 4% surge over the previous 24 hours after the approval.


text:
Shoppers hit the stores Friday
Bainbridge experienced some Black Friday madness of its own, with shoppers lining up for sales early Friday morning.
Theresa Hall, the store manager of the Belk at the Bainbridge Mall, said several hundred people showed up when the store opened its doors at 3 a.m., an hour earlier than the previous year. Hall said she estimated about 400 people waited outside the store in the cold to get the first chance at the store’s hot deals. The first 250 people received free gift cards, while a gift card worth $1,000 was won by Joy Burrell of Bainbridge.
“We ran out of luggage quickly and lots of people bought knee-high boots,” Hall said. “The TVs we had went fast; lots of our electronic devices were selling, too.”
Hall said the store was still busy throughout the day on Friday, as the post-Thanksgiving sale continued. She said Belk still has sales on sweaters, jackets, clothing and home items. Belk will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
At Walmart, a large crowd also showed up, first to take advantage of deals starting at 10 p.m., including low prices on kitchen appliances, sheets and towels. Even more people were there when the Black Friday sales kicked off at midnight, to get reduced-price electronics, including televisions, computer equipment, video games and toys.
A few in-demand items were trampolines, Power Wheels vehicles and remote-control toy trucks.
At locally-owned Bainbridge Pharmacy, which recently expanded its gift shop with the help of Evelyn Jowers, beautiful displays of on-sale items welcomed shoppers.
“We haven’t had a rush of people, but it has been steady,” owner Edward Reynolds said Friday. “I think it’s exciting because we’re offering stuff that we never have before … our product lines have improved and we have a nice selection of gifts for everyone.”
Items that were on sale Friday and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., included selected Vera Bradley bags and sunglasses; as well as specials on Christopher Radko Christmas tree ornaments, Doughmakers baking ware, Portmerion’s dinnerware and Byer’s Choice Carolers.
Bainbridge Pharmacy also has clothes, creative picture frames, Tervis tumblers, “Elf on the Shelf” books and toys for kids.
“We will be doing more sales as Christmas gets closer,” Reynolds said. “We encourage wives and young people to come in and make their wish list — we will be happy to contact your loved ones. We also gift-wrap any purchase for free.”


text:
As Christians, we cannot participate in evil. This means we should think carefully and biblically about giving our money to companies that promote dangerous progressive ideas and sell merchandise that sexualizes children.
In preparation for “Pride month,” Target began selling a disturbing new “PRIDE” collection for children and babies, which includes gender-neutral apparel, “tuck-friendly” swimsuits, clothing with messages that promote homosexuality and transgenderism, and more.
The retailer even began selling merchandise from a brand that promotes messages such as “Satan respects pronouns,” “Gay as Hell,” and “Join My Gay Cult.” Following the news of this new collection, conservative activists called for a boycott of Target, and the store’s market value plummeted by $9 billion in one week.
The store did end up removing some of the items from its “PRIDE” collection following the public backlash. This means that people's decision to shop at alternative stores— ones that aren't promoting evil— has the power to send a real message to the stores that go "woke."
Target isn’t the first company to experience the consequences of "going woke." Consumers have been boycotting Bud Light after the brand chose transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to be a brand ambassador. As a result, the company's sales have plummeted over the last several weeks.
In addition, Starbucks, which is known for providing paid travel for employees to receive transgender surgeries, is advocating for the mutilation of children through commercials that are being aired globally. In the commercials, parents are shown affirming their son’s new “gender identity.”
As consumers, we have the power to endorse or reject certain messages based on where we choose to spend our money.
As often as possible, let’s continue to reject companies that sexualize children, promote sexual deviancy, advocate for the mutilation of children, or directly promote an ideology that is contrary to God's design. This is our duty as Christians, and it can have a real impact.


text:
Toyota has urgently warned owners of nearly 50,000 older vehicles in the United States to stop driving them immediately due to potentially deadly defects with Takata airbag inflators that could explode and shoot shrapnel when deployed. The models impacted are the 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Toyota RAV4, and the Pontiac Vibe.
Background on Takata Airbag Issues
Takata airbags have been linked to at least 28 deaths and over 400 injuries worldwide. The inflators use ammonium nitrate to quickly inflate airbags in a collision, but exposure to heat and humidity can cause the chemical to deteriorate over time, causing inflators to rupture and spew deadly shrapnel throughout the vehicle. Takata has recalled over 100 million vehicles globally containing these defective airbags.
Most major automotive manufacturers were affected by the faulty Takata airbags, leading to the largest auto safety recall in history. The recalls started in 2008 and have expanded dramatically over the years as more incidents and injuries were reported.
The Danger is Especially Acute in Hot and Humid Climates
The risk of an exploding Takata airbag inflator is especially high for vehicles operated in hot and humid regions, particularly along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Prolonged exposure to heat and high humidity accelerates the breakdown of the ammonium nitrate propellant in the inflators.
Toyota had previously recalled many models equipped with Takata airbags, but the exploding inflator risk persists for thousands of older vehicles that have not yet had their airbags replaced.
50,000 Toyota and Pontiac Vehicles Impacted
An urgent “Do Not Drive” advisory was issued by Toyota on January 29th, 2023 impacting approximately 50,000 vehicles that have airbag inflators which could explode on deployment.
The specific models impacted are:
- 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla
- 2003-2004 Toyota Matrix
- 2002-2004 Toyota RAV4
- 2003-2004 Pontiac Vibe
Toyota stated these particular inflators have up to a 50% chance of exploding in a crash, posing an extremely dire safety risk to drivers and passengers. At least 1 death in the past year has been linked to the defective Takata inflators in these Toyota and Pontiac models.
Drivers Must Get Airbags Replaced Before Driving Again
Owners of the recalled Toyota and Pontiac vehicles are urged to contact their dealer immediately to arrange free replacement of the driver side and passenger side airbag inflators.
Until the inflators have been replaced, Toyota warns that the vehicles should NOT be driven under any circumstances given the acute risk of serious injury or death if the airbags deploy.
Toyota is offering free towing to dealerships or alternative transportation needs to support affected owners in getting their vehicles serviced as soon as possible.
Replacement parts are already available, and mobile repair options are being deployed by Toyota to fix vehicles quickly. Owners will be contacted very soon with details on getting the critical inflator replacement done.
Legal and Financial Fallout
The latest massive Toyota recall over Takata airbags has sparked renewed scrutiny into how regulators and automakers allowed these defective parts to be used for so many years.
Class action lawsuits representing injured victims and families of those killed by exploding Takata inflators continue to wind their way through courts. Takata pled guilty to fraud charges in 2017 and was ordered to pay nearly $1 billion in restitution. The company went bankrupt in 2017.
Automakers have borne huge costs from the record-setting string of Takata recalls and will likely face further financial and reputational damage. Toyota’s brand image in particular may suffer given their prominent role in the Takata airbag crisis.
More Recalls Expected
With over 100 million vehicles equipped with Takata inflators worldwide, additional recalls are anticipated by safety advocates and regulators. The risk of exploding airbags declines over time as older vehicles are retired, but thousands of cars with original Takata equipment still on the road means this public safety crisis has likely not seen its final chapter.
Toyota and other automakers continue to face pressure to accelerate inflator replacements, offer alternative transportation options to impacted owners, and compensate those injured by what is arguably the greatest auto safety failure in history. This recent urgent warning from Toyota on 50,000 more vehicles is unfortunately unlikely to be the last.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.


