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Ulysse Nardin has a strong history of making marine timepieces, including nautically important marine chronometers, and still to this day their focus is on seafaring timepieces.
In an effort to protect the same seas for which their watches are designed to be used, the Swiss watchmaker implemented a research unit dedicated to studying materials from the sea, such as oyster shells, algae, marine PET (plastic bottles), and polyamide fishing nets.
Through that research, last month, they introduced the “R-STRAP” made of fishing nets — one of the main sources of ocean plastic pollution — that are compatible with their Diver, Marine, and Freak X watches. While these straps are similar to the Econyl® yarn Nato that was created by Breitling and Outerknown in 2019, it’s yet another choice of environmentally friendly watch straps — and that’s a good thing.
Ulysse Nardin did not stop there — going a step further — and this month introduced the Ulysse Nardin Diver Net Concept, which naturally, uses an R-Strap, but also features a case, caseback, and bezel, are made from a recycled fishnet.
While the construction shares some elements with Gyre watches, including the Gyre watch made in conjunction with Alpina, Ulysse Nardin goes beyond that with the upcycled materials coming 100% from recycled fishing nets. According to UN, “…each trim element has been designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible.” Even the bezel and crystal are manufactured from recycled ocean plastic.
“For the case, middle, back, and bezel decoration of the DIVER NET, Ulysse Nardin has placed its trust in three young Breton designers who have created the first fishing net recycling sector in France. FIL&FAB recovers nets that are no longer in use from harbors and transforms them into polyamide pellets, a raw material that is highly resistant to friction. These partners have an industrial design and transition background, with a real sensitivity to the product.
The research around the DIVER NET has consisted of redesigning its trim elements, leading the watch to feature a wrist strap made from PET plastic from the sea, transformed into reels of thread by the Swiss company TIDE. This supplier is also working to stop the production of virgin plastic at its source and use the huge resources already available. In its search for low-impact solutions, Ulysse Nardin has also replaced the traditional sapphire glass by a transparent ceramic glass, machined in the Swiss Jura. The transparent ceramic glass is a material used with the goal of having a lower environmental impact by limiting energy when it is manufactured. The innovation department has thus appraised and tested several solutions, which may be extended to other products.”
The Diver Net Concept watch comes in a 44 mm recycled Diver X case and is powered by automatic caliber UN-118, which is nicely decorated and is visible through the clear caseback. Both of the crystals, front and back, are made from ceramic, which is not a recycled material but was engineered to have less environmental impact than traditional sapphire crystals. Green touches on the case, dial, and strap symbolize nature. (Ref. 1183-170/90-PLAST)
While this is a concept at this point, it’s likely Ulysse Nardin will sell then at some point. And hopefully, a significant portion of the profits are being reinvested into saving the seas.
Photos by Ulysse Nardin.


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Tales Of – New Tales Game Announcement Coming!
The official Teaser site for the “Next Tales” game has been closed, and a new site has been opened! A countdown site to the announcement of the Next Tales of game is now up in it’s place, and it shows that we have 8 days left until a major announcement! Could it be a sequel to an existing tales game? Could it be an entirely new project? Stick around to find out on December 11th!

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NEW YORK Steve Stoute, the 38-year-old CCO of Translation Consultation & Brand Imaging, launched in 2004, has been building brands since he was barely out of high school. But the former record executive — who once managed artists such as Mary J. Blige and Nas — still considers himself an advertising neophyte.
“I really am a novice,” says Stoute, who despite his modest characterization has built a lucrative career connecting brands to the much sought-after hip-hop-inspired youth market. In fact, he’s being honored by the American Advertising Federation in November with an induction into the organization’s Advertising Hall of Achievement.
“It’s something that took me by surprise,” says Stoute of the honor. It shouldn’t have. Stoute, who earlier this year launched Translation Advertising with Jay-Z — as a division of Translation Consultation & Brand Imaging — has leveraged the increasingly smitten relationship between Madison Avenue and the entertainment business into a lucrative career. His matchmaking efforts over the years have paired Jay-Z with Reebok, Justin Timberlake with McDonald’s and Gwen Stefani with Hewlett-Packard.
Most recently, Stoute paired Wrigley’s with artists including Chris Brown to help rebrand its chewing gum products. He commissioned the singer to revamp the brand’s classic Doublemint jingle, which was released first as a four-minute single, “Forever.” (The blogsphere subsequently lit up with fans angry they hadn’t been told about the Wrigley’s connection.) Wrigley’s new campaign also includes revamped jingles for Big Red by Ne-Yo and for Juicy Fruit by Dancing With the Stars contestant and country singer Julianne Hough.
Brown’s “Forever” was recently nominated for MTV Video Music Awards’ Music Video of the Year. “It’s incredible that an artist was nominated for a Video of the Year with a Wrigley’s jingle,” says Stoute.
With no formal business training, Stoute relies on instinct. He says he developed his insight into consumer behavior by watching people window-shop. “I’ve always paid attention to what people pick up and put down,” says Stoute, whose client roster includes State Farm, Samsung and General Motors.
It was Peter Arnell, founder of the Arnell Group, who believed Stoute could give traditional advertising a nontraditional spin. In 2000, Stoute left the music business and became a partner at the agency. It was there he started working with Reebok, which he helped relaunch in 2003 with a new product line and an ad campaign with Jay-Z, whose S. Carter Collection by Rbk helped reconnect the brand with urban culture.
“The client results, selling product, means much more to me than awards and things of that nature,” says Stoute. He credits his relationship with his Translation partners, Charles Wright, chief strategy officer, and John McBride, group strategy director, for his success. “They shape my vision tremendously,” he says. “It all starts with strategy.”
Currently, Stoute is working on a State Farm campaign with LeBron James and what he calls a “groundbreaking” effort for Samsung, which will debut during New York Fashion Week in September. It pairs the brand with Valentino and Conde Nast.
Celebrity endorsements, says Stoute, have changed since the time that smiling while holding the product and then receiving a check were the extent of the deal. Now, he says, “product endorsements are about product development and new-product creation all the way to a traditional endorsement model and everything in between.”
And “selling out” today, he adds, means creating inauthentic relationships between pop culture and product. The most successful relationships, he says, come from brands and artists viewing themselves as true business partners. “Artists want to be more responsible for the final outcome,” he says.
Pondering his November advertising honor, Stoute says, “The advertising business is saying, ‘Steve, we’re accepting you.’ And I never knocked on the door. I just put out work. … It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like we’re building a strong agency here.”
Education: Stoute, who grew up in Queens, New York, attended five colleges in two years, searching for “something that made sense,” he says.
Career: At 19, Stoute began working in real estate and invested in the music business, putting artists like Kid ‘N Play in the studio and on the road. He became a road manager, artist manager and A&R executive, and has worked with stars including Mariah Carey, Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, Enrique Iglesias and U2. “In working with these artists, you learn a lot about branding, but in the record business we never called it branding,” says Stoute. He worked at Sony Music and Interscope Records before partnering with Peter Arnell of The Arnell Group in 2000. In 2004 he launched Translation Consultation & Brand Imaging, which was acquired by Interpublic Group in 2007.
Extra curricular: This year, Stoute co-founded the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now with Mary J. Blige.


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Blog Posts By Topic
Below you can view our blogs arranged by topic.
There are 11 blog posts in the category "cyber liability"
Historically the typical business insurance programme protected a company's assets, profits and liabilities. Assets and profits would be covered for a range of traditional perils including fire, flood and theft. However, with technological development new risks are emerging and exposures are increasing.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has revealed that 99% of claims made on ABI member Cyber Insurance policies in 2018 were paid. This is one of the highest claims acceptance rates across all insurance products.
A Cyber Security Breaches Survey, undertaken in support with the government's National Cyber Security Programme, reveals that whilst following the introduction of GDPR many businesses are demonstrating more robust protection around customer data, trade secrets and intellectual property most are ignoring the cyber security risk presented by their third-party suppliers.
According to one leading Cyber Liability Insurer, AIG, business email compromise (BEC), commonly referred to as phishing, has overtaken ransomware as the number one cause of cyber security insurance claims.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has updated guidance and published a list of examples of websites, emails, letters, text messages, WhatsApp messages and phone calls used by scammers and fraudsters to obtain corporate and personal information.
Imagine logging onto your computer and being met with the following message:
All your files, documents, photos, databases and other important files are now encrypted.
The only method of recovering files is to purchase an unique private key.
Only we can give you this key and only we can recover your files.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DELETE THIS FILE, UNTIL ALL YOUR DATA IS RECOVERED
FAILING TO DO SO, WILL RESULT IN YOUR SYSTEM CORRUPTION, IF THERE ARE DECRYPTION ERRORS
Franklands Managing Director David Harrison was invited to speak at the PKF Cooper Parry Cyber Security Seminar.
Cybercrime is again amongst the main stories in today’s news with a recent study finding 50% of UK business respondents having experienced economic crime, a statistic which is overshadowed by Government data proving 9 in 10 large UK businesses being successfully breached.
A third of UK businesses have now arranged, or are in the process of purchasing cyber insurance.
The risk of cyber threats is greater than ever before and barely a day goes by without the media reporting another attack on a major company. What gets less media attention are similar attacks on SME businesses and yet a recent survey reported that 74% of SME's had experienced an IT security breach.
Depending upon the nature of your business, depends on how important you hold cyber risks.


