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For many centuries the banks were the only major financial power in the world. Those who control the money, control everything, as anything (and anyone) can be bought in one way or another. But now the paradigm is shifting with the coming of crypto exchanges. Cryptocurrencies give financial power back to the people by removing the third party control. This is one of the biggest revolutions of the last few centuries, because for a long time only the governments had the right to issue money. Now it’s the time to change.
In this article we’ll try to show you why banks may soon be dethroned, and more importantly, how it may happen.
Why the change seem inevitable
There’s roughly $90 trillion of fiat currencies in the world, issued by various governments, circulating everywhere, or held in bank accounts. US external debt now exceeds $21 trillion, and the total world’s debt is over $50 trillion. Cryptocurrencies, in this case, are regarded as an alternative to government issued money, a kind of people-issued money. Crypto exchanges serve as an entry point and can be seen as the new kind of banks for crypto, an alternative banking system for the people’s money.
Some traditional bankers don’t like crypto, but they can’t do anything about the current trends. Jamie Dimon, who called Bitcoin a fraud in 2017, now says that he regrets saying that. Of course, he was forced to express his regret, otherwise he would look pale in comparison with his other colleagues.
For example, Christine Lagarde, head of IMF, said: “Citizens may one day prefer virtual currencies, since they potentially offer the same cost and convenience as cash—no settlement risks, no clearing delays, no central registration, no intermediary to check accounts and identities. If privately issued virtual currencies remain risky and unstable, citizens may even call on central banks to provide digital forms of legal tender. So, when the new service economy comes knocking on the Bank of England’s door, will you welcome it inside?”
Effective systems wipe out the ineffective ones. That’s the rule. New decentralized monetary system may be faster and even more stable than existing ones. A weak government with a failing economy and hyperinflation may be out-rivaled by cryptocurrencies, which could become more stable.
“Instead of adopting the currency of another country—such as the U.S. dollar—some of these economies might see a growing use of virtual currencies. Call it dollarization 2.0” (Christine Lagarde).
Take a look at Venezuela – its inflation rate jumped by 46,305% in 2018, making bolivar practically worth almost nothing. In this situation, Venezuelans use cryptocurrencies in everyday payments, as even the volatile bitcoin looks like a stablecoin in comparison with bolivar, and bolivar now costs less than the paper that it’s printed on. People can’t expect the government to solve their problems, so they try to solve them by themselves. Crypto is the most convenient means of payment that Venezuelans can use, because in our days pretty much everybody has cell phones. It makes Venezuela the first country where crypto gets ground level adoption.
But it’s only the beginning. Mark Carney, the Governor of Bank of England, calls it “part of a potential revolution in finance”. It will spread further, gaining a wider adoption as soon as people in other countries see the benefits of using it.
Why crypto matters
According to Chris Larsen, Ripple CEO, we’re seeing the beginning of the “Internet of Value”:
“Exchanging value will be as easy as exchanging information today on the web. We expect the Internet of Value to give rise to a dramatic increase in the volume of payments, and innovation in payments.” He continues, “[t]he Internet drove the same outcome for information sharing – think of the volume of information we share daily via the web, and the entire new industries and innovations made possible by the Internet.” In the “Internet of Value” any asset can be traded for another in a second, any physical asset can be tokenized and traded: oil, real estate, cars, other currencies, gold.
Some countries are now trying to restrict the revolution. China, Russia – they aren’t really friendly to crypto assets. Some of the officials are even regarding it as a pyramid scheme. Elvira Nabiullina, the Head of Russian Central Bank, stated: “We, in fact, do not legalize pyramids”. She thinks that every currency should be backed by a government of some country, otherwise it’s a fraudulent scheme, a pyramid. But the problem is that crypto is only in its initial phase, and it needs mass adoption and acceptance by many countries to stop such talks. It would be seen as a strong currency then, maintaining its value because of a great demand, not because everyone keep buying it in hopes to get rich.
ECB chief, Mario Draghi, thinks that “With anything that’s new, people have great expectations and also great uncertainty. Right now we think that especially as far as bitcoins and cryptocurrencies are concerned, we don’t think the technology is mature for our consideration”. That also means that there are more things to come. And the major role in this shift will be played by crypto exchanges that contribute a lot to the popularization of crypto in the world.
There’s always a bigger fish
According to the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies, crypto exchanges have always been independent from all governments. Not all of them, of course, as many local exchanges still can be shut down. All big exchanges, operating worldwide, don’t care about local restrictions. For example, in 2018 Japan tried to impose strict regulations on exchanges. After receiving a warning letter, Binance simply moved to Malta. Many small countries will be more than happy to welcome large exchanges, as it means additional income into their economy by taxes. It’s worth noting that Binance is now more profitable than 148 year-old Deutsche Bank.
Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao said: “Binance is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. In the first 3 months from inception, profits amounted to $7,500,000 USD. In the 2nd quarter, profits amounted to $200,000,000 USD. The 3rd quarter is still in progress, and is expected to have further growth. Any country that can attract Binance to open a branch in their location will receive a handsome tax income revenue.” What could be more interesting for any country than a solid tax revenue? The effective tax rate in Malta, after all refunds, is near 5%. With the profit of $200 million, Binance should have paid $10 million in taxes – pretty good for a small country like Malta!
Thus the position of crypto exchanges is very secure – they always will have some place to move to, being a desired guest. Not having anything to worry about, they can develop further. As we’ve already seen, exchanges are slowly evolving. They don’t want to be in a place where people can buy Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency, and log out after that. They want to become the new banks. Why is that? Technology moves forward, and their rival – decentralized exchanges (DEX), are already around that corner.
Is the development of a mainstream decentralized exchanges even possible? We don’t know yet. To make it real, the main problem of crypto, scalability issues, has to be solved. Developing a truly scalable blockchain can take many years. If it gets solved, we’ll see a fully operational DEX.
It’s entirely possible that decentralized exchanges will take a part of volume from centralized exchanges, as they have a lot of supporters. For example, Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s founder, said “I definitely hope centralized exchanges go burn in hell as much as possible[.]” He explained that you don’t even need to log in to use a decentralized exchange. The only reason for centralized ones to exist is because they support fiat. That’s true, partially, as many people would switch to DEX if they had liquidity, a friendly user interface and fiat integration. But some people wouldn’t, for the sake of feeling safe and having the technical support to write to. Thus, centralized exchanges aren’t going anywhere, they are going to stay, even with wide crypto adoption.
The wide adoption hasn’t happened yet because crypto still has its fundamental problems, one is the recovery of the lost private keys. There must be a way to recover it, and there will be a lot of people who don’t want to be bothered with these technical issues. “People won’t give up the ability to complain to somebody and reverse a payment.” – Chris Larsen. Therefor centralized crypto exchanges have features of both worlds: they incorporate some sort of a reliability, but at the same time they are a part of the crypto world. Changpeng Zhao responded to Vitalik’s “burn-in-hell” wish on Twitter: “Let’s have a bigger heart, and appreciate the fact that we are part of an ecosystem.” He continued, “Just because someone else is doing the lowly grunt work, doesn’t make them dirty.” Emphasizing that “There is no absolute decentralization…” He’s right. And right now centralized crypto exchanges do the hard work, preparing the foundation for the future infrastructure.
Replacement for all standard services
What services are offered by the banking system today? Payments, accounting, custody, loans, insurance, debit and credit cards. All these services can be implemented in a decentralized economy via smart contracts or via centralized providers, which would be a preferred option for many people.
As we’ve seen recently, Coinbase began to offer a custodian service for large crypto investors. Another one opened by BitGo. These services are aimed at funds that need someone to store crypto for them, as they can’t simply store it on a flash card and put it in the pocket of their chief due to strict compliance rules. It’s highly probable that soon we’ll see traditional banks like Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan launching similar services. The fight between old and new will be long, but in the end both will be interconnected. Now we see banks buying exchanges, because they see the potential of the industry, like in the case of Circle, a Goldman Sachs-backed fintech firm, buying Poloniex. Or we see them opening their own exchanges, like SBI Holdings.
But crypto startups also make acquisition moves. Recently, the Litecoin Foundation, coupled with TokenPay, bought nearly 20 percent of WEG Bank AG and now they have plans to issue their own crypto card for payments in Litecoin. Charlie Lee, creator of Litecoin, said about it “If you can’t beat them, buy them.,.”
Speaking of payments, using cryptocurrencies for buying things requires a very sophisticated infrastructure. The problem is that there’s no general understanding of crypto yet, and no significant demand, everybody just hoards crypto instead of spending it. Thus we see a lack of liquidity providers, lack of payment solutions, Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals. All of which are necessary because there should be a way for merchants to accept crypto. In the last few years many implementations of cryptocurrencies were issued, but only a few of them were building a proper infrastructure from the start. For example, the fintech startup FiiiPay aims to become a wallet for everyday use, managed to incorporate more than 1,500 cryptocurrencies. This means you won’t need to carry around a debit card or a physical wallet because you’ll have it in your mobile phone. For end user it looks like a simple mobile application, but building this kind of simplicity is very hard work. More than 1,500 cryptocurrencies converting instantly to fiat when you open the application and tap the confirmation on your cell phone. Instant transactions, very low fees. Imagine it to be like ApplePay, but it’s crypto instead of strictly fiat. Aside from simplicity, the only thing that the end user needs is a decent level of security, like Two-Factor Authentication, that will keep your funds safe.
During her speech, Christine Lagarde gave a beautiful example of what a modern economy will look like soon: “Four dollars for gardening tips from a lady in New Zealand, three euros for an expert translation of a Japanese poem, and 80 pence for a virtual rendering of historic Fleet Street: these payments can be made with credit cards and other forms of e-money. But the charges are relatively high for small-value transactions, especially across borders.” These cross-border payments can also be made via FiiiPay without even worrying about the currency exchange rate.
Over time, there will be more and more competitors among blockchain payment providers, but first-movers will have an advantage in this new economy. That’s why many crypto exchanges and startups try to implement as many features as possible, because it will be harder to catch up with them later. That’s why we see Binance opening its crypto bank to build a bridge between traditional and crypto finances, and to be one among the first. Along the same line we see FiiiPay selling specialized crypto POS terminals to build a bridge between traditional merchant and those consumers who want to pay with crypto. Who will profit the most? Those who sense the coming trends. Who will win? We don’t know yet. But it’s quite likely that one of these crypto exchanges that we know today may become a multibillion dollar company 10 years down the road., Will the crypto industry will play a major role in all of our lives? Absolutely. How exactly will it happen? We’ll have to wait and see.


