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DP World has agreed to acquire 60% shareholding in UNICO Logistics Co., which is one of the largest independent non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCC) in South Korea.
The transaction, subject to regulatory clearances, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020 and is part of DP World’s vision to build an integrated suite of service offerings that will connect directly with end-customers.
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “By integrating UNICO into our worldwide network we will be able to offer better service to our customers in South Korea and beyond.
“These services further strengthen our logistics capabilities, which we are combining with our maritime services operations and our worldwide network of ports and terminals.”
UNICO is a multi-modal transport specialist with a strong market position in the fast growing transcontinental rail freight market between East-Asia and Central-Asia and Russia, particularly on the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR) and Trans China Railway (TCR).
The company was established in 2002, with its headquarters in South Korea and a global footprint of 25 subsidiaries in 20 countries.
DP World’s global strategy is to grow as a smart supply chain solutions provider and will provide a platform to drive synergies between UNICO and DP World operations in the Asia Pacific and European regions.
H.J. Park, president and CEO of UNICO Logistics, said: “UNICO has delivered significant growth over the years and we are proud of our success but we believe this partnership with DP World will allow us to take the business to the next stage of its growth.
“Being part of DP World will allow us to develop further from the group’s deep relationship with end customers and wide global network. We look forward to a prosperous future together.”


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Hotels squabble shines light on room for VAT hike
The Bottom Line: industry body downplays Hotels.com claim of room rate increases
Irish Hotels Federation president Stephen McNally said fewer than one in 10 room nights booked in Ireland is sold through Hotels.com. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill
On Monday an unseemly spat broke out in the hotel sector about, of all things, the strength of the recovery in the industry.
Killarney, the Kerry town much loved by Americans, was the most expensive destination, up 4 per cent at €111 while Dublin was up 15 per cent at €107.
Limerick was the most affordable destination at €74 per night while the average rate across the board was €101 per night.
This survey is part of a wider review of hotel prices around the world by Hotels. com and is based on bookings made on its website.
The survey results had barely been circulated before the Irish Hotels Federation, which represents more than 1,000 hotels and guesthouses, had “rejected” the claims in a statement.
It said price increases nationally are actually running at just under 3.5 per cent based on statistics from the Central Statistics Office.
“Less than one out of every 10 room nights booked in Ireland is sold through this booking site,” said IHF president Stephen McNally, who is also deputy chief executive of Dalata, the biggest hotel operator here and the group behind the three-star Maldron brand.
“The vast majority are sold through other sources including directly with the hotel, over the phone or through the hotel’s own website. Hotels.com does not typically capture other categories of booking such as the key tour, conference and event market segments.”
The IHF went on to recommend that people “shop around and not rely on just one source when comparing accommodation prices”, adding that customers should make sure to check “hotels’ own websites where prices are often better and promotional rates may be available”.
The undertone was that this was nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt by Hotels.com, a company that can earn a commission of up to 25 per cent if it sells a hotel bedroom here, something that rankles with many accommodation owners.
There is another reason why the IHF came out so strongly against the findings.
We’re firmly on the run-in to the next budget (October 14th) and the IHF is keen to ensure the reduced VAT rate of 9 per cent that has applied to a number of categories of business since July 2011, including hotel lettings and the supply of food and drink, remains in place.
The reduced rate was introduced to help the broad hospitality sector get back on its feet after a couple of bruising years post the economic crash.
It seems to have played its part. In August, the CSO said the number of overseas trips to Ireland rose by 9.9 per cent to 4.2 million between January and July.
About 23,000 new jobs have been created in accommodation and food services since over the past three years.
Frenzy of buying
It could be argued that it is now time to look at restoring the rate to its previous level of 13.5 per cent. Let’s not forget that the tax forgone by the State for this break amounts to a chunky €350 million a year.
The IHF would like the reduced VAT rate to become a permanent fixture. It argues that VAT on accommodation and food is either lower or nonexistent in many other European cities, giving them a competitive edge with price-conscious tourists.
It’s also argues that while the recovery is well established in Dublin and has spread to the likes of Killarney, Cork, Galway and Westport, there are plenty of rural areas that have seen little or no benefit to date.
One hotel owner told me the reduced VAT rate was “working” in terms of aiding the sector’s recovery, rather than having worked. There’s still a long road to travel and it’s a “fragile . . . early-stage recovery”, he added.
VAT is effectively a tax on revenue. So increasing the rate means hotels either pass on the cost or absorb it themselves.
Increasing the rate would put businesses that are struggling to make ends meet in a bind.
Pass on the rate hike and they risk losing customers while absorbing the increase could tip them over the edge altogether.
Indefinite extensionMichael Noonan
This might be the right call for now but that’s not to say that it should be left in place permanently.
If the economic recovery proves to be robust rather than fragile, there’s little reason why hotels, cinemas, hairdressers and nail salons should continue to benefit from this tax perk, when other service providers in the economy have to charge their customers a higher rate. Especially if the cost to the exchequer is €350 million a year.

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The move, according to the country's wildlife management agency, is aimed at reducing the high number of elephants in the national parks.
⭐ZIDISHA LOAN APP⭐ is designed to connect borrowers to lenders. This detailed guide will focus on how to download and use the app effectively to secure your first loan.
Make a passionate appeal to your friends and followers on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and any other platforms you are in to vote for you. They would love to see win but you have to ask them to vote for yo
Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has issued a stern warning to retailers notorious for hiking cost of fuel beyond the prices approved by the regulator. This comes day after the authority revised fuel prices upwards
The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on Tuesday, May 14, announced new fuel prices which took effect on Tuesday midnight.
Mathenge observed that cons targeted financial institutions; banks and Sacco's being the hardest hit. He attributed the surge in the cases to lack of proper frameworks by institution to ward off hacking.
The government has set aside KSh 25 billion more to go towards funding ongoing construction of dams even as investigations into alleged embezzlement of funds that had been allocated earlier for similar projects continue.
If you are planning to purchase a motorbike, then this article on ⭐MOTORBIKES FOR SALE IN KENYA⭐ will be ideal as it offers you a better understanding of the market. Read on to find out which is the best ride for you.
High Court has given Parliament a go ahead to block Idemia Securities Limited, formerly OT Morpho, from transacting business in Kenya for allegedly flouting the Companies Act and interfering with elections.
Over the last few years, ⭐POSTBANK KENYA⭐ has transformed from the normal savings to more advanced custom services that are in line with the latest technology advancement. Here are the services offered by the bank.
The winner will walk away with various giveaway including a Huawei Y5 2019 device. The new device falls in the Y series family and comes shortly after previous launches of Huawei Y9 2019, Y7 Prime 2019, Y6 Prime 2019, Y5 Prime 2
Most young people in Kenya tend to think one must be financially stable before they can start investing, but experts say that should not be the case and here is why.
It will also cover demystifying digital transformation in co-operatives; many co-operatives have carried out system changes and adopted new technologies but they are not fully digital.
Here we have discussed some innovative ★NEW BUSINESS IDEAS IN KENYA★. The new creative business idea will help businessman to make a proper investment. The trendy innovative business ideas are easy to implement.
The thriving business in shops along River Road, Luthuli Avenue, Kirinyaga Road and Nyamakima, which mainly involves the sale of counterfeit goods, has subsequently produced countless millionaires.
The trip will enable customers to create linkages for overseas business and build partnership opportunities as well as purchase various items at high discounts which will enable them to pass the discounts to their customers.
Cytonn Investment Management Limited has scooped Global Business Outlook award as the best alternative investment company in 2019.
The Afro-Asia FinTech festival themed Sustainable Finance: Inclusive and Green was jointly organised by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and Monetary Authority of Singapore is expected to happen between July 15 and July 16, 2019.
Among products impounded are electrical appliances, sportswear and equipment’s of premium trademarks, motor vehicle spare parts, digital TV antennas and printer toners.
In a statement, Davis and Shirtliff Company said such a law will help in driving down cost of water besides also encourage maximum utilisation of the commodity.
Echesa found himself in trouble when he tried to make Raila look bad in the eyes of the residents of Mumias by blaming the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader for the woes facing Kenya's sugar sector.
Kenya Railways has announced changes in its Standard Gauge Railways (SGR) transport costs beginning June 2019 in a bid to improve service delivery. The company said children aged above three years will pay full fare.


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One minute you’re a fintech company that is making a killing in the
It was the year 2009 when Tomilola “Tomi” Adejana earned a bachelor’s degree
Lagos-based fintech startup Kuda has raised USD 1.6 Mn in a pre-seed round.
Odunayo Eweniyi graduated with a first class in Computer Engineering but was unable
Nigeria-based One Finance Technology has raised a USD 5 Mn debt facility for
Nigeria’s TeamApt has joined the number of the West African nation’s fintech firms
Prominent Nigerian fintech startup Paga is reported to have received a Series B2
Made with ❤ in Africa


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Speedy hires former Ikea digital head
By Belinda Smart28 June 2022
UK rental company Speedy has hired ex-Ikea UK & Ireland digital head Paul Jackson to oversee online strategy, with a view to growing its business in the consumer DIY market.
Jackson takes up the position of Chief Digital Officer (CDO) having previouly held the same position at online furniture and homewares giant Ikea.
His 20 year track record includes CRM, e-commerce, home delivery and data analytics in roles for brands including Sainsburys and Argos.
The appointment follows Speedy’s launch into the DIY market with a digital ordering platform for consumers to hire tools and equipment and a network of concessions across 36 B&Q stores nationwide.
Jackson will join the business’s executive board and will be responsible for enhancing the firm’s digital proposition across its customer base, from consumers to large contractors.
Russell Down, Chief Executive at Speedy, said: “Creating a market-leading digital proposition is a strategic priority for our business as we expand into the DIY market. We need to benchmark ourselves beyond the hire sector to be truly successful.
“Paul’s wealth of experience in building online strategies for leading consumer retailers will be vital as we grow into the DIY market, while also meeting the needs of our entire customer base from small trades to large contractors.”
Jackson said: “The DIY market offers huge potential for growth and our 200-strong UK wide service centre network provides a fantastic foundation to build a digital strategy that will simplify and enhance the customer experience for consumers and businesses.”


