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Raw material shortages dramatically increased international freight transport costs and demand due to economic recovery.
In order to secure the needed components for the production of solvent-based inks and coatings, Sun Chemical has increased prices.
The inks deliver high print gloss, especially on matte or semi-matte paper that doesn’t require a water-based or oil-based coating.
Myron Petruch will succeed Rudi Lenz in the role of president and CEO of Sun Chemical, effective Jan. 1, 2019.
Sun Chemical will increase prices across its entire portfolio of ink, coating and consumable products in North America.
Sun Chemical will increase the prices of all ultraviolet and electron beam inks in Europe by 4-6%.
Sun Chemical will increase prices on all offset inks and coatings for its customers across all regions, effective March 1, 2018.
Due to recent price increases, Sun Chemical will increase prices on its offset inks, coatings and consumables across North America.
Sun Chemical has announced the acquisition of Joules Angstrom U.V. Printing Inks, a leading manufacturer of UV printing inks.
Sun Chemical’s work with HP Indigo will lead to the development of a comprehensive range of digital coatings.


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By Paul Ploumis 18 Sep 2015 Last updated at 08:31:55 GMT
NEW DELHI (Scrap Monster): The Indian gold jewellery exports declined sharply by nearly 14% year-on-year to $537.50 million (Rs. 3,497.54 Crore) in August 2015 while the country’s silver jewelry exports remained more or less flat at $ 234.33 million (Rs. 1,524.79 Crore). This is in accordance with the latest official monthly data released by the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).
According to GJEPC, country's cut and polished diamond exports in August ‘15 touched $1,755.46 million, declining by 8.43% over the previous year. The country’s exports of Coloured Gemstones recorded significant jump, rising sharply from $31.67 million during August ‘14 to $40.46 million during August ‘15. Also, the exports of Pearls increased to $0.13 million from $0.12 million a year ago. The exports of Synthetic stones have soared multi-fold from $0.12 million in August 2014 to $6.87 million in August 2015.
India's export of gold medallions & coins during the month of August this year witnessed increased activity. The exports during the month totaled $0.83 million (Rs. 5.42 Crores). This is nearly 63% higher when compared with the exports of $0.51 million (Rs. 3.13 Crores) recorded during the same month a year ago. Meantime, export of Rough diamond from the country has declined substantially by almost 24% in August ‘15. The exports of Rough diamonds during the month totaled $574.14 million (Rs. 88.23 Crore).
The figures released by the country’s Export Promotion Council indicate that gold jewellery exports trended upwards in August when compared with July 2015. The exports of Colored gemstones recorded month-on-month increase. On the other hand, gold medallions and coins export dropped sharply. Also, silver jewellery exports declined in comparison with the previous month.

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There will be a mini-market and food festival at Chicheley Hall Hotel to celebrate the hotel reopening under new management.
Chicheley Hall announced its permanent closure due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in June last year.
It was later announced, in March 2021, that the Grade I listed 18th-century mansion and its grounds had been bought by a Hong Kong-based property company and would be reopening under new management.
The management company, Countrywide Hotels, has shared its plans for the hotel in a bid to make it one of the best hotels and wedding venues in the county.
Countrywide Hotels has also announced that to celebrate the reopening of the hotel, the Chicheley Hall Mini Market and Food Festival will be held on Sunday 23rd May from 10am to 4pm.
The free event will include cooking and cocktail demonstrations, a mini market of local produce and stalls from some of the county’s best suppliers.
Pete Farrow, Operations Director of Countrywide Hotels, said: “We’re all looking forward to being able to open our doors to the local community and celebrate all that this wonderful venue has to offer.
“As well as the food and drink stalls we’ll be offering tours of our stunning bedrooms, afternoon teas and a preview of our wedding setup – all in line with COVID-secure guidelines. Everyone is invited to just wander around the gardens and there is plenty free parking.
“It’s a taste of the perfect British Sunday that we’ve all missed so much.”


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Samsung's mid-range Galaxy J7 Pro smartphone had started receiving the Android 8.1 Oreo software update in India and other markets just a few weeks back. However, several users are reporting that the update is the reason behind unresponsiveness issues with the touchscreen on the handset. Samsung has since responded and suggested steps to fix the issue - including charging the phone, booting it in Safe Mode, booting in Recovery Mode, or using Smart Switch. The South Korean phone maker has also advised users to bring their Galaxy J7 Pro in for a service request in case these measures don't help.
In a thread on Samsung's US Community forums, a user in late September had reported unresponsiveness in touch output on the Galaxy J7 Pro after the latest Android 8.1 Oreo software update. It was followed by multiple users reporting the same issue in the comments. Earlier this month, however, a Samsung moderator responded with several troubleshooting suggestions. Additionally, the moderator recommended contacting Samsung support in case the issue is not resolved. The reply also mentions the possibility of a hardware issue compared to software issues.
One user on the thread even claimed that reverting to Android Nougat seems to have fixed the touchscreen issue. However, Samsung states that flashing the ROM or rooting the device will void your warranty.
The dual-SIM (Nano) Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro runs Android 8.1 Oreo, and sports a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) Super AMOLED panel with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The handset is powered by an octa-core Exynos 7870 SoC, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. Storage is expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB).
In the camera department, the Galaxy J7 Pro sports a single 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, f/1.7 aperture, and an LED flash. On the front is yet another 13-megapixel selfie camera with f/1.9 aperture and full-HD video recording. There is a non-removable 3,600mAh battery under the hood.


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Payments executives love to talk about the security of paying with a smart phone, but that message still hasn’t gotten through to consumers, according to new survey findings from The Pew Charitable Trusts.
The good news for mobile-payments proponents is that Pew found more than half, 56%, of its respondents had made a payment with a smart phone in the preceding year. Extrapolated, that means approximately 143 million adults had made a least one mobile payment over that time, according to Pew, citing U.S. Census Bureau population data.
But many people have a twinge of anxiety about financial loss from mobile payments. Some of this trepidation stems from not trusting the security technology, and part of it comes from confusion about regulations meant to protect consumers from loss. Only 22% of respondents believe mobile payments are “well protected,” according to Pew, a Philadelphia-based public-interest nonprofit. In contrast, 61% said credit cards are well protected, and 43% said the same about debit cards. Thirty-four percent of respondents thought prepaid cards were well protected.
“Previous research by The Pew Charitable Trusts found that age is the best predictor of mobile-payment use, with younger Americans driving the growth of these transactions, motivated in part by rewards or loyalty programs offered by mobile-app providers,” says a post on Pew’s Issue Brief Web site. “However, Pew’s study also found that across generations, consumers remain skeptical of this financial technology, have persistent concerns about security, and are more likely to trust traditional methods, such as debit and credit cards.”
Although the survey results were released this week, the underlying research was conducted in February and March of 2018 for Pew by The GfK Group. GfK fielded a nationally representative sample of 1,178 participants, with a sampling margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Pew’s results reflect other researchers’ findings about consumer comfort levels with mobile payments. A first-quarter survey by New York City-based 451 Research found that just 24% of consumers believe mobile wallets are very secure. Some 67% of 451’s respondents said either that traditional payment cards are more secure than mobile wallets, or they were unsure which is more secure.
Plus, 25% of the non-mobile-wallet users cited “security concerns” as the primary reason they weren’t using them. And 50% of non-users said the most important factor in encouraging them to use a wallet would be antifraud security that is better than traditional payment cards’.
“Many consumers are uneasy when it comes to the security of new technologies,” 451 Research payments analyst Jordan McKee tells Digital Transactions News by email. “When those new technologies intersect with their finances, concerns become even more elevated.”
Industry data suggest mobile wallets account for 2% at best of general-purpose card transactions. Part of the low adoption stems from the lack of a clearly superior experience in using a mobile wallet over a card at the point of sale for either consumers or merchants, and security is another major retardant. Thus, mobile-payments proponents have “an education issue at hand,” according to McKee.
“The onus is on all ecosystem stakeholders—issuers, wallet providers, networks, and others—to communicate the security benefits of mobile payments in language that the consumer understands,” he says. “Strong and persistent consumer education is paramount to dispelling security misconceptions that continue to run rampant in the mobile-payments sector.”


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C-P Flexible Packaging, a portfolio company of First Atlantic Capital since February 2013, has acquired Genpak Flexible from The Jim Pattison Group.
Genpak Flexible’s products include die-cut rollstock and pouches, as well as paper-based laminations used in the coffee, confectionary, snack, medical and pet food industries. The company has facilities near Toronto in Aurora, Ontario and near Minneapolis in Lakeville, Minnesota.
C-P Flexible Packaging is a manufacturer of flexible packaging for the snack food, bakery, confection, and household chemical sectors. The company offers various flexible packaging products, including spanning HD printed rollstock, premade pouches, shrink sleeves, stretch sleeves, poly bags, roll-fed labels, reclose, cold-seal and recyclable flexible packaging.
With the buy of Genpak, C-P Flexible’s North American footprint now consists of six locations with more than 750 employees. C-P Flexible is led by CEO Mike Hoffman and, according to the company, is one of the top 20 flexible packaging suppliers in the U.S. C-P Flexible was founded in 1959 and is headquartered north of Baltimore in York, Pennsylvania.
“Our vision was to create a major player in the flexible packaging industry with diverse manufacturing capabilities—especially technologies to address speed to market and sustainability. With this transformational acquisition, we are well on our way to achieving our goal,” said Emilio Pedroni, a managing director of First Atlantic.
“We are pleased to continue to support the expansion of C-P Flexible Packaging as it evolves into a leader in the high-growth flexible packaging sector,” said Roberto Buaron, the chairman of First Atlantic. “This acquisition unlocks additional value by substantially expanding the range of products and capabilities we bring to the marketplace.”
New York City-based First Atlantic invests in middle-market companies that are active in the plastics and packaging, food and beverage, consumer and industrial products, and business services sectors. Since its inception in 1989, First Atlantic has acquired more than 70 companies and consolidated them into 22 platforms.
The Jim Pattison Group is a diversified holding company with more than $10 billion in annual sales and is the second-largest private company in Canada. The business is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and has operating divisions in automotive, advertising, media, agricultural equipment, food and beverage, entertainment, exporting, financial, real estate, and periodical distribution sectors. The Jim Pattison Group acquired Genpak Flexible in 1989.
“We are very proud of our team at Genpak Flexible and the company that they have built,” said David Cobb, managing director of The Jim Pattison Group. “We believe both the employees and customers are in excellent hands with C-P Flexible Packaging and that the combined resources of the two companies will only strengthen the opportunities for both employees and customers.”
Private Equity Professional | June 23, 2020


