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In what could be a boost to the ‘Make in India’ campaign, the central government on Tuesday doubled the import duty on 328 textile products. The new import duty on these products is now 20 per cent as compared to the previous duty of 10 per cent.
The move could help the domestic textile manufacturing industry, helping them offer products which are more affordable. An increase in the production capacity could help generate employment for around 10 crore people.
Some of the items which will now become costlier following the hike in customs duty include imported swimwear, pyjamas, undergarments, tracksuits, etc. In addition to these items, carpets, druggets, dressing gowns, shawls, ski suits, woollen goods, etc. will also be more costly.
The move is likely to have an impact on the import of textiles from countries like Sri Lanka, China, Turkey, and Vietnam. Imported garments have traditionally been cheaper than local produced ones, with this hike in duties giving local products a competitive edge.
Sources: Times of India, Financial Express


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During the end of the Nintendo Direct today, Nintendo revealed a brand new trailer for Super Mario 3D World that showcased 10 new things about the game. Some of them we’ve known for a while now, such as the Captain Toad puzzle levels, but some of them were brand new reveals, like a Mario Kart stage and a stage where you play as an old-school top down shooter.
Additionally, Rosalina looks to be an unlockable character, which is something many people asked for in Week 2 of our MEGA Contest, where we asked which characters you’d like to see as unlockables in Super Mario 3D World. Which of these 10 things has you the most excited?
- Splatoon Wii U bundle spotted in the wild
- Will Splatoon be the next big Nintendo hit? [
- Wii console starts fire, almost burns down RV
- Super Smash Bros player has a bounty on him a
TAGS: Nintendo, super mario 3d world

domain: news


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The AM Dealer Conference is the annual forum for chief executives and senior managers in the retail motor industry. This year's event is at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Wednesday June 9, and will focus on the issues our readers tell us matter the most to them - issues that directly affect profitability today and business planning for tomorrow.
It's a unique opportunity to get inside the key issues affecting profitability from a range of speakers, including, Paolo Cesarini, head of unit, motor vehicles and other means of transport, within the Competition directorate-general of the European Commission, Paul Burrows, motor retail partner Grant Thornton Motor Retail, Graeme Potts, managing director Inchcape UK, Nigel Villiers, director of the Harley Owners' Group, Philip Wade, co-founded Harbour Wade Brown, Piers Trenear-Thomas consultant for Grant Thornton Motor Retail and Patricia Richards, chief executive Automotive skills. The moderator for the day will be Declan Curry, the BBC TV's Breakfast programme presenter and contibutor to News24.
The conference will look in detail at the strategies most likely to succeed for dealers and manufacturers operating in the new Block Exemption regime and will hear about the latest developments in Brussels, and at the Office of Fair Trading.
Visit www.am100conference.com to read more about the AM Dealer Conference or to order a brochure.


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Rumors about a new Samsung phone started circling the tech world since early this year. And now, we have more details than ever.
According to Sam Mobile, Samsung is working on a project named Project Valley, which centers on working around the technology that can work on phones with foldable options. Project V/Valley is a top-secret program, but tech experts agree that it has something to do with Samsung winning a patent on a foldable tablet and a foldable smartphone display, as Phone Arena reported.
So when is the release date for the Samsung foldable phone? It could be next year, 2016, reports Sam Mobile.
Business Korea earlier published in March this year, that LG and Samsung are both working on a new technlogy for their phone division. Samsung on flexible displays while LG was working on transparent displays.
What are the specs for this foldable phone?
Sam Mobile hinted that it will contain a Snapdragon 820 chipset or a Exynos 8890 processor. The battery will be non-removable, like the other Samsung smartphones, the RAM will be at least 3GB, and the phone will still be with a microSD slot.
Is this the next Galaxy S7? Nope. The rumors say no. And unfortunately, this phone might now be available outside, South Korea. Bummer. But still, let’s see if this is something we can all look forward to.