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Timed to coincide with Safer Internet Day, Google today introduced a handful of new product features across various apps and services, including Google Assistant, Google Fi, Google One and more, as well as partnerships aimed at expanding access to information about staying safe online. Notably, the company says it’s donating $5 million to educational nonprofit Khan Academy for the development of free, online safety lessons. Google is also working with nonprofit policy and political organizations on a new initiative called the Campaign Security Project, which will focus on training political candidates and campaign workers on online safety ahead of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections.
Partner organizations on this latter effort include the Veterans Campaign, Collective Future, Women’s Public Leadership Network, LGBTQ Victory Institute, Center for American Ideas, University of San Francisco, Emerge, Latino Victory and others. Outside the U.S., Google says it’s working with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) on similar efforts.
Across its product lineup, there are also several new additions broadly categorized as “safety” updates.
For starters, Google Assistant’s Guest Mode feature, which stops smart speakers and displays from showing personal results like calendar entries and contacts, will become globally available across nine languages in the next few months, Google says. Once in Guest Mode, you’ll be able to keep your personal information private until you disable it — a solution intended for those times when other people will be around your smart device. In addition, Guest Mode audio recordings won’t be saved to your Google Account. The expansion will cover a range of devices, including Nest Hub Max and Nest Audio.
In the nearer future, Google’s MVNO telecom service, Google Fi — which leverages U.S. networks like T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular — will add a family tracking feature, similar to something like Find My or Life360. Users on Google Fi plans will be able to share their location with their family members in real time from the Fi mobile app, at no additional charge. The tracking can be set to turn off at a set period of time, until the setting is manually switched off, or it can be set to always on. This joins Google Fi’s existing set of family features, which allow adults to do things like set up data budgets for family members or block unknown contacts from being able to message their kids, for example.
Another new feature announced today was actually introduced last week, however. Google notes it’s rolling out its VPN service to iOS devices as part of its Google One premium subscription. Members on the Premium cloud storage plan (2 TB or higher) will now be able to take advantage of the VPN through the Google One app for iOS.
Google is also teasing a soon-to-launch Safe Browsing feature. Starting next month, users will be able to opt into Google’s account-level “enhanced safe browsing,” which provides a broader set of protections against online threats and threats against your Google account, it says. The feature, intended for use by higher-risk users, will be available through your account settings screen or when you take a Security Checkup.


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Moms Demand Action is that gun control group that got a few restaurants to bar their customer from exercising their 2nd Amendment rights. That’s what this group does. They go around from business to business and bully them into discriminating against gun-carriers.
But, thankfully, not every business feels compelled to obey Moms Demand Action. Kroger is one that’s told the group to get lost. Breitbart reported:
During a March 25 appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Kroger CFO Michael Schlotman said the retail food chain will not comply with the demands of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, especially as those demands touch on changing store policy to disarm open-carry customers in states where openly carrying a gun in Kroger is legal.
Schlotman made these comments after Squawk Box host Andrew Ross Sorkin said, “In the fall there [were] these liberal groups who had organized to suggest that Kroger was allowing people to ‘open carry’ firearms in their supermarkets. What was that about and where do you guys stand on that?”
Here was Schlotman’s response:
“That was a group called Moms Demand Action. They were opposed to the fact that our policy is to adhere to the local gun laws. If the local gun laws are to allow open carry, we’ll certainly allow customers to do that based on what the local laws are. We don’t believe it’s up to us to legislate what the local gun control laws should be. It’s up to the local legislators to decide to do that.
So we follow local laws [and] we ask our customers to be respectful to the other people they are shopping with. And we really haven’t had any issues inside of our stores as a result of that.”
Like he said, they haven’t had any issues with customers carrying open in their stores. I’m sure it’s happened, but there weren’t any issues. In other words, no one caused a scene because of it.
Moms Demand Action would like everyone to believe that open gun carriers are terrorists whose only motivation is to intimidate people and make them feel unsafe. You can say whatever you want about open carriers, about their true motives. Whatever the case, open carrying is “bearing arms,” a right that is acknowledged in the 2nd Amendment, and which “shall not be infringed.”
Kroger is right to appeal to the laws of the states where their stores are located. The laws may or may not be gun-friendly, but whatever the case, it’s not Kroger’s fault. If people don’t like that open carry is allowed, they should take it up with their legislator to make a law that infringes on the people’s right to bear arms.


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Regular shoppers at Jurong Point's FairPrice Xtra will be familiar with the rumbling rattle of trolleys accompanied by a loud voice yelling: "Hello! Excuse me!"
It is that of Mr Tan Ngee Tong and his team, known as "trolley boys". But it is not just in the store that they can be heard.
Every day, these supermarket staff, wearing gloves and trainers, go around the mall's vicinity searching for lost trolleys and returning them to the store in Boon Lay.
Some of these trolleys are left by shoppers at taxi stands, carparks and even the surrounding housing estates.
Mr Tan, 31, and his colleagues retrieve over 100 trolleys every day.
We have collected trolleys from as far as Lakeside and Pioneer before. Once, we found a row of trolleys in a canal drain.
MR TAN NGEE TONG, a trolley boy at Jurong Point's FairPrice Xtra, on how far he and his team have to sometimes travel to retrieve lost trolleys.
The trolley boys typically work in eight-hour shifts and sometimes, they find carts several kilometres away. "We have collected trolleys from as far as Lakeside and Pioneer before," said Mr Tan, a trolley boy of five years. "Once, we found a row of trolleys in a canal drain."
Some shoppers even use chains to lock up these trolleys outside their flats. In videos sent in by a Straits Times reader, Mr Tan and his colleagues can be seen wheeling long rows of trolleys across a road back to Jurong Point.
These long-distance trips are physically demanding, as some roads can be bumpy, and the sheer number of trolleys makes them hard to manoeuvre. The job has even resulted in injuries.
"We shout out warnings, but some pedestrians don't hear us approaching because they are wearing earphones," said Mr Tan. "So we protect them by using our bodies to block the trolleys, but end up with bruises and aching legs."
A FairPrice spokesman said trolley retrieval staff start as early as 7am and end as late as 11pm. Each store retrieves about 50 to 150 trolleys a day. The farthest stray cart was found more than 2.5km away.
Supermarkets have long grappled with the problem of missing carts, which can result in hefty losses.
FairPrice has lost about 1,000 trolleys annually in the past two years. It spends an estimated $150,000 on repairing, replacing and retrieving trolleys each year.
Last year alone, Sheng Siong lost about $120,000, with an average of 180 trolley baskets and 90 trolleys going missing each month.
Dairy Farm Group, which runs Giant and Cold Storage, had said its Giant supermarket in Jurong East lost 600 trolley baskets last year.
The chains have tried to stem the problem through public education. FairPrice puts up signs and plays pre-recorded messages in stores to remind customers to return these trolleys. Sheng Siong's cashiers also remind customers to push their carts back to the stores.
But the efforts have had little effect, even though some customers have tipped off the supermarkets on the location of missing trolleys.
"The situation is not improving. More people seem to be dumping trolleys elsewhere," said Mr Tan. "Maybe it is because now you only need 50 cents to borrow a trolley, instead of $1."
Human resources executive Linda Chua, 50, said she sees as many as five abandoned trolleys every day at her void deck in Jurong West.
"It is not responsible. The trolleys are just a loan of convenience. We should return them instead of taking advantage of the stores."


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Last week’s flotation at Deliveroo amidst concerns from investors about the sustainability of how workers are treated was a disappointment for the business. Their business model based on paying low wages to ‘self-employed’ employees, was brought into widespread question by many institutional investors who abstained from investing.
Today sees many of those employees set to strike over pay and conditions as the company faces increasing pressure over its employment practices. The union of Independent Workers of Great Britain is holding socially distanced protests in five locations across England today.
The protests will take place in London, Sheffield, York, Wolverhampton and Reading.
Last week’s flotation saw the stock opening on Thursday at £3.90 and close the same day at £2.82 some 28% down.
The floatation proved so unpopular that launch underwriters, Goldman Sachs bought up £75 million of shares to prop up the price.
Today sees £50 million worth of shares allocated specifically to 70,000 Deliveroo customers allowed to begin trading their stock from today. The stock is currently at £2.89 up 3% on the day.
The treatment of workers has been brought into sharp focus in recent weeks especially in terms of low pay. As the real money men and women understand sustainability is very much in the mind’s eye of their customers, UK consumers.
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Hospitality & Catering News: Deliveroo delivery riders set to begin strike action today over low pay. – 7 April 2021 – Deliveroo delivery riders set to begin strike action today over low pay.


