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The outcome of today’s G20 summit has become even more critical for developing countries as the World Bank revised the 2009 forecast for GDP growth in the developing world to 2.1 percent down from 5.8 percent in 2008. But a draft copy of the G20 communiqué published by the Financial Times could go farther in its commitment to help the world’s most vulnerable countries. While the draft heeds Nancy Birdsall’s advice to increase resources for developing countries through the IMF and MDBs, the communiqué leaves more to be desired on one of the most important avenues through which this crisis is already affecting the developing world: trade protectionism. The draft communiqué states:
[…] we reaffirm the commitment made in Washington not to raise new barriers to investment or to trade in goods and services, including within existing WTO limits, not to impose new trade restrictions, and not to create new subsidies to exports. We will rectify promptly any such measures. We extend this pledge for a further 12 months[…].But what good is an extension of promises that are already being broken? The World Bank reports that 47 measures that effectively restrict trade have been implemented in 17 of the G20 countries since the November 2008 meeting in Washington. In addition to the “Buy America” provision in the stimulus package, the U.S. ended a program that allowed Mexican trucks to haul cargo over long distances on American roads. In response, Mexico increased tariffs on $2.4 billion of U.S. goods. South Korea has raised duties on oil imports, Brazil, Canada, and Russia have increased import tariffs on shoes, and the EU and ten other countries have imposed higher tariffs on imported steel. Yet somehow French President Nicolas Sarkozy seems to think that the G20 has “managed to hold off the specter of protectionism.”The WTO predicts that in 2009, developed nations will see an almost 10 percent decrease in exports, while developing nations can expect exports to fall between 2 and 3 percent due to collapsing global demand, mounting protectionism, and a shortage of trade finance. If countries continue to enact policies that violate the spirit, although not the letter, of WTO restrictions on protectionism, both developed and developing nations stand to lose. Today, the G20 has an opportunity to halt these worrisome strides.For the final G20 communiqué, declarations are not enough; what is needed are concrete steps, specific actions that will be taken to curb protectionist backsliding. What would success look like? Arvind Subramanian and Aaditya Mattoo call for a crisis round of trade talks; Kim Elliott sees promise in an accelerated dispute settlement process at the WTO; others have proposed boosting the World Bank’s $50 billion Global Trade Liquidity Program and requiring the WTO to monitor and report the trade impact of domestic stimulus packages, just as the IMF is responsible for analyzing the economic impact.As heads of state meet to agree on measures to quell the global crisis, let it not be said that solutions to the protectionism problem are lacking. Here at CGD, we will track the deliberations carefully in the hope that the G20 leaders will flesh out just how they intend to fulfill their commitment to keep their borders open to trade.
CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise. CGD is a nonpartisan, independent organization and does not take institutional positions.


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Big Data Is Producing Big Returns According to Global Avanade Survey; 88 Per Cent of Canadian Respondents Are Now Starting to Use Big Data to Make Better Business DecisionsGrowing Skills Shortage and a Trio of Trends -- Employee Mobility, Cloud Computing, Social Networking -- Creates Big Data Management and Analysis Challenges (June 05, 2012)
TORONTO -- (Marketwire) -- 06/05/12 -- Avanade, a business technology solutions and managed services provider, today announced the results of a global survey of more than 550 business executives and IT leaders, which reveals the investments companies are making to manage big data are paying off. In Canada, 88 per cent of respondents (84 per cent globally) report big data helps them make better business decisions. And, nearly 70 per cent of Canadian companies (73 per cent globally) have already used data to increase revenue by growing existing revenue streams or creating entirely new sources of revenue.
"Companies are seeing actual potential in big data and realizing the business value derived from unlocking the insights it has to offer," said Benoit Bertrand, CTO and vice president at Avanade Canada. "This is in sharp contrast to our 2010 study that showed nearly half of all respondents reported they had made an inaccurate business decision as a result of bad or outdated data. In just two years, with greater access to data than ever before, we are reaching a tipping point with companies that leverage big data finding both financial gains and a competitive advantage."
Beyond tangible business value, evidence shows big data has become pervasive -- more types of employees have more access to more technology options to manage and analyze data. Sixty-three per cent of Canadian companies surveyed (57 per cent globally) said in just the last 12 months, more technology options became available to analyze and manage data. Further, the survey found companies are investing in that technology. Almost every company surveyed (89 per cent in Canada and 91 per cent globally) are using tools to manage and analyze data today.
Big Data Moves Beyond the Walls of IT
Today, the majority of businesses do not consider data analysts a part of their IT staff. Instead, companies are now distributing that expertise to line-of-business groups throughout the company. As evidence to this, 69 per cent of Canadian respondents (58 globally) report data management is now embedded throughout their business.
Further, over half of companies surveyed (63 per cent in Canada and 59 per cent globally) say more employees than ever before are involved in making decisions as a result of more widely available company data.
Despite these developments, 77 per cent of Canadian respondents (85 per cent globally) still report obstacles in managing and analyzing data and 69 per cent (63 per cent globally) feel their company needs to develop new skills to turn data into business insights.
Further, the shifts in how employees work -- from the consumerization of IT and the growing use of consumer devices such as smartphones and tablets in the workplace, to the flood of data created and shared on social networks -- is only making the rapid growth of data more challenging to manage. The majority of respondents reported that employee mobility (60 per cent Canada / 73 per cent globally), cloud computing (51 per cent Canada / 65 per cent globally) and social networking (61 per cent in Canada and globally) are all causing their company to rethink its data management strategy.
"The challenges of big data remain, but the opportunities are even greater. Business leaders are really moving from defense to offense in their data management strategies," said Tyson Hartman, global CTO and vice president at Avanade. Forward-looking companies are empowering more people across the enterprise with the tools and skills needed to make better business decisions and ultimately, harness the power that big data promises."
The "Is Big Data Producing Big Returns?" survey was conducted by Wakefield Research, an independent research firm, in April 2012, and surveyed 569 C-level executives, IT decision makers and business unit leaders at top companies located in 18 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and South Africa.
For additional information or to download a copy of the executive summary, please visit http://www.avanade.com/bigdata.
Avanade provides business technology solutions and managed services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft® technologies to help customers realize results. Our people have helped thousands of organizations in all industries improve business agility, employee productivity, and customer loyalty. Avanade combines the collective business, technical and industry expertise of its worldwide network of experts with the rigor of an industrialized delivery model to provide high quality solutions using proven and emerging technologies with flexible deployment models-on premises, cloud-based or outsourced. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation and has 15,000 professionals in more than 20 countries. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com
Avanade and the Avanade logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Avanade Inc. Other product, service, or company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
© 2012 Avanade Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright @ Marketwire
Related Keywords: big data, business intelligence, avanade, data deluge, Communications, Smart Phone, Networking, Cloud Computing, Management, CTO/CIO, Canada, Africa, Marketwire, Inc., Financial, Business, Social Networking, Other,

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2023 CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE
CANAL WINCHESTER, OHIO
Canal Winchester's annual storybook Christmas celebration will be held in the city's historic downtown on Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2 from 6:00 - 9:00 PM.
The free festival features activities inside businesses and on the sidewalks and streets of downtown Canal Winchester.
Christmas in the Village is a partnership between the City of Canal Winchester and Destination: Canal Winchester.


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The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) stressed the need to evaluate the impact of the proposed bill requiring private sector employers to pay 14-month pay to ensure it does not lead to imbalance between the needs of labor and the capability of employers.
Labor secretary Silvestre H. Bello III pointed out that the department backs any legislation that benefits workers and their families, but showed reservations towards the proposed bill filed by Senate president Vicente Sotto III on July 1, which will cover all private sector companies, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said the bill will help supplement the insufficient income of workers. However, employers warned that it will result in a spike in inflation and the country will lose its competitiveness against its Southeast Asian peers. Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr., president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, also said it could harm MSMEs, which will be forced to either increase the prices of their products or cut jobs to shoulder higher labor costs.


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The order consists of multiple SmartWall 100 gigabytes per second products with supporting SecureWatch services for one year. SmartWall is Corero’s flagship platform that heads off distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in real-time.
The deployment of SmartWall will enable the customer to protect its customers from malicious DDoS traffic launched from across the internet globally, Corero said. This will provide the customer with further competitive differentiation from its peers.
A DDoS attack is when external agents swamp a network with more input-output requests than it can cope with, thus bringing response time to a crawl. Corero observed that while its SmartWall deals with such threats in real-time, many of its competitors’ products can take up to 20 minutes or even more to detect and successfully defeat an attack.
"We are delighted to have secured another customer for our new 100Gbps SmartWall DDoS mitigation technology, having only introduced it in late 2017, following a multi-year development programme. To secure this order after a rigorous selection process is also highly gratifying and highlights the key competitive advantage of our solution,” said Andrew Lloyd, the president and executive vice president of sales and marketing at Corero.
"We anticipate demand for our technology to accelerate during 2018 as we benefit from the combination of growth in adoption of faster 100Gbps links and increasing end-user service-level expectations resulting in the requirement for Service Providers, Cloud Providers and Enterprises to instigate a DDoS mitigation technology upgrade," he added.
Shares in Corero were up 1.7% at 8.75p in early deals.