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As a mother of six children ranging in age from 2 to 11, Jean Mingarelli admits that she does not have the time or energy to become an environmental activist. But the 38-year-old resident of Rockland, Ont., 50 km east of Ottawa, said that environmentalism became part of her daily life four years ago when she noticed that beaches were being closed every summer in the Ottawa area. She has stopped using most commercially manufactured, chemical-based cleaning products, relying instead on such simple agents as olive oil and lemon juice to clean wooden furniture, or water and vinegar to wash her windows. She and her husband, Angelo, a math professor at Carleton University, also use a home filtration system to remove chlorine from tap water. Said Mingarelli: “What galvanized me was all the beaches being closed. I couldn’t live beside a magnificent river like the Ottawa River and just say, ‘Isn't that too bad.’ ” For Mingarelli and thousands of other Cana-
dians, local air and water quality have become major environmental issues. According to a poll conducted last spring through the Torontobased Decima Quarterly Report, 87 per cent of those questioned expressed concern about the quality of the environment in and around their homes. And 78 per cent of those polled also said that they believe that the quality of their environment directly affects their health and the health of their families. But the poll also revealed that only about 20 per cent of Canadians are firmly committed to making lifestyle changes, including purchasing organically grown fruits and vegetables, in order to protect the environment and their health.
But increasing numbers of Canadians are reacting through the choices they make as consumers to concerns about the impact of environment on personal health. Sales of bottled water have grown by more than 30 per cent annually over the past 10 years, reflecting anxieties over the quality of tap water. Sales of sunscreen lotions have increased sharply over
the past five years, in response to fears about skin cancer caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Said Pierre McClelland, marketing director of Mississauga, Ont.-based WhitehallRobins Inc., which sells the Paba Tan line of sunscreens: “Three or four years ago, people believed in getting a good tan and looking great. Now, people are saying they’re going to protect their skin first.”
Scrambling: According to public opinion polls conducted over the past four years for the Toronto-based Grocery Products Manufacturers of Canada, consumers are also becoming increasingly concerned about the use of chemical preservatives and additives in foods, and more shoppers are looking for organically grown produce. And a 1990 survey of 1,006 shoppers, commissioned by the Grocery Products Manufacturers, revealed that 64 per cent would read a label to find out if a product contained all-natural ingredients, an increase from 58 per cent the previous year. But only 32 per cent of those polled said that they would pay more for environmentally safe products. Still, price and “best before” dates on packages remain the top two issues for 95 per cent of consumers, the 1990 poll showed.
Many food manufacturers are now scrambling to meet the growing public demand for more nutritious, wholesome products, said Susan Leung, a Vancouver-based dietitian who advises several large B.C. companies on the types of food products they should be developing. Leung, president of Pacific Nutrition Consultants, said that she sees a direct link between diet and environmental issues. Said Leung: “When you eat basic, wholesome foods, less processed foods, you’re looking at an environmentally sound diet because there is very little waste.”
Some food processors are also attempting to ensure that their products are free of chemicals that are seen as potentially damaging to the environment, as well as to human health. Gary Fread, vice-president and chief technical officer of Toronto-based Campbell Soup Co. Ltd., said that the company is working with 75 southwestern Ontario vegetable growers to reduce the pesticides and herbicides they use on their crops. He said that the farmers supply vegetables to the company’s Chatham, Ont., plant, which produces soup, spaghetti sauce and V-8 juice. Most of the farmers now apply chemical sprays only when their crops are threatened by an identifiable pest, weed or fungus. Until this year, Fread added, the farmers sprayed their fields every summer as a routine preventive measure.
Consumers are not only demanding more
nutritious foods, they are also becoming more knowledgeable about food and diet in general. Leung said that she is the co-owner of Shop Smart Tours Inc., which takes ordinary consumers on guided tours of conventional, mainstream supermarkets. Leung said that the tours, conducted by professional nutritionists, last about 90 minutes. Shoppers are told how to reduce their fat intake, and how to determine the contents of a product by reading the label. The company runs 60 to 100 tours a month, each with eight to 10 shoppers, she said. The stores cover the cost of the tours.
Guidelines: But fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown without the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers remain specialty products. Currently, there are about 23 organizations in Canada certifying that produce and grains are organically grown.
Those groups are now working with Agriculture Canada to draft a standard set of guidelines to regulate chemicalfree farming. Wayne Parker, senior director of marketing with Torontobased Oshawa Foods, which operates the 215 Food City and IGA supermarkets in south-central Ontario, said that some of the company’s stores began installing 12-foot-wide sections for organic produce two years ago. Those fruits and vegetables cost 20 per cent more, on average, than conventional produce, he said. As a result, the organics did not sell well, particularly as the economy began to falter.
Parker said that many of the sections have now been reduced in size or eliminated. He added that Oshawa Foods has its own quality-control inspector who visits farms to ensure that the produce is grown without the jt use of chemicals.
For his part, Russell Precious, coowner of a West Vancouver naturalfood store and restaurant called Capers, said that public interest in organically grown produce rose sharply in February, 1989, following news reports that Alar, a chemical ripener sprayed on apples, had been linked to cancer in children. He said that his own sales increased by 25 per cent in the month following the Alar scare, but gradually declined again after media and public attention faded. Said Precious: “The whole question of environmental shopping peaked about a year ago and has fallen off.”
But those who have switched to organic produce contend that such fruits and vegetables are tastier as well as healthier. Susan Cameron, a 39-year-old resident of West Vancouver, said that she and her husband, Donald, a neurologist, began buying chemical-free produce a year ago after being vegetarians for two decades. Said Cameron: “The flavor is wonderful and you don’t get that aftertaste of pesticides.”
Taste and the presence of chlorine are the two factors driving an increasing number of Canadians away from tap water in favor of spring or mineral waters. Last year, the Ontario Bottled Water Association, which represents vendors across the country, hired Decima Re-
search to conduct a survey of public attitudes towards tap and bottled water. Decima polled 600 people in three different parts of Ontario and found that, by margins of about 2 to 1, the participants said that they believed that bottled water was safer, higher in quality, tasted better and contained fewer chemicals and additives. In early 1990, Maclean ’s asked a Mississauga company, Mann Testing Laboratories Ltd., to analyse Toronto tap water, and the firm found only traces of 20 minerals and chemicals. Some, including copper and iron, can be beneficial to humans in small amounts, but others, such as strontium and barium, could be harmful in large quantities. Said Kenneth Roberts, manager of the Ontario ministry of the environment’s drinking-water section: “Bottled water can be better tasting, but the risk to health
from drinking tap water is considered negligible.”
According to Elisabeth Woodworth, executive director of the bottled-water association, sales have continued to grow by 10 per cent a year even during the recession. Total Canadian sales of bottled water increased by 10 per cent to $190 million in 1990, up from $173 million the previous year, she said.
Sunscreen: Canadians are also demonstrating their concerns about environment and personal health through their purchases of sunscreen lotions. Sales figures compiled by A. C. Nielsen Co. of Canada Ltd., a Torontobased market-research firm, show that Canadians have spent $36 million on sunscreens in 1991, up from $26.5 million in 1987. And Canadians are buying stronger sunscreens. Manufacturers assign each product a sunprotection factor ranging from 2 through 45, and the higher the rating, the more protection against the ultraviolet solar radiation that darkens human skin but can also potentially cause skin cancer. McClelland, however, said that any lotion with an SPF of 30 or more blocks out almost all ultraviolet rays. Nielsen figures
show that 47 per cent of the sunscreens Canadians purchased this year had protection factors of 15 or higher, up from 37 per cent two years earlier. Sales of lotions with factors of 15 or less declined by 22 per cent over the same period.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa-based Canadian Dermatology Association is also trying to raise public awareness about the links between suntanning and skin cancer. Vancouver dermatologist Dr. Jason Rivers, director of the association’s skin cancer awareness program, said that he and some of his colleagues set up tents at four different beaches in the lower B.C. mainland last summer. Rivers said that they distributed information and examined about 600 sunbathers for signs of skin cancer. He said that they identified 20 per cent of the
individuals as high risk, and another eight per cent had potentially cancerous lesions. Said Rivers: “People are becoming more aware, but a lot of people are not responding. Go to any beach and there are people frying out there.” While public opinion polls reveal that change is occurring slowly, the growth of one grassroots organization suggests that average citizens are becoming more environmentally active. Two years ago, 11 Vancouver residents formed an organization called the Worldwide Home Environmentalists Network. Cameron, one of the founding members, said that the network now has 5,000 members and small chapters in Australia and Japan. She said that the organization’s 18-point charter encourages environmental change through personal action. Cameron added that if ordinary citizens can be convinced to adopt conservation, recycling, composting and other environmentally sound practices, they can have an enormous impact on the future of the planet. It is clearly an enormous challenge—and for many Canadians, the place to start is at home.
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OXNARD, Calif. -- California's farming industry is girding for another possible setback, after a second outbreak this year of a potentially deadly strain of E. coli linked to its crops.
Green onions served in Taco Bell restaurants are suspected as the source of dozens of illnesses in the Eastern United States, and the fast-food chain has called for an industry review of the produce supply system extending to California.
The onions came from the seaside region around Oxnard in Southern California. The small city is surrounded by acres of strawberry farms, and fields growing onions, lettuce, and other crops.
Farming is a major business in California, the nation's leading agricultural producing and exporting state. Vegetables make up nearly a quarter of the $31.8 billion in 2005 farm revenue generated by the state.
"Everyone is real concerned about this," said Dave Kranz, a spokesman for the California Farm Bureau, the state's largest agricultural trade group.
The latest E. coli outbreak followed a similar scare in supermarkets in September that was eventually traced to spinach grown in California's Salinas Valley.
The spinach scare sent growers scrambling to do better.
They were developing food safety guidelines when the latest illnesses reached the news last week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agency has said it expected the number of cases from the latest outbreak to grow. The agency has counted more than 60 confirmed cases, most of them in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Oxnard's Boskovich Farms supplied the onions to Ready Pac Foods, a food processor for Taco Bell, a unit of Yum Brands Inc.
Responding to food poisoning cases traced to its restaurants, Taco Bell tested the onions and made a preliminary determination that three samples were positive for E. coli O157:H7. The chain is no longer serving green onions at its 5,800 US restaurants.
Lindsay Martinez, a Boskovich spokeswoman, confirmed that the onions were grown in the vicinity of Oxnard.
The findings are not conclusive, and Taco Bell is conducting more tests. The possibility that California produce may be the source of a second E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in four months has triggered a new round of inspections at farms, packaging plants, and distribution centers in the state.
Inspectors are trying to determine how the strain may be entering the food supply.
"Nobody is trying to duck and cover," said Tim Chelling, spokesman for the Western Growers Association.
E. coli O157:H7 is a pathogen present in livestock that has emerged as the leading cause of hemorrhagic colitis in humans.