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Celebrate Highwood's 8th Annual Bloody Mary Fest returns to Everts Park on July 30.
Created in spring 2009, Celebrate Highwood is an organization that began with the intent to bridge the City of Highwood and the Highwood Chamber of Commerce, with the goal of marketing the community and making Highwood a destination.
Since April 2016, Celebrate Highwood has been operating as a nonprofit with the mission of bettering the community through a variety of events and festivals. Funds raised through Celebrate Highwood's activities are donated to local and national charitable organizations.
"It's nice that Celebrate Highwood, since taking over all the events, has been able to keep the cost out of the city and out of the Chamber and still promote the city, bringing in all the events and get them running," said City of Highwood Alderman Eric Falberg.
The Bloody Mary Fest welcomes mixologists from the region's restaurants and bars to show off their Bloody Mary recipes and compete for the title of "Best Bloody Mary in the Midwest."
"When you're going to all these different places and they say they have the best Bloody Marys and you have it and you're like 'meh, not so good,'" said Falberg about the beauty of being able to try Bloody Marys at Bloody Mary Fest. "Then you go into a place that doesn't advertise it and they have an [amazing] Bloody Mary. You just don't know walking from place to place what you're going to get and also there's a lot of that every day their Bloody Mary is different; they don't have a regular formula."
At this year's event, Falberg said he is most looking forward to "that newest creation you're not expecting."
About 22 vendors will be competing this year. Judging criteria for "Best Bloody Mary" includes taste, presentation, spice, color, texture and garnish. Along with Falberg, who founded Bloody Mary Fest, this year's judges panel includes Lee Litas, columnist for Pioneer Press; Sherry Thomas, group editor for JWC Media; Julie Chernoff, dining editor for Make It Better Magazine; Andrew Nicks, president of 22nd Century Media; and Chuck Weisberg of Van Gogh Vodka.
"People keep on improving from year to year to year, so the competition gets harder every year," said Falberg. "The Bloody Marys just get better. That's what we think is great."
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., judging begins at 2 p.m. and competition winners will be announced at 4:30 p.m. Visitors will be able to try Bloody Marys from the different vendors. Not a Bloody Mary fan? Some of the fest's vendors will also be serving food, beer and other cocktails.


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US court reverses ban on Samsung Galaxy Nexus in Apple patent dispute
London: A ban on imports of Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus in America has reportedly been reversed by a US appeals court.
The US Court of Appeals said the district court in California, which had issued the ban in June, had ‘abused its discretion in entering an injunction’.
According to the BBC, Samsung welcomed the latest decision, and said that it ‘confirms that the role of patent law is to protect innovation and not to unreasonably stifle competition and restrict consumer choice.’
“We will continue to take all appropriate measures to ensure the availability of our innovative products,” Samsung said.
Earlier this year, a California court awarded Apple 1.05 billion dollars in damages, after ruling several of its software and design technologies had been infringed by Samsung.
Samsung has since challenged that verdict and called for a retrial.
According to the report, earlier this month, a sales ban on Samsung`s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in the US was also lifted.
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Marketwatch is reporting this morning that a British newspaper has published a story stating private equity firm Providence Equity Partners is considering buying out Sony’s stake in music publisher Sony BMG. Sony owns a slight majority stake in the firm, with German publisher Bertelsmann owning the minority stake.
Sony may be considering exiting the joint venture after the highly contentious affair last winter, where Sony BMG CDs were found to contain copy protection that used rootkit-like defenses. Analysts believe the Sony brand may have taken a beating as a result.
Read the full story here… (Marketwatch)


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Premier Foods has blamed heavy promoting by retailers on its brands for a fall in sales over the past three months.
The UK’s largest food manufacturer saw first-quarter sales drop by more than 5% in value terms, including a slump of almost 13% on non-branded items.
But sales of its key ‘drive’ brands – which include Mr Kipling cakes, Sharwood’s sauces and Ambrosia desserts – were up 3.4% by value, with volumes up by more than 6%.
Premier also warned that its flagship Hovis brand had lost market share due to heavy promoting by rivals, but insisted it would return to growth in the coming quarter.
“Trading conditions remain challenging, with promotional activity across the market continuing at elevated levels,” said Premier chief executive Robert Schofield.
“Non-branded sales were lower primarily due to promotional activity by brands, the effect of contract exits in 2009 and flour deflation.
He added: “We are progressing well on our strategic cost reduction targets… our cash generation is in line with our targets and net debt should fall by £100m year on year in H1.”
Hearty Oats set to be ‘biggest fmcg launch of the year’ (17 April 2010)
Mars Bar brand chief joins Premier Foods to lead Hovis team (17 April 2010)
Premier hires Tesco and Danone talent to fuel brand growth (27 March 2010)


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NEW YORK – Jeff Kinney remembers when his goal was to write a book, one big book, for grown-ups.
“I thought I’d write about a year in the life of a typical kid,” says the children’s author known to millions for his “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. “I’d write one book that was between 700 and 1,000 pages long and I’d look at every aspect of childhood within that time frame. Furthermore, I was writing for the humor section of the bookstore, not the middle grade section.”
Kinney spoke to The Associated Press recently as he looked back at the decade since Diary of a Wimpy Kid made him one of the world’s most popular writers. The first 11 novels have sold more than 180 million copies and the series has been the basis for four movies, with the latest, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul,” scheduled for May 19. Abrams Books told the AP on Wednesday that the 12th book, coming Nov. 7, will be called Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway.
The misadventures of middle schooler Greg Heffley, sketched in readers’ minds as a skinny boy with a round head and precious few strands of hair, have stood out in two ways in the book world – they appeal equally to girls and boys (sometimes known euphemistically as “reluctant readers”), and they have consistently sold more than 1 million copies in hardcover, an achievement few books attain anymore thanks in part to the rise of e-books and the fall of the Borders superstore chain.
“The books are funny and appeal to all levels of readers,” says Judy Bulow, lead buyer for the children’s section of the Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver. “And we’ve seen a plethora of stories from other authors (Rachel Renee Russell’s “Dork Dairies,” Tom Watson’s “Stick Dog”) like that, with a lot of illustrations and clever humor. The kids eat them up. If there’s not a new ‘Wimpy Kid’ book, they want something like it.”
Kinney, 46, is a Fort Washington, Maryland, native who studied at the University of Maryland, College Park, and while in school created a comic strip that ran in the campus newspaper. Kinney, speaking by phone near the bookstore that he and his wife, Julie, own in Plainville, Massachusetts, recalls how Heffley had been on his mind for years before he finally got a book deal. He liked the idea of a kid defined not by heroics, but by “flaws and imperfections,” not unlike what the author saw in himself.
Heffley was introduced to many in 2004 through a funbrain.com web series that Kinney published for free that attracted millions of visitors. Two years later, Kinney attended the first New York Comic-Con. He stopped by the Abrams booth, purchased a copy of Brian Fies’ graphic novel Mom’s Cancer and spoke to Abrams editorial director Charles Kochman, who recalls Kinney asking him if he would look at his work.
“At these shows you’re constantly getting pitched stuff, and most of it is forgettable,” says Kochman, who still edits Kinney. “As he handed it to me, he said, ‘I have this web comic called ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid,’ and the image he showed me was the image we used for Book One. I remember thinking, ‘I wish something like this had been around when I was a kid.’”
The series debuted in April 2007 with a first printing of 25,000 copies and early praise from Publishers Weekly, which cited Kinney’s “gift for believable preteen dialogue and narration.” The book was on The New York Times’ best-seller list by May and remained there long after. Kinney, meanwhile, learned that his work had caught on with an unexpected audience.
“Once the book came out, I started getting emails from teachers thanking me, saying almost 95 percent of the time, ‘You got my reluctant reader to read,’” Kinney says. “I had never heard that phrase before. And I found out that it was a big deal, that ‘reluctant readers’ was code for boys. The letters I got from kids would simply say they thought the books were funny.”
According to Abrams, Kinney’s next “Wimpy Kid” novel will find Greg on a holiday trip, although “what’s billed as a stress-free vacation becomes a holiday nightmare.” The author hopes to complete at least 20 in the series and likes that Heffley, unlike Harry Potter, can always stay the same age. Kinney still thinks about writing books for adults and nonfiction projects, but for fiction he is sticking with kids.
“I’ve learned that I’m a children’s writer,” he says. “I didn’t know it when I was starting off, but I know it now.”


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Jaeger fashion group owner Harold Tillman sells 70pc stake in Allders
Harold Tillman, owner of the Jaeger fashion group, has sold his controlling stake in Allders Croydon, Britain’s fourth-largest department store, to its management.
The Daily Mail can reveal Andrew
MacKenzie, the chief executive of Allders,
staged a management buyout this week
having raised what is thought to be up to
£30million to buy a 70 per cent stake in the business,
backed by private equity funds.
Tillman will retain 30 per cent of the retailer he rescued from collapse in 2005. At the time he bought a 22-year lease from Kroll, the administrators brought in by former owner Minerva.
Sale: Harold Tillman will remain involved in Allders after offloading his controlling stake
Minerva still owns the freehold which could play a major part in a new Westfield shopping centre proposed for South London.
Westfield, which has sites in both West
and East London, has entered into
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Quiznos in Poughkeepsie near Marist 'closed for good,' according to sign in store
The Quiznos in the Town of Poughkeepsie near Marist College is “closed (for good),” according to a sign hanging in the business on Saturday.
The store has been open for more than 15 years at 3434 North Road across from Marist. The sign notes, "Thank you to all our loyal customers!"
The location no longer appears in Quiznos online store locator.
Quiznos didn't respond to a request for comment by deadline.
Another Quiznos at 2521 South Road — the current location of Hoopla Frozen Yogurt — closed in recent years. At one point Dutchess County had three Quiznos locations. The nearest location is now at New York Stewart International Airport in Newburgh. There are no standalone Quiznos locations within 50 miles of Poughkeepsie.
Assistant Dutchess County Executive Ron Hicks said as a small franchise, the location likely would not need to submit a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires employers to give 60 days notice to workers in advance of closings and mass layoffs.
Jack Howland: email@example.com, 845-437-4870, Twitter: @jhowl04