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Benoni Urey Attempts to Expose Liberian Rice Importers
Monrovia – Liberian politician, Benoni Urey, has reacted to comments from his political rivals and critics who condemned him for his advocacy on the reduction on the price of rice which he said was profitable for few importers.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah – [email protected]
“Insult was rained on me because I said when I am elected President, I will make sure that the price of rice is reduced in order to ease the suffering of our people. I stand by my statement!
It doesn’t take a magician to lower the price of rice. It only takes a government that cares about the livelihood of its people.” Presidential aspirant Benoni Urey
Rice is Liberia’s staple food but the price of the commodity continues to increase, something Urey said was burdensome to the citizens.
Recently, outgoing Deputy Information Minister Isaac Jackson, who has been named as Liberia’s Representative to the International Maritime Organization, criticized Urey for making a comment about the reduction in the price of rice.
Jackson further stated that Liberians were not suffering anymore and that they could afford to buy food to eat.
But Urey, who has a background in agriculture, resounded that it was not magical to reduce the price of rice, especially when government cares about the livelihood of its citizens.
“Insult was rained on me because I said when I am elected President; I will make sure that the price of rice is reduced, in order to ease the suffering of our people. I stand by my statement! It doesn’t take a magician to lower the price of rice.”
“It only takes a government that cares about the livelihood of its people,” said Urey.
In a FrontPage Africa conversation Wednesday in Careysburg at the climax of vacation job for youth, the All Liberian Party (ALP) political leader said the increase in the price of rice on the Liberian market was due to huge profits importers intend to gain.
He said opening the rice market to all importers would create competition that would lead to the reduction in the price of rice.
“Today in Liberia, rice is not expensive because the importers are buying it at a high price from international rice suppliers,” Urey said.
“It is expensive because these importers are making millions in profit every month by selling rice at a high price to our people.”
“This is something that our government is doing nothing about! Secondly, the government has refused to open the rice market to anyone who wishes to import rice into the country to sell at a cheaper price,” he added.
Urey said it is unfair for importers of rice to continuously benefit huge profit at the expense of Liberians.
According to him, the current price of rice on the Liberian market is exorbitant thus making the country’s stable food a “luxury”.
“Why must rice be a business that a few people get rich on, considering the dire state that the country is in?
Consider the fact that on each bag of rice, these importers make up to $3.00USD profit ($285.00LD). Don’t you think that this is too much?”
The ALP Political leaders cautioned his critics, especially those in government, to begon crafting policies that would improve the lives of citizens.
At the same time, Urey noted that condemnations and insults from the public could in no way deter him from pointing to odds in the Liberian society, thus stressing the need for job creation, improved education and healthcare among others to be prioritized for Liberians.
Rice has an infamous history in Liberia, as on April 14, 1979, violence over the price of rice jolted the Liberian capital, marking a new political beginning in the country’s history.


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The Oculus Quest is an all-in-one gaming system that includes a VR headset and two controllers. It doesn’t require any additional device, such as a PC or mobile phone or have any cables to restrict player movement. Oculus is expected to sell 1.3 million units of the Quest in 2019, according to SuperData. Coming this year, the device will cost $399.
“Beat Saber” is the popular VR rhythm game which tasks players to slash through beats in time with music.
Beat Games head of marketing Michaela Dvorak commented on the experience of playing “Beat Saber” on Oculus Quest in a press release.
“Playing ‘Beat Saber’ on Oculus Quest allows you to make literally any move you want,” Dvorak said. “You can easily add that extra dance move, and that feeling when you don’t have to watch out for any cables is priceless. I’m a big fan of Rift, but Beat Saber on Quest is a whole new level of experience! Visuals look absolutely stunning, gameplay is smooth and polished, and tracking is just great. Watching the game evolve on this platform was pretty exciting.”
The news comes after lots of teasing from Oculus ahead of the Game Developer Conference, which starts Monday in San Francisco. It’s well-timed, too, considering that on Thursday it was announced that “Beat Saber” has sold over one million copies.
Dvorak also hinted that fans of the rhythm game can anticipate an upcoming merchandise line for the game.
“For the future, I plan to bring our players a fresh new merch collection—complete with sports clothing that definitely comes in handy when playing ‘Beat Saber,’” Dvorak said. “We also have some pretty big plans in the works, so this will be an exciting journey. Stay tuned!”