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Would you like grant support to run your own cycling inspired event this June? The purpose of this grant is to support people who want to run their own cycling inspired event during National Bike Week 2015 to help grow the cycling culture here in Limerick.
Grants available will range from €250 to €500 per application/event.
Examples of previously funded cycling inspired events are listed below or propose a new one, whichever suits best. Previous events have included:
- Bicycle Repair Events
- Bicycle Themed Events
- Bicycle Rider Picnic and Music Events
- Bicycle Rider Speed Dating Events
- Cycle Fashion Show,
- Cycle Rider Quiz Nights,
- You decide!
Anyone can apply to the fund as long as you are running it on a ‘not for profit’ basis and you intend to hold your event between the 13th and 21st of June inclusive.
The judges of the event grant will be looking for simple yet creative applications which will help grow the cycling culture here in Limerick.
Richard Lynch, one of the event grant judges, has said: “National Bike Week is a celebration of all that’s great about bicycles and cycling. It has been established to get more people participating in cycling both for transport and recreation. The judges welcome a variety of applications as the intention is to have something for everyone. Best of luck to all involved.”
The application pack, further details and updates can be found by searching ‘National Bike Week: Event Grant ‘on the Limerick Smarter Travel website: www.limericksmartertravel.ie or by visiting the Limerick Smarter Travel facebook page: facebook/limericksmartertravel.
The deadline for the National Bike Week: Event Grant has been extended to 9am (sharp) Friday the 8th of May. See https://smartertravel.
This year National Bike Week runs from the 13 – 21 of June, with cycling themed events happening right across the country.
For more information, check out Bike Week Ireland’s website here.
Check out Bike Week Ireland’s Facebook here
Check out Bike Week Ireland’s Twitter here
Check out Bike Week Ireland’s Instagram here
Read more about Bike Week here.


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On the windshield of Horton Emergency Vehicles’ latest ambulance, the number “17000” was scrawled on the left corner of the glass where the production number typically goes on a vehicle making its way down the Horton ambulance line. Horton celebrated this number at FDIC International 2016 among the world’s largest gathering of fire professionals. The milestone marks the ambulance manufacturer’s 17,000th vehicle to roll off the production line in the last 48 years.
The Jerome Township Division of Fire (Union County, Ohio) will take ownership of Horton’s 17,000th vehicle following the April 18-23 FDIC show. The township enlisted Horton, the leading manufacturer of custom ambulances since 1968, to build its one-of-a-kind Model 623 Medium Duty vehicle, built on a Freightliner chassis.
The Horton Model 623 offered Jerome Township the best choice when considering potential hilly terrain or long treks to the hospital. And just like every other Horton Medium Duty vehicle, Jerome Township’s unit came standard with Horton’s exclusive occupant protection system (HOPS), extra sound and thermal protection, a multiplexed electrical system, and the VI-Tech mounting system, which provides for a smoother, more quiet ride.
By pure coincidence, Horton hit the 17,000th mark just before FDIC, similar to the 16,000th milestone the company reached in time for EMS Week 2014.
“We can’t plan orders. It’s just a happy coincidence, and actually, happenstance doesn’t usually happen among industry leaders, like Horton,” said Dave Marshall, Brand Manager. “We complete an average of two vehicles per working day, and when you look at our long history with townships, like Jerome, it’s easy to see how we deliver in the ambulance industry, time and time again. Not to mention, Horton has an international footprint that continues to grow.”
Jerome Township, founded in 1821 in Plain City, Ohio, has looked to Horton for more than 20 years for its vehicle needs. Meanwhile, Horton’s 16,000th unit was delivered to Delaware County EMS (DCEMS), a repeat customer of Horton’s, going on 40 years.
“Our customer relationships are essential to our success,” Marshall said. “Without this trust, we would have never bridged this number. Just think about it — 17,000 vehicles. It’s amazing to think we have that many ambulances helping save lives every day. That kind of trust is amazing.”
And at the same time, Horton has earned that loyalty as one of the top custom ambulance manufacturers. In fact, the company is known for its innovations, in part thanks to founder Carl Horton, who built the first-ever van ambulance, which pioneered the industry’s shift from hearse-based transport to today’s modern-age ambulance.
Carl Horton also used the recession to switch from the standard bay-build system to an assembly line process, cutting the industry-standard 60-day build in practically half the time. Today, the Horton brand continues to find efficiencies, relying on the latest technology to push the brand into the forefront.
“Two years down the road, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’ll be talking about Horton’s 18,000th unit,” Marshall said.
Horton will share almost 20,000 square feet of booth space (Booth 5300) with four of its sister ambulance brands (Wheeled Coach, Road Rescue, America Emergency Vehicles and McCoy Miller Emergency Vehicles), as well as E-ONE, a REV manufacturer of fire vehicles.


