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Cannabis Europa is proud to announce Nesta Holding Co. Ltd. as the Lanyard sponsor for our Toronto conference on November 5th at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
Nesta Holding Co. Ltd. is a Canadian private equity firm specialising in the global cannabis industry. Nesta was founded in 2015 by Chuck Rifici, also known as the “Godfather of Canadian weed” and as the true pioneer of the North American cannabis industry, having previously started Canopy Growth (formerly Tweed Marijuana) and acted as former CFO of Canada’s Liberal Party. Using his wealth of knowledge and unparalleled experience in the industry, Rifici’s mission is to make Nesta the premier partner for companies aspiring to create and shape the nascent legalised cannabis industry.
Cannabis Europa is a great event to be a part of whether you’re a speaker or a spectator. For all those involved in cannabis, regardless of geography or area of interest, Cannabis Europa offers us all a platform to contribute to our industry’s movement. Here in Canada, as so many of us set our sights on Europe, having this event come to us in Toronto is a great opportunity to connect with and learn from European players. – Chuck Rifici, Chair and CEO of Nesta Holding Co. Ltd.
Nesta will be joining our Cannabis Europa: Transatlantic Forum in Toronto on November 5th to share how they are integral in shaping user experience across the medical and recreational cannabis industries in North America.
Nesta employs a value approach to a concentrated portfolio of opportunities in legalised jurisdictions in order to develop, advocate and invest in partner technologies and new products.
As Canada is set to become one of the biggest markets for cannabis products, Rifici and his partners at Nesta are focusing on helping existing brands tap into Canada’s market as well as developing completely new brands for this nascent industry. Nesta will thus act as the first point of contact for brands looking to expand into Canada and other countries who are now at the forefront of the legal cannabis market.
I’m thrilled to be invited to discuss with George and the audience all that has happened in the Canadian market and all that is to come as we move into the second phase of legalization and turn our sights to international opportunities. – Chuck Rifici, Chair and CEO of Nesta Holding Co. Ltd.
Join us on November 5th at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto to learn about the latest news concerning research, innovation and the production of medicinal cannabis in Europe from those who are at the forefront of this change.


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"We are all very well aware that it was progressing very fast until we had a little bit of a blip because of political happenings in the other country. Fortunately, we have a stable government. I believe in office now (in the UK) and I am already in touch with my (UK) counterpart. We are working together to possibly have an in person meeting also very soon but our teams are already engaged. Next month, the next round of negotiations are slated to happen," Goyal said here at a steel industry event.
He said that industry support is required for the agreement and it should be a fair, equitable and balanced FTA.
He also said that there should not be any strict timelines to conclude negotiations for an FTA as such agreements have to be thought through and carefully calibrated and negotiated.
"With UK we are doing a comprehensive deal like the UAE ....I assure you that it is a high priority of both countries. It has been reiterated in the meeting of the G20," Goyal said.
India and Britain launched negotiations for the FTA in January with an aim to conclude talks by Diwali (October 24), but the deadline was missed due to political developments in the UK. There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights.
Reduction or elimination of customs duty under the pact would help Indian labour intensive sectors like textiles, leather, and gems and jewellery to boost exports in the UK market. The UK is seeking duty concessions in areas like Scotch whiskey and automobiles.
So far, five rounds of talks are already completed between the officials of the two countries till July.
The bilateral trade between the two countries increased to USD 17.5 billion in 2021-22 compared to USD 13.2 billion in 2020-21. India's exports stood at USD 10.5 billion in 2021-22, while imports were USD 7 billion.
There are 26 chapters in the agreement, which include goods, services, investments and intellectual property rights.
India's main exports to the UK include ready-made garments and textiles, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, petroleum and petrochemical products, transport equipment and parts, spices, metal products, machinery and instruments, pharma and marine items.
Major imports include precious and semi-precious stones, ores and metal scraps, engineering goods, professional instruments, non-ferrous metals, chemicals and machinery.
The UK is also a key investor in India. New Delhi attracted foreign direct investment of USD 1.64 billion in 2021-22. The figure was about USD 32 billion between April 2000 and March 2022.
In the services sector, the UK is one of the largest markets in Europe for Indian IT services. PTI RR HVA
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Frick India, the company engaged in manufacturing, supply, execution of Industrial Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning system has released its Q1FY21 earnings.
1. The company has clocked a revenue of 44.70 Crores in the first quarter, which is down by 37% QoQ and 0.4% YoY.
2. In the quarter, the company has saved around 2.08 Crores in employee benefits expense.
3. Frick India has clocked an EBITDA margins of 16% this quarter as compared to 13% last quarter and 7.44% in the same quarter last year. So, the company has shown excellent margins.
4. PAT for this quarter has come at 4.94 Crores, down by 26% QoQ and up by massive 1.82x times as compared to the same quarter last year.
5. EPS for this quarter has come at Rs. 80 per share.


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The United States has been grappling with a persistent trade imbalance with China for over a decade. The trade deficit has widened year after year, peaking at a record $419 billion in 2018. Despite constant negotiations and attempts to address the issue, the gap remains a growing concern for the American economy and its people.
The trade deficit is a measure of the difference between a country’s imports and exports. In the case of the U.S.-China trade relationship, China has been exporting significantly more goods to the U.S. than vice versa. This has led to a myriad of economic and political implications, including job losses, currency manipulation concerns, and growing national debt.
To fully understand the current state of this important economic relationship, it is essential to have a comprehensive background understanding of the issue. This article aims to explore the decade-long trade deficit between the U.S. and China, its various implications, and the potential solutions to alleviate the negative impacts of this imbalance.
U.S. Trade Deficit with China
The U.S. trade deficit with China refers to the difference between the value of goods and services imported from China and the value of goods and services exported to China. The U.S. has been running a trade deficit with China since the early 2000s, which has grown substantially over the past decade.
Overview of the U.S. trade deficit with China over the past decade:
The U.S. trade deficit with China has increased from $268 billion in 2008 to $419 billion in 2018. This is mainly due to a large increase in imports from China, which have grown from $337 billion in 2008 to $539 billion in 2018. Meanwhile, U.S. exports to China have also increased but at a much slower pace, growing from $70 billion in 2008 to $120 billion in 2018.
Key factors contributing to the deficit, including imports, exports, tariffs, and trade policies:
The key factors contributing to the U.S. trade deficit with China include the high demand for cheaper goods and services, the manufacturing shift to China, and China’s trade policies. Specifically, the U.S. heavily imports goods such as electronic products, steel, and machinery from China, while exporting primarily agricultural and raw materials to China. Additionally, China’s trade policies, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, have restricted U.S. exports to China and made it more difficult for American businesses to compete in the Chinese market.
Discussion on the balance of trade and its significance:
The balance of trade, or the difference between the value of imports and exports, is significant because it can impact a country’s economy, job growth, prices, and foreign relations. A persistent trade deficit, like the one the U.S. has with China, can negatively affect the economy and put pressure on American businesses and jobs.
China’s Foreign Direct Investment and Currency Manipulation
Discussion on China’s foreign direct investment in the U.S. and its impact on the U.S. economy:
China’s foreign direct investment in the U.S. has been on the rise in recent years, particularly in the technology and real estate industries. While it can have benefits, such as creating jobs and boosting the economy, it can also raise concerns about national security and lead to the transfer of sensitive technology and intellectual property.
Analysis of China’s currency manipulation and its Effect on the trade deficit:
China’s currency manipulation refers to the practice of artificially devaluing its currency to make its exports cheaper and more attractive in foreign markets. While China has denied manipulating its currency, it has been accused of doing so by the U.S. and other countries. The devaluation of its currency can offset the impact of tariffs and make imports from China cheaper, contributing to the U.S. trade deficit with China.
Intellectual Property Theft and Trump Administration Policies
In recent years, China has been accused of engaging in the theft of intellectual property (IP) from U.S. businesses. This refers to the practice of stealing trade secrets, patents, and proprietary technology from companies operating in the United States. Such thefts is said to cause significant damage to American businesses, as it allows Chinese companies to produce similar products without the time and expense normally needed for research and development.
The Trump administration has taken steps to address this issue by implementing policies aimed at reducing IP theft. Some of the measures employed by the administration include the creation of a new office within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to handle IP theft cases, enhanced screening of Chinese investments in U.S. companies, and increased tariffs on Chinese goods.
However, it is not clear if these policies have been effective in reducing IP theft. Also, many experts have criticized the administration’s approach, stating that it has been insufficient to address this systemic problem.
Bilateral Trade Agreements and Sentiment Analysis
The bilateral trade agreement between the U.S. and China refers to a series of negotiations aimed at reducing the trade deficit between the two countries. The trade deficit refers to the difference between imports and exports and is currently heavily in favor of China.
The Trump administration has aimed to balance the trade deficit through various policies, such as increased tariffs and the renegotiation of trade agreements. Some experts argue that this approach might lead to a trade war, which could negatively impact businesses and consumers.
Sentiment analysis is a data mining technique that is used to gather and analyze people’s attitudes, feelings, and opinions about a certain topic. In the context of the U.S.-China trade deficit, sentiment analysis can be used to determine how people feel about the issue.
The analysis could reveal whether individuals have a positive or negative perception of the trade deficit and the policies employed to address it. Sentiment analysis can be useful for policymakers to better understand public opinion and make informed decisions that take into account the interests of all stakeholders.
Topic Modeling and Named Entity Recognition
Topic modeling is a text analysis technique used to identify recurring themes or topics within a large dataset of textual information. It helps in discovering hidden patterns and meaningful topics in the text by using various algorithms. On the other hand, named entity recognition (NER) is a subtask of information extraction that identifies and classifies named entities or entities of a certain type in a text such as persons, organizations, locations, etc.
In analyzing the trade deficit with China, topic modeling and NER can be utilized to identify the most common and relevant topics related to the trade deficit such as tariffs, imports, exports, balance of trade, intellectual property theft, etc. These techniques can also help in identifying the key entities (e.g., the Chinese government, U.S. companies, trade organizations) that are involved in the trade deficit and their specific role and impact on it.
An example of how these techniques have been utilized in the past is a study conducted by Zhang et al. (2021) that used topic modeling and NER to analyze the public opinion on the U.S.-China trade war on social media platforms. The study identified five major topics related to the trade war: trade negotiations, tariffs, technology, agriculture, and political tensions.
Text Analysis Tools
Text analysis tools are various techniques and tools used to extract useful information and insights from textual data. Some of the main text analysis tools are as follows:
1. Text classification: It is a process of categorizing text into predefined categories. It can be used to classify textual data related to the trade deficit with China into various categories such as types of products, trade policies, etc.
2. Word embedding: It is a technique used to represent words in a numerical form. It can be used to analyze the similarities and relationships between different words related to the trade deficit with China.
3. Natural language understanding (NLU): It is a technique used to enable machines to understand human language. It can be used to analyze the sentiment of textual data related to the trade deficit with China.
4. Text summarization: It is a process of reducing the size of textual content while retaining its key information. It can be used to provide a brief summary of lengthy textual information related to the trade deficit with China.
5. Text clustering: It is a technique used to group similar texts together. It can be used to group similar news articles related to the trade deficit with China.
6. Lexical analysis: It is a technique used to analyze the words and phrases in a text. It can be used to identify the keywords related to the trade deficit with China.
7. Text mining: It is a process of discovering hidden patterns and insights in the text. It can be used to discover new patterns and insights related to the trade deficit with China.
In analyzing the trade deficit with China, these text analysis tools can be used to analyze the textual data related to the trade such as news articles, social media posts, research papers, etc. to extract useful information and insights. For example, text classification can be used to classify news articles related to the trade deficit into different categories and word embedding can be used to identify the top related words or phrases.
In this article, we examined the U.S. trade deficit with China over the past decade and highlighted some of the key factors driving this trend. We discussed how China’s competitive advantage in manufacturing, its currency manipulation, and its trade policies have all contributed to the U.S. trade deficit with China, which has grown significantly over the years. We also saw how this trade deficit has had a significant impact on the U.S. economy, including the loss of jobs and declining industries.
Thus, the U.S. trade deficit with China is a complex issue with a significant impact on the U.S. economy. While some experts argue that it is the result of unfair trade practices by China, others believe that it is simply the result of market forces. Regardless of the cause, the U.S. government must continue to evaluate strategies to address this deficit and reduce its impact on U.S. industries. Additionally, as China continues to grow and evolve as a global economic power, it is likely that the U.S. trade deficit with China will remain an important issue for the foreseeable future.
FAQs – U.S. Trade Deficit with China
1. What is a trade deficit?
A trade deficit occurs when a country imports more goods and services than it exports.
2. How long has the U.S. had a trade deficit with China?
The U.S. has had a trade deficit with China for over a decade, starting in the early 2000s.
3. What is the current trade deficit between the U.S. and China?
As of 2021, the U.S. trade deficit with China is over $300 billion.
4. What are some of the main reasons for the U.S. trade deficit with China?
Some of the main reasons include China’s lower labor costs, lower environmental and safety standards, and currency manipulation.
5. How has the U.S. government responded to the trade deficit with China?
The U.S. government has implemented various trade policies, including tariffs and trade agreements, to try and address the deficit.
6. Has the trade deficit with China had any impact on U.S. jobs?
Some experts argue that the trade deficit has led to job losses in certain industries, such as manufacturing.
7. What are the potential economic consequences of a large trade deficit?
A large trade deficit can lead to a weaker domestic currency, higher national debt, and decreased economic growth.
8. Are there any benefits to having a trade deficit?
Some argue that a trade deficit allows consumers to access cheaper goods and helps promote international cooperation.
9. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted trade between the U.S. and China?
The pandemic has led to disruptions in global supply chains and decreased trade between the two countries.
10. Will the U.S. ever be able to eliminate its trade deficit with China?
It is unlikely that the U.S. will completely eliminate the trade deficit with China, but it can be reduced through various economic and trade policies.