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Fashion designer Kenzo Takada, who made his name into a world-renowned fashion brand, died on Sunday. He was 81.
Takada was famed for his jungle-infused designs and free-spirit aesthetic, inspired by global travel.
"It is with immense sadness that KENZO has learned of the passing of our founder," the fashion house said in a statement. "For half a century, Mr Takada has been an emblematic personality in the fashion industry — always infusing creativity and color into the world."
The KENZO fashion house had just unveiled its bee-themed collection during Paris Fashion Week.
"His amazing energy, kindness and talent and smile were contagious," said KENZO's artistic director, Felipe Oliveira Beptista, who released the new range to fashion editors. "His kindred spirit will live forever."
Kenzo Takada was born in 1939 and grew up with six siblings near the Japanese city of Himeji.
Even as a young boy with a flair for drawing he was fascinated by fashion — inspired by his sisters' magazines. He gained his first experience designing and tailoring outfits for dolls.
Takada studied at Tokyo's Bunka College of Fashion after which he had a brief stint working in Japan before relocating to France in 1965.
He arrived in the French port of Marseilles aged 25, intending to stay only for a short while, and would become the first Japanese designer to make it big in France.
The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, tweeted that the city was "mourning one of its sons," saying the designer had given space to color and light in fashion.
Takada retired from the fashion brand in 1999 to pursue a career in art.
The KENZO brand has been owned by French luxury goods company LVMH since 1993.
"Kenzo Takada has, from the 1970s, infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him," said LVMH chief, Bernard Arnault.


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According to the German ratings board USK, a Special Edition version of The Secret of Monkey Island may be on its way to (of all things) Xbox 360. Presumably this will be downloadable via Xbox Live rather than boxed.
While obviously this must be counted as rumour (not least of which because it raises many questions), let's not forget that just last year USK were the ones that first alerted the adventure gaming community to the existence of Broken Sword on DS and Wii.
Whatever happens, let's hope it's true and that it's coming out on PC and Wii too. Until then, let your imaginations run riot over the tantalising phrase "Special Edition"...
(Additional thanks to Diduz for spotting this first!)


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With the release of the latest Samsung Gear smartwatch SDK today, Samsung has revealed a handful of new information on its upcoming smartwatch including some hardware specs, navigation details and how the UI of the Tizen-powered device will look.
Though Samsung has a smart watch on the market with Android Wear, many other models are powered by its own Tizen operating system. Even the original Galaxy Gear, powered by Android at release, was updated to Tizen to many owners dismay. But it looks like the great folks at ... Read More »
Samsung introduced us to the Gear S back in August, showing off its new wearable that sports a gigantic 2-inch display and its own cellular connection. Fast-forward to today and Sammy has revealed when those of us in the US will be able to slap a Gear S on our wrist.
... Read More »
Most Tweeted This Week
The Samsung Gear S is the newest wristwatch from the folks in Seoul, and it’s got a few ... Read More »
Over the past year or two, Samsung has been hard at work on building out a new mobile operating system called Tizen. Now the time for Tizen to enter into the market has finally arrived, and while the OS has already appeared on Samsung’s Gear smartwatches, today marks the launch of the first Tizen-powered smartphone, the Samsung Z. The ... Read More »
When Samsung announced its new Gear 2 and Gear Fit wearables last month, it said that the Tizen-powered wearables would launch in April but declined to reveal the prices for either device, saying instead that that information would be revealed at a later date. Now that we’re ... Read More »
Samsung’s first Galaxy Gear smartwatch was running Android, so it was fairly simple for developers to get started creating apps for the device. With the new Gear series, Samsung has dropped the Galaxy name and Android OS, opting for Tizen instead. This means making apps for developers will be a little more complicated.
To make ... Read More »
For many a year now, Android and iOS have butted heads in their battle to be the top mobile OS. They both have strong points, as well as both having weak points. And both of them reign supreme in different areas. But the time could be coming for Android to face a new nemesis. A ... Read More »
If some tweets from industry insider Eldar Murtazin are correct, Samsung could be headed down an interesting path with Android. In order to fight falling stocks and continue growth, Samsung could be looking to diversify their portfolio, but not with Tizen like originally planned. Samsung may be working on their own version of Android.
... Read More »
According to a new rumor from Jonathan Geller at BGR, Research In Motion may be looking beyond licensing parts of its BlackBerry operating system and moving on to selling entire divisions or more. According to Geller’s sources, Samsung is very interested in the company. But it wouldn’t be to make BlackBerry devices with Samsung hardware, ... Read More »