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What’s app in the Food world during EXPO?
EXPO 2015 Milano started in May and ends at the end of October. Six months. The theme has been Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. Twenty million visitors. The drafting of the Milan Charter. A celebration of Food. But this is all in Milan. What has been happening in Brussels during these six months of EXPO? This month’s What’s app contains an overview of the most significant issues relating to food and agriculture from the last six months in Brussels.
MEPs on organic farming reform
On 13 October 2015 the AGRI Committee of the EU Parliament voted on the legislative proposal on organic farming.
The Parliament vote was in relation to the 2014 Commission Proposal on organic production and labelling of organic products, aiming to: i) overcome the regulatory and non-regulatory obstacles to the development of organic farming in the EU; ii) increase consumer confidence and address shortcomings in the control system and in the trade regime; iii) avoid unfair competition among producers and risks for the functioning of the internal market, because of gaps in the legislation and implementation and enforcement failures.
First, AGRI MEPs insisted that organic farming requires a specific controls regime involving the whole food chain in order to avoid food fraud. Second, they introduced new precautionary measures aiming to increase the accountability of food operators along the organic chain and avoid the risk of non-authorised techniques. Third, they adjust the Commission’s plan to abolish mixed farms on the basis that the conventional farming activities are clearly separated from the organic farming ones. Finally, MEPs supported the Commission’s proposal to ensure that imported products must comply with EU rules.
The AGRI Rapporteur will now lead the EU Parliament’s negotiating team during the coming talks with the Council (and the Commission – the so-called ‘Trilogue meetings’) on the final draft of the new organic food rules.
‘Enjoy, it’s from Europe’: a new programme promoting EU agriculture in 2016
On 13 October 2015 the Commission launched a new promotion policy that should help the agricultural sector to find new markets both outside and within the EU. €111 million from the EU budget will be now available for promoting and supporting the sector, and an increase to €200 million is expected in 2019.
The EU co-financing rates will also go up from 50% to 70-80% (up to 85% for Greece and Cyprus). The 2016 programme targets a selected list of third country having the highest potential for growth in particular to the sectors experiencing a difficult market situation, like dairy and pig meat.
A key element of the new promotion policy is the establishment of an annual work programme, which identifies the priorities for promotion measures as to products, schemes and markets, and the corresponding allocated budgets. The idea is to have a dynamic and pro-active policy, adapted each year to emerging market opportunities and the needs of the agricultural sector.
EU to offer to increase olive oil imports from Tunisia
On 17 September 2015 the Commission adopted a legislative proposal offering additional temporary access for Tunisian olive oil to the EU market to help support Tunisia’s recovery in the difficult period being faced by the country following the terrorist attack in June 2015.
The Commission proposes to offer, until end of 2017, a unilateral annual duty-free tariff rate quota of 35,000 tonnes for Tunisia’s exports of olive oil to the EU, in addition to the existing 56,700 tonnes under the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement.
In the Commission’s view, the measure has been designed taking into account its impact in the European olive oil sector. However, some sectors of the Italian olive oil industry have already criticised the Commission’s decision.
The proposal will now be transmitted to the Council and the EU Parliament for scrutiny and formal adoption before it can enter into force.
€500 million comprehensive package of measures to support EU farmers
On 7 September 2015 the Commission announced a €500 million support package aiming to develop new dairy exports in Asia and thereby recognising the difficulties being experienced by EU farmers.
The main priorities of this aid package are: i) addressing the cash-flow difficulties faced by farmers; ii) addressing the functioning of the supply chain; iii) stabilising the markets; and iv) providing social assistance. The allocation of these new funds among the 28 Member States remains an open question.
This announcement has to be regarded in the context of support already provided to the agricultural sector in response to the impact of the Russian ban and the level of support that the EU provides annually to farmers and rural communities, amounting to more than €50 billion.
Safety net measures extended for the EU dairy, fruit and vegetables sectors
On 30 July 2015 the Commission stated that safety net measures for the EU dairy, fruit and vegetables sectors will be extended into 2016. Aid for the dairy sector will be continued until 26 February 2016, while aid for the fruit and vegetables sector will be prolonged until 30 July 2016. The Commission is committed to give support EU farmers hit by the Russian ban on imports of fruit, vegetables, meat poultry, fish, milk and dairy products.
Labelling of foodstuffs must not mislead consumers
The judgement in Case C-195/14 Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen und Verbraucherverbände – Verbraucherzentral Bundesverband e.V. v Teekanne GmbH & Co. KG, handed down on 4 June 2015, shows the European Court of Justice (ECJ) insisting that the labelling of a foodstuff must not mislead the consumer by giving the impression that a particular ingredient is present, when it is not in fact present.
In the case at issue, a German company marketed a fruit tea called ‘Felix raspberry and vanilla adventure’. The packaging included depictions of raspberries and vanilla flowers and the indications ‘fruit tea with vanilla natural flavourings’ and ‘fruit tea with natural flavourings – raspberry-vanilla taste’. However, the fruit tea did not contain natural ingredients from vanilla or raspberry or flavourings obtained from them. The list of ingredients, which was placed on one side of the packaging, read: ‘Hibiscus, apple, sweet blackberry leaves, orange peel, rosehip, natural flavouring with a taste of vanilla, lemon peel, natural flavouring with a taste of raspberry, blackberries, strawberry, blueberry, elderberry’. A German consumer protection association complained that the packaging mislead consumers with regard to the tea’s contents.
The ECJ first found that EU law requires that consumers have right to correct, neutral and objective information that does not mislead and that the food labels cannot mislead.
The ECJ also made clear that the list of ingredients, even though correct and comprehensive, may not be capable of correcting the erroneous or misleading impression which the consumer has from the labelling of the foodstuff itself. Therefore, where the labelling of a food product gives the impression that a particular ingredient is present in the foodstuff, even though it is not in fact present (this being apparent from the list of ingredients), the label can be misleading. The correct labelling of the ingredients cannot overcome the deceptiveness of the label itself.
Public consultation on tax rules on beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages
On 28 August 2015 the Commission launched a public consultation to assess whether some of the rules on excise duty on beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages should be amended in order to fight tax fraud and reduce the sale of counterfeit alcohol. The Commission also wants to verify whether small and home producers of alcohol could benefit from simpler rules and lower excise duties.
This consultation is part of the Better Regulation Agenda aiming to simplify EU laws, reduce regulatory costs and protect consumers. It ends on 27 November 2015.
New Rural Development Programmes
On 26 May 2015 the Commission approved a further 24 Rural Development Programmes aimed at improving the competitiveness of the EU farming sector, caring for the countryside and climate, and strengthening the economic and social fabric of rural communities in the period until 2020. Funding worth 27 billion EUR from the EU budget, co-financed by further public funding at national/regional level and/or private funds, is made available. Italy is one of the Member States concerned.
 Proposal for a Regulation on organic production and labelling of organic products, COM(2014) 180 final.
 Proposal for a Regulation on the introduction of emergency autonomous trade measures for the Republic of Tunisia, Brussels, 17.9.2015, COM(2015) 460 final, 2015/0218 (COD).
 Since August 2014 Russia has banned the import of certain foods and drinks originating in the EU as a response to Western sanctions over Ukraine’s crisis. As a reaction to the Russian food ban, the Commission started using agricultural funds to help EU producers hit by the trade restrictions. Russia is the second most important destination for EU agri-food exports after the United States, representing in total a value of about € 11.8 billion in 2013, or roughly 10% of all EU agri-food export.
 The present case is a reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof (the German Federal Court of Justice).
 Directive 2000/13/EC of 20 March 2000 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs (OJ 2000 L 109, p. 29), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 596/2009 of 18 June 2009 (OJ 2009 L 188, p.14).
 Excise duties are indirect taxes on the sale or use of specific products, such as alcohol. They are usually applied as an amount per quantity of the product and are collected by EU Member States. Existing EU rules on the harmonisation on excise duties on alcohol and alcoholic beverages are set out in Directive 92/83/EEC (‘Alcohol Excise Structures Directive’). This Directive – inter alia – specifies the method for calculating the duty on alcoholic products, and the criteria under which certain alcohol products may qualify for reduced rates or exemptions, such as for denatured alcohol which is not for human consumption but used to make products such as perfume, anti-freeze and bio-fuels.


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In the year 2016, while the U.S. elections overshadowed everything else, five states in the U.S., namely Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada had initiatives to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Following the 2016 ballot, Arizona voted no, while the remainder of the states such as California, Nevada, Montana, North Dakota, Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts and Maine voted in favor for using marijuana for recreational purposes. This comes on top of 17 other states including Alaska and Hawaii that have already legalized marijuana in one form or another.
The trend in legalizing marijuana has been increasingly prevalent and it seems quite surprising that only until few years ago, being caught in possession of marijuana in many states of the U.S. could have meant having to face the courts and perhaps even prison time.
Times are changing as far as marijuana is concerned and the current state of affairs reminds one of the times when prohibition on alcohol was lifted. As an interesting note, states such as Massachusetts and Maine were actually some of the first states that acted on prohibiting alcohol. For example, in 1838, the state of Massachusetts passed a temperance law that banned sale of spirits in less than 15-gallon quantities. And in 1846 Maine passed the first prohibition law.
Arcview Market Research, which is a leading name in Cannabis research estimates that the market for both medical and recreational marijuana is expected to rise to $22 billion by 2020 while financial services firm, Cowen project $50 billion market value by 2026. The industry is currently valued around $7.4 billion with over 28 states allowing the use of medical marijuana and some states allowing for legal use of recreational marijuana as well.
But the marijuana or the cannabis industry is still in its nascent stages. Although investor interest has increased over time, marijuana stocks are still treated as penny stocks, trading under $5 a share and having a market cap of less than $300 million on average and it is not uncommon to find stocks in a boom-bust pattern thus requiring more than the additional due diligence when dealing with stocks in this sector.
What this means for investors is that once you brush aside the buzz associated with marijuana stocks, the stocks are still penny stocks and come with the usual risks associated with penny stocks. Therefore, investors need to get the full picture before riding the buzz and focus on a number of aspects. And this is something which some insiders in the industry even agree too along with the SEC which has already issued a warning that the marijuana industry is quite susceptible to fraud and can be used to lure investors with the promise of high returns.
Within the marijuana investing industry, there are only a handful of stocks that can boast of having a larger market cap. The industry is also relatively new, having been in existence since late 2015 and early 2016. But if the current trend continues, there is a very strong chance that some big names could emerge over the period of the next three to five years.
To get an idea of the stocks that are listed in the cannabis sector, the U.S. marijuana index chart listed below is a good place to start. It shows the total market cap for the industry which is at $4.84 billion This puts the entire marijuana industry in the mid-cap sector with a total of only 17 constituents listed on the index so far.
The U.S. Marijuana Index (Source – The Marijuana Index)
What are the top stocks in the Marijuana sector?
The table below shows the total of 17 odd stocks that are listed on the Marijuana index (not an official index). These stocks are considered the top of the list of Marijuana stocks as they need to meet minimum criteria of having a market cap of $10 million with a daily trading volume of $20,000 or more. If you dig deeper you can find more risky OTC stocks from the marijuana sector but with smaller market caps and lower trading volumes.
Of these 17 stocks that are listed, only the top company in terms of market cap is GW Pharmaceuticals Plc (GWPH) which boasts of having $3.2 billion. The remaining of the listed companies are names like Axim Biotechnologies Inc. (AXIM) which comes in at the second spot with a market cap of $585 million. With the exception of a few names, most of the stocks listed on the Marijuana index are traded over-the counter. The few names that are listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ have had history of dealing with other products as well but have been known to be early movers into the marijuana industry.
Marijuana Stocks from largest to smallest in market cap
GW Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology/pharmaceutical company that focuses on specializing therapeutics from the cannabiniod product platform. Most of the drugs from GW Pharmaceuticals are geared towards medical usage of marijuana and includes some names that are already in the market such as Epidiolex and Sativex. GW Pharmaceuticals has three segments, namely the commercial, Sativex research and development and the pipeline R&D segments. GW Pharmaceuticals is based in headquartered London and has offices in the U.S., Canada and Asia. Among the many different stocks in the marijuana industry, GWPH is probably one name that often comes up and is uniquely positioned for concentrating its research into the cannabis industry while also holding its ground as biotech research firm as well.
Considering the fact that very little is known as to the effects and the uses of marijuana especially for medical purposes, all it takes is a single breakthrough for the stock to make huge returns for its investors.
GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) stock chart
If one were to remove cannadiniod from GW Pharma’s research, the company would be on part with any other regular biotechnology company. Besides, GW Pharmaceuticals, there are some existing names in the industry such as AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) which are already established names in the field of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology R&D. AbbVie also has a few product lines geared towards developing products using Marijuana. Although in terms of a pure play stock for the Marijuana sector, AbbVie doesn’t quite fit the bill.
Besides the above stocks, industry insiders suggest purchasing stocks of companies that deal with supplying the marijuana industry. These secondary stocks are said to be more reliable and have a diverse set of business, with usually one segment of their business dealing with supply of chemicals, lighting and other equipment required in growing and in conducting the research and development of the marijuana industry.
One such name that often comes up is lawn-care products make, Scotts Mircale-Gro (SMG). The company has made inroads into developing hydroponics with the CEO, Jim Hagedorn betting that the marijuana industry will grow to be a billion dollar industry. Staying true to its convictions, the company has already acquired smaller companies such as Gavita, which is a Dutch company dealing with grow lighting and also has bought out other companies that supply hardware, fertilizers among other things. What makes SMG a safer bet among the more risky OTC shares is the fact that SMG has a market cap of $5.59 billion and trades on the New York Stock Exchange, making SMG another name worth considering when it comes to investing in the marijuana industry.
What are the risks of investing in Marijuana stocks?
Most first time investors to the Marijuana industry might feel these stocks to have high growth potential, especially after recent changes to the legislation and wider adoption and recognition of using marijuana for medical purposes. Marijuana stocks have been high flying for the most part of 2016 and the industry merely got a shot in the arm with the November 2016 legislation.
As with any industry, it is imperative the investor do their due diligence into the sector and for something such as Marijuana as a product, investors should also pay attention to the government and medical legislations as well.
Because marijuana is treated as a schedule I drug, the industry is exposed to a harsher tax treatment. This means that dispensaries and different companies along the supply chain need to adhere to strict practices and protocols that include linking every sale to a source as well as every part of the process being well documented.
Due to the known restrictions that still face the marijuana industry, financing is a major problem among companies especially when it comes to banks or finding institutional investors. A 2015 article in Bloomberg goes as far as to show that back in the day over $3 billion in annual revenue from dispensaries failed to find its way into the regulated banking system. However, things have changed in just one year, which shows the importance of how legislation can help industry overcome hurdles quite quickly.
This is however changing, albeit at snail’s pace. In December 2016, there were talks about bringing reforms in the banking industry in support of cannabis. The U.S. senate appropriations committee was heard of determining the allocations for the year 2017 in a bid to sponsor an amendment for bringing wide scale reforms in the banking sector related to cannabis industry, which was a welcome move.
This led to some early movers in the financing sector for cannabis companies. SingleSeed is one such name that is specializing in offering cannabis specific financing. SingleSeed is a subsiadiary of SinglePoint Inc.). The company has so far spearheaded changes by means of enabling point of sale devices, mobile marketing for retailers and other forms of payments such as cashless ATM’s and so on.
There is also a risk of too much competition in this still nascent industry, which exposes the fact that some companies could still shut down while on the best could probably think of long term survival. Also considering the fact that there are only limited resources in the industry, it is only a matter of time before a large consolidation in the industry will shake out the weak players.
Another major threat to the industry is also the new U.S. administration. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions has been an staunch opponent of legalizing marijuana (in the past) but his past rhetoric is seen as a risk of a federal crackdown on the sale and usage of both medical and recreational marijuana.
Although many of the major companies operate with the legal constraints, most of the smaller companies tend to step into the grey area, making it difficult for normal investors. Furthermore, due to the fact that a majority of the companies are traded over-the-counter, they are susceptible to a lot account fraud as well as pump and dump schemes which are a common occurrence in the pink sheet trading.
It is not surprising to find that at times even the so called safe companies can go bust. A good example of this is Notis Global Inc (NGBL), formerly known as Medbox. In early 2015, the company forged a name in the marijuana industry dealing with the supply and operational aspects such as dispensing or vending machines with fingerprint technology. The company was also dealing in hemp and CBD oil saw its shares tank in the OTC market.
Notis Global Inc. (OTC – NGBL)
In conclusion, investors might have mixed feelings when it comes to investing in the marijuana industry. This is perfectly understandable considering the social stigma when it comes to marijuana users. However, with new inroads being made into the usage of the plant, especially for medicinal purposes, savvy investors can look beyond the moral aspects and reflect on the positive side of the industry, which is in spearheading new research into a plant that has often been banned for abuse but at the same time, opens up possibilities to deal with new approaches to treating critical diseases.
In a nutshell, here are the key facts:
Eight states have approved marijuana for recreational use
A total of 28 states have approved marijuana for medical use
The marijuana industry is estimated to have grown 17% since 2015 and is estimated to have increased by over 25% in 2016 alone.
Marijuana sales especially in states where it was legal for marijuana as a recreational use have seen sales rise to as much as $1 billion in some states
There is a wider acceptance in the medical community that marijuana is offering hope to patients suffering from debilitating diseases