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This has come off as a surprise but definitely a good surprise. Intel has slashed prices on Haswell Refresh Core i3 and Pentium processors. A total of 8 SKUs were launched, four for each brand. The performance difference isn’t much except for Pentium G3258 which has an unlocked multiplier making it the most attractive chip. Intel is being quite generous to celebrate its 20th Anniversary while being the market leader so this is good news for the end consumer.
Haswell Refresh Core i3 and Pentium Prices
|Model||Cores/Threads||Frequency||L3 Cache||Graphics||GPU Frequency||Memory||TDP||Price|
|Pentium G3250||2/2||3.2 GHz||3 MB||N/A||1100 MHz||DDR3-1333||53 W||$64|
|Pentium G3250T||2/2||2.8 GHz||3 MB||N/A||1100 MHz||DDR3-1333||35 W||$64|
|Pentium G3450T||2/2||2.9 GHz||3 MB||N/A||1100 MHz||DDR3-1600||35 W||$75|
|Pentium G3460||2/2||3.5 GHz||3 MB||N/A||1100 MHz||DDR3-1600||53 W||$86|
|Core i3-4160||2/4||3.6 GHz||3 MB||HD 4400||1150 MHz||DDR3-1600||54 W||$117|
|Core i3-4160||2/4||3.1 GHz||3 MB||HD 4400||1150 MHz||DDR3-1600||35 W||$117|
|Core i3-4360||2/4||3.2 GHz||4 MB||HD 4600||1150 MHz||DDR3-1600||35 W||$138|
|Core i3-4370||2/4||3.8 GHz||4 MB||HD 4600||1150 MHz||DDR3-1600||54 W||$149|
As you can see in the table above, Haswell Refresh Core i3 line up prices mostly remained unchanged except for one SKU. The Core i3-4360 is now available for $138, a $11 discount compared to the launch price of $149. On the other hand, Pentium G3450 also saw a price dropped of $11 from the original $86 launch price.
The main difference between Haswell Refresh and Haswell CPUs is the frequency. Intel has increased the CPU frequency significantly on all processors. Haswell Refresh Core i3-4370 is clocked at 3.8 GHz which is good for a Core i3 processor. Never the less its good news for consumers but weighing out the pros and cons, Pentium G3258 becomes the ultimate choice for budget users. While the cheapest Core i5 CPU is available for >$200 then spending $150 on a Core i3 seems useless.
Still Intel deserves some praise since the prices are dropped way before the launch of Broadwell. Broadwell processors are going through a lot of annoying delays and now they are expected to hit the shelves some time in Q2 2015 while the original schedule showed Q4 2014.
Source: My Drivers


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The international technology company Continental is expanding the presence of its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) unit in Asia through various initiatives. These include strengthening development capacities in Japan and India and increasing the production capacity for radar sensors in the Philippines and China. Also, the company has appointed Neil Tang as Head of ADAS business unit in China, in order to strengthen the business.
“Advanced Driver Assistance Systems is our strongest growth area. This year we will achieve sales of well over one billion Euro, thanks to our surrounding sensors. In 2020, we expect to exceed two billion in sales, which equates to a further doubling in just five years,” said Karl Haupt, Head of ADAS business unit.
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Samsung launches new Galaxy Watch
Samsung Electronics has launched a new Samsung Galaxy Watch. The firm said the watch helps users accomplish more with new stress and sleep monitoring capabilities, in addition to offering more style options including three new watch faces and customisable watch band colours.
“At Samsung, we have a long history of providing consumers with choice, while maintaining innovation within our products, and we are excited to continue the proud heritage of our Galaxy line with our wearables,” said the chief executive of IT & Mobile Communications Division, DJ Koh.
“The new Galaxy Watch was designed for all lifestyles to help meet consumer needs, such as more efficient battery life to stay connected longer, and better wellness tracking to help users maintain their goals. We are delivering them with connected experiences, all at the touch of a wrist.” Users can also get daily briefings on weather and their schedules.
SEE ALSO :World's first 5G phone released in South Korea
Register to advertise your products & services on our classifieds website Digger.co.ke and enjoy one month subscription free of charge and 3 free ads on the Standard newspaper.
SamsungSamsung Galaxy Watchtechnology


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Just 41 per cent of people in their 20s saved money on a regular basis, putting aside an average of £97 a month. Meanwhile, more than 80 per cent of people admitted spending up to £200 a month on booze, according to mortgage bank Birmingham Midshires. Spokesman Matt Grayson said: 'A live-for-today mentality is preventing young people saving.'Reuse content
Young people would rather spend their money on alcohol, fast food and mobile phones than build a nest egg, it emerged yesterday.


