text:
Profitability of the largest companies in Bulgaria continues to improve in 2021, while revenues of the fastest-growing large firms jump to an unprecedented 144%
The revenues of the 50 fastest growing companies increased by an average of 56% in 2019, with the largest companies growing particularly fast.
After a record-breaking 2017, manufacturers and traders reported a downturn. The sector’s profit fell by half in 2018 compared to the previous year
As many as 10% of the companies in the 2008 ranking have disappeared since then but half of the remaining businesses are twice the size they were a decade ago
Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, has yet to decide where to build its new production facility but Turkey seems favorite
The local economy recorded the highest growth rate among all Bulgarian regions in the past decade
Exporters and retailers again hired most employees
The 50 most profitable companies of 2018 post record-high average profit margins of 25%.
Bulgarian exports rose at a nominally disappointing annual rate in 2018 but goods sold abroad have become more specialized
Saudi Arabia consolidates its place as a top small arms export destination for the third year running, despite human rights abuses and uncertainty about where weapons end up
KRIB has become a quasi-state structure under the chairmanship of Kiril Domuschiev
The rapid growth in the turnover of arms manufacturers and traders is probably nearing its end
Ideal Standard’s businesses in Sevlievo are focusing on growth after being acquired by Anchorage Capital earlier this year.
The group of manufacturing companies with double-digit margins is the largest
The business of the 50 fastest-growing companies expands by 47% on average in 2017.
Bulgarian exports of capital goods are on the rise but without fresh investments the sector will soon reach its limits


text: Amphenol has made a binding offer of $1.275 billion to Bain Capital for FCI Asia, which will be the company’s second acquisition this year. The acquisition, which will be financed with cash and debt, will close by the end of 2015. FCI Asia’s 2015 sales are expected to be approximately $600 million with an adjusted EDBITDA margin of 20%. FCI, which supplies connectors for the telecom/datacom and industrial market, employs about 7,400 people worldwide. This is the second company Amphenol has acquired in 2015, following its acquisition of Invotec Circuits Limited in the first quarter.

domain: news


text:
Check out our Mercedes-Benz CLS photo gallery
with HQ pics.
Last update in CLS gallery: 2018-08-08
Mercedes-Benz is preparing a new designation O-Class for Europe.
In a few months, Daimler will demonstrate the latest prototype from the ESF series.
The newest Mercedes-Benz G-Class in basic equipment went on sale. The novelty has got a turbodiesel.
Mercedes-AMG presented an additional aerodynamic body kit for AMG GT 4-Door, which is a competitor to Porsche Panamera.
Mercedes-Benz presented the diesel version of the new generation G-Class SUV.
Mercedes-Benz told about own plans for the release of new products for 2019.
We select only big size mercedes-benz cls photos
for our photogallery.


text:
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — There’s a last-second push for presents today.
Many people went out shopping on Monday for those final gifts ahead of the Christmas holiday.
Stores were busy with shoppers taking advantage of sales. Some shoppers say the hustle and bustle adds to the holiday excitement.
Many of the area shopping malls close at 6 p.m., and will will remain closed Christmas Day.
Shoppers at MacArthur mall in Norfolk not only got in their last minute shopping,
“I got most of the stuff already I’m just getting little stuff I haven’t gotten my mom anything or my little brother and my niece,” said Rochael Adolph.
But also got the last chance to give their list to Santa Claus.
“It’s a lot busier than I thought it would be. It was hectic trying to find a parking spot but you know it’s what you’d expect on Christmas Eve,” said Jonathan Neely.
This includes Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake, Norfolk Premium Outlets, MacArthur Center, Lynnhaven Mall and Williamsburg Premium Outlets.
The malls are scheduled to reopen Wednesday morning.


text:
GoPro has announced the new Hero3+ series, which is an update to the Hero3 cameras. The Hero3 launched around a year ago. The Hero3+ will be available starting today and it will be available in three models. The Black Edition costs $399, the Silver Edition costs $299, and the White Edition costs $199.
All of these versions are 20% thinner and lighter than the Hero3, according to AllThingsD. The Black and Silver Editions have improved image quality and battery life. The Hero3+ Black Edition has a feature called SuperView, which converts video shot in 4:3 aspect ratio to 16:9.
The Hero3+ has automatic low-light, which changes the frame rate based on what the lighting conditions are. The Hero3+ Silver Edition is twice as powerful as the previous version as it can shoot 1080p video at up to 60fps compared to 30fps. GoPro sold over 2.3 million cameras last year and they will beat that number this year.


text:
New vehicle sales are expected to drop 1% year-over-year to a total of 1.5 million units in July 2016, resulting in an estimated 17.5 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, or SAAR, according to Kelley Blue Book.
The estimate is in line with a growing consensus that sales of new vehicles peaked during the summer and fall of 2015 and the growth of sales has flattened out in recent months. However, the competition for those sales has intensified as the recent furor General Motors use of incentive “increases” revealed.
Chuck Stevens, GM’s chief financial officer, said the discounts GM offered over the Fourth of July was a “tactic” and not a signal that GM was preparing to make broader use of incentives.
Following a weaker-than-anticipated sales month in June, Kelley Blue Book expects new-car sales to bounce back to the mid-17 million SAAR range in July, helped by a strong Fourth of July weekend, increased incentives and continued growth in leasing. Sales in the first half of the year totaled 8.6 million units, which was the highest first-half volume since 2001.
“The new-car market currently appears to be reaching its peak in terms of sales, and now there is a better chance that 2016 won’t be another record year, as year-over-year comparisons for the remainder of 2016 will be tough,” said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book.
(Wyoming the most expensive state to own a car. For more, Click Here.)
“After a record new-car sales total in the United States in 2015, Kelley Blue Book’s full-year forecast for 2016 now calls for sales in the range of 17.4 million to 17.8 million, which would range anywhere from a slight year-over-year decline to a 2% increase.”
In July 2016, new light-vehicle sales, including fleet, are expected to hit 1.5 million units, down 1% from July 2015 and down 1% from June 2016. The seasonally adjusted annual rate SAAR for July 2016 is estimated to be 17.5 million, which is even with July 2015 and up from 16.6 million in June 2016, according to KBB’s analysts.
Retail sales are expected to account for 84% of volume in July 2016, down from 84.4% in July 2015.
A WardsAuto forecast calls for U.S. light-vehicle sales to reach a 17.6 million-unit seasonally adjusted annual rate in July, following June’s 16.6 million SAAR.
(New study names customers’ “ideal vehicles.” Click Here to see why Tesla, GMC, Volvo and Subaru come out on top.)
General Motors sales are expected to slide 4%, which is likely to be one of the biggest volume declines of the major manufacturers in July. Much of the monthly decline can be attributed to a drop in rental sales, as GM continues to focuses on increasing retail share. However, to drive new sales, GM also has increased incentive spending, with the average climbing to nearly $4,000 per unit, according to KBB.
Nissan North America could gain the most market share in July, with a projected 4 percent increase in volume, due to strong months from the Frontier and Rogue. The Frontier is benefitting from being in the hot midsize pickup segment, while the Rogue could surpass the Altima as Nissan’s top seller in July.
Analysts, however, suggested that Nissan is paying a price for gains with larger incentives, analysts said this week.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. is grappling with a growing scandal over inflated sales totals that is creating uncertainty around its sales figures both in the past and in the future. FCA acknowledged this week that its eye catching string of 75 monthly sales increase actually came to an end three years ago.
(High-tech safety features “APEAL” to consumers, says J.D. Power study. For more, Click Here.)
Meanwhile, Ford, like General Motors, expect another strong year of results, and Ford committed to full year guidance of company pre-tax profit and operating margin equal to or better than last year; however, company now sees risks challenging achieving guidance.


text:
Battlegrounds Mobile India or BGMI is breaking records ever since it was released officially on 2nd July,2021. It has created another milestone as today BGMI crosses 50 million downloads! Players can now claim their in-game reward which Krafton promised, will be available once BGMI crosses 50 million downloads.
Battlegrounds Mobile India is a BR game that is exclusively made for the Indian users. The game is considered a replica of PUBG Mobile but there are several features which makes it distinguishable from PUBG Mobile. The pre-registrations alone had crossed 20 million. It has come a long way ever since its early access was available for the players. With Krafton hosting 2 major events such as BGMI Launch Party & BGMI Freedom Face-Off, the popularity of BGMI has surpassed all expectations.
BGMI has achieved this feat in Android devices only, considering that BGMI is yet to be released for iOS devices. Players can now collect the amazing outfit which was announced in BGMI 50 million downloads rewards event.
Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) crosses 50 million downloads
Krafton had earlier announced BGMI 50 million downloads rewards event to celebrate the milestone when BGMI crosses 50 million downloads. Today it has achieved the feat and players can collect the reward that was promised by Krafton. Players were given 3 different rewards at different phases. The rewards have been mentioned below:
- 48M downloads: Supply Coupon Crate Scrap X3
- 49M downloads: Classic Coupon Crate Scrap X3
- 50M downloads: Permanent Galaxy Messenger Set X1
Players can redeem these rewards by heading over to the Events section and clicking on 50 million downloads Final phase and collect Galaxy Messenger Set. Players should also collect the rewards of previous phases if they haven’t collected it. It is also important to note that these rewards will be available for a month so players should collect the rewards as soon as possible.
One of the primary reason of BGMI’s popularity is that Krafton is giving away a lot of rewards for the players. For players who had pre-registered for the game, Krafton had given them a Recon Outfit and a Celebration Expert title. Not only that, players were also given 2 supply crate coupons & 1 classic crate coupon after BGMI had crossed 1 and 5 million downloads respectively. A permanent constable set was rewarded to the players one the game crossed 10 million downloads.
With so many rewards in line, along with unique events such as BGMI Independence Day Mahotsav Event where players were given a time-limited AWM skin, every gaming enthusiast is willing to try out this game. The fact that BGMI has crossed 50 million downloads in Android devices only came as a surprise as the game is still unavailable for iOS devices. iOS users were also exempted from pre-registrations of BGMI.
However, iOS users can heave a sigh of relief as Krafton is teasing on the game’s iOS release recently therefore it is expected that the game will be available soon for iOS devices. Krafton had also hinted on the release when they claimed that any player regardless of their OS, can register for BGMI India Series 2021. The registrations for the tournament are still running. We recommend the interested players to register as soon as they can.


