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Every year, I look forward to the Comerica Hatch Detroit business competition.
Every year, I wonder what new retail ideas local entrepreneurs will dream up to open in the city of Detroit. Every year, I hope a shoe store will be among the finalists.
Nobody has yet fulfilled my dream of cowboy boots and whimsical heels, but that's OK because the past winners have already woven themselves into the fabric of our community. Hugh, the bachelor-lifestyle store, has become a mainstay in Midtown. La Feria, the Spanish tapas restaurant, took way longer than expected to open, but it's now a favorite dining destination. And I look forward to the day that last year's big winner, Batch Brewing Co., opens in Corktown.
Even more exciting, though, is the network of finalists that the competition fosters. While there can be only one $50,000 prize winner each year, many small-business owners use the competition to build a customer base before ever opening their doors.
Take Busted!, for example: The bra shop was a top 10 finalist last year and used the momentum to open in Midtown's Park Shelton. Owner Lee Padgett was told that a bra shop would never work in the city of Detroit, but she had to order more — twice! — before her doors ever opened last December.
And now there is some extra help for entrepreneurs such as Padgett. This year, the Detroit Lions signed on as a sponsor, agreeing to provide financial assistance to the competition's previous finalists.
"This furthers our commitment to Detroit's neighborhoods and broadens our collaboration with Hatch Detroit," said Tom Lewand, Lions president. "The growth of small business in Detroit continues to be a significant part of the city's resurgence and is an important part of the Lions community engagement strategy."
The 2014 competition kicked off on June 1, and submissions are due by July 16. After that, Hatch Detroit executive director Vittoria Katanski and a team of judges will narrow down the submissions to their top 10 and then push them out for public voting.
To submit your idea, visit hatchdetroit.com.


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PG&E announced it wants to build electric car-charging stations throughout the state paid for by its ratepayers. What chutzpah! I pay for my gas when I fill up and the electricity I use at home. Now PG&E is suggesting we ratepayers pay for electric car owners to charge up.
Wrong! Now is the time for PG&E to be stripped up its monopoly position and face the real world. The idea of creating a statewide car-charging system is an excellent goal, as long as it is paid for by users of this charging system. There is no free lunch/ride, and people who buy electric cars need to pay for car charging just like the rest of us who buy gas.
Furthermore, the state needs to charge a road-user fee for electric cars. With the predicted dramatic increase in electric-car use over the next decade, it no longer makes economic sense to offer incentives for the purchase of electric cars or give these owners a free ride from the maintenance of California’s road system.

domain: news


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Is There a Reason the Nissan Rogue Is More Popular Than the Mazda CX-5?
Nissan offers a lineup of SUVs, including its best-selling compact crossover, the Rogue. First-quarter 2023 sales prove the Rogue’s popularity, which surpasses rivals like the Mazda CX-5. What makes Nissan’s SUV more desirable? Let’s look at some of its high points compared to the CX-5.
The Nissan Rogue is outselling the Mazda CX-5 this year
First-quarter 2023 numbers show the Nissan Rogue’s popularity. From January through March, Nissan sold 76,499 Rogue units. That’s up 30,000 units from the 45,235 sold in the first quarter of 2022.
The Mazda CX-5 isn’t having the same experience this year. In Q1 2022, the brand sold 50,653 CX-5 units, surpassing the Rogue. However, in Q1 2023, the CX-5 saw only 38,727 units sold, down almost 12,000 from last year.
The Rogue is the second-best-selling compact SUV so far this year after the Toyota RAV4, with 84,704 units moved in Q1 2023. Just behind the Rogue in first-quarter sales is the Honda CR-V with 67,241, according to GoodCarBadCar.
Here are some reasons why the Rogue might be having a better 2023 than the CX-5:
The 2023 Nissan Rogue has a more powerful base engine than the 2023 Mazda CX-5
One of the biggest differences between the two base models is the engine. The standard 2023 Nissan Rogue packs a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder producing 201 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. It pairs with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This SUV can go from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds.
The base-model Mazda CX-5 has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. It mates with a six-speed automatic transmission. That setup lets the CX-5 go from 0 to 60 mph in about 8.7 seconds — over a second slower than the Rogue.
However, Mazda offers a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder harnessing 227 hp and 310 lb-ft. But it costs quite a bit more than what the standard Rogue provides.
The Nissan Rogue boasts better fuel economy ratings than the Mazda CX-5
The engine in the 2023 Nissan Rogue works to balance performance and efficiency. This model achieves an EPA-estimated 30 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.
The 2023 CX-5 gets significantly less. Expect 24 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.
The Rogue also has more cargo space than the Mazda CX-5
Another difference between the two SUVs is cargo volume. Slightly longer than the 2023 Mazda CX-5, the 2023 Nissan Rogue provides 36.5 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats. With the back row folded, cargo capacity increases to 74.1 cubic feet.
The Nissan also offers a unique Divide-N-Hide feature, allowing users to store items in cubby holes. For instance, drivers can hold a gallon of milk at the side of the cargo floor to prevent it from sliding around and allowing for more storage space in the main area, U.S. News reports.
The Mazda CX-5 has much less space. Its below-average cargo capacity is one of this SUV’s most significant drawbacks. It provides 30.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 59.3 cubic feet with the back row folded down. That’s almost 15 cubic feet less than what the Rogue offers.
Despite the 2023 Mazda CX-5’s value and refinement, the 2023 Nissan Rogue is outselling its rival so far this year. That could be for various reasons, including fuel economy, power, and cargo capacity.


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NBC Universal is making a big push behind TV Everywhere, with plans to bring a lot more of its cable content online. The plan is to make shows from USA Network, Syfy, and Oxygen available to cable subscribers with access on PCs, as well as on mobile phones, tablets, and other connected devices. To help
More About: android, nfc, reviews, samsung, Samsung Galaxy S III, smartphones, voice cont
More Info Samsung Galaxy S III review AT&T announces Samsung Galaxy S III plans Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21 Each summer the world celebrates a time of warmth, fun and relaxation. For the tech community, however, it’s traditionally the season in which Samsung
Business Impact: Los especialistas en marketing intentan dominar el agregador de noticas de Facebook
Empresas legítimas buscan la forma de aumentar el alcance de sus publicaciones en la red social, pero les pueden seguir las empresas de correo basura.
The rainbow chairs, miniature hot air balloons and child care at yesterday’s Reading Rainbow press event were a welcome change from the standard mood lighting and Adele songs that set the scene for most tech launches these days. Of course, this wasn’t just any press event — this was Reading Rainbow,
Peter Thiel may be best known for his angel investments, most notably, his legendary call with Facebook. But now he’s got something for companies that sit just on the cusp between public and private markets. He’s launching a $402 million growth fund called Mithril for late-stage, privately-held companies.
More About: infographic, Pew Center, teens, Video
After Apple and Samsung have made their Siri and S Voice features keystones of recent smartphone releases, it wasn’t long before other manufacturers jumped in and now it’s LG’s turn with Quick Voice for its Android phones (we’ll see how Apple responds to that). Just announced in Korea and rolling out
If you’re US-based, you’ll still have to wait till 2013 to get your hands on a TV you can assemble with an Allen wrench. Our friends across the Atlantic on the other hand, can already snatch up a particleboard package that combines a display and TV bench. The Uppleva first went on sale in Ikea’s Stockholm


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Apiax Expands Its Management Team Ahead of Ambitious Expansion Plansby Fintechnews Switzerland May 18, 2021
Swiss regtech startup Apiax has expanded its management team with experienced professionals Mark Holden and Jerome Salaun to take over its Enterprise Sales and Customer Success teams to support the company in the next phase of its expansion plans.
Apiax said in a statement that Jerome Salaun has been appointed as its new Head of Customer Success and Mark Holden as its new Global Head of Enterprise Sales.
Mark Holden has more than 20 years of experience in senior sales positions in financial services while Jerome Salaun has more than 15 years of experience in building and leading customer success teams for SaaS companies.
Mark and Jerome join the company which now has more than 70 professionals across 5 locations with more than 15 clients.
Mark Holden, Global Head of Enterprise Sales at Apiax said,
“I am extremely pleased to join Apiax at this stage in their journey. For such a young company the recent rapid growth is testament to the value Apiax brings to our clients in digitising the complex regulatory landscape, generating real and tangible business value”.
Jerome Salaun, Head of Customer Success said,
“I am very excited to join Apiax. My goal is to provide our customers with the best experience from the time they onboard and help them succeed in their business with Apiax”.


