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A near-£1 million investment will help University of Dundee spinout company Ten Bio Ltd to commercialise the human skin culture system it developed to provide a viable alternative for many experiments currently performed on animals.
Led by TRICAPITAL LTD and with matched funding from Scottish Enterprise, the investment of £911,000 will enable the company to progress its mission to transform the testing of new pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Initial launch of the company’s brand will be in the US, where the majority of potential customers are based.
In addition, Ten Bio’s research and product development programmes benefit from grant funding provided by Innovate UK.
Ten Bio spun out from the University’s School of Life Sciences, where founders Dr Robyn Hickerson and Dr Michael Conneely were initially developing explant skin models to enable their drug discovery programmes.
Pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies test their products rigorously before they are administered to humans. There is an unmet need for technologies that will generate reliable safety and efficacy data on their effects on human skin.
Ten Bio’s TenSkin™ system provides companies with a reliable, tunable skin testing model.
Building on years of research, the company’s founders have successfully created a patented, human skin culture system that closely mimics intact, living skin. TenSkin™ stretches human skin to an optimal tension to mimic the mechanobiology that exists in skin on our bodies. This provides a state-of-the-art tool for skin biology research and pharmaceutical and cosmetics testing.
Ten Bio has already signed research contracts with global companies, and it is anticipated that its first products will soon be available in the US market.
“The response to our technology from major dermatology and cosmetics companies has already been incredible,” said Dr Hickerson. “They have been waiting years for a solution like TenSkin™, which provides a reliable, consistent way of testing their products in an ethical manner.”
Moray Martin, CEO of TRICAP, said, “TRICAP is delighted to be supporting the excellent Ten Bio team as they transition from the laboratory into the commercial world. Ten Bio’s in vitro science and technology offers a reliable and credible alternative to some usage of animal testing and thus a more accurate testing of products en route to market for both pharma/biotech and cosmetic companies. This is an innovative company with an exciting commercial future that we are honoured to be sharing with them."
Ten Bio is headquartered in Dundee and is opening a laboratory in Kannapolis, North Carolina from where it will serve its US-based customers. The investment will enable Ten Bio to continue the roll-out of its service business and to develop further product offerings.
Ten Bio was one of the winners of last year’s Scottish EDGE competition, and Dr Hickerson was runner-up in the Converge Challenge category of Converge 2020, a company creation programme designed for staff, students, and graduates of universities in Scotland.
Dr David McBeth, Director of Research and Innovation Services at Dundee, said, “Dundee is rightly becoming recognised as a really exciting UK location for life sciences and health-related spin-out companies and this transformational investment in Ten Bio is one of several investments in University spin-outs that we expect to see complete this year. We have a renewed focus on supporting entrepreneurs among staff, students and alumni, and, via our participation in the Tay Cities Deal, we hope to grow a life sciences innovation district here in Tayside where companies like Ten Bio can thrive.”
Ten Bio was advised by MBM Commercial and TRICAP was advised by Anderson Strathern in respect of the investment.
TRICAP is a Scottish Enterprise-accredited angel syndicate. Since 2004 it has supported early-stage, sunrise businesses to achieve their aspirations through a combination of funding and expertise. The company is sector-agnostic focussing, instead, on entrepreneurs and teams with the passion, energy and desire to deliver exceptional performance.
For more information, visit www.tricapital.co.uk


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With 3D printing moving towards broader adoption many companies are now entering our market. One of these is Deloitte. The professional services firm that does everything from accounting to tax and M&A also wants to guide firms into the 3D printing world. We interviewed Vinod Devan, Product Strategy and Operations Lead at Deloitte Consulting to see what the firm’s plans are in 3D printing and how it hopes to help customers.
Why is Deloitte entering the 3D printing market?
Additive manufacturing (AM) is a critical component of the Industry 4.0 digital transformation.AM technology is finally at the point where companies are starting to realize significant, tangible, new value for themselves and their customers. Deloitte is making significant investments in 3D printing knowledge and capabilities so that we can advise and join with our clients as they revolutionize supply chains, product portfolios, and business models.

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America's all-time top-selling rock ‘n’ roll band Aerosmith is bringing the heat to the Las Vegas Strip with their headlining residency, AEROSMITH: DEUCES ARE WILD. Shows begin April 6, 2019, at Park Theater at the new Park MGM resort.
Aerosmith’s Las Vegas residency, promoted by Live Nation and MGM Resorts International, will bring you face to face with America’s Greatest Rock ‘N’ Roll band in one of the most immersive, state-of-the art audio and video technology experiences in Las Vegas. The show features never-seen-before visuals and audio from Aerosmith recording sessions. GRAMMY Award winning producer Giles Martin, known for creating the soundscape for The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, will create a spectacular show experience.
Members of Aerosmith’s “Aero Force One” paid fan club will receive access to an exclusive presale beginning Thursday, Aug. 16 at 9 a.m. PT.
We’re taking Sin City by storm with our Deuces Are Wild Las Vegas Residency, opening April of 2019 at Park Theater at Park MGM! Citi presale begins Monday 8/20 at 10am PT before public on sale Friday 8/24 at 10am! For all dates, VIP info & to buy tickets: https://t.co/LVcDrPMcsh pic.twitter.com/FDlTI8B56y
— Aerosmith (@Aerosmith) August 15, 2018
Citi® is the official presale credit card of Aerosmith’s residency at Park Theater. As such, Citi® cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Monday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. PT thru Citi’s Private Pass® program. For complete pre-sale details, visit citiprivatepass.com.
M life Rewards loyalty members as well as Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will receive access to a presale beginning Wednesday, Aug. 22 at 10 a.m. PT. To join the M life Rewards program, or for more information, visit mlife.com.
All presales end Thursday, Aug. 23 at 10 p.m. PT. Tickets starting at $75 go on sale Friday, Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. PT. VIP packages and on-stage seating will also be available. Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets or online at ticketmaster.com/aerosmith. All shows are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
The 18 performances going on sale are:
April 2019: 6, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 21, 23, 26
June 2019: 19, 22, 24, 27, 29
July 2019: 2, 4, 7, 9


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Mansfield, Mass.-based Covidien posted profits of $396.0 million, or 84¢ per share, on sales of $2.58 billion during the 3 months ended June 28.
That represents a profit decline of 12.6% on top-line growth of 2.9%. Adjusted to exclude 1-time items, earnings per share were 91¢, 3¢ ahead of expectations on The Street.
"We delivered a solid performance in the third quarter. Operational sales growth was in line with our expectations, but our reported sales growth was restrained by the strength of the U.S. dollar against most foreign currencies," chairman, president & CE José Almeida said in prepared remarks. "With the pharmaceuticals spin-off now behind us, we are focused on strengthening our medical devices and supplies businesses through organic growth, new products and geographic expansion."
Covidien said its medical device segment posted sales of $2.14 billion, up 3.7% compared with Q3 2012. Sales for its medical supplies business were off 0.9% at $439.0 million, according to a regulatory filing.
COV shares were trading at $63.11 apiece as of about 10:50 a.m. today, up 2.4%.


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March 08, 2017
With strong growth across the board from its Adidas brand, the Big a finished a record-breaking year that saw net income soar 52% to €1,017 million ($1.08 bb) from €634 million for the FY ended Dec. 31 on a 14% increase in net sales to €19,291 million ($20.41 bb) from €16,915 million and an energized management significantly raised expectations for its 2020 sales and earnings.
The National Sporting Goods Association signed on to a letter to the House and Senate leadership from the Americans for Affordable Products coalition opposing passage of the BAT.
SQBG and SPR Indústria de Confecção Ltda. (SPR Sports) signed a long-term license for manufacturing and distribution of the AND1, AVIA and DVS brands in Brazil.


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Holden’s new boss says the company’s upcoming locally-built small car, the Cruze, could eventually topple the Commodore as Australia’s top-selling vehicle.
The Commodore has topped the sales charts for the past 14 years, but sales have almost halved during that period as consumers have flocked to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars and four-wheel-drives.
Over the past couple of years, the Commodore has been pipped by the Toyota Corolla in the monthly sales race on a number of occasions, while the Korean-built version of the Cruze has been a strong seller since its introduction in June last year.
Holden will begin building the Cruze at its Elizabeth plant in South Australia from the first quarter of next year and Holden’s new chairman and managing director, Mike Devereux, says the consumer will decide whether the Commodore is dethroned.
“It really comes down to consumer preference. You have to follow what the market wants. People want great style, they want great value, they want great quality, but fuel efficiency is obviously becoming important.
“Cruze versus Commodore? That’s really going to be up to the marketplace and if folks want to buy more Cruzes than Commodores I guess that’s OK, but it’s going to be up to the market,” he says.
He says Holden will also work on making the Commodore more fuel efficient in the face of new competition from a hybrid version of the Toyota Camry.
“I think we are already on record as saying that in terms of alternative fuels, diesels, we’re going to continue to develop alternative fuel technologies that can obviously make the Commodore extremely relevant over time, so we definitely have a plan for that,” he says.
Holden introduced a smaller, more fuel-efficient 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine on the Commodore in the middle of last year, but since then Toyota has launched a hybrid version of the Camry that uses a third less fuel than the Commodore.
Devereux said the company would look at a range of alternative fuels for the Commodore, while the Cruze would offer buyers more fuel -efficient options.
“We have agreement with Caltex, the Victorian Government and some other companies to establish an ethanol plant and to use E85 as a new fuel and frankly the Cruze and the other vehicles that will be introduced soon will be world class in terms of fuel economy,” he says.
Holden’s fifth boss in three years says he won’t be radically altering the game plan for the company developed by previous bosses Mark Reuss and Alan Batey.
“I don’t see any big strategic differences … Alan’s plan is my plan,” he says.
Devereux says Holden has a strong role to play in a rejuvenated General Motors, and points to the Australian operation’s lead role in designing and engineering the new Chevrolet Camaro as evidence of that strength.
“The place has an incredible amount of confidence placed in it by senior leadership at GM,” he says.
“Australia has what a lot of other countries want and I see absolutely no reason, given how intelligently the Government is approaching this public-private partnership, that that would not continue.”