text:
Tesla solar roof customers who were blindsided by the company’s massive (and legally questionable) price hikes in April may be able to get their original rates restored, according to a court document published this week.
As first spotted by CNBC, a Thursday filing with the U.S. district court in San Jose, California, details a new program that Tesla quietly launched to placate longtime solar roof customers:
“On September 13, 2021, counsel for Tesla informed counsel for Plaintiffs that Tesla had recently launched a program for customers who signed Solar Roof contracts before the April 2021 price changes to return those customers to their original pricing (if they were subject to a price increase in April 2021).”
The document is from a class-action lawsuit filed against Tesla in May by Matthew Amans. The lead plaintiff argues Tesla jacked up the price for outfitting his home with a solar roof by about $75,000 when it came time for installation — from $71,662 per his original contract to $146,462, according to Business Insider. Amans wasn’t the only one: Multiple Tesla customers said they received emails from the company in April disclosing huge prize hikes for their solar roof contracts, some of which had been signed more than a year ago at that point, ahead of their scheduled installations.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk later said during an earnings call that month that the company had made “significant mistakes” in calculating how much to charge customers in its solar roof tile project. Instead of being placed on top of a roof like traditional solar panels, Tesla’s solar roof is designed to replace a building’s current roof with tiles that act as solar cells, which enable it to absorb the sun’s rays and convert them into energy. Musk claimed Tesla had run into trouble “assessing the difficulty of certain roofs” and that the “complexity of roofs varies dramatically.” As such, Tesla no longer considered its original price estimates to be accurate, leading to the dramatic price hikes.
CNBC points out that Tesla’s solar websites don’t appear to list any further details about the program outlined in Thursday’s filing. According to the document, Amans’ legal team has also requested additional information about the program. Tesla did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment, though it should be noted that the company hasn’t announced a new PR department since it dissolved its old one in October 2020.


text:
Feb 12th, 2018
Here’s something to love on Valentine’s Day — the Campus Bookstore is offering 10 per cent off orders of class rings.
A representative from manufacturer Baron Insignias will set up shop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the CAW Student Centre’s Marketplace seating area.
The custom-made rings take eight to 12 weeks for delivery, so orders placed in February will be ready in time for spring graduation, notes marketing co-ordinator Martin Deck of the Campus Bookstore.
“A little advance preparation can ensure the best possible convocation experience,” he says. “Plus, save 10 per cent just by getting your order in early. It’s a win-win.”
Baron will also — this one day only — be selling a small selection of fashion jewelry.


text:
Although currently a low-end market, the tablet industry is one of Samsung’s targets for the coming months. According to the German website WinFuture, the South Korean manufacturer is expected due to launch a series of Galaxy A TAB new models.
According to network sources, Samsung will soon release the relatively inexpensive Galaxy Tab A 8.0 tablet computer in the 2019 model range. According to available information, the new product will receive an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280 × 800 pixels. Support for the S-Pen will most likely not be provided.
The hardware will be based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 processor. This chip contains four ARM Cortex-A53 computing cores with a clock frequency up to 2.0 GHz. Graphics processing busy accelerator Adreno 504. The platform provides support for wireless Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0.
The tablet will carry onboard 2 GB of RAM and a flash drive with a capacity of 32 GB. Its front camera resolution is expected at the 2-megapixel camera for video calling and selfie features, while the main rear camera is expected to include an autofocus system.
The Android 9 Pie operating system will be used as a software platform. Samsung is likely to offer a modification of the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) with support for fourth-generation mobile communication (4G / LTE). The price will be from 150 to 200 US dollars.
According to IDC estimates, in the first quarter of this year, approximately 9.7 million tablets were shipped to the EMEA market (including Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa). It is 10.9% less compared to the first quarter of 2018, when shipments were 10.8 million units.
The good news in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2019 is that it will come with the Android Pie operating system, so it is perfectly updated when put on sale, and, yes, it is not expected to include a fingerprint reader or facial recognition in search of being as economical as possible. Important to note that, surprisingly, this model reaches the market both in a WiFi-only version and in another that is compatible with SIM cards. Therefore, it will be possible to use 4G connections.