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“Tim Cook said he does not read all the Apple coverage, which means he is possibly spared the many times the ‘Steve would not have done this’ or ‘This would have never happened under Steve’ sentences appear in a commentary,” Milanesi writes. “Aside from the obvious (we actually don’t know what Steve would have done), there is another point many seem to forget — today’s market is very different than it was when Steve Jobs was CEO.”
“Different is not necessarily bad. Tim Cook has a different personality than Steve Jobs and, as we learned from this week’s interviews, a different management style,” Milanesi writes. “Apple is evolving and, in my view, doing it faster than it would have done under Steve Jobs. This is crucial for the long-term play.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple has a lot of irons in the fire right now. We fully expect to interesting and very successful results from what Apple is forging today.
Why Apple likes to keep so many secrets – August 11, 2016
A radically different Apple looms; R&D reveals the company’s largest pivot yet is coming – May 11, 2016
Apple’s massive R&D expenditure indicates myriad projects in the pipeline – April 27, 2016
Apple gets much more bang for its R&D buck than Google and other tech companies – November 30, 2015
Massive R&D increase suggests Apple is working on something huge – May 4, 2015
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]


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Acquisitions, takeover rumours and the Consumer Electronics Show — here’s what happened this week in video advertising. For a weekly summary of industry news and other VAN interviews and videos, sign up to the weekly Video Round-Up.
Talktalk Acquires Blinkbox and Tesco Broadband
This week, it was announced that Talktalk Group had bought the ailing video streaming service, blinkbox, alongside Tesco Broadband. The pair had been in negotiations since last year, according to the Financial Times. The integration of blinkbox with Talktalk’s existing TV business is expected to begin immediately with restructuring complete by the end of 2015. Some suggested it was a move by Tesco to go back to its roots following falling profits and the scrapping of initiatives such as the Hudl phone last year.
Rumours Abound of a Potential Verizon Takeover of AOL
It’s been a week of rumours and speculation for Verizon and AOL. On Monday, Blooomberg reported that the companies were in talks over a potential takeover or joint venture. However, both Verizon’s Lowell McAdam and AOL’s Tim Armstrong were quick to quash them, amid a soaring share price for AOL. Some speculated that the rumours, coming so soon after AOL was linked to a merger with Yahoo, could spell trouble for the company, as investors tire of the volatility of its share prices.
Facebook Reports ‘Shift to Video’
Facebook has reported an increasing shift towards visual content, claiming that in the past year the number of video posts per person has increased 75% globally and 94% in the US.
Is YouTube Being Used as a Negotiating Chip?
Google may be using its desirable YouTube inventory to drive adoption of its ad tech products, according to Digiday’s John McDermott. McDermott cites unnamed sources, reporting, “Google wanted Mondelēz to use DoubleClick Bid Manager, Google’s demand-side buying platform, instead of competitor TubeMogul, to execute the YouTube transactions as part of the deal, and it was using YouTube’s TrueView pricing system as leverage.” The negotiation eventually led to a deal where the snack giant’s YouTube spend would be split between platforms.
The question for some is whether Google’s ad tech products can truly only work best when used together and not with those provided by third parties. Others raised anti-competition questions and wondered whether third-party tools were needed to keep both buyer and seller honest. Watch this space for more commentary on this issue.
British News Media Turns to Mobile Video Ads to Wrestle Big Rival YouTube
What company’s the one to beat when it comes to video? That would be YouTube, according to recent analysis by the Association of Online Publishers in Britain, in concert with Deloitte. The report states that online video ad revenue increased only 5% in the third quarter versus the larger 70% growth for the same period a year ago. In fact, it is the slowest rate of increase since autumn 2012 according to the London Evening Standard. News media publishers are currently looking to mobile, hoping the growth in ad spend there will allow them to wrestle market penetration from global rivals like YouTube.
Digital Video Spend to Pass Packaged Media in the Netherlands
Digital video expenditure is forecast to exceed consumer spending on packaged media in the Netherlands this year, driven by pay TV, video-on-demand and Netflix, according to research by Futuresource. The decline of packaged video in the country is among the fastest in Europe, whilst digital expenditure looks set to account for 66% of the money spent on home video in 2015. The overall digital video market looks set to grow by 51%, with retail expenditure totaling €215 million. As elsewhere, subscription video on demand (SVoD) is a success story, expected to reach €111 million in 2015, driven largely by the launch of Netflix in late 2013.
Superbowl Viewing Patterns Favour Multiple Screen Approaches
In a world of tablets and mobile phones, one does not simply watch the Super Bowl on a single screen. Or that’s according to digital brand advertising agency, YuMe, which surveyed over 500 consumers in November to examine their viewing patterns for the Super Bowl. According to the survey, consumers are still fairly traditional in their Super Bowl viewing habits, with 87% likely to watch the game live on cable/broadcast TV. However, 37% are likely to stream the game on an internet-connected device (computer, tablet, smartphone or Smart TV), and a notable 58% are likely to chat/video in real-time with friends during the game via smartphone. The survey also found that viewers are anticipating the adverts during game time, with 40% of them likely to look up a product advertised during the game on their smartphone.
News From the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas…
Google Announces Viewability for All Platforms
Google made two announcements at CES this week. Neal Mohan, Google’s VP of Video and Display Advertising, said that 30 ‘mainstays’ of video advertising – broadcasters, premium publishers and brands such as Fox News and Netflix – have joined Google’s premium video marketplace, Google Partner Select. Mohan also announced that Google will be rolling out viewability reporting across all of their ad platforms. This will, for the first time, inform brands whether their video ads on digital channels were actually seen or not (as opposed to, appearing off-screen, going unwatched or being swiped past).
Partner Select inventory is exclusive to the service and, it is claimed, video ads running through the service boast 74% video ad completion rates.
In the coming days, Google will offer viewability reporting (adhering to the industry definition of 50% or more of the video being on screen for two seconds or longer) for video campaigns to all marketers and publishers using DoubleClick and the DoubleClick Ad Exchange, with reserved inventory on YouTube to follow. The ability to target viewable impressions in DoubleClick, and to buy only viewable video impressions across the Google Display Network, to report on audibility for video ads, as well as the total amount of time an ad was viewable will be available later in the year.
Apple Watch Ad Buying Service Launched
Mobile-marketing firm TapSense this week announced the release of an Apple Watch ad-buying service. The service will provide a first glimpse of how businesses can serve up ads on the watch, even though it won’t be available until later this year. Some fear the device could become a ‘spam box’ whilst others point to features which could link coupons to map functions.
Charter, Cisco Unveil New Cloud-Based Cable-TV Service
Charter Communications and Cisco Systems used this week’s gadget-fest to unveil the ‘Worldbox,’ a hybrid IP/QAM video device that will use downloadable security and a cloud-based interface that will serve as central components of the MSO’s next-gen video platform. The companies also announced that Cisco will serve as a “key” supplier of the Worldbox through 2015 as well as the device’s downloadable conditional access system (DCAS) and digital rights management platform (Charter will use Cisco’s VideoGuard Server for the DCAS and its VideoGuard DRM for security on client devices).
Cisco to Provide Cloud-Based TV Platform for Kabel Deutschland
Cisco has also announced it will provide a new advanced TV platform for Vodafone-owned German cable operator Kabel Deutschland with a launch date expected in 2016-17. Kabel Deutschland will reveal more details of the platform, which will combine broadcast, on-demand, catch-up, and time-shifted TV with internet video, at the IFA 2015 show in September.
ATEME Demonstrate Interactive, 360° TV
ATEME, with partners Kolor and Finwe, announced LiveSphere, an ‘end-to-end live video broadcast solution that captures, stitches, streams and displays video to provide an interactive consumer experience for tablets, smartphones and virtual reality headsets’. Essentially, it creates an immersive, 360° experience for those watching their television at home, allowing a viewer to dynamically change their field of view using a remote control. This kind of immersive experience opens up new creative opportunities for broadcasters and advertisers alike.
Ad of the Week
Doritos in a Pickle over ‘Crash the Superbowl’ Finalists
Every year, Doritos invites independent film makers to ‘Crash the Super Bowl‘. Entrants compete for a slot to be aired during the Super Bowl XLIX on February 1st (slots are currently going for an incredible $4.5 million per 30 seconds) and the winner also takes home $1 million and a contract job with Universal Pictures.
After receiving almost 4,900 submissions from 29 countries, the snack food brand has chosen 10 finalists for fans to vote on. However, they’ve already hit controversy, as one of them ‘Trouble in the Back Seat’ looks very much like another advertisement, ‘Drama Queen’, aired in 2010… We’ll leave you to make your own mind up.