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Taotao Scooter, a Japanese maker of electric scooters, unveiled a light-up prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show last week.
The scooter is an attempt to give the company a unique brand identity for its products, the company’s president said in an interview with Nikkei on Friday.
The light- up version, called the “light scooter,” is a scaled-down version of Taotaos predecessor, the Taotaotas, the Japanese term for “electric scooter.”
It’s a compact electric scoot that can be folded and strapped onto a person’s hip, which is ideal for urban or suburban use.
Taotaota hopes to sell about 1,000 units this year.
Taotao has been competing with Toyota and Honda in the Japanese electric scooting market for years.
Its Taotaoid line of electric and gas scooters sold over 4 million units last year.
It plans to release a version of its electric scoots in 2018.


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PARIS – For the first time in 17 months, all Disney theme parks are open worldwide.
Europe’s busiest theme park had been closed for almost eight months.
“The happiest place on Earth,” said Debbie Tater of Delaware with tears in her eyes. She was visiting family in France, including her daughter and two granddaughters, whom she had not seen for a year and a half.
California Original disneyland actually calls itself “the happiest place on Earth,” and he had reason to celebrate this week as well. Tuesday the the resort has reopened to out-of-state visitors for the first time since the pandemic.
►Welcome:Disneyland among the theme parks in California wwelcome visitors from out of state, relax mask guidelines
►No masks if you are vaxxed:Walt Disney World drops indoor mask requirement for visitors vaccinated in “most areas”
Disney theme parks open to the world
- Disneyland Resort (California): Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure
- Walt Disney World Resort: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
- Tokyo Disney Resort: Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea
- Disneyland Paris: Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park
- Hong-Kong Disneyland
- Shanghai Disney Resort: Shanghai Disneyland
Disneyland Paris, like France, reopens
“We couldn’t miss the reopening,” said Elodie Piedfort, from the Haute-Loire region in central France. “Because I’m a nurse, it’s been a very difficult year, and being here with my son is great. And the reopening, moving on is also great.”
Pauline Baudouin, Disney fan from Angoulême in the west of France, said: “We missed the magic because it was already a complicated time, and we needed to recharge our batteries in this magical world.
Visitors must wear masks inside the park and other measures are in place, including a cap on the number of visitors to ensure distancing.
►Travel in Europe:EU to recommend lifting travel restrictions for all US tourists
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday that France was returning to “a normal form of life”, announcing that people would no longer have to wear masks outdoors, except in crowded places.
France started gradual reopening its economy last month. Monuments and museums, including major sites like the Louvre and Versailles, are open, as well as hotels, cafes and restaurants. Tourists, however, will still have to wait for the Eiffel Tower, which should reopen on July 16 after major renovations.
Contribution: Associated Press


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Top designers turn out for Martha Stewart’s book bash
2018-12-7 03:40 am
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Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is alerting payment card customers of a payment card breach at more than 60 of its hotels and restaurants that occurred between February 16 and July 7 of this year.
The hotel chain said in a message on its website that it first got word of unauthorized charges on guests' payment cards in mid-July. An ensuing investigation uncovered malware on PoS servers at the front desks and restaurants of some of its hotels. "The malware searched for track data read from the magnetic stripe of a payment card as it was being routed through the affected server. The malware primarily found track data that contained the card number, expiration date, and internal verification code, but in a small number of instances it may have found the track that also contains the cardholder name," Kimpton said in its advisory.
"Hotels, airlines and car rental agencies need to stop kidding themselves, learn from other industries, and make cyber security a priority. Point-of-sale (POS) -based malware has driven most of the credit card breaches across so many industries already," said Shane Stevens, a director at VASCO Data Security. "As organizations address this Point-of-Sale issue, fraudsters are already looking at which attack vectors to hit in mobile. Their service providers shouldn’t create digital keys and other mobile conveniences until they can better protect their client companies and consumer customers across all channels."


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Currently most land transactions are done using phone, fax and word of mouth. BrasilFarm can improve the speed and quality of how rural properties are being bought and sold. - July 26, 2012 - BrasilFarm


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German RPA consultancy Roboyo lands €21 million investment
RPA (Robotic Process Automation) consulting Roboyo has raised 21 million euros from the growth capital specialist MML Capital.
Since launching in 2015, Roboyo has quickly built a market share in the global RPA landscape. The three co-founders – former business consultants Nicolas Hess, Christian Voigt, and Sven Manutiu – started the company after discovering that RPA sales around the world were doubling every year.
Roboyo positions itself as a specialized implementation partner, starting with the consulting phase, in which strategic automation possibilities are identified, through to the development and implementation phase of RPA solutions. Half a decade after launch, the founders seem to be sitting pretty in a booming RPA market.
Global RPA software developers like UiPath, Blue Prism, and ABBYY all fall on Roboyo’s partnership list. The company supports RPA users across Europe and the world in developing and deploying these solutions. Customers include the financial services, automotive, manufacturing, healthcare and retail sectors, among others.
Nicolas Hess pointed out that most organizations these days have a use case for RPA. “Many companies are fully automated in their factories, but many processes in the back office are still running as they were 30 years ago,” he told Handelsblatt. Roboyo supports the modernization and currently works with a team of 120 professionals in six regions, including the headquarters in Nuremberg and other offices in Europe and the USA.
“We are a global company and want to become number one in our segment in the future,” said Hess. A sizable amount of € 21 million raised in Serie A by MML Capital Partners of London is sure to help Roboyo achieve this goal. Funding was facilitated by corporate finance firm Alantra, which works closely with MML and other funding partners.
According to Alantra Director Simon Roberts, RPA is a market to watch out for because of its wide range of applications. “RPA is one of the fastest growing software subsectors and is expected to receive significant attention in the coming years as companies seek to increase their RPA adoption and develop their digital transformation strategies,” he said.
While Covid-19 has done a lot to squeeze the funds in circulation, the demand for RPA services certainly hasn’t hurt as companies have realized how far they need to go on their digitization journey. “We had the best months in our history,” said Hess, describing the Covid 19 crisis and all that followed.
According to Christian Voigt, investors are aware of this trend that has put Roboyo in a good position in finding funding. “We had a choice of investment partners and chose MML because of their unique partnership approach and our shared vision of future opportunities for the intelligent automation market,” he said.
Sven Manutiu, meanwhile, stated that the money will be used to fund the expansion of the scale and geographic reach. “With this investment, we can support more customers in more areas as partners in their transformation into the digital age. With MML, we have found the right partner to further accelerate our business and attract the best talent in the market, ”he said.