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TO: News Desk
DATE: 14th June 2012
Healthy Signs of Growth Despite Economy
A Cornish company is on target to achieve a 75% increase on last year’s turnover, despite the current economy.
Established 13 years ago, 20/20 who are based in Falmouth, experienced their busiest ever month in March.
With their financial year ending in July, despite the current recession, the business has nearly doubled its turnover in the past year, providing graphic and interior design and build to clients throughout the UK and beyond.
Managing Director Jaimie Sibert believes the reasons for 20/20’s increase in turnover are straightforward:
“20/20 has seen dramatic growth this year for three clear reasons. We have invested in and focussed on our marketing which has helped new clients to find us in the first place. Expanding the team has given us a broader overall skillset and a variety of experience to bring to the new projects. More than this, though, we have consistently met - and frequently exceeded - our clients’ expectations. This in turn has produced some extremely valuable recommendations.”
Jaimie says that it is the combination of services that 20/20 offers that is in demand:
“20/20 is quite different in that it provides design that has considered all the relevant practical elements of a project. You’re just as likely to see one of our fit-out team in the design studio advising on the practical elements of a concept, as you are one of our creatives on site providing a design eye. It’s this hands-on, integrated approach that means our design concepts are not only realistic in the first place, but that they’re delivered correctly - and to fixed budgets too.”
In recent months, the majority of 20/20’s work has been in the visitor experience sector for museums, tourist attractions and galleries as they prepare for the tourism season and focus on ways to attract increasingly high visitor numbers.
Recent projects include exhibition build at Heartlands, retail design and fit-out for Royal Cornwall Museum, alongside work with Tate St Ives and Land's End. The National Trust has been particularly impressed with the company's service offering, commissioning 20/20 on nine such projects over the last six months.
Overall there is a real variety of work in demand. 20/20 delivered the signage for Tremough Innovation Centre, a large office design and fit-out project for Coastline Housing and has an ongoing relationship with Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust. Today projects are getting underway across the South of the UK and even in Paris.
Looking ahead, the agency has a healthy pipeline thanks to recent tender and project wins. In the planning is more interpretation work for the National Trust, international exhibition stands for a number of clients and a way-finding design project for the Forestry Commission.
A new graphic designer joined 20/20 in January and a new interior designer has just begun. Together with a new office administrator, this takes the team up to 19 staff and the company is considering further recruitment later this year.
Jaimie Sibert bought the company when it was known as Scantec in 1999. Being a specialist in designing and desktop publishing at that time, he invested in the company, changed its name and developed its purpose in line with market trends and demand.
For further information please visit www.2020projects.com
Contact: Helen Mulhern at Eventy – Marketing & PR on 01326 376273 / email@example.com
Grace Williams at 20/20 on firstname.lastname@example.org / 01326 372520
Photo: Please find attached two low res images of Jaimie Sibert. Higher res and alternative imagery available on request.


text: For April 2014, Chinese authorities had suggested exports to the rest of the world added up to around $188 billion. In the latest figures released today, total exports in the month of April 2019 were around $195 billion. In five years, exports have grown by a little more than 3%. Not per year, total……Chinese exports last month were down 2.7% from April 2018. For all of 2019 so far, export totals are almost identical to those in the same months of 2018.