text:
Apple just reported earnings — and as ever the company does not break out unit sales of Apple Watch. However, Apple’s wearables business, which includes Apple Watch and AirPods, continues to be strong. Apple told the FT that wearables revenue is up 60 percent year-over-year.
Luca Maestri said that wearables saw 60 percent growth in revenue terms. Adding up the last four quarters, wearables revenue now exceeds $10 billion:
Apple’s wearables business, which includes Apple Watch and AirPods, saw 60 per cent revenue growth in the June quarter, Mr Maestri told the FT, bringing its total sales over the last four quarters to more than $10bn. “This is a product category that essentially didn’t exist three years ago,” he said.
This is a more specific number than what Apple declares in its financial statements. AirPods, Watch, Beats, HomePod and more products are classified under an ‘Other Products’ business.
In fiscal Q3 2018, Apple reported that Other Products revenue rose 37%, up to $3.7bn from $2.7bn a year ago. The revenue growth rate of 60% for wearables shows where those sales are coming from, with wearables contributing to growth disproportionately to other items in that business. It’s worth noting Other Products continues to include declining iPod sales, which continue to pull down the overall numbers.
Tune in now to the earnings call for a more fine-grained breakdown into Apple’s latest financial results.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


text:
“Pirates” Poised to Sink Spidey
Yo-ho-ho and a box-office run.
Seafaring sequel Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest is in position to potentially surpass Spider-Man’s record for the best weekend opening ever, according to industry predictions.
The arachnid feature has held the record since May 2002, when it snared $114.8 million in its opening weekend. But with Dead Man’s Chest unspooling in 4,133 theaters this weekend, Spidey’s time may have come.
That theater number is third-most in Hollywood history, per Exhibitor Relations, behind only Shrek 2 (4,163 theaters) and Spider-Man 2 (4,133 sites), both of which were released in 2004.
Brandon Gray, of BoxOfficeMojo.com, predicts Dead Man’s Chest will approach $117 million. Citing internal tracking numbers at Disney, Daily Variety reports that 50 percent of those surveyed said they want to see the sequel this weekend.
According to online ticket retailer Fandango, the Johnny Depp blockbuster had already set a new record for tickets sold the day before an opening. The company reported that tickets to the swashbuckling flick were selling at an average rate of seven per second and represented 91 percent of all its sales on Thursday. At the very least, reports fellow online retailer MovieTickets.com, the scalawags are on track to commandeer the biggest opening of the year.
Say it with us now, mateys: Arrrrrrrrr.
In addition to Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom also reprise their original roles in the film, which opens at the wedding of their characters, Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner, a day that is ruined when they are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow.
Despite the huge hype, there is a potential bugaboo for the buccaneers: movie critics.
Reviews of the film, which comes in at a hefty two-and-half hours, have been mixed. The New York Times called it “a glistening, sushi-grade chunk of franchise entertainment,” while the Chicago Tribune deemed it a “satisfying big-screen excuse for overpriced popcorn. The Washington Post dubbed it “an empty-calorie clone” of the first film, while the Boston Globe branded it “high-calorie summer spectacle.” (Sidenote: somebody, please feed the movie critics.)
As of Friday, the reviews were close to evenly split between positive and negative, according to RottenTomatoes.com.
Perhaps the mixed notices have caused some pundits to dial back their expectations. The Hollywood Reporter, for instance, says, “it might be a bit of stretch for it to reach Spider-Man’s record.”
Disney isn’t playing prognosticator. The company declined to comment on whether the film will challenge the record. But those inside the Magic Kingdom are obviously hoping to rake in the doubloons.
When the original Pirates film was released by Disney in 2003, it was a surprise hit, pillaging moviegoers’ pockets of more than $650 million in worldwide booty, as word spread quickly that a movie based on an iconic theme park ride made for good entertainment.
Based on the first-week ticket sales alone of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Disney went full sail ahead on putting two sequels into production, plunking down a grand total of $350 million on Dead Man’s Chest and the third film in the franchise, At the End of the World, which is slated to be released over Memorial Day weekend next year.
If Dead Man’s Chest proves a sustained hit, audiences will be eager for the release of At the End of the World, and Disney’s gamble will have paid off. On the other hand, should the buzz around Dead Man’s Chest die out, the studio may find itself walking the plank when it comes to recouping its expenses for the pricey films.
We’ll just have to wait until Sunday, me hearties, to find out if indeed the pirate’s life is for Disney.
Maybe so, but they won’t get my $9.95!
“Pirates” Poised to Sink Spidey


text:
South Korea has dropped a two-year anti-competition probe into Google’s Android smartphone operations in that country, sources close to Google confirmed Thursday.
The investigation, which was based on claims that Google had pressured Android phone manufacturers to block search engines or other applications that rivaled its own, has ended with no finding of a violation of law, sources said.
Two Korean search engine operators, Daum and NHN, filed the claims with South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission in 2011. Among other charges, Daum said Google had influenced Android-based phone manufacturers to block certain other software services from being placed before Google’s search tools.
However, it has since been established that Google’s Android business practices did not break any laws, the sources said. Google declined to comment on the case. Neither Daum nor NHN could be immediately reached for comment.
Google’s position on Android is that it is an open platform and that other carrier and OEM partners are free to decide which applications and services to include on their Android-based phones.
Google still faces an ongoing antitrust investigation in Europe. The European Commission has been investigating Google since 2010 after rivals accused the company of gaming search algorithms to direct users to its own services and reducing the visibility of competitors.
Europe’s competition chief confirmed on Wednesday that he had written to Google Chairman Eric Schmidt asking for better assurances related to those claims. Google declined to comment on that investigation.
Use of Android, the mobile operating system Google launched in 2008, is growing. The platform has roughly 900 million users, Google executives reported in May during the company’s Google I/O conference for developers.


