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In 2019, blockchain will proceed to be deployed in new methods – and in sectors not at all times related to the adoption of recent know-how. Santander estimates the blockchain may save the banking trade $20 billion by 2022.
Demand for blockchain abilities within the freelance job market has grown by 6,000 per cent up to now yr. In each private and non-private sectors, blockchain is starting to bear fruit within the type of higher safety, sensible contracts and simpler logistics administration. Within the coming yr, the artwork market will be a part of the celebration, deploying blockchain in revolutionary methods.
A decentralised and distributed digital ledger has clear functions for purchasing and promoting of artwork, an trade price $63.7bn in 2017. Blockchain’s cryptography will preserve on-line transactions safe. Clear buying and selling histories will velocity transactions and assist show possession, demonstrating vendor has the suitable to commerce. And by permitting extra buying and selling to happen digitally, blockchain will open up the artwork market to a wider vary of individuals.
At current, proving a bit’s provenance depends too closely on belief, on outdated, paper-based techniques and on single, authoritative our bodies. As such, artwork fraud stays a significant difficulty. A minimum of half of the works examined by the High-quality Artwork Consultants Institute in Geneva are pretend or have been attributed to the mistaken artist.
In 2019, blockchain will play an necessary position in countering this – providing a everlasting file of a bit’s historical past from preliminary authentication to current possession. London-based startup Verisart, which creates blockchain-based digital certificates for artworks and collectables, is already working with up to date artists to create a safe provenance for a bit of artwork from the second of its creation. New York-based Artory and Bidpoc, based mostly in Shanghai, are doing the identical. Count on this to develop into normal follow for brand new artworks as they enter the market.
Older items will have to be verified as real by a specialist or the artist’s property earlier than being linked to blockchain certificates. This will probably be a slower course of, however anticipate uptake to extend as patrons and sellers recognize the ensures such certification presents.
What’s the blockchain? WIRED explains
For digital artwork, in fact, the chance is rapid. As a result of ease of replicating these works, attributing them inside the blockchain from the offset maintains their shortage. Ascribe, based in Berlin in 2014, is one in all a lot of startups that use blockchain to allow digital artists to take care of management over the place and the way their work is seen, copied and distributed. It additionally offers a platform for digital artists to license their work and obtain royalties for reuse.
Blockchain may also change the way in which collectors personal artwork and use the artwork they personal. A 2018 report printed by the Oxford Web Institute, the Alan Turing Institute and DACS, which campaigns for visible artists’ royalty and possession rights, argues that blockchain may permit extra artwork to be owned collectively by a lot of individuals, or for use as collateral towards loans.
Some banks do lend cash to collectors towards the worth of the artworks they personal, however they’re typically hesitant to take action because the illiquidity of the artwork market (the relative infrequency that artworks come to market) signifies that estimating a bit’s worth is difficult. What’s extra, there’s no assure that the financial institution will discover a purchaser for the art work if the creditor is unable to repay the mortgage. Blockchain will handle this by making the market extra liquid.
Blockchain is now being explored throughout the artwork world. Verisart is working with New York-based ArtSystems, which provides software program to galleries, and utilises a blockchain-based certificates that galleries can use to catalogue the gadgets of their collections.
In July, London-based Vastari, a museums consultancy, collectively ran a blockchain-focused Artwork + Tech Summit with Christie’s. And in 2018, the world’s first cryptocurrency artwork public sale occurred – utilizing the Maecenas platform, patrons had been supplied the possibility to personal a fraction of Andy Warhol’s 14 Small Electrical Chairs, valued at £four.2m.
At current, simply 5 per cent of the $500bn blockchain trade is focussed on the artwork market. However that can change in 2019 as blockchain will increase the velocity, transparency and quantity of artwork gross sales globally – and, most significantly of all, democratises the sector in order that all of us, artists, collectors and viewers, can profit from its riches.
Ed Vaizey is a member of the UK parliament and served from 2010 to 2016 as minister for tradition, communications and artistic industries
Extra from The WIRED World 2019
– Meet the businesses fixing despair by stimulating neurons
– An e-bike revolution is about to upend city transport
– How firms will use AI deal with office harassment
– The blockchain wants defending from quantum hackers
Get the better of WIRED in your inbox each Saturday with the WIRED Weekender e-newsletter


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After being fined 10 times by a Dutch watchdog group, Apple is still under fire for its actions over the App Store’s policies on dating apps, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM ) claiming that they are “insufficient”. The ACM says it will take up to several weeks to see what action it takes next.
The journalist Nando Castle shared on his Twitter this update on the case of Apple because the ACM could prepare another sanction for the Cupertino company:
The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) concludes that the changes made by Apple on March 30 to the conditions of dating apps in the Netherlands are insufficient. Apple always uses unreasonable terms for dating app providers in the Netherlands. This is evident from our own research, expert advice and consultations with market players.
That said, the Dutch watchdog says it “sees an improvement in Apple’s proposal, but it is not sufficient to comply with European and Dutch regulations.”
For 10 weeks, Apple was fined approximately $5 million, but the ACM believes that “the penalty did not have the desired result”, which is why “ACM is preparing a new order under penalty of penalty” which could take several weeks until a new announcement.
On March 30, Apple began accepting requests from reader app developers to allow the use of external links for customers to register and manage their accounts outside of the App Store. Meanwhile, Apple has also changed its policy on dating apps in the Netherlands after coming under fire from Dutch regulators.
Regarding Apple’s changes to its dating app policies imposed by regulators, Dutch developers can now:
1) continue to use Apple’s in-app purchase system, 2) use a third-party in-app payment system, or 3) include an in-app link directing users to the developer’s website to complete a purchase.
Changes also include:
- Removed separate binary requirement: Apple is eliminating the requirement that developers of dating apps in the Netherlands who choose to use the above rights must create and use a separate binary.
- Payment service provider criteria: Apple provides updated and more specific criteria for evaluating non-Apple payment service providers that dating app developers in the Netherlands can use.
- Consumer Disclosures: Apps that use either right should include an in-app modal sheet that explains to users that they will be making purchases through an external payment system, and the potential impact that choice might have on the user.
Now we have to wait and see what the Dutch watchdog’s new penalties will be. 9to5Mac will report back when we know more about this case.
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I warned readers back in April of last year about the threat of thieves using your own key fob to start your car and drive away with it. The threat is getting worse as thieves are taking notice of key fob technologies. USA Today supplies an interesting and convenient tip on how to keep your car safe, especially when traveling out of town. Phoebe Wall Howard reports:
Given that the best way to store your car keys at night is by putting them in a coffee can, what’s an ex-FBI agent’s advice to protect cars from theft during the day?
Wrap car fobs in aluminum foil.
“Although it’s not ideal, it is the most inexpensive way,” said Holly Hubert, a cybersecurity expert who retired in 2017 from the FBI in Buffalo, New York. “The cyber threat is so dynamic and ever changing, it’s hard for consumers to keep up.”
Now, as CEO of GlobalSecurityIQ, she suggests clients go online and spend a few dollars and buy what’s called a Faraday bag to shield the fob signal from potential theft. Imagine a traditional sandwich bag made of foil instead of plastic.
Thing is, the car is always waiting for the fob signal. Thieves can buy legitimate devices that amplify the fob signal sitting unprotected in a purse, a pocket, on a counter at home or even just copy the code to access the vehicle.
Read more here.
Originally posted on Yoursurvivalguy.com.


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Andreas Wiseman/ Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Thunderbird Releasing has picked up UK rights to fashion bio-doc The Gospel According To André from Magnolia Pictures.
The deal was negotiated by Edward Fletcher, Managing Director of Thunderbird Releasing, and Lorna Lee Torres, Head of International Sales at Magnolia Pictures.
Directed by Kate Novack, the Toronto 2017 doc explores the life and career of fashion journalist André Leon Talley, from his childhood in the segregated South to barrier-breaking work at Women’s Wear Daily, W and Vogue. The film blends archival footage with Talley’s own reflections, and features commentary from fashion-world luminaries including Anna Wintour, Marc Jacobs and Tom Ford.
The film topped specialty newcomers last weekend on its U.S. bow, drawing an $11k per-screen average in LA and New York.
Fletcher commented, “It’s great to be partnering again with our friends at Magnolia on another stellar documentary. André Leon Talley has a remarkable story to tell which will connect widely with UK audiences, and we look forward to releasing in the autumn.” Torres added that Magnolia were “delighted that this essential fashion documentary found such a great home in the UK with Thunderbird’s team.”
The acquisition adds to a busy slate for indie Thunderbird, who also recently picked up three Cannes competition titles: Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, acclaimed South Korean drama Burning, and Christophe Honore’s romance, Sorry, Angel. Upcoming releases include The Heiresses, The Kindergarten Teacher and Vita & Virginia. Recent releases include Sweet Country, Toni Erdmann and A Man Called Ove.


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24hr Junk aims to educate on food waste
Sixty-three per cent of the food Canadians throw away could have been eaten. Not knowing how to use up leftovers or less than perfect foods are leading reasons for food waste in Canadian households – but now Canadians can find simple, intuitive tips to store, prepare, and creatively use up commonly wasted food items and keep them out of the compost or garbage. The new Love Food Hate Waste Canada campaign, “5 Ways With”, aims to help Canadians rethink avoidable food waste from bread crusts and broccoli stalks to bruised apples and spouted potatoes. “Food waste is a global, but solvable problem and the good news is, we know that Canadians are more motivated than ever to reduce their food waste,” shared Jack Froese, Chair of the National Zero Waste Council.