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As a successor to NVIDIA’s most well-acclaimed Maxwell Architecture comes the Pascal. While the company has told us that there is a project underway for manufacturing the Pascal Series of GPUs set for release this year, rumours on the internet say that release dates and prices are now available. This coupled up with the recent news of four NVIDIA Pascal cards being spotted during shipping on their way to India for testing purposes gives an idea of the extent to which development of the GPUs has proceeded.
Price and Launch Date
The release date for NVIDIA Pascal is likely to be the fourth quarter of this year i.e. Oct to Dec. There is no indication of its release before said period of time, and there are also no specific ideas on the price of the gadget either. All we can tell you at this point is that GPUs of similar specifications from the company have cost anywhere from £100 to £900. Also, no matter what your requirements are, chances are that a project this big would involve the manufacture of a GPU to suit it. Hence, if you’re looking to lay your hands on one of these babies, consider starting to save money now.
As expected, the Pascal Series will make use of the latest 16 nm finFET technology for its fabrication as compared to the Maxwell architecture that uses the 28nm technology. The devices will also use the Mixed Precision Floating Point Consumption (or FP16) which further increases its speed and power. Finally, the memory included in the gadget will be high bandwidth, meaning that this series of GPUs will have more power, more flexibility, and more stability than all preceding GPU architectures.
While the release of the GPU is still several months away, we will keep giving you updates as and when new information becomes available.


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Apple's latest X11 update fixed a flaw that prevented the popular open-source office suite OpenOffice from starting up.
The company first released its X11 update ten days ago, but issued a replacement update this week. This is because the previous version of the update carried some font problems, which stopped OpenOffice.
"This new update fixes the issue of the fonts being corrupt, which prevented the current stable version of OpenOffice.org from starting. OpenOffice.org now starts again with no problems," said the developers of the suite.
Apple's latest version of X11 is available here.


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VisaEurope’s new pan-European payment authorisation platform went live at the start of 2007. The core of the platform is a BASE 24 framework, but CIO Steve Chambers maintains that what has since been built into it makes it unrecognisable as such.
He shares his company’s ambitions that the system becomes Europe’s de-facto card payments system, even though the European Commission is wary of handing so much financial power to one company.
“We are the only pan-European card payments system, owned and controlled by the European banks that is completely SEPA-compliant,” he says. “The European commission is still pushing for a third scheme [alongside Visa and Mastercard]. We would argue that we are the European payment scheme.
“This is a scale area. More smaller switches is less efficient than fewer huge switches.”
In June 2010, the last of the member banks who had agreed to adopt the system were switched over to the clearing and settlement systems.
There are still some member banks in mainland Europe that have not yet migrated to the new system, but Chambers believes they may do so as their existing technology reaches the end of its natural life.
In the meantime, he is concerned with making sure the platform he built will meet the demands of Visa’s customers.
“The performance of the system is an overwhelming priority for me,” he says. “We have to keep the volume of transactions competitive. Mastercard hands on a transaction at 140 milliseconds. We switch at 20. It’s getting to the stage where the retailer and the merchant bank is the impact point of the process.”
In an environment where consumers are increasingly impatient to complete their payment and go, transaction processing times have to be shaved to the bone. In the UK Chambers has managed to reduce time-out levels to five seconds, and 95 per cent of responses are quicker than two seconds. All of this means member banks’ systems linked to Visa
’s new platform have to match that performance or they become a bottleneck.
“The issuer system can get loaded, so we are looking at their volumes and making sure that they’ve got the system capacity so nothing goes wrong in the chain,” Chambers explains.
Alongside increasing demands on performance, the platform was also built to set Visa up to offer new services over mobile and contactless systems.
Contactless Visa debit and credit cards, for instance, allow people to make quick low-value payments for articles such as newspapers and snacks. It allows Visa to move into the low-value but high-volume convenience payments space that is the last refuge of cash. It’s a big part of the firm’s intent to replace cash altogether.
High volumes at high speed mean high-transaction performance – something that would possibly have stretched Visa’s old payments platform.
Similarly, the move to mobile payments reflects consumers’ desire to have greater control over their lives through a single device. Increasingly people communicate through their mobile phones and Chambers thinks they will want to exchange money in the same way.
“The next generation is comfortable with these technologies before they start spending money with plastic cards, so we are going to see a surge in the change to electronic payments,” says Chambers.


