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Systemax scores Circuit City brand
Bankrupt Circuit City’s brand, trademarks and e-commerce business have been sold at auction to Systemax Inc., the same company that purchased electronics retailer CompUSA’s intellectual property when it closed in 2008.
A spokeswoman for Streambank LLC, the intellectual property consulting firm hired by Circuit City Stores Inc., said the assets were sold at auction Monday to New York-based Systemax. Terms of the deal were not available.
A federal bankruptcy judge in Richmond must approve the sale at a hearing Wednesday.
Richmond-based Circuit City entered a so-called stalking horse agreement with Systemax for $6.5 million last month. A stalking horse bid is an initial offer for a bankrupt company’s assets.
The agreement also includes two and a half years of payments to Circuit City of a portion of Systemax’s revenue from the Circuit City Web site.
Systemax manufactures and sells consumer electronics online, by direct mail and in retail stores under the TigerDirect and CompUSA brands. When it bought Dallas-based CompUSA’s intellectual property in January 2008 from restructuring firm Gordon Brothers Group LLC, it also acquired some stores.
Systemax has previously said it believes the transaction would “further extend its position as a leader in online retailing of value-priced, branded consumer electronics.”
Circuit City closed its 567 remaining U.S. stores on March 8. It has laid off about 34,000 workers since filing for bankruptcy protection in November. A small staff remains at the corporate office.
The company, which posted losses in seven of its final eight quarters, sought bankruptcy protection as it faced heightened competition, pressure from vendors and waning consumer spending.
It had hoped to emerge this summer as a stronger and more competitive company, but the hobbled credit market and consumer spending cuts proved insurmountable.
More breaking news
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- AT&T says it doesn’t have to disclose NSA dealings
- 23andMe to halt health-related genetic reports
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- Firms give big ‘like’ to Pinterest, Instagram
- US consumer spending up 0.3 percent in October
- US unemployment falls to 7 pct. on 203K jobs added
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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If you live in the US and have been waiting for an eye catchy Coral Blue color variant of the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ smartphone, here’s a good news for you all. The Korean Giant has finally decided to launch its Coral Blue color variant of the newly launched Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphone in the US market from tomorrow.
According to some confirmed reports, the two different phones will be available in a stunning coral blue color in the US market in a couple of days.
Furthermore, you will find this Coral Blue variants of both the devices on Best Buy. However, Samsung will also made this device available for both, carrier specific and unlocked models so they can attract more users.
Currently, Samsung has not planned anything yet. However, the company will start selling this phone with r Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint carrier options. There is no any confirmation from the Best Buy as well, they will unleashed this phone once the stock arrives. So just wait for a couple of more days and you will be able to pick this new Coral blue color of the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ smartphone.

domain: news


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PayPoint has unveiled the full epos version of its One platform, the PayPoint One Pro, and developed a mobile phone app to help retailers access the technology on the move.
The Pro system adds back-office real-time stock and sales data and ordering capability to the features already available via the earlier Base and Core versions, which includes contactless card payment, parcel collection management and till-point scanning, as well as the range of PayPoint products such as bill payment. Network integration has already been agreed with Nisa, with other wholesalers and symbol groups expected to sign up shortly.
The system is cloud-based, meaning that no data is lost in the event of a fault with the hardware, and in the new year a mobile app will be available allowing users full access to the system via their phones. The app contains a barcode scanner, meaning that users can book stock onto the system or make price changes while away from the store.
There are 6,700 sites currently using the One platform, out of a network of 29,000 in total, and the company is hoping to achieve 8,000 installations by the end of the financial year in March. PayPoint has stated that the old T2 terminals will no longer be supported, and will eventually be switched off. The Pro system has been tested with 15 independent retailer customers.
PayPoint One with Epos Pro costs £30 a week, while the Core unit is £20 per week for new customers, or £15 per week for existing PayPoint customers who want to upgrade. The entry level Base system costs £10 per week.
The mobile app is free of charge, but is callibrated to the retailer’s existing PayPoint level.
Dominic Taylor, chief executive at PayPoint, said: “When we launched PayPoint One last year, we committed to creating a platform that meets retailers’ current and future needs and flexes as their businesses grow. Epos Pro delivers on that commitment, particularly through the new mobile app which puts the retailer’s ‘store in their pocket’ and enables them to manage their store from anywhere.
“We are incredibly pleased with the adoption of PayPoint One across our network so far and Epos Pro expands its appeal further to retailers wanting full stock management, symbol links, news management and mobile connectivity.
“PayPoint One offers everything a modern convenience store needs, from parcels and payments services to Epos and cashless payment acceptance.”


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Across the road from Interstate 95, around a bend in Deerfield Beach and up a flight of stairs in a nondescript office park, Patrick Johnson is building an empire.
The veteran executive is buying up mom-and-pop shops specializing in air-conditioning services and constructing a nationwide network under a single brand name: Blue Dot. Services.
In a little more than a year, Johnson and his team have amassed more than 30 companies in 19 states, with annualized revenues topping $200 million. By the end of 1999, with a goal of four to six purchases a quarter, the network should be billing in excess of $300 million a year.
It's not rocket science to consolidate a fragmented industry and forge a brand name. Blockbuster did it in video rentals and Stanley Steemer in carpet cleaning.
But it was only in the mid-1990s - after Wall Street developed a taste for consolidations - that the trend reached into the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning industry, known in the trade as HVAC.
Now, Blue Dot. is pioneering the trail, with plans to open in all 100 top metropolitan markets in the United States within five years and to go public on Wall Street.
It's no pipe dream. Johnson's team is bankrolled by a publicly traded company with deep pockets: Northwestern Growth Corp., a utility based in South Dakota that is diversifying from energy amid deregulation. Northwestern already has spun off one of its new ventures on Wall Street: a propane retailer with sales topping $700 million last year.
In addition, Blue Dot.'s team has won praise from industry analysts and bankers based on its results so far and the strength of its management, especially CEO Johnson and Chief Financial Officer Joan Papadakis.
Johnson had built a solid reputation as president and CEO of Service America Systems, formerly Amira Services, a Pompano Beach-based company, which markets service contracts for appliances, air-conditioning, plumbing and electrical services. Service America is part owned by Roto-Rooter, where Johnson also was a top executive. His right hand, Papadakis, not only shined as CFO at Service but also worked at Coopers & Lybrand helping take companies public and arranging mega-finance deals.
"They're well-seasoned, well-focused and well-funded," said Joe Sroka, an equity analyst who follows the HVAC industry for ABN Amro in Chicago. "And Patrick's about the closest you have to a professional CEO in the industry."
Blue Dot.'s strategy is to buy up well-managed companies in key U.S. markets - half in stock and half in cash. The average purchase is a family business doing about $6 million in revenues a year, employing 50 to 60 people.
It seeks to build on the reputations of the acquired firms, so the original owners stay on and their companies keep their original names, together with the Blue Dot. name. In three to five years, as the network hones its systems and image, the companies likely will switch to the Blue Dot. name.
Why would owners join?
Johnson said the network lets them buy more cheaply, obtaining volume discounts from equipment makers and from insurance companies. Entrepreneurs also get cash for some of their assets and still run their businesses.
"And most of these people are successful. Their next step would have been to consolidate, but that's too risky for a small company," said Johnson. "So, Blue Dot. lets them become the powerhouse in their area."
Harry Friedman, general manager at N&/M Heating and Cooling Services, a company Blue Dot. bought last year in Sarasota, said the concept seems to be working. "The industry especially in Florida is very competitive," he said, pointing to about 150 contractors in Sarasota alone. "To be associated with Blue Dot. gives you national buying power."
Analysts say air-conditioning services long have been ripe for consolidation. The field is highly fragmented, big and growing.
More than 30,000 companies engage in heating, air-conditioning, plumbing and electrical services in the United States alone, with revenues estimated at $80 billion to $100 billion a year. And growth is solid: 8 percent to 12 percent a year, said ABN's Sroka.
But with mom-and-pop shops lacking cash for acquisitions, it took Wall Street to fund the push.
Two competitors broke the ice with stock offerings in 1996 and two more in 1997, including Blue Dot.'s closest rival, Service Experts of Brentwood, Tenn., which also focuses on residential clients and small business.
Blue Dot hoped to go public last year, but after Russia's debt default and a summer market meltdown, investors shied away from new offerings of small companies outside of the Internet field.
Meanwhile, it is funding purchases with ample help from banks.
The company applied for a $100 million credit line from a group led by NationsBank, and bankers offered $155 million. It just signed up for $135 million from the banks, which also include Union Planters, First Union and Comerica, Papadakis, the CFO, said.
Still, hurdles remain.
The biggest challenge, Johnson said, is finding and keeping qualified people for jobs as technicians or as customer service reps answering phones. Those bread-and-butter posts are often hard to fill or subject to high turnover.
"We have to work to make those jobs more attractive," he said, noting that Blue Dot. now offers above-average wages and benefits, plus ample training programs. "We want to position ourselves as the FedEx or Disney of our industry - the employer of choice."
Yet empire-building continues strong. Blue Dot. now boasts more than 400,000 customers, and is eyeing acquisitions closer to home in South Florida.