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Ever since the original iPad mini launched in November last year, the one thing it’s clearly been missing is a Retina display. In fact, when I reviewed it shortly after launch, I declared it would be the perfect tablet if only it had a sharper screen. And I still hold that opinion. I love my iPad mini, I just wish it had a Retina display.
The latest speculation from Wall Street Journal implies that Apple is already planning to produce Retina-equipped iPad minis, with the screens coming from Samsung:
TAIPEI—Apple Inc.’s AAPL -0.17% suppliers are gearing up for mass production of a new iPad mini in the fourth quarter that will likely feature a high-resolution screen from Samsung, 005930.SE +0.08% people familiar with the matter say, an indication of the difficulty the U.S. company faces in its attempt to reduce its dependence on its biggest rival.
Apple is working with suppliers in Asia on its next iPad mini with a high-resolution “retina” display, unlike the current iPad mini that comes with a lower-resolution screen, the people said. The size of the new tablet will likely be the same as the current 7.9-inch model, which was released in November last year. Apple has also been contemplating multiple color back covers for the new tablet, they said.
If the display part is true, I’ll be delighted. Having more than two colors available would be pretty nice too. It matches in with Apple’s current design ethos. Looking at all the brightly colored icons in iOS 7, and the range available for iPod touch, it’s clear that Jony Ive is thinking along his original iMac influences. I guess the only downside is that there’ll be less need for companies like Anostyle and MendMyi to offer their color-changing services.
One point worth noting, if the new tablet parts are only being produced in the fourth quarter of the year, it’s unlikely that they will be ready for release before 2014 swings around. It’ll miss the holiday quarter, but there’s no point releasing a slightly tweaked version of the iPad mini, and then release another shortly afterwards. Perhaps Apple will decide to skip announcing a new 7.9″ tablet this year and wait for Spring. Who knows?


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People are generally spending less during the financial crisis, but some may still be willing to spend on clothes, so as to boost their confidence. As the biggest fashion event in Northern Europe, Copenhagen Fashion Week is attracting more than 2-thousand brands from around Europe. They are showcasing their collections for autumn and winter 2009.
Thirty seven fashion shows will be held at Copenhagen Fashion Week which opened on Thursday.Four fashion exhibitions are also set to be included.
A collection by Danish designer Louise Amstrup opened the fair displaying a discernable Scandinavian style down to earth and wearable. The clothes also feature avant-guard cuts which are at the same also elegant.


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Points to Remember:
- The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) plans to launch its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on September 30.
- Through the IRCTC public offer, the government is reportedly looking to offload up to 20 million shares and raise about Rs. 480 crore, reducing its stake by about 12.5%.
- IRCTC filed the draft red herring prospectus with markets regulator SEBI in August.
- IRCTC’s business is divided into four segments — internet ticketing, catering, packaged drinking water under the ‘Rail Neer’ brand, and travel and tourism.
- The company sees one of the highest traffic on its website in the Asia-Pacific region, with a transaction volume of more than 25 million per month, and 7.2 million logins per day.
- About 800,000 tickets are booked every day through the IRCTC website and Rail Connect.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways that handles the catering, tourism and online ticketing operations of the Indian railways.Industry Railways
Headquarters: New Delhi, NCT, India
Area served; India
Products: e-ticketing, offline booking, online booking
Services: Catering, Tourism and Online Ticketing
Parent: Indian Railways
Important Possible questions based on above News:
- What is the name of the Indian Railways subsidiary who is planning to launch its IPO on september 30 2019? IRCTC
- What does IRCTC stands for? Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation


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The IHOP restaurant at Windward Mall on Oahu will serve its last "Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity" pancake plate on Monday, a spokesman for the chain said Friday.
After more than seven years, the restaurant and Kamehameha Schools, which owns the mall, agreed to an early termination of the lease, IHOP spokesman Andrew Sato told PBN.
Sato said that the mail wants to go “in a different direction” and that IHOP plans to open another restaurant in another location.
A Windward Mall spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
PBN reported in April 2013 that Big City Diner was planning on moving into the mall, but that did not happen. When contacted Friday, the diner’s president and owner, Lane Muraoka, declined to comment whether he plans to open a location in the mall.
Muraoka told PBN in June that he was scouting locations on Oahu for a new diner.
IHOP’s 37 employees at Windward Mall will be offered jobs at IHOP's other locations, Sato said. IHOP has four restaurants in Hawaii, including three others on Oahu.


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Top Dawg Entertainment’s SZA is spilling more than tea. The hip-hop crooner has singled out a California Sephora retail store for a possible racial profiling incident.
SZA went to her Twitter page this week to keep it 100 on getting targeted.
Last month, SZA announced her new “Power Is Power” Travis Scott and The Weeknd “Game of Thrones”-inspired song arrives today.
The same week, SZA and music producer DJ Khaled announced they have a new music video on deck.
In March, the crooner went to Instagram with an in-studio pic.


text: Can the U.S. beef industry expand packing capacity? This was just one, of the many questions, answered in a recent Rabo Agrifinance report. According to animal protein analyst Dustin Aherin, there indeed is room for expansion in the beef packing industry. “There’s economic incentive to expand U.S. fed cattle capacity by 5,000-to-6,000 head on a daily basis. If the industry does that, it would more evenly distribute profitability across the cattle supply chain.” Aherin goes on to say there are both current and new sources for expansion. However, there are also economic, financial and geographic considerations for the creation of any new beef packing plants. “Building a new plant is expensive. Our estimate is it takes about $100-to-$120 million per 1,000 head of daily capacity. That doesn’t count operating costs. A new facility would likely need to be able to operate for a full cattle cycle.” Hear more from Aherin in this interview.


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An outbreak of E.coli has infected seven people, sending five of them to the hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The outbreak happened across Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and West Virginia. It was reportedly caused by the bacteria from beef products from Adams Farm Slaughterhouse in Athol, Massachusetts. The slaughterhouse is now recalling beef, veal and bison products.
The meat products were shipped to retail outlets, farmer’s markets and restaurants across the country including eastern New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, the CDC confirmed in a statement. The illnesses happened from June 27 to September 4, and the inspection dates on the packages spanned from July to August.
Officials from Adams Farm said they had moved quickly to comply with the Department of Agriculture, which initially reported the outbreak on their government website, the Boston Globe reports.
Ed Maltby, general manager of the slaughterhouse, said,
We became aware of the problem on Friday afternoon. We’ve been working with the USDA to try and narrow down the cause of the contamination.
Maltby added that they are doing everything they can to prevent any more contamination.
The company thinks the meat with E.coli may be traced back to a few days in August during an intense heat wave when the farm might not have been able to compensate for the heat. They have pinpointed two days during meat production when the contamination might have taken place, and were surprised by the size of the USDA recall. Whole carcasses and products like ground beef and veal forming from “about two months of production” were pulled from shelves.
Maltby mentioned that the company has likewise been reaching out to its customers in the past 24 hours, and intend to notify them via mail to make sure the incident is not a reflection on the company as a whole, and that Adams Farms stands by all of them.


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If anything is scarcer around Seattle than unicorns in Dreamliners, it’s public trash talk between local business people. But never say never …
Sunny Kobe Cook, familiar to Northwesterners as the founder and TV pitchwoman of Sleep Country USA mattress stores, takes blistering aim in a recent blog post at J’Amy Owens, CEO of the small, publicly traded Seattle meat merchant Bill the Butcher.
The moral of Cook’s acerbic tale: “Never loan money to family or friends.”
Owens, who launched the six-store company in 2009 and has a controlling stake in its 2-or-3-cents-a-share stock, is also a retail consultant who once made the cover of Inc. magazine.
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Cook on her blog recounts some of Owens’ résumé, then writes in boldface type, “Even such illustrious credentials does not preclude one from being a deadbeat.”
She lists several lawsuits in which Owens has been entangled, then reports that “at the start of her many legal battles,” Owens “called me pleading for a loan to pay her attorneys.”
“I viewed her as a friend and someone who has always managed to make a good living,” Cook writes, “so I foolishly wrote 2 checks, each in the amount of $25,000.”
Cook, who sold Sleep Country in 2000 and now writes and lectures about retail and entrepreneurship, goes on to quote from emails she says Owens later sent her. “I am seriously past due with you on all accounts and would like to meet over a bottle of something wonderful (my treat) and give you an update,” says one.
But only $10,000 has ever been repaid, claims Cook. She asserts that with interest she’s now owed about $66,000 and her efforts to contact Owens have been ignored.
Cook says the Sept. 26 blog post was not just a rant of personal frustration: She wrote it to underscore for other entrepreneurs the problems that can arise from making personal loans.
Owens did not respond to requests for comment on Cook’s claims.
Bill the Butcher has struggled financially since inception, most recently reporting a nine-month loss of $3.2 million on sales of $1.3 million.
None of the 10 planned Portland stores it announced last January is open yet. According to its latest regulatory filings, the acquisition of a Montana grass-fed beef operation announced last November is still pending because Bill the Butcher didn’t complete the $300,000 initial payment.
But in an enthusiastic video on Bill the Butcher’s website, Owens, wearing a black beret and a wide red scarf, urges customers to join the company in its mission of “saving the world one steak at a time.”
— Rami Grunbaum: email@example.com
After 39 years, store adds second site
Having served the shoe and apparel needs of Seattle area runners for almost four decades from one store, Super Jock ‘N Jill is opening a second location Oct. 11 — on the Eastside.
Originally opened in 1975 by Laurel James, Super Jock ‘N Jill has become a fixture in the Green Lake community. It moved in 1977 — three blocks from its original location — to a bigger space directly across the street from the Green Lake trail and it has been there ever since.
Races start there, employees time runners as they head around the lake, neighbors stop in to chat — “It is a family,” said Chet James who bought the store from his mother in 1997.
So finding a place to match it on the Eastside was challenging.
“The Westside has funky, great areas with parks and eclectic neighborhoods,” James said. “The Eastside has more … old strip malls, new strip malls and recovering strip malls, and we are a stand-alone store mentality.”
But, after six years of looking, James and his wife and co-owner, Judy Albrecht, finally found a spot in Redmond: Next door to three other local businesses that have also expanded from Seattle — Top Pot Doughnuts, Zeeks Pizza and Rudy’s Barbershop.
“They all started on the Westside, so this kind of feels like home,” James said of the new location on Cleveland Street, half a mile from Redmond Town Center.
James and general manager Ty Whitten, a 17-year employee, will float between the two locations. So will five employees hired in Seattle over the summer to be trained, as well as the company’s veteran employees.
“We have a sort of rapport with our customer, and we don’t want to disappoint them,” said James, who still spends part of every day helping customers on the floor. “We don’t want people to say they will just go to the Green Lake location because they know the team there.”
With a park on one side of the building and connections to miles of running trails on the other, James said, he’s sure he can recreate the family feeling of the Green Lake store.
He hopes the Redmond location will achieve even half the sales volume of the original 1,600-square-foot location.
“Green Lake is an anomaly — it turns more volume than other places its size because it has been there for so long,” he said.
— Coral Garnick: firstname.lastname@example.org