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Businesses owners have hit out at plans to introduce a new fee for pavement licences across Gedling Borough.
Shop owners can now apply for a pavement licence which gives them authorisation to put removable furniture outside. It had been free but now there will be a fee for applications.
The Business and Planning Act 2020 came in to effect on July 22 2020, Gedling Borough Council's Environment and Licensing Committee listed that owners must not obstruct the highway and there will need to be a smoke free area.
The new fee will cost businesses up to £100 to process the applications due to the amount of officer time involved and the expectation that more applications will be submitted.
The fee will also cover possible site visits and liaising with other partners, such as the Highway Authority and police.
The fee for a one-year licence was approved on September 7 by the council's Environment and Licensing Committee.
Business owners on Arnold High Street think the fee is too high and the pavements are too narrow to add additional seating.
Hailey Marsden, 43, manager of Organ Grinder, explained how the licence wouldn't benefit her business.
She said: "The pavement is too small and I don't think customers would want to sit out there.
"It's not beneficial for us and we've already got garden seating that can hold 150 plus customers.
"I wouldn't want to sit there with all the car fumes."
The pavement licensing regime was due to expire on September 30 2021, but has been extended to September 30 2022.
Mexhit Osmamaj, 51, owner of Santorini Gyro Bar, thinks the fee is expensive and there isn't enough space on the pavement.
He said: "For outside seating, there isn't enough space.
"I'd only be able to add two more tables, maybe.
"The fee is too expensive, with rent and bills it is too much.
"After 4pm no-one is on the street so there is no need for more seating.
"Especially in winter, it can get very quiet here."
As part of the Governments 'Road Map out of Lockdown', hospitality venues can now serve people outdoors.
The council envisages that extending the pavement license regime will make it easier and cheaper for businesses to serve people outside.
Delcci cafe bar reduced its outside seating to eight to nine customers after lack of business.
Tina Mehr, 48, who works at the cafe, said: "If the place gets busier then we might do it but it is very quiet here usually.
"A £100 fee is not good for this part, it's dead here.
"Only smokers use it.
"If the weather is nice it does get busier."
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke, said: “Pavement licences are a new type of licence introduced in 2020 to assist the hospitality sector in response to COVID-19 restrictions.
"The licences have always been subject to a fee, however to assist business that were affected the most by lockdown restrictions, when these licences were introduced in 2020 the council made the decision not to charge a fee to support businesses, allowing them to continue to trade when customers couldn’t sit inside.
"Now that businesses have been allowed to reopen fully without restrictions, those who want to have extra outdoor seating require a licence to ensure they do not cause obstruction on the highway, block access for pedestrians and wheelchair users or create other health and safety issues.
Due to the cost to the council for providing the licence, a charge of £100 for a one year licence was approved yesterday by the council’s Environment and Licensing Committee to cover the administrative costs of dealing with applications and granting licence.”
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The BBC's excellent technology correspondant Rory Cellan-Jones reported on the Today programme this morning that this week is Get Online Week. I have to say that I was unaware of this effort until this morning. Nor was I aware that we had a Digital Champion, Martha Lane Fox, who promotes it (with a mix of private and public money). She has launched her Manifesto for a Networked Nation which aims to "get everyone of working age and those preparing for retirement online within the lifetime of this parliament".
Cellan-Jones reports the information provided by the Champion: "More than nine million Britons have never used the internet, and they tend to be more elderly and less well-off. Events promoting web use will take place across the UK. The campaign will hammer home a simple message, that the internet can save you money. Research by UK Online Centres, which was set up by the government to provide public access to computers, found that a third of new internet users reckoned they had already saved more than £100 by being online."
The number of eBay, Facebook and Google users (let alone of online pornography) makes me think it's unlikely that people are having much trouble logging on. So let's have a champion to help with something that's really difficult. I mean of course putting up IKEA furniture. To test this proposition, I tried cutting and pasting IKEA for "online" and "internet" into the paragraph above. It reads:
"More than nine million Britons have never used IKEA, and they tend to be more elderly and less well-off. Events promoting IKEA use will take place across the UK. The campaign will hammer home a simple message, that IKEA can save you money. Research by UK Online Centres, which was set up by the government to provide public access to computers, found that a third of IKEA users reckoned they had already saved more than £100 by using IKEA."
This IKEA test suggests to me that Online week is a waste of money. Why don't we use this public money instead to help with the Science Budget the evidence for which suggests very high returns?
For students of economics, I offer the following thoughts. Economists genererally justify public subsidies if the activity produces public goods (R&D) and taxes if public bads (carbon). What public good does this campaign produce? Internet usage confers a private benefit to the user, which is why we generally trust users to get on without public money. But there is some public benefit over and above that since new use of the internet improves things for others (a "positive externality")by expanding the network with whom one can communicate. How much is that positive externality? In the Competition Commission's 2002 inquiry into Mobile Phones, this argument was used by the Phone companies. They argued it that monopolistic termination charges (charges levied by operators to users on other networks) were socially optimal since they helped subsidise handsets so expanding the network. Mr. Justice Moses, the High Court judge who eventally had to adjudicate on this, awarded a fraction of a penny per call for this social externality. So I don't think this is a wise spend of public money.


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Elon Musk and his fans converse easily in memes and jokes on Twitter. While this discourse is slightly bewildering to outsiders, the power Musk holds over his fans can have a serious impact on real-world events such as cryptocurrencies.
Elizabeth Holmes is recently convicted. She was charged by federal authorities for operating a multi-million-dollar scheme. Holmes’ company Theranos went from an innovative tech start-up to the biggest fraud case in Silicon Valley.
Live anywhere in the world and travel anytime you want: according to Airbnb, we'll soon all live a flexible lifestyle. This case study analyzes how Airbnb constructs a techno-utopian vision of the world.


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In recent years, businesses have had to adapt to a changing economic landscape and consumer behavior often by utilizing innovative new tools and technology.
One of these tools is short-form video, which offers businesses a way to gain attention, build and grow their community, and differentiate their brand in an increasingly saturated marketplace.
Trae Bodge, a business & lifestyle journalist and TV commentator, joined Studio 512 Co-Host Rosie Newberry to talk about teaming up with Meta to show business owners how to create reels that can help them grow.
Bodge has been named a top voice in retail by LinkedIn and regularly shares her insight on network TV shows like NBC Nightly News and CNBC.
She discussed short-form videos like Instagram Reels, why they are important, and how they can help businesses stand out. She also mentioned what makes a good reel, tips to keep in mind when creating one, how to create compelling video content, and Meta’s Small Business Studios event.
You can attend the event on September 28-29 in Austin, TX at The Distribution Hall, but if you can’t make it, Meta will also host it virtually.
This segment is paid for by Meta and is intended as an advertisement. Opinions expressed by the guest(s) on this program are solely those of the guest(s) and are not endorsed by this television station.