text:
* The BSE index up 0.18 percent and the NSE index
rises 0.22 percent, led by gains in auto shares on
higher-than-expected October vehicle shares.
* Maruti Suzuki shares up 1 percent, after the company
said its October vehicle sales up 86 percent.
* Mahindra & Mahindra gains 1.33 percent after
reporting on year rise of 29 percent in vehicle sales in
* Bharti Airtel shares surged 3.8 percent on hopes of
a price increase and lower competition due to higher spectrum
prices, dealers said.
* Wipro rises 3.6 percent after the company's Chief
Financial Officer Suresh Senapaty said profit margins are
expected to improve after it separates its non-IT businesses
into a separate company.


text:
World's most expensive office spaces revealed
Five of the six most expensive office spaces in the world are in Asia, according to a biannual report released today by CBRE.
This comes as no surprise, as demand by global companies to relocate to the rapidly developing Asian cities increases – often outstripping the supply.
The report identifies the highest dollar per square foot occupancy cost, spanning 127 business districts the world over. The final sum takes into account local taxes and service charges.
For the third consecutive time, Hong Kong’s Central business district has topped the list, with commercial space at the end of March averaging at $235.23 per square foot annually – leading London’s West End at $222.58. Beijing claimed the third and fourth positions, with Finance Street and the central business district at $195.07 and $187.06 per square foot respectively.
New Delhi’s Connaught Place saw occupancy at a considerable high of $178.96, and HK’s West Kowloon area at $173.90.
“Demand is coming from a lot of multinational corporations who want to place a stake into these developing economies,” said Raymond Torto, CRBE’s global chief economist. “When they look around some of these cities, they want to be in the best locations because there’s not a lot of good infrastructure. You want to be close to other business, and close to transportation. You also want to be in a quality property.”
Seventh is Moscow, followed by Tokyo’s Marunouchi/Otemachi district, and London’s City district. Midtown Manhattan made tenth place, at $120.65 per square foot.
The most significant increase came from Jakarta, with costs climbing 38.9 percent compared with just a year earlier.
Globally, occupancy costs rose by 1.4 percent.


text:
There were probably hundreds of parties thrown for/by celebrities and VIPs during Super Bowl weekend earlier this month, but Style Icon Events' soirée in Texas was likely the only one that had the Dell Streak on the guest list.
The invitation-only Celebrity Lounge and Party was hosted by Modern Family's Sofia Vergara on February 5th and 6th, and attendees received a gift bag filled with more than $4,000 worth of goodies . . . including the Streak! That's Terrell Owens (wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals) posing with his new tablet on the right. You can see that it's got Dell's Stage UI on the home screen, which means it's running Android 2.2 (Froyo) and—since AT&T-locked devices are still stuck on 1.6 [Update: Not anymore!]—is of the unlocked variety. Anything less than that and Owens certainly would've said that Dell dropped the ball!
It may not have been an A-list party but hey, the Streak in the hands of any celebrity is media attention the device could certainly use. And at the very least, the event was a gathering of a bunch of new Streak owners.
Oh, and if you live in the US and are at least 18 years old, you can enter a sweepstakes held by Style Icon Events to win a celebrity gift bag. It would make sense to assume that it's the same bag that was given away at the Super Bowl bash since the $4K+ figure is mentioned on the contest page and in a company tweet, but according to the official rules, the prize contains "items similar to those given to celebrities at the…Style Icon event in Dallas on Feb. 5th and 6th, with a total approximate retail value of $1,000." Whatever the prize, the sweepstakes ends on Friday.[Style Icon Gifting Suite]


text:
Is Your Favorite Ice Cream Posing As Something Else?
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – You might want to check the label the next time you reach for that carton of ice cream.
You probably haven't noticed, but something very subtle is happening in the ice cream aisle and not everyone is happy about it.
Breyers has been making ice cream since 1866, but if you look closely, ice cream isn't ice cream anymore. It's frozen dairy dessert.
"I thought I was buying ice cream," Mary Bach said.
Bach has been buying Breyers' butter pecan for years, but the last time she bought it, something was different.
"I brought it home and I served it to a couple of family members, who immediately said something is wrong with this product," Bach said.
After reading the label, Bach noticed the words "frozen dairy dessert," not "ice cream" like the container used to say.
"It's definitely not ice cream and to me and my family, it certainly doesn't taste like ice cream," Bach said.
Butter pecan and other popular Breyers flavors like cookies & cream, chocolate chip cookie dough and rocky road are now called frozen dairy dessert. The change in name is because Breyers changed the ingredients and legally they can no longer call their product ice cream.
One ice cream blogger wrote, "Frozen Dairy Dessert is the scourge of the ice cream aisle!."
However, it's not just Breyers. Turkey Hill's Stuff'd flavors are frozen dairy dessert and so is chocolate peanut butter cup made by Friendly's.
"I think if people knew it was frozen dairy dessert they might think twice about buying it," Bach said.
So, why did Breyers make the change on so many of its flavors? Here's what Bach thinks.
"I am convinced that Breyers did this change over with most of its flavors as a cost-cutting measure," Bach said.
The company said it makes frozen dairy dessert because it's, "blended in a whole new way to create a smoother texture."
It "tends to have less fat" than ice cream and the company said in a national side by side taste test "our fans like the new recipe just as much as the original. "
We set up our own taste test with five college students. None of them had ever heard of frozen dairy dessert.
"I would never have noticed that if you hadn't said anything," Elysa Sanchez said.
However, when we put frozen dairy dessert up against real ice cream there was a noticeable difference.
"When I had them side-by-side, I definitely liked the ice cream more," Phil Navatsyk said.
"I am now going to look at the package and make sure it's ice cream. I mean, this tastes good, but I would much rather have the ice cream," Courtny Jodon said.
Also, we seemed to hit a nerve when we mentioned Breyers changed its recipe, but not its price.
"It's not real ice cream, but you're still charging me more than $6 for fake ice cream? I [want to] pay for real ice cream," Sanchez said.
In the end, the college students, who value their money and treats, made one thing very clear: they prefer ice cream over frozen dairy dessert.
They said they would pick ice cream every time, if given the choice. Even if companies raised prices, they were willing to pay more for real ice cream.
Breyers isn't saying it changed its recipe to save money, but Turkey Hill who uses frozen dairy dessert in its Stuff'd varieties said it does that "to keep production costs in line."
The Stuff'd varieties have lots of goodies like cookies and candy and nuts and are more expensive to make.
More Local News
More Consumer News
More Reports From Susan Koeppen
for more features.


text:
Following the release of the OnePlus 11, we are now expecting the launch of yet another product from OnePlus Yes, we are talking about the OnePlus Nord CE 3 smartphone, which has its live photos 2 days ago and today another clear live Image was shared by MySmartPrice revealing the majority of the important design as well as the specs.
The upcoming OnePlus mid-ranger has been the subject of a number of different leaks over the past several days, including live photos of the device.
OnePlus Nord CE 3 specs and details
According to the information that has been provided by MySmartPrice, the back panel of the upcoming Nord range will have a glossy and lustrous appearance. In addition, this panel will be able to support two enormous circular camera mounts even though there is no outer frame. The fact that one of the attachments already has two lenses mounted to it is a strong indicator that the phone will support a triple-camera arrangement.
In the meantime, the left edge will house the volume controls in addition to the SIM tray. Furthermore, the USB Type-C connector, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the speaker grille will all be located at the bottom slit of the phone.
Let’s move on to the front of the phone. The live photos of the OnePlus Nord CE 3 show a punch hole in the top center of the device. In addition to that, the display will be an FHD+ IPS LCD flatscreen that only has very tiny bezels all the way around the surface. In addition to that, the bezel around the phone will have a matte finish.
The smartphone is said to debut with a Snapdragon 695 SoC, 5,000 mAh battery, and 67W fast charging, according to earlier rumors. The choice of the chipset will also be a step down in comparison to that of the Nord CE 2, which used the more competent Dimensity 900 and offered the ability to record 4K video.
The main camera on the OnePlus Nord CE 3 will have 108 megapixels, and there will also be two 2-megapixel sensors for depth and macro photography. Disappointingly, there is not an ultrawide camera included in this device. It’s possible that the front punch hole will hold a 16-megapixel camera for taking selfies and video calls.
The Nord CE 3 is rumored to make its debut in July of this year, so we should have more information about it then.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Yum! Brands executives included at top of restaurant publication’s power list
Send this to a friend
Nation’s Restaurant News released its list of 50 most powerful people shaping the restaurant industry today, and two Yum! Brands Inc. (NYSE: YUM) executives made it to the top tier.
Both Sam Su, chairman and CEO of Yum! Restaurants China, and Greg Creed, CEO of Yum’s Taco Bell, placed in the top 10 along with other industry notables including Don Thompson, president and CEO of McDonalds Corp. (NYSE: MCD); Sally Smith, president and CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD); and Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE: CMG).
According to Nation’s Restaurant News, Creed deserved the distinction for overseeing the launch of Taco Bell’s popular Doritos Locos Taco, which has sold more $1 billion worth of tacos. He also changed the Texas-based chain’s slogan to “Live Más” from its longtime “Think Outside the Bun” concept.
The company is expected soon to debut its new breakfast menu, which includes traditional items such as oatmeal and parfait, and also an A.M. Crunchwrap with eggs, cheese and hash browns folded into a soft tortilla, Nation’s Restaurant News noted.
As for Su, the list’s bullets of success avoided the recent struggles KFC China has faced, including declining sales and fears about bird flu, and instead focused on the company’s impressive growth rate in China over the years.
The publication’s list said that Su was ahead of the curve and led Yum! Brands China to surpass the billion-dollar profit mark in 2012.
Today, the China division of Yum! Brands Inc. brings in $8 billion in total sales and accounts for more than 40 percent of Yum Brands overall profits worldwide.
Caitlin Bowling covers these beats: Restaurants, retail, human resources, and women & minority affairs.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- Celebrate National Coffee Day with a free cup from Dunkin' Donuts
- Brown-Forman plans $30 million distillery downtown
- Kentucky Kingdom to expand rides, hours in 2015
- Zappos outlet store moving to Las Vegas
- Jennifer Lawrence gave a 'shout out' to one of our Fast 50 companies
- GE could get another $40 million in tax incentives
- Louisville event planner coordinating in-flight wedding
- With new tenant, downtown tower is about 60 percent occupied
- Procedure offers new option for some sleep apnea patients
- DMLO names new president, tweaks its brand
Business Advisor Indiana Small Business Development Center | New Albany, IN
Marketing Communication Specialist Marshfield Clinic | Marshfield, WI
All Positions Cabela's | Louisville, KY
Freight Sales Account Executive UPS | Louisville, KY
Maintenance Assistant Trilogy Health Services | Louisville, KY