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Metroid cosplay wows at WonderCon weekend with unique crafting.
Cyber Shadow looks to be another gem in Yacht Club Games library thanks to their publishing partnership with Mechanical Head Studios.
Persona 5, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Metroid Prime Trilogy reported for Switch after found Best Buy listings.
In an old interview, Yoshio Sakamoto, the director of Super Metroid, shed some light on why Metroid never came to the Nintendo 64.
Nintendo has released SP versions of Metroid and Dr. Mario, setting the trend of modified classics being released monthly for Switch Online subscribers.
Could the beloved Bounty Hunter make an appearance later this week?
While no movie is currently in the works, Captain Marvel Star Brie Larson has voiced in interest in playing Metroid's Samus Aran on Twitter.
When I'm not playing video games or writing about video games, I'm usually listening to soundtracks from video games because I guess I like video games.
October's new batch of NES games for Nintendo Switch Online dropped today, and surprisingly included a modified version of The Legend of Zelda.
Nintendo’s Bill Trinen Explains Why Metroid Prime 4 and Next Core Pokemon RPG Were Missing from E3 2018 Direct
Nintendo of America's Bill Trinen explained why two of the company's most anticipated games -- Metroid Prime 4 and the next Pokemon RPG -- were MIA at E3.
New gameplay footage for the upcoming 3DS title Metroid: Samus Returns highlights more of the game's environments and what to expect from amiibo in-game.
Just in time for Metroid: Samus Returns in September, Nintendo has revealed a new special edition Metroid-themed 3DS to arrive the same day.
Metroid: Samus Returns will feature compatibility with four amiibo figurines, with the unlocks including bonus items, new features, and more.
Metroid Prime 4 Not Being Developed by Retro Studios; New Team and Series Producer Kensuke Tanabe Onboard
After the announcement this morning, Nintendo has clarified that developer Retro Studios will not be working on Metroid Prime 4, but is in good hands.
In our ongoing list of E3 hopes and dreams, Ryan wishes for Nintendo to finally pull back the curtain on a proper return for Samus Aran and Metroid.
On Thursday night Nintendo revealed Nintendo's Switch, including some of its games. Sadly, there was no mention of a new Metroid or Mother/Earthbound. However, it appears Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has given fans of
The NES Classic Edition series of interviews, featuring classic Nintendo games and the developers behind them, culminated today in a final interview spotlighting the developers behind the original Metroid.
Nintendo will be releasing a Nintendo Classic Mini: Famicom in Japan on November 10, 2016 for ¥5,980. There will be thirty Famicom games included on the console and two controllers as well.
After many years in development the full remake of the Game Boy game Metroid II: Return of Samus has now been released in full. The fan remake is a free game and has been developed by DoctorM64.


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Brands in India need to improve their after-sales game | WARC | The Feed
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Brands in India need to improve their after-sales game
After-sales service is “largely broken” in India according to a survey by LocalCircles which found over the past two years almost half of consumers have been stuck with at least one high-value product that was defective.
- Forty-six percent of consumers had one or more products at hand that they purchased in the last two years and was found to be inherently defective.
- Fifty-five percent of those said they had raised the issue with the brand and it had been fixed.
- Three in ten couldn’t get any assistance from the brand, either because they were unable to reach the brand in the first place or because the brand refused to help.
- One in ten never raised the issue with the brand and got the product fixed locally.
Why it matters
LocalCircles, a community social media platform, observes that “One of the key concepts that most brands in India fail to understand is the concept of fast and consumer-centric after-sales service”.
Purchase decisions for most Indian consumers have been based on things like product features, look and feel and, of course, price, but this is starting to change as more people make digital comparisons with other products and read third-party reviews and ratings. And it’s here they’re increasingly likely to encounter tales of woe from buyers trying to gain redress. If brands can up their after-sales game, they can differentiate from competitors – and also avoid potential action by the Central Consumer Protection Authority.
Sourced from LocalCircles [Image: Charanjeet Dhiman on Unsplash]
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|Photo by Freeimages.com/Junior Gomez|
GOGO Vacations has launched a new booking engine aimed at simplifying and streamlining the reservation process. Additionally, for the foreseeable future, the first three tiers of GOGO Vacation’s Travel Agents First (TAF) program – Booking Agent, Partner Agent and the new Partner Elite Agent level – will receive an additional 1 percent bonus commission for all online bookings.
The highest level of TAF, Premier Agents, will continue to earn the brands’ highest commission level regardless which avenue they prefer to use for reservations.
The new booking engine offers optimized functionality for tablets, desktops and extended desktop views. Now flight departure time does not need to be specified in the search; advance search includes airline alliance; car or transfers, as well as baggage info and room category, are displayed in the booking path and more. Travel agents can modify their search without starting over, have the ability to toggle on/off commission and can filter by many different options, GOGO said. Alternate flights at the same price are in simple view, car categories are grouped together and insurance can be booked seamlessly within the reservation.
The booking engine, which has been in beta testing for several months, went live on February 1, 2016. In tandem with the official launch GOGO is running a 60-day prize giveaway to celebrate the new booking engine. Each day a prize – ranging from free trips to iPads, gift cards and more – will be awarded. The daily contest is tied to a booking incentive, which will be sent to agents each day via email. A qualified booking enters agents in the contest daily; there is no limit to the number of prizes an agent can win, they can enter each and every day.


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Free food alert: Get a taco at Taco Bell on Wednesday for World Series stolen base and Wendy's chicken sandwich
Taco Bell is handing out free tacos Wednesday thanks to Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts' stolen base in Game 1 of the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
For the ninth year in a row, the fast-food chain is giving away free Doritos Locos tacos with its "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" World Series promotion.
The giveaway is scheduled for all day while supplies last at participating restaurants nationwide. No purchase is necessary to get the free seasoned beef taco but there's a limit of one per person or registered user.
Betts also was Taco Bell's Taco Hero in the 2018 World Series when he stole a base for the Boston Red Sox. The Dodgers won the series Tuesday night.
Forced monkey labor?:Costco is the latest retailer to drop Chaokoh coconut milk over allegations of forced monkey labor, PETA says
Trader Joe's fish recall:Store brand's Gluten Free Battered Halibut recalled in 19 states over undeclared wheat, milk allergens
According to the fine print, the free taco offer also is "valid for store pickup all redemption day via online or the mobile app, for registered users of tacobell.com or the Taco Bell App."
This year, Taco Bell Loyalty Rewards members got early access to the free taco, soon after the base was stolen with a free reward coupon. For a limited time, new members get a free Doritos Locos Tacos for signing up at www.tacobell.com/rewards or on the app.
Get free Wendy's chicken sandwiches
Through Nov. 8, Wendy's is giving away its new Classic Chicken Sandwich for free with any purchase and an offer in its app. The sandwich usually costs $4.99.
The freebie is available at participating restaurants and Wendy's says the offer will be refreshed each week, meaning consumers can grab two free sandwiches before the deal ends.
In July, the chain launched the Wendy's Rewards loyalty program where members can cash in points earned on purchases for free food including free nuggets, a Frosty, a burger, salads and other items.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko


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Visa lotteries and crabs (or crabmeat). There’s a combination you probably didn’t see coming, but if you eat crab on a regular basis you’ll likely be aware of it soon.
This story features some Maryland seafood companies who are warning that crabmeat prices are almost certainly going to be skyrocketing this year. It’s not that the ocean has suddenly run out of crabs. Fishermen are still catching plenty of them. The problem is that they simply aren’t going to have the workers required to do the tedious chore of picking the crab meat out of the shells at their processing plants. As the Baltimore Sun explains this week, these companies have traditionally relied on an immigrant workforce, primarily from Mexico, who come into Maryland on work visas. Owing to a recent change in immigration policy, they won’t have the people needed to meet the normal demand for the meat of the tasty crustaceans.
Maryland’s seafood industry is in crisis: Nearly half of the Eastern Shore’s crab houses have no workers to pick the meat sold in restaurants and supermarkets.
They failed to get visas for their mostly Mexican work force, including many women who have been coming north to Maryland for crab season for as long as two decades. The Trump administration for the first time awarded them this year in a lottery, instead of on a first-come, first-served basis.
“This is going to cause the price of crab meat to go out of sight,” said Harry Phillips, owner of Russell Hall Seafood on Hooper’s Island. “There’s not going to be hardly any Maryland crab meat.
“It looks like it’s a matter of time before they’re going to shut all of us down.”
So since they switched to a visa lottery, at least half of the workers they rely on failed to obtain a work visa and can’t come to work. Assuming they’ve been scrupulous in monitoring the citizenship or immigration status of their employees (a risky assumption to be sure), this would appear to leave them with a few choices.
One option might be to lobby the government to go back to a first come, first served system for the visas. I tend to be more in favor of that sort of system because it speaks to the need for personal responsibility. If you know you’re going to be needing to travel to America to work you should get out there early and apply for your visa. The early bird gets the worm, as they say. But that doesn’t really address the larger problem facing many sectors of the agriculture and food processing industry.
The next idea would be to just start hiring illegal immigrants. But if they’ve been following the news about ICE under the Trump administration, that’s hopefully looking like a worse and worse idea.
So allow me to suggest a somewhat radical thought. Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that crabmeat (along with a number of other food products) is really ridiculously cheap and has been for a very long time. That doesn’t mean the price is actually low… it’s not. But when you consider the amount of work that goes into harvesting and processing the crabs (much of which simply can’t be done by a machine) it’s amazing that it doesn’t cost more.
Having accepted this as a premise, maybe it’s time for the free market to step in. The crabmeat producers claim that they can’t get American workers to pick crabmeat so they have to rely on imported guest workers. That’s easy enough to believe. It’s some grueling work by all accounts and it doesn’t pay much. Maryland’s minimum wage since 2017 is $9.25 per hour and we can assume that the workers are receiving something in that range. Perhaps the companies will simply have to start offering better wages and compensation packages. Maybe you can’t get anyone to do this job when they could make just as much working at McDonald’s or Walmart, but if the wages went up to 14 bucks or so I’d bet you would have people applying. Maybe that’s not the figure, but there is definitely some level of wages which would draw applicants.
These are blue collar jobs. You don’t need a college degree to pick crabmeat. And if you’re somebody with a high school diploma and nothing more, you’re going to need to go into some unusual lines of work to bring in a more hefty income. This could obviously be one of those types of jobs. Yes, the price of crabmeat would go up, which makes it a politically unpalatable solution. But, as noted above, it may be time to realize that we produce a lot of food in this country on the backs of poorly paid immigrant workers or even illegal aliens. That results in an artificially low cost to consumers. Reality may be a harsh mistress, but some of these foods really should have cost a bit more all along.