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Volvo aims to become a fully electric car brand by 2030
KUALA LUMPUR: Volvo launched its first all-electric car, the XC40 Recharge, around the globe last year, and now in a year only, the Swedish automotive marque has decided to go fully electric. The company recently revealed its intention of becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric car segment with a fully electric vehicle portfolio by 2030.
This means that Volvo will phase out those cars from its global portfolio that carries internal combustion engines, including hybrids. By 2025, it targets half of the global sales coming from pure EVs and the rest half from hybrids and by 2030, every car it sells would be a pure EV.
“To remain successful, we need profitable growth,” Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said. “So instead of investing in a shrinking business, we choose to invest in the future - electric and online. We are fully focused on becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric segment.”
The commitment is a part of Volvo’s ambitious climate plan that seeks the consistent reduction of the carbon footprint per car through concrete action. “It will allow us to meet the expectations of our customers and be a part of the solution when it comes to fighting climate change,” Samuelsson added.
Along with a complete electrification plan, Volvo is also focussing on online sales through a more attractive and transparent platform under the name ‘CARE BY VOLVO’. The brand’s fully electric cars will be available online only.
Well, Volvo’s EV plan follows a number of big auto brands committed to ditching gas and diesel cars within the next 10 years. The British-based Jaguar Land Rover recently announced its plan to make Jaguar an EV car brand by 2026, while the American automaker Ford revealed its plan to sell only electric cars in Europe by 2030, Bentley, Nissan, Maserati, and General Motors have also detailed their strategies of becoming 100% electric, in one or the other way.


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The halving and performance of central banks have made cryptocurrencies a more sought-after asset by retail investors and institutions. In addition, the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has always risen in the months after halving. From Spain, 2gether shared an analysis on these topics with Cointelegraph in Spanish on May 11th.
“”A new edition of the Bitcoin halving will be released tomorrow. This event, which takes place about every four years (every time 210,000 blocks are mined), takes place at a time when the FIAT world is doing the opposite. To combat the Covid 19 crisis, central banks are printing more money in the short term to support the economy. Halving will pull currencies out of the system, making bitcoins much scarcer. “Diagnosing what is happening.
“In the past few weeks, Bitcoin has seen an upward trend and growth of 30%. In the past, Bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies saw an increase in all halves in the following months. Definitely The crypto ecosystem in general is experiencing an increase in new customers, new volumes, new businesses and, of course, increased demand“They added later.
On the other hand, they claimed that, apart from Bitcoin’s progress in previous halving, led by crypto users, this time around, many institutions are analyzing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies due to the possible devaluation of fiat currencies, especially when taking into account that it is over-indebted countries there and that there is a certain risk of default. “This highlights one of the key strengths of cryptocurrencies: decentralization, the fact that there is no central authority to control them, which will lead to a new way of creating an economy,” said 2gether.
The important thing about Bitcoin and the crypto economy in general is not only the price, but also the underlying trend, the basics of this new form of money that will lead to a new financial system. 2geher pointed out that it is likely that after halving the value of Bitcoin, what is known as “buying a rumor, actually selling” will decrease a bit.
“”There was volatility in the reference cryptocurrency during these months. During Black Thursday (March 12), cryptocurrencies suffered the largest decline in their financial history in the wake of the Covid-19 health crisis, which caused the collapse of the markets and even assets. In the past two months, cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin, have regained their role as a safe haven, “they noted.
According to this company, the economic crisis will only be solved in the short term with a liquidity injection and is exactly the opposite of what will happen in the crypto economy with a halving.
Salvador Casquero, President and co-founder of 2gether, said:
“It is the law of supply and demand. In the traditional system, there will be more supply than demand, so currencies will tend to depreciate in the medium and long term. There will be little supply in the new ecosystem, which will increase the demand and value of cryptocurrencies. “
You may be interested in:
- Price analysis from November 19: Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Stellar, EOS, Litecoin, Cardano, Monero, TRON, IOTA (2018)
- Price analysis from October 3: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Stellar, Litecoin, Cardano, Monero, IOTA (2018)
- They suggest using blockchain to protect industrial information in Mexico


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For the first time since the Bendis reboot, classic Legionnaire reappears in DC’s holiday anthology ‘Tis the Season to be Freezin’.
Polar Boy is getting his own solo adventure and an updated look in DC’s 2021 holiday special ‘Tis the Season to be Freezin’ in a story called “Snow Date.”
Writer Richard Bernatovech and penciller Travis Mercer took to social media this weekend to give readers a sneak peak into the new Polar Boy. Mercer said in a tweet that his redesign is based on the esthetics already laid out by Brian Michael Bendis and Ryan Sook, but also adding some Korean Pop fashion influences.
Continue reading “LSH’s Polar Boy returns in a festive frozen feature”
The faux armor can be used for cosplay, Halloween costumes and more, and is currently available on Kickstarter.
For full disclosure purposes, I’ll start by saying that Stephanie Chan is one of the founders of Smash Pages, and contributes not only content for the site but also behind-the-scenes on the tech side. When she’s not doing that, though, she works for Foam Armory, a start-up she co-founded with aeronautical engineering technologist and special effects expert Ben Eadie. Together they create faux armor prop components for stage, screen, cosplay and more.
Now those two worlds have come together, as they’ve enlisted comic illustrator Travis Mercer (Red Hood: Outlaw, Green Hornet) to design packaging for their EVA Foam ScaileMaille, which is currently available through a Kickstarter campaign. The campaign has raised more than $36,000 and runs until May 31.
“Travis’ work is high energy and dynamic,” said Chan. “I personally have a lifetime history with comics, and I wanted to bring that world together with my new venture. And after one brief teleconference call, he immediately designed a mascot I would want to cosplay as myself!”
Continue reading “Check out Travis Mercer’s packaging for Foam Armory’s prop armor”


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One of the main promises of marijuana legalization is that the reform could help curb the illegal market, where adults can be given legal access to stores where products are tested and ID checked. . But not all states have had the same experience of delivering on that promise—and a new report suggests that local opt-out policies are a major factor.
Leafley and Whitney Economics together analyzed the relationship between opt-out laws and unregulated sales. The report, released Thursday, found that states where cannabis shops are more widely available — without many jurisdictions — have proven to be far more effective at stamping out the illegal market.
For example, states that have 20-40 marijuana dispensaries per 100,000 residents have seen the greatest success in competing against illegal vendors, with 80-90 percent of adults reporting that they buy their cannabis from regulated storefronts.
In contrast, states with fewer than 10 drugs per 100,000 residents have a thriving illegal market, with about 30-50 percent of sales taking place in the legal market, the report found.
Colorado, Oregon and Alaska stand as examples of early adopter states that have implemented policies that enable licensed marijuana shops to be widely accessible to adult consumers.
At the time of analysis in July, Colorado had 18 marijuana stores per 100,000 people, and nearly all (99 percent) of recreational cannabis sales are at licensed retailers. In Oregon, there are 19 shops per 100,000 residents, and the state also believes that the majority (75 percent) of its sales take place within the regulated market.
But other states such as California — where local governments have been able to opt out of allowing most cannabis license types in their jurisdictions — have been less effective in decriminalizing the illegal market.
While a person 21 and older can easily find a plethora of California dispensaries in major cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, more than half of the state’s cities and counties have banned all license types, making a The policy has created void which empowers illegal sellers to continue servicing. Consumers outside the regulatory framework.
California’s cannabis regulators have tried to draw attention to the problem with officials Releasing an interactive map earlier this year It shows where marijuana businesses are being banned locally. Gov Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill this week to partially address the problem But the issue is more systematic—by stopping locals from restricting medical cannabis delivery services.
The new report shows that with just three marijuana stores per 100,000 residents in the Golden State, the legal market captures only 45 percent of cannabis sales, while the remaining 55 percent continues to go into the illegal trade.
“This report demonstrates that legal, regulated cannabis stores have put illegal marijuana dealers out of business,” Bruce Barcott, Leafly’s senior editor and lead author of the report, said in a press release.
“The fears surrounding local cannabis shops could prompt elected officials to ban cannabis companies in their cities,” he said. “But adults in every community already buy and enjoy cannabis, legal or not. Cities and counties that outlaw cannabis are essentially voting to keep their local illegal marijuana markets in business. Huh. “
New York’s regulators are currently accepting applications for the first adult-use retailers in the state, and the state may soon serve as another example of how local opt-out policies affect market trends. While a large portion of New York municipalities opted to allow cannabis businesses, hundreds of cities Elected to exit before the deadline earlier this year,
lessons from report good It is that people in those opt-out areas will likely continue to buy marijuana—but the incentive to move to a regulated market will be diminished by a lack of conveniently located licensed access.
In New Jersey—where recreational marijuana sales began in April and where most cities initially chose not to allow retailers After reform implementation – by July there were 0.3 dispensaries per 100,000 people. Accordingly, the illegal market continues to dominate the sale of cannabis, accounting for 80 percent of purchases.
Another factor that is hindering efforts to end illegal sales is high state and local tax rates for products sold in regulated stores. Analysts and stakeholders have long said that imposing an additional tax on marijuana would deter people from transitioning to the legal market, and so they have urged lawmakers to take this into account when formulating legalization policy.
“Access and taxes are the keys to the migration of clients to the legal market,” said Beau Whitney, founder of Whitney Economics and co-author of the report. “And right now we’re seeing illegal cannabis sales continue to grow by opt-out cities and counties.”
The new report is based on an analysis that looked at public licensing data from state marijuana regulatory agencies and population information from the 2020 US Census. The report methodology section states that the percentage of cannabis sales from illegal versus legal sources was calculated by “comparing each legal state’s annual cannabis sales to that state’s total market estimate (TME).”
Not only do local opt-out decisions stand to benefit illicit marijuana sellers, but the report also found that areas where the cannabis business is regulated have increased public health issues related to unused products. are more likely to be seen, miss out on job creation opportunities and lose revenue. Local tax option.
“Legal cannabis regulation works. It puts illegal marijuana dealers out of business and gives minors fewer opportunities to access weed. It protects public health by keeping tainted products out of circulation,” the report concludes. It allows law-abiding adults to follow the law while creating local jobs and tax revenue. Opting in: This is the right thing to do.”
An earlier 2020 report commissioned by the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and Weedmaps similarly found that California has a local ban on marijuana businesses. helped the illegal market flourish and deprived state and municipalities of tax revenue This has been made more necessary to compensate for the economic loss caused by the corona virus epidemic.