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This fall, Fairmont State University students had an opportunity to be the first student in recent history to have their artwork featured on the University president’s holiday card. Students were asked to submit a drawing, photograph or digital image that they created to appear on the card.
FSU students are invited to submit a winter holiday art piece that can be used as the cover of FSU’s holiday card. In addition to having their piece seen by thousands of people, the winning artist will also receive an iPad2. Show your talent and Falcon pride today.


text: Remakes of Game Boy Colour classics Pokemon Gold and Silver will be coming to the DS. After hints from a Sunday morning television show in Japan, Nintendo announced that it is remaking the second generation of games in the series, according to PokeBeach. Heart Gold and Soul Silver will be similar to the Fire Red and Leaf Green remakes on the Game Boy Advance, with the original quest updated with mechanics and items from later games, as well as trading with DS versions Diamond and Platinum. The games will be released for the tenth anniversary in Japan later this year. Released in Europe in 2001, Gold and Silver went on to sell 23 million copies worldwide. OMG YAY.


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Improvements to disabled access needed at Tamworth restaurants
People with a disability have run the rule over cafes, shops and restaurants in Tamworth to determine their level of disabled accessibility.
A recent survey of businesses undertaken by a number of disabled people has found that while improvements are needed at many businesses in the northern New South Wales town many are on the right track.
The survey was undertaken as part of the State Government's My Choice Matters leadership program, designed to support people with a disability.
Participant Catherine Rae said more needs to be done for visually impaired people.
"Unfortunately there's only one restaurant that has a Braille menu at this stage," she said.
"It's something that we need to work on, otherwise visually-impaired people would be depending on either somebody being with them to go through the menu or a staff member of the restaurant to go through the menu."
Ms Rae said there's a recognition improving accessibility is something business owners need to balance with the other costs of running a business.
"It's a really hard thing because a lot of improvements can be quite expensive," she said.
"It's a really hard thing to improve and I think that's why we're trying to bring more awareness to the actual shop owners or the people that are running the business that they can help us in other ways."


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Good news .... or is it?
The Brewers Association has announced that, in the first 6 months of 2009, 'craft' beer sales and production are up over the same period last year, and that there are more breweries in operation today than there were 100 years ago.
There will be some who will gleefully compare craft beers' increase with the major brands' anemic figures. That's fine. It'll make them feel good. Then, get back to business.
BeerNews.org analyzes the figures, and finds good news but troubling trends.
Craft beer numbers are floating back to earth. Dollar Growth has gone from 14% to 9% in two years with most of that coming before the word, “recession,” started gaining steam late last summer. In the same timeframe, production growth has dwindled from 11% to 5%. Meanwhile, we have 100 more breweries than we did two years ago. The beer supply is increasing despite demand decreasing.
BeerNews looks at a recent column by Andy Crouch at Beer Scribe and sees another potential for concern. A not insubstantial portion of recent 'craft' beer mega-growth has come from expansion into new markets (geographical growth) as opposed to the development of local sales (organic growth).
When distributors were giving craft brewers the cold shoulder, they dedicated themselves to the organic growth model. With the change in fortunes, breweries of all sizes are increasingly rejecting it. In early 2003, Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing Company sold beer in twelve states, focused on the western U.S. By the end of 2009, that number will hit twenty-five, including South Carolina. For a brewery of New Belgium’s size, selling around a half-million barrels per year, that model may make sense.
But what about the neighboring Avery Brewing Company, which sells only 16,000 barrels in thirty-three states and parts of Europe? [Contrast this to] New Glarus Brewing, which sells 80,000 barrels in just one state.
The two business models are healthy partners. But long-term viability, especially in times of economic downturn, depends on the latter -- on home-town loyalty. Fill the pipeline first, then build more.
But, yes, even a slowing rate of growth is ... growth.
The full Brewers Association release here. The BA defines a 'craft' brewery as "independent," "traditional," and producing less than 2 million barrels of beer per year.


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1Password, the leader in human-centric security and privacy, today launched Passage by 1Password — a standalone authentication solution that enables businesses to easily implement passkeys for apps and websites. Passage by 1Password allows businesses to eliminate the hassle of passwords and reduce cart abandonment without building their own authentication infrastructure. With Passage by 1Password, the company is expanding beyond credential management and into customer identity access management (CIAM).
“For passkeys to become the de facto industry standard, businesses need to be able to easily implement passwordless authentication,” said Anna Pobletts, head of passwordless at 1Password. “With Passage by 1Password, businesses can provide a more secure login experience that creates a seamless experience for customers, increases user engagement, and saves on support costs. This is a win-win for businesses and customers alike.”
Some of the biggest challenges businesses face when implementing passkeys are complexities surrounding cross-platform compatibility, account recovery, and ongoing maintenance. Passage by 1Password offers two products that enable companies to easily implement passkeys with just a few lines of code:
- Passkey Complete — a comprehensive passwordless authentication and identity management solution that allows businesses to realize the security, business, and user experience benefits of having passkey logins by default. Passkey Complete supports all major platforms, browsers, and devices (including iOS, Android, MacOS, and Windows) and provides other passwordless methods as fallbacks if users lose access.
- Passkey Flex — a flexible solution for companies to add passkeys to existing authentication infrastructure so businesses can make progress in passkey adoption and proactively evolve as customer adoption accelerates.
Also Read: A CISOs Playbook for Anti-Ransomware Day
“At 1Password, we take a human-centric approach to security, and passkeys are instrumental in creating a safer, simpler digital future for everyone,” said Jeff Shiner, CEO at 1Password. “Passage joined our team to further accelerate passkey adoption among developers, businesses, and customers. As we make significant progress toward a passwordless future, we’re proud to announce the availability of Passage by 1Password.”
Passkeys, which replace passwords entirely, are the newest and most secure form of passwordless technology. They’re resistant to phishing as there is no password to steal, and passkeys can drive meaningful business results by accelerating sign-ups and reducing login friction. Research from the FIDO Alliance has revealed that 58% of U.S. consumers have abandoned carts and stopped their purchases due to difficulty managing passwords while 1Password research indicated that 75% of consumers would consider using passkeys.
Passkey Complete and Passkey Flex both allow businesses to sign up and try for free for up to 1,000 monthly active users. Above the free tier of 1,000 monthly active users, companies pay based on usage, no subscription fees. A 1Password subscription is not required to use Passage.
For more such updates follow us on Google News ITsecuritywire News. Please subscribe to our Newsletter for more updates.


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Under Armour Inc. shares
surged 13% in premarket trade Tuesday, after the company posted stronger-than-expected revenue for the fourth quarter. The company said it had a net loss of $87.9 million, or 20 cents a share, in the quarter, after earnings of $103.2 million, or 23 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. Adjusting for a one-time tax charge and restructuring costs, the company had breakeven EPS, matching the FactSet consensus. Revenue came to $1.4 billion, beating the FactSet consensus of $1.3 billion. The company said it recognized pretax costs relating to a restructuring plan announced last August of $37 million. The company is now expecting to book restructuring charges of $110 to $130 million in 2018 after identifying further measures. It expects to generate at least $75 million in annual savings from the restructuring in 2019 and beyond. For 2018, the company is expecting revenue to rise at a low single-digit percentage rate, and for adjusted EPS to range from 14 cents to 19 cents. The current FactSet consensus is for 2018 EPS of 21 cents. Shares have fallen 29% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500
has gained 14%.


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- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Dell now accepts bitcoin as direct payment option on website
- Kritika Kulshrestha
- Staff Writer- Austin Business Journal
Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Inc., said on Twitter that Dell.com now accepts bitcoin as a direct payment option.
The company said it's working with San Francisco's Coinbase, a third-party payment processor and international digital wallet for bitcoins, and successfully integrated Coinbase's bitcoin payment into Dell.com. Coinbase enables users to buy and sell bitcoins for traditional currency at current market rates.
Customers shopping on Dell.com should choose bitcoin as a payment method when they are ready to complete their purchases, the company said in the blog post.
Bitcoin, a digital currency, can be acquired by creating a bitcoin wallet on a site such as Coinbase. Once users have a bitcoin wallet, they can purchase bitcoins from Coinbase. Bitcoins can also be obtained through mining, a process by which users are rewarded with the digital currency for lending their computers' processing power to verify the bitcoin transactions of others.
Dell's home base of Austin has a burgeoning niche bitcoin industry consisting of companies such as Robocoin, an Austin-based network of bitcoin ATMs, and CoinTerra Inc., a company that makes the powerful computers used to mine the digital currency.
To learn more about Dell's move to bitcoins as a payment option, click here.
Recruiting Research and Sourcing Associate Waldron | San Francisco, CA
Service Desk Analysts Kforce Technology | San Francisco, CA
Senior Software Engineer (Node.js) CyberCoders | San Francisco, CA
Customer Service Rep / Delivery Driver FinishMaster, Inc. | South San Francisco, CA
Director of Operations (Business Manager / Management) Peanut Labs | San Francisco, CA
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- First look: How Kilroy is trying to make Mission Bay hip
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A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around San Francisco


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The Scottish Parliament has announced that on Tuesday, the Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) unanimously passed the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill making it a legal requirement for menstrual products to be free.
The Bill was first introduced by MSP Monica Lennon.
“Monica Lennon’s aim for the Bill is to tackle “period poverty”, which is when some people who need period products struggle to afford them. She sees these products as a basic necessity and believes that providing access to them is important for people’s dignity,” the Scottish Parliament says.
Business Insider SA reported that the Scottish government will now be responsible for setting up a country-wide scheme that ensures that anyone who needs access to menstrual products will be able to acquire it free of charge. This Bill also gives the government the authority to instruct other public bodies to provide menstrual products for free.
Schools, colleges and universities will be required to have a range of menstrual products freely available in the bathrooms.
South Africa, what is your move?