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Speculation was mounting in the national press this week over the future of Allied Bakeries, if parent Associated British Foods (ABF) should decide to sell the business.
Kingsmill-owner ABF is said to be looking at a possible disposal of its bakeries - the business it was founded from in 1935.
Primark owner ABF now considers the bread business "noncore and non-strategic", according to a report in The Sunday Times last week, which ABF has refused to comment on.
Analyst Martin Deboo of Investec told British Baker that he did not believe there was room for Warburtons, Hovis, own-label and Allied in the market, which was leading to a "bloodbath in profits" as cost increases were absorbed in a battle to gain market share.
He said: "ABF won’t stay in the market. Allied will be sold to a third party or private equity firm. The Kingsmill relaunch in February has not been the solution, only adding 1% in market share. We think there is over-capacity in the plant baking industry. Market volumes are down, but you have Warburtons adding new capacity."
But another industry source questioned whether the Allied business would be attractive to a buyer. He said: "If Allied can’t make money itself at the scale it is, it is not that attractive for someone else to purchase. And how do you value a business when it is not making money? Premier Foods could buy it and rationalise the Hovis and Allied Bakeries plants, but the deal would have to be cleared by competition authorities."
Allied Bakeries’ chief executive Brian Robinson said: "Things being what they are in the corporate world I cannot comment at all."
Bread accounts for around 7% of ABF’s business, with the company also owning a raft of varied brands, from fashion retailer Primark and malt drink Ovaltine to Twinings tea and British Sugar.
Deboo said: "ABF has an emotional attachment to the UK bread market, but with the seductive charms of Primark’s bras and knickers growing, we think ABF might seek an exit from bread to a third party."


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Almost three-quarter of Scottish businesses want to remain in the Customs Union and the single market, according to a new survey.
Seven out of 10 of those firms questioned north of the Border said they want to remain in the single market, compared to 64 per cent in the rest of the UK. Half of Scottish businesses believe they will be financially worse off after Brexit , compared to 46 per cent in the rest of the UK.
The survey was carried out by the HLB International Accountancy Network, of which French Duncan is the Scottish Member.
In further findings, two-thirds of Scots firms believe the economy will get worse during the coming decade, compared to 59 per cent of their UK counterparts. A similar proportion of Scottish respondents believed the Brexit negotiations to be going badly, compared to 58 per cent in the rest of the UK.
"We can see that Scottish firms are very concerned about Brexit and see little benefit for their business if the UK leaves Europe," said Graeme Finnie, managing partner at French Duncan.
"This is undoubtedly due to uncertainty about the impact of Brexit, concern over a loss of access to markets, and wariness of a process that appears to be mired in confusion and a lack of planning.
"Scottish business owners are not interested in the politics of Brexit but are genuinely worried about how it will impact on the financial position of their businesses and the wider effect on the Scottish economy ."


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Japanese tire maker Bridgestone said on Friday that its US subsidiary had been attacked by ransomware, a few weeks after suppliers of similar attacks were reported by carmaker Toyota Motor’s suppliers.
Bridgeston said in a statement on February 27 that unauthorized third-party access was made to Bridgestone Americas, prompting it to shut down its computer network. He later said he had reconnected to the network after a thorough security check.
A later investigation revealed that it was a ransomware attack, Bridgeston said.
The announcement comes about two weeks after Toyota’s main supplier, Denso, detected an unauthorized access through a ransomware attack on a German company that manages sales and engineering.
Another Toyota supplier was hit by a cyber-attack late last month, and Japan’s largest automaker shut down domestic production for a day on March 1, affecting the production of about 13,000 vehicles.
© Thomson Reuters 2022
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Porsche discussed possible projects with Apple, according to CEO Oliver Blume


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A new colorway is set to drop of Derek Jeter’s signature shoe, known as the Jordan Jeter Cut, his 10th model.
The Jordan Jeter Cut will release July 2011 in Stealth/White-Light Graphite. Unlike the previous model we showed, this pair only has a touch of patent leather, which is placed in front of the toe box. Definitely a solid shoe for cross training or hitting the gym.
Retail price is $95.


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To no surprise, the AdDuplex Windows Phone Statistics Report for January 2016 shows that holiday sales seemed to have little effect on the Windows Phone device landscape.
Overall, in the US, AdDuplex finds that the only Windows Phone position change for the month of January is the Lumia 435, which has risen two places to a share of 0.3%. The biggest share change in America is the Lumia 640, which gained a 1.7% share in the US since the last analysis. The reports also details that the Windows Phone loser in the US is the Lumia 521, which lost another 0.8% share in January.
Software wise, the report finds that Windows 10 mobile is now running on 9.5% of analyzed devices, a lead over the 8.4% of analyzed devices running Windows Phone 8.0. Windows Phone 7, 8.0, 8.1, all are down, with 0.5%, 0.4% and 0.1% usage in the devices that AdDuplex analyzed. According to AdDupex, the changes suggest that the growth in Windows 10 usages are being driven by new devices.
Worldwide, however, there was an increase in the popularity of the Lumia 640, which went up 1.0% in share in AddDuplex’s overall analysis. Also, while other devices such as the Lumia 435, 535, and 640 CL saw 0.3% increases in share, the popular Lumia 520’s share declined 1.1%.
Meanwhile, the report finds that Microsoft and Lumia remain the top Windows Phone 8 & 10 manufacturers with 96.97% of share. Blu, however, has overtaken Huawei as the fourth most popular manufacturer. Even though the Nokia and Microsoft share numbers have remained the same, it actually means that their market share has dropped, considering a new reported manufacturer name for Microsoft.
The AdDuplex report goes on to cover the share of Windows Phone devices in markets in Germany, Italy, Poland, Indonesia and Argentina. According to AdDuplex, the same Lumia devices make up the top 10 in the German market in January as they did in November, but with a small change in order. The Lumia 640 has overtaken the 930 to become the second most popular device in the German market. The Lumia 530 has also climbed to spots in the report.
The AdDuplex report is based on data collected from 5,298 Windows Phone apps running AdDuplex SDK v2 and higher. The raw data is analyzed and collected over the day of January 22nd 2016. AdDuplex, established in January 2011, is the largest cross-promotion network for Windows Phone and Windows Store apps and games. Over 10,000 apps actively use AdDuplex to gain visibility.


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Abu Dhabi: The Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism conducted the 22nd edition of its meeting on Thursday. The primary objective of the virtual meet was to discuss ways of coordinating joint Arab efforts to counter the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector in the Arab region.
The meeting was organized and chaired by Saudi Arabia and it began with a speech by Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, who stressed the importance of joint Arab action to counter the negative effects of the pandemic.
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy of UAE also participated on behalf of the UAE in this extraordinary virtual meet.
Al Mansouri stated, “The current cooperation between Arab countries in the field of tourism is key to drafting procedures that will ensure the recovery of the tourism sector in the region.”
The UAE supports the efforts of the World Tourism Organisation, the Arab Tourism Organisation and the World Travel and Tourism Council regarding recovery plans and procedures, Al Mansouri noted while highlighting the UAE’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the current crisis on the tourism sector and ensure its recovers, by providing major economic incentives worth AED282.5 billion.
The total decline in the global tourism industry is expected to be 57 percent to 78 percent by the end of 2020, equivalent to 850 million to 1.1 billion tourists, in addition to the loss of around 120 million jobs, as per the estimates of the World Tourism Organisation.
The UAE’s key initiatives to regain tourist activity in the current period were also presented at the meeting. These included:
- launching cleaning and disinfection programs in tourist facilities
- issuing guidelines on precautionary procedures
- health and safety standards before receiving tourists
“This is the first time in decades when we have experienced a total or partial lockdown of borders around the world, and almost a complete halt in aviation and restrictions to the movement of millions of people. Therefore, we are hoping that we can overcome this crisis and plan together to support the tourism sectors in our countries, as well as find a joint mechanism to lessen the restrictions on travel during this period,” Al Mansouri added.
He highlighted the importance of the cooperation between tourism and travel organisations in Arab countries while the spread of the virus is declining, hotels are re-opening, and economic activities are gradually resuming.


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Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA) is a digital asset technology business that mines cryptocurrencies with a focus on the blockchain ecosystem and digital asset development.
MARA stock has been volatile as the price of Bitcoin has fluctuated significantly.
But the fundamentals and technical analysis show that buying MARA stock now is a good idea.
Let’s start with the fundamentals…
MARA Stock Fundamental Analysis
In the first quarter, Marathon Digital lost 20 cents per share. This compared to a 12-cent loss in the prior quarter and EPS estimates of 2 cents that were missing.
Marathon's net income was $83.4 million, but when you consider in the more than 4,800 Bitcoin it bought in January, the company ended the quarter with a $137 million profit on paper.
Sales were $9.2 million, up 1,459% from $590,000 last year.
As of Q1 2021, the company reported having $204.4 million in cash and equivalents.
Liquidity was $503.2 million, including the value of their 5,134 Bitcoins at the moment.
Analysts estimate the company will turn a profit in the second quarter, with EPS of 29 cents and revenue of $43.5 million.
MARA Stock Technical Analysis
In early April, Marathon Digital was building a bearish head-and-shoulders pattern.
Because stock values are so tightly linked to Bitcoin prices, they've been on a wild ride.
MARA shares were trading at $10 at the start of the year. The stock rose to a high of $57.75 as Bitcoin rose in value.
With the stock trading at $20 per share today, I think now is a great time to allocate a small percentage of your portfolio to MARA.
Legendary trading expert who accurately predicted Bitcoin’s price rise in 2019 and 2020 believes to have found a little-known currency market that could be on the verge of a major bull market.