text:
Google I/O 2018 kicks off today in Mountain View, California. The two day event starts with a big Google keynote that will see the company lay out its plans for the future of its biggest products, including Android and Chrome OS.
You can watch the whole thing live right here from 10 a.m. Pacific.
Android tablets were never going to topple the iPad, so now Apple’s rivals are trying their luck with new slates powered by Chrome OS. HP is the latest to throw its hat into the ring with the Chromebook x2, a pricey competitor to iPad Pro that ships with a detachable keyboard and stylus.
It’s somewhat attractive, but it makes no sense at $599.
The first ever tablet to run Google’s Chrome OS has finally arrived.
Acer revealed its new Chromebook Tab 10 which is aiming to take a big slice of the education market. Chrome OS laptops have already had a lot of success in schools, but Apple is planning to launch its own cheap tablet for schools tomorrow. And it will undoubtedly steal the Chromebook Tab 10’s thunder.
Google’s Chrome OS platform is finally exciting, thanks to the new Pixelbook.
It sports a premium design that’s incredible thin and light, and powerful hardware that you won’t find in another Chromebook. It’s also compatible with the new Pixelbook Pen, which makes light work of annotating documents, finding information, and more.
Google is expected to announce to new Pixel phones that will step up Android’s fight against the iPhone next month — and its assault on Apple won’t stop there.
According to a new report, the company is also planning a Pixel laptop powered by a new “Andromeda” operating system that will do battle with the MacBook. It could also steal some of its features, including the pressure-sensitive trackpad.


text:
The San Francisco company readies to reveal its first clinical study results in the near termRead more...
The company bowed to advertising pressure, quashed pro-privacy Explorer design in 2008.
The WSJ just published the billy club for your weekly Microsoft beatdown. Turns out the company quashed internal efforts to boost online privacy in favor of making more money with advertising. Horrible, right? The Microsoft lynch mob is gathering on the Washington border. But before you start practicing your sideswipe, here's an apologia for Redmond.
First, the facts: In 2008, the design team for Internet Explorer had the most advanced privacy protection on the planet worked into a forthcoming browser update. Accepting cookies would be opt-in and all tracking would be blocked using sophisticated detection. It would draw a line in the sand for browsers everywhere and boost online privacy across the board.
Then, Microsoft’s advertising division led by Brian McAndrews, the former CEO of aQuantive that Microsoft had bought for over $6 billion in 2007, caught wind and raised a stink. A really big stink. Balmer assigned two executives to moderate the debate and they convened basically the entire media industry, including the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the Online Publishers' Association and the American Association of Advertising Agencies, for a knock-down drag-out meeting. The secret negotiations and further internal discussions ultimately led to nixing the privacy advancements. What came out was a browser that required consumers to turn on the feature that blocks tracking by websites every single time they open it up (who does that?), and even dropped a feature that would have blocked Web addresses blacklisted by privacy groups for consumer tracking.
Microsoft will inevitably be maligned for this decision. They killed privacy online. But there’s another side to this story.
Ultimately, there are two ways for media companies to make money: sell advertising or sell your voice. The latter means you let sponsorship dollars ooze into editorial decisions. This happens a lot in Silicon Valley, and in most trade organizations because sponsors are willing to pay a heck of a lot more if they get a trusted voice to shill their product under a guise of objectivity.
The other way to make money doesn’t pay as well—no brand wants to be stuck in a “sponsored” box, clearly delineated as a paying advertiser. But that’s better for readers, because it keeps reporters trustworthy.
The problem is, online advertising simply never materialized as the big market everyone was expecting back in 2006. Just ask the New York Times, and the hordes of startups swept up in last year’s Silicon dust bin. For publishers to survive, online advertising needs to be more efficient and lucrative. Without better tracking and targeting, editorial organizations would be even more at the beck and call of their paying sponsors. That bit of browsing privacy lost may have made publishers' voices a little less conflicted.
Support VatorNews by Donating
Read more from our "Trends and news" series
As adventure tourism grows, niche startups emerge from WeChalet to ThermalRead more...
The two companies first entered into a pilot in DecemberRead more...


text:
Startup activity can signal a city’s economic potential, but it’s actually the quality of the startups, not the quantity, that matters.
That’s just one of several important findings from a paper released this week by Jorge Guzman and Scott Stern, both of MIT. The paper surveys the landscape of American entrepreneurship, offering an optimistic picture of it and of the U.S. economy’s future prospects.
The study’s core point is simple. We’ve long known that new businesses matter to the economy and that it’s a small group of fast-growing firms that matter most, because of the jobs and innovation they bring. What Guzman and Stern add is a method for identifying the firms that are trying to grow. A new restaurant or dry cleaner probably won’t end up hiring thousands of employees or commercializing new technology. On the other hand, what the authors call “innovation-driven enterprises” — think Facebook or Google — do intend to grow and can have significant economic impact. Guzman and Stern’s quality measure seeks to separate the former from the latter.
With this measure of entrepreneurship “quality” in hand, the researchers can map the geography of startup potential, linking it to cities’ future growth.
The chart above shows where cities fall according to Guzman and Stern’s measure of average startup quality between 2001 and 2003 — more on that in a moment — and compares that to their GDP growth from 2003–2014. “A doubling of entrepreneurial quality predicts an increase of 6.8% in GDP 11 years in the future,” the authors report. By contrast, startup quantity is less correlated and not significantly linked once the city’s current GDP is controlled for.
The authors say they are not implying that entrepreneurship, even the quality kind, necessarily causes growth. It could also be that “the reason people start firms is that they see opportunities,” said Guzman, which would mean measures of entrepreneurship could simply reflect a city’s economic strength rather than causing it.
To determine which new firms are likely to grow, Guzman and Stern developed an algorithm that predicts the chances of a startup going public or being acquired for a significant sum. Firms that register in Delaware are more likely to grow, for instance, as are firms that file as a corporation rather than a partnership or an LLC. Firms that apply for patents are also more likely to grow. Firms that are named after their founders are less so.
Amazingly, these and other factors can predict a startup’s prospects pretty well. Three-quarters of the startups that end up going public or being acquired score in the top 10% by this algorithm, based only on factors available at the time of their founding. The algorithm isn’t good enough to distinguish Facebook from MySpace, so it won’t help venture capitalists do their work. But by applying this algorithm to business registration records, the researchers can get a reasonable measure of the entrepreneurial quality of a city, state, or nation.
Entrepreneurship for the Long TermSponsored by Northern TrustSet your company up for success.
In addition to predicting growth, the researchers’ measure of startup quality challenges two common economic arguments. The first is that American entrepreneurship is in decline. That’s true as measured by the number of new businesses, but Guzman and Stern’s measure shows that America’s entrepreneurial potential has increased since the Great Recession and that in 2014 it was almost as high as its 2000 peak. In some places, including the Bay Area, it’s at record highs. (Guzman and Stern’s data is restricted to 15 states but includes the major U.S. startup hubs.)
The second bit of pushback concerns the argument, put forward by economists such as Larry Summers and Robert Gordon, that America is facing a period of slow economic growth. “Our index does say there’s been a steady growth of [quality] entrepreneurship,” Guzman said, and he sees this as reason for optimism. Whether or not startups directly cause economic growth, they seem to predict it, so the high number of growth-oriented startups in recent years may be cause for confidence in the future of the American economy.
The challenge, as FiveThirtyEight’s Ben Casselman explains in his coverage of the research, is that quality startups don’t seem to be as likely to grow as in the past. The number of startups that the algorithm scores as quality is high, but the likelihood of a successful IPO or acquisition hasn’t kept up. This could be a function of funding availability and the IPO market, or it could reflect something darker about the U.S. economy, perhaps that incumbents are more protected from competition than they used to be. In a companion policy paper, Guzman, Stern, Catherine Fazio, and Fiona Murray urge policy makers to take this drop in growth events seriously by focusing on the problems startups face when trying to scale.
The good news is that the potential is there. America is producing fewer new businesses than it once did but plenty of the ones that matter most. The trick is to make sure that they grow.