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ACT Research Discusses Persistent Supply Chain Constraints in Latest Freight Forecast
MAY 17, 2021 - 6:05 am
ACT Research released the latest installment of the ACT Freight Forecast, U.S. Rate and Volume OUTLOOK report, noting that rates are up and to the right as supply chain constraints persist.
“Supply side constraints will keep the truckload market very tight in the near-term as freight demand remains exceptionally strong, so the peak in spot markets remains ahead of us,” Tim Denoyer, vice president and senior analyst at ACT Research, said. “The semiconductor shortages impacting Class 8 tractor supply don’t have quick fixes, and neither do the structural factors inhibiting driver supply, such as demographics and drug testing. This is perhaps the strongest freight market ever for carriers and the most challenging ever for shippers. But in our view, the industry is no less cyclical, and in our three-year freight volume and rate forecast horizon, we explore the timing and magnitude of eventual rate relief for shippers.”
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Monitor’s fourth annual women in equipment finance list highlights notable women within the industry that have been nominated by our readers and hand-selected by Monitor’s staff and editorial board. Here are this year’s honorees: Maryellen Barbarish Mithu Bhargava Hollis Bufferd... read more
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association has been making major moves to address the subject of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) within the equipment finance industry. Recently, the ELFA hosted its first annual Equity Forum, a two-day conference in Washington,... read more


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K-Beauty Continues to Thrive Globally – Report by ReportLinker
Despite the dominance of western cosmetics giants, the South Korean brands are gradually setting novel standards of beauty, driven especially by the global popularity of K-pop. K-beauty products are manufactured using exceptional ingredients, such as raw materials derived from snail slime, bee venom, starfish extract, pig collagen, and morphing masks. The K-beauty industry is thereby progressively fetching a lucrative business for cosmetic companies owing to its high product margin, hence making it further profitable for beauty companies.
Korean beauty brands capitalize on their digital and e-commerce prowess in response to the rapid rise in demand from overseas markets. E-retailers such as Sokoglam and Peach & Lily have imported assorted Korean skin-care brands to the U.S. and expanded the market in international territory. Furthermore, global beauty retailers are setting up dedicated sections on their webpages, which cater to Korean skincare brands. This enables to increase consumer awareness and is thereby a major driver of the K-beauty products market. In addition, K-beauty phenomenon has captured the attention of social media blogger influencers and journalists in the West. This has been regarded as an ingenious digital strategy applied by the K-beauty brands for driving popularity.
However, the rise of veganism among consumers across the globe is expected to limit the growth of the K-beauty products market. Consumers are gradually becoming conscious of sustainability, environmental impacts, and animal welfare. The K-beauty industry uses animal extracts. This hampers the market growth.
On the contrary, a rise in awareness of the benefits and uniqueness of K-beauty products among consumers across the globe create a vast opportunity for expansion among the K-beauty products industry players. New beauty trends and innovations, presenting sophisticated ingredients and appealing packaging can be viewed as an opportunity by the K-beauty manufactures for further growth and expansion.


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1 min read
. Updated: 11 Mar 2020, 08:51 PM IST
- The application now gets a blue theme to mark the arrival of Disney Plus
- The formal announcement of the launch of Disney Plus Hotstar will happen on Friday
Disney has entered India 18 months ahead of schedule. The company’s arrival in India was made via Hotstar. The streaming website started playing Disney Plus content from Wednesday, just days after Hotstar gradually accommodated the Disney Plus theme. The application now gets a blue theme to mark the arrival of Disney Plus. The website, however, still follows the same colour scheme.
The Hotstar application will now stream Disney originals like, “The Mandalorian”, “Diary of a Future President”, “The World According to Jeff Goldblum”, documentary “One Day at Disney” and “High School Musical: The Musical – The Series”.The list of shows also includes, “Pick of the Litter”, “Lady and the Tramp”, “Encore”, “Noelle”,”Pixar In Real Life”, “Lamp Life”, “Marvel’s Hero Project”, ” One Day at Disney”, “Shop Class” and “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made”.
According to PTI, the formal announcement of the launch of Disney Plus Hotstar will happen on Friday by Uday Shankar, president of the Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific and chairman for Star and Disney India.
With the launch of Disney Plus Hotstar in India, Netflix has a direct competitor who has a wide array of international labels under its belt. Last month, Netflix stopped offering the first month for free to new users. However, the company later came up with a ₹5 subscription plan for a few new users. The new plan was launched as a trial and is not available to all first-time users.
So far, the pricing of Disney Plus HotStar is the same at ₹999 a year and ₹299 a month. Netflix on the other hand has multiple monthly plans starting at ₹199 (only mobile) and goes all the way up to ₹799.


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Documents show PFF sold 2014 World Cup tickets at inflated pricesArchive
The lavish extravaganza that is the FIFA World Cup was about to kick off in 19 days. Brazil was gearing up to welcome the world. Fans were arriving from all corners of the globe. The teams were going through their final warm-ups as the momentum built towards the month-long festival of football.
One person, though, was in a spot of bother. He’d paid almost double the prices for tickets to a few of the World Cup matches for his sons and few of their friends but he was yet to get them.
The first game his sons and their friends were going to attend, though, was Match No. 33 involving Brazil and Cameroon in Brasilia on June 23, 11 days after the World Cup had kicked off in spectacular style at Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians with a star-studded opening ceremony featuring J-Lo and Pitbull.
That man, however, had reason to be concerned.
He’d paid $375 for a match whose ticket for the same category – 1 in this case – was being sold for $175 by FIFA itself.
He’d paid for the tickets back in January and March. He’d also booked a ticket for Match No. 55 and No. 58 – eventually the round of 16 match between Argentina and Belgium and the quarter-final between Germany and France respectively – but by May 24, FIFA’s website was showing tickets for those games ‘weren’t available anymore’.
Problem was that he hadn’t paid FIFA or its ticketing associate MATCH services that was handling tickets for the World Cup in Brazil; instead he’d paid the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) for the tickets.
In what seems to be a breach — and a big one for that matter from what recent developments show — officials of Pakistan’s football governing body were re-selling tickets, and that too at a higher price.
FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke was suspended in October in the wake of the biggest crisis in football’s world governing body after misconduct allegations surrounding tickets for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The allegations, “unequivocally denied” by the Frenchman, were made by a consultant at a company that struck a deal with FIFA to sell tickets for the World Cup, but the contract was cancelled.
Valcke, who has been FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s right-hand man since 2007, is alleged to be the beneficiary of an agreement for black market sales of tickets at inflated prices.
The 54-year-old was put on leave on September 18 before being suspended for 90 days pending an investigation on October 8.
Unlike the PFF though, Valcke didn’t get any payment.
Emails seen by Dawn show the PFF pocketing money for around 84 tickets — with conclusive evidence pointing to 14 being charged for almost twice the price.
Deeper investigation into the matter unearthed PFF’s marketing consultant Sardar Naveed Haider Khan initially asking fans to contact him for tickets through social media website Facebook.
“Who all are planning to go…(Sic),” Sardar, controversially elected president of the Punjab Football Association (PFA) in April, wrote in a post on Nov 3, 2013 with the picture of the World Cup logo attached alongside it.
“Apply for tickets thru PFF … Non Participating Member Associations (NPMA) (Sic),” he adds in the comments section of the post on the same date.
He then adds: “Limited tickets will be available on payment basis. So select the matches, venues, category etc and contact me. (Sic)”
Sardar does mention FIFA’s ticketing website on the same post and then adds: “Once tickets are obtained, then we will plan with a tour operator. (Sic)”
Dawn understands that those social media posts will be deleted once this story is published or have already been deleted.
“Those tickets were only for the sponsors that I arranged for the PFF in my capacity as its marketing consultant,” Sardar told Dawn last month.
“There was no black market tickets sale,” he added. “The additional amount we charged was sponsorship money for events that were due to come after the World Cup.”
PFF’s audit report for 2014 doesn’t, however, particularly show that surcharge amount from the sale of tickets as sponsorship.
For every World Cup, FIFA has a purchasable allocation of tickets for those countries who fail to qualify for the quadrennial showpiece.
“NPMAs will have access to the following allocation of tickets from FIFA through the FTO: PMA Football Community Tickets: A purchasable allocation of tickets determined by FIFA, subject to availability and managed through TIMS, allowing each NPMA to determine the allocation and distribution arrangements of these tickets to its sponsors, NPMA officials, friends, family, guests and/or staff (for sale or on a complimentary basis),” says world’s football governing body in its ticketing regulations.
“All tickets will be subject to the requirements of a Ticket Allocation Agreement to be signed by the NPMA and FIFA, with restrictions on re-sales and commercial uses, as was the case for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”
With restrictions on re-sales, it begs the question as to why those tickets were sold on. PFF documentation shows that as many as 48 tickets were sold to Sardar, who told Dawn that he had only 14, and he sold them on.
Of those, 14 were sold to the person who was getting edgy 19 days prior to the start of the World Cup.
Four of those were for the American and Brazilian friends of the two brothers whose father had made the payment to the PFF. The two brothers, who seem to be of Pakistani descent, are also American and Peruvian passport holders.
In an e-mail addressed to the PFF president on May 24, 2014, which was forwarded to his general secretary Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi on June 4, 2014, the man informs that he’d made the payment for the tickets in January and March.
“All hotels and flights are booked by our sons and one of them is unable to get a visa since the Brazilian Embassy in Washington wants to see a copy of the ticket with his name on it,” he adds.
He then details the three payments made by him.
In one payment, he says he’s paid $375 each for two $175 tickets, $440 each for four $220 tickets and $600 each for two $330 ticket. He adds that he deposited Rs400,000 ($3,710) via pay order on January 30, 3014.
In the second payment, he says he deposited a cash amounting to Rs236,280 ($2,200) on January 31, 2014. Those were for two tickets for the first semi-final in Belo Horizonte and he’d paid $1,100 for a ticket that FIFA’s website showed was for $660.
What’s even more questionable is that the amount, totaling $5910 was deposited into the account of Khalil Ahmed — PFF’s former administration manager.
A third payment was for tickets for two other people who he described as “friends and hosts” of his sons “in Brazil whose request for tickets was initially turned down on grounds of not being Pakistani nationals but later entertained.”
These two people were attending one group game and another round-of-16 match. They paid $375 each for two $175 tickets and $440 each for two $220 tickets.
Their payment, though, totalling $1630, was a cash deposit to the PFF account.
FIFA had a handling charge set at $41 for delivery of tickets outside Brazil. The PFF set it at $65.
In all, the PFF ordered 84 tickets according to documents seen by Dawn.
Apart from those given to Sardar, 14 were allocated to friends of PFF whilst 12 were handed over to a leading shoe manufacturer whose signature brand is named after a five-act grand opera.
Documents also reveal that out of 10 people who used those 26 tickets, only two were Pakistani nationals. One was Brazilian while seven others showed their American nationality.
Nonetheless, Sardar claimed that the PFF, through a sponsorship programme by the sale of tickets, received Rs800,000-1,000,000 – which is in PFF’s records.
His comments were published in Dawn on Nov 7.
But such a sponsorship programme would fall foul on FIFA’s ticketing regulations.
“According to the legal framework in Brazil, the resale of sporting event tickets, at a price superior to the one indicated on the ticket, is prohibited by Article 41-F of Law No. 10,671/2003 (the “Fan Statute”),” FIFA said in its ticketing regulations.


