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Fierce competition in the UK retail market and a perceived fear of breaking competition law is preventing businesses from fixing low wages and incomes in their supply chains. Yet the people behind goods such as tea, cocoa and bananas, which are worth £34 billion to the UK economy suffer poor living conditions and an increasingly uncertain future.
New research from the Fairtrade Foundation released ahead of an industry roundtable event on 30 January 2019 shows businesses are near unanimous in the message that competition law is a barrier to taking collective action to tackle low farm-gate prices and wages. The research argues that collective action is required because businesses are afraid to act alone, due to the obstacle of first mover disadvantage.
The report, entitled “Competition Law and Sustainability: A Study of Industry Attitudes Towards Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration in the UK Grocery Sector”, investigates why, despite efforts and investment to make supply chains more sustainable, the industry has not come together to address the issue and concludes that the sector is constrained by fear.
The report has a set of key recommendations for the UK Government and calls on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to issue clear guidance to private sector companies to allow them to work together to improve the incomes of farmers and workers in developing countries.
Michael Gidney, CEO Fairtrade Foundation, said:
“Millions of the farmers and workers behind some of our favourite groceries – tea, cocoa, bananas – are at the sharp end of trade, struggling with volatile commodity prices and the worsening effects of climate change.
“We’re calling on the government to seize this appetite for collaboration from the sector and encourage the largest players in retail to address the most pressing issue affecting our supply chains – poverty prices.
“The alternative that Fairtrade offers consumers shows that companies can respond to public demands to do better and they don’t have to act alone. However, the UK will not be able to do its bit to end global poverty and achieve the sustainable development goals unless everyone works together. It is time for reform and for the Government and the CMA to step up and unblock these barriers.”
Evidence shows that without progress to bridge the income gap in agriculture the number one goal of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals ‘To end poverty in all its forms’ will not be achieved. Take for example, Côte d’Ivoire, where the average cocoa farmer earns less than £1 per day, well below the World Bank’s extreme poverty line of £1.40 per day. The Fairtrade Foundation argues that the UK Government, as one of the major drivers of the goals, has a responsibility to act.
Competition Law includes important regulations to protect consumers from harmful practices such as price-fixing but it also restricts any collaboration between competitors in relation to prices paid to farmers or wages paid to workers within a supply chain.
Fairtrade shows the industry would welcome guidance on this issue and calls on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to provide clear policies so businesses can collaborate for sustainability purposes to address low farm-gate prices. It also recommends the CMA report on how competition law is affecting progress toward the SDGs and UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights.
This could have an immediate impact. In the cocoa sector, many major retailers and brands have invested significant resources, to the tune of $1billion investments in sustainability programmes. Fairtrade’s research in this area will be discussed at an industry roundtable event held in London on 30 January 2019.
This report is being published ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight, which will run from 25 February to 10 March, and marks the start of a three year campaign for Living Incomes to become a reality for farmers and producers around the world.


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The Queensland government is offering a six-month payroll tax holiday for small and medium-sized companies to help deal with the fallout from the coronavirus.
As the tourism hotspot deals with the ongoing affects of the China travel ban, State Treasurer Jackie Trad said companies with a wages bill of less than $6.5 million could defer their payroll tax obligations until August.
Given the Palaszczuk Labor government is allowing companies to "self-assess" about whether they are affected by the coronavirus, the new policy is effectively a payroll tax holiday for all small and medium-sized companies in Queensland.
Ms Trad said companies would be required to pay back the owed tax at the end of the six-month tax-free holiday, which is backdated to February 1 when the travel ban started.
"We know that if we can support small and medium-sized business who are feeling the pinch of less cash flow from keeping their doors open, to keep their staff employed, then we are doing the right thing by Queenslanders," she said.
"We don't know how long the coronavirus will affect our economy."
Queensland Treasury last week estimated the economic impact of the coronavirus could be up to $1.7 billion this financial year alone.
A business with turnover of just under $6.5 million a year would save about $20,000 a month – or $120,000 over six months – if it applied for the payroll tax holiday.
The payroll tax initiative follows $27 million to help the popular tourism destinations of the Gold Coast and Cairns – who have lost thousands of Chinese visitors – back on their feet.
Employment and Small Business Minister Shannon Fentimen said the payroll support package would be available to small and medium businesses across all sectors.
"The most immediate impact of coronavirus has been on the tourism, export and education sectors," she said.
"But we recognise that as the outbreak spreads, its impacts spread as well. That's why the option of deferring payroll tax payments for six months is being offered across the state to any affected small or medium business."
A spokesman for Ms Trad said there was no estimated cost for the scheme, which would only cost the government interest payments.
The Office of State Revenue will work with affected businesses to create repayment plans for the deferred tax liabilities.
The Palaszczuk government has called on the federal government to match its $27 million coronavirus funding to help the tourism sector.
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CONDO.ca, September 2014
He won’t make any friends in the home building industry, not with comments like this: “Our houses are dinosaurs. People are still building them the same way as we have been for 400 years.
The cost keeps going up and the quality down.” But then, Marc Bovet has said that his goal is to disrupt the home building industry and to revolutionize housing around the world. As the founder of BONE Structure said in a Globe and Mail interview, “I like disrupting people. It goes with who we are—disruptive technology.”
What is he talking about? His system of home building starts with a steel frame that allows it to be constructed with “surgical precision.” The company boasts that it is so precise that you could order your kitchen cabinets even before the foundation is poured. A detailed 3D model of your home has such accuracy that it can zoom in on the head of an individual screw.
The really revolutionary aspect of BONE Structure homes is that assembly is “as easy as a Meccano kit.” The only tools needed are “a bag of screws and a hand drill.” No cutting is required; all the pieces are pre-cut to tolerances “within millimetres,” and the steel structure allows for rooms with spans of twenty-five feet, with no columns or bearing walls. Most remarkably of all, a BONE Stucture home can be assembled “in just four days.” The system can be used for single-family homes, multi-residential units up to four storeys, and light commercial applications.
The homes are not prefab or modular but, according to Bovet, “a Robinson Crusoe system,” meaning the buyer can erect whatever he or she wants—a single home, four condo units or a commercial building. They are energy efficient, healthy to live in, and versatile in terms of design. There is “zero site waste” during construction.
All of this sounds very good and almost unbelievably easy. For those who dream of designing their own customized home, BONE seems like just the way to go. According to the company, you can set up a free appointment with the architecture team to discuss your requirements, choose the home model you like, and there are more than a dozen, one- and two-storey models with up to 2,300 square feet to choose from, or create a custom model of your own. Eight weeks after ordering the home, construction begins.
Now Toronto is about to get to see what BONE is all about in the flesh. The company announced it will launch its first Toronto home with a four-day open house event next week, from September 25–28. It will be open to media, industry professionals and the general public.
CONDO.ca, September 2014 | Read the article online.


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The CEO of one of France’s largest smoked salmon providers said that France’s rekindled love affair in salmon is down to quality.
West France’s charcuterie giants, Guyader Gastronomie, has been feeding the French since the thirties. Its Châteauneuf-du-Faou salmon processing plant, has going since 1991. SalmonBusiness spoke to its CEO Antoine Gorioux.
It’s one of the countries’ biggest supplier of smoke salmon and trout, employs 150 people and is one of France’s only salmon processors to have a Label Rouge – a prestigious sign of quality assurance. It has a large amount of products such as salmon rilletes, a cross-over Boursin cheese item, and even salmon cake.
“Sales represent EUR 80 millions overall a year”, said Antoine Gorioux. “Our prime markets are of course, France, but with also growth in the Benelux regions (Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland). We have just opened an office in Italy and Japan”. The latter for an aim to venture into the Asian markets. “We’ve got our eye on China”, he added.
Its modern processing plant keeps a foot in preserving in traditional artisans ways. The popularity of its hand-sliced product range demonstrate that authenticity is still important to the French. The entire range isn’t produced this way – it’s just an option that the French markets are keen on.
While this years numbers weren’t disclosed for this interview, in an article in Ouest France from last year, it was revealed that up to 60 et 65 tons were being produced a week at its Châteauneuf-du-Faou plant “sometimes going up to 90 or even 100”. Big numbers, but as they provide smoked salmon products to all of France’s biggest supermarkets such as Leclerc, Intermarché and Carrefour, it’s pretty much understood.
In July SalmonBusiness reported that France was enjoying a return to growth after consumers grew wary of increased salmon prices and negative media coverage.
“Sales were less but they gradually returned. Trout sales remained strong as there is a local link to them.” Guyader’s trout are raised in farms based in and around Brittany.
Guyader sources its salmon from farms in Scotland, Norway and Ireland, preferring to forge links and long-lasting relationships with salmon farmers. At the time of the interview, Antoine Gorioux was on his way to meet one personally at an undisclosed location.
“It’s our job to go upwards in terms of quality. French consumers like to keep an eye know where there food is from. The French eat less, but want more quality”, he concluded.