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British insurer Direct Line is now offering a 5 percent discount to Tesla drivers to encourage them to use semi-autonomous driving tech. The offer is part of a collaboration between the insurance company and Tesla, which is estimated to have sold over 2,500 vehicles equipped with its Autopilot tech in the U.K. to date.
The tie-in is part of the carmaker’s “Insure My Tesla” program, and will see Tesla refer buyers to Direct Line, which will in-turn offer the discount. Despite the obvious push to use the cars’ Autopilot feature, it is not a requirement to receive the special rate.
According to Direct Line, this is not a matter of Tesla’s Autopilot system justifying a reduced premium based on a safety record, per se, but rather an attempt to further the system’s use, thereby increasing the amount of available data. The ultimate goal from Tesla’s side of the equation is to convince insurers that Autopilot-equipped cars are involved in fewer accidents.
Dan Freedman, Head of Motor Development at Direct Line, said, “At present the driver is firmly in charge so it’s just like insuring other cars, but it does offer Direct Line a great opportunity to learn and prepare for the future.”
There’s no word yet on how much access Direct Line will have to Tesla’s on-board data. The fact that the actual use of Autopilot isn’t a requirement — it’s merely encouraged, after all — would indicate that the insurer lacks the means of determining if the system is actually in use at the time of an accident. There is, however, an ongoing attempt by the Association of British Insurers to gain exactly that sort of data post-collision, as companies look to assign fault.


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SWEETENERS ARE TOXIC TO GUT BACTERIA AND HEALTH
If you’ve switched to Diet Coke in a bid to cut down on sugar, you might want to re-evaluate just how healthy your choices are. Scientists now claim that sweeteners found in Diet Coke and other soft drinks could damage your gut bacteria. According to scientists from universities in Israel and Singapore, six common artificial sweeteners – aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, neotame, advantame and acesulfame potassium (Ace K) – have all been found to be toxic to gut bacteria. More and more studies are realising the importance of gut bacteria to a person’s overall health – with bad bacteria linked to a range of diseases from obesity to bowel diseases, even Alzheimer’s. The study, published in Molecules, looked at the relative toxicity of the sweeteners and 10 sports supplements containing them. It found the bacteria in the digestive system became toxic when exposed to tiny concentrations of the sweeteners. In a lab trial, the sweeteners were each exposed to bacteria that are commonly found in the gut. These bacteria were genetically modified to contain fluorescent compounds that glowed when they detected toxins. The scientists found toxins were released when gut bacteria were exposed to each artificial sweetener, and it only took one mg/ml of the artificial sweeteners to turn the bacteria toxic. A can of Diet Coke contains about 180mg of aspartame. And that’s led scientists to conclude : “This is further evidence that consumption of artificial sweeteners adversely affects gut microbial activity which can cause a wide range of health issues”. Good gut health relies on a healthy gut microbiome, which has been associated with everything from digestion and nutrient absorption to immune system function. It’s not just sugar-free drinks that contain these chemicals, either. Artificial sweeteners are used in loads of food products and drinks that boast reduced sugar content – and the study warns that many of us consume them without even realising. It’s not just our immediate health that is potentially at risk, either. These sweet chemicals have also been identified as environmental pollutants that are increasingly being found in drinking and surface water.


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By Leon Gettler >>
A LOT OF BUSINESSES have done it hard since the shutdowns and social distancing rules came in. But CreditorWatch data suggests small businesses were struggling with cash flow issues long before the coronavirus lockdown measures came into play and were unprepared for the current downturn.
Patrick Coghlan, CreditorWatch CEO, said it was all too evident that many businesses were unprepared – although not many companies would have been prepared for it.
He said the majority of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) only held a few weeks, maybe a couple of months at best, of cash reserves that can withstand a 70-90 percent downturn in revenue.
Mr Coughlan said the data showed that small businesses were being paid 40 percent slower than the previous quarter.
“And that was for Q1 2020, so that’s pre-coronavirus,” Mr Coghlan told Talking Business. “So they were already struggling to get cash in the door before they got hit with the pandemic itself, which means there is underprepared and extremely underprepared – and it was a horrible situation for most SMEs and their directors and owners out there.to have to deal with this, as well as the already slow-paying customers.”
RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD
Mr Couglan said the problem was right across the board, but there were some specific sectors that stood out.
He highlighted agriculture, which was no surprise as it had been hit by fires and floods in late 2019 and early 2020; construction which is always slow over that Christmas-New Year period; retail which had experienced a number of administrations taking place in November and December; transport was struggling; and a lot of professional services businesses, with many customers slowing their payments and looking to see whether they could move somewhere else.
“SMEs at the moment are doing it extremely tough and the challenge is how do they get out of it?” Mr Coughlan said. “I’ve been talking about zombie companies, companies that were struggling pre-corona.
“If corona hadn’t come along, you’d be questioning whether they would still be around within the next six months as a result of tightening cash flow, reducing margins and a reduction in profit and revenue,” he said.
HELPFUL GOVT RESPONSES
Mr Coughlan said the government sector had responded by introducing terrific measures like insolvency changes.
“What I think that does, though, is kick the can down the street so to speak in terms of directors and shareholders looking at their business and saying: ‘We probably should have wound this up in early 2020 but why don’t we take advantage of JobKeeper and why don’t we take advantage of the fact that we can trade insolvent and let’s see what happens. Who knows what will happen? It gives us six months, so let’s go with that.’ “
That said, there were plenty of signs of businesses looking for opportunities.
Faced with revenues falling 90 percent, businesses were now coming up with new models, selling food online and marketing it through social media, or re-producing office furniture recalibrated for a work-from-home environment, or businesses creating protective gear for health workers and ventilators.
Mr Coughlan said CreditorWatch had seen a significant drop in credit inquiries in March, but in April it jumped 36 percent not only on existing customers but new customers applying for credit. This was a healthy sign.
“I think what you’ll find is suppliers, distributors, manufacturers will start to have a good sense of which of their customers are hibernating or potentially going out of business,” Mr Coughlan said.
“They’re starting to do new searches on companies that are coming to them and they’re getting a sense of which of their existing customers are healthy – and that’s all designed for them to be able to continue to trade or to start trading as soon as possible,” he said.
Hear the complete interview and catch up with other topical business news on Leon Gettler’s Talking Business podcast, released every Friday at www.acast.com/talkingbusiness.


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Records Are Meant to Be Broken
It took 15 years to break the long-standing record for the most expensive home sold in the Wilmington area. In 2005, the record was set at $5.264 million. There have certainly been contenders for the coveted title. Most notably in Brunswick County is the Bald Head Island property nicknamed “The Whale House” (http://www.saltmagazinenc.com/the-whale-house/). The fascinating home was listed at $11.99 million back in 2017, but surprisingly (or not), there were no takers.
Six Million Dollar Mansions
Last September, it re-entered the market at a more manageable $6.1 million. Perhaps, the owner was newly inspired by the record-breaking home sale that also took place in September of 2020. That home sale broke the 15-year record by about $13,000.00. But, that record only held for a month; it was broken again in October of 2020.
Once again, the record was broken in March of 2021. The current standing record is $6,000,000.00! It is very possible that we will see that record broken before the summer of 2021 is over. Currently, there are 2 active listings and 1 pending listing in Brunswick County for homes priced over $6,000,000.00 and 5 active listings in New Hanover County.
Lap of Luxury
This is good news for high-end homeowners who have been thinking about selling but perhaps were concerned that the current sales climate was not conducive to the luxury home market. Au contraire! According to the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, 35 high-end homes were sold in April of 2021 compared to only 10 homes in the same category in April of 2020. That’s a 350% increase in luxury home sales units! Luxury homes are homes that are priced at or above $1,000,000.00. Just like all categories of real estate in our area, the luxury home inventory has also decreased from 250 units in April of last year to 115 units this year. So those homeowners who are selling, may also see an even higher sales price.
Check out some of our area’s Six Million Dollar Man-sions to discover your inspiration!