text:
E-commerce has grown tremendously over recent years, and it will continue to grow in years to come. A lot of people are relying on to buy products online because it is more efficient and could be done in the comfort of their home. The innovative release of cryptocurrencies is going to have a significant impact on this industry. One of the most persistent and blooming digital currencies at the moment is the Alibabacoin.
Created by a Belarus and Dubai-based crypto firm, the Alibabacoin is known to be on the rise after breaking the $100 million market capitalization value on February 2019. The sudden growth of the coin’s potential troubled the Chinese e-commerce giant, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. This caused the long-running legal battle fought between these two digital companies within the United States setting.
A few days ago, Reuter’s has published a report stating that the ABBC Foundation (former Alibabacoin Foundation) and China’s Alibaba group has finally reached a worldwide settlement. Despite winning the preliminary injunction, ABBC Foundation has given the “Alibabacoin” jurisdiction to Alibaba. Now, the coin is widely-accepted as ABBC Coin.
Based on a recent interview with Alibaba Group China’s vice president, the company is considering the implementation of blockchain in its supply chain. This might be related to a published report by the World Trade Organization saying that blockchain applications could be highly-effective to several industries including finance and logistics.
The fact that Alibaba Group owns the biggest online shopping in the world makes people more certain that the benefits of using the Alibabacoin will be in their favor. This will simplify the shopping process and reduce transaction fees. With this venture, their online retail industry could grow even more.
For sure, the e-commerce and crypto industries would result in a huge transformation in the financial sector. This trend will continue and the future of the Alibabacoin may perhaps depend on online platforms designed to make business smoother for both buyers and sellers, such as Alibaba Group China’s company.
Despite the volatile nature of the crypto market, ABBC coin’s standing also remains to be strong. It is among the top 40 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, as seen in the Coin Market Cap rankings.


text:
Down East Holiday Show to Take Place Virtually Nov. 6-8
WINTERVILLE—After fighting off one curveball after another thrown by the coronavirus pandemic, the Pitt Community College Foundation has reached the short rows in terms of preparations for the 2020 Down East Holiday Show.
This year, the organization’s largest annual fundraiser will take place Nov. 6-8, but it will do so with a significantly different format due COVID-19. Instead of hundreds of vendors selling their wares to thousands of shoppers in the Greenville Convention Center, the show will feature mouse clicks and virtual shopping carts, since it will be held virtually.
During a Sept. 21 press conference, PCC Foundation Executive Director Beth Sigmon announced that the 2020 edition of the Holiday Show would take place online due to state social distancing regulations and health safety concerns associated with COVID-19.
“It’s been a difficult year for planning practically any activity, and that has certainly included PCC Foundation fundraisers,” Sigmon said this week. “After completely changing plans for our spring fundraiser at the last minute due to the coronavirus, we held our fall employee fund drive entirely online. And now, of course, we’re preparing to hold the Holiday Show virtually for the first time ever.”
PCC Events Coordinator Erin Greenleaf says shoppers began registering to participate in the virtual Holiday Show on Oct. 1. Registration is still underway at www.downeastholidayshow.com, she said, adding that the cost is $10 for three full days of shopping from the comfort of home.
Once registered, Greenleaf says shoppers will receive an access code that works for each show date. They’ll also be eligible to win a Kate Spade purse from Bob 93.3.
Greenleaf says shoppers will enter the show through an app they download to their smartphone or computer. Vendors, she says, can be located by name, product category and on a map.
“We’ve tried to make the virtual show as similar to our in-person event as possible,” Greenleaf said. “Vendors will be displayed on a map as if they were set up in the Greenville Convention Center. Shoppers can simply click on a booth to see what they have for sale, and there will also be an option for them to message vendors directly with questions.”
Even though there isn’t a uniform process for vendors to ship the items they’ve sold, Greenleaf says the foundation has designated Nov. 14 as an opportunity for shoppers to pick up their purchases on the PCC campus. She said many businesses may choose to ship purchases directly to customers at no additional cost, while others will offer drop-off options and porch pickup opportunities at their storefront locations.
In addition to items for sale, Greenleaf says the show will feature vendor demonstrations at scheduled times, holiday music from PCC faculty, and Santa Claus reading stories for kids.
Since it began in 2002, the Down East Holiday Show has generated more than $1.4 million to benefit PCC student scholarships and educational activities.


text:
Coronavirus: Travel bans are 'not watertight' warns expert
A cruise ship due to dock in the south-east of Asia was denied entry to a port by authorities in Myanmar over coronavirus fears. The Silver Spirit had recently visited Phuket, Thailand, before setting sail for Myanmar.
Thailand currently has 43 confirmed cases of the virus.
The luxury liner, operated by Monaco-based Silversea Cruises, was due to dock at Thilawa before it was stopped by port authorities due to its previous location.
Though the ship had not reported any cases on board, health officials said they did not know if anyone was showing symptoms of the virus.
"We have informed the port authorities that the entry of this ship should not be allowed," said Khin Maung Soe, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.
Cruise: The Silverseas ship was turned away amid coronavirus panic
“Even if passengers haven't shown the symptoms so far, they might when they arrive in Myanmar and it will be difficult for the country to control.
“If things get worse, our people might get affected.”
On a statement posted to its Facebook page, the Ministry of Health for Myanmar said the ship should not be allowed to dock due to having visited a destination where the infection rate was high.
A Silverseas spokesperson explained to Express.co.uk that the port had decided to close to all cruise ships, not just the Silver Spirit.
The ship is continuing on to its next port in the Mediterranean.
Cruise: Protestors meet Princess Cruises ship on Réunion Island [COMMENT]
Cruise: Fred Olsen ship docks in St Maarten amid coronavirus fear [UPDATE]
Cruise ship crew reveals terrifying truth about sickness onboard [INSIGHT]
A spokesperson from Silverseas Cruises told Express.co.uk: "Following the port of Yangon’s closure to all cruise ships on 2 March 2020, Silversea recently changed the itinerary of Silver Spirit’s sailing 5005, switching Myanmar with multiple ports in Malaysia. Our guests are enjoying their cruise and the ship is expected to continue her course towards the Mediterranean.
"Of course, the last minute port closures, which are affecting multiple destinations around the world, are making it difficult for cruise lines to follow their originally published itineraries exactly, but travellers understand that these things can happen in uncertain times such as now."
It is thought that there are over 400 guests on board, their nationalities are not yet confirmed.
The news comes following a heightened fear surrounding cruise ships as incubation zones after a quarantined Princess Cruises ship saw over 700 cases on board.
After the first case of the virus was detected in a passenger on board, the ships as placed in lockdown for two weeks off the coast of Yokohama.
As the quarantine period continued more passengers came down with the disease.
Seven passengers are reported to have died as a result.
A Princess Cruises ship also became the target of angry protestors when it docked on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean on Sunday morning.
The angry residents had gathered to demand that all passengers were tested for coronavirus before disembarking from the ship.
According to The Guardian, police used teargas on the crowds who threw pebbles and bottles at the security forces.
Despite the chaos, the passengers were allowed to disembark for various excursions around the island.
A Princess Cruises spokesperson told Express.co.uk: "A disruption on Reunion Island was quickly contained by the local authorities and we would like to thank them for their assistance. There was an overall limited impact for Sun Princess guests. There are no health concerns on the ship and it is now heading to Perth, its final port of call, after departing Reunion Island."
Coronavirus has currently been detected in 81 countries worldwide.
The current infection rate has surpassed 93,000, while the fatality rate has surpassed.
On the other hand, over 51,000 patients are reported to have made a full recovery.


text:
Building an Africa-focused environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) framework that will help companies to meaningfully measure how they are performing will drive business growth, experts at ETK ConnectXperience said.
Speaking at the event held in Lagos, Bolaji Sofoluwe, group managing director, ETK Group, said the new framework has been developed for assessing companies using a series of guided questions and assessments.
She added that “while none of the existing frameworks have implemented a scoring system, “we intend to align ourselves with best practice so that the scoring system will be reflective of what is adopted internationally”.
Brent Barnette, operations director at ETK Group, also spoke about the importance of an Africa-focussed ESG approach as he highlighted a range of services that could drive better results for businesses, including a variety of baseline assessments such as materiality, risk and impact of supply chain challenges, as well as strategy development, implementation of mitigation and adaptation plans and other services to ensure meaningful results for businesses.
The event also explored the need for managed services solutions to support businesses and entrepreneurs to successfully run their operations while they are temporarily or permanently away from the country their businesses are located in.
ETK Group is a market expansion, trade, and development consultancy provider positioned to contribute to the growth of the African business market by bringing great business opportunities from around the world.
The ETK ConnectXperience was ETK Group’s second event in Nigeria and it presented various partnership and networking opportunities to enhance businesses’ competitive edge and fuel their growth in the global marketplace.


text:
Sony is reportedly looking into an issue involving the battery of the PS5 that could render each console borderline useless. Recently PlayStation users have discovered an issue involving the CMOS battery of the PS5. They have found out that when this battery dies, they can no longer play physical or digital games offline without first reconnecting to PSN. If the PSN no longer exists or the user can’t connect to it, then the issue makes the console an expensive piece of junk. This issue with PS4 as well.
Sony is yet to answer these reports with any public statement. Via email, Sony has begun to notify the users that it is looking for issues according to multiple PlayStation players and Preservation Activists. They heard from Sony’s PlayStation PR that the company is eager to clear the problem. But unfortunately, there is no word of a fix. The company has not publically acknowledged it.
Other issues reported in the past PS5 –
Many other issues were also reported as per PS5 is concerned in the past few months. It is suffering from a bug that causes games and apps to freeze in a Queued for Download state or won’t let users download at all. The app download is stuck in limbo. This problem is not just limited to games, but users have face problems downloading video apps.
Users have also faced problems connecting to the PlayStation Network at random and downloading games from the service. When updates have to download from the new console, some users have encountered problems. Users face system crashes, errors, and additional issues while transferring data from PS4 to PS5 via USB or LAN. While attempting to use rest mode, some users have faced critical errors and crashes. Users are facing problems transferring data from PS4 to PS5 using an external hard drive. Following the transfer process, some users see corrupted data.