text:
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has received a revival package from the government, and now the telecom operator is back on its track to launch new consumer-centric offerings. The broadband industry in India is one of the most active ones right now, with new plan launches, offerings and more. However, while taking a look at the broadband industry in India, most subscribers fail to see that BSNL is the topmost telecom operator in the country with the most massive broadband network spread all across the country. Some of the BSNL broadband plans are also one of the most attractive plans in the market as well. Now, one of the most attractive broadband plans in the BSNL roster is the Rs 777 broadband plan. A few months back, BSNL had withdrawn this plan, and the consumers were not happy about it much. However, since then, the telecom operator has debuted this plan for a limited period a couple of times. Once again, the Rs 777 broadband plan is back available for the subscribers and under this plan, they will be able to enjoy some attractive benefits. Here is what you need to know about the Rs 777 BSNL Broadband plan.
BSNL Rs 777 Broadband Plan Benefits and Offer Details
Speaking about the benefits of this plan, the subscribers should keep in mind that the Rs 777 broadband plan by BSNL will come with 50 Mbps speed and the data limit in this plan is 500GB per month. After the exhaustion of the FUP limit, the subscribers will experience a speed of 2 Mbps. Not only this, but the subscribers also get free unlimited calls to all networks anywhere in India. But, since this plan is under an offer from BSNL, there is a catch with this plan too. Currently, the Rs 777 broadband plan is only valid for new BSNL Broadband users in India.
Things You Must Know About Rs 777 Broadband Plan
BSNL has noted that the Rs 777 broadband plan will be valid for six months only. So, the subscribers opting for the Rs 777 broadband plan should keep in mind that after the subscription period of 6 months, they will be shifted to the 600GB CUL plan by BSNL Broadband. Now for the subscribers who opt for the Rs 777 Broadband plan, it is also worth noting that the 600GB CUL broadband plan comes with a monthly rental of Rs 999.
Rs 999 Broadband Plan Benefits
In the Rs 999 broadband plan, or popularly known as the 600GB CUL broadband plan, the subscribers will experience 80 Mbps speed and the total data limit per month would be 600GB per month. After the exhaustion of the FUP limit, the speed would be throttled down to 2 Mbps. The unlimited calling benefit of 24 hours, to any network across India, remains intact in this BSNL Broadband plan as well.
Other BSNL Broadband Plan Options
The Rs 777 broadband plan will only be live for 6 months only, and after that, the subscribers will automatically be shifted to the Rs 999 broadband plan. However, there are other choices as well for the BSNL broadband subscribers. The BSNL broadband customers can also opt for the Rs 1,299 broadband plan from the operator, which offers even more speed of 100 Mbps and 800GB monthly data along with the unlimited calling feature. The after-FUP speed on this plan also remains 2 Mpps. For more data, the subscribers can also opt for the Rs 1,699 broadband plan as well, which offers the same 100 Mbps speed, but the data limit gets extended 1100GB per month along with 2 Mbps after-FUP speed and unlimited calling benefit. Further up the BSNL broadband roster, there are various plans like Rs 1,999, Rs 2,999 and Rs 4,999 which offers 1400GB, 2000GB and 3500GB per month data to the subscribers. The unlimited calling feature remains on all of these plans.


text:
Homegrown consumer durables and appliances major Usha International is treading the rural hinterland for future growth in Uttar Pradesh.
The company has planned to expand its rural retail format 'Usha Joy Stores' in rural pockets and tier-IV towns with population of less than 50,000.
"We plan to open 60 such stores pan India during the current 2016-17 financial year," Usha home appliances President Harvinder Singh told Business Standard here.
He said Usha products carried tremendous brand equity in both the urban and rural customers.
Currently, Usha operates about half dozen rural format stores in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Singh said UP, Bihar and Rajasthan were the biggest markets for the company's flagship product of sewing machines.
"Currently, we have 224 dealers and 2,000 sub dealers for our sewing machine range," he added.
The company has already forayed to other home appliances segments, including juicers, halogen oven and air coolers. Yet, the sewing machine continues to be the largest selling item from the Usha International stable in unit terms.
Of late, the company has undertaken an aggressive brand positioning and advertising to break new grounds in the market and expand customer base.
Usha has also associated with the Mumbai Indians team in the ongoing IPL Twenty20 Cricket Tournament. "The association has helped strengthen brand Usha in the last two years."
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.


text:
In Israel, Aleph Farms is celebrating having received regulatory approval from Israel’s Ministry of Health (MoH) in the form of a ‘No Questions’ letter.
The cultivated meat product in question is Aleph Farms’ Petit Steak, which sits under the start-up’s Aleph Cuts branding. Approval of the cell-based meat and plant-based hybrid is not only a first for a non-chicken cultivated meat product, but also marks Israel’s first greenlight for cultivated meat.
While an obvious boon for Israel’s cultivated meat scene, stakeholders in Europe would be forgiven for feeling despondent. The EU has yet to grant regulatory approval to a cultivated meat product, and FoodNavigator is unaware of any submissions to date (although at least one European cultivated meat player has submitted a novel food dossier abroad).
But according to European stakeholders, the MoH ‘no questions letter’ offers hope. Cellular Agriculture Europe, a coalition of food companies making cultivated meat, poultry, seafood and ingredients, welcomes the development, with secretary general Caroline Rey describing the move as ‘another step towards the much-needed recognition of cellular agriculture’s role towards protein diversification’.
Stakeholders hope approvals will ‘pave the way’ for authorisation in EU
Cellular Agriculture Europe boasts food tech heavyweights Aleph Farms, Bluu Seafood, Mosa Meat and Meatable amongst its membership base. FMCG major Nestlé is an associated member.
The association was founded in late 2021, a full year after the first regulatory approval for a cultivated meat product (a cultivated chicken ingredient from Eat Just-owned GOOD Meat) was achieved in Singapore. Cellular Agriculture Europe has since observed GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods receive the regulatory greenlight in the US for their respective cultivated chicken products.
The cultivated meat sector has since observed other regulatory developments within Europe, but outside of the EU. Last year, Aleph Farms applied for regulatory approval first in Switzerland and then the UK. At the time, policy manager at alternative proteins advocate the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, Seth Roberts, said it was ‘fantastic’ to see Switzerland leading the way for cultivated meat in Europe, but ‘striking’ that Europe’s first-ever cultivated meat application arrived in Switzerland rather than Brussels.
“The EU must develop a coherent strategy to support the sustainable protein sector and ensure regulatory processes are clear, in order to reap the benefits of cultivated meat.”
Responding to Aleph Farms’ regulatory news in Israel, GFI founder and president Bruce Friedrich said the announcement marks a ‘critical leap’. “We’re thrilled that consumers in Israel will soon be able, like those in the US and Singapore, to purchase these delicious products.”
The European Union, where cultivated was first invented, is, glaringly, not on his list. But EU cultivated meat players hope that the growing number of regulatory approvals will only serve to increase the chance of a greenlight on home soil.
“One of our association’s goals is to support its members in their future applications for approval in the EU and we hope that the multiplication of good news in Singapore, US and now Israel will pave the way for a smooth authorisation process in Europe,” Cellular Agriculture Europe’s Rey told FoodNavigator.
How does Aleph Farms make its cultivated Petit Steak?
The first cultivated meat product, a burger, was developed in 2013 by professor Mark Post at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. It wasn’t until 2016 that the first cultivated meat company UPSIDE Foods, publicly launched, and the following year Aleph Farms was founded in Israel.
To make its cultivated meat products, Aleph Farms uses GM- and antibiotic-free starter cells from a single fertilised Black Angus cow egg and grows them into ‘real meat cuts’ in a controlled, laboratory setting. Aside from these starter cells, there are no animal-derived components in the cultivation process and final Petit Steak product.
The product does not contain cultivated meat only, however. Aleph Farms’ Petit Steak includes a plant protein matrix, which provides a supporting structure for the Angus cells to grow. “This plant protein models the process of cellular growth within a cow, where cells grow along a supporting network of proteins and other compounds,” CEO Didier Toubia recently told FoodNavigator.
“Our matrix is porous, with a lot of surface area and space for oxygen, allowing the cells to mimic the formation of muscle fibres. It also supports cell maturation and their ability to form tissue, contributing to the steaks’ quality texture.”
Is there European appetite for cultivated meat?
While Cellular Agriculture Europe is hopeful regulatory approvals will come down the line, not all in the EU feel the same way. Last year, Italy passed a bill banning the production and marketing of cultivated meat and France is now considering similar restrictions.
Earlier this week, at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AgriFish) Committee Discussion, delegations from Austria, France and Italy proposed that market authorisation decisions in the EU be put on hold until questions related to the ethics, economics, sustainability, social society, public health, and transparency of cultivated meat are answered.
The delegations also queried whether the current novel foods regulation provides a ‘suitable and comprehensive’ frame to assess the potential risks associated with these products.
However other representatives at the AgriFish meeting did not share these views – Dutch and Danish participants, for example, defended cultivated meat’s merits – suggesting there is some Member State appetite for cultivated meat across the bloc.