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By Jennifer Crossley Howard
Tucked away in the corner of one of Alabama’s oldest towns is 1818 Farms, where calendula, zinnia, coneflower and more seem to glow neon against heavy clouds.
Owner and founder Natasha McCrary cracked open a white bachelor’s button revealing an intricate seed.
“It looks like a tiny little skeleton,” she says.
McCrary walked quickly between tall rows of annuals and perennials, mucking about in bee-printed rubber boots and green overalls. She was intent on beating the heat on a recent summer morning. She and another employee had finished fertilizing and were watering the flowers before getting ready to harvest them for bouquets. The farm delivers 50 to 100 bouquets a week as part of its seasonal subscriptions. The menu of blooms requires careful planning to have enough flowers without letting them go to waste.
“In this job, speed is important,” she says.
McCrary began 1818 Farms in 2013, mixing an all-natural shea butter cream. Since then, more than 300,000 jars have been sold in stores and online in several scents, including her preferred lavender. Coffee, cuticle cream, milk tea bath and the most visual product, the flower farm, have expanded. Many bath and body ingredients are grown in Mooresville, tended to by McCrary and another employee, Cindy, while products are processed at a warehouse in downtown Huntsville.
At least 500 stores carry 1818 Farms products, including local shops such as The Cupboard in Decatur and U.G. White Hardware & Furniture in Athens. The website, 1818farms.com, features the many retail products for sale, the farm’s history and information on retailers that carry the 1818 Farms line.
1818 Farms is a working farm, not open for drop-in tours or for many events.
“If you’re doing the work, it’s hard to do both,” McCrary says. “If everything is planted, we’re tending to 13,000 flowers at a time.”
Judging from the demand 1818’s bouquets and workshops have garnered over the pandemic, it seems people crave the simple and earthy beauty of flowers. A dried flower workshop this summer sold out even before an announcement made it online. Another is planned for fall.
The work is in McCrary’s blood. The farm began as a way to teach her children about land and sustainability, something she learned from her father, a botanist. McCrary’s husband, Laurence, who has a financial background, runs that side of things, while their high school and college-age children assist with chores and hosting guests at events such as bloom strolls. Their children are fifth-generation Mooresvillians; Laurence McCrary’s ancestors date back to the 1800s.
The flora in and around the farm range from native — oak leaf hydrangea and drooping canopies of magnolia — to more atypical fauna such as Southdown Baby Doll Sheep, whose pictures frequent the farm’s Instagram page and is the farm’s marketing mascot.
The company has reported an average 70 percent year over year growth for the past five years, and though the COVID-19 pandemic has ended many a small business, it was actually a boon for 1818 Farms. Home delivery bouquet subscriptions picked up during quarantine, and bath and beauty products have long been the business’s biggest money makers. With restrictions lifting, the antique ice-blue 1965 Ford F100 flower truck will soon start popping up to sell flowers again.
McCrary is proud of the farm’s growth of species of flowers famous for not flourishing in the Deep South’s stout heat, like poppies and digitalis, also known as foxglove. The trick? Start seeds early and harvest blooms before the true heat sets in.
Most days on the farm average nine hours, and McCrary, who is 50, wonders how that will feel in later years.
“I don’t think people realize how physical this is,” she says. “Nothing’s mechanized. Everything we do is done by hand.”
Still the gratification of working outdoors outweighs the aches and pains.
“For me, satisfying is seeing what you can grow from that tiny seed,” McCrary says.


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EV makers were asked to voluntarily recall the entire batch if a vehicle from the batch was involved in a fire instance
The transport ministry also pointed out that under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, the government could force recalls
The ministry asked the EV makers to educate customers about charging safety and how to prevent fire incidents as well
The Union Transport Ministry has asked all of the two-wheeler EV manufacturers to not launch new models till the investigation into the multiple instances of EVs catching fire is going on.
The ministry communicated the same to the manufacturers at a meeting on Monday to discuss the e-scooter fires that have been reported across the country.
An official aware of the developments told ET, “Two-wheeler EV makers have also been verbally dissuaded from launching new vehicles until clarity about the cause of fires and steps required to stop them have been firmed up.”
Electric two-wheeler makers were also asked to voluntarily recall the entire batch of the vehicles if one vehicle from the batch was involved in a fire incident. According to the official cited above, most of the OEMs have already started this process.
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At the same time, the ministry also reiterated the recall instructions and reminded the EV makers of the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act. It is prudent to note that under the said provisions, the government has the power to force the said recalls if the EV makers fail to comply.
The ministry has also cautioned the OEMs who haven’t had any vehicles involved in the said fire instances and have been asked to take corrective measures on the sold vehicles.
Further, the ministry asked the EV makers to educate customers about charging safety and how to prevent fire incidents.
It has been widely thought that the instances of EVs catching fire are because of the Lithium-ion batteries overheating. However, that is not the only reason for the same.
Last week, the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had asked electric vehicle makers to recall faulty two-wheelers after a series of fire incidents were reported throughout the country.
In a series of tweets, Gadkari warned EV manufacturers, saying, “If any (EV) company is found negligent in their processes, a heavy penalty will be imposed and a recall of all defective vehicles will also be ordered.”
“Based on the reports, we will issue necessary orders on the defaulting companies. We will soon issue quality-centric guidelines for Electric Vehicles,” he said.
Weeks back, NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant called on the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to voluntarily recall the batches of EVs involved in recent accidents.
Ola Electric recalled a few batches of its e-scooters as well besides Okinawa and PureEV. The decision was reportedly taken based on recommendations from investigators looking at the recent fire incidents involving its EVs.
What’s more, there have been multiple incidents of scooter malfunction that have led to injuries to the riders.
“In view of the recent fire incidents involving our vehicles in Nizamabad and Chennai, PURE EV has decided to recall 2000 vehicles from the models ETRANCE+ and EPLUTO 7G of the concerned batches,” the EV manufacturer said in a statement.
The government of India might soon come out with structured protocols for EV batteries, following the recent fire mishappenings.


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EXCLUSIVE:Distributor Moves To Direct Sell & Retailers “Love It”
Melbourne based distributor Interdyn is rolling out a direct sell model that benefits both Interdyn and retailers who sell their Pro-Ject turntables via a new click and collect model that earn retailers hefty percentages of the sale price.
The Company who has dusted off the www.projectaudio.com.au web site is now loading it up with a range of new turntables including the popular Pro-Ject Juke Box E system which is being sold by JB Hi Fi.
Retailers that ChannelNews have spoken to like the idea as “It brings customers into stores” said Sydney based Len Wallis.
It also means that retailers can collect the names and contact details of consumers buying a Pro-Ject turntable.
In a letter to dealers Sam Encel a director at Interdyn said “For several years now, this website has been a great resource for customers doing their research on turntables and finding retail partners to visit. The store locator has been one of our most-visited pages apart from the homepage.
In the past we’ve had Box Design products and accessories available to purchase at retail price from the website. As of this week you’ll also see a selection of entry-level turntables in this mix, which may also include end-of-line or overstock items where specialists have not shown demand.
He went on to spell out the new ‘Click and Collect’ service.
“For non-runout items that a customer can purchase from the Pro-Ject website, they now have the option of collecting their choice of product from a local dealer” he said.
Consumers who visit the site will automatically be presented with a list of their three closest stores based on the nominated postcode.
Interdyn will handle collection of the payment from the customer, and then pay retailers commission direct into their Interdyn account.
Encel told ChannelNews “There are no additional stock-hold or eligibility requirements with Interdyn shipping the goods directly to the store after the order has been placed”.
One Melbourne based retailer said “I love the concept; we are close to a railway station and consumers will be able to pick up from us and we make good margin for doing nothing other than fulfilling an order. This could be the future for some retailers as it reduces the level of stock we have to carry”.
Encel concluded “I’m hoping that this will prove to be a new stream of customers, many of which will not have purchased anything from the brand at all if the option didn’t exist. Once you have these customers in store, it’ll be a great opportunity for you to build an ongoing personal relationship with them”.


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Announcement of the Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix’s new WeChat Pay and Alipay offering is a major milestone in their plan to becoming a bucket list Melbourne experience for Chinese visitors and residents.
The international major event is moving into phase two of its China Engagement Strategy which builds on the success of the Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2018 which saw the development of a Mini-App, which sat inside WeChat to deepen the engagement with the Chinese audiences.
The mobile optimised WeChat Mini-App will be upgraded for the Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2019 to feature a GPS enabled interactive map to support wayfinding for Chinese spectators. The establishment of the Formula 1® Mini-App was a first for any Australian major event. It was used 3,300 times during the four-day event with users spending an average of 5.18 minutes within it.
In 2019, Chinese audiences will be delighted to see the instigation of Chinese payment platforms to allow for smoother ticketing via more familiar platforms – namely WeChat Pay and Alipay. The general public will be able to purchase tickets to the event via both Chinese payment platforms either at the gate or at a dedicated ticket booth at Federation Square which will be open in the lead up to the event in March 2019.
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation engaged Bastion Collective’s Chinese marketing agency, Bastion China, to build an official WeChat channel for them in 2018. They have reengaged the agency to roll out phase two of its Chinese engagement strategy in 2019.
The 2019 Mini-App upgrade will allow Chinese spectators to view daily event listings, create a favourite menu to build a list of attractions and events to see and do prior to arriving at the Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix, view detailed information on all activities, locations and an interactive map that can be filtered by attraction or service (such as toilets or ATMs).
In addition to upgrading the Mini-App and incorporating Chinese payment platforms, Bastion China are also supporting the Australian Grand Prix Corporation by developing bespoke on-course experiences tailored to the Chinese market.
General Manager at Bastion China, Doris Li, said: “It is becoming increasingly important for traditional and iconic Australian events to provide a tailored approach for the Chinese market on Australian soil. With the Formula One Australian Grand Prix instigating Chinese payment platforms into their 2019 offering, as well as improving the functionality of their WeChat mini-app, they are certainly leaders in the major events space”
WeChat is the key channel to reach Chinese with 1 billion monthly active users globally and 3 million active monthly users in Australia.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation General Manager – Sales Commercial and Marketing, Corina Black, says: “The Formula One Australian Grand Prix is an intrinsic part of this great city. We are keen to innovate by enhancing our WeChat channel and interactive Mini-App, providing Chinese payment options and bespoke on-course experiences to attract and engage new audiences from our growing and diverse local Chinese communities”.