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Macron presses US to help reform taxes on big tech
Coles Online declares profit, but dares not show its size
Splunk to buy cloud software firm SignalFx in US$1bn deal
China urges Philippines to ban online gambling
Citigroup, BNP caught up in case against Huawei CFO
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Seek stakes claim to become a global HR and payroll SaaS vendor
As local employer coverage approaches saturation.
Aug 20 2019 1:00PM
Seek ploughs $142m into online courseware
“Micro-credentialing to meet evolving labour market needs”.
Apr 29 2019 12:25PM
Suspected Russian hacker Nikulin extradited to US
Pleads not guilty to LinkedIn hack.
Apr 3 2018 6:26AM
LinkedIn exploit left millions exposed to malware
Vulnerabilities in LinkedIn's messaging service now patched.
Aug 22 2017 9:42AM
LinkedIn can't block start-up from public profile data
US judge grants preliminary injunction.
Aug 15 2017 12:12PM
Microsoft is using LinkedIn data to challenge Salesforce
'Critical' to 'three-cloud' strategy.
Apr 26 2017 9:00AM
Microsoft pursues 40 native LinkedIn integrations
Working out unknown email recipients and more.
Mar 16 2017 6:40AM
Microsoft lures LinkedIn infrastructure boss as CTO
New deputy role created under Nadella.
Jan 25 2017 9:48AM
LinkedIn’s Open19 is nearly production ready
Project head to visit Australia.
Jan 12 2017 6:50AM
Microsoft's LinkedIn acquisition cleared by EU
After agreeing to handful of conditions.
Dec 7 2016 10:08AM
Russia starts blocking LinkedIn
Follows data storage court ruling.
Nov 18 2016 11:50AM
LinkedIn's data centre lead to keynote Cloud & DC Edge 2017
[Blog post] First round of speakers revealed.
Nov 7 2016 6:33PM
Police arrest Russian tied to 2012 LinkedIn hack
Russia to fight extradition.
Oct 20 2016 6:29AM
Salesforce tries to block Microsoft, LinkedIn merger
Urges EU to probe antitrust issues.
Sep 30 2016 7:37AM
Botnet scraped LinkedIn for eight months
Bypassed all technical countermeasures.
Aug 17 2016 10:36AM
Microsoft to buy LinkedIn for $35 billion
Software giant's largest ever deal.
Jun 14 2016 6:46AM
MySpace breach potentially the largest ever
Hackers offer 360 million user credentials for 6 Bitcoin.
May 29 2016 9:31PM
LinkedIn hack balloons to over 100 million accounts
Easily cracked passwords for sale on the dark web.
May 19 2016 6:41AM
TechSydney seeks to catch city's slipping start-up scene
Tech-backed initiative wants to create Australia's Silicon Valley.
May 17 2016 6:56AM
Tech giants unite to create encrypted email transfer
Seek to make underlying protocols more secure.
Mar 22 2016 8:01AM
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TRENDS AND TRENDSETTERS IN SPECIALTY TOBACCO RETAILING
Judge Upholds Rhode Island Native American Smoke Shop Shutdown; Dispute Centered on Excise Tax
Providence - Rhode Island authorities acted properly when they shut down the Narragansett Indian tribe's tax-free smoke shop, a federal judge ruled in December. U.S. District Judge William Smith said the state had the right to tax cigarettes sold at the shop on the tribe's settlement land in Charlestown.
Seven members of the tribe, including the tribal leader, were arrested by state police in a tumultuous raid on the shop in July.
The tribe filed suit after the raid arguing that, as a sovereign nation, it has a right to sell tobacco free of state taxes. The state argued that the tribe is bound by terms of a 1978 settlement agreement that gave the tribe 1,800 acres of land.
Smith ruled that the state's tax falls on the tobacco consumer, not the tribe, making the tribe simply an agent for collecting the tax. "It is appropriate for the state to impose this burden on the tribe; and such a burden does not amount to taxation of the tribe, nor does it violate the tribe's sovereign rights," Smith wrote.
The state charges a $1.71-per-pack excise tax on cigarettes plus a seven percent sales tax.
Synergy Brands Rolls Out New Website for Cigars Around the World Division; Partners with Yahoo!
Syosset, N.Y. - Synergy Brands, Inc. has launched a new cigar website at www.cigarsaroundtheworld.com, which is hosted on Yahoo! in order to reach an "alternative audience" as well as "increase potential exposure for its cigar retailing operation." Order fulfillment will be handled out of the company's distribution center in Florida.
The new site provides the company with additional and alternative Internet sales opportunities that features a cigar "gift of the month" program as well as a unique variety of proprietary premium cigar selection, according to Stephen Barbella, c.e.o. of Synergy's cigar division.
William Rancic is president and founder of the Cigars around the World operation, which was acquired by Synergy's cigar division in early 2003. Rancic has been appearing on the NBC reality show, "The Apprentice," hosted by Donald Trump. The show features a group of 16 contestants who carry out a variety of tasks assigned by Donald Trump. The goal is to see how much money each "team" can make each week. The team that succeeds receives a special perk from Trump while the losing team faces the "firing" of one of its members by Trump. A live finale of the show is scheduled for April when a winner will be chosen and will receive a one-year job from Donald Trump.
Rancic, of Chicago, was among more than 250,000 individuals who vied to be part of the final group. He founded Cigars Around the World eight years ago Cigars.
Davidoff Columbus Circle Opens in NYC's Time Warner Center
New York - Davidoff's newest and most innovative flagship store opened its doors at the $1.7 billion Time Warner Center on February 5th. Davidoff continues to change the face of premium tobacco and luxury goods retailing with this newest shop.
Bringing customers a truly exceptional and unique opportunity to enjoy "The Good Life," Davidoff at Columbus Circle is both a resource and destination for connoisseurs worldwide. In addition to the finest in premium cigars and smokers accessories, Davidoff at Columbus Circle is working with artisans from around the world to create an unique, rotating collection of hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind accessories.
Paul Del Rossi, co-owner of the store with his wife, Suzanne, says, "Our merchandising philosophy is to present products that embody three characteristics: they are based in history, culture and art; they are unique, limited, one-of-a-kind; and they embody "The Good Life" - no matter how one defines that for him or herself."
Suzanne adds, "We believe that the demographic audience for this store is as broad-based as any store in New York. We'll have products that excite young and old, women and men, smokers and non-smokers."
Designed by Carlton, Finneral, Mahoney Design of New York City and Boston, Davidoff at Columbus Circle features a unique circular humidor at the center of the shop; ceiling art created by Ken Maryanski; a hardwood floor that radiates from the center of the humidor to evoke the sun that nurtures tobacco leaf growth; and a separately-ventilated (New York statute-approved) private smoking room, with commissioned art by American artist Jim Burke and Dominican Republic artist Juan Rodriguez. The smoking room will provide a comfortably appointed haven to special customers, with the option to purchase individual, private humidors for cigar storage.
Davidoff chairman Dr. Ernst Schneider, c.e.o. Dr. Reto Cina, and the Del Rossi family explained that the evolution of the Davidoff brand through new product categories will contribute to the growth of the brand in the United States.
An aggressive series of store events including tastings, seminars, and other special attractions has accompanied the store opening.
Peter J. Katz, formerly of Alfred Dunhill on Madison Avenue, is the store's senior vice president and general manager. Graham Howarth serves as assistant store manager.
Online Tobacco Retailer Consents to Disclose Customer's Names
Olympia - Washington smokers who avoid taxes by buying cigarettes online might face exposure now that a Kentucky tobacco seller has agreed to name names to Washington state officials.
DirtCheapCig.com Inc. entered into a stipulated judgment in U.S. District Court in Seattle in December and agreed to provide the state with names and addresses of all Washington customers who have bought tobacco products since Jan. 1, 2001, the state Department of Revenue said. The company also will begin filing monthly reports.
Trinidad Window Contest Winners Named by Altadis
Ft. Lauderdale - Altadis U.S.A. has announced the winners of its Trinidad Window Display Contest in which authorized Trinidad retailers were invited to create displays featuring Trinidad cigars and submit photographs of their designs for judging.
The grand prize went to Ol' Times Tobacco Shop of Sanford, Fla. whose winning display featured a 1920's style cigar delivery wagon. The runners up were G&G Cigar company, West Chester, Penn., and Tobacco Shop of Ridgewood, N.J.
Ol' Times Tobacco Shop will receive first class airfare for two to La Romana, Dominican Republic,; lodging for four nights at the Casa de Camp resort; golf at the world famous "Teeth of the Dog" golf course; and a private tour of Tabacalera de garcia, the world's largest premium cigar factory, where Trinidad cigars are made.
Each of the runners up will also receive a framed canvas serigraphs from French artists Michel Delacroix of the new "La Campagne Cubaine."
SMOKESHOP - February, 2004


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MILAN — While the Asia-Pacific area showed signs of recovery and the new ready-to-wear and leather goods collections posted positive results, Prada SpA logged another six months of decline in profits and revenues. In the first half of the fiscal year ending July 31, net profit was down 18.2 percent to 116 million euros from 141.9 million euros in the same period last year.Revenues decreased 5.5 percent to 1.46 billion euros compared with 1.55 billion euros last year.“The complex task of restructuring our operating processes, which is aimed at providing the group with the tools needed to access an increasingly competitive market, is progressing well; however, more remains to be done," said chief executive officer Patrizio Bertelli. "Having one of the best known and most respected international brands, with undisputed leadership in design and innovation, means we have to make choices in the pursuit of growth that privilege the preservation of the cultural and stylistic fundamentals that our brand identity is based on."The group is going through a phase of restructuring and Bertelli pointed to its digital transformation, which "continues apace, enhanced by the launch of e-commerce in all markets, including China. Meanwhile, our dedicated team has expanded significantly to complete the digital presence of group brands and to pursue the important aim of offering a seamless online and off-line shopping experience."Bertelli was positive about long-term growth. "The extensive overhaul of Prada Group’s cost structure creates operating leverage that will allow group profits to benefit rapidly from revenue growth. In the meantime, we will continue to protect cash generation by keeping net working capital and investments under control. We are confident that our action plan is the best way to return to steady growth in revenues and margins, albeit aware that benefits may take longer than expected. Our cash flow and balance sheet remain solid, allowing us to focus on value creation for shareholders over a broad time horizon.
@beyonce chose a custom gown by @falgunishanepeacockindia for mother @mstinalawson 's second annual Wearable Art Gala last night. The gown, which took 10 days to make, was inspired by Nubian warrior queen Amanishakheto. Reporting by @hernameislex . #wwdeye 👑 🐝#beyonce
After dressing @justintimberlake for his Super Bowl halftime performance last month, @stellamccartney has designed the star’s "Man of the Woods" tour wardrobe. Timberlake will be wearing a mix of pieces from McCartney’s fall men's collection as well as custom designs and items from his own closet. #wwdfashion
@carmeloanthony is upping his fashion game once again, introducing a hat collection with @goorinbros. Called Fresh Greens by Melo x Goorin, the line consists of five unisex models, all of which are made in America from 100 percent wool. Each hat is lined with Anthony’s signature and the inscription “Knowledge of self, wisdom and understanding.” You can purchase the collection line at Goorin’s website as well as three off its stores in San Francisco, New York City and Las Vegas #wwdaccessories
“I am of tradition, but that doesn’t mean I have an old outlook on life,” Hubert de Givenchy told WWD in an interview in 1978. The legendary designer, who died last week at the age of 91, achieved wide success soon after launching his own couture boutique in the early ’50s, but he refused to pine for that time. For the first time since its original publication, read our interview with Givenchy on his awe for Audrey Hepburn and looking forward. Link in bio. #wwdarchives #fbf (📷: Pierre Schermann)
About last night: @alexachung and @supergausa toasted the launch of their capsule collection. “It’s the shape that I love, so rather than amend the last and make the sole crazy or do anything wild, we just did really subtle additions that I think make it look really luxe-y,” said Chung. #wwdfashion (📷: Marc Patrick)
Exclusive: @off____white’s @virgilabloh is launching an exclusive eyewear capsule collection @sunglasshut. The unisex collection, which is made up of three styles, first made its debut on the brand’s fall runway show in Paris. Get all the details on WWD.com – link in bio. #wwdnews #wwdfashion