text:
There have been capacitors that are being used in computer mice, but supercapacitors that hold substantially greater charges than regular capacitors have not been useful beyond the application of bridging brief power interruptions so far.
That may change as researchers at UCLA claim to have found a way to increase their energy density and turn them into a viable alternative for batteries. Those new supercapacitors use electrodes built from graphene, a promising high-tech material that already has shown superior mechanical and electrical properties in the past and apparently revealed "excellent electrochemical attributes under high mechanical stress" in the UCLA research, which is published in the current edition of Science.
The scientists claim that their supercapacitors hold just about as much charge as a regular battery, but come with a feature that could transform the way we use gadgets and other battery driven products, such as electric cars. Richard Kaner, professor of chemistry & materials science and engineering, said that these supercapacitors "be charged and discharged a hundred to a thousand times faster" than batteries. Their study even included an explanation how to effectively produce "high-performance" supercapacitors via a solid-state approach that avoids the restacking of graphene sheets.
That process is based on "coating a DVD disc with a film of graphite oxide that is then laser treated inside a LightScribe DVD drive to produce graphene electrodes," the researchers said.


text:
Textured Jersey net profit hits Rs.1b
Textured Jersey Lanka PLC (TJL) has posted an impressive Rs. 1.02
billion net profit for the year ended March 31, 2013 (FY2012/13), an
increase of 62% year-on-year, as per the latest results released to the
Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).
A combination of a strong order book consisting of major customers
such as Victoria's Secret, Marks and Spencer, Intimissimi and Decathlon,
improved operational efficiencies and strict control of overheads
supported by a strong balance sheet allowed TJL to surpass the Rs. 1
billion milestone in net profit for the year.
Besides this impressive performance, Textured Jersey has also
maintained its generous dividend policy and paid an interim dividend of
Rs. 0.66 per share in March 2013, representing a pay-out of 62% of its
nine month profit ending December 31, 2012. Its share price has
outperformed the ASPI with an increase of 54% during the 12-month period
ending May 6, 2013 and a 13% increase in the ASPI.
For the quarter ended March 31, 2013 (4Q FY2012/13) TJL reported a
profit of Rs. 323 million, a 48% year-on-year increase. However, as per
the release to the CSE by the Chairman of TJL, Bill Lam, although the
company achieved improved efficiencies and a better product mix,
quarterly margins were affected by a rise in cotton prices and the
typical lag in selling price adjustments.
As a result, gross profit for the quarter came in at Rs. 355 million,
a 31% decrease year on year.
According to Lam's statement, during the corresponding quarter last
year, TJL benefited from a sharp drop in cotton prices, which makes the
year-on-year decline during 4Q FY2012/13, more pronounced. However, on
an annual basis, the improved margins during the year resulted in gross
profit for FY2012/13 remaining at Rs. 1.3 billion, a marginal 1.5% below
last year's figure despite revenue for the year being 10.5% lower
compared to last year.
Lam said, "TJL maintained a tight control on overheads, reducing
administrative expenses by 64% and selling and distribution expenses by
12% in 4Q FY2012/13 compared to the same period in the last financial
Despite this, due to the lower quarterly gross profit, TJL's
operating profit for 4Q FY2012/13 was Rs. 288 million, a 21% decrease
year-on-year. The annual operating profit for TJL, however, was 15%
higher than the previous year, reaching Rs. 956 million for FY2012/13.
Lam attributed this to the strict approach taken towards cost control
during the year.
TJL recorded a finance income of Rs. 33 million for the quarter,
compared to a finance expense of Rs. 112 million during the same period
of the last financial year.