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19 Jun 2014 18:20pm
WINDHOEK, 19 JUN (NAMPA) There are several other markets available for Namibian meat and meat products across the globe, acting chief veterinary officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John Shoopala says.
He said countries such as Finland, Canada, the United States of America and China have shown an interest in the country's meat and meat products.
Shoopala was speaking here on Thursday during the Agricultural Trade Forums public dialogue on the future of the Namibian livestock industry in light of the new veterinary requirements by neighbouring South Africa.
Late last year, South Africa imposed stringent veterinary import conditions for Namibian livestock, especially those intended for direct slaughter and feedlots.
Currently, all animals have to be tested as per a new permit system implemented from 01 May 2014.
The new requirements for the import of livestock introduced by South Africa will have socio-economic consequences, particularly for small livestock and communal farmers who depend on livestock exports for sustenance.
South Africa is a traditional market for Namibian livestock and meat products.
We just have to develop our abattoirs and feedlot systems in order to produce our meat and meat products for other available markets, Shoopala stated.
He suggested that a formal market and abattoirs be developed for goats.
We have to formalise goat meat production, he advised.
Investment in fodder production, such as green schemes dedicated to fodder production, is an important segment in the development of a feedlot system, he added.
These are some of the possible strategies for a sustainable livestock sector that would reduce reliance on live exports, Shoopala said.
He noted that these strategies will also create value addition for the country's livestock, create employment for the country's youth, and make Namibia a self-reliant country.
On 10 June this year, South African livestock stakeholders held a meeting and several resolutions were made regarding the Standard of Operation Procedures (SOP).
It was decided that the import requirements will be streamlined to facilitate trade whilst safeguarding South African animals health status.
They also agreed in principle that livestock destined for abattoirs and feedlots may be handled differently from those meant for breeding purposes.
This is likely to take place as from 01 July this year.
These conditions are very stringent and make it very difficult for Namibia to export live cattle, sheep and goats to that country, Shoopala said, adding that most animals exported to South Africa are non-breeding.
However, he explained, South Africa indicated that non breeding animals permits will only be operationalised if SOPs are in place.
The SOPs are not yet in place and there is still no draft SOP for goats.
Shoopala described the cost of compliance, which includes individual testing and treatment and cost of pre-export isolation, as cumbersome.


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Sep 29, 2015 Faced with soaring prices in the hottest urban markets, young would-be homebuyers will likely flock to the suburbs.
Sep 16, 2015 Fannie Mae overhauls a loan option to reflect economic realities.
Aug 7, 2015 Marie Kondo's philosophy on cleaning your house can work for your checkbook, too.
Aug 5, 2015 Its investment in low-income communities helped the area rebuild after Katrina.
Jul 2, 2015 Spoiler alert: Racism still exists. And research shows it affects lending.
Jun 30, 2015 The Export Import Bank’s charter expires Wednesday at midnight.
Marketplace Weekend Staff
May 15, 2015 We dug into your hidden fees with consumer columnist David Lazarus.
May 11, 2015 A growing interest in cooking has given small appliances a comeback.
Apr 10, 2015 What to do when your dream home needs sprucing up.
Jan 30, 2015 A drop in homeownership might — or might not — be a key economic indicator.