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The National Advisory Group’s (NAG) second annual Young Executives Organization (YEO) Roundtable hosted by Family Express concluded Tuesday, April 14 in Valparaiso, Ind.
During the two-day Roundtable, guests had the unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the operations of Family Express, a world-class convenience store operator with 62 stores, which continues to perform at an elite level across the convenience store and petroleum industry.
On the first day of the roundtable, attendees gathered at the Family Express headquarters for an inside look at training and innovations.
“If there is one component of our world that is worth emulating, if there is one thing you can take with you, it is that size doesn’t matter. Innovation is not exclusive to the big, powerful or well to do. Throughout our journey we have been well served by our passion to get to the promised-land independent from our humble beginnings,” Family Express CEO Gus Olympidis addressed attendees. “Our recipe for success is two fold. We pay attention to everyone. We are students, not teachers. The other is trying things others don’t do. We also copy and emulate everyone we can.”
Alex Olympidis, a member of the YEO board of directors and vice president of operations and human resources, spoke with attendees about Family’s Express’ living brand—the sales associates behind the counter. The chain is invested in building relationships with customers.
The company expects personable employees who go the extra mile and always greet customers. The company recently began paying $10 an hour. “We don’t expect minimum effort, so why would we pay minimum wage,” said Olympidis.
Attendees then toured the Family Express mock store where the company tests new products and layout options. Currently, the chain is testing pizza options. “We made a huge investment over three years to prepare from putting in water, drainage and three bay sinks in preparation for foodservice,” said Olympidis.
Every product and service Family Express offers is rolled out to every single store. “The customer knows if they can get it in one store, they can get it at all of our stores.” Olympidis said. The chain showed attendees the recently introduced European Café touchscreen latte machine that allows customers to make premium hot chocolate and lattes to their specifications via a touchscreen machine.
The company also recently added free ATMs about a month ago. The free ATMs have already brought a huge increase in transactions. “You can’t be the second in your area to do it. You are training customers to value the convenience,” Olympidis said.
In addition, air—such as to fill tires—is now free at Family Express. “We took an immediate and significant hit to the bottom line to offer free air, but there’s a nostalgia where people think, ‘I remember when companies didn’t charge for things like air,’” Olympidis said.
Later in the day, attendees received an overview of the company’s World Class training. The company’s training center is located in the company headquarters. Not only do potential employees need to pass an interview, they must graduate from a three-day training program. Olympidis pointed out that while it can be easy to demonstrate certain skills and traits in an interview, it’s impossible to hide a disingenuous personality for three days.
Guests also got an inside look at Family Express’ social media strategy, and enjoyed dinner at Pikk’s Tavern.
On the second and final day of the event, attendees went on a tour of a Family Express store to see the company’s foodservice, coffee and training programs in action. Guests were also treated to a tour of the Family Express warehouse and its bakery operations.
The convenience store industry’s young executives and leaders of tomorrow face unique challenges as they grow their businesses. NAG’s YEO group was formed specifically to addresses these challenges and help the industry’s next-generation leaders identify solutions with others in their age group.
“The benefits of connecting with other family businesses, whether they are second, third or fourth generation are endless,” said Garet Bishop of BFS Cos., a member of the 2014-2015 YEO Board of directors.
YEO’s mission is to cultivate young talent in the convenience store and petroleum industry through implementation of education and networking. YEO accomplishes this mission by leveraging the experience of NAG members to help foster superior leadership skills.


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Christmas nears, but shoppers are far from done
The nature of the shoppers in Willmar started to change Tuesday. "Today's the first day of the season I've noticed a sense of urgency," said Pam Klein, co-owner of Ken's Casuals in downtown Willmar.
Customers were coming into the men's clothing store with an idea of what they want and they seemed to be in more of a hurry, she said.
"It's been real steady today, and I suspect we'll see the same thing tomorrow," she added.
Last-minute shoppers sometimes have a purpose, she said. It could be someone visiting who does their shopping when they arrive, or it could be someone with an unexpected guest coming. At Dunlavy's General Store downtown, Tuesday was busy, too.
"It's been a real rush, rush, rush all morning," owner Myron Dunlavy said. "I think people are panicking with the weather forecast."
Forecasters are predicting a major snowstorm expected to begin this evening and last over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Dunlavy noticed the arrival of more male shoppers at his store on Tuesday, which offers a variety of gifts, including jewelry, glassware and decorating items.
"They're going after what they think their wives will like," he said, and they like his offer of free gift-wrapping.
So far this week, Dunlavy said, he's sold "a little bit of everything." One man bought salt and pepper shakers Tuesday morning for his wife who collects them. Someone drove all the way from Hector to look at the selection of Western items.
At the Kandi Mall, the Fan Zone was also seeing a steady business. "Everything Vikings has been going real well," said owner Rodney Staska. "It helps when you've got a winning football team on the field."
By contrast, items featuring the hapless Minnesota Timberwolves haven't sold as well.
This week, many customers have also stopped to talk about the Vikings, who lost their third game Sunday night, he said.
Because so many people in the area have moved here from Texas, Cowboys items have sold very well, too, Staska said.
Business will probably pick up more today, since students will be in the first day of their holiday break, Staska said.
On Thursday, he'll be open until 4 and expects to see "typical guy shoppers" looking for last-minute buys.
The business owners said they believe this year will turn out to be a good one for them.
Klein said this shopping season has been a little better than last year and a good one overall. People seem to be willing to buy a second item or to be open to spending a little more than they'd planned, she said.


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The retail sector is in round 2 of earnings reports, and the news is not good.
So far, the market has taken the sector's next wave of negativity in stride -- the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) has gained about 0.1% in the past five days, lagging the Dow's 1% rise. On the sector's reported results, however, there have been several harsh market reactions -- some justified, some unjustified.
But overall, the tone of this week's retail earnings have been negative, which is highlighted by murmurs of inventory getting shipped back to large apparel vendors and a holiday season that is more promotional than Wall Street was expecting.
Full credit for that goes to El Niño, which appears destined to keep temperatures across most of the country abnormally warm well into December. Also, the U.S. consumer continues to demonstrate that they are not spending similar to prior periods of employment and wage growth. I think analysts continue to be thrown for a loop that historical correlations are not working.
Nevertheless, there is a fresh crop of winners and losers to select from mere days before Black Friday kicks into gear.
I don't believe Black Friday will be a huge event, this year. It is declining in importance as a result of online deals that are spread out throughout the year and consumers' desire to wait to the last minute and have something shipped within two days via UPS. So, we could get some mixed results when Black Friday sales data begins to trickle in, next Sunday evening, which could weigh on sentiment even more.
Target (TGT): It was very disappointing to see the stock sold on Wednesday simply because web sales slowed to 20% growth instead of the company's aggressive, 40% long-term growth goal. I spoke to Target management yesterday; there is nothing fundamentally troubling in its web business or bricks and mortar business. Sure, the website is in perpetual improvement mode -- as are most retail websites. But, the online sales slowdown was driven by sluggish demand for winter apparel and price deflation in TVs (watch how this impacts Best Buy's quarter this morning). Importantly, when cold weather developed in certain parts of the country, consumers bought the company's apparel offerings strongly online and in stores.
The company is a winner for multiple reasons:
- It just had its expectations for the holiday season lowered by the antsy stock market, despite the quarter shaping up to be quite solid.
- Under the radar, the company disclosed it will be remodeling 25 stores in Los Angeles after the holidays to include new food layouts, giving it a nice narrative to share with investors early next year. A test store in Chicago receiving the food remodel has been very well received
- CEO Brian Cornell gained further credibility, delivering a quarter that outperformed mall-based retailers and larger rival Wal-Mart (WMT).
Foot Locker (FL): The stock has been dumped with the rest of retail, but as I noted recently, the selloff has not been warranted. I like what Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) had to say about demand for athletic footwear -- namely that it was strong in the quarter even as interest in winter apparel was tepid, at best. With limited exposure to boots and a store full of new Stephen Curry kicks from Under Armour (UA) and new Jordan offerings from Nike (NKE), I think Foot Locker deserves a second look before the holiday season commences.
Home Depot (HD): I know what you are thinking: The company beat on earnings again and posted a silly strong 7.3% increase in U.S. comps for the third quarter, what could possibly be wrong? Well, unbeknownst to many, Home Depot slipped a line into its earnings call about how demand may be hit this spring due to a lack of winter-storm activity. Remember, a year ago much of the country had to reinvest sizably to rebuild lawns and home exteriors following a brutal winter.
Home Depot should have a good holiday season, but that was priced in six months earlier. What I am concerned with now is if the market grasps what could potentially occur in the first half of 2016 if winter never truly arrives.
V.F. Corp (VFC): During frequent channel checks this month, it has been encouraging to not see North Face jackets and apparel on sale. Ditto Timberland boots. However, I think the discounts are about to appear, and they may be deeper and more prevalent than Wall Street expects -- and V.F. Corp has guided to. Dick's Sporting Goods made pertinent comments on how it was shipping back excess winter goods to vendors due to slow sales, canceling orders altogether, and asking vendors for markdown support to move the stuff presently on the sales floor. Seeing as V.F. Corp. remained very optimistic on the holiday season, there could be risk to current consensus forecasts.
Under Armour (UA): As V.F. Corp was potentially too bullish on the holidays, so was Under Armour. The company downplayed the impact of warm weather, noting it has weatherproofed its business with a focus on selling lightweight jackets and fleeces. Wrong. Under Armour is likely to see margin pressure as wholesale accounts, such as Dick's, ask it for markdown support and cancels orders. I am not sure Wall Street has factored that in, yet.
Kohl's (KSS): No idea why the market embraced Kohl's earnings report. I think Kohl's is one of the most overvalued names in the entire retail sector, made so because of this perpetual notion it will be purchased by private equity. The company is a consistent letdown, and led by management that spews hope -- but rarely delivers. Why the company is a loser this week is fairly straightforward: Target is absolutely crushing it in apparel, and has been for the past three quarters. The assortments are on trend, and they are being presented well to consumers on new mannequins (which matters in the selling process!).
I think Kohl's will have to be more promotional than it wants to in the fourth quarter to compete with Target in apparel and in cosmetics/home with J.C. Penney (JCP) -- which is performing nicely in both categories.
GNC (GNC) and Vitamin Shoppe (VSI): One thing made abundantly clear from the results of Target and Wal-Mart is that people are buying their vitamins, protein bars and protein jugs from mass merchants instead of specialty retailers such as GNC and Vitamin Shoppe. Kudos to both Target and Wal-Mart for greatly improving their selection of health and wellness offerings. While GNC and Vitamin Shoppe will always get the hardcore workout person (such as myself) because their offerings are superior in many areas, the ability of Wal-Mart and Target to capture the average person -- who hits the gym 3x a week and enjoys whole wheat pasta -- is a negative to the specialty shops.