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Writing about the Thunderbolt was supposed to be a bundle of joy, but as the weeks have gone on and the bad news continues to pile up (sky-high prices, moved release dates, Skype issues, hotspot issues), it’s become increasingly painful. So when we saw tonight that the new Best Buy Buyer’s Guide was listing the device at $299 on 2-year contract instead of $249, we’re on the verge of giving up on it completely and instead moving on to the next versions of our DROID family members.
And who knows, maybe this price is is pre-discount and it’ll end up being $249 after all, but that still doesn’t help the fact that many of us buy phones at full retail and the $749 mark is well, a giant slap to the face. The sad thing is, we almost predicted this would happen back in January, although we never thought it would get this bad.
One more price shot after the break.


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If you’re anything like the average North American, your social media usage comes with a hidden financial cost of thousands of dollars each year. Yes, thousands. These hidden costs come as no surprise to anyone who took Economics 101, there’s truly no such thing as a free lunch.
But social media platforms have mastered the illusion of free, making it difficult to understand the hidden costs of “free” products. Don’t worry, this isn’t a “social media is bad, delete all your apps” post, I actually think social media is a massive net positive for the world.
The point of the article is to help readers understand how the “social media circle of life” actually works. It’s all about how money flows from advertisers to social media platforms, and back to advertisers in the form of revenue.
The largest social media platform in the world, Facebook, will be the focus of this article for two reasons:
But this isn’t about picking on Facebook specifically. The findings and user costs below can be applied to Google, Snapchat, Twitter, and many of the other “free” social media apps on your phone. Even to offline media like cable television and highway billboards.
In 2019, Facebook made $29.25 from the average monthly active user (MAU). That’s a global average, but Facebook also breaks down their average revenue per user (ARPU) into geographical segments. For the average North American MAU, Facebook made $139.35 in 2019. Most of my readers are from North America, so let's focus on that.
$139.35 is how much Facebook made from the average North American MAU in just 2019 alone. Personally, I’ve been an occasional (definitely more than one login/month) Facebook user for the last decade. And what this means, is that Facebook has earned an average of $520 from people like me over the last 10 years.
Here’s how Facebook’s North American ARPU has progressed over time:
These numbers are impressive, but since this is money flowing from advertisers to Facebook, it’s not like users are paying anything...right?
In fact, the average Facebook MAU is likely paying 10-20x more than the numbers outlined above. Let me explain.
Advertisers don’t buy ads just for fun, they buy them because they work.
And Facebook ads are no exception. Facebook does such a masterful job of pairing advertisements with relevant audiences that advertisers decided to buy a collective $70 billion of Facebook ad inventory in 2019.
That was an all-time high advertising spend, a milestone that Facebook has reached every year since advertising began on the platform.
In fact, over the last 10 years, advertisers have spent 44% more each year on Facebook ads. It’s perhaps the most powerful indication that Facebook ads work really well, and that Facebook users are returning multiples of that ad dollar spend back to those advertisers.
If users weren’t returning money back to advertisers, the advertisers would stop paying Facebook. Again, advertisers don’t just spend money for fun. They spend money to make more of it.
To understand how well ads work, let’s flip the cost of advertising upside down for a new perspective.
The average marketing spend of a company is roughly 5-10% of the revenue that company generates. This number varies wildly on an individual basis, as illustrated by companies like Tesla and Casper.
On a global scale, these outliers even out and promotions trend towards 5-10% of revenue.
These promotions can be money spent on advertising channels (social media, billboards, sponsorships), sales channels (door-to-door sales, cold-calling, and email blasts), and other marketing expenses (agency fees, marketing employee salaries).
Facebook is just one of many promotional channels available for companies to use, and all companies rely on a different mix of promotional channels.
But because 5-10% of company revenues are spent on promotions, that implies that in the long run, promotions yield 10-20x of their costs in revenue. Because what else could be responsible for creating revenue? All revenue traces back to a promotion of some kind.
Some companies spend their promotional dollars on ads, others on hiring cold-calling sales teams, hosting product unveiling events, or reaching out to press for coverage. Some companies even get a secondary ripple effect from their original promotion in the form of “word-of-mouth” referrals or social media “buzz”. But make no mistake. Every dollar earned by a company comes from the payoff of some type of promotional cost they made earlier.
Therefore, promotions are the engine of commerce. Some companies do a better job of turning their promotional costs into revenue, but they all promote. And in aggregate, those promotions work out to roughly 5-10% of revenues.
Therefore, since the aggregate promotions on Facebook in the past year totaled $70 billion (more if you consider the growing industry of social media influencers who earn money that Facebook never actually sees), it’s reasonable to estimate those promotions yielded somewhere between $700 billion and $1.4 trillion of revenue for Facebook advertisers.
And where did that revenue come from? The wallets of Facebook users.
Remember that $139.35 of revenue Facebook generated from each North American MAU in 2019? Multiply it by 10 - 20 (since marketing spend averages out to 5-10% of revenue), and that’s how much revenue the average Facebook MAU generates for advertisers. That’s between $1,393.50 and $2,787 spent by the average North American Facebook MAU because of Facebook ads in 2019. And almost all of that money is spent without you even realizing it.
Side note: If you deleted your Facebook account today, it wouldn’t mean you’d necessarily save thousands of dollars this year (though you’d probably save some fraction of that). More likely, as you spend less time consuming Facebook ads on your phone, you start spending more time noticing the subway ads on your commute to work, or the TV ads while watching live sports. As a result, those ads start influencing more of your purchase decisions, replacing those you were seeing on Facebook.
Readers who insist they “never click on ads” will find the numbers above especially absurd. However, the transfer of money from users back to promoters rarely happens when an ad is shown, and just because you don’t click on ads, doesn’t mean they’re not working.
In fact, it’s rare that people see an ad, click it, and instantly purchase a product. More often, the money promoters spend on ads plants a seed in the brain of a consumer, before spreading into a word-of mouth referral, a direct product purchase, or maybe just a website visit and an email newsletter signup.
After all, if promotions weren’t generating revenue for a company, they’d stop spending that money. But because promoters all over the world have continued to pump more money into Facebook ad inventory with every passing year, it’s clear that they are.
Even if you refuse to believe it.


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Marijuana is going to be legal in Colorado in a mere six months.
As far as this goes economically — seeing an industry transition from a black market to a medical market to a legal market — anything on this scale is unprecedented since the days of Prohibition.
I flew out to Colorado to see what it’s like on the ground floor of an industry that’s about to explode.
Here, we look at the entire production cycle of marijuana in Colorado. We looked at Denver Relief’s growery; I got an inside look at Dixie Elixirs, which makes marijuana-infused soft drinks and snacks; and I toured CannLabs, the cannabis testing facility that ensures that all marijuana products are up to snuff.
Then we got a look at the Denver Relief dispensary in Downtown Denver, where marijuana is sold legally. Lastly, we got a look into the operations at Heady Glass to learn how water pipes and bowls are made from scratch.
Read the introduction to the series here: LEGALIZED POT: Our Exclusive Look Inside America’s Emerging Marijuana Industry


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When we talk about advertising potential on Facebook, the fact is that 2.2 billion global users — almost a quarter of the world’s population — constitute the largest marketplace on Earth that can be explored better with intelligent communication and targeted, age-specific outreach.
In India, there are nearly 380 million smartphone users as of today, according to Counterpoint Research.
The number of Internet users in India will reach 500 million by June, says a joint report by The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Kantar IMRB. On the other hand, the mobile phone customer base now stands at over 1.17 billion, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Facebook today has 217 million users in India — a huge market to tap into and advertisers know this well — and are aware of the future too when seven in 10 smartphone purchases will be mobile influenced by 2022.
“We now have reliable data how people are buying on smartphones. We can make their path to purchase smooth, make those quickers reduce friction, increase sales and cut costs for businesses,” Sandeep Bhushan, Director, Facebook India and South Asia, told IANS in an interview.
“We are mapping the friction and planning products and tools for businesses to reduce the friction and, therefore, can provide greater value for businesses and consumers alike in a secure way,” Bhushan added.
Facebook influences 33 per cent of purchase decisions amounting to $4.8 billion worth of sales and it is expected to grow two times to reach 44 per cent and influence $9.5 billion worth of sales by 2022.
According to Bhushan, Facebook is ready to help smartphone brands reduce the consumer drop-off from their purchase journey, creating $3.1 billion worth of potential revenue for them by 2022.
“We can reduce purchase time by 14 odd per cent. We also know that sales can go by up to $3 billion, built on the fact that consumers will use mobiles for various purposes and the device offers all kinds of possibilities. We can do right messaging at the right place with mobile and cut the friction,”
After facing the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, Facebook recently cleared that it does not tell advertisers who you are or sell your information to anyone.
Facebook’s mobile advertising revenue represented approximately 91 per cent of advertising revenue for the first quarter of 2018 — up from approximately 85 per cent of advertising revenue in the first quarter of 2017.
To take the vision closer to reality, Facebook is already running a programme with one big smartphone player.
The data lets advertisers reach the right people, including millions of small businesses, who rely on Facebook every day to reach people who might be interested in their product.