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Anti-maskers are causing a headache for local restaurants that are facing online harassment and in-person aggression for upholding COVID-19 safety measures.
Stephen Deere, owner of Modern Steak in downtown Calgary, said comments on their social media pages have spiralled in recent days with some calling for the boycott of the fine dining restaurant.
“Over the last 24 to 48 hours, it’s like there has been a full moon of some sort and people are just losing their minds now about having to wear a mask,” said Deere.
“Calgary has always been the hospitality of the west. Like, how we act at Stampede, how we treat visitors, how we help people when their cars break down — we’re known in Canada as such a friendly, helpful place. And now we’re doing this to our own people? I’m absolutely disgusted and upset about it.”
He said the threat of anti-maskers causing a stir at their restaurant is adding to the stress of his staff, who are already coping with existing anxiety of serving numerous guests in the midst of a pandemic. Deere said he’s coping but is afraid members of his team might quit if things get worse.
The restaurant is considering hiring security.
Other restaurants in Calgary are facing similar issues, some of which have turned violent. Deere said his friend Jason Shukuda, who manages KABUKU Downtown, had a group of men throw objects in the restaurant after being refused service without masks.
Shukuda did not respond to request for comment.
“This anger is so misdirected at hourly retail and hourly hospitality workers. We don’t make the rules,” said Deere. “I believe you can have your opinion about hating masks and all that but taking it out on the industry that are the ones following the rules is not the way to do it. Contact city council, contact your MLA, MPs and fight the ‘battle’ properly.”
Ernie Tsu, who owns Trolley 5 Brewery on 17th Avenue S.W. and is a board member with the Alberta Hospitality Association, said restaurants across the province are seeing these type of problems.
He believes the anti-mask movement is gaining momentum in part due to “contradicting” messages coming from Alberta’s top doctor and the provincial government but adds that the majority of interactions are positive.
In schools across Alberta, students are not mandated to wear masks while sitting at their desks and schools do not need to enforce physical distancing when students are sitting in classrooms.
Meanwhile, restauranteurs are following public health guidance in asking guests to mask up unless they are seating at their table and eating.
“That’s where public distrust comes from,” said Tsu.
“But at the end of the day, the public needs to understand that restaurants and restaurant owners livelihoods depends the safety of the general public. So if you’re going to refuse to wear a mask, don’t go to a restaurant. It’s pretty simple.”
Hinshaw said previously masks can be a barrier to communication and learning, which is why there are different public mask requirements for retail stores, or restaurants, for example.
Tsu’s message to Albertans who are against wearing masks is simple: Stay home.
“If you want to have the luxury of still being able to go out and have some normalcy then understand this is coming from medical experts,” he said.
“Numbers never lie. There is no emotion in numbers. The amount of cases are going up right now and everybody has to do their part.”


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Adidas, Gap, Disney and Burberry rebut claims of toxic clothing
Adidas, Gap, Burberry and Disney say chemical levels in their products are within legal limits
Manufacturers of children's clothing have questioned the scientific basis of a test report from environmental activists that claims to have found harmful chemicals in their products.
Adidas, Gap, Burberry and Disney all said their goods complied with relevant health and safety laws and regulations.
Adidas said yesterday that the report was "selective" and vowed to seek independent verification of the results.
A company spokeswoman explained that Greenpeace had found an organotin chemical compound in one of its shoes. She admitted that some organotins could damage immune and nervous systems, but said the type found in the Adidas shoe was harmless. Greenpeace's report, she said, "lacks a scientifically sound basis".
On Tuesday, Greenpeace environmentalists released a report saying hormone-interfering chemicals had been detected in 60 per cent of the 82 clothing samples they tested from 12 brands in 25 countries.
The substances they found included nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPE), plasticisers and potentially carcinogenic chemicals. Four of the samples that had NPEs - an Adidas sports shoe, a Burberry jacket, a Disney jacket and a Gap T-shirt - were sold in Hong Kong.
Gap said the Greenpeace report showed barely measurable levels of all the chemicals in question.
"For example, the allowable amount of phthalates for childcare articles and toys is 0.1 per cent and the maximum concentration of phthalates they found in Gap clothing was 0.004 per cent of the garment," it said.
Greenpeace Hong Kong campaigner Kate Lin Pui-yee said present regulations were insufficient in controlling the use of these chemicals in textiles, especially in Hong Kong.
The use of NPEs in industrial products was restricted in the European Union and the United States, Lin said. Local governments in mainland China were working to set their own limits, but Hong Kong had no such policies, she said.
Restrictions in Europe, the US and mainland China on phthalate plasticisers applied to toys and children's products but not to clothing, she said.
The extent of the potential health risks had yet to be proven scientifically, but the government should tighten laws to protect the public, she said.
On Tuesday, Leung Ka-sing, a visiting associate professor at Polytechnic University's department of applied biology and chemical technology, said the health effects of the chemicals at the levels found would be small.


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The United States Department of Justice says that it has charged the creator of “Mutant Ape Planet ” NFT, Aurelien Michel with defrauding investors of over $2.9 million in cryptocurrency.
The DOJ, in a statement released on Thursday, said that the creator of the Non-fungible tokens had promised investors of benefits which included added investments and giveaways, but had fulfilled none of these promises made.
The DOJ added that the accused, Michel had blamed the NFT buyers for influencing its actions.
“After selling out of the NFTs, the purchasers were ‘rug pulled’ … Millions worth of the NFT purchasers’ cryptocurrency was diverted for Michel’s benefit.” bitcoin.com reports.
Thomas Fattorusso, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge with the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Criminal Investigation team also said regarding the case “It is alleged that Michel defrauded investors by making false representations of, among other things, giveaways, tokens with staking features, and merchandise collections,
“Michel can no longer blame the NFT community for his criminal behavior. His arrest means he will now face the consequences of his own actions,” Fattorusso said.
The Mutant Ape Planet (MAP) is a collection of 6799 unique mutant apes. Each Mutant Ape Planet allows its owner to be part of an exclusive community giving different perks and experiences to its holders.


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As Uganda gets set to host the global tourism community through its annual Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE), 2020, Executive Director, Uganda Tourism Board, Lily Ajarova says the fair will be of immense benefit to local tour operators in the country.
According to themediatimes.com, Ajarova stated that the fair which is in its 5th years, is an effort to present Uganda as a complete destination and will open doors for local actors to do business internationally.
The exhibition, which will also attract international stakeholders, is scheduled for February 4 to 6 at the Speke Resort, Munyonyo.
The annual tourism event in the East African region brings together travel agents, tour operators, hoteliers, destination managers and other service providers in the tourism sector.
Ms. Ajarova said that POATE had done well to promote Destination Uganda and to present the country as a complete package.
“The 5th edition of POATE will build on what we have already done during the first four editions,” she said.
“Ugandan commercial operators sign contracts with buyers who experience Ugandan tourism in order to monitor and sign contracts with buyers from different European countries, Kenya and more,” she said declared.
Several tour operators and international media are expected to set foot in Uganda today and will be off to tour the countryside to explore attractions and amenities prior to the exhibit.
During the Expo, seminar sessions with experts sharing topics related to tourism will also be organized with 5 sessions addressing topics on the development of sustainable tourism, accommodation, accessibility in Africa, tourism and connectivity and also discuss emerging trends in the tourism sector.
POATE will be sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Uganda Wildlife Education Center, Uganda Airways, the Uganda Tourism Association, individual tourism operators, the Speke Resort Munyonyo, the Sheraton Hotel, among other partners.
According to atqnews.com, Ajarova said the fair is expected to host over 50 companies within Africa and around 10 international media personalities.
She said: “The Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo is an important activity for the tourism sector in Uganda. We shall have international travelers and buyers hosted here for at least four or more days. At least we shall be hosting 50 companies from within Africa and around 10 international media personalities, who have a huge network to market destination Uganda.
“Before the expo starts, the hosted buyers and media are scheduled to get hear a week before and we are going to take them around the country to experience the Pearl of Africa before they settle in for meetings.
“Therefore, the expo will not only enable Ugandans to cash in through accommodation, food and knowledge exchange, but it will also give Uganda international exposure” she said.