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Daniel Shatto "PDP has been well known among gamers for years now. They’ve made a name for themselves with their Rock Candy, Afterglow, and Nerf lines of products. At this year’s CES, they unveil the expansion to two of their most popular lines."
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Apple Has 'Secret' Team of Biomedical Engineers Developing Sensors for Non-Invasively Monitoring Blood Glucose
At a nondescript office in Palo Alto, Apple is rumored to have a small team of biomedical engineers researching better methods for monitoring blood sugar, reports CNBC.
Apple's work on glucose monitoring is said to have started with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who wanted to develop a sensor that could continuously and non-invasively monitor blood sugar levels to improve quality of life. Apple is far enough along in its research that feasibility trials are being conducted at clinical sites in the San Francisco Bay Area, and it has hired consultants to sort out regulatory issues.
The glucose team is said to report to Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies. [...]
One of the people said that Apple is developing optical sensors, which involves shining a light through the skin to measure indications of glucose.
Rumors of Apple's work on advanced healthcare initiatives like diabetes management aren't new. Early Apple Watch information suggested the wearable device would be able to measure things like blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
Many health-related sensors that Apple wanted to include in the original Apple Watch were reportedly dropped because the technology was not consistently accurate, but rumors at the time said Apple would pursue its work on more advanced health sensors. Apple has also made several health-related acquisitions and around the time the Apple Watch was in development, hired dozens of biomedical experts.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has since said that Apple does not want to put the Apple Watch through the FDA approval process, something that would need to happen for more advanced healthcare features, so it is not clear if this is a feature Apple foresees being added to the wrist-worn device. From Tim Cook in 2015:
"We don't want to put the watch through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) process. I wouldn't mind putting something adjacent to the watch through it, but not the watch, because it would hold us back from innovating too much, the cycles are too long. But you can begin to envision other things that might be adjacent to it -- maybe an app, maybe something else."
If Apple is planning on more advanced sensors for the Apple Watch, such features are not likely to be included in the third-generation device rumored to be coming in the fall of 2017. Information on that device thus far points towards a smaller update focusing on improving battery life and perhaps adding features like cellular connectivity.
While Apple works on its in-house own blood sugar monitoring solution, it has launched CareKit, a platform that allows app developers to create integrated software that allows patients and doctors to better manage medical conditions. Diabetes monitor One Drop was one of the first companies to support CareKit.
Top Rated Comments
(Type 1 Diabetic for 45 years)
(And before you go there, I was 3 when I got it. T1D is when your pancreas stops producing insulin)
(Oh yeah, I have a Class 3 Medical from the FAA too...)
[doublepost=1492042124][/doublepost] or Dexcom... as well as Tandem Diabetic Care...
The big deal with non invasive testing is that it should reduce the cost of ongoing treatment significantly, even if the device was to cost say $500 out of pocket you could still save money, let alone pain etc, over just a few years even with insurance coverage (USA). If Apple doesn't go to stupid on the proprietary connection stuff then something like this would be adopted quickly, guess that would be an interesting test to see if Apple really only wants to make money or truly make a difference in the world.
One problem with most systems is that you still need to do some regular tests every day to ensure the system is still accurate enough, IIRC the accuracy of the meters (home use) is still +/-10% or so, just improved accuracy would pretty awesome.
As an alternate, for type 1, the hybrid closed loop system Medtronic is about to release is of interest, but to be honest having the pump + another sensor attached isn't exactly exciting but I admit I am interested.
I certainly hope we see improvements, back in 86 a blood sugar test took 2 minutes and you had to wipe the blood off of the strip after 1 minute, the current meters are pretty nice in comparison.


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Kushal Sanghvi, who quit Span Digital as chief executive officer in December 2013, has joined Reliance Entertainment and Digital, a part of Reliance ADAG, as business head. As per sources, Sanghvi is working on setting up the digital and new media advertising agency for Reliance ADAG. Sanghvi joined Reliance in January.
World Wide Open aims to become one of the top 3 digital brand partners for establishing brands and businesses on digital in the next 4-5 years. Along with several senior level appointments and transitioning the existing Zapak Solution team, the group has set up a core team of 50 members for the new vertical in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore to support existing Zapak Solution clients and make inroads into new clients. The group is also exploring opportunities in international markets, beginning with South East Asia and the Middle East, to expand the business internationally.
Sanghvi joined Span Digital in August, 2012. Span Digital is the specialised digital arm of Delhi-based Span Communications, where Sanghvi's role was to oversee the launch of Span Communications into the digital space in a big way.
Earlier, he was managing director of Spiider Digital Hub (formerly Concept Digital), which he had joined in May, 2011. Before that, Sanghvi had worked with the mobile technology and marketing firm StratosHear Technologies as executive director, business development, media and alliances for a short span of about a year.
Sanghvi has more than 18 years of experience in the media space and has essayed roles in print, digital, television and OOH. He was also involved in growing the wireless and telephony revenue with the pioneer show, Indian Idol.
Before StratosHear Technologies, Sanghvi had worked with Media Contacts, the digital arm of Havas Media, in India. At Media Contacts, he was responsible for business development and overall growth of the digital agency in the country.
Sanghvi was one of the founder members of Rediff.com. He has also worked with companies such as The Times of India Group, Fremantle Worldwide and Reliance ADAG.
Sanghvi holds a post graduate degree in business administration from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies.
For feedback/comments, please write to firstname.lastname@example.org


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(source: Thailand Investment Review, July 2016)
hailand’s food industry is one of the biggest contributors to the nation’s economy. According to Mr. Yongvut Saovapruk, President of the National Food Institute (NFI), Ministry of Industry, the Thai food industry “contributed about 23% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015.” With abundant natural resources, year-round growing season, continuous Research and Development (R&D), commitment to food safety and international standards, as well as a well-educated workforce and supporting government policies, the Thai food industry has plenty of room to develop and prosper, while reinforcing its strong global position as the ‘Kitchen of the World.’
A Brief Overview
Known as the ‘food basket of Asia,’ Thailand is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of food. According to NFI data, food exports in 2015 totaled roughly THB 897 billion (USD 25.5 billion), with the top 5 exports being rice (17.1%), sugar (8.6%), chicken (7.8%), tuna (7.5%), and shrimp (6.3%). In 2015, these specific products represented around 50% of total food exports.
In the first quarter of 2016, food exports reached THB 239 million (USD 6.8 million), reflecting an impressive growth rate of 9.5% compared to the same period last year. Thailand still has room for growth in this sector, according to Mr. Saovapruk. The NFI has also demonstrated its high readiness to support and collaborate with both the public and private sectors, in order to bring Thailand to the global stage.
Competitive Food Industry
Based on research undertaken by NFI’s Food Intelligence Center, Thailand has four key strengths that place the country in a very strong position, ensuring that it stays competitive in the international food industry.
Firstly, Thailand’s year-round growing season provides abundant resources, giving the country a major comparative advantage in the industry. The strategic use of these resources, the optimization of its food technology and the nation’s commitment to world class quality standards, guarantees Thailand’s top position as a world leader in the international food industry.
Secondly, Thai manufacturers possess over 60 years of experience and this expertise comes into play in the development of efficient processes to produce, process, and create value-added export quality products. For instance, Thailand currently occupies the number one position for canned pineapple exports and is second with respect to sugar exports.
Thirdly, Thailand’s high availability of a quality workforce with competitive wages explains its popularity as a manufacturing base for global food processors. Examples of multinational companies with a base in Thailand include
McKey Food Services, Tep Kinsho Foods, Dole, etc.
Finally, Thai food products are widely accepted for their high quality and safety standards. Currently, Thailand mainly exports to developed nations such the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Australia, all of which have stringent criteria for food quality and safety standards. Although Thailand’s production costs are not the lowest in the world, many corporations still prefer to have a manufacturing base in Thailand due to the country’s high consistency with respect to quality.
Given the Thai food industry’s many strengths and huge contribution to the country’s economy, the government has implemented a number of incentives and supporting policies to help both Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and big corporations grow and benefit from the growth of this sector.
Global Food Innovation Hub
The Thai government recognizes the importance of food innovation. According to the National News Bureau of Thailand, the Finance Ministry has proposed setting up a THB 10 billion (USD 283.8 million) fund to support the Food Innopolis Project at the Thailand Science Park (TSP). This project aims to position Thailand as a global food innovation hub in the global food industry. According to the Ministry of
Science and Technology, the expected availability of resources for the Food Innopolis include 3,000 researchers, 10,000 students in Food Science and Technology, 9,000 food factories, 150 food research laboratories, 20 pilot plants, and 70 universities.
The government hopes that this project will provide a one-stop solution for Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) services to investors. The goal is to link private sectors at all levels, ranging from startups and SMEs to large companies, to effectively take part in the food industry value chain at an international level, and create a perfect atmosphere to support an innovation ecosystem.
Attractive BOI Incentives
The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) offers a wide range of tax and non-tax incentives in the food industry, especially as the Food Innopolis belongs to one of the BOI’s Super Clusters. Tax-based incentives include the exemption of corporate income tax for up to 8 years, with an additional 50% reduction for five years and the exemption of import duty on machinery. Non-tax incentives include the permission to own land and facilitation on visas and work permits. Additional information about specific manufacturing activities relating to the food industry can be found on the BOI website or by contacting the BOI office.


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The Sleuth has learned that the Japan-based automaker’s thin lineup of vehicles that are available in North America is about to be bolstered. A premium-grade sport ute that currently goes by the name Grand Tourer will be shown this fall at the Paris Auto Show in France. The new model will also feature Mitsubishi’s latest plug-in hybrid technology similar to the system that will be optional in the 2017 Outlander tall wagon. The Spy Guy also sees the impending launch of the Grand Tourer as a sign that Nissan, which is Mitsubishi’s largest shareholder, believes that there continues to be a market for the brand in North America, particularly in the sale of electric and gasoline-electric vehicles.
Mitsubishi isn’t exactly quick when it comes to new product, but at least something is on the drawing board. (PHOTO: MITSUBISHI)


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The 2022 PACK EXPO international conference begins next month, and there will be plenty of friendly faces speaking on all topics packaging and processing.
A major topic this year will be Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS), and how the payment plan gives companies of all sizes access to the benefits of robotic automation.
Dr. Bernard Casse, CEO and founder at RIOS Intelligent Machines, will be appearing at the PACK EXPO on October 23rd to speak at the event, "Get Started with RaaS to Immediately Increase Productivity and Supplement Labor."
Dr. Casse will be discussing the current labor crisis and how robotic automation is the key to maintaining and increasing production.
Companies like RIOS are key to unleashing a new breed of artificial intelligent (AI)=powered robotic workcells on to factory floors. These robots can be swiftly deployed while also staying cost efficient.
With RaaS or "pay as you go" models, manufacturers can add automated machines to dexterous and labor intensive tasks like end of the line packaging and food handling.
As a member of the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), a global resource for the packaging and processing industry, RIOS is a part of a concerted effort to help unite the manufacturing supply chain across the industries by promoting business growth through innovative production solutions.
We pioneered the RaaS business model for robotic workcells. Through a factory Automation-as-a-Service agreement, RIOS provides world-class automation packaged with an all-inclusive service at zero upfront capital costs.
With no required upfront costs and deployment in less than three months, workcells are accessible to every manufacturer's budget and timeline. The time to upgrade to a smart factory is now.
RIOS is in booth N-5374. Schedule your meetings with RIOS now to discuss your operations.