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PERU – The last movie-rental store in Peru is set to close, and a local restaurant already has shutdown, in preparation for the opening of a new downtown Dollar General.
Family Video, 121 N. Broadway, stopped renting videos Sunday and is now selling off all its inventory, including furniture and light fixtures.
Store manager Deana Colter said Sept. 24 is the last day the store will be open to the public, and Dollar General will start leasing and renovating the building on Oct. 3.
Meanwhile, Boardwalk Cafe, a restaurant that opened last year and leased the part of the building closest to Broadway already has closed down.
“Dollar General wants to use the space our store takes up, therefore forcing us to vacate the premises,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post. “We have tried everything in our power to stay.”
The eatery originally intended to close on Sept. 30, but ended up shuttering the location last week due to being short staffed. The restaurant said it currently has no plans to reopen at a different location.
Dollar General is now set to open its fourth location in Peru. The new store will be located just three blocks north of the Miami County Courthouse, and is less than a mile away from another Dollar General on East Washington Avenue.
The city soon will have five dollar stores, including a Dollar Tree on the west side, but no large retailers. Kmart provided the largest shopping option, but closed in March after the company filed for bankruptcy.
The closing of Peru’s Family Video mirrors what happened just two months ago in Kokomo, when that location shut down and turned into a Dollar General.
The Family Video located at the intersection of Markland Avenue and Washington Street was the last video-rental store in Kokomo. Dollar General had renovated and moved into the building less than two months later.
That came after the second Family Video location on Southway Boulevard closed in March.
Despite closing stores around Indiana, Family Video is still the largest video and game rental chain in the U.S., with more than 550 stores in 20 U.S. states and Canada, according to its website.
The company still operates dozens of stores in cities and towns around the state in which it is the only video-rental business still open, including Wabash and Logansport.


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South Korean brand ditches the Grand name but retains the grand space.
The NRMA have releases figures that name Australia's cheapest cars to run.
The mid-sized diesel-powered SUV segment just got a little more crowded with Ford's updated Territory entering the fray.
Kia's new Rio sedan, which was unveiled at the 2011 New York motor show.
The Korean brand impresses with a long list of standard gear but the devil's in the detail.
Drive tests six of the best compact 2WD SUVs under $30,000 to determine, which of these soft-roaders, is the best "faux-wheel-drive".
Kia's sketches show that the Korean manufacturer is looking to move its Rio city car in new directions.
Kia Cerato hatch.
First Pics: New Kia Rio.
Peter McKay indentifies the most underrated cars on the market.
The 2011 Kia Optima.
Kia's new Optima sedan is set to challenge the mazda6.
Kia's interior 'disco' lights that are designed to flash to the beat of your music are now deemed a fire hazard.
Kia's new Pop electric concept car.
2010 Kia Sportage
The Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento go head to head.
The new Kia Optima.
Korean manufacturer steps up to take on the big guns with its new Magentis.
The new Kia Sportage has been unveiled at the Geneva motor show.
Kia's styling shift continues with next-generation Sportage compact SUV revealed before the Geneva motor show.


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Despite some criticism, Uber has shown that it is willing to expand its services across the UK in any way that it can. Now the company has announced that the service will be launching in its third UK city: Leeds.
According to Uber’s blog, people in Leeds will be able to use their phones to hail a ride with Uber X, the company’s lowest priced service. This is in addition to Uber services that are already available in Manchester and London.
Uber promises that taking a ride with one of its drivers will be 30-40% cheaper than using a traditional black and white taxi, and people who have never used the service before are eligible for £15 off their first trip.
Officially Uber in Leeds will be in testing mode for the next few weeks, meaning driver availability is going to be somewhat limited. Uber has, however, promised that it is working hard to get more drivers and cars on the road.


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Realme launched it’s first set of realme Smart TVs in India on May 25th alongside different Smart AIoT products like Realme Smart watch, Realme Buds Air Neo and Realme 10000MAh Powerbank 2. Out of all the people products launched that, Realme Smart TV got very good response because of it’s smart features like being powered by Android TV with MediaTek processor, narrow bezel design, Dolby Audio and many more features never seen in this price segment.
The first sale of the Realme Smart TV went to be a grand success for the brand as it got very good response and it sold more than 15,000+ units of Realme Smart TV in less than 10 minutes. Realme India CEO, Madhav Sheth stated that this sale was “By far the Fastest Sale by any TV brand in BAU ( Business As Usual ) days.”
To recall, the Realme smart TV is Android certified and comes with bezel-less display with Chroma boost picture engine and a by 24W quad stereo speakers with Dolby audio. It was launched in two variants which are priced at ₹12,999 for 80cm (32″) and ₹21,999 for 108cm (43″) models respectively. Realme said that the Realme Smart TV’s will be 100% Made in India, and are customized and designed with the Indian users in mind.
To know more about the Realme Smart TV, check out our recent posts where we have covered it’s entire features and specifications in detail. Let us know what do you think about this new Smart TV from Realme in the comments section below.


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Australia can thank its No. 1 trading partner, whose old economy is reviving as fiscal stimulus gets smokestacks billowing again. Traditional Chinese industries seen as proxies for growth, such as electricity and rail cargo, have collectively bounced back to the highest level in three years. The big unknown: the durability of a turnaround that’s ended a more than 50 percent drop in commodity prices between 2011 and 2016.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Monday, June 13, 2016
Just because you spent a fortune on setting up overseas tax ministration structure does not mean that you won't end up paying it. Aivars Lode
By Heath Aston
Apple is one of many tech companies accused of shifting its Australian profits to places such as Ireland.
Imagine the extra cream left in the jug of the household budget if we all paid an income tax rate of one cent in the dollar.
So how does Apple justify such a laughably low profit margin in Australia?
Holidays on luxury yachts would no longer be the preserve of rap stars, investment bankers and the founders of Silicon Valley start-ups.
Chief executives and their advisers will tell you that understanding a multinational company's tax bill is far too complex for mere mortals.
It is not. And the numbers don't lie.
Apple's offering to the Australian tax man in 2015 was $85 million. In the same year, the company notched local sales of $8 billion. Of course, company tax is paid on profit not sales. Apple announced an Australian profit on those $8 billion of sales of just $123 million.
If you believe that is Apple's actual profit margin on products sold in Australia, step this way and start queuing for the iPhone 7. It washes the dishes and walks the dog and I can get you one cheap.
On Wednesday morning, Apple released its global profit statement. It was a far more plausible $US18.4 billion net profit on sales of $US75.9 billion.
So how does Apple justify such a laughably low profit margin in Australia?
With the same excuse used by all the big multinational companies, from its rival Google to the big pharmaceutical groups and the oil and gas giants: related party transactions.
These can include loans from a separate division of the company based in a low-tax country that come with punishing interest rates. They can also be steeply-priced intellectual property charges that the Australian arm is asked to pay another division.
In Apple's and Google's cases the process has been referred to as the "double Irish Dutch sandwich" but, whatever the means, the end result is a flow of funds out of Australia, severely limiting the profit that is left behind to be taxed. It is not rocket science.
The next 12 months will be the defining moment in forcing multinationals to at last pay a fair share in Australia.
The Coalition's multinational tax-avoidance law took effect on January 1 and will target 1000 companies with global sales of $1 billion or more.
Under the law, companies can be slapped with double tax, plus interest, if found to be illegally shifting profits offshore.
The carrot effect in encouraging companies to sit down and negotiate a more reasonable tax contribution is already working, according to Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan.
In Britain, the first OECD country to introduce a diverted profits law, Google this week offered $265 million in back-taxes as a token contribution to signify its acceptance of the new playing field there.
But if anyone thinks all 1000 multinationals will meekly start paying 30¢ in the dollar, you might also want to buy my iPhone 7.
Even after their humiliating grilling by the Senate's tax avoidance committee, the tech companies have maintained their implausibly low profit margins in Australia this year.
Those companies are known for the kind of agility lauded by Malcolm Turnbull.
Unfortunately, it is their agile approach to tax minimisation that is putting pressure on the Prime Minister's budget bottom line and making it more likely we will all be paying a higher GST on everything - including the next model of iPhone.
Trouble in the unicorn world. Are valuations artificially being kept high by staying private? Aivars Lode
By Mark Boslet
Private company investors showed an abrupt caution for unicorn financings in the fourth quarter of last year with average valuations plunging and the use of tough deal terms on the rise.
A Fenwick & West survey of most, if not all, unicorn deals from the final nine months of 2015 uncovered a big drop in the fourth-quarter appetite of VCs and non-traditional investors to reward entrepreneurs with big mark-ups and eye-popping company valuations.
The study is the latest piece of evidence to point to a cooling of interest in so-called unicorn deal making as venture capitalists reassess exactly what their startups are worth.
In contrast to a prior study covering most of 2014 and the first quarter of 2015, the average valuation of unicorn financings in the fourth quarter was $1.6 billion. This is down from $4.1 billion in the third quarter and $5.6 billion in the second quarter.
Worth noting is that half of the Q4 deals came in with valuations of between $1 billion and $1.1 billion, or just enough for each of the companies to win the moniker of a being unicorn as they crossed the $1 billion threshold.
As a result, the average mark up over a company’s Series A round was a third or less than what it was earlier in the year. The average per share price increase over an A round was 2,081 percent in the fourth quarter compared with 6,291 percent in the third quarter, the study found.
The use of investor friendly terms also jumped. Senior liquidation preferences were far more common and the use of IPO protections increased. A third of deals had blocking rights, keeping a unicorn investor’s shares from automatically converting into common stock at an IPO unless the IPO price meets a certain level.
Ratchets giving investors extra shares if an IPO price falls below that of the unicorn round also were more frequent. They turned up in 17 percent of fourth quarter deals, the study found.
Non-traditional investors led 84 percent of unicorn deals in the final nine months of last year and the average deal size was $222 million.
The takeover, which was announced in October, looked like plain sailing, but the falling stock market, and in particular the crash in tech stock prices, appears to have had a knock-on effect: Dell has, we're told, hit a fundraising snag.
The New York Post reports that the banking consortium, led by JP Morgan, that was supposed to have nailed the first $10bn on Wednesday, has asked for a 10-day extension after struggling to price and sell the necessary bonds to the credit markets. This is according to an anonymous source.
It is suggested that Dell is also having problems selling Perot Systems. Dell had been asking around $5bn for the firm, which would help its finances considerably.
Atos had been the front runner to buy Perot but has pulled out of the bidding, citing stock price worries. NTT Data and Tata are apparently still in the bidding to take over Perot Systems.
The stock market has also caused problems with the terms of the EMC takeover deal. Shareholders in the company were due to get $24.05 per share in cash and a tracking stock tied to the value of VMware. That was when stock in VMware was worth $69 per share – it's currently at $43 and trending downwards.
If the deal doesn't go ahead, there's going to be a hefty bill to pay. Under the terms of the deal, Dell has to pay EMC $4bn in compensation if the buyout falls through, and that's going to wipe the smile off Michael Dell's face for a long time.
"The EMC transaction is on schedule under the original timetable and the original terms," a Dell spokesman told The Post. There has been no response to requests for information from El Reg.