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People with less than 6 to 7 hours of sleep have a higher risk of developing heart problems, like stroke, heart failure, palpitations, high blood pressure, and heart’s muscle weakness, a recent study confirmed. If you’re not getting the right amount of sleep at night, you’re putting your body and brain at risk of developing significant alterations. That’s why sleep experts prescribe sleeping pills the online UK and other worldwide countries for chronic insomnia.
How Sleep Affects Adults’ Lives?
A recent study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation concluded that a third of adults in the world struggle to get enough restorative sleep at night. People find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep at night due to the negligence of sleep importance for their physical and mental development.
Sleep experts say that other factors, like work-life balance, tension, stress, anxiety, jet lag and irregular diet plan and unhealthy daily routine linked to insomnia symptoms in the adults.
Less sleep at night affects people’s productivity and performance in the day, i.e. sleep can boost your performance, alertness, immune system, athletic endurance, mental stability, memory and concentration throughout the day.
Despite physical and mental benefits, people don’t get enough sleep at night. A survey confirmed that in the last two decades, people prioritize other daily activities over sleep, I.e. they spend their sleep time in watching TV, online web series, movies, browsing the internet, playing games on Smartphone, and other activities that delay their sleep-wake cycle.
Digital Devices & Caffeinated Drinks Affect Your Sleep-wake Cycle
Digital devices, like TV, laptop and Smartphone emit blue light from their screens that affect the release of melatonin – sleep hormone, in the body and cause a delay in people’s sleep-wake cycle. According to the sleep experts of the National Sleep Foundation, people who use digital devices more than recommended have a higher risk of insomnia and other sleep disorders due to unbalanced sleep hormones and brain chemicals.
More so, adults who drink caffeinated beverages and other stimulants, like alcohol or nicotine before bedtime, have a higher risk of unbalanced sleep routine. Coffee, tea, alcoholic drinks and nicotine products cause a significant impact on your sleep-wake cycle.
Sleep experts confirmed the delay in the sleep-wake cycle and internal biological clock due to caffeinated drinks and other stimulants.
Cardiovascular Diseases Due to Insomnia
Numerous studies confirmed the risk of cardiovascular diseases, like heart palpitations, heart failure, stroke, weakening of heart muscles and high blood pressure, due to sleep deprivation. More so, if you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re at a higher risk of other health problems, like obesity, type-2 diabetes, hypertension and other anxiety symptoms.
Buy Sleeping Pills Online UK for Insomnia
People with severe and chronic sleep deprivation should talk to a health expert or a doctor and buy genuine sleeping pills the online UK and other worldwide locations. Sleeping pills balance the unbalanced sleep hormones and help people to get enough sleep at night. Always choose a registered online pharmacy to buy sleeping pills online UK and other worldwide countries at reasonable prices.


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Marriott's Sorenson, STR's Smith Inducted into U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders
November 16, 2017 11:47am
The pair join 94 previous recipients of the travel industry's highest honor
WASHINGTON (November 16, 2017)—Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, and Randy Smith, co-founder and chairman of data and analytics firm STR, were inducted into the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders Tuesday night.
Inclusion in the Hall of Leaders, widely regarded as the highest honor in the travel industry, is bestowed to recipients by the U.S. Travel Association for "sustained, noteworthy contributions that have positively impacted the travel industry, stimulated greater achievement and raised industry-wide standards."
"Arne and Randy have been fantastic leaders at their respective organizations. For decades, they've been vocal advocates for the industry, focusing on economic growth and job creation through travel," said U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow.
"Arne has demonstrated exceptional leadership at the helm of one of the world's premier travel brands. Randy has overseen a company that has been the industry standard for measuring the health of the hotel economy. Both have made invaluable contributions to our industry by going above and beyond the call to advance excellence in travel and tourism."
Sorenson joined Marriott in 1996. In 2012, he became the third CEO in the company's history—the first without a Marriott surname. As a longtime member of the U.S. Travel Association, he has invested his time and experience to advance the industry. In addition to his role as chair of U.S. Travel's CEO Roundtable, Sorenson is heavily involved with Brand USA, serving as treasurer and chairman of its finance committee. He also served as vice chair of the President's Export Council under President Barack Obama, helping to raise visibility of travel industry issues at the highest levels of government.
Smith co-founded STR (formerly Smith Travel Research) in 1985. He revolutionized the hotel industry by providing data and benchmarking that helps inform decisions and drive strategies. Smith's contributions have been recognized with numerous awards.
With these inductions, 96 have now joined the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders since it was established in 1969. The 2016 inductees were Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California, and Chris Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton.
Left to right: U.S. Travel President and CEO Roger Dow; STR Co-founder and Chairman Randy Smith; Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson; U.S. Travel Association National Chair Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham Hotel Group
Tags: u.s. travel,
u.s. travel hall of leaders,
The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $2.3 trillion in economic output and supports 15.3 million jobs. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States.
Contact: Cathy Keefe Reynolds
Contact: Jamie Morris
U.S. Travel Assn. Welcomes Destination DC President and CEO Elliott L. Ferguson II as National Chair
Is Trump Organization Slowdown a Confirmation of STR's Lower Occupancy Projections?
Travel Oregon’s Davidson, Atlanta CVB’s Richardson Inducted Into U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders
U.S. Travel to International Destinations Increased Nine Percent in 2017
Industry Execs Talk International Travel With President Trump, Senior Aides
U.S. Travel Honors Tourism Marketers at ESTO
Summer In The City: Marriott International Study Finds Cities Top the List for Vacation Plans
Travel Trends Index: International Sector Powers Strong Overall Finish to Q1
U.S. Travel Unveils Tool to Measure Tourism's Impact on State Economies
U.S. Citizen International Travel Increased 13 Percent in November 2017
Penn State School of Hospitality Management and Alumni to Honor CEO of World’s Largest Hotel Company, Arne Sorenson, in 2018
Visit U.S. Coalition Launches Amid Drop in U.S. Share of Global Travel
U.S. Travel to International Destinations Increased Eight Percent in 2016
Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society to Honor Marriott CEO at April 12 Gala Reception
Travel Trends Index: Slight Uptick Across All Travel Segments
Portions of Travel Trends Index Revised Sharply Downward on New Data
Marriott's Arne Sorenson and STR's Randy Smith to Be Inducted into U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders
International Society of Hospitality Consultants Launches 2018 Capital Expenditure Data Survey
U.S. Travel Reacts to Proposed Elimination of Brand USA in Trump Budget
Travel Trends Index: International Inbound Travel Shows Signs of Weakness
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If current growth trends continue, the internet will overtake traditional TV as the most consumed form of media for the first time in June 2010. By then internet consumption will average 14.2 hours per week, or over 2.5 days a month, compared to 11.5 hours a week, or 2 days a month, for TV, according to a report released by Microsoft.
Online video is established as the most popular online audiovisual entertainment application, with more than one in four (28%) Europeans and over 300 million people worldwide watching short or full-length videos over the internet.
The report, which assesses people’s online behaviour across Europe and discusses the trends of the future, highlights that while the internet will become the most popular media, this does not signify the decline in TV, it simply reflects the changing ways people experience TV content. No longer a one-way broadcast experience, TV becomes a two-way connected experience delivered via broadband to multiple screens – TV, PC, mobile.
For some segments of the market, such as the 18-24 year old segment, the PC is often the only television screen; for others, it can be a second or third screen. To this generation, TV frequently means video, delivered on demand. In fact, one in seven 18-24 year-olds no longer watch live TV at all. 42% of young adults regularly watch TV online, through a PC.
Over the next five years, Microsoft predicts that long-form video content and IPTV will become the norm on a TV that has by then effectively evolved into a PC, largely ending the need to watch TV in real-time. Consumers will read books, newspapers and magazines on electronic devices that have Wi-fi access. The 3D internet will become a reality, allowing consumers to virtually experience a holiday resort before they book it, on their PC or mobile phone.
The erosion of traditional TV viewing and the rise of online consumption can be attributed to the explosion in broadband penetration


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The Suzuki Hayabusa has been ruling the world of superbikes since more than a decade now. While the bike has remained largely unchanged from its original design, the Japanese bike maker has been regular with coming up with some minor tweaks for the ‘busa.
Now, the bike maker has released the 2013 edition of the GSX1300R Hayabusa and as always, the bike continues to be almost the same. However, an important addition to the bike is an all new anti-locking brakes system (ABS) that is compact in size and is more efficient. The braking package gets even better with the Hayabusa getting Brembo Monobloc calipers.
No one knows what the manufacturer plans for the future of this popular bike. Only time will tell if Suzuki is busy with developing an all new generation of its hyperbike.


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Apple Asks For Sales Ban On Samsung DevicesBy cheatmaster 03:18 Tue, 20 Jul 2021 Comments
Few weeks back, Apple won a case against Samsung, where the latter had to pay $119 million in fines for infringing on Apple's patents. However, Apple had originally asked for $2.2 billion in damages, which the court denied, and Apple will now be challenging that decision.
Apple claims that Samsung has used some of its patents on its previous phones, which will cautilize Apple "irreparable harm" if Samsung continues to sell them, which is why the company is after the court to acquire a permanent injunction against them. The list of handsets include Admire, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy S III, and Stratosphere.
Apple will now try its luck to see if both its demands are met although it's unlikely that the court will entertain the requests.
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An estimate suggests in coming 20 days the government expects that the position will be such that the economy would not suffer for want of currency.
Demonetisation: The demonetisation scheme is to close by December 30, and as the countdown runs, it is seen that the government and the Reserve Bank of India have managed to introduce just about Rs 5 lakh crore of new currency notes in the economy. However, this is less than a third of the total value of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes – Rs 15.5 lakh crore, that were withdrawn from circulation on November 8 midnight. According to a top government official, the total currency in circulation today is about Rs 7 lakh crore with this addition.
An estimate suggests in coming 20 days the government expects that the position will be such that the economy would not suffer for want of currency. Centre is looking at the formal economy having an active circulation of about Rs 9 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore in the next three weeks and expects to bring about Rs 2.5 lakh crore more in new currency in circulation.
However, if we see the actual numbers, the Rs 9 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore that will be available by the end of December would be just 51%-57% of the total value of currency in circulation before demonetisation. On the other hand, withdrawal of currency per day has gone up to about Rs 16,000 crore, as per the reports of Indian Express.
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Though the government expects a significant percentage of the money to return to the system and that will be captured by the recent amendments to the Income-Tax Act, the banks have been asked to furnish details of deposits of over Rs 50,000 in Jan Dhan accounts, the I-T department is also preparing to send notices and issue summons after January 1, 2017, in cases of “suspicious” transactions.