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Toyota announced the launch of a hydrogen-powered fuel-cell car in the U.S. next year on Monday at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The car, which resembles the popular Corolla, is yet to be named, but like the birth of a royal child it’s the pedigree that counts — and Toyota is the largest auto manufacturer in the world. However, unlike a royal child, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles have been fighting an uphill battle against logistical, technological and economic odds since their inception.
“For years, the use of hydrogen gas to power an electric vehicle has been seen by many smart people as a foolish quest,” Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales, said at the CES event. “Yes, there are significant challenges. The first is building the vehicle at a reasonable price for many people. The second is doing what we can to help kick-start the construction of convenient hydrogen refueling infrastructure. We’re doing a good job with both and we will launch in 2015.”
Calling it the “car of the future,” Carter said the vehicle will be a zero-emission, mid-size, four-door sedan with a driving range of at least 300 miles between refueling and a fill-up time of less than five minutes. No official price tag was announced, but it is estimated that the cost will range from $50,000 to $100,000.
“We aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel; just everything necessary to make them turn,” said Carter.
Not only does this include the technology inside the car, but also the infrastructure needed for refueling.
Hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles run on hydrogen gas, making them similar to battery-only models such as the Nissan Leaf that plug-in to recharge in that they emit none of the tailpipe pollution association with burning gasoline. The only exhaust on the Toyota fuel-cell vehicle will be water vapor.
“Battery models carry electricity in their lithium-ion battery packs while fuel-cell vehicles make electricity on board in a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen,” Bloomberg Businessweek reported. “While hydrogen vehicles have a range comparable to gasoline vehicles and need only a few minutes to refuel — compared with hours for most battery autos — there are few hydrogen pumps currently open to the public.”
To be precise there are currently nine hydrogen refueling stations open to the public, all of them in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and another dozen in California that are private or for demonstration. For this reason the vehicle will initially launch in California — a state known for leading the nation in emissions standards and efficiency mandates. In 2012 the California Air Resources Board required that by 2025 one in seven new cars sold be zero-emission.
California has set aside more than $200 million to build another 20 hydrogen fueling stations by 2015 with as many as 100 possible within the next decade. Toyota has partnered with UC-Irvine to help determine the best locations for these fueling stations.
Addressing concern over the sparseness of refueling opportunities, Carter said, “Stay tuned, because this infrastructure thing is going to happen.”
South Korean automaker Hyundai also recently announced plans for a hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle. Honda already has a fuel-cell car called the FCX Clarity that is available forlease primarily in Southern California.
A study from last year by the firm Lux Research found that, “The dream of a hydrogen economy envisioned for decades by politicians, economists, and environmentalists is no nearer, with hydrogen fuel cells turning a modest $3 billion market of about 5.9 GW in 2030.”
While hydrogen-powered cars will not likely make a significant automobile market impact or greenhouse gas emissions dent before 2030 as once hoped, production costs are rapidly falling and infrastructure is gaining steam.
So perhaps all the past hype about hydrogen-powered cars as a major mitigator of greenhouse gases can be replaced with a realistic goal of becoming a small part of the solution as some of the hurdles are overcome.
“We estimate a 95 percent cost reduction for the powertrain and fuel tanks of the vehicle we will launch in 2015 when you compare that to what it cost for us to build the original Highlander Fuel Cell in 2002,” Carter said at the CES event.


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Pot laws perplex cities
Inside CannaMart, a Greenwood Village "wellness counseling" center that connects medical- marijuana patients with the medicine they seek
The conflict between federal and state rules puts medical-marijuana clinics and local officials in a legal limbo.
Inside CannaMart, a Greenwood Village "wellness counseling" center that connects medical- marijuana patients with the medicine they seek, there are the usual posters of marijuana leaves and pro-pot messages. But there is also something else: boxes in various states of packing.
CannaMart is moving, driven out by the difficulty of getting a business license in Greenwood Village. Because the sale of marijuana violates federal law — even though Colorado voters approved a medical-marijuana amendment to the state constitution in 2000 — Greenwood Village considers the business to be in violation of its public nuisance ordinance.
"I'm going to lose a lot of patients," Stan Zislis, CannaMart's owner, said of the upcoming move. (He won't say where he's moving to). "They're denying people's rights, basically."
In the months since the Obama administration said it would respect state medical-marijuana laws when it comes to federal drug enforcement, dispensaries have openly proliferated in the Colorado — now numbering perhaps as many as 100.
But with state officials saying they have no authority to regulate dispensaries, local governments across Colorado have been rushing to fill the regulatory vacuum, creating a wildly varying patchwork of rules for dispensaries.
On one end, for instance, Aurora has joined Greenwood Village in arguing that dispensaries are not allowed in the city.
"For now, absent any direction from the court, we will be following our long-standing business-licensing rules that require all businesses to be lawful," said Aurora spokeswoman Kim Stuart.
At the other end are cities like Boulder, which has no regulations for dispensaries and no plans to impose any.
"At this point, we don't have any proposals before council," city spokesman Patrick von Keyserling said.
Dizzied by the tornadic confluence of federal and state law, a number of other cities — including Englewood, Northglenn and Breckenridge — have placed moratoriums on new dispensaries so they can study whether to impose zoning or licensing requirements. Officials in Commerce City, Steamboat Springs and a number of other mountain communities are also examining the issue.
"It's just difficult when there's a conflict between federal law and a state constitutional amendment, and we're stuck in the middle trying to reconcile those two," said Northglenn Mayor Kathleen Novak.
While Amendment 20 — the 2000 voter-approved measure that legalized medical marijuana in Colorado — makes provisions for patients or their "caregivers" to grow and possess marijuana, it says nothing about dispensaries, many of which operate on a retail business model. How dispensaries should obtain and sell marijuana is still a legal gray area. Confidentiality rules surrounding the medical marijuana registry add another layer of complexity.
"I don't think there's much debate over the fact that we don't have any authority over dispensaries," said Jim Martin, the head of the state Department of Public Health and Environment, which maintains the registry.
So shabby is the regulatory vision for marijuana dispensaries that some cannabis advocates have banded together to form a policy group to propose regulations.
"I don't know how much the city governments, the county governments have the patients' best interest at heart," said Laura Kriho, the outreach director for the Cannabis Therapy Institute. "That's what we want to do; we want to protect the patient."
The strain is hard to find in Colorado but if you do stumble upon it, do not miss out.
A closer look at an exciting indica hybrid that is a must have for cannabis enthusiasts.
If you are new to cannabis shopping and possibly consumption, this article is meant to help you make your first steps.
Major League Baseball announced changes to its drug use and testing policies.
We continue our series meant to help you around in your cannabis shopping in Colorado. Today we will cover purchase limits.
Let us look into the matter that worries many people new to cannabis, or infused products.
A closer look at one of the most popular energy boosting strains.
Today's strain is a wonderful indica for people with experience in cannabis consumption.
The House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill Wednesday that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.
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Enjoy wax and shatter grams from our beloved partner El Sol Labs - now at the most incredible price.
Permanent discount for military and veterans
Every Saturday - purchase three grams of concentrates (excluding cartridges and bubble joints), and get one for a penny!