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Apple is both a creator of and a beacon for the technology future we now live in
"My time has passed. Ain't nothin' for it."
Apple has slashed the prices of its premium iPod Touch by up to 25 per cent and updated the feature set of its introductory 16GB model.
Apple has launched its free iTunes Radio service in Australia as it hopes to prevent customers from migrating to rival music streaming services.
Rumors have ramped up this week that Apple is developing an "iWatch." The success of wearable technology like the Nike Fuelband, and demand for the Pebble, the Kickstarter-backed smart watch, have fueled the speculation.
At long last, third-party Lightning-connector accessories, for the latest generations of iPhone, iPad, and iPod, are starting to hit the market, and those add-ons form the bulk of this week's accessory roundup.
Ten years ago in October, Apple announced a game-changing device: the $500 5GB iPod Classic. This Tuesday the iPod Classic (now $299 with 160GB storage), with its signature click wheel design and massive storage capacity, is rumored to play its last ...
Samsung has offered to disable some of its Galaxy Tab 10.1 features in order to overturn a ban on sales of the device in Australia.
We're pretty sure that we know when the iPhone 5 will be announced - Tuesday 4 October - and one man is already gearing himself up to get in the queue.
Has former vice-president Al Gore unwittingly revealed Apple's plans to launch more than one new iPhone in October?
Analyst Brian Blair of Wedge Partners has said that Apple will only launch one new iPhone this year, not two models as others have claimed.
An image provided by an iPhone case supplier suggests that the next-generation iPhone will have a wider Home button, larger screen and a newly-positioned flash for the camera.
Doubt has been cast on the possibility of Apple launching an iPhone 5 in 2011 after a Chinese supplier claimed there was going to be "no iPhone 5 this year".
Apple will post two bumper quarters for iPhone production in the second half of 2011, according to FBR Capital Markets analyst Craig Berger.
The days of the iPhone 3GS look to be numbered with reports suggesting that supplies of the device are running low ahead of a planned discontinuation of the product in the autumn.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
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RBS, NatWest and SEB banks employ virtual staff
Customers at Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest may soon be sorting out issues with help from a virtual chatbot.
Web-based Luvo will be able to answer simple queries such as how to order a replacement card.
Designed using IBM Watson technology, the virtual agent is able to understand and learn from human interactions.
In future, Luvo may be able to understand if a customer was feeling frustrated or unhappy and change its tone and actions accordingly, IBM said.
The service will initially be rolled out to RBS and NatWest customers, starting in December with about 10% of RBS customers in Scotland.
Previously, Luvo had been piloted among 1,200 RBS and NatWest staff.
For the bank, the chatbot is complementary to existing customer service agents.
"Luvo frees advisers from spending time on simple, easily-addressed queries so they can help customers with more complex issues," said Jane Howard, head of personal banking.
It will start off with about 10 questions it is equipped to answer but as the cognitive system learns over time, IBM is confident it can be expanded to "more complex areas".
The bank will make it clear to customers that they are talking to a bot, and they will have the option to move the conversation to a human agent at any point.
"We will monitor customer feedback and, if we find that customers are getting frustrated, we will quickly look to address that," Ms Howard told the BBC.
IBM is not the only company using artificial intelligence in banking. This week, rival IPsoft, which already employs its virtual agent Amelia in a range of industries, announced a similar deal.
Amelia will provide customer service in one of Sweden's largest banks, SEB.
Chetan Dube, IPsoft's chief executive, said that virtual staff represented a "fundamental shift in the way that banks manage their operations".
"Virtual agents never deviate from regulations and provide a full audit trail of every interaction," he said.


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The person in charge of developing the hardware for the iPhone 4 has abruptly left Apple. Mark Papermaster’s departure comes in the wake of a widely publicized problem with the design of this smartphone.
The device suffers from what’s been called the “death grip” after users discovered that holding it in just the wrong way can greatly reduce wireless performance, in some cases cutting off phone calls.
The issue is bad enough that Apple has been forced to give free cases to everyone who has an iPhone 4 or purchases one for the next two months.
It’s not clear is Papermaster has resigned on his own, or if he was pressured to leave.
He was originally hired away from IBM several years ago. IBM objected in federal court on the grounds that its former high-level executive knew proprietary trade information. After a long delay, Papermaster went to work for Apple in the spring of 2009.
The iPhone 4 has a new design in which the outer edge of the device is used as a collection of antennas. While in most cases this improves the phone’s wireless performance, a problem cropped up as well.
Numerous people and organizations, including Consumer Reports, have established that if a user’s finger or hand touches a spot on the iPhone 4’s lower left side — an easy thing to do, especially for lefties — the signal can degrade enough to cause the device to lose its connection completely in areas with low signal strength.


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With 20.5 million jobs lost amid the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the shoe industry continues to face severe cut backs as a staggering 60% of the industry, more than 100,000 people, have been laid off or furloughed.
Our team hears their stories every day. The employees who helped our industry thrive are now trying to figure out how to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. They are also delaying payments on rent or mortgages, utilities and car loans, creating insurmountable financial hardship for so many of them.
Last week, Two Ten surpassed the $1.5 million mark in COVID-19 crisis aid.
Since we started COVID-19 assistance on March 16, 2020, we have helped over 2,500 footwear employees who have been laid off or furloughed as a result of the pandemic and we anticipate a ripple effect of financial hardships for an another 12 to 18 months.
While the industry has been hard hit across all sectors, the majority of calls for assistance are coming from retail and warehouse workers. Two thirds of calls are from females, the majority of which are single moms who are concerned with child care, food, and rent.
In the true spirit of Two Ten’s core mission to take care of each other in times of need, companies are supporting our COVID-19 Crisis Relief Fund by donating footwear to the COVID-19 Share Your Shoes Campaign that can be monetized; launching cause marketing campaigns featuring limited edition products; and pledging a portion of proceeds from their website sales.
You can also help your industry colleagues directly with a donation to Two Ten – every dollar makes a difference.
With your support, we will make it through this crisis stronger than before.


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A dozen of the country’s top holiday brands - including Bourne Leisure, Superbreaks and Hoseasons - have signed up to a new 20.12 per cent discount scheme, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced today.
Speaking to tourism leaders on the day that details of next year’s Olympic Torch Relay were announced, Mr Hunt urged tourism businesses around the country to make the most of the huge opportunity offered by hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Speaking at the World Travel Market, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Mr Hunt said:
“The 2012 Games give us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase all that is GREAT about Britain. The Torch will travel the length and breadth of the country, from Land’s End to Lerwick, visiting some of our most striking landmarks. Communities everywhere will have the a chance to celebrate this momentous occasion, watching as the Olympic flame passes through their streets, carried by their own local heroes.
“We want to show all the wonderful things Britain has to offer to an international audience, but next year will be the perfect opportunity for more of us to holiday in the UK. With so much going on, and the fantastic 20.12% discount scheme, it’s a great opportunity to see what Britain has to offer.”
Mr Hunt also announced today that this week he will be taking a ‘regional roadshow’ around the country to promote the tourism, cultural and business opportunities of the 2012 Games. He will launch the roadshow in Cumbria on Wednesday.
Mr Hunt added:
“I’m really looking forward to taking the message about the benefits of the 2012 Olympics to all parts of the country. This is a Games for everyone, not just London, and it’s the perfect chance for communities everywhere to make the very most of it.”
The 20.12 per cent discount initiative will be launched next year by VisitEngland as part of a campaign to use the Games to boost domestic tourism. Under the scheme, holidaymakers booking a UK short break before the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games will be eligible for a 20.12 per cent discount. VisitEngland’s campaign is supported by a £3 million investment from the Olympic budget and is expected to deliver 12,000 new jobs and £480 million in extra spend over three years.
Jeremy Hunt also confirmed today that the Government is to invest a further £39 million in the GREAT campaign to give a concerted push to promoting the UK as a great place to visit, study and work. Including some of this new money from the GREAT campaign, plus private sector support, VisitBritain will invest around £127 million in overseas promotion. Over four years it is expected to deliver 4.6 million extra visitors from overseas and £2.27 billion in extra visitor spend.
Notes to Editors
More information about London 2012 and the Torch Relay is available on the London 2012 website and the DCMS website.
The GREAT initiative is an international campaign to maximise the tourism and business opportunities of the UK hosting the 2012 Games.
This week’s visit to Cumbria is the first of a series that Jeremy Hunt is making around the country to promote the opportunities of 2012. The full list of dates are:
* 9 November : North West (Cumbria)
* 16 November: East Midlands (Nottingham)
* 18 November: South West (Eden Project)
* 23 November: West Midlands (Birmingham)
* 1 December: East of England (Norwich)
* 2 December: South East (Canterbury)
* 16 December: North East (Gateshead)
* 12 January: London
* 18 January: Yorkshire & Humber (York)
* 20 January: North West (Manchester)
* Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to be confirmed
- The first companies to sign up for the new 20.12 per cent discount scheme are:
* Cottages 4 You: Offering 9,000 cottages right across the UK
* Superbreak: Specialising in short breaks such as theatre breaks and theme parks.
* Bourne Leisure: 52 sites across the UK, including Haven Holidays, Warner Leisure Hotels and Butlins.
* The Eden Project
* Coach Tourism Council
The extra £3 million investment in domestic tourism was announced by Jeremy Hunt in September.
Jeremy Hunt’s speech at the World Travel Market.
Press Enquiries: 020 7211 2210
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US Nonfarm Payrolls
|When we talk about the most important economic indicators, one of the first that comes to our mind is the US nonfarm payrolls, also known as NFP. Job creation is a leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for the majority of the overall economic activity. The data is out every month, and this time it will be released at 15:30 MT time on April 6. If actual figure is greater than the forecast one, the greenback will have chances to strengthen. Note that the United States will also release the unemployment rate and average hourly earnings.|
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Japan's March real wages went down at the fastest pace in nearly two years, weighed by minor nominal pay lifts as well as a moderate ascend in consumer prices, thus posing a setback for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's tries to revitalize the Japanese…