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Lawmakers Consider 15-Cent Christmas Tree Fee
BEECH BLUFF, Tenn. — Federal lawmakers are expected to vote on the controversial Farm Bill this week. The legislation includes a 15 cent fee for Christmas trees. “Anytime anybody else is helping get the word out, that’s good news for us,” Susan Ward, co-owner at Ward Grove Christmas Tree Farm in Madison County, said. Ward‘s farm sells between 600 and 800 trees a year. “Because we’re a small business and because we’re only open one month a year, we don’t really have the ability to do a lot of marketing on our own,” Ward said. Congress could pass a bill this week that would impose a 15 cent fee on cut Christmas trees sold in the United States. A U.S. Senate aide said the extra money would pay for research and promotional funding specifically for fresh cut Christmas trees. “In terms for marketing and awareness, it would probably put us out there for people to think that real trees are a better choice than artificial trees,” Ward said. According to national reports, farms who grow less than 500 trees a year would not have to pay the fee. Opponents said they do not want to pay more taxes. “I think the little man is getting pressed too much,” Carl Fuller said, a Jackson resident. “Let some of these big corporations who aren’t paying anything start paying their fair share. They‘re killing the little man.” WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News asked Ward if the bill will have an impact on the price of her trees if it takes effect. “Probably not,” she responded. The bill already passed in the House. A U.S. Senate aide said lawmakers are scheduled to take up the bill Monday.


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Look, everyone knows that anime food looks way tastier than food in real life. And of anime that feature food, Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family ranks pretty high!
And for fans of the original manga that inspired the anime, some exciting news just dropped: Everyday♪ Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family is finally releasing on Nintendo Switch in Japan!
The official website for the game revealed the news on Friday, confirming that the cooking game from the popular Fate series would soon be available on Nintendo Switch in Japan. The game was previously delayed, but is now ready for release on April 28.
The official Twitter account shared the announcement, as well as a trailer for the game.
Everyday♪ Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family will feature recipes from the manga series and anime, along with brand-new recipes created exclusively for the game. Fans can also expect new story content.
Aniplex previously announced that the game would see a release in North America, though no additional details have been released.
The anime adaptation, Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family, made its debut in December 2017 in Japan, and is currently streaming on Funimation.
Are you excited for the Fate cooking game to make its way to Nintendo Switch? Share this post and let us know! And stay tuned to Funimation for the latest news on all things anime, this season and beyond.


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Rentokil has appointed Geoff Ellis to replace long serving sales and marketing director John Rowe in its Products division.
Rowe is retiring after 21 years at the company.
Ellis has 20 years’ experience of selling and marketing consumer brands such as Dulex and Polyfilla through retail channels. Most recently, he helped launch the ‘Bye Bye Standby’ brand in the UK.
Rentokil Products, the consumer products business arm of Rentokil Pest Control,
currently has a presence in all the main DIY, gardening and grocery chains in the UK.
Rentokil also offers consumer services such as Rentokil Insurance and Property Care.
Recruitment consultancy Adecco recently hired Rentokil Initial marketer Susan Yallop to be its UJK marketing director.


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Next-Generation PlayStation 5 VR headsetThrough a blog post from PlayStation, Sony revealed that its next-generation VR system will be coming to the PlayStation 5. The new system will provide users with an even more immersive experience than the previous generation. Sony shared information about the next-generation PlayStation VR, Developers claim that with the new generation of PSVR, players will dive deeper into virtual worlds. compared to the old headset, all features will be improved. Better Resolution, Viewing Angles, Tracking & Single wire connection is the new features added to the PlayStation 5 VR headset. The new VR controller will get improved ergonomics and support of the main dual sense features.
The development of the new PSVR has not yet been completed- The release will take place no earlier than 2022.
However, the production of VR Games for the PlayStation 5 has already begun.
PlayStation VR PS5: What to Expect?
Sony announced the PlayStation 5 console last year along with a bunch of new accessories such as the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset, the PS5 Media Remote, DualSense charging station, and HD Camera. However, Sony didn’t announce a new VR system. Today, the tech giant has revealed details of its next-gen PlayStation VR system and when to expect it.
The new PS VR will have enhanced resolution, the field of view, tracking, and input. It will also connect to the PlayStation 5 via a single cable. The second statement is the more exciting part of the announcement considering that setting up the current PS VR system is a herculean task.
Another upgrade the next-gen PS VR system will get is a new controller that will have some of the key features of the DualSense wireless controller. Our guess is that the controller will have immersive haptic feedback and adaptive triggers similar to that of the PS5 controller.
According to Sony's Senior Vice President Hideaki Nishino;
"We're taking what we've learned since launching PS VR on PS4 to develop a next-gen VR system that enhances everything from resolution and field of view to tracking and input,""It will connect to PS5 with a single cord to simplify setup and improve ease-of-use while enabling a high-fidelity visual experience."
PS5 VR Price
It was also said that the product PS5 VR bundle will not be launched this year, however, a test phase with provisional hardware is already underway. No price has been discussed but it will be predictable that it will not escape much from the $485.74 of the original model launched in 2016.


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Eight companies and three consortia have responded to a request for qualification for the public-private partnership contract to build and operate a new container terminal at India’s Port of Ennore.
Port of Ennore
22 Jul 2013
Nissan Motor India, the Indian subsidiary of the Japanese automaker, signed an agreement with the Port of Ennore to handl
07 Jun 2013
India’s Ennore Port Authority has released a new global tender for the construction and operation of its long-awaited con
06 Mar 2013
India’s Ennore Port has decided to split its container terminal project into three separate terminals, after an earlier attempt to build the terminal with private funds collapsed last year...
05 Feb 2013
Eleven companies have responded to a request for formal expressions of interest in building and operating a new container terminal at India’s Port of Ennore.


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What happened last January 3, 2018?
Let me share to you what had exactly happened in the Philippines last January 3, 2018 that helped Filipinos send bitcoin cash by text messaging.
"CointText Enables SMS-Based Bitcoin Cash Transactions Expand to Philippines"
What is CoinText.io?
Is a service that lets people send and receive cryptocurrency using text messages. It was the first company to develop a way to use cryptocurrency without the use of application and internet.
On January 3, 2018
In the report, CoinText had announced that it enables SMS-based bitcoin cash transactions expand to Philippines.
Its founder said that
“The Philippines has many cryptocurrency exchanges that make using cryptocurrency for remittances a no-brainer. With CoinText, Filipinos can make borderless payments and withdraw pesos at an exchange for a fraction of the cost of traditional money transfer services."
This had helped Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) benefit from low transaction fees. With CoinText, the OFW's working abroad doesn't have to worry on the "big cut" that remittances companies take away from them everytime they were sending money from abroad.
With simple commands like "SEND $5 [BCH address]" you can already send money. And to check your balance, a command "BALANCE" will do, then it will already send you your balance.
Thank you CoinText for making this feature available in our country.
...and you will also help the author collect more tips.


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Car renting company Hertz has cut costs by 25% in four years, in part by introducing cost-efficient rental kiosks
Hertz has also launched the world's first global car club, allowing customers to pick up rentals in designated parking lots
The company has been buffered from economic woes by rising demand for luxury cars in emerging markets
Hertz has been forced to cut costs by 25% over the last four years as the global financial crisis continues hit one of the world’s largest car rental companies.
And Hertz boss Michel Taride believes the pain is likely to continue. Taride told CNN: “I personally think the situation in Europe is going to last for a few years. The question for companies like ours is how we can grow profitably in a challenging environment.”
The car rental industry, with its close ties to airline traffic and hotel bookings, is particularly sensitive to cross-border financial turmoil.
U.S.-based Hertz – which operates from 8,500 locations across 150 countries – isn’t just cutting expenditure to deal with the global slowdown. It is also moving away from “bricks and mortar” costs by investing in virtual rental kiosks, among other changes.
Hertz has also launched the world’s first global car club. Operating across Europe, the U.S., and Australia, it gives members access to vehicles parked in designated lots around town.
’It is growing extremely fast, even though it doesn’t account for a huge part of revenue yet,’ Taride said.
Luxury cars are also buffering Hertz from the economic gloom. In the Middle East, China and Russia, hiring Aston Martins and Ferraris remains popular, Taride told CNN.
At the other end of the glitz scale is Hertz’s niche business of renting equipment to large construction firms.
“We’re generalists. Renting is a competency of ours and once you know how to rent, buy, run, sell or manage assets effectively and do this with great service and great people then you can rent nearly anything,” Taride said.
CNN’s Arvid Ahlund contributed to this report.


text: Hackers compromised hundreds of Magento e-commerce websites to steal credit card… by Chris J. Decker Hackers compromised hundreds of Magento e-commerce websites to steal credit card numbers and install crypto-mining malware. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Related See more Previous article Debt Counselling Process – DebtBusters CEO Ian Wason speaks to Fin24 Next article Kartu Kredit ORAMI Bank Sinarmas, Kartu Kredit untuk Para "Moms" Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.