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News > Tesla’s wait to run on Indian roads in 2021 gets longer
Tesla’s wait to run on Indian roads in 2021 gets longer
The Siasat | 29/12/2020 05:43 PM | Click to read full article
Tesla CEO Elon Musk who earlier said that the process to bring Tesla cars to India will begin in January 2021, has now refused to give any fixed timeline when his electric cars will arrive in the country.
On the other hand, in an interview on Tuesday, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said Tesla will begin operations will sales in early 2021 and then “maybe” look at assembling and manufacturing vehicles in the country.


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There are many tech hubs in Africa, from iHub in Kenya to ActivSpaces in Cameroon. While we strive to make these peculiar spaces of creativity relevant to the economies and lives of the citizens, they will be more productive if they could mimic the infrastructures – both soft and hard – that existed even before Silicon Valley became a hub for tech innovation. Taking e-commerce as an example, it is a sector that can change the lives of developers and non-developers alike.
Popularly called ARREYB, Arrey Bate is one of Cameroon’s most prominent political bloggers, journalist and media consultant. Bate founded ARREYB Media some 15 months ago. But it has grown to become one of Cameroon’s most prominent and widely recognized media with a monthly viewership of more than 50.
Young, dynamic and talented Javnyuy Joybert keeps paddling across the waves of societal difficulties to see his dream come true. COSDEF is an African holding Social Enterprise with 4 subsidiaries. So far, the Cameroonian social enterprise has through its four startups spread across education, employment, finance, and ICT.
The Pan-African fintech company-MFS Africa recently announced its second close of Series B funding round. MFS Africa is a pan-African fintech company with the largest digital payments network on the continent. It connects mobile money systems to each other and to money transfer organizations.
Those working in agricultural development in developing countries have used the agricultural value chain concept since the beginning of the millennium. But agricultural value chain is increasingly used to describe approaches aimed at improving market prospects and improving profit margins. Value chain development is key and a great strategy to reduce rural poverty in developing countries.
In April last year, Rebecca Enonchong was elected AfriLabs’ Board Chair, replacing Nigeria’s Michael Oluwagbemi. The Firebrand advocate of both human and digital rights has stepped into the United Nations Africa Digital Identity Advisory Board. As a member of the UN Africa Digital Identity Advisory Board, she is expected to share her know-how on digital technologies to the board alongside Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
European economies stand strong today because its citizens were encouraged and are still being encouraged to embrace entrepreneurship. We, Africans have been blessed with natural resources and human skills. All these, if properly harnessed and used, the rest of the world will envy us.
Silicon Valley is unquestionably the world’s largest tech hub, home to many startups and global technology firms. Until recently, Rwanda has proven to be one of the world’s fastest-growing economies as it constructs the Kigali Innovation City (KIC) which is poised to become Africa’s own Silicon Valley. The Kigali Innovation City, a Private-Public Partnership between the Rwandan government and Africa50, an infrastructure investment platform, will serve as Africa’s Silicon Valley.
Snail farming is one of the top interesting business opportunities on the continent and Cameroon in particular. Their high protein, low fat, and cholesterol content make them a nutritional favorite. The high demand for snails at home and abroad has created an opportunity in the market.
This article was originally submitted to Afro Hustler by Mac Alunge, one of Cameroon’s most recognizable voices in the entrepreneurship and spoken-word poetry sectors. African countries have begun to lead the world in agriculture, technology, and innovation-based entrepreneurship. In a bid to create employment, eradicate poverty/hunger and build sustainable economies, Africa has seen the rise in entrepreneurship and business creation now more than any other time in its history.
Today’s Quote Africa Nigeria’s Paystack partners with Truecaller for secure payments Nigerian startup, Paystack has partnered Swedish caller ID firm Truecaller to allow more merchants across Africa to accept payments online in a frictionless and secure manner by leveraging Truecallerâ€™s mobile identity product Truecaller SDK. Previously, all merchants that used Paystack, which processes nearly 20%t of all online transactions in
Since the mobile apps market started to gain prominence in 2008, Africa has remained an underperformer in mobile apps development. And more interestingly, children and teenagers have gotten into this field at very tender ages. As the old adage goes, “learning without playing makes Jack a dull boy,” it is important for app developers to create educational children’s apps while keeping them exciting and game-oriented.
The United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says it wants to invest in early-stage blockchain startups. UNICEF is a UN agency with a mandate to advocate for the protection of children’s rights. UNICEF’s Mission It basically aims at helping children meet their basic needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.
The Zinox Group recently acquired Konga in a deal that shook the African e-commerce industry. Olusiji’s new mission is to steer Konga’s course towards a fresh start in dominating the Nigerian e-commerce market. He replaces former owner of Konga, Mr.
Finding a suitable apartment that matches your taste is now a child’s play in Cameroon with the Bongalo App. Necessity has always been a drive for innovation in the history of mankind. Following the stress, Epafred Minuifuong the Co-founder of Bongalo App underwent on a house search process some years back in Bamenda caused him to think out of the box to solve the arduousness in the house search process in Cameroon.


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The Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), an advocacy organisation that seeks to create standards for blockchain adoption in the transportation sector, now has Canadian Pacific (CP) as a new member. This was revealed in a press release on Wednesday, July 31.
Canada’s railway service, according to the press release, is very focused on using blockchain technology to make significant enhancements on supply chain technology. BiTA has also corroborated this, saying that the addition of CP will go a long way to sustain this technology and also promote interoperability.
According to Mike Redeker, CP’s Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Information Services:
“As part of BiTA, we look forward to creating opportunities and innovative solutions that benefit our customers and the broader supply chain. Joining the alliance is part of CP’s continued focus on developing and supporting technology throughout the supply chain.”
Blockchain Usage in Transportation
There are currently about 500 different organisations in BiTA including firms in freight, logistics and other closely related sectors. All these organisations, as part of BiTA, endorse blockchain as the future and the most effective way to make significant contributions to the industry also with a focus on interoperability, as earlier mentioned.
Back in July, collaboration between three companies used an interoperable blockchain platform to conduct a proof-of-concept (PoC) shipment from South Korea to the Netherlands. The companies were able to track the shipment solely through the platform. Called DELIVER, the service allows easy tracking and financing of shipments and was jointly developed by the three companies – Samsung SDS, ABN AMRO – a Dutch bank – and the Port of Rotterdam.


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Forex - Weekly outlook: 06.11 - 06.15
Policy meetings by the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are set to dominate the economic calendar in the coming week, with the U.S. central bank widely expected to raise interest rates, in what would be its second hike this year.
With a rate hike already priced in investors will be watching out for any indications on the path of interest rates for the rest of the year.
The ECB is expected to leave rates unchanged after its meeting on Thursday, but markets may get an update on its plans for phasing out quantitative easing.
The U.S. - North Korea summit in Singapore on Tuesday will also be in focus, along with concerns over trade tensions after President Donald Trump said the U.S. wouldn’t endorse the final communique released at the end of a contentious weekend G7 summit.
The communique said the G7 leaders agreed on the need for "free, fair, and mutually beneficial trade" and the importance of fighting protectionism.
The week will also bring updates on U.S. inflation, retail sales and industrial production.
The UK is to release what will be closely watched reports on employment and wage growth, inflation and retail sales, while British Prime Minister Theresa May is facing a parliamentary vote that could challenge her Brexit policy on Tuesday.
The dollar ticked higher against a currency basket on Friday, while the safe haven yen also rose as investors turned cautious ahead of the G7 summit meeting in Canada after Trump vowed to deal with “unfair trade practices” by Canada and the European Union.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a basket of six major currencies, hit a high of 93.83 before pulling back to 93.54 late Friday.
For the week, the dollar was down 0.67%, its largest weekly decline since late March.
The dollar was lower against the yen, with USD/JPY off 0.14% at 109.54 in late trade.
The euro was weaker against the dollar and the yen, with EUR/USD down 0.25% to 1.1769 from a three week high of 1.1839, while EUR/JPY lost 0.4% to trade at 128.92.
The single currency gained 0.92% against the dollar last week after hawkish ECB comments fueled expectations that it will soon start scaling back its monetary stimulus program.
Monday, June 11
The UK is to release data on manufacturing production.
Tuesday, June 12
Australia is to release data on business confidence.
The UK is to publish its monthly jobs report.
The ZEW Institute is to report on German economic sentiment.
The U.S. is to release consumer price inflation figures.
Wednesday, June 13
The UK is to publish data on inflation.
The U.S. is to produce figures on producer price inflation.
The Federal Reserve is to announce its benchmark interest rate and publish a rate statement which outlines economic conditions and the factors affecting the monetary policy decision. The announcement is to be followed by a press conference.
Thursday, June 14
Australia is to produce its monthly jobs report.
China is to report on fixed asset investment and industrial production.
The UK is to release retail sales data.
The ECB is to announce its latest interest rate decision and hold a press conference.
The U.S. is to release reports on retail sales and initial jobless claims.
Friday, June 15
The Bank of Japan is to announce its latest monetary policy decision and hold a press conference.
The euro zone is to release revised inflation data.
Canada is to report on foreign securities purchases and manufacturing sales.
The U.S. is to round up the week with a report on manufacturing activity in the New York region, data on industrial production and preliminary data on consumer sentiment.