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Biden administration has been under pressure from businesses as well as lawmakers to alleviate the tariff burden, which critics say exacerbate supply issues and drive up prices amid a record wave of inflation.
The US government has announced it will reinstate tariff exemptions for 352 Chinese products first hit with punitive duties in 2018 when then-president Donald Trump started a trade war with Beijing.
In a statement on Wednesday, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said, "Today's determination was made after careful consideration of the public comments, and in consultation with other US agencies."
The exclusions are retroactive to October 12 of last year and extend through the end of 2022, USTR said in a statement.
The exemptions lapsed in late 2020, but President Joe Biden's administration last October began seeking opinions on which of 549 eligible Chinese products should once again be excluded from the tariffs.
Traditions of trade
The Biden administration has been under pressure from businesses as well as Democratic and Republican lawmakers to alleviate the tariff burden, which critics say exacerbate supply issues and drive up prices as the United States deals with a record wave of inflation.
The trade conflict between the US and China began when Trump imposed tariffs on $370 billion worth of Chinese products, citing "unfair" trade practices.
However more than 2,200 exclusions were granted and 549 of those were extended, with most of the exclusions expiring at the end of 2020.
Washington and Beijing in January 2020 signed a so-called "phase one" trade agreement under which Beijing pledged to increase its purchases of American products and services by at least $200 billion over 2020 and 2021 –– a target China fell short of amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai has pledged to "engage robustly" with Beijing over its commitment to the deal, but said in January that "we're in a very difficult stage of this trade relationship" and "the conversations are not easy."


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This deal is expired!
The deal below has expired, but no worries. You can still check out available coupons and "follow" the store to receive alerts for future offers.
About this Deal
|Last week Sprint introduced a new $15 unlimited talk, text and data plan in an attempt to lure away customers from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. That plan is now ending Friday night (6/15) at 11:59 pm ET. Sprint has yet to comment on how many people took advantage of the promotion, however it seems their plan to lure away customers worked, because the reason they're ending the promotion is due to a high demand from customers. Fear not, those who have gotten the promotion, and people who sign up before it expires, will be able to keep that $15 per month rate. So, hurry to your nearest Sprint before this promotion expires!|
Find your nearest Sprint here.
For more information on this plan, read the full article here. Or, view the offer on Sprint's website here.


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In 2012, social media giant Facebook has acquired Instagram, a platform where users can post their photos online. Since then, Instagram has undergone major changes in terms of content platform, a report from TechCrunch said.
Instagram’s philosophy is simple: make your photo beautify and share it to your online circle of friends. This is very evident when you navigate your friends’ photo by doing a simple scroll and tap.
In fact, Instagram users can now upload videos and animated gifs through a separate app called the Boomerang. The popular photo sharing app has also a unique algorithm that helps its users push in other’s feed. The Instagram app has also a direct messaging system.
This time, Instagram is now rolling out another innovative change as it will launch the Instagram Direct app.
However, the Instagram Direct app is not for all because the app is still in the testing phase. The app is available only in Uruguay, Turkey, Chile, Italy, Portugal and Israel.
“We want Instagram to be a place for all of your moments, and private sharing with close friends is a big part of that,” Instagram said.
“To make it easier and more fun for people to connect in this way, we are beginning to test Direct – a camera-first app that connects seamlessly back to Instagram,” the company added.
But Instagram’s move triggers several questions. Users claim that it do not see any valid reason why Instagram develops a single Messaging app. In 2013, Direct app was officially launched as a tool to select share and photos with your families and friends.


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Who owns Fisher-Price? At least 100 infant deaths linked to company's recalled 'Rock 'n Play' sleeper
EAST AURORA, NEW YORK: Fisher-Price, owned by Mattel, is a globally well-known brand for its toys. Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that the Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleepers, which were initially recalled in April 2019, have been linked to more than 100 infant deaths. Approximately 4.7 million units were affected by the recall in 2019. The CPSC further added that, 'Infant fatalities have occurred in the Rock ‘n Play Sleepers, after the infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side while unrestrained, or under other circumstances.'
During the Great Depression of 1930s, Herman Fisher, Irving Price, his illustrator-artist wife Margaret Evans Price and Hellen Schelle founded the company, Fisher-Price. The company was named was after two of the four partners. Later, Mattel acquired Fisher-Price and it is wholly owned by Mattel since 1993. Mattel, Inc. is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California.
The initial recall of the Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleepers was announced on April 12, 2019. At the time the original recall was announced, over 30 fatalities had been reported. Since the recall, approximately 70 additional fatalities have been reported, which includes at least 8 fatalities that were reported to have occurred after the initial recall announcement. The CPSC website has mentioned, "Approximately 100 deaths have reportedly occurred while infants were in the products. Fisher-Price notes that in some of the reports, it has been unable to confirm the circumstances of the incidents or that the product was a Rock ‘n Play Sleeper."
According to the Daily Mail, a government probe in 2021 found the company ignored studies saying the product was unsafe before it was released in 2009. It then ignored repeated warnings until the product was finally recalled in 2019. All of the deaths occurred while the babies were inside sleeper and died from asphyxiation caused by the 30-degree incline of the product.
The CPSC Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric's statement issued on January 9, 2023, said, "We are issuing this announcement because, despite their removal from the marketplace and a prohibition on their sale, babies continue to die in these products. We now know of approximately 100 infant deaths in the Rock n' Play, including eight that happened after the recall was announced."
Hoehn-Saric urged people to stop using these sleepers immediately. She further elaborated on the steps taken by CPSC, "In the years since the recalls were first issued, the CPSC has taken numerous steps to ensure that products sold for infant sleep are safe. The Infant Sleep Products Rule requires that all new products sold for infant sleep meet existing safety standards and prohibits the sale of any infant sleep products with an incline of more than 10 degrees. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act, enacted by Congress in 2022, bans all inclined infant sleep products." read the statement. The statement further added that "the safest place for a baby to sleep is a firm, flat surface without any blankets or pillows."


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The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has finally cleared a Safaricom-backed zero-interest credit service for the purchase of goods for up to Sh100,000, providing consumers with a new channel to buy goods and services.
Initially, the CBK had blocked the product due to regulatory hitches.
EDOMx Ltd, a Kenya-based fintech firm behind the service known as Faraja, was to be first cleared as a digital credit provider before rolling it out with Safaricom and Equity Bank.
Now with the CBK nod, consumers can sample yet another credit service. Faraja is set to disrupt the mobile loans market with products such as Safaricom’s interest-attracting Fuliza.
Having a variety of credit facilities not only offers consumer choice, but they also get to improve their lives by acquiring items they would otherwise not have been able to afford.
Faraja, just like Fuliza, will be to Kenya what credit cards have to advanced economies. Its usage will boost consumption which will result in new employment opportunities.
Cashless transactions also decrease the cash in circulation and ensure economic activities are registered, a boon to the State’s tax revenue and the war on illicit money.