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GREENWICH, Conn. An environmentally friendly water bottle made by Nestle has won an award in Connecticut, the international food conglomerate said Monday.
Nestle Waters North America announced that it received the 2010 Gold Connecticut Quality Improvement Award’s Innovation Prize for its Eco-Shape half-liter bottle. The bottle uses 25% less PET plastic than the earlier Eco-Shape bottle, and the company called it among the most environmentally responsible packaged drink choices on the market.
The CQIA is the oldest state-level quality award that uses the criteria of the federal government’s National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Malcolm Balridge National Quality Award for Performance Excellence, named for the Reagan-era commerce secretary.
“Winning the CQIA prize is a testament to Nestle Waters’ leadership in innovation,” Nestle Waters director of health and environmental affairs Kevin Mathews stated. “As a company that depends on natural resources, sustainability is an integral part of our values and business, and we understand that reducing the amount of plastic in our bottles -- or ‘lightweighting’ -- is the best thing a beverage company can do to reduce its environmental impact.”


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New £1.5million Gloucester Quays gym set to open
MORE than 4,000 people are expected to sign up to a new £1.5million gym at Gloucester Quays.
The Peel Group is forging ahead with the development of 'The Quayside' – its new £60m leisure and shopping quarter at Gloucester Quays – with confirmation this week that fitness group The Gym will open by the end of December.
The Gym has 23 outlets in the UK with a further 18 in the pipeline. Its gym at The Quayside will be a 16,000 sq ft facility costing £1.5m.
Jason Pullen, managing director at Gloucester Quays, said: "We're keen to provide visitors with a selection of quality attractions and we believe The Gym is the perfect addition to the mix of retailers, restaurants, shops and the cinema we have planned for The Quays."
Sunday and Monday evenings £12.00 per head for an all inclusive meal with Indian and Thai cuisine (normal price £14.50).
Bring this voucher to the restaurant complete with your name and email address on it.
Terms: Expires 31st July
Contact: 01452 223782
Valid until: Wednesday, July 31 2013
There will be seven days a week, 24-hour access, via a keypad and it does not tie members into contracts, instead charging monthly, with prices starting at £10.99. John Treharne, chief executive of The Gym Group, said: "We're extremely excited to be bringing low-cost, quality fitness to Gloucester Quays.
"The Gym will fit in perfectly with the range of shops and leisure facilities planned at The Quayside – helping to bring more people to Gloucester Quays from the city and wider Cotswold area."
More than 4,000 members are expected to join and there will be 170 pieces of equipment on offer.
The Gym is the second high profile leisure group to sign up to The Quayside, following Cineworld which is set to open a 1,600 seat, 10-screen cinema.


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Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC has confirmed that 16 of its smartphones will receive the update to Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich, the company said in a blog post today.
Ice Cream Sandwich includes a much more beautiful design and new features like a better web browser and facial recognition unlocking. We previously have seen estimates from Verizon and Motorola about their respective updates to Ice Cream Sandwich on Android phones and tablets. Now we have HTC adding its own devices to the conversation, although Verizon had already indicated four HTC devices would get the update.
The company describes the timing of delivering the important update as such:
As for timing, we’re in the early stages of rolling out Android 4.0 for the HTC Sensation and HTC Sensation XE and upgrades will be more widely available in the next few weeks. The update for the HTC Sensation 4G and HTC Sensation XL will follow. Please note, once we start pushing out updates it will take time for all carriers in each country to get the update. We are working closely with our carrier partners to nail down update schedules for our other smartphones and will have more to share very soon.
And here’s the list of devices getting the update:
• DROID Incredible 2 by HTC
• HTC Amaze 4G
• HTC Desire S
• HTC Desire HD
• HTC EVO 3D
• HTC EVO Design 4G
• HTC Incredible S
• HTC Sensation
• HTC Sensation XL
• HTC Sensation 4G
• HTC Sensation XE
• HTC Raider
• HTC Rezound
• HTC Rhyme
• HTC Thunderbolt
• HTC Vivid
VentureBeat is holding its second annual MobileSummit this April 2-3 in Sausalito, Calif. The invitation-only event will debate the five key business and technology challenges facing the mobile industry today, and participants — 180 mobile executives, investors, and policymakers — will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of themobile industry. You can find out more at our Mobile Summit site.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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Jason Wu for Target flies off the shelves
(CBS) Jason Wu for Target flew off the shelves after being released on Sunday, but fashion fanatics who arrived at stores too late can still get their hands on some of the items online.
The Target website has proved helpful for those still seeking to buy some of its playful and feminine designs. Though the site has limited items still available, it never crashed during the launch - the Missoni for Target launch crashed the site almost immediately - and it also informs customers of which stores have the remaining items.
Almost all of the items from Wu's collection for Target are listed on Ebay, but in many cases buyers will have to spend more than the original prices.
All of the pieces in Wu's 53-piece collection are priced at less than $60, allowing fashionistas a chance to get their hands on his high-fashion designs for an affordable price.
The collection is available through March 6, but based on its availability now, it most likely won't last that long.
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text: Last week we reported that Acer was launching a $99 Tablet, but it looks like the Tablet wouldnt be hitting the American soil according to sources. The sources told The Wall Street Journal that Acer is looking to enter markets like China and Markets that are a little less mature. I dont know how i would take that if i was person of interest for the device only to find out Acer wants to appeal to a less mature crowd. Is it going to be a kid’s Tablet. The sources also say the Tablet will have a 7-inch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor.