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While the console version of the anniversary update is set to land on PS4 and Xbox One in March.
To boldly go where the new TV show has just gone before.
Mixed Dimensions is offering a variety of options.
We check back in to see how the game has grown.
Happy Valentine's Day to the trekkies.
We talked to art director Samuel Wall about the upcoming console version.
Six years after the PC launch, Cryptic Studios is finally ready to give Star Trek a chance on consoles.
Monuments added in-game to honour the actor's passing.
Players assembled in Vulcan to pay their respects to Star Trek actor.
Season 8.5 Update available, includes new content.
We talk to STO's lead producer about the studio's continuing mission...
The Sphere arrives on free-to-play MMO.
Legacy of Romulus coming in May.
MMO to seek out new life.
Chinese giant picks up Atari's spoils


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By Amy Shields2008-12-23T09:24:49
Jeweller to the stars Theo Fennell notched up losses of £840,000 in the six months to September 30 and revealed it will consider cutting back its expansion plans.
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Netflix will be hiking its prices again, and your bill will officially be going up next month.
The streaming service sent out an email Wednesday announcing that next month's bill cycle would see an increase in monthly payments for current subscribers. The prices will be adjusted, so that the basic plan will go from $7.99 to $8.99, while the standard plan (which includes two streams in Ultra HD) will jump from $10.99 to $12.99 a month and the premium plan (four streams in Ultra HD) will rise from $13.99 to $15.99.
It's not as significant a hike as the sudden jump that occurred in 2011 — the DVD mail and streaming package was increased by 60%, causing many subscribers to jump ship over ire for the sudden change. The streaming service also raised prices, with far less backlash, in late 2017.
In January, when the increase was first announced, a spokesperson for the company said, "We change pricing from time to time as we continue investing in great entertainment and improving the overall Netflix experience."
Indeed, Netflix has famously increased its spending to produce a bevy of new original content, including many new offerings for 2019, and recently forked over a whopping $100 million just to keep Friends available to stream for the rest of the year. Netflix has also enjoyed an uptick in prestige in recent years, thanks to shows like The Crown, documentaries like Ava Duvernay's 13th, and original film roll-outs like Mudbound and Alfonso Cuaron's Roma. This year will also see the return of several fan favorites, including Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 2, Stranger Things Season 3 and Black Mirror Season 5, to name a few.


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KISSIMMEE – Sheets of plywood covered windows broken by vandals, and there was no telling what creatures were now living in the murky swimming pool at the Thriftlodge on U.S. Highway 192.
Still, the motel – shuttered since soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks – got a winning bid of $1.4 million at a public auction on Thursday.
Bidding on the Thriftlodge, one of countless unremarkable motels on U.S. 192 leading to Disney World, lasted only about four minutes and when it was over, the buyer didn’t want his name disclosed until the sale becomes final in about a month.
But what mattered in the dozen or so neighbors who turned out to watch the auction was that the motel sold for a decent price.
On U.S. Highway 192. Ballardin Enterprises Inc. close
the 84 room motel
It may cost around $100,000 to fix up place
“It shows there’s still some value to 192,” said Janak Desai, a hotelier who is president of Orlando/Kissimmee Hotel & Motel Association, which represents several dozens of the small motels along Osceola county’s main thoroughfare.
Desai and others said after the auction they worried it would sell for less, which would have signaled a lick in faith in the market for the county’s prospects of rebuilding its hospitality industry.
“I think everybody’s happy that it [the sale price] wasn’t rock bottom,” said Alan Frenkel, one of the auctioneers from Karlin Daniel & Associates.
The winning bid was about $1 million less than Ballardin Enterprises paid for the motel 2 1/2 years ago.
Ballardin closed the 84-room around Sept. 25, when it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy court protection from its creditors. Besides taping a note to the front door apologizing to guest for closing so abruptly, the company did little to prepare the motel for closing, leaving it a kind of time capsule.
On Thursday, unopened bars of soap were arranged neatly by the sink in Room 116, open for inspection by potential bidders. September’s HBO guide lay beside the television. Close by was a tip envelope for a housekeeper who hadn’t worked there for months. She had signed her name, Katia, and drawn a smiley face.
But while everything seemed in order in the rooms, neighboring motel owners said the property was a long way from opening.
Shailesh “Sunny” Patel estimated the buyer will spend at least $100,000 fixing up the place.
On top of that, he said, there’s the potential costs of becoming a franchise of a national chain and replacing the sign out front. Besides those expenses, the buyer must pay a 10 percent premium, $60,000 in back taxes and closing costs.
The motel wasn’t the first here to sell at auction since the attacks, and it won’t be the last. One of the county’s largest hotels, the Hyatt Orlando, will be sold at a foreclosure auction next. month.
But Desai, the motel association president, said the sale of the Thriftlodge is one more sign that things here are turning around. One in five of Osceola county’s 125 hotels and motels couldn’t afford to pay property taxes last month, but an early Easter and an improving economy helped full rooms over the holiday, raising hopes for a strong summer.


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Brad Keating, Dairy Farmers of America's COO for the Northeast region, testifying Monday
The proposed merger of Vermont’s last independent creamery with the nation’s largest dairy co-op provoked some pointed questions Monday from senators concerned about consolidation in the state's signature agricultural sector.
The 325 members of the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery will vote later this month on whether to become part of the 14,000-member Dairy Farmers of America co-op.
The move, which has been in the works for two years, was billed Monday by proponents as the best way for Vermont dairies to secure a stable market for their products and make needed investments in the creamery and its fleet of delivery trucks.
Harold Howrigan, president of the St. Albans Co-op board, said he's a sixth-generation dairy farmer from Fairfield who wants to see his operation thrive well into the future.
“The proposed merger of St. Albans and Dairy Farmers of America is one that will not only benefit the members of both cooperatives, but will strengthen the Vermont dairy landscape overall,” Howrigan said.
Brad Keating, DFA’s chief operating officer for the Northeast region, said the nationwide co-op stood prepared to invest $30 million in the St. Albans creamery and another $5 million in its transportation fleet. DFA has had a marketing partnership with the creamery since 2003, he said.
But members of the Vermont Senate Committee on Agriculture expressed concern that the deal provides no guarantees that milk prices, which have been depressed for years, would rise, nor does it provide protections against future closure of the facility.
Sen. Ruth Hardy (D-Addison) asked whether the merger would create a single co-op that was “too big to fail.”
“Is there a concern that more than half of our dairy farms would be shipping to one producer?” Hardy asked Diane Bothfeld, director of administrative services for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets.
Bothfeld said the number of dairies in the state dropped 27 percent in eight years, from 996 in 2011 to 725 in 2018. While it is “important for farmers to have options,” she said the proposed merger also promised significant opportunities for struggling producers.
“It is a consolidation of farmers’ choices of where to sell their milk,” Bothfeld said. “But a market is important. What is the option without this merger?”
That market is one that has suffered from an oversupply of milk at the same time that a slew of new beverage options have gained popularity, including alternatives such as almond, soy and oat milk.
“Until we get that supply under control, we’re not going to get higher milk prices,” said Sen. Bobby Starr (D-Essex/Orleans), the committee chair.
Leon Berthiaume, left, and right, Harold Howrigan
But Sen. Anthony Pollina (P/D-Washington) pointed out that DFA recently purchased Los Angeles-based Stremick’s Heritage Foods, which produces the very plant-based products that dairy farmers resent being called “milk.”
It was one of several pointed questions Pollina asked during the hearing. He wondered why farmers won’t know the full value of the deal until after it’s signed. He also surmised that St. Albans CEO Leon Berthiaume wasn’t pulling down anything close to the $700,000 salary paid to DFA CEO Rick Smith.
And on several occasions, Pollina detailed lawsuits filed against DFA by its members over low milk prices. He suggested that St. Albans farmers “might want to think twice” about merging with such an organization.
Pete Hardin, the Wisconsin-based publisher of the dairy industry newsletterThe Milkweed, went so far as to label some items on DFA's balance sheet as “suspicious.” He called for the Vermont Attorney General to perform a “forensic audit” of DFA’s books “so that at the very least, the members of St. Albans have some understanding of the black hole they are getting into.”
Supporters of the merger pushed back on the notion that they didn’t understand their future partner. The national organization has “handed us every piece of information we have ever requested,” said Alburgh farmer and St. Albans Co-op board member Tom Bellavance.
“We’re not going into this blind,” he said. “We’ve really researched what we are getting into.”
Hardy said she hoped that was the case, and that the merger leads to fewer farmers going under, as well as high milk prices.
“I know you’re trying to do the best you can for your businesses and your farmers, and I appreciate that,” she said. “I just clearly have concerns about Vermont farms and Vermont products.”