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Apple is breaking into Live Streaming Movie industry as well in 2019. Apple is all set to launch its very own Netflix-style TV service worldwide. Apple has been reported to have hired top quality professionals from around the globe who specialise in quality content gathering to break into the live streaming market. Apple has spent millions of dollars already in pursuit of its ambition to lead in live streaming service.
Apple is expected to bring the service in the fall of 2019. The service might not be in its final form but an initial version of the service to get public a taste of whats to come. Apple will be giving better support for the AR in Apple TV. Apple users will need to upgrade the processor to take benefit of the support. Apple can take the lead in live streaming if the claims that they are making has any substance to it. Apple has claimed to offer low-cost Apple Tv Stick that will replace all live streaming TV sticks or products in the market. One thing to note is that it is at the moment 2nd in position after Amazon.
Apple has become a global power and want to expand its horizon into the TV SHOW industry. Apple has a second angel to it as they want to sell other products like apps, hardware & music subscription to its customers. Apple will be offering other things within the Apple TV to increase and boosts its global sales. Apple has been acquiring and expanding into multiple technology frontiers to expand its technological horizons. Apple can bring unique and revolutionising products into the market as it owns all the technology it needs to built its products.
All we can do is wait and see what Apple brings on the table in 2019. Apple has been on the down slump for few years and is yet to bring a revolutionising technology and product to the market.
No Comments on Apple Television (TV) All Set to be Launched in 2019


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A rise in the variety of circumstances has actually triggered cyber security specialists to provide a fresh caution about the risk of supply chain hacks. Companies have actually been encouraged by the UK’s cybersecurity firm to take extra preventative measures versus supply chain attacks. In action to what it declares to be a current boost in supply chain risks, the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has actually produced fresh guidance for business.
Although the guidance applies to companies in all markets, it was launched in partnership with the Cross-Market Operational Strength Group (CMORG), which promotes the improvement of the functional durability of the monetary sector. The guidance, which is planned to help medium-sized and bigger business, examines the cyber dangers of working together with providers and supplies verification that mitigation methods are in impact for vulnerabilities associated with working with providers.
The 2020 hack on SolarWinds’ software application construct system, the 2021 ransomware attack on Kaseya customers, and the 2017 NotPetya attack by means of a Ukraine accounting program are a couple of noteworthy current occurrences. President Joe Biden of the United States provided an executive order to enhance cybersecurity in action to SolarWinds.
In a file entitled ‘Safeguarding the Pipeline’ released by NCSC in February, the firm suggested companies and developers utilize constant combination and shipment (CI/CD) to automate software application advancement. The CEO of NCSC ranked ransomware as the leading cyber risk in October of in 2015, while likewise alerting that supply chain issues will continue for several years.
The brand-new assistance is assisted medium and larger business in “assessing the cyber dangers of working together with providers and acquiring guarantee that mitigations remain in location,” according to NCSC in a statement.
According to the UK federal government’s report on security breaches in 2022, over half of business, huge and little, agreement out their IT and cybersecurity requires to outdoors business. Nevertheless, s assessed the threats positioned by instant providers. These participants declared that the value of cybersecurity in procurement was low.
Read the full article here


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As many people were still enjoying turkey with all the trimmings shoppers began lining up at stores in Farmington like JCPenney and Walmart to take advantage of “Black Friday” sales.
The aisles were filled with stacks of merchandise surrounded by customers waiting for the workers to open the packages. As the time grew closer people began to hover over the products they wanted and it was a frenzied grab for what was left.
Popular items this year included the Google Home Mini, giant stuffed bears or unicorns, Baby Alive doll, Xbox One S, an assortment of movies, games and several deals on TVs.
According to Walmart Department Manager Mark Jackson, the last few years have begun to die off with online shopping becoming more popular.
"It does still get pretty crazy though,” Jackson said. “Hopefully it won’t be as bad as the past.”
Shoppers each had their reasons for being there whether it was to get the deal or to be a part of something.
Courtney Carr of Farmington said she come for some groceries and to get a Google Home Mini.
“It’s always kind of fun,” Carr said. “This is my second time coming to Black Friday. I just came to get a couple of things and maybe some groceries.”
After seeing the crowds and frenzied lines Carr decided she should probably forgo the groceries.
Lea Ann James of Farmington made the event a family affair. After Thanksgiving dinner the whole family came over to join in and find some deals.
James said she arrived more than an hour early to get a good parking spot and her family went to JCPenney first.
While the crowds seemed to be calm throughout the frenzy a large police presence could be seen throughout the stores. Officers were placed every few aisles and were ready to deescalate any situation.
One officer said that it was calmer than previous years, adding that theft does occur among the chaos but they are more concerned about the safety of shoppers.
JCPenney’s sales began at 2 p.m., four hours before Walmart, with the first 1,600 receiving mystery coupons worth $500, $100 or $10.
Manager Brittany Carr said the coupons were gone within an hour and a half. They had two lines out the door that ran past Glik’s in one direction and around the building on the other.
“This took months of preparation,” Carr said. “We continued to stay busy.”
Many stores which chose to remain closed Thanksgiving Day will be offering Black Friday sales today and continue throughout the weekend.


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Chinese search giant Baidu just bought an e-reader maker
The Sina Tech news blog reported earlier today that Baidu, China’s home-grown version of Google, now own about 40% of Fan Shu, maker of the Yambook ebook reader. Details haven’t been confirmed, but the deal is reportedly worth 47.6 million yuan ($7.4 million USB).
Fan Shu have a number of different Yambook models on the Chinese market, with specs ranging from Wifi to 3G. They also have their own ebookstore as well as a PC and Android reading apps. The Baidu deal would value Fan Shu at 120 million yuan.
IMO this rumor is very likely true. A couple weeks ago Baidu signed a distribution agreement with a number of Chinese publishers that gave Baidu the right to sell their ebooks. The deal legitimized Baidu’s Wenku books portal, which had previously been accused of wide-spread piracy.
Baidu are clearly making a push into ebooks. Buying Fan Shu would be a good way to bring the new content to market in the minimum time.


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The Europeans are coming for New York. Following news that both Chanel and Versace are staging shows in New York this December, Louis Vuitton has announced plans to bring its Cruise 2020 runway to the Big Apple this spring. After several seasons of American designers, including Altuzarra and Rodarte, giving up their New York Fashion Week spots for venues in Paris, it appears European designers are ready to trade places.
Louis Vuitton’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière announced the brand’s news on Instagram, revealing its next traveling Cruise show would be held in New York on May 8, 2019.
The French fashion house has previously staged its globe-trotting Cruise collections in the French Riviera, Kyoto, and Rio de Janeiro. Each runway has been held in a stunning location from a vantage point overlooking the Shigaraki Mountains in Japan to the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum in Rio de Janeiro—making for spectacular backdrops for its cruise collections. It’s unclear where exactly in New York the brand will unveil its Cruise 2020 collection.
Vuitton’s American-held runway will come on the heels of Chanel’s Metiers d’Art Pre-Fall 2019 show and Versace’s Pre-Fall 2019 show, both of which will take place in New York this December. Chanel is slated to present its first New York-based runway in over a decade on December 4 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, while Versace will show its first ever pre-fall collection on December 2, the late Gianni Versace’s birthday.
From: Harper’s BAZAAR US


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Apple’s TV hobby just got a bit bigger: Apple has added five new content providers to its sort-of set-top box, notably Time Warner’s HBO Go and Disney’s WatchESPN. Also available as of today: Satellite TV service Sky News, anime subscription service Crunchyroll, and concert subscription service Qello.
Apple TV owners who have access to HBO and/or ESPN have already been able to stream video from those companies’ apps to their sets, via AirPlay. But direct access via a dedicated app should be a plus.
This is absolutely consistent with my prediction for how Apple will approach TV: work within the current model (access to these new “apps” requires a cable subscription), even as they work to steal attention from traditional programming.
In other words, while I got the timing wrong, I still think my prediction of an Apple TV SDK is correct. In fact, the addition of controller support in iOS 7 is an obvious first step.1 In retrospect it’s obvious why it didn’t happen this time around: iOS folks were busy.
More on iOS 7’s hidden costs soon.
It’s also possible that I’m overfitting the evidence here ↩


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A former shoe factory in Preston is undergoing extensive renovations to welcome the Northside Food Hall, a shared marketplace for traders, eateries and entertainment.
Co-founder Alistair Kennedy (former manager at The Metro, Inflation Nightclub and Cargo Bar) plans to showcase local and emerging talent in a more formal arrangement than a pop-up market. Vendors can apply for long-term tenancies, but the market will shift and change as tenants’ businesses grow and develop.
“We wouldn’t want to lock [tenants] in,” Kennedy says. “We didn’t want to recreate another shopping centre. We are looking for a combination of craftspeople, artisans, growers – people that are taking that next step up from a market stall or food truck.”
There are nine stalls available for tenancy in the High Street building, which has a license to trade from 7am to midnight. Kennedy hopes to see a diverse mix of hawkers that reflects the vibrant culture in Preston.
“There will be communal seating, individual stalls and kiosks, a central bar as well as enough space for live entertainment,” he says.
Northside Food Hall is scheduled for completion in February 2019. Applications are now open and can be submitted here.


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The 2023 Tata Nexon facelift may launch in the third quarter of this calendar year with substantial changes inside and out
In the upcoming months, the Tata Nexon, one of the most well-liked small SUVs on the Indian market, will receive a significant makeover. Tata Motors will start producing the Nexon facelift in the coming months before the eventual debut in the third quarter of this year. The Tata compact SUV is anticipated to receive significant modifications, including a new exterior design, significant interior improvements, updated engines, and new technology.
According to reports, the all-new 1.2-litre unit turbo-petrol engine that was first shown in the Curvv ICE concept would be installed in the Tata Nexon facelift. This new engine has 125 hp and 225 Nm of torque. The existing model’s engine produces 120 horsepower and 170 Nm. The 1.5-litre diesel will also be included in the Nexon makeover. The automatic transmission options for the Nexon facelift are currently unclear. In order to comply with Bharat Stage 6 Phase-II standards, all Tata models including the Nexon have recently undergone upgrades.
It is expected that Tata Motors will continue to produce both the Nexon and Nexon EV on the same assembly line. To help promote the new Tata. EV electric-only sub-brand, the Nexon EV facelift may have a somewhat different appearance up front in order to better distinguish it from the Nexon fuel and diesel vehicles.
With a redesign at the front and back, it is expected that the Nexon facelift will incorporate styling ideas from the recently unveiled Tata Curvv. The grille’s front features a twin-part design with inlays in the lower half with diamond shapes. Just above the grille, a full-width LED light bar connecting both headlamps is expected to be positioned from end to end.
With a considerably flatter nose and a newly created headlamp that is positioned lower down, the Tata Nexon facelift’s front look appears to be even more upright. With the exception of new alloy wheel designs, the side profile is anticipated to stay as it is. On the back side, the taillights feature a new design and an added LED light bar.
The new 10.25-inch touchscreen, which recently made its debut on the Harrier and Safari SUVs, will also be included in the Nexon facelift, and the dashboard layout is expected to be modified. This might be one of the most significant equipment upgrades for the Nexon makeover, coupled with a new digital instrument cluster. Regarding features, there have been rumours that the Nexon will gain a larger sunroof and luxuries like cooled seats and a 360-degree camera.