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Samsung today announced its latest mid-range mobile chipset, the Exynos 7904.
The company says it designed the 7904 specifically with the Indian market in mind. The 14-nanometre, octa-core system-on-a-chip features two high-performance Cortex-A73 cores and six high-efficiency Cortex-A53 cores.
The chipset’s image signal processor (ISP), meanwhile, supports a single camera resolution of up to 32-megapixels. It’s also capable of supporting three cameras simultaneously. The ISP can also playback 1080p video at 120 frames per second, as well as 4K video at 30 frames per second.
According to Samsung, the 7904’s built-in Cat 12 LTE modem with three-carrier aggregation is capable of theoretical download speeds of up to 600Mbps.
The company says its chip foundries are currently mass producing the 7904. With the chipset’s focus on features tailor-made for the Indian market, it’s likely the 7904 will power at least one of Samsung’s new Galaxy M series smartphones.
In an interview with Reuters, Samsung senior vice president of product planning and marketing Asim Warsi said the company plans to launch three new Galaxy M series smartphones in India.
Set to arrive in other markets later in the year, the Galaxy M series will include features like inductive charging and big batteries.
Samsung’s new focus on India is part of the company’s recent plan to restart growth in its smartphone business. Like Apple, the company has seen sales of its high-end smartphones flatline alongside a global downturn in smartphone demand.


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Located in the Main Stand, Tranmere Rovers’ press box is the home of all the media when in attendance reporting on matches at Prenton Park.
The press box is visible to spectators watching in the KOP Stand, Cowsheds and Johnny King Stand. This exciting and brand-new opportunity will see your company’s branding across the front of the press box, which will be seen by thousands each matchday.
Alongside this, your branding will also feature at points during our iFollow home matchday feed, again seen by thousands watching away from Prenton Park.
The Press Box Sponsorship package includes the following…
- Company branding across the front of the press box
- Four match tickets for any game during the 2021/22 season in the Ray Mathias Lounge
- Signed TRFC home shirt- Website story and press release confirmed the sponsorship to be published across Tranmere Rovers online and social media channels and distributed to the local media
Price available upon request. Please email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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India’s IT organizations could take note of a sharp decrease in business from United States-based retailers as the organizations cut stores and leave of absence staff, market experts signaling caution in the near future. Indian Information Technology Giants like Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant and Wipro are among the ones who give various services such as store billing and data management support to American retailers.
However, in recent events amid global pandemic, two chains have bowed out of all financial obligations and numerous others are tottering. United States shoppers have kept away from unnecessary buys during the pandemic, and retail deals recorded their most noteworthy ever drop in March. Market Experts say that the total IT budget and spending on technological services of certain retailers could fall half this year.
Saudi, United States Companies Eyeing Huge Stakes in Mumbai Based Next-Generation Technology Company; which is Creating Synergies by Integrating India’s Digital Ecosystem
Indian IT administration organizations may encounter an extensive fall in business from United States-based retailers this year. Why? Here is the appropriate response:
The effect of coronavirus and the lockdown that followed has constrained some trivial and extravagance brands to keep their stores shut and laying off workers. This will, in turn, have a major impact on its sales, revenues, and profitability.
The huge names like Infosys, Cognizant, TCS, and Wipro are going to encounter a possible cut in by and large IT administration financial plans and capital expenditure plans.
United States Clothing Retail Giant brands like J Crew and Neiman Marcus have furloughed a huge portion of its workforce and shut-in excess of 40 stores.
While J Crew recently announced that it is filing for bankruptcy in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic.
The core store support areas at the retailers’ offline businesses are suffering starting at now. The technical support for programming utilized in stores for accounting, billing, information, data management, and Customer relationship management could drop 50-75% throughout the following six to eight months.
Generally speaking, IT spending plans of many retail brands could be on a downturn by as much as half this year.
Despite the fact that IT administrations organizations with business from extravagance retailers will undoubtedly endure a shot, the forceful cost decrease may lay an open door for some IT specialist organizations.
This R&D-Backed Multinational Company after Huge Correction is available to Invest at Fair Valuations with Margin of Safety
Indian IT segment is by all accounts in battling mode as the US retail part yet to open. With coronavirus pandemic taking cost for the significant financial matters of the world, India IT segment bombs too open quickly as US retail is attempting to open. A couple of Indian IT Majors said they are soon expected to cut their spending plans in the IT administrations and services.
Nermus Marcus Luxury Store Retailer in the United States has closed down in excess of 40 luxury stores and furloughed a huge number of workers.
As the Luxury area in the US is closing down, small IT companies are utilizing this golden opportunity and taking the front seat in grabbing a considerable amount of pie in the market.


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(CBS DETROIT) – Amazon released a new video that shows individuals the steps needed to deliver packages to the island during the holiday season.
No cars are allowed on Mackinac Island year-round, which means the regular use of Amazon delivery trucks cannot happen.READ MORE: Here Is The Top 'Should I...' Question Googled In Michigan In 2021, AT&T Reports
So, how do packages reach the 500 year-round residents on the remote island? Through boats and horses!
In the video, it was explained that packages are loaded onto a ferry in Michigan’s lower peninsula (St. Ignace), and then once the packages reach the island, they are transported to each individual by horse and dray.READ MORE: GM Secures Tax Abatement For Proposed $1.3B Orion Assembly Plant Investment
Sara Chambers, the Head of Dray Delivery Operations, said, “I started this job back in 1994, and I’ve been here ever since.”
She continued and said, “Everything is delivered right directly to your door just like it would be in a city, but it’s on a flatbed dray and horse.”
The video shows different clips of the packages being delivered and shots of how Mackinac Island looks during the holiday season.MORE NEWS: Chief White Says 'There's Reason To Believe' Remains Found In Detroit Belong to Missing Mother Latima Warren
© 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Siemens Healthineers, a German healthcare equipment provider, is betting big on China's innovation and manufacturing capacity.
On Monday, it announced it will invest an additional 1 billion yuan ($142 million) or more to set up a new research and production site in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, marking its second such facility in the southern metropolis.
"China is of elementary importance for Siemens Healthineers. Through its technology savviness and openness to partnerships and innovation, China is already, and will continue to be, a strategic innovation driver for us locally as well as globally," said Bernd Montag, CEO of the company.
He made the remarks in Shenzhen on Monday during a signing ceremony for strategic collaboration between the company's Shenzhen base called Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd and the Nanshan district of Shenzhen, to build the site.
Noting that China is an "important and dynamic" market, Montag said the country is also becoming an increasingly important source of innovation and creativity.
Wang Hao, president of Siemens Healthineers Greater China, said the company's latest investments in Shenzhen demonstrate its determination and confidence in the Chinese market.
The company will further enhance local production and R&D capabilities in China to cultivate a comprehensive local innovation ecosystem, he said.
Siemens Healthineers entered Shenzhen in 2002. Its Shenzhen base has become one of the largest research and manufacturing centers of the company, with business operations covering magnetic resonance systems, angiography systems and medical electronic components.
A cumulative 8,000 units of complete equipment have been shipped from the Shenzhen base to over 100 countries and regions so far. Localization rate of product components at the Shenzhen base has reached about 80 percent, the company said.
Other multinational medical companies are also stepping up localization in China. GE Healthcare, for example, displayed 23 medical technology products at the China International Medical Equipment Fair held in Shanghai earlier this month, of which 18 are developed and made in China, according to media reports.
Half of the output of Shenzhen's medical equipment industry is targeting overseas markets, mainly developed markets like the United States and Europe, said Cai Qiaowu, secretary-general of the Shenzhen Medical Device Association.
The strong technological strength of Siemens Healthineers and its solid record in implementing international regulations and standards will help Shenzhen's industry players better tap into the international markets, he said.


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The attempted bombing of an Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight on Christmas Day is not keeping business travelers on the ground, according to a just-released survey of 152 travel managers by the National Business Travel Association. The vast majority of respondents—81 percent—said they would not cut back on air travel as a response to the attack, and only 2 percent said they would reduce their international business travel.
Just as telling, the number of respondents who said the attempted attack raised new concerns about the safety of air travel was nearly equal to the number who said they had no new concerns resulting from the incident (43 percent versus 42 percent).
The only issue seems to be with the new security directives implemented by the Transportation Security Administration on January 4. Travelers are concerned about delays caused by tougher screening measures for passengers traveling to the U.S. from four countries considered state sponsors of terrorism—Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria—and 10 countries designated “countries of interest”—Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen.
These measures could include full-body pat-downs, physical inspections of personal property, or additional screenings by the advanced-imaging machines located in 19 U.S. airports, according to the TSA. Thirty-six percent of survey respondents to the NBTA survey said they were concerned about how the new measures would affect their comfort or convenience; 48 percent of survey respondents had no concerns.
The 152 survey respondents were from among NBTA's travel manager membership. The average NBTA member oversees a corporate travel budget averaging more than $16 million.