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DHL Express has revealed that it intends to sell its same-day domestic business to technology distributor Rico Logistics later this month, as it continues to focus on the international express market. The firm, which sold its B2C domestic business to form Yodel in 2010, said it has agreed to sell its same-day domestic activities to the £59m a year turnover Rico Logistics on 31 October. DHL said it will continue to offer same day international services, as well as time […]
The new owner of Clugston Distribution Services is linked to Malta-based HLD Group which bought AM Widdowson and Sons in 2015 and Crewe-based Davis Haulage in 2016.
DHL Express has opened a £1.5m service centre in Oxfordshire to meet growing demand from customers in the area.
Haulage and construction firm Fox Brothers is continuing on the acquisition trail with the purchase of Lancashire operator J J O’Grady.


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Although South Africa is well supplied with chicken, load shedding had already disrupted operations in December 2022 which saw intermittent availability of certain product lines for some fast-food outlets.
The situation worsened early in 2023 which affected the whole chicken value chain and the broader agriculture sector, especially the electricity-intensive production systems such as poultry, pork, dairy, and irrigated crops, while up the value chain, it impacted negatively on abattoirs, feed milling, and other produce processing operations.
Product costs have been quite elevated in the past twelve months with the price of maize, a major raw input which accounts for over 70% of feed topping R5470/t and R5259/t for white maize and yellow maize respectively during November 2022. Additional costs of operating generators for extended periods together with the associated maintenance further eroded margins thus threatening industry growth. On top of it, the general network infrastructure, and municipal services critical for agriculture operations have been denuded over time and in some instances nonexistent in several small rural towns.
For cost recovery and improvement in margins enough to stimulate further expansion and investment, chicken prices might have to increase thus making the biggest and historically cheapest source of animal protein unaffordable for the millions of poor people. This will prove to be an uphill battle for producers given the tough economic environment and job losses with the consumer’s financial welfare already under strain.
Nonetheless, the positive news on the consumer side is that overall inflation has shown signs of slowing with the December 2022 CPI easing to 7.2% year-on-year with the food CPI off the 2022 peak at 12.7% year-on-year. We saw a similar trend in global food prices with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s monthly food price index in January 2023 declining for the tenth consecutive month by 0.8% m/m and 3.3% year-on-year and off the past eleven high by almost 18%.
On the production side, maize futures showed some moderation with white maize for May-23 and Jul‑23 delivery already down by 10% and 11% relative to the 2022 highs during November at R4348/t and R4311/t respectively in this week’s opening trade. Though still at a premium over its counterpart, yellow maize showed a similar trend and declined by just over 7% during the same period at R4447/t and R4443/t for the May 2023 and Jul 2023 contracts respectively. This bodes well for a potential reduction in feed costs and expanding positive feeding margins as the year progresses.
Nonetheless, we expect some reprieve for consumers early in the New Year with the lower seasonal demand post the December holidays, in a tight economic environment with costs of electricity and transport still elevated, likely to place downward pressure on meat prices.


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Lithuanian Apparel and Textile Industry Association kindly invites you to participate or visit the 12th international fair of textile, clothing, leather and equipment BALTIC TEXTILE + LEATHER, which will be held on 10-12 September 2003 in Vilnius, Lithuania.
This is the main fair in Baltic region with near 300 exhibitors every year.
The fringe program of the fair consists of:
∑ 3rd International Conference on TEXTILE AND APPAREL INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS;
∑ Fashion Show BALTIJOS MADA, where more than 30 different companies and designers from all over the world will present the latest prÍt-a-porter collections for spring/summer 2004;
∑ Seminars of textile technologies and new trends, presentations of companies.
More information: http://www.latia.lt , email@example.com (Raminta Krulikauskiene).
ASAP Fashion News Fast - Fashion news for the apparel industry
and consumers to learn more about the clothing business. Apparel Search
ASAP Fashion News Fast - Fashion news for the apparel industry and consumers to learn more about the clothing business.
Apparel Search ASAP News[borders/disc4aftr.htm]


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CES is always an exciting time as we eagerly await the new innovations and technologies that will shape our future. This year, one thing was evident: CES 2019 was the year of artificial intelligence (AI).
AI is everywhere, making innovation faster and more accessible. AI is redefining the experiences we have across our daily lives and the experiences we have in one of the places we spend a good portion of our time—the automobile.
Microsoft’s vision for automotive is to enable connected, productive and safe mobility experiences anywhere for the customer along their journey. With Microsoft technologies as the foundation of this vision, it was no surprise that AI took center stage at our CES booth this year.
Microsoft, along with our partners, showed how we are fueling new digital experiences with Azure IoT, AI and mixed reality. From an automotive standpoint, we shared how AI is opening up rich, immersive experiences for consumers, as well as new monetization opportunities for automakers.
CES spotlight: Cloud and AI partnerships in automotive
CES was the perfect venue demonstrate how our customers and partners are enhancing their connected vehicle, autonomous vehicle and smart mobility strategies using the power of the Microsoft intelligent cloud, intelligent edge and AI capabilities.
First, LG Electronics shared how they are working with Microsoft to use Azure cloud and AI technologies to create a new benchmark in autonomous automotive AI. LGE will apply Microsoft AI capabilities in their Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Driver Status Monitoring Camera and Multi-Purpose Front Camera. They will also incorporate Microsoft’s Virtual Assistant in their Voice Assistant as part of their Vehicle Infotainment system. LG also has plans to leverage high-performance computing and graphics processing unit capabilities, supported by Microsoft Azure, to help train LG AI self-driving software.
In addition, Visteon Corporation is breaking new ground by enhancing their DriveCore Studio™ autonomous driving development environment. The company is tapping into Microsoft Azure to securely meet the computing demands of Level 3-plus autonomous systems. The development environment also gives automakers and partners the ability to unlock innovation potential through an open framework for developing algorithms using sensor-based artificial intelligence. By using Azure, Visteon can reach more customers as it speeds up their autonomous development work.
Last year at CES, ZF announced that it was developing their own IoT platform based on Microsoft Azure. Since then, the company has rolled out several industry-leading solutions such as fleet management, business process automation and smart transmissions—innovations we saw live at their CES booth this year. This week, we announced that we are taking our partnership one step further: ZF is establishing one of the most comprehensive digital cloud platforms in the automotive market, focusing on digital services for automated driving, vehicle motion control, integrated safety and electromobility—all built on the Azure IoT platform.
Elektrobit is also doing forward-thinking work with Microsoft Azure to help the industry prepare for a future of autonomous driving. By incorporating Azure cloud and Azure Data Box into Elektrobit hardware and software, the company is empowering developers to efficiently refine automated driving systems by storing and processing PB-scale test data in the cloud. You can learn more in Elektrobit’s new white paper.
The journey ahead with AI
It is an incredibly exciting time in the industry as we see automotive changing forever. Market intelligence firm Tractica forecasts that AI hardware, software, and services revenue in the automotive industry will grow from from $404 million in 2016 to $14.0 billion by 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate of 48.3%.
We are proud to be partnering with industry leaders to help them capitalize on this important opportunity. For example, Grab is using Microsoft AI to advance on-demand transportation, mobile payments and online-to-offline services. We are working with AKKA Technologies to help ICONIQ Motors develop cloud-enhanced driverless technology for their cars, with the goal of a fully autonomous vehicle by 2020. And Audi technology partner EFS tested and proved a new ground-breaking deep learning AI solution that will give self-driving vehicles a better understanding of the roads they are driving on.
These are just a few examples of the innovative work that is happening today. As AI takes on more and more roles across the automotive ecosystem, it is inspiring to imagine the transformational possibilities that lie ahead for our industry.
With AI, we know we have just scratched the surface of what is possible in automotive. There is definitely more to come. And we are delighted to be on the leading edge, working with our customers and partners to create value that is driving the industry forward.
Explore our infographic “The world of 2030: navigating the future of autonomous vehicles” to learn more.


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Today, at a special gathering of tourism and community leaders, we announced a historic milestone: Orlando has become the first U.S. destination to surpass 70 million annual visitors. In 2017, a record 72 million visitors traveled to Orlando — an increase of more than 5 percent over the prior year — once again making us America's most-visited destination.
Our record-breaking year was achieved despite international headwinds and the statewide effects of Hurricane Irma. In 2017, our destination launched new consumer experiences on a significant scale, and our marketing efforts leveraged increasing consumer confidence in the United States. We also continued our focus on communicating the unique emotional connections visitors have with Orlando.
Domestically, Visit Orlando recognized the potential of the country's growing positive economic indicators and increased marketing initiatives focused on U.S. audiences, with a special emphasis in the important Northeast region. Domestic visitation in 2017 grew to an all-time high of 65.86 million.
Internationally, with several key markets facing uncertainties, Visit Orlando maintained its extensive marketing, brand and publicity programs to retain Orlando's leading position as a top international destination, with 6.15 million visitors.
Looking ahead, with so many new developments throughout our destination, the region's No. 1 industry is poised to grow even stronger — this year and well into the future. That, of course, is great news for everyone in Central Florida, where tourism supports 1 in 3 jobs and generates nearly $70 billion in annual economic impact.
Indeed, the strength of our economy reflects the strength of tourism. And Visit Orlando is proud to help grow both areas, to the benefit of our entire community.
Here's to making 2018 another banner year for Orlando!