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If there was a meme Olympics, this might get the gold medal:
The best part of Simone Biles’ routine. https://t.co/WTpK7D5zQG
— Cycle (@bycycle) August 11, 2016
Media network Cycle’s clip showing U.S. gymnast Simone Biles starting a tumbling routine that takes her “all the way up” into outer space is one of the breakout memes of the Olympics.
The original tweet got over 5,500 likes and retweets — and that doesn’t count the people it reached in the farthest corners of the internet on other platforms like YouTube and Instagram. The company said that “Simone in Space,” posted Aug. 11, got over 45 million views total and 577,114 likes on Facebook. It was also tweeted by Sydney Leroux Dwyer from the U.S. women’s national team.
(Of course, everything Biles touches turns to social gold: The athlete is one of the most beloved in the world right now and her social profile proves it.)
Cycle, a media network founded by Laundry Service CEO Jason Stein, has been on a tear with Olympic memes in the past week: There’s one featuring swimmer Michael Phelps’ face superimposed onto the body of Michael Jordan proclaiming him as the “greatest of all time,” and another featuring runner Usain Bolt, which the agency says is well on its way to getting as many views as the Biles one did. The agency has had over 100 million views on Olympics content in the last two weeks.
Usain Bolt running like… pic.twitter.com/qQ8pGClP6n
— Cycle (@bycycle) August 15, 2016
Cycle’s 12-person editorial team began developing plans for the Olympics “weeks” ago, said Stein. There are memes, but also long-form documentaries, such as one featuring U.S. fencer Ibitihaj Muhammad, which has gotten 3.2 million views on Facebook and Twitter. The team has made short clips and memes for every potential outcome, such as if a team wins or loses, or by how many points. In all, it has put out 28 pieces but created upwards of 45. The team is all 20-somethings, said social media editor Josh Davis, who made the Biles meme. “The kind of people making this content are the kinds of people who watch this content,” he said.
The idea for Biles specifically came up because the team was trying to figure out just how good an athlete she was. “Is she good enough to jump to the roof? What if she hit the ceiling? Then we were like, ‘OK, let’s take her to space,’” said Davis. “A good meme comes down to suspension of disbelief.”
Posting videos featuring Olympians can be a risky game. The International Olympic Committee has rules in place to prevent over-commercialization by unofficial sponsors, essentially making it an offense to disseminate footage of athletes: Last week, Ian Schafer, CEO of Deep Focus, disabled one of his tweets that contained video of U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky winning the gold medal in the women’s 800-meter freestyle final.
But Cycle isn’t sweating any potential Rule 40 crackdowns. “We came up with a hack,” said Stein. “None of that is Olympic footage.”
Instead, it’s all footage from other events, not owned by NBC or the IOC. The Biles footage, for example, is from the 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, said Stein. It’s the emotional reaction attached to Biles completing a crazy routine that matters, not really the particular routine, he said.
The value for Cycle in spending the time on this is getting brands to understand how good it is at making content. “Every meeting I have, people are telling me they love what we do,” said Stein. “We have gotten so many RFPs just in the last two weeks.”
Homepage image: (Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil)
Member ExclusiveMarketing Briefing: ‘This is a better way to travel’: Q&A with Airbnb’s global head of marketing on the company’s new capabilities, in-housing
Digiday caught up with Hiroki Asai to chat about the changes as well as Airbnb’s approach to marketing.
The vast majority of marketers are unhappy with their Customer Data Platforms, but then again, not many are sure what they really are
Marketers are confused by tech vendors', well, marketing as the requirement for complexity grows
How the layoffs at Upcomer show the challenges of public ownership in esports media
Enthusiast’s lack of a seemingly cohesive strategy for Upcomer is a reflection of the broader challenges it faces as a gaming and esports holding company that is, at the moment, one of the few publicly traded firms in the industry.
SponsoredHow marketers and retailers are unlocking the true value of retail media
Ben Kneen, senior director of product management, Xandr It’s a challenging time for retailers in the advertising industry. As they cope with supply chain woes and inflation-related pressures, they seek high-margin revenue streams amid evolving privacy regulations and massive shifts in identity solutions — including IDFA, the deprecation of third-party cookies and more. In light […]
‘A lot of investment and commitment’: Manchester City ramps up esports efforts
Early forays from football teams into esports were conservative to say the least, opting to stay close to football and focus on competitive events for the Fifa football series.
How Blue Apron meal kit is revamping its marketing strategy with digital video
Returning to advertising after two years, DTC Blue Apron is diversifying its media spend with video advertising to boost brand awareness.


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Is the heart of your car a screen?
Having spent years—and tens of billions of dollars—preparing for a shift in production toward electric vehicles, German car makers are expressing a new angst: that digitally “connected cars” could prove even more disruptive to their traditional strengths. This second leg of their race against Tesla could become a fresh excuse to squander investors’ capital.
Daimler set two priorities for technological leadership in a new strategy for its Mercedes-Benz DMLRY -1.08% brand this week: electric drive and car software. For the latter, the company is working on an entire operating system, MB.OS, that from 2024 will run not just Mercedes’s proprietary infotainment system and its mobile broadband connection but also crucial elements of the driving experience, including self-driving features and battery management.
The company will partner with technology specialists for specific applications, notably Nvidia for automated driving. Yet the closer the software gets to the customer experience, the more Daimler wants to do in-house. The interface with the driver in particular “is not something that we would like to outsource to somebody else,” said Chief Executive Ola Källenius.
Volkswagen VOW -0.20% is on a similar road. At last week’s annual general meeting, Chief Executive Herbert Diess said replacing engines with electric batteries and motors would be simple to manage compared with the transformation of the car into a “fully networked mobility device.” He is tackling the challenge by investing heavily in coding: VW wants to increase the proportion of software written in-house to at least 60%, from 10% currently, at a cost of €7 billion, equivalent to $8.23 billion, by 2025.
The shadow haunting the German automotive industry is, of course, Tesla. Mr. Diess regularly spurs on his managers by invoking the U.S. company’s technological lead and astronomical market value. The starring role accorded to the infotainment screen in a Tesla seems to be a popular feature with the kind of tech-loving consumers who might otherwise buy an Audi. Auto makers are also envious of Tesla’s capacity to keep consumers’ systems fresh via “over-the-air” updates.
One reason Daimler cited for focusing on software was the scope for using this kind of live digital connection with its customers to sell them services well after they have bought their Mercedes-Benz. Many manufacturers have talked of this potential, but Daimler was bold enough to pin a number on it: It hopes to make €1 billion in operating profit from digital services by 2025.
The software industry has been through a wrenching transition over the past decade from selling one-off packages to subscriptions for access to a constantly updated, cloud-hosted service. As more vehicles are connected to the internet, infotainment systems are likely next in line. One big unknown is what consumers will be prepared to pay for, and who will get it—vehicle manufacturers or software developers. Another is how deeply the infotainment system will end up being linked to driving controls.
For now, though, most car makers are more relaxed than Daimler and VW about ceding control of at least infotainment to the tech industry. General Motors, Volvo Cars, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance and Peugeot (which Fiat-Chrysler will likely follow) all are partnering to varying extents with Alphabet’s Google, which has developed a vehicle version of its smartphone operating system called Android Automotive.
“Our customers spend about one hour a day in their car and one hour a day away from their phone. Any car maker who tries to create an ecosystem around the car deserves to lose the customer,” says Martin Kristensson, head of digital business at Volvo Cars.
Volvo and others say partnering with Google makes sense because consumers already use and like its products. The glitchy reputation of auto makers’ existing vehicle infotainment systems adds weight to this argument. But partnering also is probably the cheaper option.
“There are a lot of economies of scale in software development. Auto makers who want to get more programmers and do the work themselves are generally underestimating the costs,” says Mark Wakefield, co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners.
The insistence of Daimler and VW on building up software skills might therefore be another iteration of their historic bias toward over-investment. The vast expense of electric-vehicle development has forced both companies to get more serious about cutting fixed costs in recent years; Mercedes-Benz this week committed to a 20% reduction by 2025. Ominously, though, the company also is charging into yet another technological battleground.
Drivers and investors alike may end up preferring auto makers to focus on what they are best at: assembling cars.


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Austin jewelry designer debuts new storefront — for a limited time only
Following the success of her cool Airstream boutique at The Picnic’s female-owned mobile shop collective, jewelry designer Nina Berenato heads to the Domain with her first brick-and-mortar location.
The new storefront and workshop is taking up residence until January 2018 and features signature Nina Berenato Jewelry, DIY workshops, and a behind-the-scenes look at the creation process.
“I feel like this was definitely the right move for the brand and it will give us the chance to spread our wings,” Berenato said. “I think we’re going to be able to bring the Domain shopper something fun and exciting and different.”
In celebration of the new digs, all Nina Berenato Jewelry designs are now available in rose gold. Aside from snagging the latest pieces from collections like Lumiere, shoppers can completely customize their jewelry during designer-led workshops. The store will also host Austin makers via pop-up-style events.
“I’m just excited for women to come in and see us making things by hand right here in Austin, put on a piece of statement jewelry, and walk out feeling empowered,” Berenato says.
The Nina Berenato Jewelry Work/Shop is located at 11601 Century Oaks Terrace #105 and is open seven days a week, now through January 2018. Although Berenato is spending more time at the storefront, the mobile shop is still making its rounds at special events across the city.


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easyJet has seen UK bookings surge inside hours of the UK authorities affirmation that fully-vaccinated travellers will not be required to take a PDT (pre-departure take a look at) to return to the UK from non-red listing nations.
The change comes into impact on October 4th, forward of the half-term vacation.
Flight bookings for the late summer season season elevated considerably, with seaside resorts amongst prime locations for this autumn and journey in October proving hottest, suggesting that Brits are eager to e-book a late summer season break getaway.
Alicante, Majorca and Tenerife in Spain and Faro in Portugal are proving to be the most well-liked locations for journey in October.
Within the coming days easyJet will probably be including an additional 51,000 seats for departures from the UK to seaside locations for October.
With Turkey not on the purple listing, additional seats have been added on flights from throughout the UK, together with London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol Airports to Dalaman, a vacation spot recognized for its pure coves, stunning turquoise waters and guarded pure park.
easyJet has additionally seen sturdy early demand for ski locations for the New Yr, with the highest locations being Geneva