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Shell Pakistan is coming all across with the plan to add on the investment over millions to meet up with the local demand. They have just recently planned to invest $15 to $16 million in its retail stations in terms to add on with the expectations of an increase in vehicle sales as more automakers enter Pakistan. They are planning to come ahead with the activities under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) gain momentum. The company has been all pouring on with the fresh capital to strengthen its presence in existing areas of operation as well as along CPEC route.
Just as owing to the new Automotive Development Policy (ADP 2016-21), it has been nearly a dozen automakers that are stepping into Pakistan’s industry and much encouraged by the incentives offered in the policy. They are becoming the image in showing out to be the positive outlook on the country’s economy.
Shell Pakistan To Invest Millions To Meet The Local Demand
According to JS Research, the new entrants will be adding on with the timeline of 60% of the industry’s production capacity as in the duration of next few years. In this view, the law and order condition has been adding much improvement over the last four or five years that has also helped expand the economy. Cars and so as the motorcycles are increasing. So in this regard, we can say that it has been moving into the response to the demand pull as well as forecast increase in demand investment.
The company had pointed out that they had not yet devised any plan for setting up charging points for electric cars. But this demand would rise, and hence it will establish charging units at its existing category of the filling stations. Straight away into the budget for the fiscal year 2018-19, the government had made with so much of the efforts in terms to promote electric cars to pave the way for the sake of the increase in the use of environment-friendly vehicles. Electric vehicles will not be running on the petrol, and hence they would not be adding to the global warming. This is the primary concern in view for the world leaders who are struggling to restrict a rapid rise in global temperatures.
In the budget, there is the implementation of the 16% customs duty on charging stations for electric vehicles that have been withdrawn. Customs duty over the category to the import of electric cars has also been reduced from the view of 50% to 25%. This also adds on with the exemption from 15% regulatory duty. Plus, the import duty as on entirely knocked down (CKD) kits for the assembly of electric cars in the country stands at the range of 10%. According to the reports of International Energy Agency, sales of electric vehicles will rise at the limit of 54% in the year 2017.


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Palouse pulse crop farmers struggle amid President Trump’s trade war
PULLMAN, Wash. — As President Trump attempts to take on China, and a trade war erupts with tariffs left and right, there is a group of folks feeling caught in the middle.
“Agriculture is taking the brunt of this, as far as we can see,” said Tim McGreevy, a long time Palouse farmer and now head of the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council. “We are feeling the pain and it’s pretty significant.”
McGreevy said the tariffs China slapped on pulse crops, namely dry peas, have taken a toll.
“China is our second largest market and as soon as those tariffs went into place, basically the bottom dropped out,” McGreevy said. “We went from a 9 percent market share to .6 [percent]. Our job is to feed the world, and we are having trouble doing that right now.”
Farrmers nationwide have lost millions of dollars in the process, but Washington has been hit hard. The state accounts for 20-25 percent of pulse crop exports, McGreevy said.
McGreevy said making up the difference has proven difficult, as other major markets have not been immune from politics either.
In Mexico, McGreevy said there has been a 40 percent drop in dry pea imports as a NAFTA replacement is being worked on.
US exports to India have dropped by a whopping 92 percent afte the country imposed its own tariffs to spur on domestic production.
Shipments to the European Union have also lagged, as the expectation of tariffs looms.
“Whenever you have uncertainty like this, people are hedging their bets, looking at your competitors and that has reduced sales across the board,” McGreevy said. “You are now basically going through and figuring out which crop will lose the least amount of money.”
McGreevy said, bottom line, the trade disputes need to be resolved, as farmers face increasing financial insecurity.
“Farmers are a loyal bunch and they can see the long term potential here,” McGreevy said. “But there is a lot of conversation if you are facing losing your farm.”
McGreevy pointed out that domestic consumption of pulse crops have increased, spurred on by millenials and health conscious boomers who like humus and other vegetable based foods, but that it is not enough to overcome the decline of foreign markets.
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Rumors are spreading around the web that the popular social networking site Facebook is teaming up with Apple to create an artist platform that will compete with MySpace, while giving Apple another venue to sell its music.
The platform will reportedly let bands and labels create artists pages, and allow various widgets to be embedded for music promotion, organizing events, and more. Among those widgets would be iLike, the most popular app inside Facebook, but will also include iTunes widgets for listening to 30-second song samples, and eventually allowing users to buy music through Apple. The move squarely takes on MySpace, not iTunes as earlier rumors said. However, the plan is yet to be confirmed by any of the two parties involved.


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A lighted Christmas Parade, Christmas tree lighting, and boys and girls having the chance to sit on the laps of Santa and Mrs. Claus will bring holiday festivities to downtown Port Clinton on Saturday, Dec. 2, and many local merchants will feature holiday surprises for the annual crowd.
The Christmas activities will take over Madison Street from 2-5 p.m., and that includes visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Ala Carte After Hours from 3-5 p.m. The annual Lighted Christmas Parade, complete with Port Clinton Fire Engines and community floats and marchers, is at 5:30 p.m., and will wrap up with a Christmas Tree Lighting at 6 p.m.
The Lighted Christmas Parade will begin its musical march at Monroe Street and slowly head east on Second Street, gathering at Adams Street Park for holiday music and the Christmas Tree Lighting.
Port Clinton’s downtown merchants and restaurants will be hosting afternoon open houses, and many of their windows will be adorned with holiday themes in order to compete in the annual Window Decorating Contest.
A variety of shops will feature their own special versions of gourmet chili for the annual Chili Tasting Competition, giving revelers the chance to taste and vote for the best concoctions — as well as the decorated windows — at the Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce Office before 5 p.m.
Sponsoring shops, according to host Main Street Port Clinton, include: Ala Carte Café; Bayside Comfort; Bolte Insurance; Century 21, Bolte Real Estate; Our Guest Inn; Frederick Agency; Genoa Bank; Hartung Title; Mary’s Blossom Shoppe; Shorty’s Custom Remodeling; Tru Luv Jewelers; Young’s Floor Covering; and The Gristmill.


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It goes without saying that cloud technology has significantly shaken up almost every industry, and hospitality is no exception. Cloud technologies have opened a whole new way for hotels to increase operational efficiency, maximize revenue and lower management expenses. Cloud computing has captured the attention of hotels (big and small) globally to capitalize on its agility, scalability, speed cost and control.
Based on the 2016 Lodging Technology Study, 70% of hotels are adopting some form of cloud solutions and majority of them would be switching to the cloud by 2017. Cloud has the potential to deliver customized and fulfilling experiences to guests helping hoteliers deliver on their guest promise.
As there is an increase in competition from globally renowned brands entering the Indian market, hoteliers in India need the right tools to efficiently manage their properties and drive more bookings. Cloud based systems has the potential to equip hotels with enterprise level tools that enable them to compete and win against evolved, global chains.
Hotelogix, a global provider of cloud-based hospitality software solutions, along with Amazon Internet Services Private Limited, ShawMan and Airpay, are coming together to host an on-ground event to help hoteliers maximize revenue using the latest in hospitality technology. The events will be held on the 14th, 18th and 21st of July in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi, respectively.
What’s this event about:
For hoteliers in India, the stakes have risen. There’s increasing competition from global hotel brands entering the market. How can hotels up the game? By adopting the right technologies.
In this event, hoteliers will get to know the latest in hospitality technology and the trends that will help you maximize revenue, and keep ahead of the competition.
Meet with subject matter experts in the hospitality industry, and get to know:
The benefits of the cloud
Online booking trends
Distribution strategies, and
Next gen technologies to take on the competition
The best in the hospitality industry will discuss some of the ways in which cloud based technology will give hoteliers the key to run smart businesses that are in sync with the demand of modern day guests. They will be sharing their views on how to leverage the right cloud-based technologies to become more competitive in the hospitality industry. The event will be attended by a milieu of hoteliers, innovators, tech professionals and entrepreneurs who will give a deeper understanding as to why most tech leaders in hospitality are advocating the hybrid cloud model over legacy systems.
Explore the opportunity that cloud offers and get to know the ways in which cloud is disrupting the hospitality segment.


text: BukaPO, the first social commerce platform in Bali, was created to help micro-enterprises affected by this pandemic get USD 200,000 in funding from the Bali Investment Club, an investment company that focuses on social impact investing. BukaPO was officially launched in December 2020 and to date nearly 400 food and beverage entrepreneurs have joined BukaPO and have sold more than 20,000 orders. Through the pre-order concept, micro-entrepreneurs can reduce financial risk and with the system they also don’t need to store large quantities of raw materials. Founders & BukaPO CEO Olaf Purvis and Co-Founder Andy Adrian said BukaPO is committed to using the funds to make an even bigger social and economic impact for micropreneurs in Bali by providing education, cloud kitchens and building a healthy ecosystem through the “Gotong Royong” program. ;. Managing Partners of Bali Investment, Club Tom Courly and Nicolo Gastiglione commented that they are very proud to be able to support BukaPO because of its concept that empowers and helps communities in Bali and has proven to have grown organically during very difficult times. bbseparator They also hope that with this funding, BukaPO can be an inspiration for other entrepreneurs in Bali to create a business that has more social and economic impact. Bali Investment Club is an investment company that focuses on funding and assisting mentoring for entrepreneurs whose businesses can have a social impact on the surrounding community. In addition, BukaPO has previously received funding from several social impact angel investors, namely David Dharma Thomas, former Managing Director of JP Morgan and Delia Kirana the CEO of Wiryamanta.