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Pioneering skincare brand Stream2Sea is set to feature on TV show Boom America, highlighting their mission to protect aquatic ecosystems
— Autumn Blum, Stream2Sea CEO
WAUCHULA, FL, US, August 3, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Stream2Sea, a pioneering manufacturer of eco-conscious skincare and sun protection products, is set to appear on the renowned TV show, Boom America. This show spotlights innovative companies with transformative solutions, and Stream2Sea’s participation serves as recognition of their unwavering commitment to protecting our aquatic ecosystems.
Stream2Sea’s CEO and Cosmetic Chemist, Autumn Blum, stated, “Boom America, Kevin Harrington, and their exceptional team have provided us with invaluable support. Their insights and strategies will assist us in advancing our mission to save our oceans and humanity.”
Founded in 2015, Stream2Sea was born from a dive trip that made Blum realize the detrimental impact of everyday products on our aquatic environment. The company now produces the only mineral-based sunscreen on the planet that’s been tested and proven safe for freshwater fish, saltwater fish, and coral larvae, boasting the rigorous HEL Labs Protect Land + Sea certification.
Blum, a recognized entrepreneur and life-long ocean advocate, leads the Stream2Sea team from their Florida-based manufacturing facility. Under her guidance, Stream2Sea leads the way in the development of eco-conscious skincare, consistently advocating for a cleaner and safer environment. Blum’s influential work has reached as far as the National Academies of Science, the Senate, and beyond, helping to enact bans on toxic ingredients in various global tourist destinations.
All Stream2Sea products are developed with environmental consciousness at their core. They are free from harmful ingredients and enriched with a proprietary antioxidant-rich blend to protect and nourish the skin. Stream2Sea also avoids known endocrine disruptors and harmful chemical ingredients in all of their products.
For more information about Stream2Sea, visit www.stream2sea.com.
Stream2Sea is recognized for its commitment to eco-conscious skincare and sun protection products. The company’s dedication to crafting biodegradable, safe offerings reflects their mission of safeguarding aquatic life and the environment. Operating from their Florida-based facility, Stream2Sea is an industry leader in developing solutions that protect both the skin of their consumers and the health of our planet.
About Boom America-
Boom America is a life-changing show hosted by none other than the legendary Kevin Harrington. A pioneer of the infomercial industry and an original star of the hit TV series Shark Tank, Kevin leads a powerhouse team of business experts on a mission to elevate innovative companies to new heights. The real work begins as the selected companies embark on a journey of explosive growth, guided every step of the way by the seasoned professionals of Kevin’s team. Get ready for a game-changing ride in 2023!
The PR Group
email us here
The post Stream2Sea Spotlights Eco-Conscious Skincare on Boom America first appeared on Beauty Ring Magazine.


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Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2014 CLA250 vehicles manufactured December 14, 2012, to April 24, 2013 equipped with gasoline engines. The affected vehicles have a fitting that connects the vacuum line to the brake booster which may break causing increased forced to be needed to apply the brakes.
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector end fitting at the brake booster, free of charge. The recall began July 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.


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T206 Wagner back on the block
Written by Mike Jaspersen (Beckett - June 7, 2000)
Auction giant eBay will be offering the most famous baseball card in the world. The fabled card, once the property
of Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, will go on the block in July. The card in question, a
1910 T206 Honus Wagner tobacco card previously sold at New
York’s Christies auction in 1996 for a staggering $ 640,500.
“We wanted to be the beginning of a new trend,” says Robert Lifson,
a sports-memorabilia consultant who is brokering
the card on behalf of its owner, Chicago investor Michael Gidwitz.
Money is a major motivator for the offering too. Mr. Lifson, who will take a flat
fee of $25,000 from the sale
of the card, says eBay’s sales commissions made it an attractive choice of
venue. eBay charges sellers roughly
1.5 percent of the sales price - less than the 2 to 20 percent that traditional
auction houses charge.
The Wagner card will be the marquee item in this, the first Internet auction
of Lifson’s company. "I would
really be surprised if the high bid on the Wagner card does not break a million dollars,"
says Lifson. “After all, it’s in a league of its own.”
With respect to opting for eBay, the choice seemed to come easy for Lifson.
“There will be a link on eBay to the other 1,000 or so lots in our
auction,” he says. “What we have done is
create an Internet event. Never before have we been more accessible with just a simple click.
Also, the media loves eBay. eBay is a big part of American culture and the media, whether
positively or negatively, loves to report on it. It’s a win-win situation."
Lifson has also convinced eBay to add a 15 percent buyer’s premium to the final
bid price, something he says his own auction company, Robert Edward Auctions of
Hoboken, N.J., a unit of MastroNet Inc., routinely charges. “This is a special
auction and therefore special rules are going to apply,” an eBay spokeswoman says.
The card unveiled Tuesday at a news conference at Mickey Mantle’s restaurant
in New York will go live on
eBay beginning July 5. The minimum bid that Mr. Gidwitz will accept will be $500,000.
The PSA8 graded near-mint-to-mint
card is one of only 50 or so Wagner’s known to exist with the Gidwitz card
being the best conditioned example known.
To lessen the possibility of bogus bids, potential buyers must register bids
through Mr. Lifson’s company and establish
$100,000 in escrow accounts.
The success of the sale, as measured by a record price, isn’t assured.
The card has had eight owners since 1987,
Already interested is a leading sports-memorabilia collector, Marshall Fogel,
a Denver attorney who says
he hopes to place the first bid, for $500,000, on the card. Mr. Fogel owns the original
photograph used to make
the card and now wants the card itself. “I’m prepared to go to the
wall,” he says. “I think there’s going to be
baseball players, movie stars and groups of investors bidding on it.”
Gallery -T206 Honus Wagner
Periodicals -T206 Honus Wagner


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Getting Real Interviews
Launched: 2006/re-launched 2019
Executive: Jason St. Clair
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
This month, SSN interviewed Jason St. Clair, part owner and CEO of Xendurance, a performance supplement company.
SSN: Will you share your background and how you got involved with Xendurance?
Launched: May 1,2020
Executive: Lori Bush
This month, SSN interviewed Lori Bush, who recently emerged from retirement as the CEO of Solvasa, a new beauty company taking an integrative approach to skincare and well being through mindfulness.
Location: Farmers Branch, Texas
This month, SSN interviewed Amber Rourke, chief marketing officer at Neora.
Location: Dallas, Texas
Consultants: 3.5 million
2019 Revenue: Estimated $3 billion
This month, SSN interviewed Sheryl Adkins-Green, chief marketing officer at Mary Kay Corp.
SSN: With a company history of over 55 years, how do you keep Mary Kay’s legacy alive for new consultants?
Executive: Jeff Stroud
Location: La Canada Flintridge, California
This month, SSN interviewed new company Somnvie founder and CEO Jeff Stroud, who has spent the past 40 years engaged in the home textiles business. His family founded the specialty home textiles chain Stroud’s in 1979, which culminated in a successful IPO for the brand in 1994. The family ultimately exited the business. Jeff Stroud’s newest venture focuses on what he calls the “sleep economy” by providing high-end bedding through direct selling company Somnvie.
Executive: Co-CEOs Deborah Heisz and Jeff Olson
Location: Farmer’s Branch, TX
This month, SSN interviewed co-CEO of Neora, Deborah Heisz. On Friday, Nov. 1, Neora took the unprecedented action of filing against the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), essentially alleging the agency is overreaching its authority and attempting to create law without going through Congress. Only hours later, the FTC filed suit against Neora, alleging the company to be a pyramid scheme. SSN spoke at length with Heisz about both suits and the ultimate impact they may have on the entire direct selling channel.
Executive: Stuart MacMillan
Location: Miami, FL
2018 Revenue: $435 million
2018 Salespeople: 200,000
This month, SSN interviewed Stuart MacMillan, president of personal-care company MONAT Global. MacMillan began his career in telecommunications and entered the direct selling arena in 1998 as president of Excel Canada after its acquisition by Teleglobe. MacMillan went on to serve as president of Arbonne International Canada and president of Immunotec. MacMillan helped co-found MONAT Global in September 2014 and has served as president of the company as it entered the multibillion-dollar haircare market with proprietary anti-aging products.
This month SSN interviewed industry veteran Meredith Berkich, who has spent the last 30 years in leadership roles in direct selling companies. Berkich began her career in the field at Princess House and was the youngest distributor to achieve Division level in the company’s history (it was founded in 1963). After 11 years in the field, Berkich transitioned to the corporate office in 2001 where she has served in executive roles at companies offering a diverse portfolio of products, including energy services, health and wellness and personal care.
This month, SSN interviewed Melissa Thompson, founder and CEO of luxury beauty company Bellame. For over 20 years, she held executive positions with top companies in beauty and social selling, including Avon and Stella & Dot, before launching Bellame in 2018. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband.


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NEW YORK (September 28, 2017) – Dodge Data & Analytics will unveil its much-anticipated construction industry forecast at the 79th annual Dodge Construction Outlook Executive Conference, November 1-2, 2017, at the Swissôtel, Chicago. Known as the industry’s premier construction forecasting event, the Dodge Outlook will focus this year on the growing trends of connectivity, collaboration and integration among design professionals, builders, and the companies that make and supply building products and materials.
The annual forum brings together attendees from across the construction industry – including architects and designers, contractors, engineers and building product manufacturers – to hear vital economic forecasts and guidance for their businesses. Following a positive reception to its debut in 2016, this year’s event will also include the construction outlook for Canada. The conference will culminate in the United States outlook for the coming year, a benchmark for the industry, delivered by Dodge Chief Economist Robert Murray.
“This year’s Outlook theme of ‘Connectivity, Collaboration, and Integration’ has been found by our research to be gaining momentum in the industry, particularly between the design and construction communities,” said Mike Petrullo, chief executive officer, Dodge Data & Analytics. “At Outlook 2018, we will focus on this trend, analyzing how it generates powerful efficiencies, reduces cost and schedule overruns, helps ensure safety and quality and increases overall performance for all parties in the project delivery process.”
Scheduled presentations include:
- “The U.S. Economy: Major Issues 2017/2018” by Cristian deRitis, Analytics Senior Director, Moody’s
- “The Business Value of Connectivity, Collaboration and Integration in Construction” by Steve Jones, Senior Director of Industry Insights Research, Dodge Data & Analytics
- “2018 Canada Outlook” by Richard Branch, Senior Economist, Dodge Data & Analytics
- “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game” by Billy Beane, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Oakland Athletics and subject of the best-selling book and Oscar-nominated film, Moneyball
- “2018 Construction Outlook” by Robert Murray, Vice President, Chief Economist, Dodge Data & Analytics
Sponsors of the 2018 Dodge Construction Outlook Executive Conference include the American Institute of Steel Construction, HKA, Lockton Companies-Northeast Construction Practice, Modern Marketing Concepts Inc. and Sweets.
For more information, visit Dodge Data & Analytics.