text:
12 Kansas entrepreneurs chosen to pitch products to Walmart
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Twelve entrepreneurs from Kansas will have the chance to pitch their locally-sourced products to the big-wigs at Walmart.
Walmart says on June 14, it made its selections for the ninth annual Open Call event. With nearly 1,200 small and mid-sized business owners invited - including 12 from the Sunflower State - it said 2022′s registrants mark the largest group ever chosen to participate in the 2-day event.
Walmart noted that finalists represent all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with nearly 60% identifying as a diverse-owned business. It said the business owners have the choice to pitch shelf-ready products directly to Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants either virtually or in-person on the second day of Open Call.
According to the international grocery store chain, each supplier will have a 30-minute one-on-one pitch meeting for a chance to secure deals which range from supplying products to a few local stores to supplying products to hundreds of locations as well as online and in the Walmart Marketplace.
Walmart indicated that 2022′s Open Call has been set for June 28 and 29.
Also in 2022, Walmart said it notified some lucky entrepreneurs of their selection in unconventional and innovative ways. It said some finalists were invited to join a Zoom meeting with representatives about the application process. During the meeting, it said these business owners were notified of their spot at this year’s event and were also congratulated by Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers.
Walmart noted that the Jonas Brothers launched their line of premium popcorn called Rob’s Backstage Popcorn exclusively at Walmart earlier in 2022. In addition to the celebrity surprise, it said two owners were also told they would advance to Open Call via drone delivery.
“The entrepreneurial spirit is contagious, and that energy is a big part of what makes Open Call so much fun,” said Scott Gutche, Senior Director, U.S. Manufacturing. “Being able to surprise some of the business owners who’ll be taking part is the perfect way to kick off this year’s celebration of the American Dream.”
Walmart said Open Call is its largest sourcing event and supports its 10-year commitment to American jobs with a $350 billion investment in products that are made, grown, or assembled in the U.S.
For the first time in 2022, Walmart said it extended an early access period for Marketplace sellers to submit their applications. It said more than 4,500 entrepreneurs applied, and over 13,000 products were registered.
In addition to one-on-one pitch meetings with merchants, Walmart said Kansas-based participants will have the chance to hear straight from Walmart executives and merchants on day one of the 2-day event. It said smaller breakout sessions will be available throughout the day where suppliers can learn more about valuable topics and resources available to them.
Walmart noted the Kansas companies which will advance to Open Call include The 2Z, of McCune, who will pitch the 2Z Don’t Tread on Me; Princeton Popcorn Co., of Princeton, who will pitch the 8lb Mushroom Shape Popcorn Kernels; Pyramid Foods, LLC, of Shawnee, who will pitch the Pitmaster LT’s Classic BBQ Sauce; and SawHaul, LLC, of Chaunte, who will pitch the SawHaul Complete Kit for Polaris Ranger.
For more information about Walmart, click HERE.
Copyright 2022 WIBW. All rights reserved.


text:
Back in July of this year, Microsoft alerted the world to Windows 365 for those who want to use Windows in the cloud. At the time, subscribers only had the option of using a Cloud PC powered by Windows 10, but that is no longer the case.
The software giant made it clear that Windows 365 Enterprise now supports Windows 11, which has been the case since October 5, 2021. That’s the same day the new operating system was released for public consumption. As it stands right now, Windows 365 Enterprise users now have the ability to run Windows 11 anywhere from any device, just as long they have an internet connection.
With a new operating system comes a new personalized user experience
Windows 365 Enterprise supports Windows 11
According to Microsoft, the Windows 11 operating system is excellent for hybrid work as it is capable of delivering unique experiences that align with how you work. The company says that the OS is very secure and easy to deploy by design for IT professionals.
If you are subscribing right now, you will have the option to select Windows 11 as your operating system of choice or Windows 10 if you so wish. Configurations have not changed, which is expected, so nothing much to talk about there.
When it comes down to distinguishing Windows 11 from Windows 10 in the decision-making, just look at the wallpaper. Windows 10 has the OS logo as the default wallpaper, while Windows 11 went with what appears to be a blue flower.
Improving the security standard
One of the big changes to Windows 11 is, no doubt, the added security features. Depending on your computer, it is possible to take advantage of secure boot, TPM 2.0, and UEFI. Interestingly enough, Windows 365 Enterprise hardware supports all of the things mentioned above.
The creation of custom images
If your organization prefers the creation of custom images, then worry not because Windows 11 can make that happen. Bear in mind that when creating custom images, you are required to change the virtual machine (VM) type from Gen1 to Gen2 as the source image. Microsoft says this is necessary to ensure your Cloud PC is ready for Windows 11 in-place upgrades.
Furthermore, the same applications installed on the Windows 10 version of Windows 365 will also be found on Windows 11, so the primary difference is the operating system, and that’s it.


text:
Cannabis dispensaries may be next in line for delivery wars.
Food orders for DoorDash, UberEats, and Grubhub increased dramatically during the outbreak. Drizly, an alcohol delivery app, has seen a rise in sales. Then there’s Eaze, a cannabis delivery app located in California that has seen a 70 percent spike in new user signups. According to the firm, a marijuana order was placed every eight seconds in California last year. According to BDSA, the legal market in the United States earned more than $17 billion in sales in 2020, led by California.
Eaze boasts 800,000 clients and has delivered over 7 million packages in California since its start in 2014, but it isn’t the only company in the space. There are a few cannabis delivery services that serve the entire state, and there are many others that cover smaller areas. In California, MedMen and Caliva provide delivery, while dispensaries across the country provide their own delivery services to respective communities where it is permitted.
There is red tape even where adult and recreational adult-use marijuana distribution is permitted. For starters, each state’s employment rules and product hand-off process for drivers varied. Drivers must be W2 workers of dispensaries in California, for example. There are also regulations for the delivery vehicles themselves: in California, the vehicle cannot be open, such as a scooter, and there are camera rules in Massachusetts.
Despite the regulatory barriers, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi recently stated that his company may expand beyond ride-hailing to cannabis delivery. In a recent CNBC “Tech Check” interview, Khosrowshahi said, “When the road is clean for cannabis, when federal regulations come into play, we’re absolutely going to take a look at it.”
Uber’s First Significant Acquisition
For the time being, Uber is concentrating on food, with UberEats, and its first step into controlled substances, booze, with the Drizly acquisition.
Lantern, a Drizly sister firm, handles cannabis delivery. Lantern was born out of Drizly, but once the Uber-Drizly merger is through, the cannabis delivery app will become its own company. In March, Lantern became the first company in Colorado to offer adult-use cannabis delivery.
“We’re happy that the march toward federal legalization is advancing, and that big delivery players like Uber are paying notice,” Lantern president Meredith Mahoney told CNBC via email.
Could cannabis consolidation be on the cards, if M&A was Uber’s response to a burgeoning alcohol delivery market? Perhaps, but regulation, according to Eaze spokesman David Mack, will remain a huge difficulty. Laws prohibiting the delivery of cannabis with alcohol or food could be a stumbling block for consolidation. California, which has set the standard for marijuana regulation in the rest of the country, outlaws the delivery of cannabis in conjunction with food or alcohol.
Getting into the cannabis industry in the United States also means getting into a business that is linked to a narcotic with a history of racial inequity. The playing field for legal cannabis is far from even, with Black Americans 3.6 times more likely than white Americans to be jailed for marijuana-related charges. In fact, rapper and business magnate Jay-Z established a $10 million fund to encourage minority cannabis entrepreneurs who could otherwise be left behind by the industry’s boom. Delivery applications could reduce the expense of opening a storefront while also increasing exposure for women- and minority-owned businesses. Eaze provides a “social equity” menu for Black-owned local retailers and dispensaries, claiming that the option increases brand awareness and revenue.
There could be a slew of delivery applications and logistical companies vying for a piece of the cannabis delivery pie. Despite its name and roots as a logistics and transportation software for transporting snacks and supplies around a college campus, Gopuff does not distribute marijuana. Gopuff, which was placed No. 36 on this year’s Disruptor 50 list, delivers alcohol and smoking equipment like rolling trays and papers in over 600 American cities, but the business says it has no intentions to add cannabis goods to its platform. Late last year, it purchased BevMo!, a West Coast liquor shop business with 300 locations. Also lately, Uber and Gopuff established a delivery cooperation for “critical” items.
Logistics and Distribution of Cannabis
Recently, hip hop singer and original Dipset member Jim Jones announced a deal with The Parent Corporation, a vertically integrated cannabis company, to manage distribution and manufacturing in California for his own cannabis company, Saucey Farms & Extracts.
“As a small to mid-sized business,” Jones explained. “We wouldn’t ordinarily be able to provide distribution on our own.”
The Parent Company went public in Canada via a SPAC earlier this year, trading on the NEO Exchange under the ticker TPCO, and it has ties to another famous cannabis investor, Jay-Z.
Jones said to CNBC in a text message, “I fully predict that similar businesses will follow suit in the next months and years.”
FastAF, a last-mile logistics and delivery platform similar to Gopuff, but smaller and with fewer markets, could be one of such companies. Despite the fact that it, like Gopuff, operates in weed-friendly California, FastAF does not yet provide cannabis items.
FastAF functions as an online boutique, collaborating with companies such as Goop, Aesop, and Nike. FastAF’s parent firm Darkstore already sells CBD goods and cannabis accessories, and Lee Hnetinka, founder and CEO of FastAF, believes both categories are in high demand.
FastAF intends to enter regulated products with alcohol delivery in the near future, but there are a few hurdles to overcome when it comes to cannabis. The first is the disparity between jurisdictions: “When we’re ready to bring cannabis to market, we want to throw everything we’ve got behind it. “We strive to carry our partner brands in all of our markets,” Hnetinka explained.
Payments are the other, and possibly more significant, obstacle for Hnetinka.
Marijuana-Related Crime and Money
Marijuana is legal in 35 states to differing degrees, but because its sale, distribution, and possession are still illegal on the federal level, banks in the United States are wary of doing business with the cannabis industry. Money laundering, according to the American Bankers Association, is any money that may be linked back to a marijuana-related enterprise. Indeed, cannabis banking is such a problem that Eaze’s former CEO resigned and pleaded guilty to bank fraud as part of a conspiracy to defraud banks out of over $100 million in marijuana purchase payments.
As a result, the green industry is mostly a cash-based industry. However, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the United States Treasury reported 684 banks and credit unions offering banking services to marijuana-related enterprises in 2020. Over 170,000 Suspicious Activity Reports relating to banking in the industry were recorded by FinCEN, although more than three-quarters of them were concerning institutions judged to be in compliance with the applicable state’s marijuana company legislation. Still, it’s a challenge because state-by-state policy differences complicate and stifle the industry’s expansion.
That’s where the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act comes in for lawmakers. The law, which was passed by the House but is now in the Senate, would create a safe harbor for financial institutions that provide services to marijuana-related firms. In a 2020 analysis, accounting firm Elliot Davis noted out that the plan does not shield card networks from federal punishment, so even if it passes the Senate, the SAFE Act leaves cannabis firms largely cash-reliant.
According to Cowen Research, the cannabis market in the United States will produce $85 billion in sales by 2030. According to Governor Cuomo’s projections, cannabis may produce $350 million in year tax revenue and up to 60,000 new employment in New York alone. Since January 2018, California has earned $1.8 billion in cannabis income, according to a cannabis delivery app. According to Eaze, delivery accounts for 10% to 15% of the legal market in the state. The key to a healthy delivery industry, and several competitors, according to Eaze spokesman Mack, is legalization legislation that anticipates delivery as part of a state’s cannabis economy.
President Biden and Federal Legalization
Cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I narcotic by the federal government, along with heroin and ecstasy, since it has a “high potential for abuse,” according to the DEA.
Transporting cannabis over state boundaries is still illegal, even if a business or dispensary is operating legally in its home state. As a result, each jurisdiction’s cannabis ecosystem lives in isolation, and delivery companies confront yet another hurdle: establishing a new state requires basically starting over, with a new network of suppliers and delivery services, as well as navigating a new regulatory framework.
Legalization on a national level would remove the majority of the barriers to entry for cannabis, particularly cannabis delivery. But President Biden hasn’t pushed for a review of the laws that made marijuana illegal in the first place, according to GLJ Research’s Gordon Johnson, who believes that a rally in the publicly traded cannabis space earlier this year, which included the Alternative Harvest ETF and cannabis stock Tilray, was fueled by hope that Biden would have done more on the issue by now.
If Biden does not sign an Executive Order decriminalizing, descheduling, or rescheduling marijuana, Johnson says the SAFE Banking Act, or whatever legislation New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer proposes, will be the industry’s only regulatory chance. Descheduling the drug would boost investor interest and resources, but it’s still a dangerous proposition.
Tilray has a price target of $0, and Johnson sees little hope for the industry in the long run, believing that marijuana will continue to be a low-margin business with problematic economics. Johnson’s fears about the “green rush” of cannabis investments are reflected in Eaze’s rocky financial trajectory. Last year, Techcrunch reported on Eaze’s financial difficulties and subsequent business turnaround to increase profits.
Low profit margins and different entrance restrictions may explain why cannabis venture capital financing peaked in 2019. If the government legalizes marijuana on a national level, logistics and delivery companies will have fewer barriers to entering the $85 billion sector, which may reignite investment interest. Until then, margins, banks, and players are limited by the size of individual states.
Despite the difficulties, celebrity interest remains high. Snoop Dogg’s Casa Verde VC firm continues to invest in marijuana start-ups, while Jay-Z recently signed an agreement to produce 900,000 pounds of cannabis for his own brand, Monogram.
Smaller players in the market, such as Saucey Farms & Extracts, are optimistic that legal barriers will diminish, and that as they do, more enterprises will be interested in providing cannabis to consumers. “As the cannabis sector matures and regulations loosen, distribution will become a top priority for most businesses,” Jones said.