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In the world’s 18th largest market, recent pricing struggles have pushed some companies to revaluate their investment approach. Multinational organizations are complying with localization policies but are divided between having their own plant or partnering with a local CMO provider – although all of them appear to agree on one thing: the importance of clinical trials.
On the other hand, Turkish companies are doubling down on their own niches to compete and guarantee a successful future, some investing in biosimilars, others in rare diseases, and one company is going all the way, partnering with a Dutch early-stage biotech to develop its own Alzheimer’s molecule.
Here are the views of 5 executives from Big Pharma companies and the contrasting perspectives of local Turkish CEOs regarding investment decisions:
Big Pharma’s View
A specific rare disease policy to attract investment
Takeda’s Seyda Atadan argues that having a specific rare disease policy in Turkey will foster innovation by attracting investment in clinical trials.
“The objective now should be to implement policies in areas like rare diseases so that we can expedite access to innovative medicines for diseases with high unmet medical needs. As an R&D driven organization, Takeda is determined to tap into this to foster innovation; we believe that having a specific rare disease policy in Turkey will also positively impact this environment.
“This can also help to increase the investment of the pharma industry in the country. Turkey has the potential to generate investment in clinical trials via developing an innovative medicines pipeline. With around 521 clinical trials in 2019, Turkey ranked 26th globally, a relatively low position considering the size of the healthcare market, the economy, the harmonization of legislation with the European Union and the strong academic ecosystem.”
“European perfection at an affordable cost”
Avinash Potnis of Novartis, as an outsider, strongly believes in the potential of Turkey to become both an innovation and investment hub.
“[Turkey] is a place where the company can invest, build, and create a global export hub. Turkey has a unique value proposition, bringing European perfection at an affordable cost, and Novartis has made investments to make the country a quality export launchpad.
“The global industry should not only look at Turkey as a problem child; the large population, good healthcare infrastructure and universal coverage make it one of the advanced pharma markets. It will become a more attractive market if we welcome innovation and incentivize existing and new investors. Hence, Turkey has the opportunity to become both an innovation and investment hub.”
On board with localization investment
Bayer’s Ingrid Drechsel explains why the German company supports localization investment in Turkey and leaves an open door to make the country an export hub for Bayer.
“Bayer is a very innovative company that has invested in Turkish talent and ideas. We have a crop science production and development site as well as a strong local manufacturing footprint for pharma products here, producing 40 percent of the products sold in the local market through partners; a testament to our commitment to Turkey.
“Besides our headquarters in Istanbul, we currently have eight regional offices in order to serve the whole country adequately.
“[The company’s latest localization project] followed the Turkish government’s strategy to introduce more local production to the country. Headquarters agreed to invest and decided that it made sense for the organization. Since Bayer does not have its own production facility for pharmaceuticals in the country, we are producing and investing through partners. The initial idea is to supply local demand, but you never know what the future holds.”
A different Amgen affiliate
Güldem Berkman of Amgen also boasts about supporting localization initiatives, albeit with a different approach. Instead of going for a CMO partner, Amgen chose to acquire a big Turkish player.
Amgen opted to establish a direct presence in Turkey in 2010, before that, the company worked through distributors. In 2012, we acquired Gensenta, with its renewed identity, a 90-year-old Turkish company that specialized in generics, with an investment of USD 700 million. The investment is among the top 10 foreign direct investments across all sectors in the country.
After the acquisition, Amgen positioned itself to compete across two pillars: biotechnology and generics. Amgen Turkey is the only affiliate, apart from Brazil, to have such a model. As of today, we have 820 people working in Gensenta and two manufacturing facilities, one for biosimilars fill-and-finish and another for active substance production – mainly penicillin and over a dozen small molecules.
Five years full of launches
Boehringer Ingelheim’s Evren Özlu coincides with the overall optimistic view of the market’s future, supports localization and expects many product launches in the next five years.
We see tremendous potential within the Turkish market, especially considering the size of the population – around 85 million – and the country’s demographic trends. There is increasing awareness of disease areas among the wider public, as well as a desire at a policy level to implement comprehensive healthcare coverage for over 95 percent of the population. This is particularly encouraging, as 10 percent of the population is expected to be over the age of 65 in the next few years. Moreover, a recent report by IQVIA projects that Turkey is set to become the 14th largest pharmaceutical market in the world.
We will continue to invest further in Turkey, as we strongly believe in the bright future of the market. Based on the country’s registration timelines and activities, the next five years will see us introducing products in line with our organization’s global investment and portfolio.
Turkish Locals’ Takes
Going public and partnering with a Dutch biotech
Abidin Gülmüş, CEO of GEN, believes that going global calls for investment in true innovation R&D. The company, which recently made its public debut at the Istanbul Stock Exchange, signed a collaboration and license agreement with a Dutch biotech for an Alzheimer’s asset.
Being a major global player is not possible without substantial investment in R&D; global companies must be innovative. GEN is committed to developing novel molecules, from phase I to phase III, as part of our quest to become an innovative organization. A few weeks ago, we announced our exclusive collaboration and license agreement with Sulfateq BV, a Dutch early-stage biotech company, for the development and commercialization of SUL-238 as a therapy against Alzheimer’s Disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. This is a great milestone for the company, but we are fully aware that it will be a long journey.
Walking before running
Abdi Ibrahim’s CEO, Süha Taşpolatoğlu, outlines the company’s internationalization strategy, going to countries where market entry was relatively easy, that had high profits but also high risks, before aiming for developed markets that offer a predictable business. Also, he explains why the Turkish giant is all in on biotech products.
When we decided to be an international player, there were two different options: to invest in markets where market entry was relatively easy, that had high profits but also high risks, or go to markets where market entry is difficult but allow you to have a predictable business. In order to learn how to do business abroad, we chose to go to North Africa, the Balkans, Azerbaijan or Georgia.
We could try to enter those markets alone as Abdi Ibrahim or by doing joint ventures with local companies. In the end, we decided to do it both ways depending on the market. Today, we are confident in our capacity to do business internationally and are ready to go to more difficult markets like the United States and Europe.
We know that biotechnology is the future of the pharma industry as it currently has around 25 percent of the global pharma market in terms of revenue and is projected to reach 40 percent soon. A few years back Abdi invested in its own biotechnology production and R&D facilities and recently obtained GMP approval for the factory which includes vaccine production. Because of our timely investment, we are now able to produce almost all kinds of biotech products. But in order to be a strong player, you must be able to bring new products to the country and we have registered biosimilars in Turkey already, our objective is to continue bringing products via in-licensing.
Investing in vaccines, plasma and orphan drugs
Centurion’s Ersin Erfa shares his strategy of localizing vaccines and plasma. The company, similar to GEN, is going for niche products instead of mass production.
We are one of the oldest companies active in plasma and vaccines in Turkey; it is our core business and we want to localize the production of both in Turkey. We are in talks with the authorities because regulations are a big hurdle for us.
For vaccines, we want to do local production starting from antigens which will require further investment. Orphan drugs are another critical part of our product portfolio, and we are investing heavily, mostly working with in-licensing schemes, partnering with global companies and R&D centers in Europe, Asia and the United States.
We are not interested in mass production products, rather focusing on niche generics where there are far more opportunities worldwide. Centurion is in a good position and today we export generics to more than 20 countries which is quite good but not enough for us. After our EMA approval, we how to begin production for European countries; that is where much of our investment is focused on. I hope that we will double the countries we export to in the next two years, both with niche generics and plasma products. This strategy will help us become a semi-global pharma company.
Parenteral solutions leader going for biosimilars
Ufuk Kumrulu of Polifarma also believes in the future of biosimilars in Turkey but has chosen not to focus on monoclonal antibodies.
Around 12 years ago, the company shifted to become a pharmaceutical company focused on parenteral solutions. We started producing those products in 1996 and became market leaders in 2015. When Baxter, our main competitor, stopped producing in Turkey, we consolidated our position as the leader in parenteral solutions, serums. Over the last six years, Polifarma invested in generic products for hospital use, including ascetic areas and finished phase II investments last year; today, we have a 2,000 square meters ascetic production area and more than 500 products.
In my view, biosimilars are without a doubt the future of our industry. Fortunately, we began investing in the space four years ago. Of course, not all the projects came to fruition, but we have now partnered with companies that have been doing technology transfer.
In Turkey, everybody is focusing on monoclonal antibodies, but we are focusing on the future products, the ones that will be patent free in the coming years, and vaccines.
Devaluation putting investment at risk
Ali Raif’s Muzzafer Bal speaks about his wish to scale of manufacturing but is concerned about the impact of the Lira’s devaluation. He also revelas why Ali Raif is not currently boarding the biosimilars train.
As a small to medium-sized family company, we are flexible and can organize ourselves for a product to enter the market and be an important player in that space. Currently, we are operating in select areas, predominantly therapeutics associated with gastroenterology, cardiology, and diabetic CNS. Furthermore, we are building a new plant to increase the scale of our business. This will be FDA approved and increase our capacity for local production to further shift the focus to exports.
At the moment, we have strong financial capacity to make these investments however the challenges stem from the rapid devaluation of the infrastructure. The cost and maintenance of new machinery and the fluctuations of the Turkish lira also present challenges. However, the benefit of these investments is to centralize the business and move away from third party manufacturing.
We decided not to move into biosimilars because the margin was low from our point of view. We did not have certain tools for manufacturing nor the expertise to produce them. For now, we do not have any plans to involve biosimilars into the business and would prefer to stay where we are and be ready to move into new therapeutic areas which we believe will offer more opportunities for us in the long term.