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Market Boom: The 10 Largest Cryptocurrencies Are All Up. · What Do We Know for Sure? While it's difficult to say which, if any, digital currencies will see dramatic price gains inwe can say with confidence that cryptocurrency is not going away.
· While Bitcoin has dominated the headlines in the cryptocurrency market since its introduction more than a decade ago, the sector is becoming even more concentrated among it. Cryptocurrency Prices To make things easier, this page displays the logos and the symbols beside the name of the cryptocurrency – it is therefore impossible to make a mistake when looking at the numbers. The logos, names, and symbols appear in the first, second and third column, respectively.
Many shills will also take advantage of FOMO by explaining to their audience that a particular cryptocurrency is the next big thing, how the price is soaring, and if they don’t get in now, then they will regret it forever.
They persuade investors to buy irrationally - hence FOMO. 2 days ago · Bitcoin News is the world's premier 24/7 news feed covering everything bitcoin-related, including world economy, exchange rates and money politics.
· What happenedShares of many stocks with close ties to bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are flying high today. China-based bitcoin mining specialist Bit Digital (NASDAQ: BTBT) rose as much as %.
Bitcoin (BTC) news & cryptocurrency news today, price ...
· The closest thing you'll get to a blue-chip cryptocurrency, Bitcoin has dominated the market since the first bitcoins were mined in January –. Real-time cryptocurrency market news, Bitcoin and Altcoins, and the latest trading updates. What you need to know now about the Ethereum, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin, among other.
Bitcoin is the most famous cryptocurrency, but there are now thousands of them. And, similar to the differences in world currencies, some have more value than others. Some cryptocurrencies were created to be used as a currency (Bitcoin, Litecoin etc.), and some cryptocurrencies were created to allow people to use or access a service (Ethereum.
Today, cryptocurrency is available for trading on many online exchanges and is becoming a viable medium of exchange in many retail applications.
However, many investors find that cryptocurrency is a better buy-and-hold investment. This is because the supply of the currency is finite – like gold. Therefore the currency represents only itself.
Secret Societies control crypto! xrp bitcoin btc news crypto news ethereum xrp news
· The best cryptocurrency to buy right now in is Ethereum. We saved the best for the last. Many of the top cryptocurrencies that you can invest today present attractive opportunities.
However, if we were to pick one cryptocurrency that has the biggest potential that would be Ethereum. Out of the coronavirus crash, Ethereum can emerge as the.
· Get the latest Stockhead news delivered free to your inbox. For investors, getting access to the right information is critical. Stockhead's morning newsletter makes things simple: Markets coverage, company profiles and industry insights from Australia's best business journalists - all collated and delivered straight to your inbox every morning. NewsBTC is a cryptocurrency news service that covers bitcoin news today, technical analysis & forecasts for bitcoin price and other szse.xn----dtbwledaokk.xn--p1ai at NewsBTC, we are dedicated to enlightening everyone about bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
We cover BTC news related to bitcoin exchanges, bitcoin mining and price forecasts for various cryptocurrencies. · Cryptocurrency trading has been an irreversible trend over the past couple of years. Trading digital assets is profitable and has become increasingly popular among investors.
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Many traders across the world have joined this growing trend as more people seek alternative methods of generating revenue.
A little over a decade later, since Satoshi Nakamoto published the [ ]. · Categories Markets News & Opinions, Showbiz Opinion. Cyberpunk QA Tester Clocks Hours – And Still Isn’t Done. Novem by Thomas Bardwell. A leisurely-paced playthrough of the upcoming Cyberpunk sees CD Projekt. A cryptocurrency’s value can change by the hour.
An investment that may be worth thousands of U.S. dollars today might be worth only hundreds tomorrow. If the value goes down, there’s no guarantee that it will go up again.
Investing in Cryptocurrency. As with any investment, before you invest in cryptocurrency, know the risks and how to. Cryptocurrency has captured investors’ imaginations. When the value of digital currencies like Bitcoin surged a few years ago, some owners of the assets made fortunes by investing only meager sums.
Latest News | Bitcoin News
In this article, we are going to simplify cryptocurrencies and what you need to know about the viable future of money. Cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies can simply be remarked as a digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds operating independently of a central bank.
Analysts had estimated a profit of $ a share on revenue of $ szse.xn----dtbwledaokk.xn--p1ai more articles like this, please visit us at szse.xn----dtbwledaokk.xn--p1aiscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business. The text below is an advertorial article that was not written by szse.xn----dtbwledaokk.xn--p1ai journalists. Trading is a common economic concept that involves the exchange of goods and services between trading parties.
However, trading in cryptocurrency.
Coinbase is a secure platform that makes it easy to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrency like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more. Based in the USA, Coinbase is available in over 30 countries worldwide. Cryptocurrency Market News: launch dates for Cardano's Shelley have now been released The psychological level has now been taken out and now the. · a cryptocurrency that will also be the local currency in Akon City, a 2,acre development in Senegal. While some other coins have promised but failed to upend the system of fiat currencies, the.
What's the Best Cryptocurrency to Buy in 2020? 7 Contenders
A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency or crypto for short) is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange wherein individual coin ownership records are stored in a ledger existing in a form of computerized database using strong cryptography to secure transaction records, to control the creation of additional coins, and to verify the transfer of coin ownership.
· The news was met by the cryptocurrency market players with a lot of enthusiasm. But bear in mind that traditional stock market players are far more experienced than their cryptocurrency colleagues.
It is quite possible that some large institution clients have started a complicated game in order to manipulate the cryptocurrency market and pocket. · It has been over a decade since the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin, the first and by far most popular form of cryptocurrency in the world. Despite its fame, Bitcoin isn't the final word on cryptocurrency -- imitators, innovators and spinoffs have emerged in huge numbers, and there are more than 7, cryptocurrencies on the market today.
Yet we continue to see a high level of anxiety among crypto investors. As if the end of the world is near if Bitcoin does not stop its fall now, and starts rising tomorrow. That’s not how markets work, and they really do not care about what anyone. Cryptocurrency is a digital currency which can be used to transfer assets from person to person in a decentralised way.
Decentralised means it is not regulated by any banks or central authority. Today, there are more than cryptocurrency, out. You can now buy cryptocurrency by doing the following: Create Your Coinmama Account. Sign up with Coinmama and create your account.
It takes just a few minutes! A confirmation link will be sent to your email once you are done. Get Verified for Buying Cryptocurrency. You need to verify your account before buying cryptocurrency.
· Singapore’s largest bank, DBS officially announced the launch of its cryptocurrency exchange which will get operational by the end of next week. Dubbed ‘DBS Digital Exchange’, the new cryptocurrency exchange will be available for institutional and .


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Ace Hardware & Dollar General to Open at Benny’s Sites
Ace Hardware and Dollar General are expected to open in several former Benny’s locations, including two sites in Seekonk, according to a Sun Chronicle article. The newspaper reportedly learned of the store openings from the website of RGB Architects of Providence, the firm working with the Carpionato Group of Johnston, RI. The Carpionato Group is redeveloping 29 Benny’s locations in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, according to a Providence Journal article. Ace Hardware and Dollar General will open at the former Benny’s stores on Taunton Avenue/Route 44 and Central Avenue in Seekonk. The stores are expected to open by June 2019, according to media reports.
Seekonk Rejects Ban on Marijuana Establishments
After rejecting a similar ban at the November town meeting, Seekonk voters rejected a ban on recreational marijuana sales at a special town election on Dec. 4. The result was 704 to 496 against prohibiting non-medical or recreational marijuana establishments from operating in the town. A total of 1,200 votes were cast, or 11.3 percent of eligible voters. A statewide ballot question in 2016 allowing recreational marijuana sales passed in Massachusetts and Seekonk voters approved it at that time.
Friendly’s in Seekonk Closes
Friendly’s restaurant on Route 6 in Seekonk has closed. Five other locations in the Northeast have also closed – Springfield, MA; Dover, NH; Bennington, VT; Rutland, VT and East Greenbush, NY. Friendly’s management offered to transfer employees to other locations, according to published reports. The company, based in Springfield, MA, was founded in 1935 and has approximately 230 locations, including franchises and company-owned restaurants.


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Some pet-owning web users reacted with shock this week to a Swedish insurance company's new advertisement featuring cats skydiving, set to the soothing sounds of artist R. Kelly. The uproar was actually enough to get CNN's attention.
Reached by reporters, the insurance company Folksam assured the network that the cats didn't really go skydiving.
The company claimed ad was created for a customer named Eve, who insures her cat through Folksam, using green screen technology to digitally place the cats into a video of people doing the real skydiving.
Still, it is pretty cute.
This video is from CNN, aired November 15, 2012.


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HYPEBEAST 100: The innovators from all realms of creativity in the spotlight.
With in-depth interviews, focused features and fashion-forward editorials, our print publication features long-form coverage of the topics valued by readers.
Explore and be inspired by the latest women's fashion news and trends.
A complete shocker.
Showing us why they are the best trio in the sport.
The Barca strikers face their toughest opponent yet.
Making football fans everywhere jealous.
Football fans and players can kiss the Predator, f50, 11Pro and Nitrocharge goodbye: adidas has
In celebration of the upcoming release of its latest range of football boots, adidas has tapped
Our fourth and final installment of our Booting Around series with Industrial Designer Dongwoo
Whether it’s superstition or just a routine, it is no secret that all athletes have their own
The country league seasons have ended and now, dreams of glory in this summer’s World Cup is closer
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Porsche Design P'9981 Gold is an out of date gold BlackBerry
25 tips for the BlackBerry Z10
Go, Canada: BlackBerry sales spike on home turf
Can BlackBerry move past 'solid ground' to recapture past glory?
A pictorial look at RIM/BlackBerry's most notable moments:
BlackBerry needs a budget BB10 phone ASAP. Here's why:
Verizon Wireless CEO: A smartphone world with BlackBerry and Windows Phone is a happy world
Rumors of a low-cost BlackBerry R10 handset are heating up
Tablets will be dead in five years, says BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins
BlackBerry Q10 to hit Malaysia on May 15
Skype is now officially available on BlackBerry OS version 10.1
REVIEW: The Blackberry Q10 is here and the keyboard faithful will be happy
Smartphone wars: 71% would never buy a BlackBerry, 31% would never buy an Android, & 20% would never buy an iPhone
RT @CNETNews: BlackBerry to ask for probe into report on Z10 returns
RT @CNETNews: BlackBerry is the phone people want least, survey says
BlackBerry: No, BlackBerry Z10 returns do not outnumber sales
Leak! The QWERTY BlackBerry Q10 will launch in Canada on April 30
How to set up your BlackBerry Z10
See what's Trending Now for @cnet
Follow @cnet on Twitter


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SodaStream has today unveiled its latest video campaign, “Say Goodbye”, featuring Game Of Thrones actors, calling on people to drop single-use plastic bottles in favour of reusable.
Sealed Air’s Cryovac VST tray skin does not distort the tray support and offers a balance between cost and quality.
Vitafoods Europe 2019 will this year focus on bringing the industry together to discuss key challenges such as sustainable sourcing, and wider trends including free-from, plant-based ingredients, and hemp extracts and CBD.
Proseal – a provider of tray sealing technology to the food industry – is to be acquired by Chicago-based JBT Corporation for approximately £220m.
Sleaford Quality Foods (SQF) has revealed it is converting all its plastic packaging from black to white.