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After a host of recent launches, we showcase the best new drivers for 2017
TaylorMade P790 and P730 Irons Launched TaylorMade has expanded its P700-series iron line-up with the addition of the P790 and P730 irons, a forged players distance iron and forged blade…
What did we make of TaylorMade's exciting new iron offering?
Everything you need to know about the new Cleveland CBX wedge
We test Mizuno's hotly anticipated MP line using our GC2 launch monitor
We tested the Mizuno MP-18 irons on our GC2 launch monitor
This new range is said to offer affordable performance to the avid golfer
More greenside control and less driver spin for more distance - what's not to like?
Shot tracking device now also offers GPS distances
Black FootJoy HyperFlex II Shoe Unveiled In celebration of Jimmy Walker’s 2016 PGA Championship win, FootJoy has released of a Limited Edition run of Jimmy Walker Black HyperFlex II golf…
Slower swing speeds look set to benefit from this exciting new range
The wait for these stunning-looking irons is finally over
Big Max Terrain Electric Trolley Revealed Big Max, the most owned push trolley brand in Europe, is adding to its electric trolley range with the launch of a new model…
We take a look at the clubs inside the bag of Open runner-up Matt Kuchar
The Ecco Casual Hybrid is now available with a fornello leather upper
FJ has fittingly launched its new Autumn/Winter apparel during the 2017 Open Championship
What new gear will the players be using at Royal Birkdale?
Odyssey has revealed red versions of its popular O-Works putter range
Best Laser Rangefinders of 2017 including Bushnell, Nikon and GolfBuddy
We compare two of the best low-handicap irons of 2017


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Goodgame Studios Press Section
Latest press releases
Goodgame Studios is collaborating with Amazon Prime to provide free content for Prime members in Goodgame’s Big Farm: Mobile Harvest.
Goodgame Studios, developer and provider of gaming software on a global level, will join game – Association of the German games industry with immediate effect, becoming part of the strongest interest group in the games industry worldwide.
Goodgame Studios’ beloved farm simulation game BIG FARM: Mobile Harvest will help players plant 10,000 trees in the Amazon rainforest to help tackle deforestation after the recent wildfires. This initiative is part of Goodgame’s ongoing commitment to the environment and the fifth and largest charity event to be funded through player engagement within BIG FARM: Mobile Harvest. Previous events have helped support the cleaning of the Ocean through collaboration with non-profit organisation Healthy Seas, and a ‘Save the Bees’ event in partnership with the Deutsche Wildtier Stiftung.


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The UK must get behind the Trade Secretary’s plan to reduce free trade barriers, launched today, or prepare itself for the worst – says Department for International Trade Advisory Group member, Merseyside businessman Dr Maurizio Bragagni.
Today’s report offers new thinking around the United Kingdom’s trade policy, spelling out the case for free trade, its benefits for the economy, Britain’s potential and recommendations for an export-led, fair and sustainable recovery.
In her foreword the Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade, described free and fair trade and the global trading system which supports it as ‘under attack both at home and abroad.’
Dr Bragagni, who heads a Knowsley-based global cable manufacturing business, Tratos, and is Hon Consul for San Marino, supported Ms Truss’ view that ‘championing free and fair trade, rooted in our values of sovereignty, democracy, the rule of law and a fierce commitment to high standards’ was one of the highest priorities for the UK.
Dr Bragagni, who is working alongside Ms Truss, together with other hand-picked advisors from industry, added: “Standards will be very important strategically as we tackle one of the country’s biggest challenges. We need to have common, high regulatory standards that are accepted worldwide and are interchangeable. We need to reduce as many barriers to free trade as we can and replace duty on goods with simpler, smarter alternatives that actively promote sustainability and support a circular economy. I have made no secret of my own support for a new-world taxation system that links levels of duty paid to the CO2 levels generated by emissions-heavy and short-lifespan products where longer lasting and cleaner alternatives exist.
“The Trade Secretary has done a great job, this report throws down a challenge around the principle of free trade and what we can achieve as we work to transform the country into a new economic powerhouse.”
He added that he hoped to see the UK move toward a world-leading cryptocurrency exchange to maintain its position as one of the globe’s 21st century financial pioneers.
Dr Maurizio Bragagni is an author, diplomat, manufacturing innovation champion, philanthropist and academic. An Italian-born British citizen he has a doctorate in Law from the University of Pisa, an MBA in business administration from the London Business School (formerly Cass) where he is an Hon Senior Visiting Fellow. and an hon PHD from the University of Bolton. He holds the Institute of Directors’ Certificate and Diploma and is a Freeman of the City of London. He was appointed as an advisor to the Department for International Trade last year.


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Whatever your opinion of Brexit, the UK has already left the EU, with transition arrangements due to end later this year. The impact of Brexit on life in the UK will be far reaching, with British business, economy and finance all noticing changes. Another group who will notice changes in 2021 due to Brexit are British motorists. But what exactly will the effects of Brexit on motorists be? How will driving alter after Brexit and what changes should you be prepared for in 2021?
Driving abroad after Brexit
If the UK ends the transition arrangements with no deal, there will be changes for UK motorists who want to drive their cars abroad. From 1 January 2021, British motorists will need to apply for a Green Card to be able to drive their vehicle abroad. A Green Card proves that the motorist has a minimum level of insurance cover for third party damage and personal injury whilst abroad. Without a Green Card, drivers could be denied entry at the country borders, receive a fine for being uninsured and even have their vehicle seized. Currently, Brits are able to drive their cars in Europe without a Green Card. However, this will change if the UK leaves the EU without a deal being made. If you’re towing a trailer or a caravan, you’ll need an additional Green Card to prove that you have the additional insurance required. Many insurance providers are happy to provide a Green Card free of charge or for a small fee. However, you should allow at least a week to apply for a Green Card if you’re planning to drive in the EU after 31 December 2021. Your Green Card will then last up to 90 days from the date of issue.
The impact of Brexit on fuel prices
Many British motorists are concerned about the impact of Brexit on UK fuel prices. Over the past eight years, petrol prices have fallen from a high of 140p per litre in September 2012 down to their current average of 114p per litre in November 2020. Motorists will be concerned that Brexit may cause fuel prices to begin to rise once more. Thankfully, most of the world’s leading oil-producing countries fall outside the UK, so are unlikely to be impacted by Brexit. Oil prices across the globe are currently low, meaning that even a fluctuation in the value of the pound only has a minor impact on the price of fuel. As long as the price of oil stays low, there is unlikely to be a large shift in the price of fuel. Ultimately, we can never know what the future holds but consumers are currently in a great position when it comes to fuel prices and shouldn’t worry about the impact of Brexit on the cost of fuel.
How will Brexit impact new car prices?
If the UK can’t strike a trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020, the World Trade Organisations (WTO) tariffs of 10% will apply to all cars imported into the UK. This rise would see the Ford Fiesta rise by over £1,000 whilst a Volkswagen Golf would increase in price by almost £1,400. Vauxhall, Ford, Peugeot and Mercedes-Benz have confirmed that their prices will rise if a no-deal Brexit goes ahead. Many other manufacturers have said that they will need to review their prices going forwards to account for the new import tariffs.
Will Brexit have an impact on car insurance premiums?
Car insurance premiums are rising year on year, with Confused.com suggesting that premiums are rising by an average of 5% each year. But how will Brexit impact car insurance premiums? Will the rise in car insurance prices become more dramatic in the event of a no-deal Brexit? Luckily for UK motorists, Brexit is unlikely to impact car insurance premiums. The fundamental principles which car insurance is based on will be unaffected by Brexit, meaning that car insurance will not change. However, there could be an impact by insurance companies no longer needing to follow EU regulations. For example, EU regulations forced car insurance companies to treat both male and female drivers equally when it comes to the cost of car insurance. This means that female drivers, who are typically safer drivers, had their car insurance premiums raised to be equal to male’s premiums. If the UK government decide to remove this regulation, the cost of car insurance could drop for female drivers.
To sum up
If no deal is reached between the UK and the EU by the end of 2020, Brexit could have costly consequences for UK motorists. These include increasing costs of purchasing a new car and the requirement of a Green Card to drive in Europe. Thankfully Brexit is unlikely to have an impact on fuel prices or car insurance premiums. This means that motorists can feel secure in the knowledge that the day-to-day running costs of their car are unlikely to alter due to a no-deal Brexit. If you’re considering selling your car to purchase a new vehicle before Brexit strikes, why not sell your car to Anycolourcar? We will buy any car, making it easier for you to purchase your next vehicle.