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The Dubai Future Foundation has adopted HireVue – a new technology solution that employs artificial intelligence to enhance the process of hiring talents.
Consumer spending on technology in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is forecast to total $130.8 billion this year, a year-on-year increase of 4.1 percent, according to a recent industry study.
Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority has launched “HADI”, an AI-based conversational bot that can answer users’ questions and process transactions with respect to DSOA’s services.
Global 5G subscriptions are set to top 2.6 billion within the next six years, driven by sustained momentum and a rapidly developing 5G ecosystem, according to the latest report from Ericsson.
Dubai Police has encouraged the public to benefit from the ‘Drive Mode’ feature in its smart app, which enables them to avoid traffic jams and nearby accidents.
Business leaders in the Middle East and Africa strongly believe that data helps build trust from its customers, its own business processes, and across its partner ecosystem, according to a recent study by IBM.
Smart Dubai and the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED – Dubai Economy) have announced a joint new data initiative for the retail sector.
The project called, Digital Coach project, is in line with the UAE Strategy for artificial intelligence (AI) and technology is the first-of-its-kind in training drivers worldwide.
The Dubai Future Council for Blockchain, chaired by Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, has launched the Dubai Blockchain Policy at the 9th Smart City Expo World Congress, held in Barcelona.
GAL (Global Aerospace Logistics) has signed a contract with the UAE Presidential Guard Command to enhance the latter’s technology infrastructure, in a deal worth $65 million.


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However, most see it as a stop gap solution until manufacturers can find a way to place all of those powerful cameras and sensors within a display. The Lenovo Z5 is truly all-screen.
The upcoming Lenovo Z5 honestly looks like it gained inspiration from the Vivo APEX and the iPhone X. The phone had a lovely edge-to-edge display with really thin bezels but left out the notch which many Android manufacturers were quick to copy Apple.
Lenovo's Vice President, Chang Cheng recently took to the Chinese social media platform Weibo to announce the brand's upcoming flagship. Therefore, we don't know if there's a notch or a bezel somewhere that makes some space for front-facing sensors. Vivo Apex comes with a pop-selfie camera which pops out when you are clicking pictures with the front camera, this has made Vivo achieve a design for smartphones with ultra-slim bezels.
The device is due in June and Cheng claimed it is the result of "four technological breakthroughs" and "18 patented technologies", but he didn't provide further details.
Whether the Z5 is ready for primetime, or is simply an example of tech Lenovo is still working on remains to be seen. In other words, the handset might not have buttons, physical or otherwise, or a notch for the camera.
Alongside a claim which the telephone would comprise an impressive screen-to-body-ratio of 95 percent.
Could Lenovo be the first company to launch a phone that literally has nothing on its front side except the screen?


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CES: Digital assistants battle for partners, Alexa appears in AR glasses
12 January, 2018, 00:38 | Author: Cecelia Webb
Google has also added animations to complement some of the more personality-driven features of the Google Assistant.
Among the devices featuring Google Assistant are manynew smart speakers, including models made by Altec Lansing, JBL and LG. So, the consumers are either forced to figure out things themselves or scour the web for blog posts or reddit posts offering some information about the new service. Ask LG, about their AI-powered speakers... Scott Huffman, vice president of engineering for Google Assistant, showed up to talk about the search giant's relationship with LG, and how it's expanded from Android phones to appliances and televisions over the past year and a half.
The Lenovo Smart Display is meant to be used for just about any task you might also do with the Google Home: playing music, controlling smart home devices, and pulling up recipes or restaurant recommendations, for instance. One quarter of smart speaker owners report having a Google Assistant product such as Google Home or Google Home Mini. Smart Display's are Google's answer to Amazon's Echo Show, which also includes a tablet-like touchscreen. As a part of CES announcement, Google announced a directory where you can see what Google Assistant can do. And so here we are, with more news of Amazon and partners integrating Alexa into every product that might come to mind - glasses, cars, mirrors, microwave ovens, mobile accessories, computers and many others. Alexa in cars can also be synced with smart-home devices to control thermostats while on the road. Among them are a series of its Echo speakers, including an entry-level option (Echo Dot), a portable speaker (Echo Tap), and Echo Look, a style assistant that can take 360-degree selfies of an outfit.
Amazon has already said that Bose, Jabra, iHome, Beyerdynamic, Bowers & Wilkins, among others, plan on adding Alexa to various Bluetooth audio devices in the coming months.
Companies are rushing to incorporate voice control into their products and making sure they work with whatever service you use. We're just a few days into the new year and continuing to make the Assistant more helpful and more available, no matter what device you're using.
Amazon are of course eager to have Alexa integrated with as many smart devices as possible, so smart glasses and head-mounted displays (HMDs) are the next logical step.
The UK Based startup called Redux is involved in developing technology that would integrate the speakers directly into the phone. The acquisition could prove useful to Google, and could change the way it designed its future Pixel smartphones.
I'm not sure if the U.S. is ready for a successful, popular TV personality and business owner to hold such high office. But her message - "A new day is on the horizon" - sounded like a campaign rallying cry.
Gabrielle Barrett had an upbeat personality and loved the movie Frozen , said her grandfather, Jerry Barrett , 47. A MI couple wanted in the death of a four-year-old girl have been captured, according to WXYZ out of Detroit.
Her single " Havana " has been sitting comfortably at the top of charts since it's release in summer 2017. Now, in a must-read new interview with the New York Times , Cabello is giving her side of the story.
He was first elected in 2000 and in 2010 became chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Republicans, meanwhile, say they will benefit from the fight between the Democrats seeking to claim the seat.
Harris ran for 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns this season after running for 1,040 yards and two scores as a sophomore in 2016. Ridley's best season came when he had 1,045 yards receiving with 7 touchdowns during the 2015 campaign.
Gridiron fans will be able to sample the action once again at Wembley, as well as at Tottenham Hotspur's brand new stadium. And over the following fortnight Wembley will then stage two fixtures: Jaguars vs Eagles and Chargers vs Titans .
Gerrit Cole was drafted by the Pirates with the first overall pick in 2011, and spent the last 5 years as a starter in Pittsburgh. During the 2017 season, Cole posted a 4.26 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, while holding a 196:55 K:BB over 203 innings (33 starts).
Only three fragments of MH370 have been found on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon. The search was extremely hard because no transmissions were received from the aircraft after its first 38 minutes of flight.
However, new investors must be careful to understand cryptocurrencies before entering the market. In 2017, XRP soared 35,000 per cent, surpassing bitcoin's surge of around 1,500 per cent.
State Department makes changes to travel warning system
State Department is warning tourists to "completely avoid" five states in Mexico because of rampant criminal and gang activity. Colima, Guerrero , Michoacán, Sinaloa and Tamaulipas have all been classified as a level 4 risk, the highest on the scale.
Canada says outbreak over
Currently, no common supplier, distributor, or retailer of leafy greens has been identified as a possible source of the outbreak. On Wednesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced it was no longer advising the public against eating romaine lettuce.
Seahawks fire offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell
This is significant in that one previous report suggested Cable was in line to replace Bevell as the team's offensive coordinator. Offensively, that's what we've seen countless time and time again that we do not execute the way we should.
Congress Will Vote on Net Neutrality
A tie vote would likely mean the deciding vote would be cast by VP Mike Pence, dooming the resolution. Meanwhile, a separate effort to overturn the FCC's net-neutrality repeal has been gaining momentum.
Trump to attend the World Economic Forum at Davos
Yet a White House statement indicated Trump would not hesitate to bring his nationalist message to the assemblage of globalists. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump will use the forum to make the case for his policies to the global leaders.


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Signs of UK business growth in biggest fall in four years – R3
• Proportion of growing businesses falls to levels last seen in 2013
UK business growth has fallen back to 2013 levels, according to new research by insolvency trade body R3.
57% of British businesses reported one sign of business growth in March, compared to 69% in the last survey in December 2015.
R3 says that the figures are the first signs of businesses’ performance plateauing, but that signs of business distress are still relatively low.
The figures are from R3’s latest Business Distress Index, a long-running survey of 500 UK businesses. In every survey since October 2013, at least 65% of businesses have reported at least one sign of growth. The 12-point fall in levels of business growth is the largest recorded in four years.
Andrew Tate, president of R3, says: “UK businesses have moved into a new phase of the economic cycle. The relatively rapid growth associated with recovery and the boost provided by low inflation and low fuel costs last year look as though they are now falling away.”
“Headwinds, such as uncertainty over the future of the UK in the EU, stock market worries, or incoming compliance and reporting changes, are starting to pick up, too.”
“The latest survey suggests some companies are still doing well and are showing several signs of growth, but more companies are showing no signs of growth at all.”
Andrew Tate adds: “This is a deceleration rather than businesses going backwards. Some businesses may be consolidating following periods of rapid growth rather than running into real trouble. Levels of distress are still relatively low.”
According to the latest Business Distress Index, 18% of UK businesses are showing at least one sign of distress.
This is the second lowest this figure has been since the start of the Business Distress Index (record low: 17% in December 2015), and well below the record 64% in March 2012.
Signs of distress measured by R3 include: decreased sales volumes (8% of businesses); decreased profits (7%); having to make redundancies (6%); regularly using maximum overdraft (5%); and fallen market share (5%).
Andrew Tate says: “Distress levels are still extremely low, especially when compared to just three years ago. Many more businesses are growing than are showing signs of distress and almost all the individual signs of distress are at record low levels. But, with growth starting to fall away, it looks as though the general business climate is tightening.”
Signs of business growth measured by R3 include: increased profits (35% of businesses); increased sales volumes (33%); investing in new equipment (25%); business expanding (25%); growing market share (23%).
- Research undertaken by BDRC Continental, an award-winning insight agency. Questions were put to 500 UK businesses via BDRC Continental’s monthly Business Opinion Omnibus. Telephone-based interviews with a nationally representative sample of senior financial decision makers across the UK, weighted by size, region and sector. Fieldwork dates 7th – 17th March 2016.