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For fan of the Alfa Romeo brand, its return to the United States can’t happen fast enough. The same holds true for parent company Fiat, where Alfa Romeo’s aging product line isn’t contributing as expected to the bottom line. New cars, destined for the U.S. market, will help to change that, and none is more eagerly awaited than the 4C mid-engine, rear drive sport coupe.
As Left Lane News reminds us, the 4C debuted in concept form at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The concept was a stunner, and the idea of an affordable (or semi-affordable, depending upon your perspective) Italian sports car spread like wildfire. The 4C will likely be priced in Corvette territory, and will feature a carbon fiber monocoque wrapped in carbon composite materials. Power will come from a 1.75-liter turbocharged four, said to be good for 296 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of around 4.5 seconds.
Britain’s Autocar is reporting that the production version of the Alfa Romeo 4C could debut next summer, not at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show as originally projected. If that’s the case, production cars could hit dealer inventory by the end of 2013, or in early 2014.
We say it’s still a roll of the dice, since Fiat head Sergio Marchionne is known to be a perfectionist when it comes to new models. The 4C will be a flagship car meant to resurrect an historically significant brand, so it’s even more critical that Alfa gets the car right the first time. Color us cautiously optimistic, if not convinced.


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Advertisers felt like they got good at Facebook some time ago. But, at the world’s largest ad agency holding group, most of that expertise was concentrated amongst the buyers of ad space.
That’s why WPP saw the need to tool-up Facebook savvy amongst the people actually tasked with creating ads for that inventory.
Together with Facebook, the group created a Creative Ambassador Program, designed at injecting best practice in the creation of modern mobile and video ads for Facebook in to the agencies that actually make them.
“We already had a really deep, broad relationship with Facebook,” says WPP’s chief digital officer Scott Spirit in this video interview with Beet.TV. “But it was primarily based in our media agencies (GroupM)
“We felt that there was a lot of innovation in media, but the creative and digital agencies had been a little bit left behind. We were slightly concerned that our creative agencies weren’t really aware of the full capabilities that Facebook had. So we put together this program to really address that.
“We decided we were going to really fully commit to this and get all our agencies involved. I think it’s the first time that Facebook’s worked at a holding group level to really roll something out on a global basis”
The ambassadors program has already touched down in APAC, with WPP sending creative directors, planning directors, copywriters and client leaders from WPP agencies across Asia for a two-day education session.
They heard how Facebook’s Carousel, Slideshow, Canvas, 360 and Live products can be used to create mobile-first ad experiences. And they worked to develop example campaigns using the skills they learned.
Making ads that fit the new medium is important because, for a long time, many marketers have simply squeezed assets from a legacy medium in to the new box. “Shovelware” has always carried negative connotations amongst practitioners – but, to consumers, it means the difference between watching a quick ad built for fleeting mobile moments and sitting through a frustrating 30-second ad that originated on their TV screen.
“In terms of mobile video and mobile creative, that the initial wave of campaigns has really been just adapting assets that were created maybe for other means,” WPP’s Spirit admits.
“What we’re hoping to get out of this program is rather than adaptation, you have creation for the medium.
“It’s really helped our creative agencies think about what changes they need to make to their processes to be truly mobile first when it comes to creative work.
This Beet.TV series, presented by Facebook and WPP, is titled Creativity in a Mobile First World. Please find more videos from the series here.


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QuintilesIMS: Worldwide Rx expenditures to hit $1.5T by 2021
DANBURY, Conn., and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Though annual growth stands to moderate, global drug spending will climb to an estimated $1.5 trillion by 2021, up 33% from this year, according to the QuintilesIMS Institute.
Worldwide spending on medicines is projected to grow at a 4% to 7% compound annual rate over the next five years, down from almost 9% growth in 2014 and 2015, QuintilesIMS said in its “Outlook for Global Medicines Through 2021: Balancing Cost and Value” report, released Tuesday. Through 2021, the overall global spend for pharmaceuticals stands to rise by $367 billion on a constant-dollar basis.
Historically large numbers of high-quality new medicines are set to emerge from the R&D pipeline during the next five years. Yet the study noted that pricing and market access pressures, lower volume growth in “pharmerging” markets and more savings from patent expiries will contribute to the lower rate of growth.
Spending is measured at the ex-manufacturer level before adjusting for rebates, discounts, taxes and other adjustments that affect net sales received by manufacturers. QuintilesIMS said the impact of these factors will trim growth by an estimated $127 billion, or about 35% of the growth forecast through 2021.
“The outlook for medicine spending growth reflects a more sustainable level for health systems, following the unexpectedly high growth seen in recent years,” Murray Aitken, senior vice president and executive director of the QuintilesIMS Institute, said in a statement. “At the same time, the astonishing level of scientific advances for disease treatments inevitably will place ongoing pressure on funding for medicines, requiring value-based assessments that balance patient needs and pricing levels with competing healthcare priorities.”
The higher annual drug spending growth in 2014 and 2015 was fueled in part by new hepatitis and cancer medications that will have less impact through 2021, according to QuintilesIMS. Most global spending growth, particularly in developed markets, will be fueled by significant innovations in oncology, autoimmune and diabetes treatments.
During that time span, the United States will continue to be the world’s largest pharmaceutical market, accounting for 53% of projected drug spending growth. China will remain as the second-largest market, contributing 12% of the growth.
QuintilesIMS forecasts that the U.S. drug spending growth will decline to 6% to 7% this year from 12% in 2015. The report projects 6% to 9% growth through 2021 on an invoice price basis. The falloff reflects the end of growth driven by expensive hepatitis C treatments as well as a bigger impact by patent expirations — including the introduction of biosimilars — after a period in which fewer brands faced new generic competition, the study said.
U.S. growth in 2014 and 2015 also was driven by historically high price increases for both branded and generic drugs on an invoice-price basis before the impact of off-invoice discounts and rebates, QuintilesIMS added. After adjusting for price concessions by manufacturers, spending growth stands to be more than two percentage points lower through 2021 and four percentage points lower in 2016, resulting in a 4% to 7% CAGR on a net-price basis.
Medicine costs in the U.S. will be driven by the transformative specialty brands, price hikes and offset by rebates and lower-cost generics. Brand prices will increase more slowly at 8% to 11%, and net prices will rise at 2% to 5% from greater competition and price transparency, according to the report.
Out-of-pocket costs for U.S. patients will fall despite rising brand prescription costs, since over a third of prescriptions will have $0 costs as patients continue to receive co-payment assistance for brands and shift to newly available generics.
QuintilesIMS said the reduction in spending as branded medicines lose exclusivity is expected to total $143.5 billion in the next five years in the U.S. — over 1.5 times more impact than in the last five years — including the impact of biosimilars, which will account for between $27 and $58 billion. Biosimilars will have a sizable impact on spending, with 25 to 35 of these drugs in development. The report said a large percentage of them can be expected to hit the market in the U.S. by 2021, pending regulatory review and litigation.
Over the next five years, new drug launches will escalate substantially worldwide, the report said. More than 2,000 drugs in the late-stage pipeline will yield an expected 45 new active substances (NAS) on average annually through 2021.
The new medicines will address significant unmet needs across a broad range of disease areas, including cancer and autoimmune, metabolic and nervous system disorders. The sheer number of cancer treatments — along with their potential combinations in treatment regimens and the variety of companies involved in development — will bring significant complexity to the patient care landscape during the next five years, QuintilesIMS said.
Dramatic improvements in survival and tolerability are expected and will be accompanied by substantially greater levels of clinical trial and real-world information in support of treatment decisions, according to the report.


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Increasing the number of fields to include 15 different fields, with 50 members of the jury, I-Events has launched the EEA Entrepreneurship Awards’ second edition.
I-Events organized its annual ceremony to launch the Entrepreneurship Awards in Egypt “EEA” for the second year in a row, in the presence of a distinguished elite of experts, entrepreneurs in Egypt and owners of other projects, which enhances the process of innovation, exchange of experiences and opening new horizons To support the ideas and projects of pioneers in various fields.
The EEA Awards are launched this year in partnership with Tatweer Misr Real Estate Company as a strategic partner, as they have the same vision and values of providing opportunities for growth and prosperity to innovative minds, in addition to EG Bank sponsorship, PepsiCo and Orange sponsorship for the second year, Media Partner Startup Scene, and Official Partner in Fashion Concrete.
The event will also be hosted by Kundalini by Grand Pyramids, and last but not least the ecosystem partners Endeavor and the EIC (Entrepreneurship and Innovation) Committee at AmCham.
The awards aim to encourage Egyptian entrepreneurs in various fields, highlight distinguished models who have succeeded in bringing about positive change in society, and inspire future generations of innovators and change-makers.
Awards will be given to outstanding entrepreneurs in 15 different fields including: architecture, interior engineering, fashion, fintech, sports and fitness, e-commerce, marketing communication and real estate development.
This year, the EEA includes an advisory committee that includes a group of the largest economists and entrepreneurship experts in Egypt with the aim of transferring their experiences to the participants, led by Ahmed El Sewedy, CEO of El Sewedy Electric, Alaa El Din Sebaa, founder and chairman of Beltone Financial, Hussein El Refai, founder of Ventures For Development, Dina El Mufti, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Injaz Egypt, Nevin El Tahri, Chairman of Delta Shield Investments, Onsi Sawiris, Executive Partner of HOF Capital, Soraya Ismail, Executive Director of Mentor Arabia, and Wael El Fakhrani, CEO of Edenred UAE.
Amr Mansi, CEO of I-Events, said: “This year, we opened the door more to a new group of entrepreneurs to honor them and highlight their innovations, which enhances the development of companies and supports their ideas and development projects that directly contribute to bringing about positive and influential changes in Egyptian society. Entrepreneurship is one of the most important future factors to support the labor market and encourage emerging ideas to research and develop and work to develop their ideas and projects.”
He explained, “We believe that it is necessary to support the successful cadres who were able to enrich the Egyptian society with many innovations, which contributed to the development and development of various aspects of life, and which proved their worth in facing challenges and overcoming difficulties, by talking and communicating with people with experience in entrepreneurship to benefit from From their experiences, in addition to presenting and discussing their projects, we hope that by honoring these cadres, EEA will become a source of inspiration for future generations of innovators and change-makers.”
He added: “Our partnership with Tatweer Egypt for the next three years will help provide opportunities for growth and prosperity for innovative minds, which confirms their responsibility towards Supporting entrepreneurship in Egypt.
On his part, Dr. Ahmed Shalaby, CEO and Managing Director of Tatweer Misr, said: We are pleased that Tatweer Misr is a strategic partner for the annual ceremony to launch the Entrepreneurship Awards in Egypt “EEA” for a period of 3 years, based on this edition. We believe in the importance of highlighting successful models in various fields and helping them to transfer their experiences to encourage more young people to move towards entrepreneurship.”
Dr. added. Shalaby “Our cooperation with I-Events comes within the framework that we together share the same vision and values represented in providing opportunities for growth and prosperity for innovative minds, and this partnership is an extension of Egypt’s continuous efforts to support the entrepreneurial climate in Egypt and encourage innovation.