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Travel brands may be ploughing ahead with their marketing activity to promote summer breaks but they have been warned they will face tough action if they fail to pay refunds should foreign holidays be cancelled by the Covid pandemic.
The Competition & Markets Authority has published an open letter to the sector and has also sent it directly to the 100 package travel firms with the most complaints about them.
The move comes as online travel agent On The Beach has stopped selling all holidays for this summer due to Covid uncertainty, although EasyJet and TUI said they will begin offering holidays to countries classified as “amber” on the travel list, despite Government advice not to travel for leisure.
In 2020, cancelled trips resulted in 23,000 complaints to the competition watchdog and the CMA said it had taken action against five major brands, TUI, Teletext Holidays, LoveHolidays, Lastminute.com and Virgin Holidays, which had now refunded a total of £200m.
As a result of CMA action, TUI UK has also given a formal commitment to provide clearer information on refunds upfront to customers whose holidays have been cancelled due to coronavirus.
CMA chief executive Andrea Coscelli said: “International travel is set to resume soon and lots of people will be considering a long-awaited trip abroad. With that in mind, we want to make sure people are fully aware of their refund rights, so they can make informed choices about booking a holiday.
“We’ve secured millions in refunds for people who couldn’t go on their hard-earned trips over the past year and now we’re calling on package holiday companies to make the refund process less hassle in the future.
“We expect all firms to give clear cancellation options and will consider appropriate steps if we see companies breaking the law by refusing or delaying refunds this summer.”
Travel sites swamped as Brits crave holidays in the sun
EasyJet Holidays rolls out AI platform as bookings fly
EasyJet 3-Minute Escapes: A chance to live the dream?
Decision Marketing Data Clinic: Top tips for travel firms
Thomas Cook reborn as online operator with big plans


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Mercado Libre has a few scrolls to brag about. Founded 22 years ago, The company is the most successful Argentine unicorn, but also one of the most important companies in Latin America, to the point that even Amazon sees it as a huge competition. But Marcos Galperín said this week that that was not the name he wanted for his project: “LibreMercado” had been “taken away.”
In a too clear nod to the liberal current of thought, Galperín wanted his site to be the classic construction of the “free market”, but the domain I was already registered.
As a solution, he reversed the terms. “If I asked you why they decided to put Mercado Libre on your company 22 years ago, what would you answer me?” Asked a Twitter user.
“Someone had anticipated me when I tried to book LibreMercado.com,” explained the businessman.
Other users took the opportunity to bring back old memories, such as mugs with the logo of the beginning:
Mercadolibre started out as something very different from what we know today. In its origins, it was rather an auction site inspired by the eBay system, where the main attraction was not buying online but, precisely, offering a price like in an auction. In fact, DeRemate.com it was one of his main competencies.
Over time, the market evolved and copied the amazon model, the company founded by Jeff Bezos that revolutionized the ecommerce business by controlling not only the sale but also the logistics of product distribution.
One of Mercado Libre’s distribution centers. Photo Bloomberg
Mercado Libre turned 22 years old on Monday, August 2. This day, Galperín published a video. “It is an integral part of the economic recovery of all of Latin America“He said.” The best of all is that this is just beginning, what we are going to build is much more interesting than what we did up to here, “he added.
The great moment of the company
Mercado Libre reported this Thursday a growth of over 102% in net income by registering USD 1.7 billion during the second quarter of 2021. The figure comes from the last balance sheet this Wednesday, at the close of operations on Wall Street.
At 2:50 p.m., the shares of the company founded by Argentine Marcos Galperín climbed 15% in the Nasdaq technology average in New York, to $ 1,799.
Likewise, the market capitalization of the leading electronic commerce company in Latin America amounts to 90,000 million dollars.
The numbers released by the e-commerce multinational show a 93.9% year-on-year increase in net income measured in dollars, reaching US $ 1.7 billion, while the increase in constant currency was 102 , 6 percent. The results beat market expectations – (about $ 1.5 billion) and boosted shares up to 7%, then fell to 5.8 percent.
Marcos Galperín, founder and CEO of Mercado Libre. Photo Clarín
“Mercado Libre is one of the typical so-called“ growth ”companies. It is precisely this type of company in which investors focus on their ability to grow into what they can become in the future. Until now, the company has always stood out for its revenue growth but failed to present positive results. Until today, where it not only met income but the novelty was that it presented positive results and 15 times above what the market expected “Maximiliano Donzelli, Head of Research at IOL invertironline.
Its CFO, Pedro Arnt, commented on the main figures on the balance sheet: Net income before income tax expense was US $ 138.9 million, an increase of 55.5% from US $ 89.3 million. during the second quarter of 2020.


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Information operations continue in parallel with Gaza fighting. Hamas and its hactivist sympathizers successfully hijack an Israeli television station and deface a webpage belonging to the country's largest newspaper, Haaretz. Expect more, particularly if the cease-fire takes.
Gameover Zeus is resurfacing, and it gains a competitor in the black market: the "Zeus-like" banking Trojan Kronos is selling for $7k in Russian criminal fora. An early bird discount is available to those who act now.
Other Russian criminals adopt a high-minded tone. W0rm (familiar to cyber-crime-watchers) hacked media outlet CNet and stole a database containing user credentials, but the W0rms say they've taken a principled decision not to distribute the data. They hacked, they say, just to highlight security problems.
The US Secret Service warnings against hotel Wi-Fi — particularly in hotels with business centers — prompt others to note that free hotspots are becoming a widely available attractive nuisance. And public PCs in business centers, libraries, etc. should be approached with extreme caution: "cesspools," Seltzer calls them, like "sharing needles" (to mix lurid metaphors) and advises never using their installed OS should you have to access personal or business resources through them.
Future Java patches may work on Windows XP machines after all, says Oracle.
Security experts call for cloud malware analysis, better information sharing, and more attention to identity management.
HM Government announces a major investment in UK cyber security, shifting defence resources from conventional physical weapons. The US IC expects big benefits from its coming adoption of Amazon Web Services.


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Selling three spinal implant companies for $200 million just wasn't enough for Randy Theken.So he started three new companies, hired 25 people and bought a 3-D printer that can make things out of titanium. Now he's about to start building a highly automated manufacturing plant in Akron. It'll be right next to the Theken Terminal — a former airport terminal that houses the so-called “NextStep” family of companies. The $12 million plant will serve as the center of operations for one of his new companies, NextStep AM, which stands for “additive manufacturing.” That company already is making 3-D printed titanium parts for Theken's new medical implant company, NextStep Arthropedics, but it's also talking to other potential customers, including SpaceX, which designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. NextStep Arthropedics plans to make some parts for the ultra-ambitious spacecraft manufacturing company, which is led by PayPal cofounder Elon Musk, but it has yet to finalize a formal agreement. Theken (pronounced “taken”) spent $1.2 million on his new Arcam 3-D printer. Why? Through laser sintering, it can create titanium objects in almost any shape. For example, Theken held up a hip implant that NextStep Arthropedics plans to release early next year, assuming it wins approval from federal regulators. The top of the dome-shape device looks like a metal honeycomb. That scaffolding helps the patient's existing bone grow into the device. “It's impossible to machine this cup using standard, conventional machining equipment. Cannot be done,” said Theken, who added that the company also plans to make other joint implants. His third new company is a business accelerator called NextStep Ideas. Like other accelerators, the company would provide office space and mentoring to startup companies in exchange for a “small equity stake” in those businesses, Theken said. NextStep Ideas has already had conversations with about a half dozen companies, including a few that were not in the medical industry. It has yet to accept applicants, Theken said, adding that the company is still developing its evaluation method. Theken believes that he and his team — half of whom have previously worked for him — can provide young companies with a lot of advice and services. They certainly have some experience. Theken formed his first medical company, a mechanical testing and regulatory consulting firm called Theken Orthopaedic, in 1992. In the late-1990s, he started making his own medical implants: First he developed spine fixation screw systems through a company called Theken Spine, and a few years later he started Theken Disc, which developed discs designed to be implanted in the spine. In 2005, he bought another company, Therics, which made synthetic bone products. All that work paid off big time: In 2008, he sold the three product companies to Integra Life Sciences for $200 million. He stayed on board with Integra's spine division for two years. Afterward, he took a three-year hiatus from the medical industry. Theken kept busy, though. He bought a 40% stake in a Chicago-based acne-treatment company called Neaclear, and he bought a similar stake in another business in the assisted living industry. And he attended to all sorts of personal things he had put on the backburner. “When you're waking up every day and all you're focused on is all these businesses, you find out how much other stuff you didn't get done,” he said. Just as his noncompete agreement was about to end, however, he had a conversation with Gregg May, a sales and marketing executive who had left Integra and gone on to work for another medical implant company. “He goes, "I'm working 80 hours a week. It would sure be nice, if we're going to work this hard, to do it for ourselves.' That began the conversation,” Theken said. “ "Hey Randy, what are you going to do?' ” May serves as president of NextStep Arthropedics. Another alumnus of Theken's previous companies, Jeff Lietzke, serves as in-house counsel, and he's president of NextStep Ideas. About a dozen executives and employees who worked for Theken's previous companies and Integra ended up joining the NextStep companies. Theken's timing was good: He started forming the new businesses in 2013, right around the time that Integra moved its Northeast Ohio operations to California. The 3-D printing company is scheduled to have its new 30,000-square-foot manufacturing plant up and running early next year, but don't expect NextStep AM to hire large numbers of new employees when that happens. Humans will move parts from one station to another, but robotic arms and other automated equipment will take care of the rest of the manufacturing process. They'll also be inspected, cleaned and packaged by automated equipment. However, Theken is planning to hire seven more people who previously worked for him: He plans to start yet another company, which will develop implants for foot, ankle, hand and trauma injuries.
Entrepreneur Randy Theken's next step is as hectic as ever


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BorgWarner Inc. has completed its acquisition of AKASOL AG. The business combination is expected to significantly strengthen the company’s commercial vehicle and industrial electrification capabilities.
“We are pleased to complete our acquisition of AKASOL and welcome AKASOL’s talented employees in Germany and the United States to BorgWarner,” states Frédéric Lissalde, president and CEO of BorgWarner. “AKASOL is an excellent strategic fit as BorgWarner seeks to continue to expand its electrification portfolio and capitalize on the profound industry shift towards electrification.”
AKASOL represents about 20-25% of the inorganic sales underlying Project Charging Forward, contributing nearly $600 million in expected electric vehicle (EV) revenue by 2025. Project Charging Forward was announced in March 2021 and aims to grow the company’s revenue from EVs to close to 45% of total revenue by 2030.
At completion of the transaction, the shares of all minority shareholders were automatically transferred to ABBA BidCo AG by operation of law. At the same time, AKASOL AG has been merged into ABBA BidCo AG and AKASOL common stock will cease to be traded on the relevant Stock Exchanges. Sven Schulz, the former CEO of AKASOL, will continue in a consulting role with BorgWarner through the second quarter of the year.