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For updates on the Super Bowl game between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, follow our live coverage.
Star athletes and supermodels are promoting crypto companies. Stadiums are taking the companies’ names. The government is thinking about regulating them.
But perhaps the surest sign yet that the cryptocurrency industry has reached the mainstream? It will be ubiquitous during this weekend’s Super Bowl commercials.
At least three online services for buying and selling digital currencies — EToro, Crypto.com and FTX — are scheduled to run ads during the game on Sunday. BitBuy, a Canadian crypto exchange, will run one during the Canadian broadcast of the game.
Even non-crypto companies will refer to the industry’s rise: A nonfungible token, or NFT, the blockchain-based collectible, shows up in the commercial for the zero-carb beer Bud Light Next. An Expedia ad starring the actor Ewan McGregor, which urges viewers to book more trips on the travel platform instead of collecting more unnecessary “stuff,” silently lumps virtual currency into the category of “stuff.” And TurboTax, the software company that recently started a direct deposit program with Coinbase to allow users to convert their tax refunds into cryptocurrency, showcases a small-town crypto investor in its ad.
In Reddit forums and on Madison Avenue, the game has even been rechristened the “Crypto Bowl.”
“These companies are conveying that we’re not this weird little nerdy kid in the corner who’s doing sort-of shifty stuff,” said Beth Egan, an associate professor of advertising at Syracuse University. “We are a real company, a real advertiser, we’re here to stay, we’re mainstream.”
The Super Bowl remains the single most important event of the advertising calendar, a cultural event that draws a huge audience even as live television loses ground to streaming platforms and mobile entertainment.
About 100 million people are expected to watch this year’s matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. NBCUniversal, which is broadcasting the game and has sold out of game-time ad spots, is charging up to $7 million for 30 seconds of airtime. .
Nearly half of the commercials will be from companies like the crypto exchanges that are making their first Super Bowl appearance. One, from Hologic, a medical technology company focused on women’s health, will show the singer and halftime performer Mary J. Blige getting a checkup. Wallbox’s debut ad features a lightning strike survivor overcoming his fear of electricity to use the company’s electric vehicle charging technology.
Super Bowl mainstays like Budweiser, Amazon and Avocados from Mexico will also make an appearance. But some other frequent advertisers in the game are contending with supply chain struggles and pandemic-weakened budgets. Several, including Coca-Cola, Hyundai and Tide, are opting instead to lie low, or to run digital campaigns or to advertise only in regional broadcasts.
The crypto industry, which struggles with a reputation for being volatile, bad for the environment and overrun by wealthy tech guys, has tried to demystify itself for the general public in part by pouring money into marketing. Several ad experts said they had déjà vu, noting similarities to the gush of money dedicated to marketing the dot-com boom more than 20 years ago.
The number of crypto companies advertising more than tripled last year, and their spending more than quintupled, according to a sample of 200 companies reviewed by the research firm MediaRadar. The National Football League star Tom Brady signed on as a brand ambassador for FTX. Crypto.com paid $700 million to rename the Staples Center arena in Los Angeles. Celebrities including Spike Lee, Matt Damon and Neil Patrick Harris appeared in crypto commercials.
Dive Deeper Into the Super Bowl
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, loosened a ban on crypto ads that had been in place at the social network since 2018, explaining in December that “the cryptocurrency landscape has continued to mature and stabilize in recent years.” Google also relaxed its crypto advertising guidelines over the summer.
Not everyone is sold. The Monetary Authority of Singapore, a financial regulator, said this year that crypto companies should stop advertising to retail investors because trading digital currencies is “highly risky and not suitable for the general public.” The Athletic, the sports news site recently bought by The New York Times, reported last year that the N.F.L. does not allow teams to sell sponsorships to cryptocurrency trading firms.
“The Super Bowl is low-effort — it’s fun, you’re in a relaxed mode, and then a crypto commercial comes on and it seems friendly and accessible and people might be more likely to give it a shot,” said Demetra Andrews, a clinical associate professor of marketing at Indiana University. “But it does present real risk, certainly more than trying out a new flavor of beverage or Uber Eats.”
Other technology ads will feature heavily in the Super Bowl, including sports betting ads (Caesars Sportsbook and DraftKings) and ads about the metaverse (Meta and Salesforce). Google has an ad centered on its Pixel 6 camera and diversity in photography. A commercial from the financial app and Super Bowl first-timer Greenlight shows the “Modern Family” actor Ty Burrell impulse-buying a Fabergé egg, a jetpack and a Pegasus.
Many ads debuted on social media well in advance of the game, or were teased with online trailers, as companies tried to catch cord-cutting viewers who are moving from television to smaller screens.
“It’s rare that somebody is watching the game and doesn’t have another device in their hands at the same time,” said Stacey Stewart, the U.S. chief marketplace officer at the media agency UM Worldwide. “If you’re going to spend that kind of money producing and airing a Super Bowl ad, you want to make sure you’re maximizing that exposure.”
State Farm is skipping the broadcast after making its Super Bowl debut in 2021, focusing instead on a social media campaign that invites TikTok users to compete for a role in a future State Farm commercial by posting videos duetting with the company’s spokesman, Jake. Alyson Griffin, the company’s head of marketing, said an uproar last fall over anti-vaccination comments by Aaron Rodgers, who appeared prominently in last year’s commercial, “played no role at all on the decision to Super Bowl or not to Super Bowl.”
“While we were looking for broad reach last year, this year we were contemplating millennials and Gen Z in particular, meeting our customers where they are,” she said. “We want to test and learn and see how we do in those spaces, and those results will be what we consider as we make decisions about big media investments in the future.”
But television “is still an important part of our media mix for sure,” she said, adding that State Farm could return for future Super Bowls.
Some companies, like Hologic, Salesforce and Toyota, are running campaigns across both Sunday’s game and the Beijing Olympics, which opened last week and are also being broadcast by NBCUniversal.
Automakers, film studios and travel providers are returning to the Super Bowl after the pandemic stifled demand for leisure outings last year.
The online travel agency Booking.com recruited the actor Idris Elba to star in the company’s first Super Bowl ad.
Arjan Dijk, the company’s chief marketing officer, said that despite the continuing pandemic, he wanted the ad to avoid the somber tone that marked several commercials last year.
“The zeitgeist of today is really lighthearted, feeling good — people want to look forward, to have a chuckle,” he said. “So I don’t think it was time to be very serious or emotional.”
Mr. Dijk said the ad was a bet that Americans would channel that optimism into spring break trips and summer vacations.
“Covid really made the travel reality very different,” he said. “We really think that demand will pick up, but I’ll be honest, it was kind of an educated — gamble is probably a big word — but I had to convince my boss that the timing was right.”
Booking.com bought its ad space in September, five months before Sunday’s game. Also in September, Fox Sports opened ad sales for the next Super Bowl — 18 months early.
Read More: Prepare Yourself for This Weekend’s ‘Crypto Bowl’