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J.D. Power announced Thursday that the company will be offering a Financial Health Support Certification to banks and credit card issuers. Bank of America is the first to receive the certification.
"We play a critical role in our clients' lives, and it is imperative that we honor that position by providing the resources to help them achieve financial wellness in their everyday lives," said Holly O'Neill, president of retail banking at Bank of America.
According to the press release, the certification looks at the company's ability to support customers' financial health and its adherence to industry best practices when creating financial health programs. To qualify, brands need to rank highly in the J.D. Power Financial Health Study, pass a comprehensive evaluation of best practices, and undergo leadership validation interviews conducted by J.D. Power.
The certification lasts for one year.
"Consumers need personalized communications directing them to the best products and services for their individual needs from their banking institutions now more than ever," said Bob Neuhaus, executive managing director of banking and payment intelligence at J.D. Power, in the release.
The certification could help consumers choose one bank over another and determine what credit card issuer they trust. Banks and credit card issuers alike have put a greater emphasis on financial wellness lately as the number of digital banking clients increases.
FICO found recently that 80% of digital banking customers will remain so post-pandemic. In another J.D. Power study, the company found that customers who engage with financial wellness programs experience higher levels of satisfaction.
The recent influx of digital banking customers, both retail and commercial, has led banks and digital payment processors to provide greater transparency around how digital systems work. How competent digital clients feel using these systems also contributes to customer satisfaction levels, J.D. Power found.
Paul McAdam, senior director of Banking & Payments Intelligence with J.D. Power told ZDNet that both perception of fees and the feeling that the client has some degree of control are important factors as the digital banking space grows.
Bank of America saw an impressive increase in satisfaction levels among its clients by reducing overdraft fees and providing many resources for its business and retail customers to take advantage of. The financial institution revealed in a recent study that the use of digital channels by small business owners contributed to an almost 300% increase in digital sales.
As FinTechs and credit card issuers see the positive changes that fee structures and transparency of systems have on customer satisfaction, McAdam said, they'll start to make similar changes.
"If you look at reasons why consumers pick Chime, SoFi, or Credit Karma and other neo-bank challenger brands, low fees and no overdrafts are a big part of the equation," McAdam said.
Also: Square developers and partners can now use Afterpay in their checkouts
PayPal and Square consistently receive high customer satisfaction ratings due to their simple and easy to understand digital payment systems.
American Express recently announced a new digital, high-yield consumer checking account with very few fees for its cardholders as a banking alternative for digital customers. The debit card offers rewards for purchases as a way to attract younger generations.


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Lifeway Foods Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., a supplier of kefir cultured dairy products, today announced that Protein Kefir, the company's latest kefir innovation, has expanded distribution to Harris Teeter, and more retailers will be carrying the product within the coming months.
Recently, plant-based dairy alternatives such as almond milk and coconut milk are taking their success mainstream. Although soy milk has been an option available at major coffeehouses for years, only recently did almond and coconut milk begin making an appearance.
Lifeway Foods Inc., Morton Grove, Ill., announced results for the second quarter, which ended June 30. Total consolidated net sales increased 28 percent to $29.6 million during the three-month period from $23.1 million during the same three-month period in 2013. This increase is primarily attributable to increased sales and awareness of the company’s flagship Kefir line as well as its ProBugs Organic Kefir for kids and BioKefir lines.
The October 2015 issue of Beverage Industry includes a cover story about our Executive of the Year, Seth Goldman of Honest Tea, as well as articles about the bottled water market, Sipp Eco Beverage Company, and organic/natural beverages. Check it out today!


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Valfix Medical this week filed an SEC Form D reporting that it sold more than $1 million in an equity offering.
The Tel Aviv, Israel-based biotech company’s new notice completed its first sale on August 22 and does not intend for the equity offering to extend beyond one year, according to the filing.
The total amount sold by Valfix is reported at just over $1.1 million, with the total offering listed at $1.7 million and $575,000 remaining to be sold by the company. There is no associated broker or dealer with the offering.
Valfix declined to disclose the use of proceeds from the offering. The company is currently developing mitral valve repair and replacement solutions.
According to its website, Valfix is developing the first complete transcatheter solution to combine repair and replacement treatments to offer an alternative to open heart surgery. The technology is designed to use multi-wire technology to eliminate mitral regurgitation.


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- Colexion has raised over $5 million through fundraising.
- The celebrity NFT platform raised $1.8 million in its seed round, and $3.2 million from a private round.
- Colexion will use the raised money to further bring the mainstream into the NFT world.
Colexion, the celebrity NFT platform, has raised over $5 million in fundraising. The platform raised $1.8 million in its seed round and an additional $3.2 million from a private round. Colexion’s seed rounds included investments from the likes of Polygon, HyperEdge Capital, GSR, Alan Howard of Brevan Howard, C² Ventures, Jump Trading investments, Gains Associate, Oracles Investment Group (OIG), Good Games Lab, Maven Capital, ZBS Capital, Titan Ventures, ICO Pantera, and more.
Moreover, Colexion’s Utility Token CLXN will arrive in several launchpads such as Firestarter, Prostarter, Redkite, Scaleswap, etc. Additionally, users can trade CLXN on some of the top exchanges. Meanwhile, Colexion’s token and native NFTs will be traded on the built-in marketplaces alongside multiple Tier A exchanges.
Colexion will use the $5 million to build the necessary infrastructure to bring NFTs into the mainstream world. The celebrity NFT platform has grown considerably as an Asian NFT marketplace. It has attracted various investment firms and private supporters. In addition, it has continued to build momentum after a recent Trump Card NFT drop consisting of 30 international celebrities. The NFT drop made for the biggest one in its category to date.
Colexion’s primary focus is licensing celebrity NFTs and ensuring they remain affordable for the masses. These celebrities include prominent Indian movie stars, international cricket players, as well as other global sports and movie stars. The celebrity NFT platform has acquired exclusive rights for several dozen internal cricket stars, Bollywood stars, Tollywood stars, legendary athletes, and several global and Indian sporting leagues.


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The Fallout universe along what comes implied with it will exhibit its vivid and scenic world in Minecraft with the help of an add-on pack.
This means that Minecraft Fallout Mash-Up Pack will come with 44 skins and will bring your favorite characters to the Minecraft series such as Tinker Tom and Nick Valentine. More common skins including the likes of Brotherhood soldiers and Vault Boy will be included as well.
Judging by the looks of it, the new add-on pack is believed to be a major success due to the fact that it looks highly apocalyptic. It is not surprising after all as mutants and ghouls will be featured in this specific pack. Players will have the option of rebuilding scenes specific to Fallout like building a vault or a swamp that has seen too much radiation. Never has it been so easy to be the creator of a hellish environment.
The soundtrack is not going to be neglected as well. This add-on pack will feature some bits of soundtrack belonging to Fallout 4 and some user interface updates to make the addition of Fallout adhere more coherently to Minecraft’s specific authenticity while at the same time preserving a doomsday feeling.
We hate to be the bearers of bad news but as Mojang stated PC and Pocket Edition users will be left out of this scheme as the new add-on will be available only for consoles. Regarding the price it’s going to be dirt cheap as it is expected, coming at $5.99 with no news regarding regional prices.
Regarding its release date Mojang announced that the addition of Fallout to Minecraft will be “coming soon”. We don’t know what that means but we sure are hoping to bring diversity and enjoyment for those who opt to install it.