text:
Search / 1001 results found Showing: 1-10 of 1001
The Groovy Goats add-on is $100 for members or $150 for nonmembers and can accommodate up to five people.
Ice-skate, shop for holiday goodies, and see a light show.
Attend Halloween events, check out fine art, and more.
Check out Halloween activities, stop by a festival, and enjoy a seasonal market.
The new statue, "You Got This", is set to be publicly unveiled at the Eastside Community Center on Oct. 23.


text:
Barnes and Noble is getting ready to announce the Nook Glowlight 4 in the next few days. This new e-reader will be six inches and have a 300 PPI screen. It will be running a quadcore processor, 32GB of storage, USB-C and physical page turn buttons. The official cases for the new Nook are now available to purchase on the B&N website and come in black and silver. They will open and close with a magnetic tab and have water resistant interior lining. The premium soft touch case will both retail for $19.99, which is a solid price.
The Nook Glowlight 4 should be coming out in the first week of December. It will be available on the main Barnes and Noble website, and also in retail stores. There is signage advertising the new device in some retail spaces and many employees have reached out and said they have seen it and also have the spec sheets available in an internal database. It might take sometime for all of the stores to receive a supply of e-readers, but they should all get them sometime this week.
Michael Kozlowski has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past twelve years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.


text:
BioShock is one of the most critically revered gaming franchises of the modern era, though since the DLC for BioShock: Infinite wrapped up, there’s been no new developments in years. We’ve heard whispers that something might be in the works, with a news story from Kotaku mentioning that the franchise may yet see signs of life, but absent of any follow-up, many chalked it up to just rumor.
Well, that rumor has now become truth, as publisher 2K have announced that developers Cloud Chamber are officially working on a new BioShock. For those who don’t know, Cloud Chamber is a relatively new studio, but one that has some decent talent attached to it.
Leading it is Kelley Gilmore of Firaxis, who explained the following:
“We founded Cloud Chamber to create yet-to-be-discovered worlds – and their stories within – that push the boundaries of what is possible in the video game medium. Our team believes in the beauty and strength of diversity, in both the makeup of the studio and the nature of its thinking. We are a deeply experienced group of game makers, including many responsible for BioShock’s principal creation, advancement and longstanding notoriety, and honoured to be part of the 2K family as stewards of this iconic franchise.”
Notably absent from the announcement is BioShock creator Ken Levine. This may be because the development of BioShock: Infinite was notoriously difficult, with many false starts thrown by the wayside, which resulted in the closure of Infinite dev studio Irrational Games and Levine deciding to focus on smaller games (though he has not released anything since 2013).
Then again, his lack of involvement might not be such a hindrance. While Infinite launched to great fanfare and excellent reviews, its reputation has become tarnished over the years due in part to its ridiculous ‘both sides are bad’ take on racism and slavery.
Hopefully this time, as in the original BioShock, Cloud Chamber can not only work with some heavy political themes but actually say something of note about them.


text:
The “Family” Video store being proposed at tonight’s TNT meeting (Huntington Elementary School, Sunnycrest and Forest Hill, 7:00 pm) has been the topic of discussion in the Walkable Eastwood email group. The consensus: it’s a no-go on two fronts.
- All three proposed designs violate the James Street Overlay District Zoning Standards in many ways.
- Video stores are unsustainable businesses unless they are selling adult videos – which “Family” Video does.
Not one of over a dozen comments in the email group of over 100 members was in favor of having this business in Eastwood. This community has spent years fighting bad design – and winning – so we’re not about to turn back the clock and allow suburban-style development in our urban community. That would cause all our property values to drop and would be a slap in the face of the James Street business owners who develop, successfully, following the guidelines.
Several commenters noted that selling videos is an outmoded business model and figured that it’s the sale of pornographic videos that keeps these businesses going. The last thing Syracuse needs is to end up in court over the issue of adult videos like Auburn is right now. The Post-Standard quotes Auburn City Manager as saying, “The fact that they advertise it as a family store and then have something that really is degrading for our whole community — I think some changes will have to be made…”
Note: the Adult Use Regulations for the City of Syracuse prohibit Adult Uses within 1000 feet of any residential dwellings, districts, churches or schools.
Common Councilor Kathleen Joy wrote to the email group the following (reprinted with permission):
I met with a representative of the “Family” video Monday. They fully intend on presenting at TNT on 3/22. I told him that I could not personally support this project as proposed because it does not comply even with the spirit of our design guidelines & I don’t like the idea of an X rated section (not disputed by him, by the way), they have no contract with the owner and have not vetted this project through any pre-development meeting.
He tells me that if the sense of the neighborhood is that it’s not wanted, then they won’t pursue it.
We were alerted to the problems with “Family” Video by PACNY‘s Mike Stanton, who sent the following, reprinted with permission (bolding mine):
Quote of the day: “Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.” Edward Abbey (The Journey Home, 1977).
Here we go again.
1) Family Video, a national video store chain with 550 stores nationwide, says it will build a $1 million store in Eastwood, but only if they can build a suburban style store with the parking lot on the corner and the entrance facing the parking lot rather than the sidewalk. Eastwood has an overlay district intended to promote walkability and pedestrian-friendly design. The video store would be built at the site of the former Steak & Sundae restaurant on James Street, which has been vacant and deteriorating for years. Mike Muraco, a Syracuse native who lives in Miami Beach, Fla., said “It’s a useless piece of property, unless they can bend a little.”
2) The city of Auburn took Family Video to court in 2008 because it rented X-rated adult videos. “The (store name) is a trap for families,” City Manager Mark Palesh said. “My family’s never going to go there again.” The city sought a court order to shut down the store’s sex video trade, saying it violates the city’s 1998 zoning ordinance banning sexually oriented businesses from operating within 500 feet of any area zoned residential. Family Video fought the city’s order in court.
3) A Buffalo News article says municipal officials in Western New York utter the name “Family Video” sarcastically these days. In the Town of Tonawanda, officials thought they nipped a potential problem in the bud when Family Video presented plans for a store in 2005. Not only was the Colvin Boulevard site not zoned for adult uses, town officials were assured that X-rated fare wouldn’t be offered there. And, for a while, it wasn’t. But recent complaints about adult videos in a back room — and Family Video’s alleged refusal to remove them — prompted the town to seek a court injunction barring their rental or sale. “The whole thing was, they misled us,” Councilman John A. Bargnesi Jr. said last week, when he announced the court case had been initiated.