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As Pip Diddy noted in his latest weekly recap, the pound got its behind kicked really hard last week, thanks to returning Brexit-related jitters, although the downgrade to the U.K.’s Q1 GDP also apparently helped to push the pound lower. And if that made you wonder how the U.K.’s economy has been doing overall recently, then today’s Economic Snapshot will help you out.
Note: As with all Economic Snapshots, there are nifty tables at the bottom, so you can skip to those if you’re a forex trader who’s in a hurry. The bullet points provided highlight the underlying details and trends that give the numbers their proper context, however.
- The second estimate for Q1 2017 GDP growth came in at 0.2% quarter-on-quarter.
- This is a downgrade from the first estimate of +0.3% and is much slower than Q4 2016’s +0.7%.
- In addition, this is the slowest rate of quarterly expansion in four quarters.
- On a more upbeat note, U.K. GDP has been growing on a quarterly basis for 17 consecutive quarters already.
- The downgraded reading was due mainly to out from the services sector being smaller than originally estimated.
- The downward revision was broad-based in the service sector, although the business services and finance industry saw the biggest downward revision.
- Using the expenditure approach, household spending only increased by +0.3% (+0.7% back in Q4).
- As a result, consumer spending only added 0.2% to total GDP growth (+0.4% back in Q4).
- However, the biggest drag to GDP growth was net trade since it subtracted 1.4% from total quarterly GDP growth after adding 1.7% back in Q4.
- On a more optimistic note, gross fixed capital formation rebounded by +1.2% in Q1 (+0.1% previous), adding about 1.2% to GDP growth and partially offsetting the drag from trade.
- Government spending, meanwhile, added about 0.1% to GDP growth after having negligible contribution in Q4.
- Year-on-year, GDP grew by 2.0%, a tick lower than the fist estimate of 2.1% but faster than Q4 2016’s +1.9% at least.
- Also, the annual reading for Q1 2017 is the shared highest (with Q3 2016) since Q2 2015.
- The number of claimants for unemployment-related increased by 19.4K in April, which is smaller than the previous month’s 33.5K increase.
- Meanwhile, the jobless rate for the January-March period (Q1 essentially) ticked lower from 4.7% to 4.6%.
- This is the good enough, but it gets even better because this is the lowest reading since 1975.
- Better still, the lower jobless rate appears to be healthy because the employment rate rose from 74.6% to a record high of 74.8%.
- As for wage growth, nominal average weekly earnings (bonuses included) grew by 2.4% year-on-year in March, with a three-month average of 2.4%.
- This is slower than February’s +2.9%.
- However, the weaker wage growth was due to the smaller increase in bonuses (+3.9% in March vs. +12.4% in February)
- If bonuses are stripped, then wages grew by 2.1%, which is faster than February’s 1.9%.
- Also, the faster increase in March puts an end to three consecutive months of ever slower wage growth.
- Even so, wage growth is beginning to fall behind inflation.
- In real terms (inflation is taken into account), average weekly earnings fell by 0.1%.
- This is the first contraction in wage growth since August 2014.
- If bonuses are stripped then real average earnings fell even harder (-0.5%).
- This marks the second month of declines after the 0.4% contraction reported in February.
- Also, this is the hardest fall since July 2014.
- Headline CPI fell increased by 0.5% month-on-month between March and April (+0.4% previous).
- This marks the third month of monthly increases after the 0.5% fall in January 2017.
- Year-on-year, headline CPI increased by 2.7% (+2.3% previous).
- This is the best reading since September 2013.
- However, it meets the BOE’s staff forecast so the reading is not really that special.
- The monthly CPI increase was broad-based, with increases reported in 8 out of 12 components.
- And among these components, the biggest driver was the 1.6% increase in transport costs, followed by the 0.4% rise in the prices charged by restaurants and hotels.
- As for the year-on-year reading, that was primarily due to the 6.4% surge in transportation costs (+4.7% previous) and the 2.4% jump in the price of clothing and footwear (+0.9% previous).
- And the higher cost of transportation was due primarily to airfare costs soaring by 6.8% after plunging hard by 22.8% previously.
- The transportation components is stripped from the core reading.
- Even so, all other CPI components printed increases which is why the core reading climbed higher from 1.8% to 2.4%.
- This is the best core reading since March 2013.
Business Conditions & Sentiment
- Total industrial production in the U.K. fell by 0.5% month-on-month in March.
- This marks the third consecutive months of declines and means that industrial output fell in Q1 2017.
- Also, this is one of the reasons why GDP slowed in Q1.
- Year-on-year this translates to a 1.4% increase in total industrial output (+2.5% previous).
- This is the weakest annual reading in five months and marks the third consecutive month of ever weaker readings.
- The weaker annual reading for industrial output was partially due to manufacturing output increasing only by 2.3%.
- This is the weakest annual increase in manufacturing output since November 2016.
- Looking forward, Markit’s manufacturing PMI reading for April jumped from 54.2 to a three-year high of 57.3.
- According to commentary from Markit, the manufacturing sector saw the “strongest inflows of new work since January 2014.”
- In addition, “There were also reports of a solid increase in new export business, reflecting a combination of stronger global market conditions and the historically weak sterling exchange rate.”
- And it looks like the U.K. is expanding its horizons because foreign demand came mainly from “clients in North America, Europe, Africa and Brazil.”
- Moving on, Markit’s construction PMI reading for April improved from 52.2 to a four-month high of 53.1.
- According to the PMI report, construction activity in all three sub-sectors (housing, commercial, and civil engineering) increased.
- However, “Civil engineering was the best performing sub-category of construction activity in April, with the rate of expansion the fastest since March 2016.”
- As for, Markit’s services PMI reading for April, it improved from 55.0 to a four-month high of 55.8, defying expectations that it would deteriorate to 54.6.
- According to Markit, “new business growth gained further momentum, with the pace of expansion the strongest so far this year and the second-fastest since the summer of 2015.”
- The number of mortgages approved for home purchases in March came in at 66.84K, which is less than the 67.93K reported in February.
- This marks the second month of slightly weaker readings, which implies that the U.K. housing market may be beginning to cool off.
- Meanwhile, net lending to individuals increased by £4.7 billion in March.
- This is less than the £4.9 that was printed during the previous month.
- Moreover, this is the smallest increase since September 2016.
- This means that consumer credit weakened and as it turns out, consumer spending did weaken in March since retail sales volume fell by 1.4% month-on-month.
- However, retail sales rebounded by 2.3% in April, thanks to the 1.3% increase in retail sales volume reported by food stores (-0.4% previous), as well as the 2.3% increase in retail sales volume from non-foo stores (-0.7% previous).
- This is the biggest monthly increase since January 2016.
- Year-on-year, retail sales volume increased by 4.0%, which is the best reading in five months.
- Despite the rebound in retail sales, consumer confidence actually deteriorated further in April, falling from -6 to -7 index points.
- Consumer confidence has been in negative territory since April 2016.
- The U.K.’s trade deficit widened from £2.65 billion to £4.90 billion in March.
- The wider trade deficit was due to the 1.3% increase in exports being overwhelmed by the 5.64% surge in imports.
- Quarter-on-quarter, the U.K.’s trade deficit widened by by £5.7 billion to £10.5 billion.
- And as noted in the GDP breakdown earlier, net trade was the biggest drag to GDP growth in Q1.
Putting it all together
The year-on-year reading for CPI came in at 2.3% by the end of Q1, beating the BOE’s forecast of 2.0%. The jobless rate, meanwhile, came in at 4.6%, which is also better than the BOE’s 4.9% forecast and is the best reading since 1975 to boot.
However, GDP growth only came in at 1.9% year-on-year, missing the BOE’s forecast of 2.0%.
Looking at the most recent data, CPI increased by 2.7% year-on-year. While this may seem impressive, it’s actually within the BOE’s forecast, so it’s not likely to entice more BOE officials to join the hawkish camp.
As for GDP, the BOE expects GDP to grow by 1.9% in 2017. But for Q1 2017 specifically, the BOE forecasted a quarter-on-quarter rate of expansion of 0.3%. Unfortunately, GDP growth was downgraded to 0.2% during the second estimate. Worse, the major drag happened to be net trade.
As such, Kristin Forbes’ justification for voting for a rate hike doesn’t seem as solid anymore. And for reference, Forbes explained her rationale for being a hawk as follows (emphasis mine):
“Although consumer spending appeared to be softening, as expected, growth was likely to be supported by other components of demand, such as net exports.”
Growth slowed and trade happened to be the major drag because exports fell and imports surged. Meanwhile, inflation continues to strengthen, causing real wages to finally dip to negative territory for the first time since August 2014. Also, personal credit and mortgage approvals have been falling, which could be signs of further weakness in consumer spending and possibly the housing market.
If these recent developments continue, then it looks like the BOE may end up being trapped between a rock and a hard place. Cutting rates may help stoke growth but it will likely result in an inflation overshoot. But if the BOE decides to hike rates to keep inflation in check, it may end up throttling growth some more.
Anyhow, things aren’t yet so dire and there’s still some glimmer of hope. Retail sales, for one, rebounded in April. Another is that the PMI readings remain elevated. More importantly, the manufacturing sector reported an increase in foreign demand in April. But will this translate to higher exports and a narrower deficit in April? Well, we’ll find out soon enough.
And while CPI has been surging, with most components printing an increase, one of the major contributors happen to be the transport sector, which is tied to higher fuel costs. And since oil steadied and even tumbled recently, that may soon translate to weaker or steadier CPI, which may allow real wages to potentially recover.


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Latest BuzzMetrics Stories
Nielsen Online, a service of The Nielsen Company, today reported that women online ages 25-54 with at least one child are nearly twice as likely as the average Web user to provide frequent advice about Parenting/Family, Non-food Household Products and Beauty/Cosmetics (see Table 1).
Nielsen Online, a service of The Nielsen Company, and Beijing Zhongqian Wangrun Information Technology Co., Ltd., the operator of ChinaRank, the only Internet firm authorized to create and publish Web site rankings in China, announced the formation of a joint venture that will develop and deliver robust Internet measurement and analysis services in China, one of the world's largest and fastest growing online markets.
Nielsen Online, a service of The Nielsen Company, today reported a 26 percent year-over-year increase in unique visitors at work to online sports destinations, growing from 33.4 million unique visitors in August 2007 to 42.3 million unique visitors in August 2008, driven in large part by the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the kick-off of football season.
Nielsen Online, a service of the Nielsen Company, today reported that between Sept. 1 and Sept. 7, 2008, more than 1.9 million unique visitors in the U.S., 73 percent of them male, visited the "Thank You" page associated with Google Chrome, Google's new Web browser. Nearly 1.4 percent of all U.S.
NEW YORK, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nielsen Company today reported that product placements for the first half of 2008 fell by almost 15% on primetime programming for the 11 measured networks on broadcast (ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, MNT, NBC) and cable television (A&E, Bravo, HGTV, MTV, and TLC).
With week-one of the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the history books, Nielsen Online, a service of the Nielsen Company, today reported insights into how fans around the world used the Internet to follow the games between Aug. 9 and Aug. 15, 2008, the first week of competition.
Nielsen Online, a service of The Nielsen Company, reports July 2008 data for the Top Parent Companies/Divisions and Top Brands.
With the 2008 Olympics underway in Beijing, Nielsen Online, a service of The Nielsen Company, today released U.S. Internet audience figures for the top 10 most visited Olympics-related content Web sites and traffic to NBC's online video content.
Arena Media Networks (AMN) announced today that beginning 3Q 2008 the digital place-based video advertising company will work with The Nielsen Company to produce data that will be part of an ongoing and consistent reporting of AMN's network of digital advertising displays.
- A young chicken: also used as a pet name for children.


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The pound against the dollar this morning after a closely-watched index revealed the UK's manufacturing index missed expectations in December.
Sterling dropped 0.2 per cent against the euro to €1.1214 after IHS Markit's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the manufacturing industry fell to 56.3 in December, down from 58.2 in November, its highest since 2013.
Although the figure was still well above 50, the no-change mark above which indicates growth in the sector, it was below economists' expectations of 58.
The research suggested the impact of inflation eased in December as increases in input costs slowed to a four-month low, but it warned that increases in costs "remained marked overall".
"Although still running at elevated levels, this at least provides signs that the recent surge in price inflation is starting to abate," said Rob Dobson, director at IHS Markit.
"This trend should continue at the start of 2018, as supply-chain pressures hopefully ease further."
Dave Atkinson, UK head of manufacturing at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, suggested the strength of the sector was beginning to shine through.
“Concerns that businesses were driving exports largely as a result of the weakened pound are abating, with evidence of lasting relationships with new supply chains abroad, showcasing the full potential of the UK’s manufacturing capabilities," he said.
“With EU trade talks set to begin this year, it brings with it the prospect of greater clarity for the UK’s future trading relationships with key export markets.
“Although headwinds remain in the form of persistently high inflation, pushing up the price of materials, along with reports of relatively weak consumer demand, this reading nevertheless suggests the sector is well-set for growth this year.”


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Walmart denies firing employee for helping dog in hot car
Published Thursday, July 11, 2013 4:13PM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, July 11, 2013 7:04PM EDT
Walmart is denying claims that it fired an employee in Kemptville, Ont., south of Ottawa, for trying to rescue a dog locked in a hot car in the store’s parking lot.
In a statement posted to the company’s Facebook page Thursday, the company said “the associate in question was absolutely not let go for trying to help a dog in a locked car.”
Former employee Carla Cheney told CTV Ottawa she was fired shortly after calling police to report a dog locked in a parked truck.
Cheney said she hadn’t yet started her shift when she noticed a man putting his dog in his truck and rolling up the windows. She called police.
She was later fired.
“When (the store’s manager) did fire me, I did say ‘I really need to understand why I’m being fired,’’ she told CTV Ottawa. “He said it was because I was rude to a customer.”
“I told him I wasn’t.”
Walmart didn’t offer a reason for the firing for “privacy reasons.”
“The decision to dismiss an associate is one that we take extremely seriously and must follow a comprehensive process,” the company said in a statement on Facebook. “…as per our protocol, the store manager did speak to the customer in question about the dangers of leaving a dog in a hot car.”
The company announced that it will be adding signs to the front of all stores across the country to advise customers of the dangers of leaving kids and pets in hot vehicles.
In June 2012, a dog died after it was left in a parked car in the Vaughan Mills shopping centre parking lot.