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Here's what a Fayetteville business owner is doing to revive gardening
What started as a way to spread veganism turned into a business that helps people struggling with food insecurities.
NaTasha McDonald, 36, is from Colorado Springs, and found her love for gardening early in life through trial and error.
“I’ve always been interested in seeing how things work, and I decided to just try gardening because my grandparents or great-grandparents had a huge farm,” she said. “So I tried a little first garden. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I did it and I loved it. Even though I failed on that first one, I was like, if it fails, I’m going to try it again until I figure it out.”
McDonald’s business, 31 Eden, started last fall and teaches people how to start their own gardens. In the beginning, McDonald walked clients through the steps and created meal plans for them.
Now, she teaches them how to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
“I just think that everybody should garden,” she said. “I want to start here in Fayetteville and I want to branch out to other cities and just make it a big thing. I want gardening to be a normal part of life again. I feel like it’s a lost skill.”
McDonald said she wants her business to address food disparities.
Veganism in Fayetteville::‘It’s growing, not rapidly, but it is growing.’
“The lower-income communities are the ones who are struggling with food insecurity,” she said. “So I think, one — it’s important that we grow and teach people in the lower-income communities that they can grow their own food and not have to worry about not having anything. Then second — is to teach the kids and even some adults how to grow their food, the importance of your foods and all the nutrients.”
McDonald added that she finds it important for kids to know where their food comes from and that gardening will teach them to gain an appreciation for food and for life.
“There’s something special about watching (a plant) turn into food that you can actually consume and enjoy,” she said. “I wish everyone could experience that.”
McDonald teaches a beginner class on gardening at Prima Elements Wellness Holistic Center. To book a consult with her, clients can visit her website 31eden.com. She can meet with clients either virtually or in person.
Staff writer Akira Kyles can be reached at email@example.com.
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Proposed Puppy Mill Retail Ban Draws Crowd
On July 2, a town committee heard from both sides about creating a new ordinance banning "puppy mill" retail sales in Branford. If approved, the law would be the first of its kind in the state.
Upwards of 200 turned out for the Rules & Ordinances Committee meeting, but only a portion were allowed into the room at Canoe Brook Senior Center, due to space constraints. No decision was made at the conclusion of the discussion, but the panel, made up of Representative Town Meeting (RTM) members, heard plenty of impassioned concerns from those for and against the idea.
Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter Commission Chair Lori Fogler Nicholson said her commission is requesting the new ordinance for Branford. The shelter serves the towns of Branford and North Branford and actively works to ensure successful adoptions of shelter animals.
On July 2, Nicholson gave a presentation that showed that businesses, such as Branford's All Pets Club, may sometimes receive animals from USDA-approved breeders of puppy "crops" in situations in which the animals are bred and raised in conditions meeting the bare minimum for certification.
Nicholson said All Pets Club would receive more business if it stopped selling such live animals and adopted a more "humane" model catering to goods and services for pets and pet owners. She showed a chart indicating live animal sales as the lowest area of profit at stores such as All Pets Club and pointed to a decline in live animal purchases between 2009 and 2010.
"This is not anti-business. We will work with you," said Nicholson, looking out into the crowd at those gathered on one side of the room, including many representing All Pets Club. "We want you to thrive and we will come to your store. We're asking you to please to consider a humane business model?I'll be there, and everybody on this side of the room will come to your store, and you will be rewarded. That's my promise to you."
The committee also heard from Branford resident Linda Kowalski, who noted a state task force will be reviewing substandard animal sales issues in Connecticut, with an eye toward establishing a state-wide policy. Information from the task force will go before legislators in Hartford in early 2014.
In the meantime, "a ban that only affects one pet shop in Branford is not fair," Kowalski told the committee.
As a professional, Kowalski said she has the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) among her clients and brought with her Charles Sewell, an executive vice president of PIJAC, who will also be on the state task force. He said PIJAC represents pet suppliers, manufacturers, breeders, retailers, services, and companies nationwide.
"We have zero tolerance for substandard animal mills," Sewell said, adding the council has been working with the USDA to improve standards.
"What the town of Branford is considering is singling out one company that's a reputable company, that does its due diligence?and putting them out of business. That just doesn't make any sense. You're not solving the problem of puppy mills by putting legitimate businesses out of business," Sewell said.
Sewell added the solution was to instead "raise the bar" to address "a few bad apples."
All Pets Club co-owner Ed Focault also spoke to the committee. Focault described the Branford store, opened in 2006, as the company "flagship." He noted it sold 563 puppies last year, paying $37,000 in state sales tax. Branford All Pets Club also paid just under $40,000 to the town in property real estate taxes last year, said Focault.
He described an exemplary business that adheres to all legal practices and policies in the trade. The Branford store employs more than 40 full- and part-time staff and opens its doors to special events including school tours, seniors, special needs children, and adults who learn about and interact with animals with staff guidance, said Focault. The store also gave Branford Compassion Club two years of rent-free space to help adopt out cats.
Focault said he is an avid animal lover who lost his 14 year-old King Charles cavalier spaniel one week earlier, while also dealing with fallout from the proposed ordinance, making the past week "very emotional" for him.
Focault asked the committee not to create the ordinance, saying, "Your decision will force me to go out of business and possibly even to move out of Branford."
Committee Chair Maggie Bruno said the discussion on the topic would continue within the committee. Bruno also said, due to the numbers showing an interest in the matter, that at least one public hearing would likely be held concerning the ordinance request.
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14th September, 2017
LONDON – The British high street retailer, that for so long bucked the trend of falling high street profits, has finally succumb, with the announcement of a fall in profits as a result of slowing demand in the UK. The British retailer John Lewis, famed for their television adds that many regard as the start of Christmas, said on Thursday its operations in the vital festive months of the year and into 2018 would be impacted by slowing consumer demand, alongside the increasing costs of its pension funds following a first-half depression in profits.
The employee-owned business, that also owns the popular high street supermarket chain Waitrose, said its profit before tax dropped by 53.1% to £26.9 million.
“We expect the headwinds that have dampened consumer demand and put pressure on margins to continue into next year,”
“We will incur higher pension accounting charges in the second half year, as a result of low market interest rates. These will all impact our full year profits” Chairman Charlie Mayfield was quoted as saying.
The company generates over half of its profits before exceptions during the run up to Christmas. As with many businesses, the festive season is a pivotal trading period that appears to have been dented.
The group is now investing to adapt to changes within the industry, such as the move from retail outlets to online shopping which has also had an impact on profits.
A combination of Brexit and below-inflation pay increases, have resulted in British consumers reducing spending, and moving away from more expensive outlets like John Lewis, moving on to budget retailers. A trend that shows no sign of slowing anytime soon.


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Steve Ballmer runs out of time at Microsoft
Aug 23, 2013 5:04 PM
Editor in chief Jon Phillips thinks the time is right for Steve Ballmer to step down as CEO at Microsoft.
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A recent memorandum by City Economic Development Director David Klug has revealed details about investments in commercial real estate, leasing and retail activity for the months of August, September, October and November in Pasadena.
Numbers in the report indicate that over 75,000 square feet of office space was leased out by 4 major companies in the last four months.
JP Morgan is leasing 30,000 square feet at 177 E. Colorado Blvd., Philadelphia Insurance Companies is leasing 13,000 square feet at 800 E. Colorado Blvd., Premier Workspaces is leasing 16,702 square feet at 301 N. Lake Ave., and Reliance Steel and Aluminum is leasing 16,285 square feet at 55 S. Lake Ave.
But nationally there is currently 232 million square feet of surplus commercial real estate up for sub-leasing, according to Elizabeth Ptacek, senior director of market analytics at commercial real estate information and analytics company CoStar, CNBC reported.
“To put those numbers into perspective, Amazon’s HQ2 is 8 million square feet. Even more telling, the 232 million square feet is twice the level of surplus from before the pandemic,” the CNBC report said.
The report mentions a move to hybrid work models and higher interest rates as some of the reasons for the surplus commercial real estate space.
Despite inflation and cost of living concerts, retail sales have risen in October.
Nationally, CoStar reported that retail sales rose by 1.3% in October and were 8.3% higher than last year’s levels. The commercial real estate information and analytics company added that “Inflation played a large role in the increase, clearly, as the consumer price index (CPI) rose by 7.7% over the year in October. But even after accounting for rising prices, retail sales still grew an impressive 0.9% during the month.”
They also stated that consumer spending drives about two-thirds of the economy, so good news such as this is a sign that the economy should do better in the fourth quarter than had been expected.
Locally, the demand for retail space is rising.
“Demand for retail space continues to rise in Old Pasadena. Several brokers are touring potential retail tenants, but space is limited,” the report stated.
Due to limited space, Klug’s staff encouraged brokers to consider other business districts in the city as potential sites, the report said.
In other retail space developments, a Canadian developer, the Onni Group, acquired Paseo Colorado, the shopping center in downtown Pasadena, for $103 million in a foreclosure sale in October, the report said. Onni has significant real estate holdings in the Los Angeles area, including the Burbank Towne Center.
Klug reported that Doc Martens will be moving to 17 E. Colorado Blvd. this month, Lather has relocated to 40 W. Colorado Blvd., and Alo Yoga will be moving into 3 W. Colorado Blvd. Brilliant Earth will be starting their tenant improvements at 29 Miller Ave., Klug’s report said.
The Economic Development Update also reported several key commercial spaces that were recently sold and others that are currently on the market.
The key commercial spaces coming on the market for sale are
- The former Fedde Furniture site at 32 N. Sierra Madre Blvd. will be on sale for $8 million,
- Five ground-floor retail units with second-story office suites at 738-742 E. Colorado Blvd., asking price is $7.25 million,
- A 90-unit condominium development at 253 E. Los Robles Ave. on sale for $12.75 million.
- 254 E Union St (west of Post Office/investment sale) — Asking $12,900,000
- 1539 Lincoln Ave (currently owner-occupied and operated as tire shop and part of a three-property portfolio sale) — Asking $5,000,000
The two properties that sold are:
- AvalonBay Del Mar Station apartments at 265-276 S. Arroyo Parkway were sold for $172 million to Fairfield Del Mar Station, LLC.
- Westin Pasadena at 191 N. Los Robles Ave. was sold for $190.8 million as part of a portfolio sale to Brookfield Asset Management Inc.,
Small Business Saturday
The Economic Development Update also included a report on Pasadena’s Shop Small Business Saturday, held on Nov. 26, with the theme “Authentically Yours, Pasadena.”
Held in partnership with the Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau, this holiday shopping campaign continues through the holiday season and “amplifies the people, places and great finds that gives Pasadena its vibrancy and authentic flavor.”
The report said 27 small and independent businesses throughout the city served as official campaign welcome stations and were giving away “Authentically Yours, Pasadena” canvas shopping totes as free gifts.
“Small businesses reported strong sales, exceeding their expectations and daily goals,” the report said. “Overall, the ‘shop local’ campaign brought new customers and awareness to these independent businesses in Pasadena, and according to the feedback received from the businesses was a success.”
This year, the Economic Development office is also sending out “Gratitude” holiday cards as part of the business outreach program.
The full Economic Development Update will be presented before the City Council’s Economic Development and Technology (EDTech) Committee during a special meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6, starting at 4:30 p.m.