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Google plans to launch a program that will let publishers sell digital versions of their books directly to consumers.
Derek Walcott has accepted a post as a distinguished scholar at the University of Alberta.
Could e-books save the semiconductor industry?
J. D. Salinger has filed a lawsuit against the author of an unauthorized sequel to “The Catcher in the Rye.”
Universal Studios has acquired the film rights to “Where’s Waldo?”


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Inside Victoria Racing Club’s strict members dress code
The singer attended a Melbourne Cup event in Sydney wearing an outfit officials have deemed “not acceptable” in VIP areas of the racecourse.
VIP attendees of the prestigious Melbourne Cup have always been subjected to strict dress codes.
Rules for permitted attire inside the highly regarded members areas such as the Birdcage include “no garments which show midriff” as well as a ban on short jumpsuits and playsuits.
This year, the dress code for the Melbourne Cup Carnival – which begins Saturday October 30 and ends on November 6 – is no different.
Documents published on the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) website stress the same strict guidelines from previous years apply to its members, despite the limited crowd numbers in 2021.
The ladies dress regulations have been in place since 1864 and are “strictly enforced” in members areas. These restrictions are not applied to those in general admission.
Other garments deemed “not acceptable” at the members areas inside Flemington include jeans, shorts and leggings as well as “ripped” clothing and bulky jackets like parkas and duffel coats.
At the Lexus Melbourne Cup event held in Sydney today, the historic rules did not apply at the private venue – but one outfit spotted on the blue carpet would not have been permitted inside the VIP areas at Flemington.
Delta Goodrem arrived in a gorgeous green floral dress that finished at her shins and featured sheer puff sleeves. The floaty number also had cut-outs on her hips that showed off her midriff.
The 36-year-old finished her look with pale pink accessories, including a pink clutch, fascinator and strappy heels while her blonde hair was tied back with curled strands framing her face.
Her daring look comes just two weeks after the Australian Turf Club (ATC) stated trendy “cut out” dresses were now “unacceptable” race day attire in its members areas.
No skin rules have failed to stop other attendees, including embattled former WAG Nadia Bartel, from wearing the controversial cut out design.
The 36-year-old – who was recently embroiled in a snorting scandal – wore a white Dion Lee dress with cut outs on her hip to Derby Day in 2019.
The cut-out trend has become a celebrity favourite in the last few years, regularly worn by influencers and A-listers.
Kim Kardashian was one of the first to go full throttle with the risque design, wearing a vintage Thierry Mugler gown in 2019 that sparked the trend.
More Coverage‘Not acceptable’: WAG’s race day look bannedSonia Kruger’s stunning ‘nude’ race day look
Since then it has been seen on countless red carpets for movie premieres as well as altering fashion and swimwear trends.


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Study: Americans Want EVs With 500 Miles of Range
Jan. 21, 2022—Americans want electric vehicles with over 500 miles of range, KBB reported.
According to the 2022 Global Automotive Consumer Study published by Deloitte, Americans averaged an answer of 518 miles to the question, “How much driving range would a fully charged all-battery electric vehicle need to have in order for you to consider acquiring one?”
That is currently unsustainable in the market. The Lucid Air is the only current EV that could match that range, according to the report, and the Air costs $169,000. And it’s sold out.
Respondents cited three main hurdles to changing their minds about EV adoption: range, lack of charging infrastructure, and the higher cost of EVs.


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Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw is the star speaker at Sheffield’s Skills for Chefs conference.
The event on July 6 and 7 will bring together chefs and caterers from across the UK and beyond, also including Jordi Gallego from Madrid, who is creating Spanish menus.
Outlaw, who runs a restaurant in Cornwall, will also judge the finals of the Young Restaurant Team. Glam drummer turned Michelin chef Graham Garratt is to bring rock and roll to the demonstration theatre, while Sheffield College’s own Mick Burke is hosting a chocolate masterclass.
From canteen to celebrity
Former school cook Vicky Wainwright, now chef de partie at Marco’s New York Italian Sheffield, has won the inaugral Marco Pierre White chef awards.
The Arbourthorne mum’s oxtail lasagne with smoked garlic mash triumphed in the contest and will now become a special across the restaurant chain.
Vicky said: “It was a dream come true to cook for Marco. He has been an inspiration for my home cooking for years.”
Marco praised her dish as ‘fitting to the ethos of the food’ served by the chain.
Summer specials arrive
Takeaway Italia Uno, at Banner Cross, has launched summer special dishes, including limoncello tiramisu (£2.95) and linguine lucca with courgette and prawns. A loyalty card scheme has also begun.
Wheely good donation
Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, has taken delivery of a new chiller van to carry farm produce, courtesy of wholesale Fruit and Vegetable merchant GW Price.


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Medical Fair India would like to congratulate the stakeholders on the newly formed India’s Export Promotion Council (EPC) for medical devices under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. Led by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, the council will play a very important role and will be the voice of all manufacturers to encourage the ‘Make in India’ initiatives to a global landscape. This Council has special panels to promote specific categories of medical devices like disposables, consumables, orthopaedic implants, IVD equipment, surgical instruments and to also promote policy advocacy, technology upgradation, transfer and start-ups.
The EPC promises to help exporters in promoting their products in international markets through various activities including organizing and participating in international trade fairs, and buyer-seller meets, in line with the foreign trade policy of India. Therefore, Medical Fair India and our worldwide events under the umbrella of MEDICAlliance will further enable the manufacturers to showcase their products and services to a global platform including India and to create new business opportunities.
Thomas Schlitt, Managing Director, Messe Düsseldorf India says “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the very successful formation of the Medical Devices Export Promotion Council (MDEPC). The Indian medical devices market is the fourth largest in Asia. It is among the top 20 markets in the world. About 80 percent of the market is dominated by imported medical devices, significantly affecting the profits of many small-scale manufacturers of medical devices in the country. We are extremely happy that Mr. Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator AIMED and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Medical Fair India, plays a pivotal role in the creation of this Council along with the Department of Pharmaceutical, Government of India. I believe it is important for MDEPC to be engaged to unleash the huge export and investment potential for manufacturing medical devices for the global market.”
Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD) and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of Medical Fair India said: “It is great news, a big boost to Indian Medical Devices Manufacturing. The long-sought and requested Medical Devices Export Promotion Council is finally sanctioned to be created under the aegis of DoP, Govt. of India in Delhi NCR at the YEIDA Medical Device Park near upcoming Jewar International Airport. This strategic step will go a long way in accelerating the exports and manufacturing growth of the medical devices sector.”
Our best wishes to the Council in their new role and we believe that this crucial step will go a long way in accelerating the exports and act as the facilitation, promotion, and developmental body for the Indian medical device industry.
About Medical Fair India
MEDICAL FAIR INDIA is held alternately at venues in Mumbai and New Delhi every year. As part of the MEDICAlliance family of medical fairs, it is organised by Messe Düsseldorf India, in cooperation with the team of the world's largest medical fair MEDICA.
MEDICAL FAIR INDIA, India's No. 1 Trade Fair for Hospitals, Health Centres and Clinics, acts as a platform where connections are made and business relationships are nurtured. Medical Fair India is well known for its ability to detect trends and respond to market impulse.
AiMED is an Umbrella Association of Indian Manufacturers of Medical Devices covering all types of Medical Devices including Consumables, Disposables, Equipments, Instruments, Electronics, Diagnostics and Implants. MAKE IN INDIA’ Pavilion is being formed by AiMED at Medical Fair India 2023.
The next MEDICAL FAIR INDIA will be held from 27 to 29 April 2023 at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
Full details of MEDICAL FAIR INDIA are available online at: www.medicalfair-india.com
Information on all medical trade fairs of the MEDICAlliance is available online at: www.medicalliance.global Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Press Team MEDICAlliance
Tel. +49 211 4560 444
Düsseldorf/ Mumbai, 12 October 2022


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Gone are the days when designers dedicated what was trendy and what was not; with the birth of TOG's new line of customized furniture, it really does prove that the customer is the one running the show now.
The latest collection of customized furniture from new design brand TOG was revealed at Milan Design Week 2014. What makes this stunning connection unique is the fact that you can personalize any piece using an app!
One of the designers who collaborated on the collection is French designer Philippe Starck. Starck believes that helping consumers create personal bespoke pieces at an affordable price will definitely revolutionize the furniture industry.
"The only way to see life is no more trends," says Starck. "The only trend that is acceptable is freedom, freedom to be different, freedom to choose what you want."
Vibrant Bespoke Customized Furniture
More Stats +/-
Convertible Computer Desks
Recycled Pine Dressers
Graphic Design-Inspired Furniture
Ancient Rustic Hybrid Tables