text:
A Model 3 owner credits Tesla’s Automatic Emergency Braking System, an active safety feature powered by Autopilot, for helping to save a police officer on a motorcycle running a red light.
The incident was caught on TeslaCam, Tesla’s integrated dashcam feature.
Yesterday, a Model 3 owner started to accelerate after the stoplight turned green when a police officer on a motorcycle ran the red light, seemingly to chase after someone.
The Tesla owner claims that the police officer had his lights on but his siren was off, and since he was coming from the side, he didn’t see him.
It resulted in the motorcycle being just a few feet in front of the Tesla when the owner claims Tesla’s Automatic Emergency Braking System activated and avoided the accident.
The owner said about the incident that happened yesterday in Los Angeles:
Happened this morning; I was rolling about my way when the light turns green, and out of nowhere a cop without their audio on for their sirens runs a red light. If not for Tesla’s emergency stop safety features this would not have been a good day. Thank you Tesla and Elon Musk for making the Model 3 the safest car ever or I might’ve scarred myself for life with a horrible accident.
.He released a video of the incident using the footage from TeslaCam:
We have seen several similar examples of Tesla’s automatic emergency braking system saving the day, but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not designed to avoid all accidents.
Tesla describes its automatic emergency braking (AEB) system:
Automatic Emergency Braking, a new collision Avoidance Assist feature, is designed to automatically engage the brakes to reduce the impact of an unavoidable frontal collision with another vehicle. The brakes disengage when you press hard on the accelerator pedal, release the brake pedal, or sharply turn the steering wheel.
Therefore, it’s important to stay vigilant at all times and not rely on Tesla’s driver-assist features to avoid accidents.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


text:
Chip shortages pushing prices up by 600pc
Long delays, component prices surging by more than 400 per cent and a rising “grey market” of dodgy products is putting pressure on medical device makers to sell their products at next to no profit, or raise prices to maintain margins.
Chris Nicholls, the general manager of Sydney-based medtech start-up Loop+, says there has been a knock-on effect from chip shortages that has spread into other chips and general components for hardware devices.
“One of our chips went from $6 to $36, and we’ve heard of others where they’ve had chips go from $1 to $50,” he told The Australian Financial Review.
“That company would have been better off selling just the chips than making their product.
“There’s [also] been a knock-on effect. When one chip becomes short, they buy another and they don’t just buy the chips they need, they buy other items like capacitors ... the manufacturers can’t keep up with the demand.”
Loop+ makes sensors to monitor the health of people in wheelchairs. The pad combines with a smartphone app to visualise and record a person’s movements and posture in the wheelchair.
It shows if a user is slouching and also if their position is putting unnecessary pressure on different parts of their legs, and how to correct their seating position.
The start-up was founded by sisters Kath Hamilton and Clare Conroy following Ms Conroy’s experiences with her eight-year-old son Evander, who requires a wheelchair after suffering from a tumour at birth, which compressed his spinal cord. Its sensors help wheelchair users to avoid issues like scoliosis, pressure sores and poor breathing.
Trying to plan ahead
The Loop+ pads are manufactured in NSW and use an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) chip that’s capable of measuring movement. The wait time for this component has tripled, now extending to at least 15 weeks.
To combat this, the company is ordering more than it needs ahead of time, but working out how many chips to order is complicated because the business keeps innovating and evolving its design, meaning it will not always require the same components.
Its device is designed based on the precise specifications of the chip and Mr Nicholls said though others on the market might be cheaper, to switch chipmakers could involve a major redesign.
“It may fit into your printed circuit board differently, in which case we’d have to redesign everything,” he said.
“I think [the shortages] will get worse before they get better.
“There’s already talk about some components that won’t be available until mid-2022 because [manufacturers] are playing catch-up.”
It is not just electronic device makers suffering from shortages, with physical goods such as timber and steel also in short supply.
Much like the explosion in demand for electronics products – which combined with the US and China trade war and factory shutdowns in key manufacturing markets such as China and India probably contributed to the electronics component shortage – a boom in home renovations coupled with stretched global supply chains means people are struggling to access basic goods like couches and pianos.
The mass shortages playing out in manufacturing, Mr Nicholls said, were much like the toilet paper scarcity of last year, with people panic buying goods.
Mr Nicholls said the company was doing its best not to increase the cost of its Loop+ pad, but he feared the business could hit a tipping point.
“We don’t want to impact people with a disability and put the price up so they’re affected,” he said.
“For medical devices it becomes a question of, is it better to spend the extra money for the end consumer, or for us just not to [sell it] for a while? It’s difficult because medical devices seem like a necessity.”
Introducing your Newsfeed
Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you.Find out more
Latest In Technology
Fetching latest articles


text:
The tech industry, especially in China, evolves fast. Here is what’s going on everyday and what you should know about the tech trends here.
Huawei considering to set up R&D center in South Korea
Chinese tech giant Huawei is considering to establish a research and development center in South Korea after having set up its first 5G Open Lab. ...
4 years ago
Chinese video platform iQIYI reportedly to lay off 20-40% of its workforce
Dec 1, 2021
Xiaomi's MIUI surpasses 500 million monthly active users worldwide
Nov 24, 2021
Education stocks soar with reports that China will resume after-school tutoring
Nov 8, 2021
Huawei posts sales revenue of about $71.3 billion in first 3 quarters
Oct 29, 2021
MSMEs call for stronger women empowerment on digital transformation
Oct 25, 2021


text:
Apple plans to move its supply chain out of China? Foxconn Chairman No!
Apple has no plans to move its supply chain out of China, according to Foxconn Chairman
【PhoneAuto News】On June 28th, PhoneAuto noticed that at the 14th Summer Davos Forum held in Tianjin, Liu Yangwei, Chairman and CEO of Foxconn Technology Group (Hon Hai Precision), attended the sub-forum “Asia’s Manufacturing Recovery” and delivered a speech. When asked whether Apple plans to relocate its supply chain from mainland China, Liu Yangwei stated, “No!”
As Apple’s largest contract manufacturer, Foxconn’s every move attracts attention. According to sources, the iPhone 15 series, which Apple is set to release in September this year, will enter the mass production stage at the end of this month. Foxconn will become Apple’s largest assembly partner for the iPhone 15 series, accounting for up to 60% of the order share.
However, PhoneAuto noted that Bloomberg previously reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook admitted in an interview that Apple is accelerating the relocation of its supply chain out of China, with India being a key location. Cook emphasized that India is about to become a major market and production base. He said, “There are many people entering the middle class, and I think India is at a turning point. The market’s vitality is incredible.” Reuters pointed out that Apple’s move is mainly aimed at reducing its dependence on the Chinese supply chain.
- Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou 5G is at a turning point of qualitative change, aiming to achieve 5 billion connections by 2030
- 0/1 Phone concept folding screen phone debuts! Comes with an e-ink screen What score would you give it?
- Samsung’s new devices, including the Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5, have passed certification and may be launched in July
It is reported that Apple has successfully obtained incentives in India and has been pushing suppliers Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron to expand production scale in the country. Currently, Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron employ approximately 60,000 workers in India and can produce various models, including the iPhone 11 series to the iPhone 14 series. Cook also revealed that Apple’s production volume in India will increase year by year, gradually replacing production in China.
As for whether it will be as Foxconn Chairman Liu Yangwei said, not moving the supply chain from mainland China, remains to be seen.
- Alert! Using your phone while lying on your side may affect your appearance and pose a threat to your health
- Chairman of China Mobile Breakthrough in key technologies of 6G, forming global unified standards
- Red Magic 8S Pro series appearance announced! Top beauty in the mobile phone circle will be seen on July 5th
- Samsung M34 5G new phone officially announced! To be released on July 7th with a huge 6000mAh battery
- The Honor X50 is equipped with a 5800mAh ultra-durable battery Netizens commented Unbeatable battery life
- Honor Magic welcomes system update with added Control Center and camera watermark
- Expose Xiaomi Customizes New Substrate for BOE’s 2K Flexible Screen, Will Xiaomi 14 Ultra be the First to Launch?


text:
We’re proud to announce that on 1 October 2022 we will be launching our inaugural Oracle Time Community Watch Awards, the first online awards that puts watch collectors first. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the greatest watches launched during 2022 by taking part in the voting and entering our free watch giveaway.
Running across nine different categories – Dive, Chronograph, Dress, Travel, Field/Pilot, High Complication, Innovation, Accessible, Sports Luxe – we’ve shortlisted our favourite watches of 2022 for each category. However, unlike other awards, the shortlist is just a suggestion. You have the freedom to vote for your favourite watch in every category and, provided it fits and was released this calendar year, it will be counted.
Rounding off the awards is the Readers’ Choice Award, which is open to any timepiece released in 2022, from accessible microbrands to haute horology giants. The unprecedented level of choice and accessibility makes the Oracle Time Community Watch Awards the first truly open digital awards in the watch industry.
Voting opens right here on our website on the 1 October, so don’t miss out. Upon finishing the voting process, you will be offered a discounted 12-month subscription to the print magazine as well as be entered into the prize draw to win a Baltic Aquascaphe GMT worth €1,000 (approx. £870).
Voting will remain open until 31 October, with the results published first in the December edition of Oracle Time magazine and online three weeks later. Enter your email below to be notified when the vote opens.