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Amid various global challenges such as the current Covid-19 pandemic, China-US trade and tech wars, and issues with globalisation, ASEAN countries should seize the historic opportunity of the fourth industrial revolution to ensure future development, Indonesian tycoon Mochtar Riady* said on 28 May.
Speaking at a FutureChina Global Business Series webinar jointly organised by Business China and Fortune Times, Riady, founder of the Lippo Group — a conglomerate with investments in areas such as real estate, telecommunications, retail, hospitality and leisure, as well as healthcare — shared his observations on regional and global trends.
Riady thinks that only four countries — China, the US, India, and Russia — and the two economies of the European Union and ASEAN can fulfil these conditions.
91-year-old Riady pointed out that based on the current trend of deglobalisation, as societies enter the fourth industrial revolution ruled by artificial intelligence and information technology, six factors become crucial for survival: large land area, plentiful resources, large population, large domestic demand market, complete industrial supply chains, and advanced levels of science and technology.
Looking at the major economies of the world today, Riady thinks that only four countries — China, the US, India, and Russia — and the two economies of the European Union and ASEAN can fulfil these conditions. Thus, he urged ASEAN countries to work together to fully realise the huge potential of the region and participate in the fourth industrial revolution process.
Globalisation without China?
While the Covid-19 pandemic has precipitated the application and development of online technology and accelerated the world into the fourth industrial revolution, Riady said that the pandemic has also brought about negative impacts on economic globalisation. In a survey completed by the attendees of yesterday’s webinar, 57% of respondents said that the main challenge faced by Chinese and ASEAN businesses when the pandemic subsides would be the uncertainty in global governance and geopolitics.
Riady elaborated that while the pandemic has spawned talk about globalisation without the Chinese economy, he doubts that such a scenario would happen. Taking the example of the Apple iPhone, he said US President Donald Trump has been repeatedly pressurising Apple to move its production line back to the US since he took office. However, this has yet to be realised.
“Now, [the US government] is focused on manufacturing, but they would lose big profits for small gains as a result because they have got their priorities wrong… The entire global production order is messed up, and this does no good to the world.” - Mochtar Riady
Riady thinks that in comparison with China, the US lacks a complete supply chain. Be it the manufacturing of Apple iPhones or medical instruments, the US has to import parts from China. Moreover, the mentalities of Chinese and American workers are different. “If you’re willing to pay Chinese workers a little more, they are willing to work 24 hours for you. But no matter how much you pay American workers, they would be unwilling to do so,” Riady explained.
Additionally, he also thinks that the US government is not far-sighted enough in this aspect. He pointed out that over 80% of the US economic structure belongs to the service industry, of which 40% belongs to the financial industry, with manufacturing only accounting for less than 15% of the US economy. He said, “Now, [the US government] is focused on manufacturing, but they would lose big profits for small gains as a result because they have got their priorities wrong… The entire global production order is messed up, and this does no good to the world.”
“There is no other country with a supply chain as complete as China’s.” - Mochtar Riady
Riady added that China has successfully amassed a large number of talents since reform and opening up by sending students abroad and developing the country’s institutes of higher education. This has helped lay the crucial foundation for developing and building a comprehensive supply chain. He said candidly, “There is no other country with a supply chain as complete as China’s.”
Thus, Riady feels that even if some enterprises were to shift their production lines from China to Vietnam or other countries now, this does not mean that Vietnam would be able to take China’s position in the global supply chains by following China’s developmental process.
*Born in Malang, East Java Indonesia, 91-year-old Mochtar Riady (Li Wenzheng) spent his early years in his father’s hometown of Xindian in Putian, Fujian province, before returning to Malang. As detailed in his book Mochtar Riady: My Life Story, he headed to Nanjing Central University in Nanjing for studies, later returning home amid the chaos of civil war between the Kuomintang and the CCP. From fulfilling his dream of being a banker, he diversified his businesses subsequently to the fields of real estate, telecommunications, healthcare and others.
He has played a role in improving the business relations between China and Indonesia over the years. In 1986, for instance, as managing director of Bank Central Asia, he was involved in talks for a bank remittance agreement between Indonesia and China, and travelled to Beijing to sign the “Correspondent Bank Agreement” with the Bank of China. He was also involved in building the Meizhou Bay power plant in Putian, Fujian and had warm relations with Hong Kong magnate Li Ka-Shing, who helped him in various ways such as securing his purchase of the building in Hong Kong that is now the Lippo Centre.
When the financial crisis hit Indonesia in 1991, many companies that were beset with problems could not repay their debt and had to hand over their land to Lippo Bank. From there, the Lippo Group branched further out into real estate development. Today, Lippo Group has businesses in a variety of industries, including real estate, retail, hospitality, healthcare, education, and global investments. In Nikkei Asian Review’s 2018 “The Story of Lippo Group and modern Indonesia”, where Riady recounts his story, the latter says that “with sales totalling approximately $7 billion, Lippo Group is one of the largest ethnic Chinese conglomerates in Indonesia, with operations in both Asia and the United States”.
Related: Foreign investors exiting China: Vietnam milks the gains | US companies in China: No place that can take China's place | How many US companies will leave China? | Wake-up call for ASEAN countries: Curb over-reliance on China and seize opportunities of global supply chain restructuring | From supply chain to BRI, a super-connected China impacts the world | Covid-19: US needs to revive its manufacturing industry and rebuild itself | Restoring global supply chains at 'the speed of China’


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Meizu M2 launch invite contains a semi-functional Nokia 1110
Earlier today, Meizu started sending out invitations to a special event on July 29 where the Meizu M2 will be unveiled. The interesting part comes as the invite contains a semi-functional Nokia 1110 feature phone, probably one of the most popular phones of all time. This is thought to be Meizu's unique way of saying that its upcoming M2 smartphone will come with the price/performance required to become an instant classic. According to rumors, the Meizu M2 will be priced at about 599 Yuan, or just under $100 at the current conversion rates.
The Nokia 1110 that Meizu included in the invite package is not fully functional. Although the phone can be turned on, it cannot be used to place or receive calls or messages. The only thing that the display shows is that date of the Meizu M2 official unveiling, which is July 29.
Although the Meizu M2 is obviously not official yet, we already know all there is to know about the handset thanks to a recent discovery in the TENAA database. According to the Chinese phone regulatory organization, the Meizu M2 will come with specs such as a 5-inch display with a resolution of 720 by 1280 pixels, a 64-bit MediaTek 6735 SoC with an octa-core CPU and a Mali-T720GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, a 13MP primary camera, a 5MP "selfie" sensor on the front, a 2700mAh battery, 4G LTE connectivity, and dual-SIM capabilities.
If the rumored price of 599 Yuan turns out to be accurate, then it's safe to safe to say that the Meizu M2 will be a tough competitor in the entry-level segment of the Chinese smartphone market. However, there's a long way to go before the Meizu M2 becomes a classic like the Nokia 1110, but we have to salute the manufacturer's bold marketing move with its event invites.
What do you guys think? Does the Meizu M2 stand any chance at all to become as popular as the Nokia 1110?


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Flat-pack furniture giant Ikea is developing a vegetarian version of their famous Swedish meatballs in an effort to be more eco-friendly. Green Business reports that Joanna Yarrow, the head of sustainability for Ikea, said this week at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change event that the regular meat meatballs are the “most carbon intensive” dish on their menu. The Telegraph notes that this is because of the “high carbon dioxide emissions involved in the farming process” of cattle and pork and the high volume, around 150 million meatballs, that Ikea sells each year. A less carbon intensive chicken meatball is also currently in development.
Green Business reveals that Ikea is also “seeking to adjust the traditional recipe to potentially reduce its carbon footprint.” Ikea has been working with the the WWF to look “at meatballs and various other food items” that it sells to see how it can adjust its recipes to “give great taste but also perhaps less of an environmental impact.”
Changing the recipe of the meatballs could be risky, but Yarrow “was confident that sales would not suffer with a low carbon alternative.” Even after the scandal last year where it was found that some meatballs contained horse meat, Yarrow said “we had people begging us to put them back on the menu whatever was in them.” There is no word yet on when Ikea plans to introduce the new meatballs.Tweeted Yarrow: “Last night I spoke abt lots of #Ikea’s work to help tackle #climatechange but #green meatballs got the headlines!”


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Though noteworthy for their graphics and their connections, Cactus Plant Flea Market has arguably picked up steam in the past few years thanks heavily in part to their work with Nike. Among a DIY’d Vapormax and a sponge-filled Blazer By You, the streetwear imprint had also prepared a vast set of options for the Air Force 1, giving it a look that pays homage to the Air More Uptempo with lettering true to their own themes. If you weren’t able to grab your hands on the pair the first time around, you’re in luck as the label has teased yet another look at the collaborative offering, captioning Nelly’s teased with a capslocked “SEPTEMBER 10TH.” As it’s identical to some of the default choices when it went live, it’s unsure whether we’ll be seeing a ready made selection or another opening of the customization platform. For now, sit tight as we await more information.
In other news, official images of the Dunk High Doraemon have been revealed.
Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Air Force 1
Release Date: September 10th, 2020


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BEND, OR -- Commercial vacancy rates dropped to near-record lows in Bend in the first quarter of 2016. Pat Kesgard, with Compass Commercial Real Estate, says office vacancies dropped another half a percent, to 6.3%. "What that means in square feet, is about 19 – almost 20,000 square-feet of office that was absorbed in that quarter." He says the tightening market will cause lease rates to rise in the coming year, assuming things like interest rates and future growth continue as expected.
Kesgard tells KBND News, "When we talk about that vacancy, 6.3%, the majority of that is going to be along Third Street corridor in Bend – about 12% vacancy in that area." But, he also says redevelopment along Third Street is likely to tighten that area, as well. "Perfect example of a retail development is where the Platypus Pub is, that and two adjacent buildings, was recently sold and that will be totally redeveloped. So, you’re going to see that retail development, and some of those older buildings go away."
Retail availability also dropped a half a percent, to 4.7% in the first quarter. And, the Industrial vacancy rate fell nearly three-percent to 3.4%.
Kesgard says that lack of availability is forcing many companies to Prineville and Redmond. "What is so interesting about Redmond, there is so much industrial land, and so many finished lots that are ready to be built on, that’s going to be a lot of where the industrial tenants are going to go." Redmond’s industrial vacancy rate fell from 5.4% to 4.8%, in the first quarter.
To hear our full conversation with Pat Kesgard, click HERE
or visit our Podcast Page