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Updated: Aug 25, 2022 15:15 IST
New Delhi [India], August 25 (ANI/ATK): The versatility of the crypto space and its assets has piqued individuals’ interests since the inception of the crypto world roughly a decade ago. Created as an alternative to fiat currencies, cryptocurrencies have evolved to accommodate new innovations such as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), the Metaverse, and Virtual Reality (VR).
Alongside Bitcoin and Ethereum, several neoteric currencies are also working to be in the spotlight. Even though these two coins (Bitcoin and Ethereum) have succeeded in instigating change in the digital currency community, some limitations have been identified with their networks and platforms. These newer coins are therefore attempting to improve these issues and expand the cryptocurrency reach.
Big Eyes Coin (BIG), a newly-created meme coin, is on its way to revolutionizing the perception of meme coins. Meme coins came into existence in 2013 with Dogecoin as its pioneer. With Dogecoin at the forefront of the movement, several meme coins were launched to create a lighter approach to cryptocurrency. But, most of these coins were dismissed as jokes, and, as a result, with the introduction of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and a community-driven platform, Big Eyes Coin (BIG) hopes to be the change that meme coins desperately need.
VeChain is a coin designed to assist businesses in boosting efficiency in their supply chain. With its application of decentralized finance (DeFi), VeChain has been regarded as one of the best enterprise-oriented blockchain platforms.
What to Know about VeChain (VET)
VeChain started as a private consortium chain in 2015, but it transitioned to a public blockchain in 2017 with the ERC-20 token, VET. It is a Singapore-based cryptocurrency that makes it easier to collect and exchange essential information with retailers, manufacturers, and consumers. With distributed governance and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, VeChain (VET) hopes to solve major data issues for several global industries ranging from medical to food and beverage. The network uses two tokens – VET and VTHO – to maintain and manage the activities on the blockchain. VeChain (VET) generates VTHO while VTHO is used to pay for GAS costs.
VeChain (VET) Token Price Prediction by the End of 2022
VeChain gets a bullish rating, and according to DigitalCoin Price, VET has the potential to increase to USD 0.095 during the last two months of 2022. Furthermore, if the bullish trend is sustained, it is possible for this token to even experience more increase. As of late August 2022, VeChain (VET) was ranked thirty-third with a total circulating supply of 72,511,146,418 VET coins. But! Big Eyes Coin (BIG) has the prospect of overtaking VeChain (VET).
Why Should You Purchase Big Eyes Coin (BIG)?
With the promise of a community-run network, Big Eyes Coin (BIG) aims to be the next best thing. It is a meme coin designed to transfer wealth into the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ecosystem and protects the oceans by making sizable donations to specific organizations. Big Eyes Coin has observed that DeFi is a relatively new concept that is yet to be understood by most individuals, and, with its simplified approach, this token hopes to win more souls over to Big Eyes (BIG) and other available currencies.
To remain relevant and prove the skeptics of meme coin wrong, Big Eyes Coin (BIG) created a marketing wallet that will allow its community of users to stay in touch with the latest trends. The cheerful mascot with the adorable eyes has an anime design, which is done intentionally because of the popularity that the Anime industry has amassed. Capitalizing on this will expand the influence and reach of Big Eyes Coin (BIG). The creators also plan to create comic books and produce merchandise for the coin.
To further improve the network, Big Eyes Coin (BIG) strives to create a blockchain ecosystem that will see the hyper-growth through the use of NFTs to ensure that individuals have improved access to events and competitions. With the BIG tokens, users can participate in the NFT events that will be held each season. To make the owned NFTs valuable, Big Eyes hopes to have an NFT collection in the top ten projects. The token has plans to build on the Ethereum blockchain as Ethereum’s plan to switch to Proof of Stake (PoS) by September will be highly beneficial to Big Eyes Coin (BIG).
Big Eyes’ missions don’t end there! Big Eyes is tax-free. This implies that there are no extra deductions on the transactions. Big Eyes platform puts the community first and believes that value should be achieved through the project and not the tax. Furthermore, a dynamic tax system has been put in place to provide users with Marketing Wallet, LP acquisition, Auto Burn functions, etc.
Big Eyes (BIG) Tokenomics
With a total supply of 200 billion BIG tokens in the ecosystem, 70 per cent of these tokens will be sold during the presale. 20 per cent will be reserved for exchanges, and 5 per cent will be put in the marketing wallet. 10 per cent will be allocated to Tax NFTs, and holders are entitled to 5 per cent of the tokens. Another 5 per cent will be visibly held for charity. Again, it is essential to note that there are no tax deductions on all the transactions that will be made on the platform with BIG tokens.
What is on the Big Eyes Roadmap?
There are four identified plans of action that will ensure the efficiency of the Big Eyes Coin (BIG). The first one, which is labeled as “crouch”, will include; Audit of the token, social channels liv, media stunt live, pre-sale live, pre-sale website live, and so on. Leap, which is the second plan, will open the stage for the full website live, first charity donation, verification of all social media channels, influencer campaign, the addition of the first bridge, digital stickers release of the NFT snippets, etc. stage three (Run) will include NFT release, the first NFT exclusive IRL event, campaign, an improved media stunt, the increase of Big Eyes (BIG) token holders to 50,000, the second charity donation, and others. Stage four, which is also identified as the catwalk, will see an increase in donations to charity, the evolution of NFTs, more community events, and more swaps.
How Can You Purchase Big Eyes (BIG) Tokens?
Interested users should ensure that they have a MetaMask wallet installed on their browser. If this is not accessible, they should make use of one of the wallets that are supported by Wallet Connect, one of these is Trust Wallet which can be connected through the in-built browser. It is advised, however, that buyers should purchase the tokens on a desktop browser to avoid hicks.
After this, buyers should click on “connect Wallet” and select the suitable option. If using the mobile wallet apps, “Wallet Connect” should be chosen. With this, there will be three options;
– Buy ETH with a card. Individuals are advised to purchase a minimum of $15 worth of ETH to cover the cost of the Big Eyes Coin (BIG) purchase,
– Buy Big Eyes with ETH. With ETH in the users’ wallets, it can then be swapped for Big Eyes (BIG). Users should type in the intended amount of BIG tokens they want to purchase and click on “Convert ETH,” or
– Buy Big Eyes with USDT. This follows the same process as the one above. The only significant difference is that individuals will click on “Convert USDT.”
After the presale has been finalized, users will then be able to claim their Big Eyes (BIG) tokens. Additionally, only 9.7 billion BIG tokens are remaining as more than 100 billion tokens have been sold.
How to Purchase VeChain (VET) Tokens
VeChain (VET) tokens are one of the harder to obtain cryptocurrencies, but interested users can purchase them on Binance and Crypto.com. The first step is to create an account on the chosen exchange platform. After this, users can decide to buy a wallet, and Binance provides the option of a built-in wallet that can hold both VeChain (VET) and VTHO tokens. Afterward, individuals can proceed to purchase the tokens. There are options to either place a “market buy”, or a “limit buy”. With a “limit buy”, the buyer determines the price they are willing to pay, and the order gets filled when the token price reaches their limit price. However, with the “market buy”, the buyer will agree to pay the current price, and the order gets filled almost immediately.
Big Eyes Coin (BIG) has decided to change the perception of meme coins, and it is on its way to achieving this. Driving on the success of the presale, it is no doubt that this coin will attain significant success. With its introduction and simplification of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), it will achieve its goal of introducing more people to the digital currency community. Its addition of NFTs events and competitions will ensure that the ecosystem is more diverse and engaging. However, potential users should conduct more research to ensure that Big Eyes Coin (BIG) is the right move for them.
This Story has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content in this article. (ANI/ATK)


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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has declared victory in a long-running dispute over whether R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. should continue paying millions of dollars a year in damages for cigarette brands it no longer owns.
Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal declined to rehear the case Friday and said it wouldn’t flag the litigation for the state Supreme Court by certifying it a question of great public importance.
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MP Travel Mart in Bhopal on Oct 14-16
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart will be held in Bhopal on October 14 and 16. About seventy foreign delegates from 25 countries, 175 domestic delegates, and 80 delegates of travel and tour operators associations are expected to attend the travel mart. Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate it.
[USPRwire, Mon Nov 07 2016] Discussion will be held on prospect of tourism in State, increase in tourists, investment in tourism, Promotion of interregional tourism, hotels and hospitality in the travel mart. A tourism exhibition will be a major attraction. Secretary, tourism and Managing Director of MP Tourism Development Corporation Shri Hariranjan Rao gave this information in a roadshow in Delhi on Saturday Night.
Shri Rao said that tourists' attraction towards state had increased. Useful discussion will be held on prospects of tourism in the travel mart and it is expected to give boost to tourism sector. Representatives of Indian Association of Tour Operators Association, Travel Agent Association of India, Federation of Hotel and Association and Adventure Tour Operators Association will attend it.
Informing about main features of tourism in the state, Shri Rao said that Tajmahal of Bhopal, forts in Govindgarh (Rewa) and Madhavgarh (Satna) will be developed as heritage hotels. A convention centre of international level will be built in Khajuraho. Historical Minto Hall in Bhopal is being developed as convention Centre. Three conventions Centre’s are already available in Indore. Water-based tourism is being promoted along with religious tourism places. Destination-based tourism is being developed in the State. Also, special attention has been made on special zone of tourism. Private players have been invited for development of tourism. Shri Rao informed about state's tourism policy, heritage policy, and way side amenities (WSA) in question-answer session.