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- 4 May 2020
- Transport / Logistics Services
UPS and US arts and crafts retail chain Michaels have arranged a contactless returns system for Michaels stores with UPS Access Points. The UPS Access Points are at more than 800 Michaels stores across the US.
UPS customers now no longer need enter Michaels stores. Instead they drive to the store car park, phone the branch and a Michaels employee will come to the car. Upon the customer providing state or national ID they open the car boot and the Michaels employee collects the parcel. It is then sent onward through the UPS network to its destination.
“As a company designated a critical infrastructure business, we’re pleased to offer this solution to continue safely serving our communities,” said Kevin Warren, UPS’s chief marketing officer. “Thanks to innovation like this, UPS is proud that its overall Access Point location network continues to operate with more than 90% of the locations open and supporting pickup and drop-off needs.”
“Michaels is proud to maximise our UPS Access Point locations advantageously for our small business, makers and DIY communities,” said Matthew Rubin, Michaels Senior Vice President of Business Development and Growth. “With a growing number of Americans turning to arts and crafts during this time, we are thrilled to be able to offer our customers the convenience of picking up an online order from our website, dropping off a pre-labeled return package or shipping off those DIY projects, all while still being able to get their shopping safely done.”


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COLUMBUS — More Ohioans are planning Labor Day getaways this year, according to AAA Ohio booking data. The number of Ohioans departing during the Labor Day holiday period, Thursday, Aug. 30 to Monday, Sept.3, will be 8.2 percent higher than last year.
“More Ohioans will be wrapping up this busy summer travel season with quick weekend getaways and some longer vacations,” said Zach Fisher, director, Travel Sales for AAA Ohio Auto Club. “This will make for some crowded airports and roadways, so if you’re traveling this holiday, make sure you plan ahead and pack your patience.”
Longer, More Expensive Getaways
Travelers will be soaking up every minute of the five-day holiday period, and some even taking extended vacations. On average, Ohioans plan on spending nearly 6 days on vacation this year, which is on par with the 2017 Labor Day weekend.
However, Ohio travelers will be spending more money on their Labor Day trips. Based on the average spend per booking, travelers will spend nearly 6.2% percent more in 2018 than during the 2017 holiday period.
Labor Day Drive Trips
Despite higher gas prices, the majority of Labor Day travelers will drive to their destinations this weekend. Historical data shows about 85 percent of Labor Day weekend travelers drive to their destination. With most schools back in session, most holiday road trips will take place within Ohio or along the East Coast.
“We’re seeing a lot of trips to Sandusky, Ohio, which means Cedar Point, and to Cincinnati to King’s Island,” said Bill Nicol, director, Auto Travel Services for AAA Ohio Auto Club.
Other poplar Labor Day road trip destinations for Ohio travelers include: Nashville, Tennesseel Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Hilton Head Island, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Washington, D.C.
Ten Labor Day Hot Spots
Those taking larger trips will be traveling to destinations across the U.S. and abroad. Overall, AAA Ohio booking data shows the top 10 destinations for those departing during Labor Day weekend include: Florida, New York City, cruises to the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Ireland, Seattle, Canada, Dominican Republic, France and Chicago.


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Airbnb Sees “Explosion” In Guest Arrivals During Ryder Cup
Airbnb saw a huge spike in guest arrivals when Minnesota hosted the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Course this past weekend.
The company, which allows people to rent out rooms—or entire houses or apartments—to visitors, said that 3,444 units provided lodging during the golf tournament that pitted the United States versus Europe. That’s a 163 percent increase over a typical week, Airbnb said.
Hennepin County, home to Hazeltine, had the highest raw number of units rented – 2,437 (about a 144 percent increase over a typical week), though Carver County saw the biggest percent jump (432 units, 732 percent increase). Airbnb said that Ramsey County had 508 units rented and Scott County had 67.
In Chaska, the epicenter of the action, 215 units were rented out – 1,265 percent above the typical week.
Of course, it wasn’t just home shares and rentals that got a boost. Hotels throughout the metro were able to command high prices with nearly many hotels reporting all rooms booked.
The American team won the Ryder Cup for the first time in eight years. Though there was widespread reporting about poor behavior at Hazeltine (including mischief by a float plane pilot now under FAA investigation), the reception was generally positive.


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However you approach it, tackling sustainability along complex supply chains that cross borders, intersect time zones and navigate a multitude of un-aligned priorities is no small task.
Given the increasing international attention on sustainability over the past few years, businesses are now actively looking for ways to improve their environmental credentials, including the performance of their end-to-end supply chains.
Many have ambitious sustainability targets, with the ultimate goal of achieving net zero emissions in the long term, but it’s not always easy to control or indeed measure outcomes for FMCG companies with established operations and complicated networks.
Among other factors, a key driver for change is a shift in consumer habits as the public increasingly favours sustainable products and services, demanding environmental action with their wallets.
“Consumers are absolutely concerned about the environment, and we see accelerating demand for action on climate change. There is an expectation that brands, and companies are part of the solution,” says Amanda Robertson, Head of Sustainability, Nestlé Oceania.
Brent Gapes, National Sustainability Manager at PepsiCo ANZ agrees, saying that in relation to sustainability, consumers are demanding locally produced products with lower carbon miles.
“We’ve seen a renewed focus on local relevance, purpose and sustainability. Local relevance is increasingly an important metric that consumers seek out,” he says.
These sentiments align with recent research released by commerce platform Shopify in its Future of Commerce trend report, which found a radical change in consumer behaviour globally.
More than ever, people are seeking out products from brands that resonate with them because of geography, company values or sustainability, with 77 per cent of respondents saying they’re concerned about the environmental impact of the products they buy.
“Conscious commerce is growing on a mass scale and plays a significant role in the purchasing decision of today’s consumer,” says Shaun Broughton, APAC Managing Director at Shopify.
Therefore, it is imperative that businesses clearly show consumers strong sustainability goals and achievements that align with widespread consumer values to succeed in the marketplace going forward.
Lisa Rippon-Lee, Vice President, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability, Australia, at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), says more than just passively choosing sustainable products, consumers are now mobilised and prepared to take positive action to do their part to promote sustainability.
“We know consumers are highly motivated to redeem their 10c deposits, in a way [that] they aren’t through mixed-waste recycling bins at home. In locations where the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) operates, plastic returned via collection depots makes up 80 per cent of all plastic returned for recycling, compared to just 20 per cent through kerbside recycling bins,” she says.
So, it’s important to consumers, but how can large multinational companies like Nestlé, PepsiCo and CCEP ensure sustainability in the supply chain when they have complex relationships with multiple suppliers?
Collaboration is key
Many corporations report that their supply chains create more emissions than the processing and manufacturing side of the business, making it hard to guarantee end-to-end sustainability outcomes. This is the case at CCEP, according to Rippon-Lee.
“Our suppliers are responsible for over 90 per cent of our value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and we will not meet our own GHG emission reduction targets unless we work in partnership with them,” she says.
By way of an example, she points to a collaborative recycling plant in Albury-Wodonga, a joint venture partnership between Pact Group, Cleanaway Waste Management Ltd, Asahi Beverages and CCEP.
The $45 million plant is “a world-class facility… helping to build a domestic circular economy, increasing the amount of locally sourced and recycled PET in Australia by twothirds, from around 30,000 tonnes to more than 50,000 tonnes per annum.
“Contributing to closing the loop on PET recycling, the site will recycle 30,000 tonnes of PET each year, converting it to raw material that can be used to produce new beverage bottles plus other food and beverage packaging in Australia,” she says.
Along a similar vein, Robertson says the same of Nestlé: “Only five per cent of our GHG emissions globally come from sources within our direct operations. We must collaborate with our suppliers, customers, industry associates and consumers to develop solutions to the challenges of climate change,” she says.
“For Nestlé to achieve our ambitious sustainability goals we need to understand the impact of every part of our value chain. This includes parts we control, such as factories, warehouses, and packaging choices, and parts we only influence like the farmers who supply our ingredients.
“The whole company is on a journey as we work with our suppliers, customers, industry associations, and sometimes government to reduce our impact on the planet,” says Robertson.
“We know that we can’t do this alone. When it comes to tackling big sustainability challenges, collaboration is key. A great example of this is Nestlé’s approach to packaging. Each piece of packaging is being reviewed to ensure it is ‘fit for purpose’ and can be recycled. Nestlé’s Institute of Packaging Science is supporting this effort with 50 packaging experts dedicated to developing the next generation of sustainable packaging materials and developing refillable or reusable packaging systems,” she says.
While collaboration is vital, it also brings with it challenges says Gapes: “Inconsistencies in approaches to sustainability can be challenging and the progress across individual sustainability journeys can be quite varied, not everyone is at the same stage or level.”
It’s an ongoing journey
While much progress has already been made, there’s no disputing on a local, regional, national, and global level, there’s still a lot to be done to ensure sustainable practices are implemented and maintained for generations to come.
“We are on a journey, and part of this involves learning. With our 2025 commitments, it is clear what needs to be done and so these actions are supported with a detailed set of projects and actions, to achieve these commitments,” says Robertson.
“Longer term goals are still having plans developed against them,” she says of Nestlé’s three phase Net Zero Roadmap with the ultimate long term goal being net zero emissions by 2050.
Rippon-Lee says CCEP is also committed long term, especially to sustainability goals revolving around establishing a circular economy, water stewardship and transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy consumption by 2025. CCEP’s ultimate goal is net zero emissions by 2040, 10 years ahead of most other corporations.
“We believe that business success and sustainability go hand-in-hand, and we aim to grow our business in a way that manages our social and environmental impacts responsibly and makes our people, our customers and other stakeholders proud,” she says.
A noble idea that’s hard to attain in reality, sustainability in the supply chain is far from guaranteed, even with the sincerest efforts and the best frameworks in place. As consumer spending habits change and shipping and logistics become more expensive post-pandemic, the only constant in commerce is change.
This article originally appeared in the December/January issue of C&I Retailing magazine.