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Early this morning we got the official invite for the Samsung launch event for the Samsung Galaxy S III. Not long after that rumors started swirling at a high volume across the interwebs. The connected crew over at BGR have released some of their rumors about the device, one of them in particular makes a lot of sense.
According to BGR, the Samsung Galaxy S III is going to be the official phone of the 2012 Olympics. We believe that this rumor has merit. We checked it with a couple of our high placed Samsung sources and mum was the word. However one source pointed out the fact that they are having the May 3rd event just randomly in London. The same city that the 2012 Olympics is being held at.
So why is that any bit significant? Well the first big substantial rumor about the Galaxy S III launch was that it would be in the U.S at CTIA. Well CTIA kicks off May 8th, all the mobile press will be there and it makes perfect sense to launch it there and not in London. Why launch the device 5 days earlier and 1000 miles away? Because an announcement that the Galaxy S III will be the official phone of the Olympics would make perfect sense happening in London, not in the US.
More after the break
Other rumors out of the BGR camp include two models a 16gb and 32gb, this is also believable. They are also speculating, or have heard from an unnamed source, that the Samsung Galaxy S III will have a 1080p HD display. Our friend Chris Chavez over at Phandroid doesn’t believe this one for a second but it may just happen.
Finally, BGR has suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S III will launch simultaneously in New York City, Seoul and Dubai, with the Olympic rumor in tow, this may happen as well.
As for all rumors we’ll have to wait and see, and we’re sure when it’s time Samsung Mobile will tell us.


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[Tech50] This startup helps you win Bitcoin rewards when you use Swiggy, Bigbasket, Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra
GoSats, a YourStory Tech50 2021 startup, was launched by siblings Mohammed Roshan and Roshni Aslam as a Bitcoin rewards system for users shopping online. In just a few months, the startup has landed over 17,000 users.
Engineer and techie Mohammed Roshan understands blockchain technology and cryptocurrency well.
It is his deep level of understanding, coupled with stints at crypto exchanges Unocoin and Throughbit, and starting his own crypto — SaffronCoin — that completely sold him on crypto tech.
But for a few years, he was trying to find a way to bring crypto to the masses — people who did not possess a technical understanding of cryptocurrency.
“I identified that the masses, especially in India, were shopping online. Looking at the existing cashback rewards system, I had an idea to start a Bitcoin rewards system. This is how my sister Roshni Aslam and I started GoSats,” he says in a video interaction with BlockchainStory.
A YourStory Tech50 2021 startup,was started by the siblings in Bengaluru in 2021 amidst the crypto bull run and set out to build a simple Bitcoin on-ramp for the Indian masses shopping online.
The name GoSats references ‘sats’, or ‘satoshis’, which are the smallest units of Bitcoin, each equivalent to 100 millionth of the value of one BTC. Sats is named after Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s anonymous founder.
Roshan and Roshni then began integrating various online marketplaces and services on the GoSats app for users to access.
How GoSats works
“Through the GoSats app, we made it possible for anyone to shop on, , , , , etc., and get fractions of Bitcoin, or sats, as rewards,’ Roshan says, adding:
“A GoSats app user can access the Swiggy browser, order food, pay for it, and earn Sats. The Sats are then credited into the user’s GoSats Bitcoin wallet. These Sats can then be withdrawn to any crypto wallet in the world.”
Besides making online purchases through GoSats, users can also buy vouchers, such as Flipkart vouchers, and get Bitcoin rewards for the purchase.
As many firms still remain wary about dealing with crypto, getting brands onboard GoSats was initially challenging. But it became easier after convincing them Bitcoin would only be given as a reward, and would never act as a form of payment, say the founders.
And after rolling out GoSats to the public in May 2021, Roshan and Roshni say they’ve landed over 17,000 users.
With its early traction, GoSats has raised a total of $1.25 million from Fulgur Ventures, SBX Capital, Ajeet Khurana, Sathvik Vishwanath, STACKS, and Alphabit Fund. Out of this, $700,000 was part of its seed round.
Bitcoin rewards card
GoSats is planning to launch a Bitcoin rewards card. Roshni, a finance graduate, says:
“I was fascinated by Bitcoin’s system of transfer of value and the way blockchain technology has evolved. Now to get more of the masses into crypto, we are working on a Bitcoin rewards card. It is like a prepaid rewards card that can be topped up with INR and swiped at almost any point of sale in India.”
She adds the waitlist for GoSats’ Bitcoin rewards card is quickly growing, and that the sibling duo is excited about the card’s imminent rollout.
Similar to some crypto exchanges in India, the GoSats’ founders have seen significant traction coming from India’s Tier II and III towns. They add they’re seeing a lot of young adults and women coming into the fold.
“Crypto has generally been male-dominated but now we see many women and Tier II and III users realising they can earn Bitcoin through GoSats without going through the traditional investing route, which is riskier. Thus, GoSats has become a great BTC on-ramp for these demographics,” Roshan explains.
Future plans amidst regulation
Internationally, there are a few Bitcoin rewards systems such as Fold, Lolli, Coinmiles, etc. But in India, the road ahead is still unclear as the country awaits regulatory clarity from the government on defining crypto.
Despite the lack of clarity, the country has been swiftly adopting crypto. A recent Chainalysis report ranked India second in crypto adoption globally in 2021, behind only Vietnam.
With the market for crypto, spearheaded by Bitcoin, steadily growing in India, GoSats plans to become a hub or home for Bitcoin in India by enabling trading, DeFi, and additional reward systems around Bitcoin.
And like other Indian blockchain startups, GoSats hopes for positive regulation that can make these plans possible.
“We are not an exchange; exchanges form only one part of the crypto ecosystem. Like GoSats, there is so much more innovation possible in other parts of the crypto landscape, and the potential is huge if the technology can be regulated in a positive way,” Roshan says.
Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta


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Project Loon for U.S. Internet Access Market?
Will Google’s Project Loon, providing Internet access services from balloons, be a meaningful access platform across the United States? That might seem as fanciful as the notion of using balloon-based access.
But Google already is saying it expects deployment across the United States, not simply across the Southern Hemisphere.
A Google executive says it has “almost perfected” its Loon balloon technology, with the first deal with operators set to be announced “hopefully very soon”, said Wael Fakharany, Google regional business lead.
“The operators control the distribution, marketing, OSS, BSS, CRM – the customer relationship is with the telcos. We are just the infrastructure provider,” he said. “There is a viable commercial business model and is based on skin-in-the-game, sharing costs and revenue with operators for completely untouched potential.”
Telefonica, Telstra and Vodafone are among the mobile operators to have tested the Project Loon platform so far.
Fakharany said Project Loon commercial operations are expected not only in the Southern Hemisphere, where its initial tests have taken place, but also in the Northern Hemisphere, including, notably, the United States.
“The idea right now, which we are very, very excited about, is that as we enter 2016 it’s all about scalability,” said Fakharany. “It’s all about marketing this as fast as possible not only in rural Africa, but rural India, parts of the US.”
That latter clause might be the most-significant portion of the statement. While Google Fiber continues to slowly add metro areas to it footprint, many would note that Google Fiber will take years and billions in new capital to build a business big enough to challenge the largest telcos and cable TV operators.
Project Loon will accelerate the number of households able to buy Internet access from Google, in less-dense areas beyond the Google Fiber footprint.


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Entries in 'Retail' (592)
PCR has thrown a spotlight on the independent retail sector, highlighting some of the most innovative and inspirational indies in the UK trade.
Edinburgh-based tech repair business SimplyFixIt is celebrating 20 years in business by hitting a record turnover of £4.2m.
We interview Channelstar Media consultant Simon Meredith about the changing IT channel, ahead of our distie panel session he will be hosting at PCR Boot Camp on May 18th.
Retailer Aria PC is cutting back on its range of products and warehouse space as it refocuses on gaming and virtual reality.
PCR’s May ‘indie special’ has landed. Find out if your store made it into our High Street Heroes top 20 indie list.
With our PCR Boot Camp 2016 conference and expo for IT dealers just three weeks away, we talk to Target Components MD Paul Cubbage, who will featuring in the morning ...
While Sainsbury’s is on track to complete its buyout of Argos owner Home Retail Group by Q3, we take a look at what this takeover could mean for its rivals ...
There have been plenty of films over the years depicting romantic connections between humans and robots, but the dating world being fused with droids may be closer than we imaged.
According to a new logistics market report, demand from internet retailers is causing UK warehouse property shortages.


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Bmw announced that the U.S. pricing for its all-new 2014 X5 (F15). The new rear-wheel drive 2014 X5 sDrive35i will start at $53,725, while the 2014 BMW X5 xDrive35i is priced at $56,025. Moreover, the 2014 BMW X5 xDrive35d price is $57,525 while the 2014 BMW X5 xDrive50i will start at $69,125. According to the official press release, all prices include $925 destination and handling.
As standard, the 2014 Bmw X5 (F15) comes as standard with the Auto Start-Stop system, BMW’s iDrive4.2 Navigation System with Touchpad, 10 years of BMW Assist eCall service, 10 years of BMW TeleService, BMW Apps, 40-20-40 split-folding rear seat, and now standard Servotronic speed-sensitive power steering. For those who don’t know, the X5 sDrive35i and X5 xDrive35i will get the 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline-6 engine (internally known as N55) delivering 300 hp at 5,800 rpm and a maximum torque of 300 lb-ft.
The new X5 xDrive35i will accelerate from 0 – 60 mph in 6.2 seconds, making it 0.2 seconds faster than its predecessor. The Bmw X5 xDrive50i is powered by the 4.4-liter V-8 engine (N63) which develops a maximum output of 445 hp between 5,500 and 6,000 rpm (a 45 hp increase), and a maximum torque of 480 lb-ft between 2,000 and 4,500 rpm (a 30 lb-ft increase).
As a result the X5 xDrive50i accelerates from 0-60 mph in just 4.9 seconds, 0.4 seconds quicker than its predecessor. The new BMW X5 xDrive35d features the 3.0-liter new inline six-cylinder diesel engine that has a maximum output of 255 hp and maximum torque of 413 lb-ft delivered between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm.
With these numbers, the BMW X5 xDrive35d has a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 6.9 seconds. Customers who want additional elements to their new X5, Bmw offers the Luxury Line, xLine or M Sport but also two Interior Design Packages – Ivory White and Mocha.