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The clerk in the Chinese grocery glanced at the door, then reached under the counter to pull out an unmarked package wrapped in brown paper.
She carefully slit the thin paper down the side and removed a small, rectangular box that she put on the counter.
"This is very good," she said.
This illicit transaction is occurring in Asian neighborhoods all over Southern California, with people from all walks of life flocking to mom-and-pop stores for a fix of what's inside the box.
It's Chinese chalk and its adherents rhapsodize about its wonders with the fervor of Marv Albert in the fourth quarter. They are even willing to overlook the fact that it's illegal.
The product, sold under names such as Miraculous Insecticide Chalk, is used as a first line of defense against the hordes of ants that regularly plague homes, apartments and offices at this time of year.
You simply draw a line of the stuff across linoleum, concrete foundation or even dirt and the ants simply won't cross it.
"I used to spend hours on my knees by the fridge, killing the ants one by one with my finger," said Jae Rand of the Highland Park area.
"Now I draw a line with the chalk and they don't cross it, period."
The chalk is illegal because it never received the regulatory approval required of pesticides' formulas and packaging.
But many say it is far more effective and pleasant to use than the baits and sprays sold at supermarkets and hardware stores.
"I didn't want to spray that stuff in my house," said high school teacher Nancy Potts of Silver Lake. "I tried things like borax that you hear about and that didn't work."
Potts was not aware that Chinese chalk was illegal and didn't know what was in it. "I just thought it was one of those handy things that came in from other places in the world," she said.
Others were aware that the ingredients in Chinese chalk are powerful. Urban legends surround the product. One popular claim is that the chalk contains DDT, but experts say that it does not.
At UC Riverside, several different varieties of the chalk were tested as part of a project.
"They had a fairly high concentration of pyrethoid insecticide, which acts on the nervous system," said Mike Rust, a professor of entomology.
Rand, a retired nurse, was not surprised. "The chalk is neurologically toxic. You can tell that by the way they die," she said. She described an ant trembling violently immediately after touching the chalk.
One of the insecticides commonly found in the chalk is deltamethrin, which is legally used to control insects on fruit trees and vegetables. A research report by UC Davis and four other universities said that if it's given to mice in concentrated quantities, the animals have seizures and die within two hours.
In the last decade, there have been only two serious illnesses in California due to humans ingesting the chalk, according to the state Department of Pesticide Regulation. Both were children.
"It looks like chalk, so you can imagine how a kid could easily think it was something to play with," said Glenn Brank, spokesman for the Department of Pesticide Regulation.
Compounding the problem is the lack of uniformity in the formula of the unregulated chalk. "When you buy this stuff, you don't really know what's in it, just how toxic it is," Brank said.
The box of Chinese chalk purchased at the Chinese grocery contained an information sheet in Chinese and English, but listed no ingredients. It did include the warning: "Strictly forbidden to be put into mouth."
Part of the product's attraction to consumers is no doubt its low price.
"Seventy-five cents," said the store clerk for a box containing a 3-inch piece of chalk. No tax was collected.
"You can bet there will never be an invoice on that transaction," said Bill Lee, an enforcement officer with the Environmental Protection Agency, which has been battling the importation and distribution of the chalk for several years.
Lee said his enforcement division of the EPA is spread thin and has to concentrate on more immediate health issues, such as how field workers are protected against pesticides and the regulation of disinfectants used in hospitals.
Besides, chalk investigations don't always go smoothly.
"We start looking around [a store] and stuff disappears off the shelves," said David Frieders, director of San Francisco's Department of Consumer Assurance.
"Then every store on the block doesn't have it, either. They make phone calls."
But how do the shops know his people are from his staff?
Frieders blames it on having a limited number of staff members available.
"They get to know who we are."
EPA staffers in Lee's department can't go undercover because they are required to identify themselves as working for the government agency when they go into a shop.
So as long as there is no better, legal alternative product, it's likely that under-the-counter sales of Chinese chalk will continue.
But legal or not -- with ants streaming over kitchen counters, bathroom sinks and pantry shelves -- the product is tempting.
"All I know is that you use the chalk," Potts said, "and the ants just get the hell out."


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End Of Summer Sale
You have until 6 pm (BST) / 10 am (Pacific) today to take advantage of Humble’s massive Summer Sale.
End Of Summer Sale headlines
Humble is celebrating (mourning?) the end of the summer with a big ol’ sale. Bethesda is the latest publisher to get its games added this week.


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This week on The Healthcare Business Podcast, George spoke with Ana Vasconcelos, a biologist currently working on her Postdoctoral Fellowship at John Hopkins University. Vasconcelos, from Brazil, has worked in labs all around the world, from Japan to Spain, Brazil, and the United States. She studies molecular biology and works on projects such as creating alternative energy from electric eels and using technology to save endangered fish. At John Hopkins University, Ana leads projects on molecular biology and cancer research. However, on this week’s episode, she and George spoke about the development of cultured meats and the effect COVID has had on the production of cultured meats.
What Are Cultured Meats?
Cultured meat is made from harvesting muscle cells from living cows and then replicating the cells in a lab to create a piece of meat identical to the beef we eat. According to Maaschrict University, the meat is “biologically exactly the same as the meat tissue that comes from a cow.” Cultured meats have been studied and developed for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic birthed a sense of urgency to develop the meats for mass consumption.
So, how does the process work? Vasconcelos compares the aesthetics of it to a brewery, saying, “When you look at it, it’s pretty much like brewing a beer. It’s it really looks like fermentation.” The process right now is designed to create ground beef, and Ana recommends a short documentary, “The Future of Meat” on the Netflix series Explained, to learn more about the process of making cultured meats.
On the spread of disease through meat, Ana Vasconcelos says, “Any kind of system that involves an extremely high density of animals entails a big risk of disease transmission, and that’s what is happening right now. And in modern farming, we have little genetic diversity between the animals. So that facilitates the disease to spread very easily without much resistance.” Consumers saw the transmission of disease between animals as a threat after COVID-19 emerged as well; Bloomberg news reported in May that plant-based meat sales had risen 264% since the lockdown.
Benefits of Cultured Meats
Vasconcelos discusses the benefits of cultured meats with George on The Healthcare Business Podcast. Along with stopping the spread of disease between animals, she lists the environmental benefits of introducing cultured meats to consumers and the health benefits of cultured meats.
The main benefit of cultured meats over plant-based meat is that the cultured meats have “the promise of having exactly the same type of nutrition you can have from eating meat, because it’s coming from the animal. So in theory it has exactly the same things, the same nutrients, the same level of protein.” Alternatively, while plant-based meats may be a more sustainable option than animal-based meat, they are high in sodium. For this reason, Vasconcelos advocates for the consumption of cultured meat.
Cultured meat is also a more environmentally friendly option than the animal meats we consume now. Ana points out that at the rate the meat industry is growing, the land needed to maintain production will not be available by 2050. She’s not wrong – according to National Geographic, the world will have two billion more people to feed by 2050. Cultured meat reduces the need for mass amounts of animals on land and would transfer that area to set ups that resemble breweries, taking up less space and resources.
Disadvantages of Cultured Meats
Like everything, cultured meats have their disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage to cultured meats, according to Ana Vasconcelos, is that it simply is not ready for mass production and consumption. On the podcast, she says, “I think in order to really satisfy the production, and the consumers, you know, and decide what the people need and what other people are looking for, I would imagine [production will take] five to 10 years. It’s a very complicated process. And in order to really scale up for the whole world, I think it’s going to take a little bit longer.” While there are some companies, such as Mosa Meat, that market their cultured meat burgers online, they still note that they are “aiming for a first market introduction in the next few years.” So – don’t keep your eyes peeled at the grocery store just yet!
One issue with cultured meats that we don’t see in the production of other meat is that because they are created in a lab and replicated, there is room for genetic modifications. Ana explains what this means, that “when the cells just grow indefinitely, they start changing their behavior, and they can eventually change their genetics as well. So how safe that will be in the long term, for example. But at the same time, because I work in the lab, it’s possible to see [the changes]. You can see when the cells start changing the behavior, they start growing weird, they look funny, you know.” She also notes that just like any other food, “it is going to be inspected. It’s going to, it could be an interesting thing, because instead of – for example – you check for bacteria or viruses are in a normal meat, you’re going to check for genetics modifications [in cultured meat].
In any case, the production and consumption of cultured meats is years away. But Ana Vasoncelos brings up valid points – the spread of disease through meat production will continue past COVID-19 and the fears that consumers have about meat consumption can be solved through alternative meats. While cultured meats still have a way to go until they will be perfected for consumption, Ana’s plea to consumers to think about what we can do for the environment and future generations rings true. Make sure to listen to the full podcast for insights from Ana and George and subscribe to The Healthcare Business Podcast.