text:
After closing its Portland, Oregon manufacturing facility outlet retailer briefly final fall, Nike has determined to shut it completely because of ongoing problems with theft and issues for security. Not a stunning transfer for a enterprise to tug out of a Democrat-run, lawless trash pile like Portland.
“Nike had offered discounted and out-of-season objects on the Northeast neighborhood manufacturing facility retailer since 1984.” OPB reported.
Far-left Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler stated he was “very dissatisfied” Nike completely shuttered its Portland retailer.
“I’m very dissatisfied with the closure of the Nike Neighborhood Retailer on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler stated in a statement. “My workforce and Metropolis Workers have labored tirelessly and in good religion with Nike for nearly a 12 months to supply inventive options to their security challenges.”
Nike has reportedly determined to not re-open its manufacturing facility retailer in Portland, Oregon, which it closed briefly final fall because of “theft and questions of safety.”
The neighborhood’s enterprise group, the Soul District Enterprise Affiliation (SBDA), stated that Nike had confirmed its resolution in a cellphone name with the group’s leaders, the Portland Enterprise Journal reported on Friday.
The SBDA known as the choice “a serious financial blow.”
“This information has landed like a lead balloon in our district,” John Washington, the SDBA’s government director, stated in a information launch. “We had all been holding our breath since final November when the shop quietly shuttered its doorways because of inside and exterior theft and questions of safety. However, like so many people using out the fallout of the pandemic and protests, we held out hope that Nike, metropolis officers and neighborhood leaders would recalibrate and realign order. However it seems to be prefer it’s sport over.”
To not state the plain, however even with the native response being one among disappointment, Portland has been a haven for chaos and violence. It is a metropolis that embraces Antifa, and dysfunction of any form.
Nike did say that they’re contemplating future places for shops which will open up.
Nike provided to rent off-duty cops to assist safe the shop. The plan by no means was put into motion because of a scarcity of cops and workers all partially to a metropolis that after voted to defund the police.


text:
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — New Yorkers aren’t buying a high-tech alternative to the city’s ubiquitous corner stores.
Developers call it a ‘bodega’ but the newfangled idea from the west coast was falling flat on its face on Fulton Street, Wednesday morning.READ MORE: Police ID David Robinson As Suspect In Attempted Subway Robbery That Led To Than Than Htwe's Death
“I like my phone, but I don’t think I wanna deal with a box too,” one woman told 1010 WINS’ Carol D’Auria.
That’s what it would be; a giant box, a giant vending machine like a 5 foot wide computerized pantry that would sell non-perishable items like toilet paper and chips, it would replace your local bodega.READ MORE: Sarah Feinberg Leaving Post As Interim NYC Transit President
Sandra said they can call it a bodega all they want.
“It’s not a bodega. A bodega is community. It’s people coming into community, buying whatever they have to buy, establishing relationships, that’s not a bodega,” she said.MORE NEWS: Violent Robbery Caught On Video In The Bronx
The vending machine’s logo is a cat — the kind you would see in a bodega.


text:
India’s economic recovery has been faster than expected in the second quarter (Q2, July-September) as a pick-up in manufacturing helped the gross domestic product (GDP) witness a lower contraction of 7.5 per cent. Manufacturing clocked a surprise 0.6 per cent growth in Q2 after it had shrunk by 39 per cent in the preceding quarter, according to recent official data.
The GDP had contracted by a record 23.9 per cent in the first quarter of this fiscal, while it saw a growth of 4.4 per cent in the second quarter in the last fiscal.
The agriculture sector grew by 3.4 per cent in Q2, while the trade and services sector showed lower-than-expected contraction at 15.6 per cent. Public spending was down 12 per cent, a news agency reported.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das said last week that the recovery from the coronavirus-induced lockdown has been stronger than expected and the economy could show growth in the fourth quarter.
- Apparel, Fashion & Retail2020.12.16Plastic clothing – we tend to forget
- Fabrics & Processing2020.12.13Importance of textiles in our lives
- Industry And Cluster2020.12.11Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABYR) to start
- News & Insights2020.12.07Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme leads to reopening of online submission


text:
When it comes to unusual cyber security cheerleaders, The Office US’s Dwight Schrute tops the list. In one of the show’s most meme-worthy moments (which is saying something, as a quick Google search reveals an extensive list) Dwight loudly proclaims, during a heated exchange, that
Identity theft is not a joke, Jim! And we at F‑Secure couldn’t agree more.
Unfortunately, identity theft is a problem that’s only getting worse, with Federal Trade Commission data revealing that identity fraud (which is when ID theft results in a crime) increased from 270,000 to 1.4 million cases between 2012 and 2022 in the U.S.
And the results of digital identity theft are no laughing matter, as they can manifest themselves in many negative ways, depending on the severity of each case. These can include:
In F‑Secure’s recent
Living Secure report, which surveyed the views of 7,000 respondents around the world, 57% of people said that they would rather have their car stolen than their identity. Which shows that most people understand the associated threats that accompany identity theft.
However, despite the growing awareness around identity theft, the
Living Secure report also found that 58% of people said that photos were the most important data stored on their device — with only 40% considering their passwords as the most vital thing to protect; this is a concerning statistic, given that most cases of identity theft begin with a data breach.
And, according to previous F‑Secure research, 60% of people had suffered a data breach during a 12-month period, with half of them continuing to use exposed passwords on other accounts — even after they’d received a warning that their accounts were no longer secure.
These results indicate that, whilst being aware of the threats of identity theft, people are still unsure of the steps they need to take to adequately protect themselves. Thankfully, though, there are some simple steps you can take to ensure that your sensitive data is secure online.
Despite stolen credentials being the main way that cyber criminals gain unauthorized access to accounts, brute force attacks — where trial and error is used to try and crack a password — still account for around one-in-10 data breaches, according to Verizon’s annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). And with brute force attacks often reserved for targeted data breaches on high-value targets, where the potential damage is much greater, it’s important to make all passwords as strong as possible.
There are various techniques for creating a strong password, such as picking five completely random words — but that’s a lot more difficult than you might think. So, instead, you can use a free tool like F‑Secure’s strong password generator.
You can have the strongest password in the world, but if the site you’ve trusted with your details is compromised, that password (along with those of every other registered user) can end up in the hands of cyber criminals. In fact, Verizon’s annual DBIR claims that 86% of data breaches happen because of stolen credentials.
Therefore, to minimize your risk of a data breach, you should ensure that your password is not just strong, but unique for every account, using a tool like F‑Secure’s strong password generator to create them.
Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA) works by adding an extra layer of security to online accounts, which goes beyond your username and password, requiring an extra login credential (such as a one-time passcode, sent to your phone via SMS).
So even if someone acquires your username and password, with 2FA enabled, they still need to get through a second layer of security. And with two-factor authentication enabled 99.9% of automated attacks are prevented (according to 2019 research from Microsoft).
Phishing scams are a prominent form of social engineering, designed to trick you into sharing private information, or to convince you to click on links or attachments that subsequently lead to malware or fraudulent sites.
These scams often come in the form of text and a URL, which means attacks can target anywhere you might receive digital communication, such as email, social media messages or SMS. To avoid such threats, ensure that you use a security product with browsing protection and virus scanning.
If you want to go a step further than generating strong and unique passwords, you can use a tool called a password manager, which will also enable you to easily store and access your login credentials.
The beauty of a password manager is that you only need to remember one
master password, and your password manager does all the hard work for you. F‑Secure’s highly-rated ID Protection enables you to generate and manage strong passwords for every online account that you have, with all the data encrypted using TLS/SSL.
Following a data breach, compromised user credentials often circulate on the dark web. Monitoring these data breaches is a useful way to determine if you’ve been a victim of identity theft. And you can use a manual tool such as the F‑Secure identity theft checker to check.
Whilst free tools are good starting point, a more proactive approach is to consider automated 24/7 identity monitoring, such as that available in F‑Secure Total, which continually scans for breaches and notifies you of any that include your details. And if you receive a notification that your details have been exposed in a data breach, it’s vital that you update your details for that account, as well as anywhere you might have used the same login details.
Public Wi‑Fi can be incredibly convenient, but it comes with a number of risks, as cyber criminals often use hotspots (and their vulnerabilities) as a way to harvest confidential information from unsuspecting users.
This can be done via an
evil twin hotspot, where scammers set up a fake access point to mimic your current location (with a name like
AIRPORT WIFI, for example), or via a method known as a man-in-the-middle attack. This is where a hacker exploits the poor security of a legitimate hotspot, uses a technique such as ARP spoofing, and then collects data being shared over the network. In both cases, the websites that you visit, and all unencrypted information that you share can been seen and retrieved via a third-party.
To avoid data breaches whilst on public Wi‑Fi you should avoid sensitive activities such as banking and ecommerce. Also, make sure you set your device to forget previously used Wi‑Fi networks. And — most important of all — use a VPN, which will encrypt your connection end-to-end between your device and the VPN server so your traffic can’t be spied upon.
Discover whether your details have appeared in a data breach using the F‑Secure Identity Theft Checker, which scans and monitors forums on the deep and dark web. It’s completely free and anonymous, with no data being stored.
Discover if your data has been breached.