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While certified organic mushrooms make up only a fraction of the market, their numbers continue to grow.
Last year, 22.6 million pounds of U.S. mushrooms were sold as certified organic, said Laura Phelps, president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Mushroom Institute.
“That’s up 8% from the previous year, a pretty big jump,” Phelps said.
Joe Caldwell, vice president of Watsonville, Calif.-based Monterey Mushrooms, said organic may be growing faster than nonorganic mushrooms, but it’s still only about 3% to 4% of the total.
“Still, it’s going to continue to grow, and we see that trend continuing for the foreseeable future,” Caldwell said.
All mushrooms are almost organic, he said. Though few chemicals are used on the beds, synthetic fertilizers may be used in making the compost the mushrooms grow in.
Meg Hill, director of sales and marketing for Sebastopol, Calif.- based Gourmet Mushrooms Inc., said the growth of Gourmet’s organic specialty mushrooms has been “startlingly high” in the past year.
She wonders if it’s a reaction to Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster at Fukushima, or if consumers are simply more concerned about what’s in their food.
“I think the world is shifting enough that organic growth is guaranteed,” said Hill. “Our price point is high, and our growth is incredible. No one says we’re too expensive. Either they want it or they don’t.”
Rick Watters, sales manager of Champ’s Mushrooms Inc., Aldergrove, British Columbia, Western Canada’s largest mushroom distributor, said organics represent 8% to 10% of Champ’s market.
“It has remained fairly steady in the past few years, and we’re not seeing more demand,” Watters said.
On the East Coast, Peter Wilder, marketing director of Avondale, Pa., To-Jo Fresh Mushrooms Inc., said he hasn’t seen enough demand from customers to warrant the big step of seeking certification.
“In general, mushrooms are all natural, they’re healthy and they’re pretty much organic — we’re just not organically certified,” said Wilder.
Bill St. John, sales and transportation manager for Gonzales, Texas-based Kitchen Pride, said most people can name half a dozen items they’d buy as organic, and mushrooms aren’t on the list.
“It’s a small part of the market, and it’s more expensive,” he said.


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How bitcoin is performing today is a serious matter because a huge number of people have invested in it worldwide. A study shows that the number is more than 81 million as of March 2022. Predicting the future tendency of the asset is also important for investment purposes and Using Bitcoin the whole economy of the world.
But, why is it important to know its price history? Well, the alone present can’t decide an asset’s future potential. It is a whole thing to examine and understand, and based on its journey from the beginning till the date, its future can be predicted.
The Beginning of Bitcoins – 2009: How A Pseudonymous Person Created A Digital Currency
Bitcoin, the world’s first cryptocurrency or digital currency, was introduced in 2009 when the whole world was suffering from a global financial crisis. People almost lost their hope in traditional banks. Bitcoin’s creation was so significant for the contemporary situation, and it actually questioned the role of the traditional banking system and the trust of the people it needed to run.
A Year In Review: The First Trade And Price Rise Of 2010
In 2010 the first commercial transaction of bitcoin took place. As per the reports, a person from Florida bought two pizzas in exchange for a value of 10,000 Bitcoins. Since that incident, the market price of Bitcoins increased to $0.9 for the first time in history.
2011 to 2013:
From the Pizza incident, bitcoin’s price increased. On 13 April 2011, bitcoin jumped from $0.9 to $29.6. After that, a 2,960% growth in just three months was seen, which was quite a high. But, by the middle of November 2011, bitcoin’s price came down to $2.5.
The year 2012 was also good for bitcoin. In May, the price was $4.85, and in August, it reached $13.50.
2013 has witnessed a good amount of growth in bitcoin’s price. The year began at $13.28, and on 8 April, it rose to $230.
2014 to 2016:
These two years were not that memorable for bitcoin. The price moved from $841 in January 2014 to $952 in December 2016.
2017 to 2020:
At the beginning of 2017, bitcoin’s price started to gain again and reached $921.35 in January. After an overall continuous growth throughout the year, it gained a valuation of $13,062.15 in December.
From January 2018 to January 2019, bitcoin showed a fall in price from $9,914.47 to $ 3,441.03.In February 2019, it started growing again, and in June, it reached $12,028.08. In December, it again dropped to $7,251.28.
In January 2020, the price was $9,545, and through several ups and downs, it started increasing in September and reached $28,768.84 in December.
2021: How Bitcoin Became a Mainstream Sensation
2021 was a historical year for bitcoin because it was the year when its price reached an all-time high. It was a straight continuous growth from September 2020 to March 2021. On 7 January 2021, the price was $40,000, and in the middle of April, it reached over $60,000 for the very first time.
Further, it increased to $63,558 on 12 April 2021. After that, a sudden swing was found for a short period, and it dropped by 50%. But, on 10 November 2021, bitcoin’s price gained a massive amount and reached $ 68,796. It was a skyrocketing price for bitcoin from the beginning to till date. By the fall of 2021, it started dropping and ended the year at $46,164.
The Current State Of Bitcoins In 2022
In the current year of 2022, bitcoin is not performing well. In March, it reached $47,063.37 just one time, but after that, it was a continuous downfall to 28 May 2022 when the price became $28.646.65. But currently, bitcoin’s price is again increasing, but it is very slow growth. On 1 June 2022, it reached $31,865.75.
So, from the whole analysis of bitcoin’s price throughout its journey, it is proved that bitcoin is a highly volatile asset. Though, the volatility couldn’t stop traders frominvesting in it from various platforms like the This platform is backed by superior blockchain technology that assures you of the best and safe trading experience. Traders are really enjoying the volatility of bitcoin to earn multiple profits from every price swing.


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Loco for lottery: Carlton’s among state’s top outlets
Published 12:00 am Friday, January 27, 2012
By Jim Buice
The Clemmons Courier
When Tom Carlton bought the old Park Shell store at the corner of Harper Road and U.S. 158 in Clemmons in 1996, he knew it was a great spot for a convenience store or any other use.
But he never knew it would become one of the top lottery retailers in the state. Back then, the lottery didn’t even exist here.
However, the latest quarterly numbers released by the North Carolina Education Lottery for the period ending September 2011 place Carlton’s Tanglewood store in the top eight in four categories. That includes a first-place ranking in Powerball.
“That’s the best we’ve ever done,” Carlton said. “And we have not previously been No. 1 in any category.”
The store ranked No. 2 in Instant Scratch-Offs, No. 4 in Mega Millions and No. 8 in the Carolina Cash 5. And these rankings include all the statewide retailers, which Carlton estimates to be between 6,000 and 7,000.
Since the lottery came to the state in 2005, Carlton’s seized the opportunity with its prime location to become what manager Cindy Johnson calls “the lottery store.”
With winning tickets of $250,000, $100,000, $40,000 and some $10,000 winners over the years, Carlton’s reputation as a place to buy lottery tickets continued to grow.
Then last summer, the store got another tremendous boost when Advance’s Paula Graham won $4 million in the Instant Scratch-Off game.
“It kicked us up a notch,” Carlton said. “We’ve seen more people coming in since then.”
Of course, that means along with selling more lottery tickets, other items such as beer and cigarettes are sold.
Carlton said that when the rankings are released, people tend to travel to buy from a place that produces winning tickets.
“When they see those rankings, they will sometimes come to find the store,” he said. “We have people coming from all around.”
Although Carlton is happy to have customers who travel long distances to his store, he knows that the importance of having a strong local following.
“We have a tremendous amount of repeat business,” he said. “That’s what makes it a good business because we get to know the people and take care of them. My girls know exactly what they want when they come in the door.”
Johnson has said she knows the habits of many of the customers and has their tickets ready for them when they come through the door.
Certainly, it’s a different place than back in the day. The store was built on that corner in early 1920s by the grandparents of Gray Smith of Clemmons. It changed hands quite a few times in the early days, and after becoming Hilltop Shell, the original building was torn down.
Smith and a couple of partners opened Park Shell in 1964 in the current building.
It had gas, some groceries and other items before transitioning to a beer joint. It was also a popular spot because of its proximity to Davie, Davidson and Yadkin, then dry counties.
Carlton ended up buying the store from Smith’s mother and converting it to a convenience store, but even 15 years ago, it was more “out in the country.” He remembers when he bought the property, there was a pasture on the other side of Harper Road that has since been replaced by a shopping center.
Plus, Carlton realized the store was close to I-40, and he knew eventually westbound ramps would be built, creating more traffic. And now the new school has been opened on the other side of I-40 on Harper Road, and the new hospital is coming. . .
“I knew that the lot would be an excellent location for most any kind of business,” Carlton said.
Even a lottery store.