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R3: REQUIRED RETAIL READING
May 19, 2010
TODAY’S CALL OUT
Every quarter when RL reports, my inbox gets flooded with emails from bulls and bears alike looking for validation on their view. This morning after RL printed $1.13 vs the Street at $0.63, I had a couple of long-term bulls who reached out with the closest thing to a smile on their face that can come through electronically. On the bear side…crickets. With such a massive beat and short interest near 10% of the float on a quality global growth company, there’s not much for them to say.
One factor might be guidance. Back of the envelope math suggests – as usual – a hint of caution. But let’s face a couple facts. 1) Caution is warranted. Has anyone looked at Europe recently? Fortunately, RL’s growth focus for this year is in integrating its China business, layering on dot.com functionality to markets beyond the US, and in driving US wholesale AND retail – which have been in a tough spot for two years. Remember when Nike got to a point in about 2000 when two parts of the model compensated when one part of the model came under pressure?
Well…that’s RL today.
Taking a big step back, there are those who have REALLY believed the story all along as opposed to those who looked at pieces of this business in a vacuum, the irony here is that the factor that has not changed throughout all the global economic turmoil is the earnings power of this company. I said it before and I’ll say it again… by the end of this year, people will be eyeing $7 in earnings in earnings power.
Oh, and by the way, I still come up with numbers for the upcoming year that are at least 15% ahead of where RL’s guidance is initially coming out.
We’ll be back with details on our numbers after the call.
LEVINE’S LOW DOWN
- Despite a modest increase in average ticket at Home Depot, the turn in big ticket items (defined as $900 and above) has yet to occur. While broader results indicate an improvement in consumer spending, lagging sales at the high-end is a telling sign that reservation among consumers persists.
- At a time when Target stores are rolling out a new open layout with 30% more space for its electronics and video games department, WMT highlighted on yesterday’s call that video games and gaming hardware were below expectations across all gaming brands due to fewer new releases and lack on innovation in gaming systems.
- After opening its first stores in new west coast markets just this past fall, DKS CEO Ed Stack commented that the sporting goods retailer would face what he expects to be an increasingly competitive environment in the coming year both in terms of store growth and pricing by targeting 40% of new store openings in new markets.
- In what appears to be a win-win, Quicksilver completed the purchase of stock options back from non-executive employees with an exercise price greater than $7.71 (50%+ above yesterday’s close) and that were issued prior to October 19, 2008 for fewer new options at a $5.08 exercise price - yesterday’s close. With more than 91% of eligible options tendered, employees appeared to agree that ‘one in the hand’ is truly better than 2 in the bush.
UK Retail Sales Fall in April - UK retail sales values fell 2.3% on a like-for-like basis from April 2009, when sales had picked up 4.6%, boosted then by Easter falling in April 2009 but March 2008. Retail footfall in April fell below its year-earlier level, hit by Easter timing and the volcanic ash cloud which prevented tourists from travel. Sterling's weakness continued to attract overseas visitors, especially from western Europe, China and the Middle East. Chinese visitors in particular were much more numerous than a year ago. Food sales fell back, largely reflecting Easter timing. Non-food was also affected by the earlier Easter, but also by pre-election uncertainty and consumer caution, which favoured essentials and replacements over discretionary items. Clothing and footwear slowed and homewares fell back below year-earlier levels, despite some further discounts and promotions. <brc.org.uk>
Pakistan Textile Mills on 2 Day Strike - The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association went on a two-day strike Tuesday to protest the imposition on May 13 of a 15 percent export tariff on locally produced yarn for 60 days. The government stressed the duty was helping improve the availability and cool the price of yarn in the domestic market for the benefit of knitting mills. Yarn and products of blended yarn that have been imported is exempt from this duty. With less than 90 days left until the new cotton crop comes in, and with India banning its cotton exports on April 19, Pakistani yarn mills are left scrambling to fulfill orders. Yarn mills had been doing a robust business exporting yarn to Chinese mills after China had a shortfall in cotton production last year. This created shortages in the domestic yarn market and caused the price of yarn to double in a year. <wwd.com/business-news>
SKX Launches Backpacks and Bags - Skechers will launch a branded line of backpacks and bags for fall ’10. The Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based company signed a licensing agreement with Global Design Concepts to design, produce and distribute Skechers-branded backpacks, messenger and tote bags for men, women and children. Skechers bags will be available in department, specialty, sporting goods and general athletic footwear stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. The footwear company also has partnered with licensees to produce children’s apparel, sunglasses, legwear, medical scrubs and leather accessories. <wwd.com/footwear-news>
Best Buy Co. Launches CinemaNow - BBY will start its planned online service selling movies and television shows this month, jumping into a market that includes Apple Inc.’s iTunes and Amazon.com Inc. The service, called CinemaNow, allows BBY to tie Web-delivered entertainment to electronic devices sold in its stores as demand for physical DVDs declines. The service will start with a la carte, on-demand purchases and may later become a subscription service like Netflix Inc. Movie rentals will cost $2.99 to $3.99 as part of the service and videos will cost $9.99 to $19.99 for digital purchase. <bloomberg.com/news>
Anthropologie Eliminates European Managing Director - James Bidwell, managing director Anthropologie Europe, has left the company as part of an international restructuring. The company said it is undergoing a global restructuring “to better leverage internal resources in order to be closer to the customer, achieve greater efficiencies and to prepare for future international expansion.” The announcement comes on the heels of record first-quarter earnings for parent company Urban Outfitters Inc., which operates the Anthropologie, Free People, Leifsdottir, Terrain and Urban Outfitters brands. Glen Senk, chief executive officer of Urban Outfitters Inc., said he was bullish about international expansion. “I used to think international sales could be 25% of our business,” he said. “We could find out over time that it’s 50% . We no longer view ourselves as a North American retailer. The European business is becoming increasingly important to the company.” <wwd.com/retail-news>
Ski Season Occupancy Up 1.4% - Year-over-year occupancy for the ski season was up 1.4% and the average nightly rate down 5.8% for the 2009-10 snowsports season at more than a dozen western mountain resort destinations, according to the Mountain Travel Research Program. <sportsonesource.com>


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Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition on PC Means That Future Metro Games May Need Ray Tracing Graphics Cards
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition on PC needs a ray tracing-enabled graphics card as a minimum requirement. Confirmed on the game’s Steam page, the PC release of the Enhanced Edition has an emphasis on improved ray tracing, and as a result, won’t run on graphics cards that aren’t capable of ray tracing.
What this means is that, at minimum, you’ll need an Nvidia GeForce RTX or AMD’s line-up of Radeon 6000-series graphics cards to play Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition on PC.
4A Games has stated that those who wish to play Metro Exodus without having a ray tracing-capable graphics card will have to play the original release of the game, which won’t disappear from players’ game libraries with the release of the Enhanced Edition.
Why Does the Enhanced Edition Need a Ray Tracing Graphics Card?
4A Games has stated that, alongside advances in ray tracing hardware and software, the studio managed to update its own proprietary game engine to allow better use of ray tracing not only in the final product, but also during development itself. The studio’s new engine allows artists to set up ray traced light sources without having to re-render the whole level, streamlining the development process by quite a bit.
The studio has also stated that, thanks to its new engine and the capabilities of the new consoles – the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S – future games released by the studio will also make use of ray tracing. This means that games released by 4A Games down the line may not run if you either don’t have one of the new consoles, or don’t have a ray tracing-enabled graphics card.


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Noida’s Packmaax India forays into rigid box with Zhongke
Noida-based Packmaax India, has forayed into rigid box manufacturing with the installation of two fully automatic Zhongke rigid box-making machines. According to Sumit Goel, CEO, Packmaax, the company made plans to enter the industry in May 2018 and inaugurated the plant in October 2018.
31 Jan 2019 | By Rahul Kumar
It started with two Zhongke (ZK-660C) rigid box manufacturing machines, and is producing half-a-million rigid boxes per month. Both the installed machines can make 30 boxes per minute. “We have ordered two additional Zhongke fully automatic machines and those will be delivered within a month or so. The newer models are faster and can produce 35 boxes per minute. Once these are installed, we will have the capacity to produce more than 1.5 million boxes per month,” Goel said.
Packmaax India is a partnership venture between Sumit Goel and Niketan Agarwal. Sumit is responsible for business planning and development and Niketan is responsible for production.
“Along with the fully automatic lines, the company will also be installing a few customised machines to produce specialised high quality luxury boxes,” Goel added.
Packmaax is major supplier to Haldiram’s and have plans to cater all big brands. “Along with sweets and food market, we are also looking at electronic packaging market, especially for mobile phones,” he said.
Goel said foods and confectionery is a huge and unorganised market in India with few packaging service provides, and Packmaax wants to leverage the situation. For this, it has built the production facility dust-free, and closely following the rules and regulations for food packaging.
To achieve this, Goel said, the company will have the entire print production setup ready by May 2019. They already have installed high speed dry lamination machine from Zhongke India. They plan to add flute laminator and folder gluer as well. Around 70 people work at Packmaax India’s 35,000-sqft facility.
On choosing Zhongke, Goel explained, “For capital equipment, after-sales service is the key. In the case of Zhongke, Mr Yu, the owner of Zhongke, is directly involved in R&D and production of machines. So, the technology and metallurgy of the machine is better than other players in the market. I visited Zhongke’s customers in China and found that high quality rigid boxes for most of major mobile brands are being produced on Zhongke machines.”
Other reasons were accuracy and stability of the machine. “Another plus point is Zhongke India has a very strong technical support and in-house inventory for spare parts, which reduces downtime drastically,” he added.
Rohit Rajpal, CEO, Zhongke India said that the Indian market is full of opportunities and that’s the reason new people are coming to the industry. “The demand now is for the smart packaging. Packaging should be attractive yet functional and cost effective. Zhongke has full range of products to cater the market demand, especially for rigid box manufacturing. We have installed 20 rigid box-making machines at Replika Packaging in Kundli. Such kind of investments and installations show confidence of our customers on our products and services” he said.