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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned software distributors they may be submitted to regulation if they continue selling products using rootkit-like technologies.
At the RSA Conference 2006 in San Jose, California, Department of Homeland Security official Jonathan Frenkel warned that if software distributors continue to distribute rootkit-like software designed to circumvent or defeat computer security measures, legislation or regulation may be necessary to control their practices.
Frankel was discussing the 2005 incident where XCP copy protection software embedded on selected Sony BMG music titles was found to compromise the security of Windows computers, and was later exploited by Windows malware. Sony was forced to withdraw
its products and is currently working to settle private, state, and class action lawsuits.
"We need to think about how that situation could have been avoided in the first place," said Frenkel. "Legislation or regulation may not be appropriate in all cases, but it may be warranted in some circumstances." DHS officials had reportedly met with Sony after news of rootkit broke to express strong concerns over the product, but no formal action was taken.


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Just a few hours ago Apple kicked off sales of its latest iPad tablets in New Zealand and Australia, and is now following suit with the rest of the world, as promised earlier this month.
On October 23, Apple confirmed to the world that its iPad mini with Wi-Fi models would be available in Black & Slate or White & Silver on Friday, November 2.
Apple disclosed the retail pricing for the US market revealing that the tablet would start at $329 for the 16GB model, which translates into 254 EUR.
However, don’t think you’ll be paying this little for the iPad mini if you live in the EU. After adjusting the price to take taxes into account, Apple is selling the iPad mini for precisely €329 in countries like The Netherlands, Germany, and others. In the UK, the price is £269.
Above is a photo depicting Apple’s new-generation iPads on display at YOOBEE in Auckland, New Zealand.
Apple says that the iPad mini’s 7.9-inch Multi-Touch display delivers the same iPad experience users have come to expect from its larger siblings.
The design has 35 percent more screen real estate than regular 7-inch tablets, according to Apple. The iPad mini also puts 67 percent more usable viewing area in the hands of the user when browsing the web, according to Apple’s marketing materials.
And the dual-core A5 chip is said to deliver responsive graphics and a fast, fluid Multi-Touch experience, while no major impact on the battery.
As for the fourth-generation iPad, this is the latest version of Apple’s full-size tablet PC which now packs an enhanced set of cameras, a more powerful processor – A6X – better wireless capabilities, and more.
Retailing for the same price as its predecessor, the iPad 4 is also now available for purchase officially.


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The UK government should apply the same regulation and identification requirements to bitcoin wallets as it does to bank accounts, Accenture has suggested.
Documents obtained by CoinDesk through a Freedom of Information request show the multinational management consulting company's response to the Treasury’s call for information on digital currencies.
Dated December 2014, the company takes a very positive stance on cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, highlighting their potential.
However, the document also recognises the risks associated with these currencies, including price volatility, lack of consumer protection and the potential loss of funds, for example by forgetting a private key, or through a fraudster gaining access.
Accenture believes bitcoin’s biggest problem currently is its association with, and use in, money laundering. It claims the identification requirements applied to bank accounts should also be applied to bitcoin wallets.
“In the same way that governments require identifiable bank accounts (through named accounts and know-your-customer checks), a requirement for named, identifiable digital currency wallets would be a core component of a safe, legitimate digital currency economy,” the document reads.
It goes on to suggest a centralised authority may need to be established to “supervise and monitor the use of digital currency wallets”.
Accenture stresses repeatedly in the document that regulation should be limited to digital currency wallets, rather than applied to digital currencies more broadly.
Any regulation that is created, needs to be “reasonable and proportionate”, with clear guidance on the rules and responsibilities for the participants of digital currency wallet schemes.
The submission goes on to say:
In the 16-page document, Accenture suggests the government take limited actions, which could include:
- Regulating so that digital currency wallets can be identified uniquely and recognised eg through KYC checks
- Recognising and authorising organisations (Authorised Digital Currency Wallet Institutions – eg banks) that can provide identity checks and verification services to enable identifiable digital currency wallets
- Providing a framework of clear rules and responsibilities for the participants of the digital currency wallet market on how to place controls on the digital currency wallets to help prevent financial crimes (AML and sanctions).
The document claims that the above measures would “catalyse the development of the safe, legitimate digital currency economy”.
The black economy
The submission notes that, under the proposal, bitcoin users would still be able to open and operate anonymous digital currency wallets, but these would fall outside of the “legitimate economy” and reside in the “black economy”.
Because the blockchain acts as a ledger, recording all bitcoin transactions, even those that occur in the black economy will be noted.
“Not only will this help with law enforcement and forensic analysis of anonymous transactions, it will be difficult (if not impossible) for digital currency used in the digital currency black economy to be laundered undetected back into the legitimate digital currency economy,” Accenture said.
Accenture proposes the creation of an Authorised Digital Currency Wallet Institutions list, similar to the list of Authorised Payment Institutions.
These institutions would be authorised and regulated by a central authority, such as the FCA and they would be required to:
- Issue digital currency wallets and identify the digital currency wallet owner through KYC checks
- Maintain a compliance status of each digital currency wallet
- Monitor digital currency wallet usage to check payments are between other identifiable digital currency wallets
- Monitor transactions for adherence to sanctions lists
- Be able to freeze digital currency wallets where they are being used for suspicious activity.
Encouraging bank participation
Accenture believes that, without Government intervention, UK banks are not likely to provide digital currency businesses with support, which will further hamper payments innovation and drive cryptocurrency companies abroad.
The document claims banks are “very supportive” of fintech startups, but are just reluctant to be exposed to fines from UK and international regulators for AML and sanctions breaches. It adds:
Experimenting with blockchain tech
In an interview with CoinDesk, an Accenture spokesperson explained why the company had decided to participate in the government’s call for information.
She said cryptocurrencies are important for the firm’s financial services clients, so Accenture has developed points of view on this area. The spokesperson added:
Last week, CoinDesk revealed Citi’s response to the call for information, which suggested the UK government should create its own digital currency.
View the full submission by Accenture here:
Accenture image via Flickr.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.


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Netflix is one of the streaming services that has come in to save us from our boring lives by providing us with a plethora of online content, which we all can binge-watch at any time. To make the experience better and better, the video streaming service tends to introduce a number of features.
The most latest one is the sleep timer feature, which will come in handy if you are one of those who watch TV to sleep. Here’s what is it about.
Netflix’s sleep timer feature starts rolling out
The OTT platform has started introducing a new sleep timer feature, which will turn off the content being played on the platform after a while. Users will be able to select from four time slots: 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or until a particular TV show/movie ends.
Following any of the aforementioned time slots, Netflix will stop playing whatever content is running.
This will prove helpful for people who tend to fall asleep while watching TV and eventually help save the battery of the device. This feature will also ensure that you don’t miss what happened on ‘The Haunting of the Bly Manor’ when you were busy falling asleep after a tiring day. You will be able to take on from where you left.
Netflix is currently testing the feature with a limited number of Android users globally. Hence, there is no word on whether or not the feature makes it to iOS, desktop, or TV users. Although, much like various Netflix features, we can expect it to reach other devices too.
Further, the Netflix sleep timer feature is restricted to Adult profiles and we don’t know if the Kids profile gets the feature. Just to note, the feature will prove handy to control the screen time of kids, especially when they are all addicted to their smartphones.
It is suggested that the sleep timer feature can be enabled by clicking on the Clock icon in the top right corner of any show or movie you are watching. But, we haven’t seen the feature as yet.


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Shops at Voyager and the Expansion of Something New Boutique
Breaks Ground at 11590 Ridgeline Dr. in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, CO, April 17, 2019 – Community growth is evident at the Shops at Voyager. An expansion project is underway with an 18,000 square foot, 2-story building located on the northwest corner of Voyager Parkway and Ridgeline Drive. This new building will house the expansion of bridal and formal wear retailer, Something New Boutique, on the upper floor. For almost 12 years, Something New Boutique has been serving Colorado Springs and this new building will provide them with more space to better serve their customers. The ground floor will contain multiple retail units (currently available for lease), including an end unit with a drive-up window. The new building is made possible by a team of local businesses, including Yow Architects, Eastern Colorado Bank, and Elder Construction. All retail space leasing opportunities will be represented by Cameron Butcher Realty.
Construction has begun and the shops are scheduled to begin opening for business in December 2019. For more information visit www.somethingnewboutique.com, www.yowarch.com, and www.cameronbutcher.com.


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Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is defined as ‘the packaging of a perishable product in an atmosphere which has been modified so that its composition is other than that of air’ (Hintlian and Hotchkiss, 1986).
It is unquestionable that digital change is coming and e-commerce is gaining traction, the question is whether the gases industry will deliver the solution itself or rely on B2B platforms from outside, says Dr. Cornelia Klaubert, Manager of gasido.
Part 2. With major divestment packages agreed and a long-held deadline for completion nearing, gasworld looks at what remains to be decided – including whether a new line in the sand will be drawn for divestments.
MagneGas Corporation, a leading clean technology company in the renewable resources and environmental solutions industries, has reported financial results and provided a business update for the second quarter ended 30th June, 2018.
PowerCell Sweden has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with German industrial group Siemens AG to jointly develop a fuel cell-based system that can be integrated into ships such as ferries, yachts and cruise ships.
Month on month the gasworld website continues to be the primary portal for information, on a global scale, about our industry - be it through the provision of news and features, or information in the expansive company directory section. Launched in 2004, it is the only independent online news provider and information portal for the global industrial gas community and the larger end-user markets. The website also now incorporates news for gasworld US and Specialty Gas Report.