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The Future Of Luxury NFTs Isn’t Art
At the beginning of the year, Beeple made headlines around the world for selling a digital artwork for $69 Million. That $69 million was spent by a crypto investor who has ties to NFTs and crypto platforms of his own. You couldn’t get better advertising if you spent that money on billboards and TV commercials. The world was hooked, and digital artists flooded on board hoping to finally make some money for the hard work they’ve been sharing with the internet for free.
It’s such a beautiful concept it makes you wonder where the strings are. Pay a small gas fee in Etherium to get a sale going. Then hopefully sell someone the idea that they “own” your jpeg, but give away none of the rights to that image (unless you explicitly say so). Any future sales of the work automatically send you a small royalty cut, perhaps the greatest feature is that it’s hard to enforce in the real world.
Thousands of artists flooded NFT platforms plunking down ETH and discovering that having an NFT on the blockchain doesn’t equal life changing amounts of money. Maybe if you have a name and a following already you make a few tidy sales. Maybe if you have a name and a following, you’ve found that someone’s already pretending to be you and has already hawked a few of your pieces off. Although just because someone’s made an NFT out of your art doesn’t mean you’re precluded from making another. It’s not like NFTs have anything to do with the art they’re associated with anyway.
In June Sotheby’s did a landmark auction of NFTs just a few short months after Beeple was used as a marketing campaign for the concept. This was the mainstream putting its mark of approval on the whole endeavour. The top selling piece at the auction was a Cryptopunk, beating out pieces made by known artists by a tidy 10 million USD. The 24 by 24 pixel piece was sold to Israeli entrepreneur Shalom Meckenzie for a whopping $11.7 million.
One off art pieces definitely have a harder time gaining traction. The intrinsic hype, FOMO and free publicity generated by the likes of the Bored Ape collection, NBA Top shots and Cryptopunks means one off art pieces will never quite measure up. Even Beeple’s collection stunk like trading cards by its very nature of being a daily work.
But selling artwork purely for arts sake is already becoming somewhat old fashioned. NFTs are finding new ways to validate their existence by offering themselves as club cards to exclusive areas by logging into their metamask wallet and visiting the site. Consider your wallet a universal login that isn’t tied to megacorps like Facebook or Google.
If NFTs are going to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to continue evolving in this direction. Being nothing more than ethereal proofs of purchase isn’t particularly exciting and is only useful to people looking to launder crypto. But being keys of some kind to unlock other things within the digital world is much cooler and interesting. These have already been floated in the shape of digital goods extracted from games, not particularly practical, but its heart is somewhat in the right place.
But in terms of the art world, NFTs will probably always be a curiosity. I don’t know any artists personally who find value in them, and most think it’s downright unethical to even engage at all with the concept, considering the raw amount of energy required to do transactions. There are a few out there that do it for the hustle, but the truly passionate are the cryptobros following the crypto playbook of desperately evangelising the tech to keep pumping their value.
At the end of the day, NFTs as artworks are just clout vampires sucking every drop out of their associated works. The future for NFTs, if they even have one, is somewhere else.


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Sanderson Farms Inc. reported results for the first quarter of fiscal 2016 ended January 31, 2016. Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2016 were $605.2 million compared with $667.4 million for the same period a year ago. The company reported net income of $10.7 million, or $0.47 per share, for the quarter compared with net income of $66.5 million, or $2.87 per share, for the first quarter of fiscal 2015.
"Our results for the first quarter reflect significantly weaker market prices for products sold from our big bird deboning plants compared with last year’s first quarter,” said Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Sanderson Farms, Inc. “Poultry market prices for our tray pack products sold to retail grocery store customers were only slightly lower when compared with the same period a year ago, and we also experienced lower grain costs. As a result, margins on tray pack products remained strong. On the other hand, the food service market is over supplied, primarily as a result of continued weak export demand. Poultry products that would normally be directed for sale in the export markets are instead being sold in the domestic food service market. While conditions improved in January, headwinds remain in the export market even though most avian-influenza related bans on United States poultry products have been lifted. Currency issues, political issues and weak oil prices remain."
The company’s results were also affected by a higher effective tax rate. The company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended January 31, 2016, was 44.9 percent as compared with 35.2 percent for the three months ended January 31, 2015. The increase in the effective tax rate is primarily attributable to the company’s decision to take advantage of legislation enacted during December 2015 that allowed for bonus depreciation to be taken on qualifying assets placed in service during the 2015 calendar year. This legislation, and the company’s election to accelerate depreciation on these items, resulted in a favorable impact on the company’s first quarter income tax receivable, but had an unfavorable effect on tax deductions that are based on or limited by levels of taxable income. The higher effective tax rate cost approximately $2.0 million, or $0.09 per share, net of income tax. Had the company not elected to take advantage of the legislation, the effective tax rate would have been 35.1 percent, and the company expects its effective tax rate to return to approximately 35.1 percent for the balance of fiscal 2016.
According to Sanderson, overall market prices for poultry products were lower during the first quarter compared with the same period last year. Compared with the first fiscal quarter of 2015, the average Georgia dock price for whole chickens was approximately 0.8 percent lower, boneless breast meat prices were approximately 21.6 percent lower, the average market price for bulk leg quarters decreased by approximately 48.4 percent, and jumbo wing prices were lower by 2.7 percent. The company’s average feed cost per pound of poultry products processed decreased 2.9 cents per pound, or 10 percent, compared with the first quarter of fiscal 2015, and prices paid for corn and soybean meal, the company’s primary feed ingredients, decreased 1.8 percent and 20.9 percent, respectively, compared with the first quarter of fiscal 2015.
“Near record corn and soybean crops harvested in the United States last fall contributed to healthy soybean and corn balance tables headed into the 2016 planting season,” added Sanderson. “Lower grain prices provided a significant tail wind during fiscal 2015, and had we priced all of our fiscal 2016 grain needs at yesterday’s prices, our grain costs would be lower by $61.4 million during fiscal 2016 compared with fiscal 2015.
“Broiler egg sets have been only slightly higher than the previous year’s levels in recent weeks and, we believe, reflect caution on the part of some in light of the challenging export market environment. In addition to weak export markets, food service markets weakened as well at the end of the calendar year. Stock market volatility and uncertainty regarding the global economy affected consumer behavior as restaurants reported weaker sales numbers in December, and these factors and severe weather across much of the United States affected traffic through food service establishments in January.
“Construction of our new St. Pauls, North Carolina, complex is on schedule to allow us to open the plant during next year’s first fiscal quarter, while we continue to move toward full production at our new Palestine, Texas, complex. We will begin the second shift in Palestine starting in April, and we expect the plant to reach full production in the Company’s fourth fiscal quarter. We look forward to the opportunities the new facilities will create,” added Sanderson.
Source: Sanderson Farms