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MMTC sees more gold import curbs
India is the world's biggest gold importer, and purchases of the precious metal have contributed to wideaning the current account deficit to a record high 5.4 per cent of gross domestic product in the July-Sept quarter of the current 2012-13 fiscal year.
The government hiked import duties by 2 percentage points to 6 per cent on January 21 to discourage gold imports, and the official with state-run purchaser MMTC expects duties to be raised further.
He also said the government may cap imports or cut the number of companies authorised to import gold if purchases have not slowed down by the time it announces the 2013-14 budget on February 28. "We are consciously reducing our gold imports from our portfolio because the government wants it that way," the MMTC official told reporters. He declined to be identified as he is not authorised to speak to the media.


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Product Failures From Twitter and Others
Learning From Past Mistakes
Twitter’s latest saga, specifically around Twitter Blue, has been an ongoing lesson in product failure (among many other failures). While some may want to steer clear from the train wreck—while others of us continue to stare with morbid curiosity—we can continue to learn from the debacle. And hopefully Twitter can too.
In late 2022, Twitter Blue subscriptions launched in an attempt to monetize Twitter and move away from a reliance on advertisers. Users could pay $8 per month for the ability to get verified (that coveted blue check), edit tweets, move to the top of the comment section, and customize the Twitter experience, among other things.
Unfortunately, everything about the Twitter Blue product has fallen short. The question always was, “how could you get people to pay for a free product?” The answer has been: “not easily.”
According to Mashable:
Approximately 619,858 Twitter users were subscribed to Twitter Blue as of the end of April. That's around $5 million per month or $60 million per year.
Since November 2022, Twitter has only been able to convert around 600,000 users to paid subscriptions. And Mashable goes on to further discuss the problems:
Out of about 150,000 early subscribers to Twitter Blue, just around 68,157 have stuck around and maintained a paid subscription as of April 30…
That means around 81,843 users, or 54.5 percent, of Twitter users who subscribed to Twitter Blue when it first launched in November are no longer subscribed to the service.
That's an abnormally high churn rate for an online subscription service. Churn rate is the percentage of users that unsubscribe from a service.
According to one study released last year by the subscription management company Recurly, the average overall annual churn rate is only 5.57 percent for subscription-based businesses.
So Twitter Blue’s features aren’t encouraging retention like you would expect. And that churn rate is exceptionally high.
The revenue has also been incredibly poor. Advertisers have left Twitter while not enough users have signed up for subscriptions to make up for the loss:
Bloomberg said that from September to October of last year, the top 10 advertisers on Twitter spent $71 million on ads. In the past two months, the total was just $7.6 million, a decline of 89%, the research firm said.
With only $5 million a month from subscribers and $7.6 million from advertisers, the loss of $71 million in monthly ad revenue from 2022 is a bad metric.
But that may not even be the worst of it!
Some features introduced by Twitter Blue have become toxic to actual users. For example, the Twitter blue check actually used to be a coveted status symbol. It showed you were a verified account and had reached a level on Twitter where enough people were noticing you that it mattered to the community to know who was real and who wasn’t.
Blue check marks now only symbolize you are willing to pay Twitter $8 per month, and nothing more. This became a major fiasco in November when Twitter users (unsurprisingly) created fake accounts, got blue check marks, and posted obscene content that looked like it came directly from formerly verified accounts:
The blue check has become the opposite of a status symbol. In fact, many celebrities or famous accounts are actively trying to get rid of their blue checks because they aren’t paying for Twitter Blue yet they still have the blue check.
According to The Verge:
over the course of a single weekend, Twitter managed to turn its most coveted status symbol into something that (at least some) users are so upset to be associated with that they’re wondering if it’s illegal.
You know you’ve missed the mark on a product when your users are actively trying to avoid it and are visibly upset when you give it to them for free.
As Mashable now puts it:
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After the banking establishments Ecobank, UBA, Orabank and Vista Bank, Orange Mobile Finance of Guinea (OFMG) turned to microfinance agencies. On November 4, 2021, the Chief Executive Officer of OFMG and the SociÃ©tÃ© FinanciÃ¨re Africaine (COFINA) signed a partnership agreement in KipÃ©, in the municipality of Ratoma (Conakry). This partnership aims to allow Cofina’s customers to carry out financial transactions without having to travel.
” This partnership will allow Orange Money customers and Cofina customers to carry out transactions between their bank and their Orange Money account. This has a huge advantage as it will prevent them from having to travel to the bank to make withdrawals or deposits. They will do it wherever they are from their cell phone Abdelkarim Bangura, Managing Director of Orange Finances Mobiles in Guinea, explains. From their Orange Money accounts, he says, Cofina customers can withdraw or deposit money from their existing Cofina accounts and vice versa. They can also Make Orange Money transfers to their partners and families He says he is happy to have such a relationship with Covina: Today we are delighted with this partnership which enriches the Orange Money territories. So it’s a service that will work. “
Sekou Omar Diakite, CEO of Cofina, first explained the history of his company: â Covina came to offer Guinea and Guinea financial inclusion. Cofina, through its offer of products and services adapted to the needs of Guinean Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as the population, wishes to support the economic development of Guinea.. “
For him, this partnership will embody one of Covina’s ambitions: â Orange Money is a money transfer and mobile payment service. Like Cofina, through House of Finance, Orange Money is also a financial inclusion channel that aims to be a standard at the African level. Today, our partner Orange, with its Orange Money product, has developed widely in many African countries. This partnership between Cofina and Orange Money is the embodiment of the group’s vision which excels in being a digitally-oriented company that allows the majority, if not all, of our customers to face the economic crisis and gain access to to financial services without having to travel.. “
Today, mobile finance has become a sector involved in the socio-economic development of Guinea, in particular through Orange Money which is established throughout the territory.


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Neighborhood Businesses Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Fresh Brothers Replacing Freshii in Brentwood
Pizza face An update on that new Brentwood location of Fresh Brothers we got the drop on last month. The family-owned, South Bay-born pizza chain is replacing Freshii at San Vicente Plaza, with an expected opening date in late August and a focu son take-out and delivery. The Brothers will follow with the opening of ... Continue reading at losangeles.grubstreet.com.


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MILAN -- Italy's Emilia-Romagna regional government will hold talks with Silk-FAW next week over fears the Sino-U.S. venture's plans to invest a billion euros to produce electric sports cars in the area might not go ahead.
Silk-FAW, a startup between U.S. automotive engineering and design firm Silk EV and Chinese automaker FAW, plans to develop and produce electric and hybrid luxury hypercars in China and in Italy under the Hongqi brand.
Last year it picked the city of Reggio Emilia to build a production facility and a research center, in an area known as Italy's Motor Valley, which is home to brands including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati.
Production was expected to start at the beginning of 2023 but the plan has yet to make significant progress. The company has cited problems with finalizing a mortgage contract to buy land for the plant.
Vincenzo Colla, head of economic development in the Emilia Romagna regional government, told Reuters he had set up a call with Silk-FAW executives for July 14 to assess the plan and whether the company had enough funding to proceed with promised investments a year after they were publicly announced.
"They will have to tell us if the project goes ahead ... and, if it does, it necessarily means that financial resources are there. If the project is dead, they just have to tell us," Colla said. "We are clearly worried."
"As of today financial flows have not been up to the needs," Colla said. "We expect to see a financial roadmap to make this investment sustainable."


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PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, a supporter of Hillary Clinton during the election, was named to President-elect Donald Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum this week, a story that ranked first with SmartBrief’s food and beverage readers. “I think we should mourn, for those of us who supported the other side, but we have to come together and life has to go on,” Nooyi said.
Grocery tales were also of interest, including Ahold Delhaize CEO Dick Boer’s post-merger plans and Amazon’s rejection of reports the online giant plans to open as many as 2,000 grocery stores. Starbucks’ goal of opening 12,000 new restaurants, including 5,000 in China, over the next five years also made this week’s Top 10 list. That story also outlined plans to expand the food menu add voice ordering capabilities to Starbucks’ mobile ordering.
Read the entire Top 10 list:
- PepsiCo CEO Nooyi joins Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum
- CEO: Ahold Delhaize outlines plan for post-merger growth
- Amazon: No plans for 2,000 grocery stores
- Coca-Cola: New RTD coffee lines will have separate identities
- Frito-Lay remains snack leader as consumers seek indulgent tastes
- Hain Celestial names Nestle veteran Tickle COO
- Starbucks growth to include 12,000 new stores, more food, voice ordering
- Coca-Cola’s Kent to leave CEO role in May
- Krave’s meat bars hit shelves nationwide
- Portillo’s plans to have 50 locations by end of 2017
If you enjoyed this article, join SmartBrief’s email list for more stories about the food and beverage industry. We offer 17 newsletters covering the industry from restaurants to food manufacturing.