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As we strive towards our goal of using 100 percent recycled polyester in all our products by 2024, adidas Golf recently launched the new PRIMEGREEN apparel, featuring up-cycled materials.
Learn more about our mission to END PLASTIC WASTE in the video below, featuring Head of Marketing, Chris Hedderman.
GO-TO POLO SHIRT
At the heart of our new sustainable collection is the Go-To Polo, built for golf with a rich, cotton-like handfeel and innovative flexible collar.
With more people of all ages picking up the sport and anticipating the trend for more versatile apparel, we didn’t want the simple idea of “having to wear a polo” keep people from heading to the course.
You can shop the Go-To Polo via CLICK, or by contacting your local adidas Area Sales Manager.


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TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s Nikkei share average rose to a fresh four month-high on Friday, as hints of progress in the U.S.-China trade dispute and stimulus from the European Central Bank helped to counter lingering worries about a global economic slowdown.
The benchmark Nikkei average gained 0.9% to 21,947.53 by the midday break, marking its highest since May 7. For the week, the index has advanced 3.5%, on track to post its biggest gain in eight months.
The broader Topix rose 0.5% to 1,602.23, also its highest in four months.
On Wall Steet, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% to close within striking distance of its all-time closing high overnight, with investors overall sticking to hopes of more progress in upcoming trade talks between the world’s largest economies.
China and the United States both announced concessions this week ahead of upcoming trade talks in early October. U.S. President Donald Trump later told reporters he may consider an interim trade deal with Beijing.
About two thirds of the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s 33 subsectors were in positive territory, with the interest rate-sensitive real estate sector becoming the biggest gainer, up 2.0%, ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy meeting next week.
Panasonic added a marginal 0.1% after the Nikkei newspaper reported Toyota Motor started using batteries that Panasonic designed for Tesla in some of its plug-in hybrids sold in China. Toyota added 0.5%.
Elsewhere, Yahoo Japan jumped 4.6% after the internet company said it would take over online fashion retailer Zozo for 400 billion yen ($3.7 billion) on Thursday, seeking to compete better against the likes of Amazon.com. Zozo retreated 1.2%, paring some of its huge gains of 13.4% made the previous day.
Reporting by Tomo Uetake; Editing by Jacqueline Wong
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Entertainment company Propagate Content is working with Asmodee Entertainment to make a Ticket to Ride TV Show. No, this won't be some sort of drama about who can build the longest railroad — this brand-new television show is going to pit players against one another in an exciting adventure game.
On the off chance you're not a tabletop gamer, Ticket to Ride is a 2004 board game where players take turns building their own railroads across the land. Players must draw cards of different colors to complete lines in the hopes of securing routes between two cities that they drew at the beginning of the game. Bonuses are awarded for creating the longest rail line and completing your objectives, but players also risk losing points if they fail to complete their routes. The game has proved immensely popular, spawning several additional games set in various locations around the world including the United States, Europe, New York City, and others.
That same gameplay will serve as the inspiration for a Ticket to Ride TV Show as reported by Deadline. The show will see five teams pitted against one another in a quest to overcome challenges and travel the most miles by land, sea, and air.
"Asmodee Entertainment will develop new and exciting entertainment experiences based on the vibrant universes of our popular games," said Asmodee’s President Stéphane Carville. "We are delighted to bring one of our most iconic properties to life with the help of our visionary partners at Propagate. We look forward to future collaborations."
No further details about this new TV show have been announced just yet. In the meantime, you can pick up the Steam version of Ticket to Ride for $3.99 during the Steam Summer Sale 2019, a 60% discount off of its regular price.
What do you think of the Ticket to Ride TV Show? Does it seem like the kind of entertainment you'd like to watch? Let us know in the comments below!


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Well, that didn’t take long. A day after Nintendo said they would unveil the Wii U console colors next month, a Nintendo rep said to hell with it and already confirmed what we expected: the Wii U will be available on both black and white colors. It’s unknown whether both version will be offered at launch, but it looks like it so far. Nintendo customer service rep Jay Dean broke the news by answering a user email, saying,
“Finally, I can confirm that the Wii U will be released in both Black and White.”
Granted, this doesn’t mean that Nintendo has officially, 100% confirmed the above statement, as it comes from a customer service rep and not the usual PR channels. But it’s happened before where reps of this sort broke news. Everyone was pretty much expecting both colors to be available at launch, since Nintendo has been promoting both of them evenly. Yesterday, Nintendo said that Wii U console colors would be announced in September, which means there’s at least one Wii U color. We’re guessing that Nintendo classifies “black” and “white” as colors — even though they’re technically not — and hopefully both variations will be available at launch.
Which Wii U would you prefer, black or white? Or perhaps something more… colorful? Let us know in the comments section!
- Nintendo Switch trailer doesn’t represe
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TAGS: Nintendo, wii u, wii u colors


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Autumn Winter 2023 fashion trends and new collections
Discover the latest autumn winter 2023 fashion trends and the new collections for the season. Many fashion brands have launched their winter 2023 collection, read about them in the trend news below. Various trend forecasters report about the autumn winter 2023 fashion trend forecasts including colors, fabrics, silhouettes, patterns, styles, and more for clothing collections in upcoming seasons. You will find trend information for womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, shoes and accessories.


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Toddlers are unpredictable, especially when it comes to eating. Some days, they'll lick their plates clean. Other days, they'll turn their noses up at their favorite foods.
Scientists have discovered a way to encourage children to eat more vegetables—and you'll love how simple it is.
A new study from Penn State found that simply adding more vegetables to a child's plate would result in them eating more. Like we said—so incredibly simple.
"Using this strategy may be useful to parents, caregivers and teachers who are trying to encourage kids to eat the recommended amount of vegetables throughout the day," said Hanim Diktas, Penn State graduate student in nutritional sciences.
67 children between the ages of three and five participated in the study, which lasted one month. The kids were served lunches with vegetables prepared in different ways: a regular-sized serving of plain corn and broccoli, a regular-sized serving with added butter and salt, a doubled serving of plain corn and broccoli, and a doubled serving with added butter and salt.
Researchers found when they doubled the portion size, kids ate 68% more of the veggies. Interestingly, seasoning the vegetables didn't get kids to eat more.
The vegetables were served alongside fish sticks, rice, applesauce and milk.
"We chose foods that were generally well-liked but also not the kids' favorite foods," said Barbara Rolls, Helen A. Guthrie Chair and director of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior at Penn State. "If you offer vegetables alongside, say, chicken nuggets you might be disappointed. Food pairings are something you need to be conscious of, because how palpable the vegetables are compared to the other foods on the plate is going to affect the response to portion size. You need to make sure your vegetables taste pretty good compared to the other foods."
Researchers say the majority of children in the U.S. don't eat the recommended daily amount of vegetables. According to their study, doubling the amount of veggies you put on your child's plate may help with that.
"It's important to serve your kids a lot of vegetables, but it's also important to serve them ones they like because they have to compete with the other foods on the plate," Rolls said. "Parents can ease into this by gradually exposing kids to new vegetables, cooking them in a way their child enjoys, and experimenting with different flavors and seasonings as you familiarize them."


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Starbucks Corp. said it would pay Mondelez International Inc., formerly known as Kraft, $2.79 billion to settle a dispute over distribution of packaged coffee.
The payment, ordered Tuesday by an arbitrator, consists of $2.23 billion in damages and $557 million in interest. The company said Wednesday it has adequate cash and borrowing capacity to fund the payment and will book it as a charge to its fiscal 2013 operating expenses.
Kraft was represented by Mike Ciresi, a well-known plaintiff's attorney for the Minneapolis law firm of Robins Miller Kaplan & Ciresi. "This is an enormous result for the client that completely validates their position," Ciresi said Wednesday.
Among other cases, Ciresi is known for having represented the state of Minnesota and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in a landmark settlement against the tobacco industry that totaled more than $6 billion.
The ruling settles a dispute that began in 2010, when Starbucks offered $750 million to end an agreement through which Mondelez, then known as Kraft Foods Inc., distributed its coffee to food retailers.
Kraft rejected the offer. Starbucks sought to wrest control of its packaged coffee business as revenue grew and surpassed gains in other segments.
Recent revenue growth at Starbucks is being driven by new products, such as K-Cups, "that would not have been possible without ending the Kraft arrangement," David Tarantino, an analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co. in Milwaukee, said in a research note Wednesday. The company can continue to grow its packaged-coffee business at an "above-average pace for an extended period," he said.
In Starbucks' fiscal 2012, revenue for packaged coffee and teas sold in grocery stores and other retailers jumped 50 percent, compared with a 14 percent sales increase for the entire company. That growth was largely driven by sales of Starbucks and Tazo brand single-serve K-Cup packs, the company said.
Starbucks said that it disagreed with the arbitrator's conclusion and said Kraft didn't deliver on its responsibility to the brand.
While Kraft Foods Group Inc. remained the named party in the dispute after it was spun off from Mondelez in October 2012, Kraft agreed to direct any recovery to Mondelez and said the arbitration's outcome won't have a material financial impact on it.
Mondelez said it would use the proceeds from the settlement to buy back stock.
In November 2010, Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz said he planned to terminate the distribution pact with Kraft, which started with an agreement in 1998 that was superseded by a new deal in 2004. The world's largest coffee chain was seeking to generate more of its revenue from grocery stores with new offerings such as Via, its single-serve coffee product. It's also expanding its packaged coffee business in more overseas markets.
Starbucks is "building a multibillion-dollar global consumer packaged business," Schultz said in a webcast for investors Wednesday. "We now have the flexibility and the freedom to control our own destiny."
Starbucks shares rose 1 percent Wednesday to close at $81.46. Deerfield, Ill.,-based Mondelez rose 2.7 percent to $33.31.
Staff writer David Phelps contributed to this report.