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By Joe Cash
BEIJING (Reuters) – Factory gate prices in China fell at the fastest pace in seven years in May and faster than expected as faltering demand weighed on a slowing manufacturing sector and clouded the fragile economic recovery .
While rising interest rates and inflation are squeezing demand in the United States and Europe, China, on the other hand, is facing a sharp drop in prices, as factories receive less for their products from major overseas markets.
The May producer price index (PPI) fell for the eighth consecutive month, down 4.6%, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Friday. It was the fastest decline since February 2016 and higher than the 4.3% drop in a Reuters poll.
“The risk of deflation still hangs over the economy,” Zhiwei Zhang, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said in a note. “Recent economic indicators send consistent signals that the economy is cooling,” he added.
China’s economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, but recent indicators show demand is weakening rapidly as exports, imports and factory activity fell in May.
The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.2% year-on-year, after rising 0.1% in April, but not forecasting a 0.3% increase.
Food price inflation, a key driver of the CPI, slowed to 1.0% year-on-year from 2.4% the previous month. On a month-to-month basis, food prices fell 0.7%.
The Australian dollar eased 0.2% to $0.6704, following a slide in the Chinese yuan after the inflation data.
The government has set a target for average consumer prices in 2023 to be around 3%. Prices are up 2% YoY in 2022.
“We still think a tighter labor market will put upward pressure on inflation later this year, but it will remain well within policymakers’ comfort zone,” said Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of the Chinese economy at Capital Economics, in a note.
“The government’s cap of around 3.0% for the headline rate is unlikely to be tested and we doubt that inflation will become an obstacle to increased policy support,” he added.
Policymakers have repeatedly signaled their intention to rely on China’s 1.4 billion consumers, after the economy last year recorded one of its slowest growth rates in nearly a half-century.
“So far, monetary policy and fiscal policy have remained tight, as well as weaker income growth, so domestic demand is depressed,” said Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank. China.
Some economists expect the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) to cut rates or release more liquidity into the financial system. The bank cut the reserve requirement ratio for lenders in March.
China’s biggest banks said on Thursday they had lowered interest rates on deposits, bringing some relief to the financial sector and the wider economy by easing pressure on profit margins and cutting costs. loan.
Analysts have lowered their forecasts for economic growth for the year amid continued signs of a slowdown. The government has set a modest GDP growth target of around 5% for this year, after narrowly missing the 2022 target.
(Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Sam Holmes)


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Dixons Carphone has given a gold star to its UK business after describing its H1 performance as "barnstorming".
Overall at the company, for the 31 weeks to 21 November, group revenue was up five per cent annually to £5.02bn, driven by strong electronics and mobile sales in the UK.
Pro-forma profit before tax rocketed 30 per cent year on year to £78m but the firm was left with a statutory loss before tax from continuing operations of £20m - compared with £27m a year ago - following one-off charges including those relating to restructuring in its Dutch and German units.
The Dixons Carphone brand was born in May this year after Dixons - which at the time owned just PC World and Currys - snapped up Carphone Warehouse in a £3.8bn deal. In the summer, The firm offered a lifeline to troubled Phones 4U staff after the retailer fell into administration - it offered 800 Phones 4U staff who worked in Dixons "stores within a store" a job.
Dixons Carphone's chief executive Sebastian James said the phone retailer's demise played a part in the strong UK performance in H1.
"We have seen a barnstorming performance from our UK and Ireland division," he said. "This has been driven by continued improvements in price and service, competitive changes, technology launches and some recovery in the economy.
"Our mobile business in the UK and Ireland also performed well... as the business benefited from the closure of Phones 4U and some particularly successful product launches. Whilst the Phones 4U closure created new market opportunities it also presented a short-term requirement for increased investment."
He added it was a mixed bag for the IT side of the business in the UK.
"In computing, the laptop market appears to be stabilising, whilst tablets were down year on year due to limited product innovation," he said.
In Northern Europe, revenue rose five per cent annually to £1.63bn while in Southern Europe, sales were down 11 per cent over the same period to £357m.
James said the Nordics business was "very strong" in H1 thanks to improved sales across all segments, but could not say the same for the German and Dutch units.
"In contrast, conditions are tough in Germany and the Netherlands and we have taken decisions to accelerate a review and restructuring of these businesses," he said.
"In the Netherlands the market proved to be much more challenging than anticipated and we have expedited its restructuring. To better position ourselves in this market we are closing 50 stores and reducing head office costs.
"As previously announced, we are also closing our retail and wholesale hardware operations in Germany."
Vendor giant fires love arrow at New Signature and SAP partner Edenhouse
CEO Klaus Schlichtherle says 'sizeable' deal close to being inked as distributor chases €1bn turnover
Deloitte has been appointed as administrator for the struggling distie
It's been announced that billionaire tech pioneer Paul Allen died on Monday from non-Hodgkin lymphoma


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In an opinion that sheds light on the defenses available to a company accused of price discrimination, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a jury’s defense verdict in favor of tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. (“Reynolds”). R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Cigarettes Cheaper!, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 21590 (7th Cir. Aug. 24, 2006), reh’g denied, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 23811 (7th Cir. Sept. 15, 2006). Specifically, the unanimous panel: (1) allowed Reynolds protection under the “general availability” defense even though its generally available discount was conditioned on the retailer’s agreement to provide a certain level of advertising; (2) remarked that evidence of intent in a Robinson-Patman Act trial could only serve to confuse the jury; and (3) held that a generally available discount can qualify for a “meeting competition” defense, if it counters a similar discount from a competitor.
“As its name implies,” Cigarettes Cheaper! sells discount cigarettes. The company charged particularly low prices for cigarettes made by Philip Morris, in exchange for extensive advertising. Reynolds accused the discounter of “reimporting” Reynolds cigarettes, intended for sale outside the United States, back into the country for domestic sale. Reynolds filed suit claiming that the gray-market sales violated the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §§1050 to 1127.
Cigarettes Cheaper! responded with two antitrust counterclaims. The discounter claimed Reynolds conspired to with retail dealers to drive it out of business, in violation of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. §§1 and 2. Cigarettes Cheaper! also claimed Reynolds charged different prices to different retail dealers and refused to give Cigarettes Cheaper! its lowest level of discounts, in violation of the Robinson-Patman Act, 15 U.S.C. §13. Reynolds defended against this latter charge by claiming that these discounts were available to Cigarettes Cheaper! if the company would stop its gray market sales. Alternatively, Reynolds claimed that the discounts were necessary to meet competition. A district court granted summary judgment for Reynolds on the Sherman Act claim; a jury awarded Reynolds approximately $4 million in damages on its Lanham Act claim; and a different jury returned a general verdict in favor of Reynolds on the Robinson-Patman Act claim. Cigarettes Cheaper! appealed all three outcomes.
In an opinion authored by circuit Judge Frank H. Easterbrook, the appeals court affirmed all three. The panel upheld the jury’s finding that Reynolds presented a legitimate “in general availability” defense by showing that its deepest discounts were as available to Cigarettes Cheaper! as to any other retailer, if the discounter would stop selling gray market cigarettes and provide Reynolds with the same level of support it provided Philip Morris.
The appeals court also upheld the trial court’s decision to exclude colorful memos in which Reynolds executives expressed their desire to “shut down” and “kill” Cigarettes Cheaper! “on the beach.” Evidence regarding intent was irrelevant to the Robinson-Patman claim, Easterbrook wrote, and could only serve to confuse the jury. “[A] bad intent is not part of the plaintiff’s prima facie case under §13(a), and a ‘good’ intent (apart from its a bearing on the statutory justifications) does not excuse price discrimination,” Easterbrook wrote.
The panel also found proper a jury in instruction that Reynolds need not establish its meeting competition defense on a customer-by-customer basis, but instead “must simply show that its offer of lower prices or greater allowances was reasonably tailored to the competitive situation that it realistically faced in the marketplace.” While it’s possible that the jury might misread this instruction to require no more than a generally competitive market, Easterbrook wrote, this was unlikely given that a second instruction clearly place a burden on Reynolds to show that it was meeting prices available to customers from another source. “If producer A makes a generally available offer, then a generally available response meets the competition,” Easterbrook wrote.
The appeals court also upheld the grant of summary judgment in favor of Reynolds on the Sherman Act claim. The court found that Cigarettes Cheaper! failed to establish a predatory pricing claim as there is no evidence to suggest that consumers would ultimately be injured by its discounts. “[I]n antitrust litigation, ‘cut-throat competition’ is a term of praise rather than condemnation.” Further, the court found that Cigarettes Cheaper!’s claim that Reynolds organized retail dealers into a cartel to charge a monopoly price for cigarette distribution was both illogical and unsupported by the evidence.


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Video Ad Tech Company Pixability Lands $18 Million Financing Round
Boston-based company says funds will be used to expand video ad platform and grow internationally.
Pixability has announced the closing of an $18 million Series C financing round, bringing the company’s total funding to $28 million.
The company’s ad tech platform — Pixability v3 — offers programmatic YouTube video ad buying for media professionals. Pixability says it’s achieved a cumulative sales compound annual growth rate of 240 percent over the past five years, and it lists L’Oréal USA, PUMA, Viacom, Publicis Groupe, Mindshare and Omnicom’s Resolution Media among its clients.
Pixability says this new capital will be used to expand its video ad platform and to grow its international sales and bizdev efforts. From today’s news release:
“The success of our fundraising round solidifies Pixability’s value proposition within the online video ad tech ecosystem,” said Bettina Hein, Founder and CEO of Pixability. “Our technology proves the business value of a data-driven video marketing strategy. We predict online video’s dominance will expand further over the next few years as more consumers cut the cord, and more providers offer Over-The-Top services.”
This funding round is led by Jump Capital and Edison Partners, and all existing investors also participated in the round, Pixability says.
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech Today. Staff authors are listed here.


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Michigan is projected to lose more than $4.5 billion in tax revenue over the next five years, according to the Marketplace Fairness Coalition, unless Congress acts to promote fair competition between Main Street retailers and internet-only sellers. The uncollected revenue translates to less spending on teachers, infrastructure and law enforcement.
Nationally, states are projected to lose more than $211 billion from a legal loophole allowing some online retailers to avoid collecting sales tax during a transaction. While consumers are liable for paying what’s owed, few do, giving online stores a strong advantage over Main Street competitors.
In 2015 Michigan enacted its own solution, narrowing the loophole by requiring larger Internet retailers that fit certain business criteria and sales thresholds to collect and remit the 6 percent sales tax.
However, remaining online stores that don’t fall into that category are still selling goods to Michigan residents without collecting and paying the sales tax.
The American Farm Bureau Federation is backing two bills, the Remote Transactions Parity Act of 2017 and the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2017 that would allow states to apply sales tax laws uniformly.
“The businesses that line the streets of our nation’s small and rural towns provide essential goods and services to the farmers and ranchers who work the fields that surround them. But hometown businesses are at a disadvantage when they compete with online-only retailers who don’t have to collect sales taxes. When this disadvantage causes a ‘Main Street’ business to close or scale back, the impact is especially hurtful to already struggling small and rural towns,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a letter to lawmakers encouraging them to support the bills.
Support other tax reforms important to the agriculture industry by visiting our Legislative Action Center to send a letter asking to replace the current federal income tax with a simple, transparent and fair tax system that encourages success, savings, investment and entrepreneurship.