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WHILST outdoor market traders selling non-essential goods can get back to business in England from today (June 1) we have been asked to make it clear that this does not apply to Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
The plea comes from Lee Davis, manager of Newtown Market in Mid Wales., which is on the border with England.
“All our traders are from England, and I have already has one trader assume they can turn up on Tuesday morning and trade in Newtown but this is simply not the case.
“The Welsh governent has not changed its stance on lockdown in this regard and will not alter for at least another three weeks.”
In a live broadcast from Barnsley Market on the BBC Breakfast programme the reporter made it clear that outdoor markets were allowed to reopen only in England.
The piece featured NMTF Chief Executive Joe Harrison and members Neil and Susanne Conway. Amended versions were shown in bulletins throughout the day.
Read online about the Sun on Sunday’s campaign to get people shopping on markets — click here.
THE NMTF’s pleas to two Government ministers to allow the reopening of outdoor markets have paid off.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said outdoor markets can reopen on Monday June 1 provided they meet the COVID-19 safeguards.
In emails to Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick and Business Secretary Alok Sharma the
NMTF pointed out that as the law stood in England indoor markets could be open for food and
other goods such as hardware, pet supplies and flower and plants — but outdoor markets could
only sell food.
NMTF CEO Joe Harrison told the ministers: “There seems to be strange notion that social distancing is easier in an indoor market, but from our observations that is not the case.
“The scientists have said we are safer outside than inside so where it the sense in this legislation?”
At the daily No 10 press conference on Monday May 25 Mr Johnson said following on from the announcement about schools reopening he wanted to give the retail sector notice of the Government’s intentions to reopen shops, so they too could get ready.
“So I can announce that it is our intention to allow outdoor markets to reopen from June 1, subject to all premises being made COVID-secure, as well as car showrooms, which often have significant outdoor space and where it is generally easier to apply social distancing,” he said.
“We know that the transmission of the virus is lower outdoors and that it is easier to follow Covid Secure guidelines in open spaces. That means we can also allow outdoor markets to reopen in a safe way that does not risk causing a second wave of the virus.”
He said that from June 15 the Government intended to allow all other non-essential retail, ranging from department stores to small, independent shops, to reopen.
“Again, this change will be contingent upon progress against the 5 tests and will only be permitted for those retail premises which are COVID-secure.”
After the Prime Minister’s announcement Joe Harrison said: “This has been a farce and we are pleased that the Government has listened to what we had to say. Now is the time for the markets industry as a whole to prepare to bounce back and provide the shopping public with all that they want.
“We can only hope now that market operators see sense and, with the help and cooperation of market traders in terms of the guidelines, get their outdoor markets reopened as soon as is practicable.”
TODAY (Saturday March 23) the Government announced a change to the Local Authority Discretionary Fund to make businesses eligible for the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) also eligible to apply for the scheme.
Following the Government announcement that markets could full reopen again as early as June 1 (see below) the NMTF has revealed that plans are being made to help traders make the return safely and at the same time conforming to social distancing rules.
CEO Joe Harrison said: “We are currently working hard to put strategies in place to help traders and markets after lockdown. We feel by offering guidance and practical advice in a number of ways, and by encouraging and assisting traders to work in partnership with market managers, we can restore the role markets play in our communities and the UK retail sector as a whole.”
He said the NMTF’s strategy would be outlined in the near future.
THE NMTF has welcomed the news that both indoor and outdoor retail markets in England could start to fully reopen as soon as next month.
In the Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy presented to Parliament by Prime Minister Boris Johnson there is hope that the industry can begin to return to normal from June 1.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is now accepting claims from three and a half million customers who may be eligible for the government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).
The claims service openened on May 13 and is being delivered ahead of schedule, with payments reaching bank accounts by 25 May, or six working days after the claim is made.
The Government has listened to the NMTF message on plight of many market traders who did not qualify to receive financial support.
A £617 million discretionary fund has been set up to accommodate certain small businesses — including market traders — previously outside the scope of the business grant funds scheme.
NMTF CEO Joe Harrison said: “Government has listened and specifically has suggested market traders should be considered for this discretionary award.”
THE NMTF has been told by the Government that traders who want to apply for the discretionary grant must contact their local authorities.
There was a slight glimmer of better news from the Chancellor when he announced in the Commons that a new loans scheme aimed specifically at small businesses would be available from May 4.
This extension of the Government’s existing scheme means that small firms can apply for a a “Bounce Back” loan worth up to 25 per cent of their annual turnover, up to £50,000.
Crucially the Government will pay the interest on the loan for the first 12 months.
The NMTF is undertaking a major survey to understand the impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on the businesses of market, street, and events traders in the UK.
We need to be able to demonstrate this impact to the government. This survey will give us the statistics we need to lobby for more recognition, support, and investment. The survey will take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete and your submissions will be anonymous.
Until recent weeks, many markets and high street businesses may have felt they did not need to sell online or consider delivering direct to their customers, relying instead on loyal customers and local footfall.
THE NMTF has contacted more than 800 local authority chief executives and leaders to highlight the effect the COVID-19 crisis is having not only on market traders but on the retail markets industry as a whole.
The cash grants proposed by Government are only for businesses in receipt of the Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Relief, or for particular sectors. Many small businesses fall outside these reliefs desperately need cash grants and support now.


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Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) generates most of the revenue from software and services, but also owns a growing hardware department that produces Surface devices and Xbox consoles. In 2018, it launched four new Surface Goals – Surface Go, Surface Studio 2, Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2. It also excited the sales of Xbox One X, launched in late 2017.
Last Quarter, Microsoft's Revenue – coming from Surface devices, PC accessories and other devices – 9% grew annually to $ 1.26 billion, or 4% of the top line. Within this, surface revenues increased by 1
These figures show that Microsoft will continue to evolve into a hardware company to lock multiple users into its application system. Microsoft has not yet provided a clear roadmap for the hardware business yet, but here are five units the company could reveal this year.
1. Surface Book 3
Microsoft launched Surface Book 2 back in October 2017 so that the popular 2-in-1 device could see an upgrade this year with Intel its ninth generation CPUs, NVIDIA 's new Turing GPUs, and a 4K display.
TechRadar believes Microsoft will launch Surface Book 3 between September and November to capitalize on back-to-school and vacation shopping seasons. It can give it an edge over the iPad (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad Pros and the new 10 "iPad and iPad Mini, both of which could come in the second half of 2019.
2. Surface Pro 7  Microsoft upgraded Surface Pro (2017) to the Surface Pro 6 in October so we could see the Surface Pro 7 arrive at the end of 2019. The Surface Pro 6 added an eighth generation Intel CPU and new color choices, and the Surface Pro 7 may include a ninth generation CPU, smaller fittings and USB-C ports – which were strangely absent from Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2.
3. Surface Phone
Last year, a leaked document reported that Microsoft developed a new portable device named Andromeda document, called Microsoft Andromeda "a new pocketable Surface device form factor that brings together innovative new hardware and software development to create a truly personal and versatile computing. "
Based on the illustrations in Microsoft's patents, Andromeda can be a dual screen foldable smartphone where a monitor can be used as a primary keyboard, but if Microsoft really launches Andromeda as a Windows-powered phone, it faces a tough uphill battle against iOS / Android duopoly in the smartphone market.
In addition, Android OEMs launch two monitors – including ZTE 's Axon M, Royol's foldable FlexPai, and a collapsible Samsung phone, which can start this year
4. Second Generation HoloLens
Microsoft launched the first generation HoloLens back in 2016, but only early users and enthusiasts who paid $ 3000 for the developer release have spent considerable time with the mixed reality headset.
Instead of rushing toward a regular launch, Microsoft plans introducing a second generation developer edition HoloLens in the second half of 2019. The unit is expected to be smaller and thinner, to enhanced light sensors and localized AI samprosessor, and have a wider field of view and longer battery life. The device can help Microsoft skip the latest AR headphones like Magic Leap One and remain ahead of Apple – which also happened in AR software and hardware.
5. Next-gen Xbox consoles
Microsoft will probably not launch a new Xbox One console in 2019, but it can give us early glimpse of the next two Xbox consoles, which are codenamed Anaconda and Scarlett Cloud.  Anaconda will eventually succeed Xbox One X with major hardware upgrades, while Scarlett Cloud will become a cheaper console optimized for cloud-based games . A cloud-based game console will complement Microsoft's cloud gaming bet and boost the Xbox department with higher margin revenue.
Microsoft's evolution from a software company to a hardware naturally expands its ecosystem and diversifies its business away from Windows and Office licenses. Tethering more businesses and consumers to that ecosystem also strengthens its commercial cloud industry, which increased 47% annually to 8.5 billion last year.
It also expands Microsoft's moat against Apple and Alphabet s Google, which conquered the smartphone market and forced to rely more on 2-in-1 PCs and game consoles to remain relevant. Therefore, investors should keep track of Microsoft's hardware launches and growth of devices and gaming devices in 2019.


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Burlington Coat Factory Drops the Ivanka Trump Label, Too
The discount department store is the latest retailer to stop selling the label founded by the first daughter.
Burlington Coat Factory is the latest retailer to drop the Ivanka Trump label.
The discount department store stopped selling the brand's clothing and accessories on its website as of Friday, reports Business Insider. The move comes shortly after a number of retailers, including Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, dropped the line founded by the first daughter in 2007. The New York Times also reported that TJX Companies, parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshalls, sent a memo to stores advising them to remove all Ivanka Trump signs and fixtures and move merchandise into mixed clothing racks.
On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ivanka's fashion brand saw a 32 percent decline in sales over the last fiscal year. Sales for the label's footwear and apparel dropped more than 70 percent in the second, third and fourth weeks of October compared to the year before, according to internal data obtained by WSJ. Sharp declines were found to have happened in the weeks leading up to the presidential election on Nov. 8.
Nordstrom was the first retailer to confirm it would be severing ties with the brand based on performance.
"We've said all along we make buying decisions based on performance. We’ve got thousands of brands — more than 2,000 offered on the site alone. Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business," a Nordstrom spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. "Each year we cut about 10 percent and refresh our assortment with about the same amount. In this case, based on the brand’s performance, we’ve decided not to buy it for this season."
Nordstrom's decision led President Donald Trump to lash out at the retailer. "My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by Nordstrom," he wrote on Twitter.
My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2017
He later tweeted: "I am so proud of my daughter Ivanka. To be abused and treated so badly by the media, and to still hold her head so high, is truly wonderful!"
I am so proud of my daughter Ivanka. To be abused and treated so badly by the media, and to still hold her head so high, is truly wonderful!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2017
Sounds like she doing just fine.