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KUALA LUMPUR: The economy contracted at a smaller pace of 0.5% in the first quarter of this year as it extended its recovery from the 3.4% decline in the fourth quarter of last year.
The Statistics Department said on Tuesday the firmer economic performance was supported by the expansion in manufacturing sector and the rebound in the agriculture sector.
On the demand side, the uptick trend was attributed by the strong growth of exports of goods and services amid a smaller decline in household consumption and fixed asset investment.
The slight contraction was in line with economists’ expectations of the country to post its smallest quarterly GDP contraction since Covid-19 struck, before embarking on a positive growth trend in the coming quarters. This was based on the assumption a stricter movement control order (MCO) is not imposed.
A Bloomberg survey estimated a contraction of 0.9% year-on-year (y-o-y) from a negative growth of 3.4% in 4Q 2020. BIMB Securities Research expected GDP to have shrunk at a smaller pace of 0.6% year-on-year.
According to the Chief Statistician, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, “In terms of Malaysia's monthly GDP performance, January and February showed a decline of 3.5% and 3.6% respectively and rebounded strongly in March 2021 to 6%.
“For the quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted, GDP rebounded to 2.7% (4Q 2020: -1.5%) in this quarter, ” he said.
Mohd Uzir said the gradual recovery of Malaysia’s economy was influenced by the reopening of more economic activities during the Movement Control Order (MCO) 2.0 which is less stringent than the MCO imposed last year and it also benefitted from various stimulus packages to steer the economic recovery.
“The economy was also spurred by disposable income due to withdrawal of i-Sinar, i-Lestari and the increase in commodity prices such as oil palm and rubber, ” he said.
“The manufacturing sector grew stronger by 6.6% for the first quarter 2021 compared to 3% in the 4Q of 2020, ” he said.
The growth was underpinned by the electrical, electronics & optical products (10.6%) and petroleum, chemical, rubber & plastics products (7.3%).
The robust growth of electrical, electronics & optical products was due to the higher demand of microchips in electronic devices.
He said the continuous positive growth was contributed by the export-oriented industries which grew by 7.2% (4Q20: 3.4%) in line with the overall exports performance which recorded double-digit growth of 18.2% in 1Q21.
Similarly, the performance of the domestic-oriented industries increased by 5.3% (4Q20: 2.4%) for the quarter.
The agriculture sector grew marginally by 0.4%, a turnaround from a decrease of 1% in 4Q20.
He said the services sector, which is a major contributor to the GDP, contracted at a slower pace of 2.3% from a decline of 4.8% in the previous quarter.
The slower decrease was due to the rebound in the wholesale and retail trade sub-sector which recovered modestly at 1.2% (4Q20: -1.4%) in 1Q21.
Moreover, the finance and insurance; and information and communication sub-sectors continued their expansion to 11.3% and 6.3% respectively.
However, the services sector remained in negative growth partly due to the food & beverages and accommodation sub-sectors which contracted 29.8% (4Q20: -35.3%), thought it improved slightly from the previous quarter.
The mining and quarrying sector contracted at a slower pace of 5% compared to a 10.4% decline in 4Q20 largely supported by the rebound in natural gas at 0.3% (4Q20: -9.9%) and crude oil & condensate at negative 11.5 per cent (4Q20: -12.9%).
As for the construction sector, it contracted by 10.4%, an improvement from negative 13.9% in the preceding quarter. This was attributed to a slower decreased in residential buildings, non-residential buildings and civil engineering. However, specialised construction activities expanded 16.9% (4Q20: 9.4%).


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DigixGlobal, an Ethereum-backed gold asset tokenization company, has collaborated with software provider Monolith Studio to create the first ever gold-backed debit card using a blockchain. The card will be available to DigixGlobal users worldwide. However, Kai Cheng Chng, CEO of Digix, stated:
“The partnership will focus on some specific markets namely countries with weak national currencies and large remittance flows. The partnership will also work to make it easy for the general public to acquire DGX tokens for use on their card."
The DigixGlobal debit card is based off of TokenCard, an Ethereum-backed debit card that can hold ERC20 tokens. The TokenCard platform is a venture of Monolith Studio, a developer of Ethereum powered products and platforms for Web3. TokenCard combines Ethereum and the Visa payment network for a distributed banking solution that seeks to innovate banking services like asset management and international remittance. Each debit card is backed by a personal smart contract that ensures users remain in control of deposits, without hindering use. Mel Gelderman, co-founder of Monolith Studio, told ETHNews:
“TokenCard is a banking card system that will be backed not just in volatile assets like the Bitcoin debit cards. We have something that is backed on something tangible like gold. Something that has stable value. We know that normal people aren’t going to use Bitcoin for their daily transactions because it’s too volatile. They don’t understand it.”
In addition, TokenCard’s asset retention feature allows for the avoidance of needless holding of a fiat balance. Gelderman stated:
“The debit card we’ll issue to users technically has no balance at all. However, the moment that you use a card in the shop, it’s loaded with exactly the amount you’re paying with. We authorize the transaction and Visa deducts it.”
He went on to say:
“Your actual accounts or actual balance is an ERC20 compliant token wallet, your funds really are held completely in Ether or other tokens. So there is no fiat for the user.”
When users initially apply to TokenCard, they will go through a set-up wizard that will prompt them to choose the standard currency from a curated list of stable coins. According to Gelderman, Monolith won’t recommend any “incredibly volatile” assets.
DigixGlobal and Monolith are pushing toward the future of fintech with practical solutions that can assist with mainstream adoption of virtual currencies, offering a product that has intrinsic value, flexibility, and persistent demand.


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APPLE hopes to crush its main Android tablet rival by releasing an “iPad Mini” at a loss-making price, it was claimed yesterday.
The baby tablet will feature the same display as the regular iPad but is expected to have a seven-inch screen and cost just $250 (£155), will launch in October.
Sources said they hoped the new product would appeal to people who want an iPad for browsing the net but don’t want to shell out £400 for a big one.
The news was warmly greeted by iPad fans.
Mum-of-two Lynda Rogers, of Tolworth, south west London, said an affordable Apple tablet was long overdue.
The former model, 52, said: “Since it was launched the cost of the iPad has for many people been too high.
“Finally Apple has seen sense and created a device much more affordable.
“It’s great news for consumers.”
The dramatic price cut is expected to help Apple fend off competition from the growing Android tablet market, which vary in price but can be as cheap as £139 for an eight-inch touch screen.
Apple fansite iMore reported the launch, saying: “According to our sources, the reason for such aggressive pricing is to do to the tablet market what Apple did to the MP3 market in 2004 with the expansion of the iPod product line - leave absolutely no space for competitors...
“Our sources have indicated that the 7-inch iPad will be identical to the current 9.7-inch iPad, just scaled down.”
The website said the new tablet is expected to have the same number of pixels but less storage capacity.
It adds: “Today’s claim says that Apple is going to step-up the pressure on Android tablet manufacturers with an iPad mini that will sell for a surprisingly low £155.
“That’s a bit hard to accept in the light of the other major claim this rumour makes, that the iPad mini will keep the full-sized iPad’s 2048x1536 resolution.”
The move comes despite the fact that Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs, who died of cancer last October aged 56, was dismissive of seven-inch tablets.
He said in October 2010: “7-inch tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with the iPad...
“These are among the reasons that the current crop of 7-inch tablets are going to be DOA - dead on arrival.”


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Yes, Primanti Bros. now has Oktoberfest sandwiches
Primanti Brothers is known for Italian roots. This year, the restaurant chain is going German.
For the first time, their menu now includes two Oktoberfest sandwiches: "The Bavarian," with Yuengling-braised Silver Star bratwurst, and "The Viennese," with breaded pork schnitzel.
Both of the limited-time sandwiches include Muenster cheese, Primanti's spicy beer mustard, fries, slaw and tomato. They will be available through October.


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WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. trade panel on Fridaycleared the way for the Commerce Department to continue aninvestigation that could lead to duties on steel rebar importsfrom Mexico and Turkey.
American producers allege companies from the two countriesare selling steel rebar, which is used to reinforce concrete, atunfairly low prices.
A majority of the commissioners at the U.S. InternationalTrade Commission voted there was a "reasonable indication" thatU.S. manufacturers were injured by imports from the twocountries. That allowed the probe to proceed.
The ITC and the Commerce Department launched investigationsafter a petition was filed last month by Nucor Corp,Commercial Metals Co and other manufacturers.
The manufacturers accuse Mexican and Turkish competitors ofunfairly undercutting U.S. prices to grab sales and marketshare, a trade strategy known as "dumping." They also allegerebar imports from Turkey are subsidized by the Turkishgovernment.
The ITC's determination allows the Commerce Department tocontinue its own probe into whether the foreign companies soldtheir goods at unfairly low prices.
The Commerce Department will make a preliminary decision inFebruary on duties to counter the alleged dumping from the twocountries. The department is due to make a preliminary decisionon duties to counter the alleged Turkish subsidies next month.
- Politics & Government
- Commerce Department