text:
MILAN -- Fiat SpA will have a new chief financial officer at the start of next year, the latest management shake-up as the Italian auto-and-industrial group tries to pull through its worst financial crisis.
The company said Luigi Gubitosi will succeed finance chief Ferruccio Luppi, who will become chief executive of the company's business-solutions division.
Walmart 4th of July Rollbacks - Best deals on top picks
- Best Buy:
Save 15% or more on the Best Buy deal of the Day
Up to 15% off + free shipping at Wayfair
- The Home Depot:
Home Depot Daily Deal: $130 off cordless 6-tool combo kit
Nike Independence Day Savings: Up to 60% off hot summer gear
- Dick's Sporting Goods:
10% off sitewide - Dick's Sporting Goods coupons


text:
Microsoft’s annual developer conference, Build 2023, came and went. The company made a ton of announcements, mostly affirming its commitment to enhancing the user experience across its products and services as well as the incorporation of generative AI. You can catch up on everything that was announced via the Build 2023 tag on our website, be sure to also check out our recap on the same.
Alongside the host of announcements made during the event, Microsoft also announced a nifty shipping to Windows 11 users later this year that will finally let them disable the Microsoft News feed (MSN) on Windows 11’s Widget Board.
If you’ve interacted with the Widget Board on your Windows PC, then you must be aware of the current layout. The current Widget Board layout features news posts as well as videos pulled from the MSN feed.
— Chris (@lindhartsen) May 25, 2023
But as per the announcement made during the Build 2023 event, Windows 11 users will soon have the option to curate a unique experience in the Widgets Board, one that only features widgets. Previously, we had reported on major changes and improvements that Microsoft was planning to ship to widgets on Windows 11.
This is a step in the right direction for Microsoft as users will now be able to disable the MSN feed from their Widgets Board completely. It should be noted that users can already hide stories and videos that they don’t like, but this new addition will completely block them out from the Widgets Board.
What’s more, Microsoft just shipped the Moment 3 feature drop to Windows 11 users as an optional update. It’s expected to roll out to everyone next month via the Patch Tuesday update.
And aside from the capability to have a Widgets Board layout that’s free of the MSN feed, Microsoft also announced that users will be able to change the orientation of the widgets and arrange them based on their own preferences vertically. Additionally, Microsoft will also be enhancing the pinning experience for widgets such that it will now be easier for users to pin installed widgets on the board.
via Windows Central