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April 17, 2013
Though it won’t be widely available at first, a new, faster version of Wi-Fi is set to hit the market this year. It will give users the speed to download an entire television series in less than one minute. Called 802.11ac, it can triple the current norm’s typical speed, according to wireless experts, meaning it can handle more than a billion bits of data per second in ideal settings.
But the average Joe won’t get to experience these speeds quite yet, according to the Wall Street Journal. In order for that to happen, broadband speeds have to catch up. “The average fixed Internet connection peaks around 32 megabits — or about 32 million bits — per second in the U.S., according to network operator Akamai Technologies… about 1/40 of the throughput offered by the latest 802.11ac devices.”
Some developments are beginning to take place to accomodate these potentially faster Wi-Fi connections. “More routers, smartphones and laptops capable of handling 802.11ac traffic are entering the market this spring, months before the engineering organization that manages wireless rules is expected to finish writing the standard,” notes the article. “That leaves the newest Wi-Fi equipment in a bit of a technical gray area because the rules that decide how new devices communicate can change after products hit the market.”
All the while, hardware makers are forging ahead, “betting the advantages of moving into the market early will trump the risk that a relatively shortlist of routers will be available to communicate with them,” writes WSJ.


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The UK's Halifax Bank is reporting "monumental growth" in mobile banking, registering a 100% increase in the number of logins via mobile in March 2015, as handheld devices far outstrip the desktop as the online channel of choice and convenience for consumers.
In March 2015, Halifax customers logged on to their bank account almost 40 million times using their mobile phone, compared to around 20 million in the same month in 2014.
The bank says that almost two thirds (64.6%) of all online banking logons are now being carried out via a mobile phone, compared to 26.4% for a desktop and nine percent for a tablet. Additionally, a fifth (21%) of active online banking customers have solely used their mobile for all their banking needs in the past three months.
Halifax says that the impact of mobile banking can most acutely be seen in the change in behaviour of when people access their accounts. Not only are customers accessing their accounts more frequently, but there has also been a shift in digital banking habits as people log in earlier in the morning on their daily commute.
Anita Hockin, head of digital for Halifax, says: “Since launching our new mobile app last summer we have seen huge growth in the number of customers logging on via a mobile, so much so it is now clearly the most popular choice for active digital users, and shows a shift in the way people are choosing to do their banking."
She cautions however that customers still remain wedded to a bricks and mortar presence on the high street: “Whilst digital is becoming ever more popular, we have found that most of our customers use all of our channels, be it in branch, over the phone or as this latest data demonstrates on their mobile. It is therefore important that we continue to listen to our customers and innovate, to ensure they are able to access their bank in the way that suits them best.”


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10 things to know for Friday, Nov. 28
Published 8:16 am Friday, November 28, 2014
By The Associated Press
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
1. ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, SHOP!
The official start of the holiday shopping season begins and with it, the first sign on whether it’s going to be a happy holiday for retailers.
2. FERGUSON PROTESTS MOVE TO TARGET, WAL-MART STORES
Dozens of people interrupt holiday shopping at major retail stores around the St. Louis area to speak out about the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.
3. WHAT PONTIFF IS FACING ON VISIT
Pope Francis is visiting Turkey at a sensitive moment for the Muslim nation, as it cares for 1.6 million refugees and weighs how to deal with the Islamic State group.
4. IMMIGRANTS’ CHANCES TIED TO THEIR STATE’S POLICES
They may be allowed to remain in the U.S., but it doesn’t mean their state will let them drive a car, get an affordable education or obtain a certificate to teach school or practice law.
5. OIL PRICES DECLINE A MIXED BAG
Despite its effect on governments dependent on oil revenues, it’s a boon for consumers as pump prices fall and lowers costs for businesses.
6. GROWERS GRATEFUL FOR HIGHER CHRISTMAS TREE PRICES
The holiday staple likely will cost a little more this year, and growers who survived the downturn say it’s about time.
7. HOW THE LOSING PARTY PLANS TO COME BACK
Sore from a defeat by the GOP, Southern Democrats urge a return to familiar economic policies to re-energize black voters and attract whites as well.
8. CREED FRONTMAN SAYS HE’S BROKE, LIVING IN HOTEL
Rocker Scott Stapp, 41, says in a rambling video posted on his Facebook page he has no money, “not even for gas or food.”
9. LAWYER LIGHTS UP DOWN UNDER
An attorney sets a world record by stringing up over 1 million Christmas lights along the national center mall in Canberra, Australia.
10. SEAHAWKS WIN KEY NFC WEST TILT
Richard Sherman gets two interceptions as Seattle beats the San Francisco 49ers 19-3 to take sole possession of second place in the division.


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Historically, all vehicles imported through BMW UK have been sent to the VDC at Thorne for checking and preparation before being distributed to the dealer network.
However, in January 2018, the German carmaker’s new VDC in Killingholme, in the Humber Estuary, will start full operations, handling vehicles imported through the port of Grimsby and leaving Thorne to handle used vehicles and motorcycles.
Under the new contract, DHL’s specialist automotive sales and marketing services business, Inside Track, will provide fleet management and technical services at Thorne in support of the BMW Group’s company car fleet and customer experience evaluation fleet in the UK.
This new service includes fleet administration, valeting, preparation and refurbishment of vehicles. DHL will also provide specialist repair services including those for vehicles with carbon fibre bodies.
Colin Stokes, managing director of Inside Track, said: “We are proud of the quality and consistency of service we deliver to our customers and are delighted to be developing a partnership with BMW Group.”
BMW has a further UK VDC in Southampton, which also handles motorcycles as well as Mini exports.


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Volcon has announced that its electric vehicles will now be available in Canadian dealerships, appointing industry veteran Gerry Picard as Canadian national sales manager.
Picard brings Canadian powersports dealership operations knowledge, having most recently served as Canadian Director of Sales for Mahindra Vehicle Sales and Service for its Roxor brand from 2018 to 2022. He also spent a combined 30 years with BRP and Yamaha in a variety of positions, including dealer development, product development and territory management, and he has worked in various consulting roles.
“We are excited to announce our expansion into Canada,” says Melissa Coffey, VP of Global Revenue and Business Development at Volcon. “It’s an important market for our growing line of two-wheel and four-wheel products and a natural extension of our efforts in the U.S. We are also thrilled to name Gerry Picard as our head of sales in Canada. He brings decades of experience in helping dealership owners grow their business and we’re glad to have him represent our brand in Canada.”
Picard’s extensive experience will allow him to engage with dealerships throughout Canada that are seeking to increase their profitability and broaden their inventory to include electric vehicles. Volcon is on track to establish 30 to 40 dealers in 2023 and 50 to 60 2024.
“The powersports industry is on a fast track of change moving to electric mobility, with Volcon on the leading edge of this change,” Picard says. “I invite all Canadian dealers to reach out and look at how Volcon can dramatically increase their bottom line with an excellent lineup of both two-wheel and four-wheel electric vehicles.”
The timing of the announcement aligns with the Canadian government’s recent efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and implement regulations like the electric-vehicle mandate and a federal carbon tax. The EV mandate will require all new passenger vehicles and light trucks sold in Canada after 2035 be electric zero-emission vehicles. In addition, the country’s carbon tax increased by $15 CAD on April 1.
“These regulations show that Canada is thinking about EV seriously and we’re making a sound choice to work with our neighbors up north,” Coffey says. “We’re confident it will be a robust market for expansion, especially as the need for other zero-emission vehicles plays a role in furthering Canada’s efforts to fight climate change.”
Picard welcomes interested Canadian dealers to reach out to him at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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“How many times can this woman write the word ‘actual’ in a headline?” you ask, annoyed. Well, you would actually have to assure yourself this is an actual situation, too, if you had to blog about someone buying a wall sign—a sign!—of letters and numbers alluding to “Lambo” for the price of an actual Lamborghini.
Art is beautiful, it is—whether we’re talking about stuff that’s drawn, done by hand, sculpted or photographed. But everyone has a different definition of art, and how much they’re willing to pay for it. Here’s a good exhibit.
Business Insider reports that former Skype COO Michael Jackson recently bought an artwork called “Yellow Lambo” for $400,000, which is a bright sign that shows letters and numbers that loosely represent “Lambo” with a blockchain address. The price is far more than most of us make in a year, spent on our home, or could ever imagine winning in the lottery. It’s also the base price of the most expensive car in Lamborghini’s regular lineup, the Aventador.
Business Insider reports that the artist who sold the artwork, Kevin Abosch, is popular for his photos of inanimate objects and real people. He does portrait sessions on black backdrops with the world’s most tolerable people, Silicon Valley’s big names, for anywhere from $150,000 to $500,000, the story said.
The sign is one of Abosch’s recent sales, and for it, Business Insider reports that he set up a cryptocurrency token called YLAMBO. It’s a representation of the “#lambo” hashtag that crypto enthusiasts use, since it became a big trend for people cashing out on crypto to buy a Lamborghini with their new wealth.
Abosch is also artist who famously sold a photo of a potato—a potato!—for $1 million in 2016. He then sold a cryptocurrency “rose token” digital artwork for $1 million on Valentine’s Day this year, which can’t be touched or displayed but can definitely be sold or given as a strange virtual gift.
Of the potato photo, Abosch’s studio told PetaPixel:
“Kevin likes potatoes because they, like people are all different yet immediately identifiable as being essentially of the same species,” his studio tells PetaPixel. “He has photographed many potatoes. This one is one of his favorites.”
Of the digital rose, Abosch told Business Insider:
“There is no physical or visual manifestation of the work,” said Abosch. “Someone asked me, ‘How is it possible that something that you can’t see or touch can have value?” Abosch’s answer: “I have to wonder whether or not people who ask this question have an unhealthy relationship with material things.”
And of the Lamborghini sign, Abosch told Business Insider:
“Depending on who you speak to, one person might ask, ‘Why would someone spend $400,000 on bitcoin?’ Another person might ask, ‘Why would someone spend $400,000 on a car or a piece of artwork?’” said Abosch. “It’s a cause for discussion on why and how we value anything at all.”
It’s a creative idea, taking a digital record—something that’s not tangible but used to do tangible things like make purchases—and bring it to life. But maybe not for $400,000.