text:
Beauty and lifestyle blogger Amena Khan - Amena Official Instagram
CAIRO – 15 January 2018: It is the norm to see long, beautiful, glossy hair in commercials for beauty products but L’Oréal has bucked the trend with a revolutionary move.
L’Oréal recruited the hijab-wearing beauty and lifestyle blogger Amena Khan to star amongst the lineup of men and women for a game changing campaign, all while her hair was covered.
“You have to wonder – why is it presumed that women who don’t show their hair don’t look after it? The opposite of that would be that everyone that does show their hair only looks after it for the sake of showing it to others. And that mindset strips us of our autonomy and our sense of independence. Hair is a big part of self-care,” Khan said to Vogue Arabia.
The L’Oréal Paris Elvive, commercial showcases men and women speaking up about their opinion on their hair and haircare. Khan is seen addressing all women about self-care for their hair, by stating “Weather or not your hair is on display it doesn’t affect how much you care about it,” she continued “Hair is a women’s beauty. Make sure that you look after it.”
This is seen as part of a trend toward the right direction for the beauty industry, in the past year modest fashion has been wildly successful hand in hand with diversity representation.
At the end of last year Barbie released the first ever hijab-wearing doll to honor the bronze medalist Olympian Islamic American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. As part of the Sheroes doll collection that was launched in favor for Barbie to recognize real-life female heroes such as gold medalist Olympian Gabby Douglas, writer/director and Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay, fashion model Ashley Graham and many more.
The hijab is a sign of modesty worn by Muslim women all around the world; despite being a controversial matter nowadays, the fashion industry decided to fight back against islamophobia and reiterate the message of love, peace and acceptance in their advertising campaigns and on the runway by featuring Hijab-wearing models.
Technology giant Apple has joined the movement with the release of 12 emoji characters of women wearing a hijab. Earlier in 2017, Condé Nast launched the magazine Vogue Arabia with the supermodel of the this generation, Gigi Hadid, who was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother, on its first cover. All while Halima Aden is the first veiled model to have walked the international catwalk with Max Mara and to be featured in American Eagle's #ICan campaign.
Leave a Comment


text:
In addition to announcing the third-generation iPad, Apple also announced the availability of iOS 5.1 at its press event today and it’s now available for download.
iOS 5.1 includes a few new features, including a redesigned camera app for the iPad and the ability to delete individual photos from Photo Stream, a long-awaited feature for many. Also, the camera shortcut no longer requires a double-tap of the home button to appear on the lock screen – it is now a permanent feature of the lock screen.
Also, Siri gets Japanese language support in iOS 5.1 and an updated network indicator for AT&T is also present, which is already showing “4G” for iPhone 4S users in the carrier’s HSPA+ areas. The plans for this network indicator update came to light in October and is somewhat controversial since the use of 4G to describe the bulk of AT&T’s current network is not quite accurate since does not technically fulfill the official 4G standard.
iTunes 10.6 is also now available, bringing the ability to play 1080p HD movies and TV shows downloaded from the iTunes Store. iTunes Match sees improvements as well, with better song matching, artwork handling and more.


text:
Asia's favourite custom-car event grows in size, even attracting Thai firms
The Tokyo Auto Salon, Asia’s favourite custom-car event, has grown in size and for the first time took up the entire Makuhari Messe this year.
The event, which was held during the weekend, occupied Halls 1-11 plus the Event Hall at Makuhari in Chiba Prefecture. It also played host to the Tokyo Motor Show for many years before the event was downsized and relocated to Tokyo Big Sight.
While the number of exhibitors has decreased by about 5 per cent to 428, a notable difference is the participation of all major Japanese car manufacturers. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Subaru, Suzuki and Daihatsu all had booths at this year’s Auto Salon. Hino, which is a commercial vehicle brand, also took part this year.
“After the global financial crisis in 2009 only Toyota, Honda and Nissan were present, but over the years more brands have returned to our event,” said Masanori Kanno, who is a member of the organising committee.
“Suzuki and Subaru rejoined in 2011 while Mazda came in 2012, but this is the first time that all eight Japanese car companies were present,” he added.
Even foreign brands like Mercedes-Benz also took part (through its distributor) along with Renault, Fiat, General Motors and Chrysler. As many as 100,000 people visited the show each day, making daily attendance higher than the Tokyo Motor Show, Kanno added.
Meanwhile, exhibits at the Auto Salon ranged from car tuning and “dress-up” parts and accessories to motorsports merchandise, as well as auto-related games and products. Many of the cars on display highlighted new tuning technologies.
Over the years, the Tokyo Auto Salon has gained popularity across Asian nations, including Thailand, which also has its own version called the Bangkok International Salon (BIAS). The event is licensed with the Japanese organiser, and is staged by Inspire Group, part of Siam Sport Syndicate.
Apart from Japanese exhibits, there were also cars from overseas, including Europe, the US and even Thailand.
Nitto Header and Turbo is a well-known brand in the Thai aftermarket industry and the firm also displayed a tuned-up drift car at this year’s show. Another Thai manufacturer is PP Wheels, which displayed a large variety of wheels and a tuned-up Isuzu D-Max pickup truck that attracted much attention from Japanese show goers. Overdrive is a private Thai racing team that is interested in bringing accessories from Japan for sale back in Thailand, while products from Up Garage is also being planned for the Thai market as well.
The BIAS booth was one of the most visited, with the four Thai “pretties” being the most photographed booth babes at the event.
Wiluck Lothong, who is the organiser of the BIAS, said that a large number of new car models were launched last year and they were presented with custom-made parts.
“We also plan to exhibit these cars at the BIAS later in June in order to show Thai customers the latest trend in customisation from Japan,” he said. “But an important mission for us is to strengthen the presence of the NAPAC (Nippon Auto Parts Aftermarket Committee), which is the co-organiser of the Tokyo Auto Salon, at the BIAS.”
Wiluck said his goal was to expand the market for Thai auto parts manufacturers, and business-to-business collaboration with NAPAC and neighbouring countries would help them realise and achieve international standards. This year’s BIAS will also see larger participation from Chinese and European companies, as well as firms producing big bikes.
Isuzu D-Max by PP Wheels
This customised truck from Thailand gets an IHI turbo mated to a Blitz intercooler, Bosch fuel system, 20-inch wheels on Falken FK452 tyres, Brembo brakes, Recaro sports seats and a host of other accessories.
Jun&Akira R35 GTR
Based on the Nissan GTR, the engine is modified with a new stroker kit, camshaft, turbo kit, surge tank and throttle from Jun, Brakes from Endless, 20-inch wheels from Yokohama on Dunlop SP600RFT tyres and Recaro seats plus aero parts from Jun and Top-Secret.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Highlighted at the Mitsubishi booth, this is the Asia Cross Country Rally 2013 support car made by Two & Four Motor Sports.
Roen X Treasure One
Based on the Honda N-Box, its customisation concentrates on exterior and interior styling, featuring a leopard theme.
The Nissan GTR has been modified by Kansai to produce as much as 1,000ps with various engine upgrades, a new ECU and turbo kit from Kansai. Brakes by Endless and Yokohama 20-inch wheels with Dunlop SP Sport GT600 tyres are also fitted.
Nissan March Nismo S
The Thai-made Nissan March was sent to Japan and beefed up by Nissan’s official tuner Nismo. It gets a 1.5-litre engine delivering 116ps at 6,000rpm and 156Nm at 3,600rpm along with a large number of body parts, giving it a serious hot hatch look.
Honda Vezel Modulo Concept
Honda is planning to launch the Vezel subcompact SUV in Thailand and here is a dressed up version from Modulo, the company’s official accessories brand, for both the hybrid AWD and FF versions.
Mazda Axela Sport
The Mazda Axela (Mazda3) Sport’s SkyActiv diesel engine pumps out 175ps at 4,500rpm and 420Nm of torque at 2,000rpm while maintaining a fuel consumption of 21.4km/l. A range of accessories are available, ranging from an interior of super sport seats to a sports exhaust system.


text:
If all the alternative-fuel vehicles at the Detroit auto show make it to the showroom, your local filling station could become the automotive equivalent of a soda fountain. There could be many flavors of fuel on tap.
The usual three grades of gasoline would be joined by:
Honda showed the next generation of its FCX fuel cell vehicle, which uses gaseous hydrogen to generate electricity. Honda will start producing the swoopy car by the end of the decade.
Ford's Super Chief concept truck is the king of flexible fueling. It can run on three fuels: gasoline, E85 or hydrogen.
A few of the powertrains in the concepts already have been produced: for example, Honda's compressed natural gas Civics; early versions of Honda's FCX; and General Motors' gasoline-E85 engines used in trucks.


text:
The idea of Brits looking to save money on insurance has been thrust upon us since the recession of 2008 – however, with fears growing about the economy once more a new survey suggests an even more difficult battle is under way.
For while brokers may wish to put the emphasis on the quality of the cover they can present to a customer, it seems customers are increasingly only concerned about price – and that means comparison websites are winning the war.
According to the annual Future Thinking Shopper Barometer study, which surveyed more than 2,000 respondents, 48% of Brits used a price comparison website in the last year and one in four have changed car insurance provider in order to save money during the same period. Indeed 21% have even switched their home insurance provider in the last 12 months.
The push to save money on insurance appears to be part of a general cut-back on spending. The same survey found that one in three Brits are pulling back from clothes shopping, eating and drinking in order to put money into savings with 42% concerned about the state of the economy. Cost cutting has led to switching providers in other areas too – with 27% changing energy provider in the last 12 months.
However, the cutbacks will not completely diminish the British public’s enthusiasm for shopping: the research shows that consumers visit shopping centres on average 14 times a year. Nearly a fifth (18%) visit them weekly and just over a quarter (26%) monthly. But the function of shopping centres has changed: 40% of respondents said that they visit shopping centres for the experience, not just for shopping, but to meet friends, eat out and go to places such as the cinema.
Noreen Kinsey at Future Thinking, said: “It’s fair to assume that greater uncertainty triggered by the referendum has shaken spending habits even more, leading people to seek out better deals, cheaper options and more opportunities to save.
“Confidence in the economy is poor, with nearly half of our respondents responding negatively when asked about their feelings towards the economy over the next 12 months. Businesses large and small should take note that the British consumer has become a much more prudent, cautious spender as we enter this post-Brexit world.”
Moneysupermarket.com CEO to stand down
Comparethemarket.com owner eyes £2 billion float