text:
02 June 2020
Author: Rachel Wakefield
Webinar, UK: Pent up frustration with social isolation, no holidays abroad this year, time off work furloughed, unseasonal hot weather, a new interest in the garden! It seems the British do not like to complain, but they do like to queue. So, when lockdown began to ease, with the opening of garden centres on 13 May, the queues were literally around the block.
In a webinar, hosted by Trevor Pfieffer of Garden Trade News, its guests Boyd Douglas-Davies, Mike Burks, Adam Wigglesworth and Will Blake could not have been any happier with the results of the first week of trading.
First to air their opinion of lockdown, was Will Blake of St Peters Garden Centre in The Midlands. During prohibition, he had received a £30,000 legal bill from Worcestershire council for selling more than just essential ‘pet food’. He did not regret a thing and proclaimed his frustration at the flimsy interpretation of essential and non-essential shops. “It was incredibly, stressful, to see the big guys like Wilco and B&Q trading and we were not allowed to.”
Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, in the South of England, and chairman of the Garden Centre Association (GCA), offered a more cautionary note. “We continued trading, taking telephone orders. It was an expensive way of doing business, but the demand was there.” Burks explains the logistical juggling between his three centres, in Sherborne, Yeovil and Poundbury with just four vans and a small team were not always easy, along with the social distancing measures.
Upon ‘opening’ garden centres had to struggle with a different kind of stress. Adam Wigglesworth describes the queues to Aylett Nurseries, in St Albans, on 13 May, as being more than 175 people waiting before 8am. “It was nerve-wracking. We had not seen customers for more than nine weeks, and we had to change the way they were used to shopping. I needed to make every 1,000 square foot of the centre feel safe for them and my staff. We colour-coded the trollies and only let 100 customers in at a time to shop, not to browse.”
Boyd Douglas-Davies, director of British Garden Centres and president of HTA, agrees the training and preparation for the staff were vital. He added, although customers were respectful of the “shop and go” and “one-way systems” the trolleys were fully laden with stock, “some of our smaller sites continually had to rearrange and restock the bedding and vegetable sections.”
Blake agrees, “The average transaction value in the first week was double than normal compared to last year. Although, we have only really clawed back a 10% loss between the 23 March and 12 May.”
Garden Trade News asks: “Will supply match demand in the next few weeks?”
In response, Douglas-Davies says, at this moment in time, people want ‘lovely plants’, they are not after a specific selection.
Burks adds: “Normal seasonal offerings do not apply. Anything looking healthy, tall, strong or blooming, will sell for beddings or hanging baskets.”
This flexibility is good news for garden centres but not for nurseries, and Douglas-Davies is quick to point out that there is a need for retailers to recognise and support growers. “They have lost their spring season. We must be sensitive to the challenges they are facing. So, do not hassle for discount. In some cases, we have been supporting growers by collecting directly from their nurseries.”
Burks agrees, “Yes, we are taking deliveries at times of days that suit the nurseries rather than dictating the terms. We are even accepting plants without labels or bar codes, and just processing at the tills.”
The guests agreed that this is an extreme time, and the industry should be supportive and looking to make a recovery together in the middle of the summer season. The feeling was to keep gardening positively for people, new and old to gardening. But more importantly, come together and strengthen relationships between growers and garden centres.


text:
A much awaited event among ‘revolutionaries” is the well-attended exclusive $CapoCoin Launch Party, a Virtual Meet & Greet with Hip-Hop legend and Blockchain pioneer Jim Jones, of the Quarantine Studios fame, throwing in his lot with ZapLife really swings the party.
This exciting experience was livestreamed on the ZapLife app on Tuesday, March 2 at 8PM EST. The guests received up to 45,000 $CapoCoin depending on the ticket they purchased–Gold, Platinum, or Diamond. The Diamond ticket holders also received a Jim Jones NFT. There’s so much maturity in him, with all this new music and the confidence in blockchain.
An upcoming artist who attended the event, known as @212mal on Instagram, won a one-of-a-kind, limited edition NFT of Jim Jones’ VampLife chain. The winner went on to resell the NFT for 2.755 ETH (over $5,000 at the time of purchase) on Rarible. NFTs have their challenges, their application in proving ownership for both digital and real-world assets is indispensable, as Jim Jones endorsed with his NFT.
What are NFTs?
The growth of the digital art space due to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is unprecedented. According to Ben Gentili, the digital artist whose work Block 21 sold for more than $130,000 back in 2020, “non-fungible tokens have created a paradigm shift in the art world with power returning to the hands of the artist” as in the Renaissance Period.
NFTs and its Smart contract possess unique attributes like owner identity, accurate location of the artwork, web links, etc., which can be embedded in the work of art. Beyond this, Defi platforms and apps such as Rarible, Zora, Nifty Gateway, Foundation, and SuperRare have also emerged. All these platforms enable creatives of any kind, including digital artists, to monetize their creations.
Cryptokitties is a game on the Ethereum network in which players buy, sell, and breed cats represented by unique tokens created by a smart contract. People became aware of NFTs and many were impressed by its potential; however, this was short-lived. In late 2020, however, the crypto subsector began to re-emerge, and today, multimillion sales are being made out of non-fungible tokens.
Are NFTs the future of collectibles?
Some crypto enthusiasts believe that the non-fungible token is the future of collectibles. NFTs can expand the digital resource economy, giving users the means to prove their ownership of goods. NonFungible.com revealed that all NFT transactions’ total value increased from $62 million in 2019 to $250 million in 2020. The total number of active wallets transacting NFTs grew from about 112,000 in 2019 to 222,000 in 2020.
NFTs grew by a staggering 97% in one year, the number of sellers grew by 66%, while buyers increased by 24% within the same period. In 2020, the number of active wallet users increased exponentially, making enthusiasts believe there will be higher growth in 2021 and they were not wrong. Prominent investors like Mark Cuban and Chamath Palihapitiya are all bullish on the development of the NFT market.
A recent event makes almost everyone wide-eyed:
Celebrity status, blockchain inalterability, and the allure of digital assets in the form of NFT tokens merged into one as U.S hip-hop artist, Soulja Boy auctioned some of his tweets off for a few thousand dollars. It started at exactly 5 PM on the 7th of March, when the popular rapper sent a tweet asking his followers: how do I sell my tweets?
A few moments later, the same tweet was autographed and sold at crypto tweets marketplace, Vincent, for about $1,288, equivalent to 0.07475 ETH. The transaction can be confirmed on the Ethereum blockchain, showing how the exchange took place. This is nothing compared to the Jim Jones feat on March 2 of 2.755 ETH on Rarible.
Jim Jones started it all
On October 15, 2020, Jim Jones earned himself a spot in blockchain’s history as the first rapper to sell an NFT, which went for about 2.57 ETH–over $4,500 at today’s value. Crypto assets are well established, and the NFT market logically represents the next phase of blockchain. If people can invest their money in blockchain on crypto assets, they can also do the same with other goods. Jim Jones has set the example for other performers to cash in on NFTs by selling their own NFTs.
Jim Jones is hosting another Virtual Meet & Greet on the ZapLife app on Tuesday, March 23, at 8 PM EST. Like the last event, guests will receive up to 95,000 $CapoCoin and a Jim Jones NFT. Further, one person will walk away with a one-of-a-kind, limited edition NFT. Jim Jones shared on one of his most recent posts promoting the event that anyone interested in attending the exclusive Virtual Meet & Greet should send a direct message to @ZapTheory on Instagram. The partnership between Jim Jones and ZapTheory blew the crypto revolution to the rafters as he helped pave the way for the other artists and their communities to create new streams of revenue and join the technological revolution!