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Few months following the unfortunate hiatus on IPO activities after December’s market volatility induced by the federal government shutdown that disables companies from registering new offering at the Securities and Exchange Commission, the sun becomes bright for IPO debuts making May 2019 the biggest month for IPO fundraising since August 2014 with $15 billion raised.
Much recent public company has been favored by the market, with stocks growing more than 100% from their initial public offering prices. Zoom Video Communications and Beyond Meat are up 150% and 257% from their IPO prices, respectively.
Three of the most awaited IPO debuts from ride-hailing service companies Uber and Lyft, as well as photo-sharing platform Pinterest, has made rounds among analysts even if their stocks have fallen short from their IPO prices. Uber and Lyft’s share prices are down by 7% and 25%, respectively. Concerns over their profitability capacity and the questionable policy environment surrounding ride-sharing services have been holding their growth back.
Pinterest’s stocks fell sharply on Friday following their release of disappointing quarterly financial reports. However, stocks remain high at 41% from their IPO prices.
The dip seen in the three companies is not telling of IPO market’s poor performance, however. Bankers say that investors are particularly interested in businesses with rapid growth and good “unit economics” or the ability of companies to earn money from each new customer or transactions.
Meanwhile, unicorns, or privately held, venture-backed technology companies worth more than $1 billion, have been encouraged by market players to offer their companies publicly instead of keeping their businesses private. They are pushed into the market to allow their employees to unload their stocks.
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike and messaging system Slack Technologies are already considering publicly offering their companies together with other tech giants like Airbnb, WeWork, Palantir Technologies, and Stripe.
This means that the market for bankers handling these offerings is looking at a bright future. Companies pay advisory fees worth around three-quarters of what they usually would for a standard IPO transaction, bankers say, but these fees are divided between fewer banks.
However, with the trade war against China that has already dragged the entire tech industry can also derail the future of IPOs. But the backlog of deals is enormous enough to recuperate in case this happens similar to how the market bounced back following December’s market raucous behavior.


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Mitsubishi Electric’s UK has launched of R32 versions of its Mr Slim Power Inverter split air conditioning units at the same price as current R410A models.
In Africa, Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) recently held a training workshop for entrepreneurs and technicians on hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide management in the use of refrigerators and air conditioning. The training was funded under the UNIDO project, which aims to raise awareness on the commercial use of ozone depleting substances that could be harmful.
The video – for Refrigerants, Naturally! – shows the process of recycling drinks coolers filled with hydrocarbons.
Moves to revise US safety standards and allow the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in US domestic refrigerators have been welcomed by white goods manufacturer Electrolux.
The Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) has just provided its first training workshop for entrepreneurs and technicians on refrigeration and air conditioning using natural refrigerants.
With an increasing number of air conditioning units using R32, one of the leading manufacturers has stressed the importance of specialist training before using this “mildly flammable” refrigerant.
Venturing beyond traditional ammonia systems, group is targeting CO2, low-charge ammonia and commercial applications.
Updated European standard EN 378 came into force in France on 1 April. The new standard clarifies the use of hydrocarbons and ammonia-based HVAC&R systems.
At Seafood Expo, held on 25-27 April 2017 in Brussels, Belgium, SRS Frigadon was confident that demand for the company’s propane (R290) and propylene (R1270) chillers would grow in the fish processing industry as end users become more comfortable with these systems.
Daikin is set to introduce three new models running on lower GWP refrigerant R32 to its Sky Air range of small to medium commercial air conditioners.
Daikin, the pioneer of the switch to lower GWP refrigerant R32 in air conditioners, claims to have sold a landmark 10 million units in 52 countries since its introduction.
The German government’s Federal Motor Transport Authority has called on Daimler to recall cars filled with refrigerant R134a in contravention of the MAC directive.
The two companies launched the product at China Refrigeration 2017 (12-14 April, Shanghai).
At an international workshop on R290 air-conditioning this month, the Chinese Household Electrical Appliances Association and the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP/FECO) outlined their experiences with propane to an audience from across China, the Middle East and Vietnam.
A new paper from the compressor manufacturer looks at future refrigerant use in the light commercial sector.
The German compressor maker is taking advantage of new efficiency requirements to market its propane units in the U.S.
Its high efficiency and low environmental impact have triggered a widespread resurgence for R290.
Myriad manufacturers of commercial refrigeration have made the move to propane and isobutane inorder to meet the DOE’s new efficiency standards– and prepare for the EPA’s refrigerant changes.
R290 kills two birds with one stone for the OEM – DOE efficiency requirements and EPA delisting of HFCs.
The IEC is considering raising the 150g limit for flammable A3 refrigerants to 500g.


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The growth of online streaming is showing no signs of slowing and more traditional methods of listening to music could be at threat.
That’s according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which revealed that sales generated by online streaming exceeded CD sales in the US for the first time ever in 2014.
The RIAA revealed that music streaming accounted for $1.87 billion last year, compared to $1.85 billion of CD sales. The popularity of services like Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody and YouTube saw streaming revenue increase by 29 per cent in 2014, while CD revenue fell by 12.7 per cent.
The rise of online music services has rocked the global music industry. Subscription services have hit physical sales hard, meaning that only three artists had an album go platinum in 2014: Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and country star Jason Aldean.
In total, music sales in the US fell by 0.5 per cent to $6.97 billion, with Apple’s iTunes still making up the largest proportion of sales with $2.58 billion.
The rest of the RIAA data revealed that streaming services are continuing to eat into the revenue streams of more established music mediums. Streaming made up just five per cent of the industry’s sales in 2008, but now constitutes 27 per cent. In 2014, digital downloads made up 37 per cent of the market, while physical sales, including CDs, tapes and records, made up 32 per cent.
The information also showed the difference in market value of free ad-supported platforms compared to subscriptions services. Free music streaming sites like YouTube showed significant growth of 34 per cent, but still only received $295 million in revenue. By contrast, paid subscription services like Spotify took $799 million.
The growth of digital music platforms is still one of the biggest challenges facing the music business and the data from the RIAA merely highlights that this is an issue that is not going to go away.