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Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot investment theme over the last 12 months. Thanks to the success of AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT, investors have woken up to the power of this exciting technology. The good news is that it’s not too late to invest in artificial intelligence as the technology is still in its infancy. With that in mind, here are seven AI stocks that could be huge winners in the long run.
When it comes to AI stocks, it’s hard to look past Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). A developer of ‘accelerated computing’ solutions, it is the biggest player in the AI chip market with a market share of around 80%.
You can think of Nvidia as a ‘pick-and-shovels’ play on AI. Today, its AI chips are used by a wide range of companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Google, and ChatGPT creator OpenAI (it’s rumoured that ChatGPT 4 required 50,000 Nvidia H100 chips). So, NVidia is one of the best AI stocks that should do well no matter who wins the artificial intelligence race.
It’s worth pointing out that Nvidia stock has had a big run recently. Last year, it rose around 240%. So, there is a chance of a pullback in the near term.
In the long run, however, the Nvidia share price should do well.
Currently, the forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio here is only about 24 so the stock is not particularly expensive.
While Nvidia currently has the lion’s share of the AI chip market, other chip companies are launching their own products and capturing market share. One such company is another great AI stock, AMD (NASDAQ:AMD).
Recently, it launched the Instinct MI300X – a chip designed to compete with Nvidia’s H100 – and it is having success with this product. AMD CEO Lisa Su believes that the market for AI chips will amount to $400 billion or more by 2027 and she is hoping that her company will have a large part of the market.
AMD stock had a huge run late in 2023 and now looks a little expensive. Currently, the forward-looking P/E ratio is about 40.
Given the high valuation, I see AMD as an AI stock to buy on the dips.
If Lisa Su is right about the potential size of the AI chip market, one group of companies that is likely to do well is the semiconductor manufacturing equipment companies.
And one name here that’s worth highlighting is another of the best AI stocks, Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX). It specialises in equipment that helps chip manufacturing plants print layers of transistors in advanced chips.
Back in July, Lam raised its quarterly guidance thanks to AI-related demand. So, it appears to already be benefitting from the technology.
Lam Research shares currently trade on a P/E ratio of 28, using the earnings forecast for the year ending 30 June 2024. Using the following year’s earnings forecast, the P/E ratio falls to 22.
That’s a reasonable valuation, given the long-term growth potential of Lam Research.
Turning to software, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is obviously going to be one of the best AI shares and looks set to be an AI winner.
It is a part owner of ChatGPT, having invested around $13 billion in OpenAI. And it has been incorporating generative AI technology across its Microsoft 365 product suite recently via its ‘Copilot’ AI assistant functionality. This leverages the power of large language models (LLMs) to help users be more productive and creative.
One thing Microsoft has going for it is a first-mover advantage. Because ChatGPT was the first major LLM to hit the market, it has become a verb. This doesn’t guarantee success, of course. But it does give the company an edge.
Now, Microsoft is a relatively expensive stock. Currently, it sports a forward-looking P/E ratio of about 33.
This is a high-quality company with a lot of growth potential, however. So, MSFT probably deserves a premium valuation.
While Microsoft might be winning the generative AI race right now due to its first-mover advantage, Google owner Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) is working hard to catch up to its Big Tech rival.
In March 2023, it launched its conversational generative AI chatbot Bard. And then in December 2023, it launched Gemini – its rival to ChatGPT 4. This is the first model to outperform human experts on Massive Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU).
The risk here is that generative AI could disrupt Alphabet’s search business. I think this is baked into the company’s valuation, however, Currently, Alphabet trades on a P/E ratio of just 21. That’s a relatively low valuation given the company’s dominance and track record.
At that earnings multiple, the risk/reward skew makes the Alphabet share price attractive and one of the best AI stocks.
Microsoft and Alphabet aren’t the only Big Tech companies that are active in the AI space, however. Another company here that could be an AI winner is Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).
Amazon has been using artificial intelligence across its business for years now (personalising shopping experiences, automating warehouse processes, etc.). However, recently it has stepped up its AI game. For example, in November 2023, it announced the launch of Amazon Q. This is a generative AI-powered assistant designed specifically for businesses.
Amazon has a high valuation today. At present, the P/E ratio here is about 40.
I don’t see this earnings multiple as a deal breaker though. Amazon shares have always been expensive. Yet AMZN has still managed to deliver huge returns for investors over the long term.
It’s worth noting that Amazon owns the self-driving car company Zoox, and this has a lot of potential.
Finally, we have Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Now, this company didn’t really get much attention on the artificial intelligence front in 2023. However, make no mistake, it’s going to be one of the best stocks in the AI space.
Recently, Apple has been spending millions of dollars per day in a quest to develop its own LLM, known as Ajax, as well as a chatbot, known internally as Apple GPT. The idea is that this technology could eventually be incorporated into its Siri voice assistant. Given Apple’s huge global user base, the company is uniquely positioned to implement – and monetise – generative AI in a mass-market consumer application.
Apple shares had a strong run in 2023. As a result, they now look a little expensive as the forward-looking P/E ratio is around 28.
Given the high valuation, I see Apple shares as another AI stock to buy on the dips.
Edward Sheldon has positions in Nvidia, Lam Research, Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon.


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With a focus on Italian cuisine made from local ingredients, Nipote’s is a culinary love letter to Muskegon
Change is coming to 98 W. Clay Ave. in downtown Muskegon.
Where now there is empty space there will soon be a restaurant called Nipote’s Italian Kitchen: a land of family and friends and Italian food—lots and lots of Italian food—and wine and laughter and community.
It’s a space that, for Jeff and Shawn Church, the husband-and-wife duo opening Nipote’s, is a dream come true: a place of their own where they can do what they love, be in the city they love, and feed the people they love. A restaurant that will serve both authentic Italian and American-inspired dishes, Nipote’s menu will have a big focus on local: think cheese from The Cheese Lady, vegetables from the Muskegon Farmers’ Market, meat from local farms, goods from Morat’s Bakery, and more.
“We want to do a two-block menu,” Jeff Church told us this week while drinking a beer in Pigeon Hill—a business that’s also growing downtown and is a big supporter of Nipote’s; the two places are even going to team up to create a Nipote’s lager. “We’ll source everything we can within two blocks—the Farmer’s Market, The Cheese Lady and Morat’s. We want to be super local as much as possible.”
This idea of local is a deeply important one for the Churches, both of whom grew up in Muskegon: Jeff graduated from Reeths-Puffer and Shawn from Muskegon High School. They’ve seen their city ride waves of ups and downs, and it’s clear that the two take pride in Muskegon and the growth that’s happening downtown. For the owners, Nipote’s isn’t just a business; in many ways, it’s a love letter to the city, a way to invest in a community in which they’ve spent their lives and are raising their four children.
“When we were in our late teens and early 20s, downtown wasn’t somewhere where people really went,” Jeff said. “After the mall came down, there wasn’t really a reason to go downtown. Now, there’s so much going on. We’ve wanted to be down here since we started talking about opening a place.”
The inspiration to open up their own restaurant is one that’s been a long-time coming: the couple, who met while working at the Applebee’s in Muskegon, have been involved in the restaurant industry for the past two decades and know the food and restaurant world intimately well. Shawn now works in human resources for Panera, and Jeff has worked at the Muskegon Country Club and Hobo’s—plus, he ran his own hot dog cart, JCheezy Dogs.
“Together, we have over 40 years of experience,” Jeff said.
When deciding what kind of restaurant to open, the idea of an Italian spot came easily: the two are passionate about the cuisine (you can find Jeff, who will be Nipote’s head chef, hand-making pasta several days of the week at home), they spent a month in Italy for their honeymoon, and four years ago they befriended an Italian couple who were a big source of inspiration for opening the restaurant—and for the name, Nipote’s. Carlo Pozzobon and Sofia Occhialini left their home in Italy for Muskegon for Pozzobon’s work in the tile industry, and the two met the Churches through Run Muskegon, an athletic organization that meets twice a week for runs throughout the city. Pozzobon and Occhialini, who owns The Italian Spoon in Muskegon, have affectionately deemed Jeff as their “nipote,” the Italian word for nephew.
Thus, Nipote’s was born—and the space, which will seat 50 people, will take after the intimate eateries the Churches fell in love with while traveling in Italy, including during a trip they took to visit Pozzobon’s and Occhialini’s hometown, Udine—a city located in northeast Italy, about 80 miles north of Venice.
“Everything there is super local,” Jeff said. “Every day, you shop at the market for what you’re going to eat that day. We fell in love with that simple, good cooking.”
“Fresh vegetables are huge over there,” he continued. “I’m not going to have canned green beans; I’ll wait until there are fresh green beans. Our feature menus will be whatever is seasonal.”
As for Nipote’s building, it will be a unique space made from two shipping crates.
“It’s sustainable and upcyling; there’s 24 million unused shipping crates in the U.S.,” Jeff said.
The Churches are working with a shipping container company out of Detroit, Three Squared, and Nipote’s will be one of a growing number of eateries around the world built from refashioned shipping containers—including ones in Paris, London, Toronto, Miami, and Sacramento. Closer to home, the Detroit Shipping Co. is a restaurant collective and beer garden that features food truck-style eating, coffee, ice cream, bars, and artist galleries—all of which are housed in shipping containers.
Next week, the Churches expect the restaurant’s foundation will be poured, and the shipping crates are slated to arrive within the next month. The restaurant’s opening date has yet to be announced.
Once they open, Nipote’s will serve lunch and dinner, as well as a Saturday brunch, which will include a bloody mary and mimosa bar. They will be closed Sundays for family time. With the space’s focus on community and connection, there won’t be televisions—though there will be wifi and outlets for those who want to hunker down with an espresso and do some work during the day. Nipote’s is expected to be open from around 11am to 9pm Monday through Thursday and 11am to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
“You can come in and have your meetings there if you want; it’s going to be a meeting place for people, for friends and families,” Jeff said. “We want it to be a place where people connect with people.”
To keep up with Nipote’s Italian Kitchen, you can visit their website, read Shawn’s blog, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Story by Anna Gustafson, the publisher and editor of Muskegon Times. Connect with Anna by emailing email@example.com or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
One thought on “With a focus on Italian cuisine made from local ingredients, Nipote’s is a culinary love letter to Muskegon”
Awesome! This should be a busy place and a terrific addition to downtown Muskegon. Looking forward to it 🙂