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Video: TPG, Capital One show how small business customer uses Spark Miles
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
This story is part of a sponsorship paid for by Capital One — one way that TPG continues to provide our readers with free news and advice about travel.
When it comes to earning points and miles, most of us think about using them for flights, hotels, shopping or even statement credits. But small businesses tend to take the miles they earn and plow them back into their companies.
The Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business card has again launched its exciting limited-time offer of up to 200,000-miles for new members (after spending $50,000 total on purchases in the first six months). With the launch of this generous offer, Brian teamed up with Capital One to see how an actual small business owner is maximizing its business purchases on the Spark Miles credit card to collect miles.
In this video, Brian goes to Philadelphia's famous The Bourse food hall to meet Mike, the owner of Takorean, known for its Korean-Mexican fusion food.
After quitting his job in 2010 (the same year Brian launched The Points Guy), Mike bought a food truck and chased his entrepreneurial dreams. He now uses the miles he earns from Takorean to travel around the world for business and pleasure. "I have a huge pot of travel rewards that I'm able to use and travel at a level that's higher than my income," said Mike.
Watch the video below — and don’t forget to subscribe at the bottom of the page:
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Good debt and bad debt
The amount of personal debt is ever increasing, and
a large part of the reason is that credit has never been easier
to get. Whereas credit card issuers previously looked for customers
who could repay, today card issuers relish the chance to reel in
those who'll continuously charge beyond their means at 18 or 20
But debt is a complex concept. Not all of it is good
-- a fact a surprising number of people fail to realize until they're
in the hole -- and yet not all of it is bad. When used intelligently,
debt can be of tremendous assistance in building wealth.
One of the secrets, therefore, to being smart with
your money is to differentiate between good debt and bad debt. While
the differences often seem logical, it is a logic that apparently
is missed by many Americans.
"When you buy something that goes down
in value immediately, that's bad debt," says David Bach, CEO
of Finish Rich Inc. and author of The
Finish Rich Workbook. "If it has no potential to increase
in value, that's bad debt."
"Good debt produces cash flow, and bad debt doesn't,"
says John Waskin, CEO of Bill Free / American Credit Counselors,
a nonprofit debt counselling service in the U.S. "If you go
into debt buying an apartment building that will produce revenue
and deductions, that's good debt. Mortgage debt is good debt. You're
borrowing money, but you're getting a tax advantage and can write
off interest on an asset that's appreciating over time. Plus, you
get to live there."
Robert D. Manning, a professor of finance at the Rochester
Institute of Technology, also recommends taking on debts that are
tax-deductible, and debts that produce more wealth in the long run.
"If you are talking about reducing current debt,
that's where it starts to get nuanced," says Manning. "If
you take a home equity loan because you have 17 percent credit card,
and you go with a 6 percent loan that's tax-deductible, that's good
These general rules of thumb set some clear delineations
-- buying a home or refinancing to get rid of excessively high rates
is usually good debt, as is generating debt to buy high return stocks,
bonds and other investments.
The concept of bad debt comes in when discussing the purchase
of disposable items or durable goods or, in general, the use of
high interest credit cards.
"The problem is, people don't realize that credit
cards are just plastic cash," says Chris Bender, Communications
Manager for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling in the
U.S.. "They think when they pay with credit cards they don't
have to pay for it quickly, and so they don't keep track of what
"When you hand someone cash, it's a psychological
wake-up. 'Why, I just gave away $40.' When you charge something,
you don't see the money go, and in your mind that makes a difference."
But buying on credit isn't the same as buying with
cash, because cash doesn't make you pay interest on items as they
drop in value.
"When you buy clothes, they're probably worth
less than 50 percent what you pay for them when you walk out the
door," says Bach. "So if you borrowed to pay for them,
that's bad debt."
Not to mention what that debt could potentially do
to your credit rating.
"Your debt-to-income ratio shouldn't go above
20 percent," says Rob Harol, Credit Card Category Manager at
"If you find yourself above that, it doesn't look good on credit
reports, even if you're making payments on time."
When it comes to buying durable goods that won't contribute
to wealth generation, Bach offers a basic rule of thumb.
"My grandma used to say that if you're going
to buy something that doesn't go up in value, and you can't afford
to pay cash, then you can't afford it."
Exacerbating the bad debt factor is that people will
apply for store credit for the savings, offers that say if you open
a credit card account today, you can take 10 percent to 20 percent
off the cost of your purchase. What people often don't realize is
how much of that savings will be destroyed by the high interest
rate on the card if they fail to pay for the items immediately.
"You can open a store credit card account,"
says Bach, "and what they're not telling you is that after
the first few months, the rate jumps to 20 percent or greater."
Driving into debt
Another bad debt area is auto debt. While most people need
an automobile, and the ultimate cost of an auto is higher than many
people can pay in one lump sum, the way people go about it -- namely,
purchasing more car than they need -- turns it into bad debt.
"People can afford to pay cash for a car,"
says Waskin, "but not the car they see themselves in from an
ego extension standpoint. So you buy a car at a much higher rate
than a house, and that asset is worth less the day you drive it
off the lot."
Bach considers auto debt a Catch-22.
"People borrow to buy cars before homes,"
says Bach, "and that's unfortunate. For most people, their
first major loan is a car loan. That's guaranteed to go down in
value. So you really want to borrow less. For example, instead of
rushing out to borrow to buy a $50,000 BMW, you'd be better off
buying a $25,000 car."
Harol reminds us that just a few years ago it might
have made more sense to buy a car at 6 percent or 7 percent, and
then invest in other avenues and earn 10 percent or higher on your
money, than to pay off the car. Now, of course, with traditional
market investments substantially riskier, that is no longer the
The best type of debt is debt that builds wealth over
the long run, and the No. 1 example of that is mortgage debt.
"Home values have increased an average of 6.5
percent a year over the past 30 years," says Bach. "So
when you borrow to buy a home, chances are that's good debt. You'll
Bach heavily promotes the idea of homeownership, saying
that everyone needs to own where they live.
"About 40 percent of Americans are renters,"
says Bach, "and the fastest way to wealth in America is buying
where you live."
Bach cites some shocking numbers to back this up.
"The average renter has a median net worth of
$4,000, and the average homeowner has a median net worth of about
Manning also emphasizes what a good time this is to
build wealth through debt.
"This is the most advantageous time ever to be
in debt," says Manning, "in terms of opportunities to
get low income loans, or to renegotiate or refinance."
One of the reasons so many people seem mired in bad debt (both
Bach and Waskin report that the average American carries approximately
$8,400 in credit card debt) is that financial education is virtually
"This type of common sense stuff isn't taught
in school," says Bach, "and most Americans don't realize
how bad high-rate credit cards are hurting them."
"We are stupid people when it comes to financial
education," says Waskin. "Only 40 percent of high school
students receive any economic training. We don't teach kids how
to balance a checkbook, what a credit card is, paying rent. We just
say, 'Figure it out.'"
"People are getting in debt before they have
a job," says Manning. "Education is important. We used
to encourage kids to save, and that has been missed. Students now
refer to their credit cards as yuppie food stamps. They see cards
as entitlement, and see they will be in debt all their lives."
Waskin says that the way to fix this is to educate
kids on the difference between good and bad debt, and to return
to some basic fiscal common sense.
"We need to go back to the fundamental values
our parents and grandparents had, saving for a rainy day,"
says Waskin. "The best thing you can do is hope for the best,
but plan for the worst."


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LA Vegan Crepe is closing March 31st »
Photo courtesy of LA Vegan Crepe’s Facebook page.
RIP awesome croissants and crepes (and many other things). LA Vegan Crepe is shutting their doors on Monday, March 31st, but don’t think this is the last we’ll see of them. The location and lack of weekday business is the reason behind their closing, although they had consistent weekend traffic. Their Facebook page suggests that they’re already looking to reopen somewhere, and their owner confirmed that they’re searching for investors.
PLEASE SOMEONE GIVE THEM A TON OF MONEY SO THEY CAN REOPEN!! (Trust me, the chocolate croissants, alone, are worth the investment!)


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PARIS — The United States and the European Union are looking at how to improve food supply chains with export restrictions from India and other nations accentuating global problems, the EU’s trade chief told CNBC.
G-7 foreign ministers warned over the weekend that the war in Ukraine is increasing the risk of a global hunger crisis. This is because Ukraine has been unable to export grains, fertilizers and vegetable oil, while the conflict is also destroying crop fields and preventing a normal planting season.
This has increased the reliance on nations from other parts of the world for these products. But some of these countries, concerned about supplies for their own citizens, have imposed restrictions on exports. This is the case in India, for example, which announced Saturday a ban on wheat sales “to manage the overall food security of the country.”
“That’s something which is very much of concern,” Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU’s trade chief, told CNBC Sunday about these new export measures.
“We agreed with the United States to cooperate and coordinate our approaches in this area, because … as a response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and a corresponding increase in food prices and concerns about food security, countries are starting to take export restrictive measures. And we think that this is a tendency which can only actually aggravate the problem,” Dombrovskis said.
He added that these measures, such as Indonesia’s ban on palm oil exports, “make matters worse.”
Limits on exports are likely to drive up commodity prices, and therefore food costs too. For the EU, this is a matter of food affordability, Dombrovskis explained.
The U.S. and the EU are having talks in France on Monday for their joint Trade and Technological Council, or TTC. The group was put together back in 2021 to restore transatlantic ties, after the Trump-era trade tariffs and disagreements.
However, the work of the TTC has now gone beyond its intended focus, such as semiconductor shortages, to incorporate and find solutions for current geopolitical issues.
Its first meeting, in late 2021, was overshadowed by the U.S. agreement to sell nuclear submarines to Australia — where Canberra decided to ditch a business deal with France, upsetting European officials. Now, its second gathering is dealing with supply shocks in the wake of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to CNBC Sunday, Europe’s Competition Chief Margrethe Vestager said she never thought the TTC would be discussing sanctions against Russia.
“I didn’t foresee this coming. I thought the TTC would be much more focusing on all the other issues … like, for instance, how to coordinate in standard setting organizations, how to make sure that we can create a coalition for people to be elected in organizations, how to work on the supply chains,” Vestager said.
“I think with the geopolitics that we have ahead of us that we’re in now, you know, if we hadn’t had the TTC, we’d have had to invent it,” Vestager said.
The EU’s competition chief was once dubbed by former U.S. President Donald Trump as Europe’s “tax lady” and often criticized for going after Big Tech. However, she says she has noticed recent a change in the transatlantic relationship.
“Things are very different from what we saw 2, 4, 6 years ago,” she said.
When asked whether Russia’s invasion of Ukraine served to revive the transatlantic bond, she said: “I definitely think so.”
“It has made it abundantly clear that like-minded [nations] must come together,” she said.