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Motorola has announced the launch of the first-of-its-kind earphones in India, the Tech3 TriX which combines both wired and wireless technology into one design. Along with this, the earbud features Bluetooth 5.o, on-ear detection, connects via the Verve Life app, Alexa integration and more.
Continue reading “Motorola Tech3 TriX combined wired and wireless earphones launched in India at an introductory price of Rs. 5999”
Motorola has announced their entry into the smart home appliances market with the launch of three new products lines — the Motorola Smart Refrigerator range, Motorola Smart Washing Machine range and the Motorola Smart AC range along with smart TVs. These new devices will go on sale during Flipkart’s upcoming Big Billion Days Specials on October 15th.
Continue reading “Motorola launches new range of Smart Refrigerators, ACs, Washing Machines in India”
Motorola today launched its Motorola ZX2 series 32″ HD and 40″ Full HD and Revou series 43″ & 55″ 4K Android 10.0 Smart TVs with support for Dolby Vision & Dolby Atmos in India. The 4K range feature Linen Finish Integrated Soundbar, Razor Thin Design and endless display. These are powered by 1.5GHz quad-core (A53) MediaTek MT9602 processor with Mali-G52 MC1 GPU and Dual Band Wi-Fi. Continue reading “Motorola ZX2 32″ HD, 43″ FHD and Revou 43″ & 55″ 4K Android 10 Smart TVs with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos launched in India starting at Rs. 13999”
Flipkart recently confirmed that its Big Billion Days sale will happen from October 16th. Today Motorola has announced that moto g9, motorola one fusion+, moto e7 plus and motorola razr will be available at a discounted rate on Flipkart during the sale. The Motorola one fusion+ was launched at Rs. 16,999 and later got a price hike to Rs. 17,499 in a month of launch, now the phone will get Rs. 1500 discount during the sale. The Motorola razr 5G was launched in India a few days, now the first generation razr is getting Rs. 40,000 discount during the sale. Continue reading “Motorola smartphone deals during Flipkart Big Billion Days 2020: Moto G9 at Rs. 9999, One Fusion+ at Rs. 15999 and more”
In the early 2000s, one of the coolest things you could do is to pull out your phone from your pocket, flip it open and take call/ send messages with one hand. We all know for the fact that Motorola has been a pioneer in foldable smartphone technology with the launch of the first-ever clamshell-style foldable smartphone in the world – the Motorola razr. Continue reading “Motorola razr 5G vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip/ Z Flip 5G: Battle of flip phones”
Motorola’s Razr lineup had one of the best flipping phones and the iconic Razr v3 was a huge hit among consumers back then. Last year, Motorola rebooted the nostalgic factor with its Razr 2019 foldable smartphone and it was a premium phone with a premium price tag. This year, the company announced the sequel of the razr 2019 – Motorola Razr 5G 2020 in the USA and has now launched it in India. I spent a brief time with the phone and this is my first impressions of the Motorola Razr 5G (not a review). Continue reading “Motorola razr 5G Unboxing and First Impressions: Improvements that matter”
Motorola just launched the new razr 5G foldable smartphone, as it had promised. It has a 6.2-inch flexible OLED 21:9 CinemaVision foldable touchscreen display that closes completely in half. It has an updated hinge that offer aesthetic and functional changes and has been tested to withstand up to 200,000 flips, and the custom protective coating protects against scratches, while a water repellent barrier on the inside of the devices safeguards against spills, splashes, rain and more. Continue reading “Motorola Razr 5G with 6.2-inch foldable OLED 21:9 display, 2.7-inch external OLED display launched in India for Rs. 1,24,999”
Quite lately, there has been an incessant launch of affordable smartphones in the market, especially in the budget segment. Several companies are bombarding sub 10K segments with numerous phones under various names. Motorola recently joined the bandwagon with its Moto E7 Plus, the company’s latest budget smartphone in India. Here we have the first impressions of the phone. Continue reading “Moto E7 Plus Unboxing and First Impressions”
Motorola has confirmed the launch of Razr 5G, the company’s latest foldable phone in India on October 5th on Flipkart. It was introduced last month and packs a 6.2-inch flexible OLED 21:9 CinemaVision foldable touchscreen display that closes completely in half. The phone features a 2.7-inch OLED Quick View display with updated gesture navigation with a navigation bar at the bottom that mimics the gestures of Android 10, so you can easily reach the home screen with just a swipe up. Continue reading “Motorola Razr 5G with 6.2-inch foldable OLED 21:9 display, 2.7-inch external OLED display launching in India on October 5”
Motorola just launched the Moto E7 Plus, the company’s latest budget smartphone in India, after it was introduced last week. It packs a 6.5-inch HD+ MaxVision display with a water-drop style notch, is powered by the Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 Mobile Platform paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage that can be expanded through microSD. Continue reading “Moto E7 Plus with 6.5-inch HD+ MaxVision display, Snapdragon 460, 4GB RAM, 5000mAh battery launched in India for Rs. 9499”
Motorola recently unveiled its Moto G9 Plus smartphone in Brazil and following that, now the company has unveiled another smartphone in the E-Series lineup – Moto E7 Plus with a Max Vision display, 5000mAh battery, and more. Continue reading “Moto E7 Plus with 6.5-inch MaxVision display, Snapdragon 460, 5000mAh battery announced”
Motorola has announced its Moto G9 Plus smartphone in Brazil and this comes after the smartphone was listed on the Orange Slovakia website which revealed most of the specifications. The Moto G9 Plus sports a HDR10 display, quad-rear cameras, more. Continue reading “Moto G9 Plus with 6.8-inch FHD+ display, Snapdragon 730G, 5000mAh battery, 30W charging announced”
After the Moto G9 Plus that surfaced online revealing its specifications, now the specifications of the Moto E7 Plus has surfaced online. This reveals a 6.5-inch HD+ screen, Snapdragon 460nm SoC with 4GB of RAM, 48MP rear camera along with a 2MP depth sensor, 8MP front camera, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 5000mAh battery. Continue reading “Moto E7 Plus with 6.5-inch display, Snapdragon 460, 5000mAh battery surfaces”
Motorola has announced new razr 5G foldable smartphone, as it had promised. It has a 6.2-inch flexible OLED 21:9 CinemaVision foldable touchscreen display that closes completely in half. Motorola says that it has an updated hinge that offer aesthetic and functional changes based on direct consumer feedback for an easy, one-handed experienc. The hinge has been tested to withstand up to 200,000 flips, and the custom protective coating protects against scratches, while a water repellent barrier on the inside of the devices safeguards against spills, splashes, rain and more, says the company. Continue reading “Motorola Razr 5G with 6.2-inch foldable OLED 21:9 display, 2.7-inch external OLED display, Snapdragon 765G announced”
Motorola has announced the launch of two new speaker systems as part of their AmphisoundX range of Soundbars and Home Theatres, expanding the range with a 200W soundbar system and a 100W soundbar system. They support multiple inputs including HDMI ARC, Optical audio, etc.
Continue reading “Motorola AmphisoundX wireless 100W and 200W soundbars launched in India starting from Rs. 7499”


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Publishing in India is a challenging business – poor distribution, low readership and a dearth of quality content plague this industry. Adding to that, finding good writers, especially, in the regional language space, is difficult. “The whole area is poorly organised. However, all these challenges also offer great opportunities, if we can sustain ourselves long enough,” says Badri Seshadri, founder of Chennai-based New Horizons Media (NHM) – a regional language publisher.
According to Seshadri, in Tamil – which is its main market now – not a single large, innovative, ‘great name’ publisher exists. “They have all been a family-owned small time operation. Sure, they have served the community well. But, they have all remained there and have hardly gone on to become a great publishing company like there are across the world,” he says. That is the target NHM has set for itself – of building a top-notch publishing company on par with its global counterparts. “The opportunity is tremendous. Making it happen is the challenge,” adds Seshadri.
“The opportunity in regional language publishing is tremendous. Making it happen is the challenge”
NHM was founded in 2004 by Seshadri along with K. Satyanarayan and R. Ananthkumar. Before founding the venture, Seshadri and Satyanarayan co-founded cricketing portal Cricinfo and when it got acquired by Wisden in 2003, the two started looking at new ventures they could get involved in. “We examined several possibilities and zeroed in on regional language publishing,” explains Seshadri.
Among the key factors that pushed the duo in this direction was the widening gap between English and Indian languages in terms of available content, which would seriously impact the large percentage of population that cannot read and understand English. Secondly, this gap would hinder India’s growth as a developed nation. “Knowledge is not like mobile phones, where you simply install towers all around and sell low cost handsets and immediately the nation is connected. Here, you have to inculcate the reading habits and make good quality and easily readable content available to the population,” Seshadri points out.
Learning from the past
The stint with Cricinfo taught the co-founders an important lesson about managing money while at business. When Wisdon made an offer to buy them out, they had little choice as they had to clear debt. “If we had managed our finances a lot better right through 2000 and 2001, things might have been very different,” reminisces Seshadri. But, the experience has helped understand the nitty-gritties of handling a business successfully.
From Cricinfo to NHM, the segments Seshadri has opted to work in seem unrelated. But, he believes that though they are different businesses, the key factor is that he is personally a consumer of the products in both the businesses. “This helps me in constantly tweaking the product to make it suit the needs of the prospective customers,” he adds. Preferring a hands-on approach at NHM, he has tried his hand at everything, from managing corporate relationships to writing books, editing books, sales and marketing of books and has even spent days at book fairs to get a better understanding of what the customer looks for.
Considering the dearth of good authors, NHM focuses more on the titles than authors. And in just four years, the company has published over 1,100 titles across three languages and is currently putting out 30 new titles every month, both non-fiction and fiction. NHM, which publishes books and audio books in Tamil, English and Malayalam, is the leading Tamil publisher in terms of the number of new titles published and also sales, both by volume and value.
There are not many branded authors currently and marketing space that comes free is a big problem, with even reviewing space not easily available. NHM has not opted for advertising in leading newspapers and magazines since they are not commercially viable. “Only some English publishers have been successful in generating national publicity through controversies!” says Seshadri.
Therefore, the company’s strategy is to ensure that books of interest are created first; followed by garnering the widest display possible, going beyond bookshops. “We have our books available at nearly 2,500 outlets across Tamil Nadu, a lot of them are corner stores, restaurants, textile shops etc.,” explains Seshadri. The third strategy is to go widely to schools and reach out to the students. NHM is also targeting Sri Lanka which is a major market for Tamil books.
Subsequently, NHM intends to expand to other regional languages. It already experimented with Malayalam, but, that experience was less than satisfactory. “We need to do some more things in Tamil first, to turn it into a cash generating machine. At that point, it will be easy for us to make forays into other Indian languages,” admits Seshadri.
To help with its future plans, NHM got venture capital funding from Mumbai-based Emergic Venture Capital and Mauritius-based Beacon India Private Equity Fund. The investments have been used as working capital and to fuel growth.
E-books, the future?
“We have great hopes on e-books. At this time, the e-book market is zero. But, we expect this market to explode in two years’ time,” says Seshadri. He expects Android powered tablet personal computers priced lower than Rs 5,000 to flood the Indian market that will in turn popularise e-books.
“With my background, I have a very good understanding of the Internet phenomenon and how one can build a brand online. I hope to put that to good use when the e-books take off,” he adds. And Seshadri expects e-book readers to be first-timers, those “who have never bought a printed book in their lives.” That will require the creation of a new set of books, perhaps multi-media books. “We may do e-only books to cater to this market,” says Seshadri.
NHM has registered a rate of growth of 30-40 per cent over the previous year. With a clear vision for the future, NHM continues to strengthen the base in the present through content creation, better distribution and expansion of markets.