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Rumour: Project Café controller to feature front-facing camera
Another rumour has surfaced regarding the controller for Nintendo’s new home console, its official reveal still being saved for the company’s E3 Media Presentation on June 7th.
A source has apparently confirmed some of the details currently surrounding the controller to Develop, revealing that it is due to support a front-facing camera system.
Whilst Nintendo is trying to keep the technology under a veil of secrecy, only showing it to select developmental partners to curb leaks, the insider claims that the inclusion of the front-facing camera will be used for in-game images.
Further to this, rumours that have already circulated regarding the six-inch touch-screen, stylus and standard button layout are supposedly all true.
“The functions are the same,” according to the anonymous source. “It is a standard wireless controller added with a front-facing camera and touch screen. That sounds far too much like a 3DS to me. But I can’t confirm this, Nintendo is being very cautious about the details.”
As with all rumours, take this with a pinch of salt. If it does feature a touch-screen, camera and stylus, doesn’t it seem to be entering Nintendo DS/ 3DS territory?


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The Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) has an extensive to-do list for 2018, chief among which will be to lay the foundation for a regulatory sandbox to facilitate the creation and commercialisation of start-ups in five key sectors: Smart Cities, Agrotech, Digital Health, Clean Energy and Mobility, CEO Ashran Ghazi tells Enterprise.
A regulatory sandbox is a framework that allows fintech start-ups and other innovators to conduct live experiments in a controlled environment under a regulator’s supervision.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak first mentioned a regulatory sandbox for these sectors during his Budget 2018 announcement, and Ashran now thinks the challenge will be to get the relevant relationships up and running before they begin to run test cases within the regulatory sandbox.
“I’m hopeful that we will be able to kick-start relationship-building for the sandbox as early as the first quarter of 2018. However, I could not say for certain exactly when we will be able to begin testing cases. It is important that we get the necessary relationships up and running first,” he says.
Ashran believes MaGIC is well-placed to spearhead the creation of this sandbox because over the past year, the organisation successfully drew pledges of cooperation from more than 40 corporates across a range of sectors. This, coupled with MaGIC’s extensive networks of local and foreign start-ups, means that the final — and arguably most challenging — piece of the puzzle will be to secure buy-in from a slew of highly influential regulators.
“In 2017, we saw interest among corporates to pursue corporate innovation exercises and, importantly, their willingness to work with start-ups and entrepreneurs to drive this innovation within their own companies and business units. To date, we have more than 40 corporates who want to innovate and look at new business models by collaborating with start-ups.
“The corporates we secured pledges from come from the property development, oil and gas, telecommunications, banking and insurance sectors.”
Ashran thinks 2018 and beyond will see the disruption of some highly regulated sectors. “We’ve already seen this happen to the likes of banking and insurance over the last few years, with a number of these companies having since pursued partnerships with various start-ups under Bank Negara Malaysia’s fintech regulatory sandbox, or even the corporates’ own venture funds or accelerators,” he says.
According to him, industries like healthcare and energy are also set to experience several disruptions, and it is important that all parties — traditional corporates, start-ups and regulators alike — operate from a position of openness and collaboration.
“We are still trying to refine our own approach to starting this sandbox. We want to ensure that regulators have sufficient visibility of the things that may affect their sectors, without necessarily stifling these changes.
“The fact is, we’re quickly moving out of the so-called ‘app economy’; the disruption is now going into healthcare, energy and transportation — sectors that are heavily regulated. And if we do not move for this regulatory sandbox right now, I fear that we’ll see another problem similar to what Grab and Uber had to contend with over the past few years, with the long-running dispute with the Land Public Transport Commission.”
Ashran’s hope is that MaGIC will be able to drive the regulatory sandbox in the five key sectors, working in concert with the various regulators as well as the start-ups and more established corporates. However, he does not believe MaGIC will play a role similar to Bank Negara’s in the fintech regulatory sandbox. “We intend to act as a facilitator between the various regulators in these five sectors and the corporates and start-ups. Ultimately, we do not want these highly valuable sectors to be bogged down by red tape,” he says.
Ashran points to one potential flashpoint that he hopes can be resolved within a regulatory sandbox. It is at this cutting edge of technology and business where the regulator’s buy-in and subsequent leeway becomes very important, he said on the sidelines of the Global Entrepreneurship Community Summit 2017 held from last month.
“In our booth at the exhibition area, there is a company known as Artnergy Sdn Bhd, which has pioneered floor panels capable of generating electricity. It is basically a solar layer that is also integrated into a system that converts kinetic energy — basically footsteps — into electrical energy. Can you imagine the power implications of fitting these ‘solar-kinetic’ panels into an outdoor walkway?
“Not only could you draw energy from both the sun and passers-by, a shopping mall or office building could use these tiles to acquire data on footfall.”


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Brasserie Blanc has applied for planning permission to put a new restaurant on The Galleon site.
This is good news for Highcliffe as a destination village, and a good Foodie place. Rumour is that the name of the new restaurant will be The Oaks.
More details will be posted as we get them.
According to the Christchurch Times the name has been anglicised to "White Brasserie". It's still a chain associated in some way with Raymond Blanc, however.


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Allergan Plc will buy Westlake Village, Calif.-based Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc. for cash and stock valued at $2.1 billion.
Allergan was known as Actavis Plc until it bought Irvine-based Allergan Inc. for $72.5 billion earlier this year and took the Allergan name.
Kythera’s main product is Kybella, an injection-based aesthetic medicine treatment for double-chin, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on April 29 and under review internationally. Kythera also is developing a drug for male pattern baldness.
Allergan President and Chief Executive Brent Saunders said in a statement that the acquisition “strengthens our leading global position in aesthetics and continues to position us for long-term growth.”
Allergan makes facial-aesthetics products such as Botox, Juvederm and Latisse, which are targeted at women.
Saunders said Kybella is “a pivotal entry point for expanding the use of facial aesthetic products in men.”
Kybella appears to fit with that aesthetics line of business now centered at Allergan’s campus in Irvine, which is about 80 miles from Westlake Village.
Allergan's U.S. operations are based in Parsippany, N.J., while the parent company is based in Ireland for tax purposes


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A new market is operating in Taveuni, the Taveuni Dateline Handicraft Market.
Established by Susanne Neli and her family, with support from the Taveuni Tourism Association (TTA), it is located at the International Dateline in Waiyevo.
The new market will initially be open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with plans to extend business hours in time.
The International Dateline is open 7 days a week for visitors and if the market is not set up, visitors are welcome to speak to one of the ladies if they would like to make any purchases. The market can also be opened for large groups if pre-arranged.
Locally-crafted fans, masi, sulus and jewellery are being showcased at the Market and are available to be purchased by visitors.
TTA President, Terri Gortan, said “the TTA is delighted to support this new handicraft market in Taveuni. It’s a great opportunity for our local women to show their creative skills and to display their crafts”.


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A couple of weeks before Christmas, Disney (DIS) decided that the pandemic coast would be clear enough by May for it to send Black Widow, the next Marvel universe potential blockbuster–to movie theaters in May.
Not so far, the company has now decided. With rates of infection rising again across the country, Disney has decided to push the theatrical release of Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson, to July. The movie will also run on the Disney+ streaming platform, with its 100 million subscribers, for $30.
Disney shares are down another 2.17% to $184.64 at the close today, despite a generally strong performance by post-vaccine economic recovery stocks. Disney shares are now almost 10% down from their March 8 local high of $201.91. At today’s close the stock is just below its 50-day moving average of $184.89. The 200-day moving average support is at $146.49. Eyeballing the stock’s chart, there’s decent support at $172 and I’d be willing to buy shares at that level.
In other Disney news Variety is reporting today that Disney will raise the price of a Disney+ subscription to $7.99 per month, or $79.99 per year, for U.S. subscribers starting Friday. Currently, Disney+ costs domestic subscribers $6.99 per month, or $69.99 per year.
Disney is a member of my long-term 50 Stocks Portfolio. The shares are up 39.8% since I added them to that portfolio on May 16, 2019.
Full disclosure: I own Call Options on Disney in my personal portfolio.


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ConnectedYard, an innovator in smart technology and the Internet of Things, has announced the launch of its professional pool service network. Pool Service On Demand is unique to the market with its network of pre-qualified service providers offering pre-negotiated on-demand service pricing.
pHin, a new tech-focused product for consumers and professionals in the pool and spa industry, won the coveted best new product prize at this year’s PSP Expo. As we chronicled in October, pHin is a smart sensor for pools and spas that floats in the water and sends measurements — including pH, ORP, free chlorine, […]
Andy Rubin, the “Father of Android,” announced on his 50th birthday in October 2014 that he was passing off the division and leaving Google. “What am I going to do for the next 10 years of my life? Am I going to fight for 1% market share, or am I going to make 10 more […]
PALO ALTO, CA – ConnectedYard received the coveted IMPACT Award for “Innovator of the Year” in recognition of its pHin solution that is reinventing pool and hot tub care. Hundreds of leading companies submitted award entries, which were carefully reviewed by IMA’s judges and industry professionals. pHin won on the merits of its state-of-the-art and […]
Customers are engaging in multiple platforms — sometimes at the same time — and figuring out how to market to new technologies and capture that audience has never been more complex. Moreover, customers are constantly bombarded with content. So how do you get their attention?
CAMPBELL, Calif., Sept. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — ConnectedYard, an innovator in smart technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced that it has closed a $2.2-million seed round of funding led by Playground Global. The round was also joined by ConnectedYard’s pre-seed investor, Tandem Capital.