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IndustriALL Global Union records 60 global brands have already signed up to renew their commitment to bearing the costs of health and safety checks, including Adidas, Lidl and Primark. However, some top UK fashion and clothes retailers have not yet signed the deal to renew their commitment to factory safety in Bangladesh. John Lewis, M&S, Next, Debenhams and Sainsbury’s are yet to add their names to the list of brands committing themselves to Bangladesh’s latest laws on fire and building safety. The renewed agreement will see greater investment in health and safety checks come into effect this year as the original 2013 agreement is due to expire in May. A legally binding agreement was set up in 2013 where brands must share responsibility for the costs of improving health and safety in Bangladeshi factories. Bangladesh’s Accord on Fire and Building Safety was introduced after the devastating Rana Plaza factory fire which killed 1,135 workers and left over 2,500 people injured.
A spokesperson from John Lewis said the company is currently reviewing details of the new agreement before making a final decision ahead of the deadline. M&S reportedly said it is still “in discussion with stakeholders on Accord 2.0”, while Debenhams said it had “meetings in the diary” before May. A Next spokesperson said “If Next decides not to sign Accord 2 – it is confident that it already has a competent, directly employed code of practice team (and office) in place in Bangladesh, to manage safety in that region.” Sainsbury’s said it was actively involved in discussions and said it "applauded the progress that's been made by the Accord in Bangladesh.
Trade unions representing Bangladeshi textile workers reached a $2.3m (£1.6m) settlement earlier in January with an unnamed multinational fashion brand accused of delaying fixes to life-threatening hazards in factories. The UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union took two leading fashion brands to court in 2016 following the introduction of Bangladesh’s Accord on Fire and Building Safety in 2013.


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MARKET WRAP: JSE ends lower as retail sales data disappoints
Weak retails sales data for July dragged the JSE all share down on Wednesday with the market already under pressure following the release of downbeat business confidence numbers, and Moody’s assigning a negative outlook for SA’s financial companies.
Standard Bank, trading ex-dividend, fell 2%. It was announced on Tuesday that Ben Kruger would step down as joint-CEO of the group, leaving Sim Tshabalala alone at the helm.
Annual growth in retail sales moderated to 1.8% in July, lower than the market’s forecast of 2.9%, and from 3.2% in June.
After plunging from 40 to 29 in the second quarter, the Rand Merchant Bank Bureau for Economic Research business confidence index rose by six points to a still low 35 in the third quarter.
Moody’s said it had assigned its negative outlook on deteriorating profitability and asset risk for SA’s insurance sector as insurers’ creditworthiness would likely remain under some pressure over the next 12 to 18 months due to subdued economic conditions.
The all share closed 0.38% lower at 56,152.50 points and the blue-chip top 40 shed 0.37%. General retailers lost 1.38%, banks 1.16%, the platinum index 0.78%, resources 0.75%, and financials and property both fell 0.38%. Food and drug retailers added 0.96%, and the gold index 0.32%.
In general retailers, Woolworths dropped 3.92% to R58.80, in ex-dividend trade, while Truworths gave up 2.68% to R78.54. Food retailers Spar rose 0.60% to R167.52 and Shoprite 0.45% to R212.75.
Standard Bank was 2.09% lower at R158.98, Nedbank 1.96% at R200, and Capitec 0.54% at R898.12.
Sanlam relinquished 0.75% to R67.89.
Luxury goods group Richemont was flat at R120.30 after earlier reporting that sales for the five months to end-August rose 12% from a year earlier.
British American Tobacco gained 1.01% to R839.17.
The rand lost more than 1% to the dollar as concern about political developments resurfaced after a court found the ANC’s 2015 conference in KwaZulu-Natal unlawful. Analysts have indicated that political tension is likely to increase ahead of the governing party’s December conference, putting further pressure on the economy.
Soon after the JSE’s close the rand was at R13.1672 to the dollar from Monday’s R13.0091.
Local bonds were largely unchanged with the R186 last bid at 8.435% from 8.445%.
The top-40 Alsi futures index lost 0.24% to 49,763 points. The number of contracts traded was 28,241 from Tuesday’s 25‚380.


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Xbox One and PC owners were finally able to get their hands on the highly anticipated First Person Shooter game Titanfall. But nothing went according to plan. Many players who tried to play Titanfall could not connect to the Titanfall servers. Many players waited at the connecting screen for more than 10-20 minutes but had no success in connecting to the servers and took their anger and frustration out on Twitter. Few of the tweets are given below:
so uh yeah this connecting screen is the best. #titanfall
— jason garcia (@itbejasonyo) March 11, 2014
LOL already got booted and having trouble with server connecting. To be expected but OH GAWD WHY #Titanfall
— Queen Vos (@Mokinns) March 11, 2014
This Titanfall ‘Connecting’ mini-game isn’t very fun.
— Justin Rubio (@ItsTheLingo) March 11, 2014
My favorite Titanfall boss is this connecting window.
— Drew Coombs (@random_tangent) March 11, 2014
— Scotty Cath (@scottycath) March 11, 2014
These are just a few out of the dozens of players who are having this issue. This isn’t something new that players are experiencing. In the past, games like SimCity, GTA Online, etc have had similar issues which were caused by the large amount of traffic at launch.
Respawn say there aren’t any issue on their side and said that the servers seem to be running fine. Hopefully this issue is resolved soon so that the players can enjoy the game they have been waiting for. For those who haven’t moved on to the Xbox One and own an Xbox 360, you can expect to get your hands on a 360 version of Titanfall on the 25th of March.


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Nintendo’s upcoming Wii MotionPlus peripheral offers no competitive multiplayer advantage compared to a regular controller, according to Electronic Arts.
The publisher is about to launch Grand Slam Tennis for the platform - one of the first titles to use the technology - but the game’s producer has insisted that the new controller offers a different gaming experience, rather than an advantage.
"We didn’t want to make it more beneficial for players who have MotionPlus," said Thomas Singleton. "It’s just different."
Singleton added that MotionPlus against non-MotionPlus multiplayer matches should not be discouraged: "They should be balanced just fine."
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and Grand Slam Tennis will be the first EA titles to use Wii MotionPlus, both retailing on June 8.
Wii MotionPlus launches in Europe on June 12.


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SUNDAY, Jan. 28, 2007 (HealthDay News) -- The new and improved U.S. Department of Agriculture's food guide pyramid -- called MyPyramid -- is helping Americans, young and old, to better understand how to eat healthfully, dietitians say.
The new pyramid features vertical bands (rather than the old horizontal pyramid sections) in six different colors to represent different food groups and types. Orange equals grains, green is for vegetables, red is for fruits, blue represents dairy, purple is meat and beans, and yellow stands for oils.
Along the side of the pyramid, a drawing depicts a person climbing a set of steps to match the new slogan "Steps to a Healthier You," which is meant to encourage physical activity as essential.
Perhaps the most important feature of the new pyramid, unveiled in 2005: By plugging in certain personal information, such as age, gender, and levels of physical activity, you can get a nutrition plan that's tailored for you.
"It's more personalized," Marisa Moore, an Atlanta registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said of the new pyramid and its Web site (www.MyPyramid.gov), which replaced the old, once-size-fits-all pyramid, in use since 1992.
And, the USDA is appealing not only to adults but to kids to clean up their diets, posting kid-friendly materials on the new pyramid Web site to help parents or teachers help their children eat more healthfully.
In general, the guidelines recommend consuming two cups of fruits and two-and-a-half cups of vegetables daily, three ounces of whole grain foods, three cups of low-fat or nonfat milk or other dairy foods, and about five ounces of meat and beans for protein.
Oils should be used sparingly, and the personalized guidelines offer specific maximum amounts -- say, five teaspoons for some people. The pyramid also suggests a maximum number of calories from "extras" such as sugars and solid fats -- for instance, 195 calories a day.
Noralyn Mills, a Baltimore dietitian and another American Dietetic Association spokeswoman, called the new guidelines more realistic than the old ones. And, they're more user-friendly, she added, which was the goal of making the changes from the old pyramid.
One important change, although it sounds small, is to list measurements in cups, instead of servings. "People have an idea what a cup is, they can visualize a cup," Mills said, adding, "I think there is a lot more usage of the pyramid than before."
The new pyramid guidelines are meant to incorporate the latest in nutritional science, according to the USDA.
"It's a little more motivational for people," said Moore. Besides alerting people that their diet should include specific amounts of grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, meats and beans, each personalized pyramid tells them how many "discretionary calories" they can eat per day for fats and sugars and oils.
"You are able to meet all your nutritional needs without the guesswork," said Moore, although she advises those with diabetes and other health conditions to seek the help of a registered dietitian to help them personalize their menus even more.
Visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more on MyPyramid.