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It's been happening so gradually that many of us haven't noticed, but the tax windfall from online retailing is real—and growing. The only question is, how long will it last?
The location is the company's 10th in Chicago and 14th in the country.
A new campaign addresses dissatisfied workers and new labor market realities.
Brookfield Asset Management is investing in a big industrial park in Wilmington, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago, betting that the local warehouse boom will continue.
The company is teaming up with Firework, which specializes in bringing videos and livestreams to retailers’ websites.
Cooley, which represents more than a third of the country’s "unicorn" companies, wants a piece of the Midwestern market but faces a competitive legal landscape.
The e-commerce giant is telling its delivery partners to advertise that they don’t screen applicants for marijuana use.
As construction wraps up on massive fulfillment centers in Markham and Matteson, the e-commerce giant needs to recruit employees for them. It won't be easy.
Where did Amazon get the idea to open department stores? Chicago's original brick-and-mortar destroyers did it in the 1920s.
Even the chairwoman of the Park District board could be forgiven for wondering, since the district's chief struck a deal with the e-commerce giant without consulting with her.
Industrial real estate has survived the pandemic without even getting the sniffles, and the Chicago market is only getting stronger as the economy recovers.
The warehouse, which could employ hundreds of people, is the second in the Bridge Point North industrial park for the e-commerce giant, which has been on a real estate and hiring binge the past few years.
Airlines, insurance companies and financial firms were among the businesses that were hit.
The project is a bit retro for the longtime industrial neighborhood, which is poised to become more residential because of zoning changes approved about four years ago.
The e-commerce giant plans a delivery station on the site, part of its push to expand its distribution network to keep up with surging online sales and speed up delivery times.
There was a social media backlash against the shirts, which read "Ashli Babbitt, American patriot."
Bain doubles down, pushing the company’s valuation to more than $1 billion.
Cyberattacks are on the rise, and every organization is vulnerable. So why are we pretending it isn't happening?
The owner of Girl & the Goat will become the food delivery app’s chief restaurant adviser, working as a go-between for restaurant operators and the San Francisco-based company.
The street in Lincoln Park has become the go-to for online retailers.
The online retailer continues its binge after adding 15,000 workers in the state last year.
A fee change and software offering is an attempt to answer some of the biggest complaints about the Chicago-based online delivery platform.
Instead of trying to force old rules on a new economy, Congress should create rules that protect the independence and flexibility on which many workers depend.
But what will Packaging Corp. do with all that cash?
Restaurateurs have long loathed the practice. Legislation now moving through Springfield would give them the muscle to push back.


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Microsoft has launched its new and unified version of Windows Store for Windows 10 apps, merging the earlier Windows Store and Windows Phone Store in one body. Implying that from now onwards, a selection of both Windows and Windows Phone apps can be found in one place.
Henceforth, users now who pay a visit to the old Windows Phone Store website will be redirected to the new store website. The change is rolling out gradually, and it is available in the US right now.
Nothing much has changed in terms of the overall look and interface. Though it seems much intuitive with different categories neatly placed to help users browse the contents of the store. Now, the universal store only caters to Windows 10 and Windows Phone apps, though notably there is a Xbox link that suggests that more categories will be included shortly.
The launch of the universal Windows Store gives us a clear indication of how Microsoft plans to integrate the entire Windows ecosystem in one place. It wants to create that symbiotic Windows experience across PCs, tablets and smartphones. By doing this, Microsoft is also aiming at attracting more developers to the Windows platform. Once universal apps are created, they’ll work across all Windows 10 devices.
Meanwhile, contrary to earlier reports, Windows 10 PCs will be in stores on the launch day from a slew of established manufacturers including Dell Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., Lenovo Group Ltd. and Acer Inc. Though there’s still ambiguity over whether these systems will be shipping on day 1, or whether they’ll only be available online or when ordered from the Microsoft Store.
Meanwhile, earlier rumors suggested that Windows 10 will also be shipping on USB flash drives are indeed true, as Amazon.com shows a pre-order page for these USB flash drives that come pre-loaded with Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro. The former retails for $119.99 while Windows 10 Pro is priced at $199.99. The advantage of having Windows 10 on USB flash drive enables much faster install and also makes it rather convenient to carry around.
Though these Windows 10 USB flash drives are not there for pre-order on the Microsoft Store yet neither with any other retailer. “Windows 10 will be available on USB drives for purchase in retail channels shortly after launch. The suggested retail prices for Windows 10 in the U.S. are the same as Windows 8.1″, said a Microsoft spokesperson.
These Windows 10 USB flash drives on Amazon will go on sale starting August 30th, while the availability of the forthcoming OS on physical DVDs has not been announced yet.
Windows 10 will officially be released across 190 countries in 111 languages on July 29th. Windows Insiders will have receive a free upgrade to the RTM build from July 29th. From then on once your device is upgraded to Windows 10, Microsoft will continue to offer free lifetime support for the device.
Customers currently running a legit copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 are also eligible for a free upgrade within the first year of release. Though ‘Enterprise’ editions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will not be eligible for the free Windows 10 upgrade. Also not eligible for the free upgrade would be Windows RT 8.1, however, an update called “Windows RT 8.1 Update 3” would be rolled out in September.


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This week, ABA CEO Oren Teicher wrote to Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) on behalf of the American Booksellers Association and its bookseller members to thank him for introducing the Main Street Fairness Act. ABA also e-mailed booksellers nationwide to urge them to write to their legislators in support of the bill.
"ABA has been a longtime supporter of federal legislation to achieve sales tax equity in order to level the playing field for bricks-and-mortar stores," said Teicher. "We are grateful that Rep. Delahunt has reintroduced this legislation. We urge booksellers to contact their federal representatives to ask them to support this bill."
He stressed, however, that ABA will continue its statewide efforts on behalf of e-fairness and noted that ABA sees the federal and state-by-state efforts as complementary. "The bottom line is that our members need a solution to the current sales tax inequity, and we are working vigorously toward that goal," Teicher said. "There is no question that New York's passage of e-fairness legislation in 2008 heightened awareness of this issue and intensified both state and federal efforts. Since then, the passage of sales tax equity legislation in four additional states -- and extensive advocacy efforts in many other states -- has clearly supported the federal effort by raising awareness and helping to build a growing e-fairness coalition."
The Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) seeks to simplify and modernize sales and use tax collection and administration to make it much easier for online retailers to collect sales tax. To date, 24 states are part of SSUTA and have simplified and streamlined their sales tax laws under the compact's uniform set of guidelines. The Main Street Fairness Act, Rep. Delahunt noted, provides congressional authority for this interstate compact to take effect. The legislation does not compel any state to join, but any state that adopts this system would then have the authority to require online retailers to collect and remit sales taxes.
In his letter to Delahunt, Teicher wrote: "As you know, bricks-and-mortar retail businesses have been operating at a competitive disadvantage for years and whatever can be done to level the playing field is long overdue. We hope your legislation will provide a renewed impetus for this debate – both in Washington and around the country – and we look forward to doing whatever we can to be supportive."
The 24 states that belong to, or are in the process of joining, SSUTA are: Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
To make it easier for booksellers to call or e-mail their representatives, ABA has prepared a template letter that can be adapted and e-mailed or used as a resource for talking points. The letter can be found in ABA's E-Fairness Action Kit under a bookseller's specific state. ABA also asked booksellers to notify David Grogan at email@example.com or (800) 637-0037, ext 6662, when they have sent a letter or made a call. This will help ABA compile information to support this lobbying effort.