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Charting a digital future for the Nigerian Youth
By Bunmi Banjo. Head of Digital Education, Google SSA.
When leading scientist Vinton Cerf and his Stanford university colleagues coined the word “Internet” in 1974, they could not have imagined they were coming up with a name that would describe the most revolutionary tool in the history of the world. In the words of leading technology forecaster Paul Saffo, each time a ‘singing’ greeting card is sent out, we are using more computing power than existed in the entire world before 1950! This statement speaks to the grandness of the technology behind the web; an invention so great, it alters lifestyles, cultures and the economies of nations.
The Internet is an equal opportunities platform that opens up new opportunities and provides access to the global stage. As recently as 20 years ago, when we relied on the traditional postal delivery systems, sending a letter within Nigeria alone would usually take a minimum of 4 days. The same letter now would arrive instantly or within seconds via email. And as more uses and technologies are discovered, more people get convinced, and the “web crowd” grows.
Today there are over 3 billion people online, 69 million of whom are connecting in Nigeria. A recent article in Forbes estimates that the number of people on the Internet in Africa will grow up to 6-fold by 2020, and mobile will play a big role in this. This is great news for us because more Africans online means more opportunities for Nigerians online.
Nigeria as a nation is at a crossroad; we are faced with an urgent need to diversify our economy while at the same time strengthen existing sectors sustainably. All in the knowledge that our decisions and actions not only define our success today, they also chart a path for the future of present and coming generations of Nigerians. According to a 2015 research analyzing how consumers engage with the web, 74% of people in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa prefer to use digital tools to perform tasks, and 69% said that the Internet is the first place they go to for information. This reflects the growing impact of the web on how we live in Nigeria. Our social, political and economic lives are all increasingly influenced by the Internet.
Over the last two quarters Google Trends revealed a growing interest in topics relating to the economy, the need for diversification and ease of doing business in Nigeria. One of the trending searches in July for instance was for the word “Recession”, and the state that led the pack in the search for that word was Rivers state. This tells one story; Nigerians are now turning to the Web to get answers to questions that have a direct impact on their day to day lives. And as more of these people turn to the web, they learn, form relationships, build connections and open Nigeria to the world and the world to Nigeria.
A McKinsey report estimates that from 2013 to 2020, the internet will contribute as much as $300bn in GDP and a similar amount in productivity gains. It also states that E-commerce will grow from virtually nothing today to more than $75bn. As more young Nigerians embrace digital opportunities, they look to tech organizations like Google and the government to help them grow.
This is because the activities of these two institutions have big impacts on the framework and operating structures guiding the use of the Web. For example, companies like Google need to develop intuitive products that can address real life challenges, while government needs to ensure that policies that make it easy to create and access web tools continue to exist. Technology – and the internet especially – must be for everyone and not a few.
Let me share the story of Olatoye Olabode, co-founder of Webcoupers, a digital marketing agency based in Lagos, Nigeria, and which began business 2 years ago after winning the Google Online Marketing Challenge; a program created for students to experience online marketing while in school.
‘Bode and his partners were students at the University of Ibadan when they entered the competition. That was when they learnt the fundamentals of running online campaigns and got inspired to set up Webcoupers.
Today Webcoupers provides digital marketing solutions (like social media management, online advertising and creative content management) to a wide array of clients across different business areas; marketing, software development and sales. They have handled the digital marketing campaigns of companies like Glo, Qatar Airways, OLX and Sterling Bank.
‘Bode’s story isn’t unique: he represents the thousands of young Nigerians already learning about web tools and are creating jobs and building the new future we desire.
When we announced our commitment to train 1 million people in Africa in April, we knew it was an ambitious promise, but one that needed to be done. So far, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have already been trained, and are already trying their hands on new ideas.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had recently launched a Nigerian government-led initiative focused on helping to train more young Nigerians on how to use online tools. This is a very important step. Because in our experience when you put the right tools in the hands of young people, they create greatness.
We are excited because we see this as an initiative that can birth a million Olabodes – young people (and older ones too) who will start businesses, make new discoveries, create jobs and contribute to the local iGDP across sectors.
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An early start for WIFW
The fashion bug will bite Delhi a month earlier this year. The Wills Lifestyle India Autumn/ Winter Fashion Week — that takes place in March every year — will start in February in 2012, in order to be ahead of other international fashion weeks and avoid any overlap.Updated: Dec 03, 2011 02:07 IST
"The fashion week this time will take place from February 15 to 19. The governing board decided to have our event before the major fashion weeks take place internationally," says FDCI president Sunil Sethi, adding: "We have sent letters to all FDCI members mentioning our new dates though we are still awaiting confirmation from our venue (Pragati Maidan) and are in discussions with our sponsors for their approval."
The rescheduling has however, got a positive response from the designer fraternity. "February is the perfect peak buying time. In March, when most of the international fashion weeks have wrapped up, the buyers tend to buy less," says designer Reynu Taandon.
"It’s great to have the fashion week in February and probably be the first one to have it. Just that, now we’ll have to work harder to finish our collections in time," says designer JJ Valaya. Designer Anjana Bhargav agrees. "February will get us maximum buyers. But it’ll also put extra pressure on the designers as the orders from the previous fashion week only go by January."
First Published: Dec 02, 2011 18:59 IST


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Latest COVID-19 Industry Impact Report Available
Source: International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Bakery, Dairy, Deli
Madison, WI — The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) has released their latest COVID-19 Impact report.
This week’s report found that total store sales, including the fresh perimeter, held very steady a little over +10%, in spite of going up against the Father’s Day 2019 sales bump, that fell a week earlier than in 2020. Natural cheese is the largest dairy category with sales of $296 million, followed by milk and yogurt. To date, June shows continued acceleration in sales gains for random weight, non-UPC deli meat from the week prior, at +8.8%. The in-store bakery does continue to be an area of service differentiation amid pandemic shopping fears.


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BA eyes up Spanish airlline
BRITISH Airways boss Rod Eddington refused to rule out a bid for Spanish airline Iberia - but said any possible offer was at least a year away.
Eddington, speaking after the sale of the firm's £425m stake in Australian carrier Qantas, said: 'Any such deal could only take place once an open skies arrangement over the Atlantic is struck between the EU and the US.'
Such an arrangement would allow the airlines to fly from all European airports to the US.
Eddington predicted an 'open skies' arrangement with the US could come as early as next year.
But he added: 'It is wrong to speculate that a deal (for Iberia) is about to be done.'
BA owns a 9.93% stake in Iberia, and has two seats on its board.
Eddington is known to want to bolster BA's ailing short-haul business and Iberia - currently valued at £1.4bn - is seen as a good fit. Iberia refused to comment.
BA's 18.25% stake in Qantas is being sold by Citibank through a share placing. It paid £304m for the stake in 1993.
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The smartwatch seems to be catching on, at least among early adopters in the tech industry who were on hand for the Samsung Developer Conference.
Early reaction to Samsung's new Galaxy Gear smartwatch, announced on Wednesday in Berlin, was decidedly downbeat if not downright negative.
By 2020, Nissan will offer self-driving cars in several models created in collaboration with tech teams from the top universities, including MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Tokyo.
Microsoft is reportedly moving ahead quickly with development of a smartwatch, having reached the prototype stage of a 1.5-in. device running on a modified Windows 8 housed in a translucent aluminum case.
After nearly a week of speculation, Facebook announced today that Instagram, its popular photo-sharing service, now supports video.
With Google's futuristic wearable computers on the way, one research firm calculates that the worldwide market for smart glasses could reach nearly 10 million units by 2016.
Before an official pair has even been released, a Seattle cafe has banned customers from wearing Google's computerised eye glasses inside the business.
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The one millionth Raspberry Pi computer manufactured in Britain has rolled off the production line. The credit card-sized machine, which costs as little as $25, has become a bit of a cult hit recently for hobbyists and kids who are interested in coding and the intricacies of computer hardware.
Production of the Raspberry Pi originally began in China, but moved to a plant owned by Sony in South Wales back in September 2012.
All told, 1.75 million Raspberry Pi computers have been sold worldwide. Sony was kind enough to build a gold-plated case for the one millionth UK edition too: “We’ll be displaying it proudly here at Pi Towers,” the company said.
Take a bow, Raspberry Pi. That’s quite an achievement.


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Tessuti to expand portfolio
Cecil Gee stores are to be converted into the Tessuti brand, following the acqusitiion of a 50% stake in the Chester-based independent last month by JD Sports Fashion.
There are four Tessuti stores, all in the North West; two in Chester, one in Trafford Centre and another in Lowry Outlet Mall in Salford Quays.
Cecil Gee has been around on the high street for 83 years and today has five stores, in Bristol, Gateshead, Greenhithe, London and Trafford Centre.
Under the Tessuti name, the stores will stock more premium brands such as Edwin, Hugo Boss and Stone Island, replacing mid-market brands.
Tessuti will continue to manage the stores for JD Sports Fashion.


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The new online magazine of K in Düsseldorf featuring facts, news, stories and trends from the international plastics and rubber industry
For nearly 70 years K has been the World’s No. 1 Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber. However, K in Düsseldorf is not only the most relevant live event of the sector every three years but also views itself as the global communication platform for innovations and trends. This is why from now on there will be K-MAG, the new and permanent information and inspiration platform for the K community 365 days a year.
The new online magazine is aimed at all sectors associated with K and provides facts, news, stories and trends from the international plastics and rubber industry in German and English all year round. It will hone in on K’s big themes such as sustainability, circular economy and digitalisation. It’s all about the mix, which is why the K-Mag will include a wide range of features such as “Industry Voices” with forward-looking contributions by industry representatives and opinion leaders, “Science News” reporting about current research results and studies, or “Young Professionals” with articles and tips specifically for the young generation, while “Apropos K” addresses a plethora of plastics-related topics from everyday routine, history or from various countries.
To make the K-MAG as attractive as possible, the content will be presented in a variety of formats – such as editorial features, news, interviews, videos and photo galleries. The formats here range from clear fact and information processing to infotainment elements – always with a focus on plastics and rubber, of course.
The next K in Düsseldorf will be held from 19 to 26 October 2022.