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More specifically, according to the BoG’s “Cruise Survey”, Greece welcomed 2,074 cruise ship arrivals in 2021 up from 159 in 2020 and 1,538.8 thousand cruise passenger visits up from 68.2 thousand a year earlier.
Based on data collected at 16 Greek ports and covering 84.0 percent of all cruise ship arrivals in Greece, 83.7 percent of total cruise passengers were transit visitors, with an average of 2.6 stopovers at Greek ports of call, up from 2.0 stopovers in 2020.
In terms of revenue, total receipts generated by cruise passengers in 2021 increased by 1,930.4 percent year-on-year to 200.8 million euros. BoG analysts note that of this amount, 26.6 million euros have already been included in the Border Survey data, accounting for receipts from travelers leaving the country through last ports in the country, while the remaining 174.3 million euros concern additional receipts data recorded by the cruise survey.
Leading the way in terms of cruise receipts in 2021 was the port of Piraeus with a share of 38.9 percent, followed by the port of Corfu with 18.8 percent and the port of Heraklion (Crete) with 13.9 percent. In total, the seven most important cruise ship ports accounted for 91.7 percent of all cruise receipts and 86.2 percent of all cruise passenger visits.
In the meantime, the number of overnight stays ashore grew by 1,894.1 percent year-on-year to 2,887.9 thousand in 2021, with a positive impact on cruise receipts. The total number of cruise passengers also rose by 1,633.5 percent to an estimated 585.8 thousand.
Greece is betting on cruise ship arrivals to help extend the tourism season. Earlier this year, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said 2022 would be a year of all-time cruise arrivals as Piraeus and Thessaloniki will be serving as home ports. In this direction, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) – Europe and the tourism ministry agreed to kickstart cruise travel to Greece earlier this year.


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Detecting Fake Parmesan Cheeses
News May 20, 2016
A parmesan scandal reported earlier this year highlighted how easy it is to doctor the cheese when it’s grated. For producers and consumers of some of the most expensive kinds, this is a big problem. Generic versions abound, but the traditional variety comes from only a handful of Italian provinces and commands twice the price.
In February, news stories emerged about grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or parmesan, cheese containing cellulose as a filler and different, less expensive cheeses. One product labeled as 100 percent parmesan reportedly contained none. For consumers interested in artisanal products, this meant there was no way to know what they were getting at the store. To address this, the European Union established a system to grant a “protected denomination of origin,” or PDO, designation to certain products. In the case of Parmigiano Reggiano, cheeses with the PDO label must meet certain requirements. For example, they must be made out of milk from cows that are not fed silage, a fermented cereal product often used in animal feed. Augusta Caligiani and colleagues wanted to see if detecting compounds associated with these diets would be an effective way to determine the authenticity of PDO-labeled parmesan.
The researchers analyzed more than 300 samples of cheeses using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method to see if it could help differentiate cheeses from cows fed silage and those that were not. The team found that samples of Grana Padano, a cheese similar to parmesan but made with milk from cows allowed to eat silage, contained cyclopropane fatty acids. However, these fatty acids were not in PDO parmesan samples. The researchers also could tell if a blend of the two cheeses contained 10 percent or more of Grana Padano. Because the method is simple and fast, the researchers say it could be used in industry to screen large numbers of samples for potential adulteration.
This Seed Could Bring Clean Water to MillionsNews
Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering Professors Bob Tilton and Todd Przybycien recently co-authored a paper with Ph.D. students Brittany Nordmark and Toni Bechtel, and alumnus John Riley, further refining a process that could soon help provide clean water to many in water-scarce regions. The process, created by Tilton’s former student and co-author Stephanie Velegol, uses sand and plant materials readily available in many developing nations to create a cheap and effective water filtration medium, termed “f-sand.”READ MORE
Magnetic Treatment Helps Remove ‘Off-Flavor’ from WinesNews
From vine to wine, grapes undergo a remarkable transformation. But sometimes this makeover results in vino that doesn’t taste quite right. In a new study scientists report that they have found a way to use tiny magnetic particles to remove off-tasting substances in cabernet sauvignon without altering its desired bouquet.READ MORE


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Sources told the BBC that Meta’s staff has shown plans for a text-based social network to compete with Twitter.
It might make it possible for users of Meta’s image-sharing app Instagram to follow accounts they already follow.
Additionally, it might make it possible for them to acquire followers from decentralized platforms like Mastodon.
The BBC was informed by a spokesperson for Meta that the platform was in development.
They stated, “We’re looking into a standalone decentralized social network for sharing text updates.”
“We believe there’s an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests,” the company’s spokesperson stated.
Chris Cox, chief product officer of Meta, stated that the platform was undergoing coding. The tech goliath intends to deliver it soon, albeit no date was given. It has been suggested that it could happen as early as the end of June.
Employees were shown internal screenshots of the app that have appeared online and may provide an idea of how it will look.
The BBC has been informed by company sources that these leaked screenshots are genuine. If they are, then anyone who has used Twitter for some time will be familiar with the layout of this new platform.
The text-based network, whose working name is P92, may become a stronger competitor to Elon Musk’s Twitter than BlueSky or Mastodon.
While both have drawn in clients frustrated with Twitter, beginning once more on another informal organization and modifying a local area, is troublesome.
However, there is a huge Instagram community. Although its numbers can no longer be verified, Meta claims to have around two billion users, which dwarfs the 300 million people who are believed to use Twitter.
P92 will quickly surpass its older rival if even 25% of Instagram users are convinced to use it (it will undoubtedly have a more sexy name when it launches).
Although some criticize Meta’s claim that it draws “inspiration” from other products, Stories on Facebook was based on a Snapchat feature, and Reels on Instagram is strikingly similar to TikTok.
Since its withdrawal from the EU’s voluntary disinformation code in May, Twitter has come under scrutiny for its platform moderation.
Under Mr Musk, Twitter balance has supposedly been decreased – which pundits say permitted an expansion in the spread of disinformation.
However, Mr. Musk claims that since his appointment in October 2022, there has been “less misinformation rather than more.”
Meta loses millions as made to sell Giphy to Shutterstock
Even though Meta paid $400 million for the animated-gif search engine Giphy just three years ago, it has sold it to Shutterstock for $53 million (£42 million).
On the grounds of competition, the UK’s competition watchdog reissued Meta’s order to sell Giphy last year.
Giphy is the primary provider of enlivened gifs to informal communities like Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter.
Meta stages Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp can in any case get to Giphy’s substance, as a feature of the arrangement.
Giphy, the largest collection of gifs and stickers in the world, declares it every day:
receives more than 1.3 billion search queries, and various parts of its content are shown 15 billion times. In November 2021, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ordered the sale.
Meta had stated that it would be “openly available” to other social networks after acquiring Giphy.
However, the CMA’s examination of the buyout had found it would hurt rivalry in online entertainment and promoting.
Life in Tech: Shutterstock executives discuss their AI strategy. This was the first time the regulator had stopped a big Silicon Valley company from doing business.
Last September, Meta made an enticement for the CMA to attempt to forestall the deal.
Meta stated that gifs “have fallen out of fashion as a form of content, with younger users in particular describing gifs as ‘for boomers’ and ‘cringe.'”
However, despite its disappointment, Meta stated in October that it would accept the CMA’s order to sell Giphy.
It was stated that Shutterstock was thrilled to acquire Giphy.
Paul Hennessy, the company’s CEO, stated: Giphy empowers regular clients to communicate their thoughts in important ways with gif and sticker content, while likewise empowering brands to be a piece of these relaxed discussions.”
Giphy’s library is fuelled by individual craftsmen, who contribute unique substance, and organizations like Disney and Netflix – guaranteeing a consistent stock of current substance that can be embedded into regular discussions and shared by means of virtual entertainment.


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IT SEEMS THERE WAS SOME CONTROVERSY over a "Own the school year like a hero" sign of a gun case at a Walmart except this was determined to be a hoax!
'THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT OK': #Walmart has apologized for a back-to-school banner with guns displayed underneath it. Walmart removed the display after someone tweeted out this picture from an Evansville, Indiana store. The company tweeted back saying: "This is definitely not okay, Sara. We're very sorry and checking into how this could have happened." Walmart then went on to say the display was "horrible." (📷: @thisbemesara/Twitter)


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Toss Bank logo [Courtesy of Toss Bank]
Toss Bank, celebrating its first year as the third app-based lender in Korea, has brought KEB Hana Card onboard through the sixth rights offering since founding for recapitalization and expanded partnership with financial institutions of brick-and-mortar influence.
It would be raising 100 billion won ($75 million) by selling 20 million shares at 5,000 won each.
Payment will be completed by Nov. 29. New shares will go to existing shareholders, including Viva Republica, E-Land World and Korea Federation of SMEs.
KEB Hana Card has joined to help Hana Bank maintain 9.75 percent ownership after the capital increase.
Hanwha Investment & Finance and Korea Electronic Certification Authority would be passing up on the latest offering. Toss Bank’s parent Viva Republica will buy 6.8 million shares at 34 billion won to retain its biggest shareholding in the digital lender and E-Land World will purchase 2 million at 10 billion won.
KEB Hana Card will buy 1.96 million shares at 9.8 billion won. Currently, Toss Bank’s check card is acting as an agent and is also collaborating as a strategic partner of KEB Hana Card. Going forward, the two companies plan to work on various business strategies now that the credit card company will become a shareholder of Toss Bank.
Toss Bank also unveiled promotions to increase the use of its debit cards. For every 5,000 won spent on a Toss Bank debit card at partnered merchants at home and aboard, users will receive 100 won worth of foreign stock or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The digital lender has made rapid growth in just a year as shareholders shared the bank’s service to mid to low-credit customer and innovation, said a Toss Bank official.
Toss Bank’s capital will increase to 1.45 trillion won after the stock sale, an epic rise from humble start at 250 billion won.
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]


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Products made with recalled Jif peanut butter are now being recalled themselves.
The recalled products include candy and trail mix.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a warning that Jif peanut butter may be contaminated with salmonella.
Read more from CBS News.
Springfield-based Ozarks Elder Law expanded its footprint in Nixa; Skin Wax Ink changed its location and name; and food truck The Deck Pizza Co. opened.