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The MacBook Pro is the flagship laptop in Apple’s macOS range. Over the past few years, 14- and 16-inch models have pushed the limits of what these laptops can do, but only a handful of professionals need that much power when they hit the coffee shop. For everyone else, the MacBook Air has been consistently delivering.
Over the coming months, MacBook Air will push MacBook Pro further to the edge with consumer offerings that will take on the challenges of everyday life and still have performance left over to enjoy your latte.
Tim Cook’s decision to finally release a MacBook Air with a 15-inch screen, the first he has done so in the fifteen-year history of the MacBook Air, will grab the headlines. The bigger screen has been something that many Air fans have been looking forward to, but it might not be the only upgrade that gets big. Apple will also go ahead and offer the new design with the latest Apple Silicon technology.
The third-generation chipset should debut at WWDC this year with the allegedly named M3, the 15-inch MacBook Air will likely debut with this new chipset. At the consumer level, Apple Silicon offers more power and flexibility than Intel MacBook laptops ever achieved. The M1 laptops reset expectations and the M2 added another twenty percent performance.
The M3 chipsets are likely to offer another step, at which point the potential for consumers to exceed the power of even the entry-level M3 is greatly reduced. While professionals will appreciate the M2 Pro and M2 Max specs (and look forward to the benchmarks the M3 Pro and M3 Max could deliver), even the “prosumer” MacBook user will struggle to push the envelope of a MacBook Air M3.
Once you move beyond the need for a workstation-class macOS laptop, Apple’s upcoming MacBook Air laptops should offer everything you need and then some. The only thing missing from this package is an Air with a bigger screen.
Tim Cook and his team will deliver this in the coming months.
Skip the MacBook Pro, because the MacBook Air will face your life’s challenges head on.
Now read the latest Mac, iPhone and iPad headlines in Forbes’ weekly roundup of Apple news…
Take a look my website


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The National Security Agency only had good intentions to save phone records but the surveillance program finally ended last Sunday. This was as required by the law which will actually be replaced with more tightly targeted
Black Fridays used to be all about lining up for hours (sometimes more than half a day) to get the best “deals” at brick and mortar stores. But now, with the addition of Cyber Mondays, it has become staying glued to your
If you’re in the market for a brand new Samsung smartphone, you better head on over to Amazon as their deal of the day will probably be what you need now. An unlocked factory version of the current flagship, the Samsung Galaxy
Black Friday is so year 2000. The big thing now, at least for the tech and gadget world, is Cyber Monday. You already see a lot of deals and treats that will happen when it arrives, and the challenge now is to be able to pick the
Thanksgiving marks the start of the holidays and that means Black Friday and Cyber Monday too. It’s more like the shopping marathon and gift-giving season so expect companies to announce promos and great deals in the coming
Chinese OEM OnePlus is set to celebrate its second birthday. It’s been two years since an unknown startup announced the OnePlus One smartphone that intrigued the whole Android community because of its invite-only system.
Less than a month ago, we were able to get a glimpse of the SwiftKey 6.0 Beta complete with new settings and an improved emoji panel. Today, the team has finally pushed the official update for everyone on the Google Play Store.
Believe it or not, we live in a world where Internet connection is still not reliable and easily accessible especially in remote areas. Even highly developed countries experience outage. According to Google, about 60 percent of
When you were young and playing with Legos, you probably at one point built a car and pretended you were a world-class driver racing to the finish line. Well, you can make that dream come true now without actual Legos and using


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News has come to light about a remake of Resident Evil: Code Veronica made by fans and to be released sometime this year, if all goes according to plan. Fan interest in Resident Evil remakes increased exponentially following the incredible success of RE2 Remake in 2019. While the RE3 remake did not reach the same milestone, series faithful remain eager to see where exactly Capcom will take the brand. below in terms of updated reissues. Admittedly, Code Veronica would be a good step forward.
Set just a few months after the events of RE2, Resident Evil: Code Veronica follows Claire and Chris Redfield in their respective attempts to escape the horrors of a T-Virus outbreak. The RE2 sequel was released with great success, but its sales were poor at first due to its release on the Dreamcast. Fortunately, an improved version of the title, Code: Veronica X, helped tip the balance in its migration to PS2 and GameCube. And while Capcom released a remaster of Code: Veronica X on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2011, it seems like a modern iteration of the beloved experience is long overdue.
During the 2021 holidays, a group of fans published a trailer for their remake project of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, which will be released for free this year on PC. The development team’s official website notes that the remake will be released in three chapters, each of which will last approximately four hours. Another post on the site makes it clear that since Capcom owns the rights to Resident Evil, the publisher can cancel the fan-made remake of Code Veronica at any time. For now, prospective players can expect the updated version to include multiple languages, new animations, a RE3 Remake-inspired dodge mechanic, a reaction system to fire and rain, and various graphical enhancements.
Again, there is no guarantee that Capcom will not step in and prevent the launch of this project. However, the Code Veronica remake looks quite promising for now, with its enhancements that should satiate those who yearn for a modern take on the experience.
Capcom’s latest adventure, Resident Evil Village, launched on PC and consoles in May 2021 to great success. It also performed strongly on the market, moving more than five million units worldwide through October 2021. Now fans are patiently waiting for news of the long-awaited Resident Evil Village DLC.


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A unique experience has been announced by CARS24, an online transaction platform for pre-owned automobiles, using Google Assistant. This experience will enable the users to sell cars online using the convenience of voice. Using CARS24’s algorithm-based tool, customers can arrive at a valuation for their cars which in turn will enable them to sell their cars easily and quickly.
For a car seller, lack of data along with the fragmented nature of the industry is the biggest drawback which makes it the most prominent pain point for them. Every pre-owned car has a unique price and has its own unique journey. The CARS24 price evaluation tool is unique and sets a mark in India’s pre-owned auto market. The accurate valuation of a car is done using a robust algorithm in the tool based on various attributes including inspection report, model, mileage, age and others. Based on the mentioned factors and demand-supply conditions in the market, it helps them determine the price of their vehicle more accurately and it is designed to be user-friendly for the car sellers. Thousands of cars which get auctioned at CARS24, pricing engine takes inputs from everyday prices of those cars.
Gajendra Jangid, Co-founder and CMO, CARS24 said, “We are glad to roll out this feature to help our customers get an up-to-date valuation of their cars via our advanced algorithm-based tool and simplify the buying and selling process. As a tech enabled platform, we are continuously investing in our technology to advance our tools and making the journey of our customers hassle-free.”
All the devices that support Google Assistant, will support this feature. Google Nest Mini, Nest Hub and others that support Google Assistant will also support this. Asking “Ok Google, Talk to CARS24”, is all you need to do.
Massive growth in the post-lockdown era has been witnessed by the new entrant in the Unicorn club and projects the same trajectory in the coming year. Investment in technology and data sciences lay its foundation.


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Steven Tyler raises $800K For Charity selling super-car
Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler sold an incredibly rare super-car to benefit his charitable organization Janie’s Fund.
Tyler’s Hennessey Venom GT was auctioned off at “The World’s Greatest Car Collection” auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Barrett Jackson was the man responsible for the auction.
Tyler also threw in a vacation stay at his Hawaii home and a guitar autographed by fellow band members of AEROSMITH. The car sold for $800,000, with all proceeds going to Janie’s Fund.
The 2012 Hennessey Venom GT set the world speed record for 2-seat sports cars at 270.49, living up to the name “the fastest street-legal sports car.” Only 12 of the cars were ever made.
Janie’s Fund is a philanthropic partnership between Steven Tyler and Youth Villages, a nonprofit organization. As stated on their website Janie’s Fund’s goal is “to bring hope and healing for many of our country’s most vulnerable girls who have suffered the trauma of abuse and neglect.”
This news story is powered by Constant Collectibles. From vintage to Marvel: https://www.facebook.c


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The North American bike industry trade show known as Interbike has announced that in 2011, it will move from Las Vegas (that wasteland of utter absurdity) to Anaheim, CA (that wasteland of utter absurdity).
Perhaps even more significantly than the change in location is the new date: Instead of holding the show in late September, when most dealers are beginning to wind down their season and can actually get away to attend a trade show, Interbike 2011 will take place the first week of August, meaning that almost no one outside of southern California will be able to attend.
Early August is high season for bike retailers and I know that we -- and most mid-level, smaller shops -- would be hard-pressed to spare anyone at that time. Plus, unless the entire bike industry has decided to change their manufacturing and pre-season forecasting schedules, Interbike threatens to become even more irrelevant than it already is, since few items unveiled at the show would be available in quantity before early 2012 anyway. Or, conversely, smaller retailers could, over time, become more irrelevant to Interbike and the largest bike manufacturers, which is certainly another possibility. However, That possibility will take longer to come to fruition; and lots of small hole-in-the-wall shops are still hanging on and doing relatively well, even in the midst of the biggest recession to bite us on the fanny since nineteen-thirty-something.
In the words of one of my visiting reps, who shall remain anonymous, "They're hosed."
I agree. With major manufacturers already pulling out of this year's show (Bell/Blackburn, et al will not have a booth at the show, though I understand they will have some kind of presence at the Outdoor Demo a couple of days beforehand), Interbike, Inc. is going to take a bath if it goes through with this change.
Fascinating. Especially as I begin to finalize my dance card for this year's outing.