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If you’re reading this before December 21, are you dreading the destruction of the world as foretold by the ancient Mayan calendar? Probably not. According to a survey of 1,000 Americans conducted by Jell-O, only 4 percent think the world will end on that date.
While some folks await in dread the predicted disasters, alien invasions, reconfiguration of the Milky Way or even the second coming of a major religious prophet, Jell-O hopes that the 96 percent will sit down to a bowl of pudding. To encourage them, its new TV spot spoofs the doomsaying with “the funnest sacrifice ever.”
In “Fun to the Rescue,” created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky (CP+B), an expedition to a Mayan ruin places a crate of Jell-O pudding on top of a pyramid in hopes of appeasing the gods. The commercial is available as a video on YouTube and also is featured on the Jell-O Facebook page, linked to the URL funpocalypse.org.
Jell-O wants pudding lovers to take part in a Twitter sweepstakes with a $100 per day prize. To play, people need to follow @jello on Twitter and then tweet @jello#funpocalypse, telling everyone the one thing they’d want to do before the world ended – even if it doesn’t involve pudding. Through December 20, the brand will randomly select 12 entries each day to win $100 send the world off with a bang.
The Kraft Foods brand also has a partnership with Someecards to offer end-of-the-world-inspired electronic greeting cards. The landing page for the Jell-O-branded cards includes a banner for the campaign and a link to the YouTube video via a display ad.
It’s been a great year for Snapchat and it’s no surprise that Facebook is eyeing up many of its most successful features. ... read more
Sometimes the functionality and user experience (UX) on a website can make or break a business. Things like mobile optimization or page ... read more
Twitter has announced it will now let any of its users apply for the much sought after blue badge of verification.


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LOS ANGELES, June 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnite, the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising platform, today announced the completion of the first phase of a proprietary publisher segmentation initiative that addresses to the needs of buyers and sellers in a cookie-free environment. The initiative already handles more than three billion transactions a day and has more than 30 participants, including media owners and members of the buying community.
In response to the possibility that third-party cookies may no longer be a viable identity and targeting solution in the future, participating publishers are testing publisher-first segments to provide buyers with scalable audience targeting opportunities , while protecting the user’s identity and browsing history. The first phase of this initiative aimed to help publishers define and assemble proprietary segments using existing industry standards from the IAB Tech Lab, establish a testing framework, and execute real-time trades against these vendor-defined audiences without using third-party cookies. .
This month, Magnite officially moved that effort to Prebid.org, where the project will grow under the guidance of Prebid.org’s Taxonomy Working Group and IAB Tech Lab’s Addressability Working Group. . To further iterate and scale, the Publisher First Party Segments initiative should adopt the IAB Tech Lab Vendor Defined Audience Specificationwhich was incubated last year as part of IAB Tech Lab’s global Project Rearc initiative.
“To validate the effectiveness of a cookieless identity solution, we reached out to a group of leading publishers, DSPs, and buyers with a proposal for collaboration around proprietary segments of publishers,” said Garrett McGrath, vice president of product management at Magnite. “Rapid launch and testing with real advertising budgets speaks volumes about what we can accomplish when the industry comes together. The resulting Publisher First-Party Segments initiative presents publishers with an approach to addressability that offers both high accuracy and high scalability via federated segments.
Participants in this initiative include Adform, CafeMedia, Condé Nast, Future Publishing, Goodway Group, Havas, Hearst Magazines, IBM Watson Advertising, Insider, Maven, Meredith Corporation, Merkle|DWA, MiQ, News Corp, Permutive, Publishers Clearing House ( PCH), PubMatic, among others.
“The publisher’s first-party data-driven solutions provide an easy-to-use and secure solution for privacy in a post-third-party cookie world,” said Stephanie Layser, vice president of advertising technology at News Corp. , users don’t have to feel like ads are “following” them across the internet, and we provide solutions that tie data to media so publishers get true value from their engagement. Bringing this initiative into Prebid is the right way to go – keep it open source and standard.
“As third-party cookies will fade from use in the near future, it’s critical the industry works to create publisher-controlled, privacy-preserving technologies,” said Paul Bannister, chief strategy officer at CafeMedia. “The First-Party Segments initiative is a fantastic step forward for cross-business collaboration and building a more sustainable future.”
“With our industry currently in a period of evolution and actionable first-party data becoming increasingly essential for all marketers, The Weather Company and IBM Watson Advertising rely on companies like Magnite to innovate,” said David Olesnevich, product manager at IBM Watson. Advertising. “These collaborations accelerate our opportunities for experimentation and learning, enabling the realization of next-generation solutions with enormous value. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this initiative with foundational ad-tech integrations.”
“Meredith believes the future of programmatic advertising lies in balancing the demands of advertising use cases and consumer privacy,” said Nicole Lesko, COO & Data Strategy at Meredith Corporation. “FPS leverages vendor-defined audiences to provide large-scale targeting to advertisers without the privacy concerns of deterministic identifiers in the auction stream.”
“Havas is a strong supporter of this initiative which provides a much-needed alternative to targeting without third-party cookies, while providing access to rich publisher data that allows us to create more meaningful connections with users for our brands,” said Tom Grant, SVP, Group Director, Investment Operations at Havas Media.
“Goodway Group believes it’s extremely important for buyers to support publisher-centric identity solutions,” said Amanda Martin, senior vice president of corporate development and strategic partnerships at Goodway Group. “The collaboration between leading publishers, DSPs and buyers is a perfect example of how the industry can come together to create workable solutions to protect consumer privacy and meet advertisers’ needs.”
“In a cookie-free future, marketers will need to leverage both high-quality authenticated data and scalable anonymous data across the open and closed web,” said Paul Silver, director of global strategy, MiQ. An industry-wide level of interoperability through sustainable and privacy-compliant practices is one of the primary ways to make this possible, so at MiQ we are excited to participate in these early tests and see the adoption of this solution. »
To learn more about this initiative and how to participate, please contact [email protected]
We are Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the world’s largest independent sell-side advertising platform. Publishers use our technology to monetize their content across all screens and formats, including CTV, online video, display and audio. The world’s largest agencies and brands trust our platform to access high-quality, brand-safe ad inventory and execute billions of ad transactions every month. In April 2021, we acquired SpotX to further enhance our CTV business and better support our customers in this rapidly growing market. Rooted in sunny Los Angeles, bustling New York, Denver, historic London and below in Sydney, Magnite has offices in North America, EMEA, LATAM and APAC.
Kar Yi Lim


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In this interview published on the Official Force India website, Adrian Sutil, who was in sixth position ahead of reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton at yesterday's Chinese GP, cherishes a few memo..
German carmaker, Porsche has slated plans to bring its four door coupe -Panamera to India by September this year. Panamera, which will make its first public appearance at 2009 Shanghai Autoshow, will..
Changan Suzuki (Maruti counterpart of Shanghai), has confirmed that it has halted production of the existing Alto model back in July itself. This is to pave way for the next generation Alto model due..


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Sony had plenty to show off at CES 2021, but in a blink-and-you-might-miss-it moment, release dates for upcoming PS5 titles were revealed. Luckily, PS5 owners have quite a few to look forward to in 2021 (fingers crossed for no delays).
First-party PlayStation 5 titles Horizon: Forbidden West and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart are still expected to land sometime in 2021, but now we know Tango Gameworks’ hugely anticipated GhostWire: Tokyo is expected to release in October 2021, along with Annapurna Interactive’s intriguing cat game Stray.
- PS5 review: The future of gaming has arrived
- These are our favorite PS5 launch games
- PS5 games: All of the games confirmed so far
What do you have to look forward to much sooner? Third-person psychological horror-shooter Returnal is set to release March 19, 2021, along with the whimsical action-adventure title Kena: Bridge of Spirits in March; supernatural adventure game Little Devil Inside in June; and trippy sci-fi game Solar Ash in July.
Those looking forward to Capcom’s Pragmata will now, unfortunately, have to wait until 2023 to find out exactly what is going on in its strange announcement trailer. However, Square Enix’s mysterious Project Athia is set to be released in January 2022.
Along with the PS5’s list of launch titles, including Demon’s Souls, Astro’s Playroom and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales — which Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan stated in “the best launch lineup in PlayStation history” — there are plenty of games to look forward to this year. And in even better news, it should be much easier to snag a PS5 this year for those still trying to buy the latest console.
For now, we’ll look forward to Hitman 3 landing on January 20.