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Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has dropped to second on the super-rich list. In the ‘Bloomberg Billionaires’ and ‘Forbes’ rankings, the previous leader took second place on Wednesday behind French entrepreneur Bernard Arnault of the luxury goods group LVMH. According to Bloomberg news agency, Musk lost the title of the richest person in the world for the first time since 2021.
According to Bloomberg estimates, Musk’s personal wealth has fallen by more than $100 billion since January to $163.6 billion. Arnault’s fortune is estimated by Bloomberg at $170.8 billion. The 73-year-old is chairman of the French luxury empire LVMH, which includes fashion icons such as Dior and Louis Vuitton and champagne brands such as Moët & Chandon.
Musk is also well behind Arnault ($188.6 billion) in the “Forbes” list – krone.at reported – with an estimated net worth of $176.8 billion. The information in the billionaire charts is mostly based on publicly available information about assets such as stocks, real estate, artifacts and other luxury goods. They are therefore not exact and sometimes controversial.
Twitter purchase ripped a hole in the stock market
One of the reasons the 51-year-old tech billionaire dropped in the rankings was the purchase of the short message service Twitter, according to Bloomberg. Shares of electric car maker Tesla are also down more than 50 percent this year, the company said.
Musk bought Twitter for about $44 billion at the end of October. The service was already in the red before the takeover. After the sale, Musk complained of a drop in sales as some major advertisers suspended ads on the platform. They fear their ads could appear next to offensive tweets if Musk relaxes the rules, as announced.
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.


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Switchboard Inc. (Nasdaq: SWBD), whose services include a yellow pages on the Web, opened at 32 Thursday after pricing shares at $15.
Switchboard, which raised its range to $12 to $14, had originally planned to sell 5.5 million shares of common stock in a projected price range of $10-$12 a share in its initial public offering.
The Internet-based network connecting consumers, merchants and national advertisers, said it will have about 23.7 million shares of common stock outstanding after the offering.
The company's flagship Web site, CBS Switchboard.com, enables people to search for individuals or businesses nationwide and get the phone numbers and addresses. Switchboard Inc. is a majority held subsidiary of Banyan Worldwide (Nasdaq: BNYN). CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) also holds a minority stake in Switchboard.
For the year ended December 31, the company had a net loss of $8.8 million on revenue of $8.3 million compared to a loss of $5.4 million on revenue of $6.5 million in 1998.
The company competes with traditional and online white and yellow pages, companies providing Web-enabled solutions for small businesses, and those targeting the consumer Internet services market.
The deal is underwritten by Robertson Stephens and J.P. Morgan & Co.
Reuters contributed to this report.


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The coffee industry is a leading sector in the UK economy, and in 2018 coffee shops generated more than £10 billion. As demand grows, this figure is expected to rise in 2019. Here are just a few of the trends that have been spotted so far for this year.
Milk alternatives in coffee
The rise in a myriad of plant-based milk options is being led by soy, oat and almond milk, though there are plenty of others too. Plant based milk is seen as healthier than full-fat milk, but is also important for people who are looking to avoid animal products in their diet. Flavours added, such as the soy-based additives, ensure that the coffee still tastes great, although it’s generally agreed that, for the time being, oat milk is the closest alternative when it comes to steaming.
Cold brew coffee
A survey by Beverage Trend revealed that over one-third of Millennials and Gen-Z are more likely to choose a cold brew than older buyers, which is driving the trend for cold brew coffee and iced coffee. One particular example is Nitro Coffee, a stored cold brew which is served on draft (like beer is served in a pub). The coffee is infused with nitrogen gas as it is poured, giving it a creamy and smooth texture. Aficionados say that this makes it taste better than a regular cold brew coffee.
The famous concentrated form of coffee, served in shots or with foam or cream resting on the surface, often serves as the base for many other types of coffee drinks, like cappuccino, latte, americano and macchiato too.
Whilst traditional espresso is always popular, current trends include new introductions like the ‘Freddo espresso’ in Greece, a refreshing cold drink comprising a double espresso shot, shaken with ice, and poured over ice cubes.
2019 is seeing the rise of flavoured coffees to give people’s favourite beverage a little extra boost, for example the popular vanilla syrup shot, a classic caramel shot, or even a hazelnut shot. Syrups don’t contain many calories, and sugar-free syrups are available too, so even health conscious people can enjoy flavoured coffees.


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Newsbrief by Andrew Kameka on Thursday January 16, 2014.
|Sponsored links, if any, appear in green.|
Google will soon introduce an update to its Chrome browsers for PC and Mac that will add many of the benefits of Google Now. It will make the enhanced search and reminder features available on mobile or the desktop, reminders and news alerts in tow. Google has included Now it the latest version of Chrome Canary, the developer version of the browser that often serves as a launching pad for new features. Anyone anxious to try it out now can download Canary and follow the steps outlined by Google OS blog, which first spotted the new features.via: Google OS


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What a month for the Bitcoin bulls…
Bitcoin rose by 3.18% on Friday. Partially reversing a 4.72% slide from Thursday, Bitcoin ended the day at $8,532.70.
A bearish start to the day saw Bitcoin slide to a mid-morning intraday low $8,099.90 before finding support.
Steering well clear of the first major support level at $7,813.67, Bitcoin rallied to a late intraday high $8,550.00.
In spite of the afternoon rebound, Bitcoin fell well short of the first major resistance level at $8,917.67 on the day.
While down by 2.3% for the current week, it was a particularly bullish month, with Bitcoin rallying by 52.4%.
Of greater significance in the month was Bitcoin’s breakout from the 62% FIB to form a near-term bullish trend back on 13th May.
Rallying from a 1st May monthly low $5,577.5, Bitcoin struck a monthly high and new swing hi $9,109.0 on Wednesday before easing back.
Across the rest of the top 10 cryptos, there was nothing mixed about the month, with the majors firmly in the hands of the bulls.
Leading the way and returning into the top 10, by market cap, was Bitcoin Cash SV, which surged by 259%.
A distant second was EOS, which rallied by 68.4%, with Bitcoin Cash ABC and Ethereum not far behind, rising by 67.3% and by 66.9% respectively.
Trailing the pack through the month were Ripple’s XRP and Stellar’s Lumen, which gained 34.7% and 25.5% respectively.
For Cardano’s ADA, a 20.3% gain for the month wasn’t enough to hold onto its position in the top 10.
The bullish month saw the total crypto market cap jump from $175bn to a month high $286bn on Thursday before easing back to end the month at $264bn.
24-hour trading volumes also saw a sizeable increase, rising from $40bn levels to $100bn levels at the end of the month.
The SEC decision to delay its review of the Bitcoin ETFs was the biggest news of the month.
Of greatest influence, however, was news of Bitcoin Cash SV’s Craig White obtaining copyright registrations over BTC’s whitepaper and 2009 code.
Since the Bitcoin Cash hard fork back in November, Bitcoin Cash ABC became the chosen one. The general view was that Craig White couldn’t be Satoshi Nakamoto. His latest move certainly planted a seed of doubt into the market.
Comparing Bitcoin Cash SV’s return for the month against the global equity markets, well…
The Dow Jones fell by 6.69% in May, with the NASDAQ sliding by 7.93%. Worst yet, the Hang Seng slumped by 9.42%.
Trade wars and negative sentiment towards the global economic outlook couldn’t have come at a better time for the crypto market.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin was down by 0.3% to $8,507.0. A range-bound start to the day saw Bitcoin fall from a morning high $8,570.0 to a low $8,485.0.
Bitcoin left the major support and resistance levels untested early on in the day.
Elsewhere, Bitcoin Cash ABC and Ethereum bucked the trend with gains of 0.42% and 0.75% respectively.
The rest of the pack were in the red. Leading the way down was EOS, falling by 1.35% at the time of writing.
A new month and another bearish start to the day for the majors.
The Bitcoin bulls will be looking to keep the upper hand and deliver a 5th consecutively monthly gain.
On the day, a hold onto $8,500 levels through the morning would support a recovery of the early losses.
A move through to $8,580 levels would bring the first major resistance level at $8,688.50 into play.
Barring a broad-based crypto rally, Bitcoin would likely come up short of $8,700 levels on the day.
In the event of a weekend crypto rally, Bitcoin would likely take a run at the second major resistance level at $8,844.3 before any pullback.
Failure to hold onto $8,500 levels could see Bitcoin test the first major support level at $8,238.4 before any recovery.
Barring a crypto meltdown, Bitcoin will likely steer clear of sub-$8,000 levels on the day.
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Now in it’s fifth year, BGC has come a long way from its humble beginnings in a “painfully hipster” Shoreditch pub.
Board Game Club, founded by Playtime PR’s Lesley Singleton and Toyologist Peter Jenkins in early 2014, regularly attracts 60-80 guests at each monthly event. Attendees can enjoy the newest and popular games in comfortable surroundings, with likeminded games fans, making the club a hugely popular night out for adult board game fans.
“We originally set this up as an informal way of getting people in the industry together for beers and games, but it’s evolved into a fantastically popular monthly fixture for the widest mix of people,” explains Lesley. “The friendly vibe means people are happy to come along on their own and just join in with whatever they fancy. We’ve seen genuine friendships blossom, and fruitful business chat is also commonplace as people network and bond over amazing games in the sumptuous surroundings of our West End venue.”
The sector is enjoying increased interest from board games fans both new and old, and a raft of new releases is hitting shelves every week across a huge range of play patterns. With particular scrutiny on our consumption of tech and screen-based entertainment, is the booming demand for board games an indication of our changing tastes?
“I wouldn’t say there’s a backlash against tech or a sudden desire to move away from screens – but I do think that people crave more interesting and engaging ways of interacting face-to-face, even though they simultaneously can’t wait to tweet, snap or Instagram what they’re up to,” says Lesley. “Board games increasingly provide brilliant opportunities for people to socialise, both in person and via their social media accounts, and more games are being designed specifically with this in mind.”
She adds: “People of all ages want to feel things, rather than just have things. This can be seen in the huge rise in popularity of escape rooms, pop-up cultural events like Secret Cinema and kidult experiences like bars and restaurants themed around ballpits and crazy golf courses. Board game cafes and clubs have become part of that movement and in turn that makes people want to replicate the experience at home.”
To read the full interview with Lesley, which was published in our bumper September Games & Puzzles Supplement, click here.