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Back when a Google-branded Chrome OS netbook was tipped for late 2010, we were still in the dark regarding potential specifications for the web-centric ultraportable. Now IBTimes is claiming to have the official spec sheet, and as speculated there’s both an ARM-based CPU and NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset among the components. There’s also a 10.1-inch display with multitouch-capable touchscreen mentioned, able to display HD – likely 720p – video, together with a 64GB SSD and 2GB of RAM.
Connectivity is believed to include WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G, together with ethernet, audio in/out and a multiformat memory card reader, and there’s a webcam too.
A sub-$300 price tag is tipped, thanks to both Google and carrier subsidies, and the search giant are expected to preload their usual batch of applications including Google Maps, Google Voice and Google Docs. The only unusual element is the relatively large amount of local storage; Google have previously said that cloud storage will be primarily used.


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Find us on...
On 25 April 2022, the UK announced new trade measures to cut tariffs on all goods covered under the existing UK-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (FTA). That is, all tariffs on goods imported from Ukraine will now be reduced to zero and all quotas will be removed under the FTA.
In addition, the UK announced on 21 April 2022 expanding the list of products facing increased tariffs by 35%. The list includes essential oils, perfumery, cosmetic and toilet preparations, meaning that these products will be subject to additional duties when imported from Russia and Belarus and once legislation is in force. Legislation will be laid in due course to implement these measures, and the overall scope of products affected by existing and planned tariff increases will remain under review. The full list of imports requiring additional duties can be found on the UK Government website.
Businesses and traders with questions relating to trading with Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus can continue to submit their enquiries to the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Export Support Service by visiting https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team, or calling the helpline using the number 0300 303 8955.


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A potential move by Mondelez International, Inc. to acquire the Arnott’s cookie and cracker brands from Campbell Soup Co. has reached a stalemate, according to a report from CNBC. The news comes a little more than a week after various news outlets reported that Mondelez was negotiating final terms for the acquisition of the business, which includes the Australian cookie brand Arnott’s and Danish baked snacks maker Kelsen Group.
Citing people familiar with the negotiations, CNBC said there now appears to be a hang-up regarding a possible transaction price, with the belief that Mondelez’s offer is falling short of Campbell Soup’s roughly $3 billion price expectation.
CNBC’s sources said it is common for there to be last-minute negotiations over price.
In addition to Mondelez, other companies that have been mentioned as possible suitors for the Arnott’s cookie and cracker brands include Ferrero Group, Kraft Heinz Co. and a couple consortiums backed by private equity firms. Ferrero’s interest in the business would appear to be on the backburner after the company last week agreed to acquire Kellogg’s cookie, fruit snack, pie crust and ice cream cone business for $1.3 billion.
By Eric Schroeder
Source: Food Business News
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has announced the appointment of Frank Clyburn as CEO and member of the board of directors, effective 14 February 2022. Clyburn, who will step down from his position as executive VP and president of human health at Merck & Co, succeeds current IFF CEO Andreas Fibig
Jack Link’s-owned meat snacking brand Peperami has launched new chorizo five-packs to add to its extensive snack portfolio. The new chorizo sticks are made with 100% pork, packed with protein, contain 99 calories and are unpasteurised to maintain a fuller flavour — providing a shelf life of over six months.
While foam is certainly desirable in the bathtub or on beer, preventing foam – for example in industrial processes – is a much-discussed topic. A team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research has now shown that so-called “superamphiphobic surfaces” can be used to prevent foaming.


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RECOMMENDED FOREX BROKERS
Do not invest more money than you can afford to lose.
Japan’s financial watchdog, the Financial Services Agency (FSA), said on Wednesday it is working on setting up a regulatory framework for financial technology providers (fintechs), starting with the establishment of a Panel of Experts on FinTech Start-ups. The panel will discuss the possibility of creating a fintech ecosystem and the impact that fintechs have on the financial services sector.
The panel aims to promote the growth and success of fintech start-ups. The FSA is warried that advanced fintech start-ups and venture capitalists have not necessarily emerged in Japan when compared with the situation in other advanced economies.
The panel’s first two-hour meeting is scheduled to take place on 16 May, 2016. It will gather experts that take up executive positIons at various companies from related sectors, as well as professors from Japanese technology and economics universities. Following is the full list of the panel members, which could be expanded.
- Joichi Ito, director, MIT Media Lab
- Yasunori Kaneko, managing director, Skyline Ventures
- Soichi Kariyazono, chair, Japan Venture Capital Association
- Tomotaka Goji, managing partner, University of Tokyo Edge Capital Co., Ltd.
- Toshio Taki, COO, Money Forward, Inc.
- Masaaki Tanaka, senior advisor, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
- Masaaki Nakatsu, co-founder and CEO, Orb, Inc.
- Shin-ichi Fukuda, professor, Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo (chair)
- Yutaka Matsuo, associate professor, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo
Japan is not the first Asian country to try to encourage the development of fintechs in the country. Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) established last month a Fintech Contact Point and an Advisory Group to encourage such companies to engage with the regulator since their activities are relevant to those of the SFC’s. In April 2015, the Hong Kong government established a Steering Group on Financial Technologies, which aims to turn Hong Kong into a fintech hub.
Recently, the fintech sector has been rapidly developing globally with the increase of startups and the increase in financial technologies in various industry sectors. Its rise is strongly influenced by the development of the technological, social and economic environments. Financial entities have been increasingly turning towards the adoption of fintech solutions to enhance their performance.


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On Tuesday, Dell EMC unveiled its new Machine and Deep Learning Ready Bundles that aim to accelerate the adoption of machine learning and deep learning in the enterprise. The bundles will include servers, storage, networking tools, and services to help with the process, according to a press release.
Emerging technologies like high performance computing (HPC) and data analytics can be used for a variety of purposes, but are often difficult to implement, the release noted. By making it easier to take advantage of these tech trends, more companies could use these tools to work on fraud detection, image processing, financial investment analysis, and more, the release said.
Dell EMC believes that the new bundles will enable customers to gain deeper insights from their data, recognizing important patterns for human behavior and business trends, according to the release. The bundled solutions will also lower the cost for moving data into hybrid cloud environments as well.
SEE: IT hardware procurement policy template (Tech Pro Research)
Dell EMC also introduced its new PowerEdge C4140 server, which supports NVIDIA’s latest Tesla V100 GPU accelerators. GPUs have quickly risen to prominence in the artificial intelligence (AI) world for their ability to handle large-scale parallel processing.
Specifically, the PowerEdge C4140 has two Intel Xeon Scalable Processors and four NVIDIA Tesla GPUs. According to the release, it is “ideal for intensive machine learning and deep learning applications to drive advances in scientific imaging, oil and gas exploration, financial services and other HPC industry verticals.” The PowerEdge C4140 will be available in December 2017.
The strategic agreement with NVIDIA seems to only be the beginning. Dell EMC noted in the release that it also plans to introduce similar bundles with Intel as well. The initial bundles will be available sometime in the first half of 2018, the release said.
“It is apparent that Dell acquired knowledgeable AI and data scientists along with the rest of EMC for an even stronger, combined Dell EMC,” Karl Freund, senior analyst at Moor Insights & Strategies, said in the release. “These folks get it–AI isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be so terribly hard given the right products and services.”
The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers
- Dell EMC announced new ready-made hardware and services bundles that aim to make it easier for businesses to adopt machine learning, deep learning, HPC, and data analytics.
- Dell EMC also introduced its new PowerEdge C4140 server, which supports NVIDIA’s latest Tesla V100 GPU accelerators and has two Intel Xeon Scalable Processors.
- The first bundles will be available in the first half of 2018, but Dell EMC is planning on introducing more bundles with partners like Intel in the future.


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Everybody has to deal with unwanted hair. Shaving is a necessity for most people and it may take a toll on their patience as it often leads to nicks, razor burn and dryness. Good news to those who find shaving an unpleasant thing to do each day as a laser shaver is coming its way to become a reality thanks to two inventors.
Skarp Laser Razor is a new innovation in technology that uses laser instead of blades in every day shaving kits. Morgan Gustavsson invented the IPL (Intense Pulse Light) laser in 1989, reports Business Insider. Until now, it is being used for hair removal treatments but he wants to create something that uses laser and can be used by people in their daily lives.
However, it was discovered that his invention could cut through dark or black hair but has difficulty cutting gray hair. It became a daunting task for him until he discovered a part of a hair or chromophore that all humans possess. His partner, Paul Binun, says that a certain wavelength of light or laser could cut through this part of the hair.
According to CNET, the partners are now trying to build a Kickstarter campaign to help them push through with their design and make it into a reality. Up to date, it already made more than four times its expected donations reaching approximately $650,000.
Skarp razor is expected to cost around $159 each by March 2016. This device can be used on any part of the body and can be used by both men and women. With the funds from pledges on hand, they can now start designing the shaver of the future and those who are waiting for it can see the actual product early next year to determine if it will live up to their expectations.