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Steve Madden designers will judge Iowa State's The Fashion Show on Saturday at Stephens
One of the largest student-run fashion shows in the country will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at Stephens Auditorium.
Traditionally, the Iowa State University show has an audience of nearly sold-out crowds of about 2,500 each year.
“People come from all over America, including our special guest designer — this year a design team from Steve Madden — to watch rising student designers,” said Bria Felix, one of the public relations directors for Iowa State’s The Fashion Show 2023. “With around 150 students from a mixture of majors working on everything from set design to audio to philanthropy, we set ourselves apart from other shows.”
Felix, a six-year senior from Rosemont, Minnesota, said The Fashion Show is a great achievement not only for Iowa State but for Ames and the rest of Iowa.
“We have exceeded expectations in many facets this year,” she said.
One area in particular where the students excelled was in fundraising, which they did through crowdfunding and from volunteer projects, such as working at the concession stands at Iowa State basketball games.
“What's really cool is that we surpassed our goal and hit 120% instead of 100%,” Felix said. “We were at the basketball games making Clone Cones and serving up concessions. We really do a lot of work, and we are responsible for all of the funding for The Fashion Show.
“I think that it's crazy that this group of like 140 students are raising over $35,000 for our fashion show. This year we outdid ourselves and raised $6,000 over our projected goal.”
The money is distributed among various committees, based on their submitted budgets.
Another point that sets Iowa State’s show apart from those at other universities is its cross-curriculum involvement, Felix said. Typically, other schools involve only fashion students in their shows.
“What's really nice about how we run it is that it's open to all students,” Felix said. “So we have kinesiology majors, we have engineering majors. We have people from every college on this campus involved in The Fashion Show because we understand that there are people out there that may not be in the fashion program, whose talents are well used in an environment like this.”
Fashion Week precedes the big show on Saturday, which gives the student designers a chance to interact with the guest designers. It also gives them the opportunity to promote their program to high school and middle school students.
“Behind The Scenes Day is one of the most popular intake events for the fashion program at Iowa State University for local students and prospective out-of-state students,” Felix said.
The networking gives Iowa State students a chance to show off their successful program, which has garnered a positive reputation internationally, she said.
“We have a pretty successful outcome after you leave the apparel merchandising and design program from here,” Felix said.
She was able to study abroad at the London College of Fashion, where she learned firsthand how well-respected the ISU program is.
“They love Iowa State over there. We have really talented students that come out of this program,” Felix said.
When she first told people she was going to Iowa State to study fashion, the response tended to be: Really? Iowa State? Not New York or L.A.? “I would say, ‘Guys, you don’t understand how good this fashion program is,’” she said. “We have so many alumni and so many good connections in the fashion industry because our students have a reputation for having really good initiative and creating some really good projects.”
The theme of Saturday’s fashion show is a result of that initiative, as well, she said. Students submitted mood boards for aesthetics and name ideas a possible themes.
The selected theme is “The Suite Escape,” which has an art-deco hotel theme. Advertising is modeled to mimic a hotel stay, including “room keys” on postcards and some merchandise.
Tickets to The Fashion Show 2023 are available at ticketmaster.com and at the Stephens Auditorium ticket office.
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at email@example.com.


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We have returned from PAX Prime, which means that our daily recap has also returned! If you like Japanese developed games, then you’re probably going to love what we have on the agenda for you today. Here’s a recap of all the recent happenings in gaming, starting with what you may have missed over the weekend.
Dragon Quest Heroes coming to PS4 along with a “Metal Slime” edition.
There may still be a few weeks between now and Tokyo Game Show, but that isn’t stopping Sony Computer Entertainment from letting the announcements fly! Dragon Quest: Heroes is on its way to the PlayStation 4 and is slated to release sometime in 2015. The game, which is being classified as an action RPG, is being developed by Omega Force, the folks responsible for the Dynasty Warriors series.
A special edition “Metal Slime” edition PS4 will launch alongside the game, which includes a Metal Slime creature disguised as a USB port cover. So shiny! Will this be PlayStation’s answer to Hyrule Warriors?
Capcom issues “help wanted” for an unannounced fighting game.
While everyone’s counting on Capcom dissipating from game publishing, the boys in gold and blue are apparently working on a secret fighting game. If the rumors that have been circulating around the web are true, we may be getting an official reveal as early as next week. Hopefully this isn’t more of Capcom’s “Hadoken Cabs” shenanigans from last year, and they actually reveal the Rival Schools reboot we’ve all been waiting for. Fingers crossed!
Beyond: Two Souls heading to the PS4?
Quantic Dream’s cinematic point-and-click adventure starring Ellen Page may be making the leap from PlayStation 3 up into the new generation of hardware, following the likes of titles such as Tomb Raider and The Last of Us. The director’s cut of Beyond surfaced on two German online retailers’ sites before immediately being taken down. Given the amount of remasters announced and released over the last year, we’re willing to bet this rumor’s not just jumping to conclusions.
Persona 5 Making its way to PS4.
Atlus announced that Persona 5 will be coming to the PS3 and PS4 in 2015. Not much else was revealed about the game other than the fact that it takes place in what appears to be a school setting, which is nothing new for the series. I’m not expecting this game to see the light of day in the US until the holiday season next year, but at least we have Persona 4 Areana Ultimax coming on September 30 to hold us over.
There has been no shortage of Destiny tidbits leading up to its September 9 release, but when they release cool little projects like this, you can’t help but be excited by them. Bungie teamed up with Google to give us a tour of the game’s universe, and it looks like it could have come straight from the Google Maps application. If you’re lacking knowledge on the Destiny universe and the different species scattered around the game’s galaxy, you may want to look here for yourself.
And that’s it for today’s daily dose of gaming, folks. Be sure to stick around here on Nerdist for all of your breaking video game coverage, and to chat about our beloved medium, I’m only one tweet away: @Malik4play.


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Eleven years ago, in 2010, the young and passionate game lovers met for the very first time playing Xbox Live. Afterward they will become known as the FaZe Clan members. Then, they could not even imagine that in a bit more than a decade, their esports team would appear among the leaders in the esports world. In honor of the 11th birthday, the FaZe team went back to their roots: the Xbox. On May 30, they announced a collaboration, which was definitely delightful for gaming fans.
VFX for FaZe Clan and Xbox
FRENDER, a VFX studio specializing in visual effects for not only music videos or films but also e-sports, created a state-of-art video for this collaboration under the lead of Max Colt.
The 30th of May is named FaZe Day. 11 years is a significant date for the rapidly changing world of digital innovations and esports. Today, there are more than 230 million fans of these guys all around the earth.
FaZe Clan and Microsoft Xbox 360 formally introduced a unique faze merchandise. The assortment has been named reminiscent and relevant for the early participants of FaZe Clan. The clothing assortment comprises Tshirts, hoodies, as well as coats with the FaZe Clan and Xbox logos as well as Faze Xbox controller.
Besides presenting the exclusive Faze Clan merch, the crew got together to talk and remember their 11 years of cyber travel. The players filmed a very warm conversation, shared their memories and plans for the future. The event of their meeting is ready to be watched on the channel of FaZe Clan YouTube.
FaZe Clan anniversary celebration with Xbox
Despite FaZe Clan’s cooperation with various famed brands for a considerable timeline, this was the first experience of the group partnering with an Xbox. FaZe Banks mentioned that the collaboration was essential to them. It reminded them of the very first steps in the field and the journey to being a prominent global team today.
FaZe clothing appeared on their website at the end of May, devotees were delighted to purchase selected, unrepeatable goodies. FaZe Banks mentioned that they are happy to experience with everyone who supported the team from the very start. The reaction of fans to this partnership showed that the feelings are undeniably mutual.
In the postproduction work, Frender Studio revealed the essence of this significant collaboration for the esports community, thanks to excellent VFX effects, combining with videoclips from game streams, and inserts into screens.


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BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- People throughout the world have been regularly eating insects as a part of their diets for centuries, according to a report entitled Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in May.
The earliest citing of entomophagy, or the consumption of insects as food, can be found in biblical literature but eating insects was, and still is, taboo in many Western societies, the report states.
The unconventional nature of entomophagy has meant that farming insects for food and feed has largely been absent from the great agricultural innovations in livestock farming that emerged in past centuries - with a few exceptions, such as bees, silkworms and scale insects.
Insects have also gone unnoticed by agricultural research and development agencies worldwide, including the UNFAO. But insect consumption is not a new concept in many parts of the world, the report says.
From ants to beetle larvae - eaten by native tribes in Africa and Australia as part of their diets - to the popular, crispy-fried locusts and beetles enjoyed in Thailand, it is estimated that eating insects is practiced regularly by at least 2 billion people worldwide.
More than 1,900 insect species have been documented in literature as edible, most of them in tropical countries.
The most commonly eaten insect groups are beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, cicadas, leaf- and planthoppers, scale insects, termites, dragonflies and flies.
Insects are healthy, nutritious alternatives to mainstream staples such as chicken, pork, beef and even fish, the report said. Insects promoted as food emit considerably fewer greenhouse gases than most livestock. Methane, for instance, is produced by only a few insect groups, such as termites and cockroaches.
Insect rearing is not necessarily a land-based activity and does not require the clearing of land to expand production. Ammonia emissions associated with raising insects are also far lower than those linked to conventional livestock.
Because they are cold-blooded, insects are very efficient at converting feed into protein. They can also be fed on organic waste streams.
Insect harvesting and rearing is a low-tech, low-capital investment option that offers entry even to the poorest sections of society, such as women and those without land.
Since 2003, the FAO has been working on promoting the eating of insects in many countries worldwide.
Gao Xiwu, an entomologist at Chinese Agricultural University who specializes in the economic value of insects, said China, one of the largest insect-consuming countries, is not ready for the mass consumption of insects.
"A clear and comprehensive food safety standard is needed to pave the way for promoting insects as food," he said.
Attempts to include insects in food management began in 1996 when the China Food and Drug Administration and the National Health and Family Planning Commission approved more than 30 health products containing ants. Since then, no progress has been made.
(Source: China Daily)