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A group of community-based organizations came to Queen's Park today to tell MPPs from all three political parties that when it comes to alcohol sales deregulation, it's just not worth the risk. "Our stand against privatization/deregulation goes back to 1994; we strongly oppose the retailing of beer, wine and alcohol at convenience stores or gas stations," said arrive alive DRIVE SOBER Executive Director Anne Leonard.
The Tasty Grape Wine Store and owner Cindy Holland are suing the British Columbia Wine Institute for allegedly unreasonably denying an application to sell the BC Vintner's Quality Wine Store to Liquor Barn.
The Essex Pelee Island Coast, known as EPIC, Winegrower's Association announced the election of Steve Mitchell, President, Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery, as the association's new President during the recent Annual General Meeting.
A Canadian company that recently scooped up a fifth of the remaining prime land in Washington's smallest wine grape growing area is the new owner of two vineyards in the state's largest. Aquilini Brands bought almost 700 acres of vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills for almost $7 million earlier this week.
Currently, the price for a pack of 24 of popular beer brands are $10 less at Ontario Beer Stores than average prices at private retailers in Alberta or B.C. Statistics Canada data also shows that alcohol prices increased by 16.9 per cent in B.C. and 28.2 per cent in Alberta more than Ontario between 2002 and 2013.
The Beer Store is trying to turn Ontarians against the idea of alcohol sales at the province's convenience stores and gas stations, warning it could increase the risk of sale to minors. "I think we all have a responsibility to look out for Ontario's kids and to protect our communities," The Beer Store manager and world curling champion Glenn Howard says in a new ad launched Monday. "At The Beer Store, it's a commitment we take to heart." The 30-second spot is the latest step in in an ongoing battle between The Beer Store and the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA), which has been lobbying MPPs to bring beer and wine into corner stores.
Another grape-growing and wine-producing season is on us in British Columbia and there is little to suggest the vast Okanagan Valley will be carved into a number of smaller, sensible sub-regions that relate to the origin of where grapes and wines are produced before the next harvest. A small band of estate winery owners are indignant that the word Canada or the term Canadian appears on an enormous number of wine bottles sold in Canada that contain little or no Canadian-grown fruit.
On Tuesday, big grocery chains heralded the news: LCBO Express kiosks were coming to select grocery stores. On Wednesday, they were equally enthusiastic, but mum as to which of their locations - if any - fit the explicit terms and geographic limits outlined in the Request for Proposal document on the LCBO's website:
"We are very pleased with the decision by the VQAC to recognize the CVA as the organization best positioned to protect the VQA and Icewine trademarks in Canada and abroad," said Tony Stewart, President of Quails' Gate Winery in British Columbia and CVA Chair.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa announced Tuesday that the first LCBO Express stores will appear in large grocery retailers by the end of 2014. "This pilot will begin with 10 stores and we expect to have these up and running within a year."
The province is providing $111,000 through the Local Food Fund to help organize and promote the Gananoque Brewing Company Harvest Festival. The month-long celebration will start in late August and will feature brewery, winery and farms tours, hop picking, mill visits and a country market. The festival will attract visitors, boost tourism in the region and strengthen the market for local food and beverages.
"I've always believed in trying new things," Macfarlane told Gulf Island Mail, "I know a lot of people are going to make a lot of jokes about it but I say 'why not?' I'm already pushing the boundaries with biodynamics, why not push them further?
The B.C. government has proposed major changes to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), opening the door for East Kootenay farmers to gain permission to use their properties for non-agricultural uses.
American wine exports - 90 per cent of which are from California - reached a record high $1.55 billion in revenue in 2013, up 16.4 per cent compared with the previous year. In all, California exports one fifth of its production and is on track to reach its goal of $2 billion in exports by 2020.
Surprisingly, despite the relatively warm summer temperatures, one of the consistently outstanding qualities of both red and white wines was their lively acidity, which definitely made them more like our wines than those from either Washington or California
Local wine merchants and distillers say unless they get their hands on the containers piling up at backlogged Port Metro Vancouver (PMV) terminals, local drinkers will soon have to find alternative social lubricants.
Canadian exporters of agricultural products such as beef, pork, canola and grains will be among the winners in the free trade deal with South Korea, but the benefits to Canadian consumers may not be as striking. However, International Trade Minister Ed Fast told CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Tuesday that the elimination of tariffs would be good for Canadian consumers.
The Canadian Vintners Association (CVA), the national voice of the grape and wine industry, applauds the Government of Canada's conclusion of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA). On March 10, 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Park Geun-hye, president of the Republic of Korea, finalized negotiations and announced the historic agreement.


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China’s largest search engine Baidu, following the footsteps of its homegrown rivals internet giants such as ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent, is finally going to make a move in India, the world’s second-most populous country.
Baidu is seeking partnership with local institutions in the field of artificial intelligence, Robin Li, the 51-year old billionaire founder of Baidu, who is on his maiden visit to the country, said during his address at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
“India is one of the fastest-growing smartphone markets in the world, and India is also a very large developing country right next to China,” Li said on Saturday at IIT-Madras. “We’ve seen fast growth for both countries over the past few decades. And, I think, for the next decade, there will be more opportunities for us.”
India has become a particular interest to Chinese tech giants due to the ongoing US-China trade war. With about 450 million smartphone users and as many internet users, India is the largest potential market for global technology companies, which are pinning their hopes on the next billion users from the country for the next phase of growth.
While big-wigs like Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, Xiaomi, and BBK Electronics have already set up a strong base in India, Baidu is just starting off by looking to collaborate with academia.
Alibaba has made investments in Indian unicorns like payments company Paytm, food delivery platform Zomato, and hyperlocal startup Bigbasket, apart from operating its cloud services in the country. ByteDance has hooked on over 200 million Indians through its short video app TikTok, and vernacular social media apps Helo and Vigo. Meanwhile, Tencent has made bets on food tech giant Swiggy, ride-hailing company Ola, fantasy sports company Dream 11, neo banking startup Niyo, and digital ledger company Khatabook, among others, apart from running popular games such as PubG and Call of Duty.
Li’s visit to India comes at a time when Baidu has posted losses for the first time since going public about 15 years ago. For the first and third quarters of 2019, the Chinese giant made net losses of USD 49 million and USD 892 million, respectively.
Founded in 2000 by Li, Baidu is the world’s second-largest search engine after Google. It has made China one of the four countries globally to possess its own core search technology. The other three include the US, Russia, and South Korea. Baidu is also the largest AI platform company in China.
Over the years, Baidu has diversified into areas such as short video apps, video streaming, and autonomous cars. However, it has so far stayed clear of India, except for the Facemoji keyboard that it launched in the country in mid-2018, and video streaming service iQiyi, which it has made quietly accessible to Indian users.
In his address to aspiring techies, Li said that the previous decade was that of the Internet but the coming decade is that of the intelligent economy with new modes of human-machine interaction, adding that he sees AI transforming a lot of industries such as customer service, education, transport, and drug discovery.
“Going forward, we are entering a new age, the age of AI… if we can see [how] the internet changed the way we consume, or the way we entertain ourselves, the intelligent economy will change the way we produce. It will significantly improve productivity for humans,” he said.


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Richard Ayoade finally leaves his house in a pandemic-friendly ad for HSBC.
Set to Bill Conti’s Gonna Fly Now (otherwise known as the theme song from Rocky), the ad shows a disheveled Ayoade as he asks: "Why wait for normal?"
After shaving and picking out one of his many cord jackets, the actor and comedian puts on his face mask and leaves the house, but not before declaring: "We are not an island – we are part of something far, far bigger".
The campaign launched alongside out of home and print activity. Ayoade has been the face of HSBC since 2018.


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Air quality just keeps getting better in New York. But it could still be a lot better. And thanks to a new piece of tech, living in Manhattan may get even healthier.
Green City Solutions recently unveiled a green air filtration system that has the same air-purifying effect as 275 trees. Using a specific moss culture, the green square sucks pollutants from the air, according to Curbed.
The system has already been installed in 20 locations in Oslo, Paris, Brussels and Hong Kong and it could soon arrive in Manhattan — at a cost of about $25,000 a pop. Still, the Citytree claims to have other benefits: it can double as a park bench, as ad space or as a wifi hotspot.
[Curbed] —Christopher Cameron


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While the Indian government’s push for digitisation has been successful to a certain degree, security of data and users is one aspect where Indian small and medium businesses are woefully behind their Western counterparts. At a recent conference in Bengaluru, organized by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), Gaurav Gupta, Principal Secretary of the IT department of the Karnataka government, reiterated this challenge.
Speaking at the Best Practices Meet 2019, on the theme of ‘Security at Scale’ Gupta told over 400 delegates from the Indian internet ecosystem, about the steps being taken by the government to ensure that the digitization dream doesn’t succumb to the threat of cybersecurity.
Facebook also had a presence as it launched a Privacy Application Challenge along with DSCI, and presented five problem areas that privacy and security professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, students, designers and startups would need to solve, said Rama Vedashree, CEO of DSCI.
The five problem areas are age-appropriate design, privacy safe-data sharing hub, privacy notice communication, anonymised data driven analytics and consent management.
These are some of the deeper problems within the overall internet privacy issue. The initiative is taken to encourage the development of technological solutions and innovative products for data privacy.