text: “New Zealand sits in wonderful isolation in the middle of the South Pacific. In an uncertain world that has been gripped by a pandemic, it has become one of the safest places on earth, closing its borders to all but those who are willing to spend two weeks quarantining in a hotel room and pay NZD$3,100 (USD$2,100) for the privilege. As a result, it has recorded just a few deaths and, at the time of writing, life in New Zealand has largely returned to normal. When New Zealand reopens its borders to visitors and flights resume, the country will go back on the bucket-list destination and the country’s roads will, once again, be filled with camper vans. Its major attraction is undoubtedly its natural beauty: snow-capped peaks, lush native forests, a movie about a ring and a flightless bird. There’s no doubt that the local wine producers benefit positively from being set in this spectacular country, but this halo effect will only glow brightly if its wines offer the depth and purity of its glacial lakes. There are more than 700 wine producers in New Zealand and it’s fair to say that as few as 10 percent are truly polishing that halo although the same could be said of other wine regions around the world. That doesn’t deny the fact that there are now a lot of high cropped, homogenous Sauvignon Blancs filling the shelves. They are often bulk shipped and bottled in an industrial estate on the outskirts of a nondescript town thousands of miles from the vineyard. They are then given a made-up place name or, worse still, commit an act of cultural appropriation by adopting Māori words and designs purely for profit. This is a relatively recent phenomenon: the rise of the bulk wine market occurred after a bumper 2008 crop of modest quality Sauvignon Blanc. It was a perfect storm coinciding with a global financial crisis leading to an oversupply situation, which created the rationale for increasing bulk shipments. Bulk exports jumped from just 4.3 million liters in 2008 to 18.3 million liters in 2009 and today that figure stands at around 100 million liters, equivalent to 40% of exports. This has been a fundamental shift for New Zealand and the resulting wines on shelf are certainly not maintaining its halo. The country’s credentials as a fine wine producer aren’t helped by the fact that the country’s success has largely been based on a grape variety that many wine collectors love to disparage, unfairly, in my opinion. Sauvignon Blanc accounts for 88% of wine that leaves New Zealand ports but 63% of what’s in the ground, which has led to countless accusations that New Zealand is in danger of being a one-trick pony and over-reliant on one variety. Curiously, there is little concern relating to Sancerre’s Sauvignon-centric status. However, there’s no escaping the fact that Sauvignon Blanc is also subject to abuse: the variety retains its signature aromatics at audaciously high yields but there’s no hiding the dilution that such intensive viticulture provides. Supermarket-level wines are commonly cropped at 15t/ha and yields can go even higher for bulk wines. Master of Wine Steve Smith says, “Sauvignon Blanc should not be denigrated and relegated to a high-cropped, refreshing white. It can be much more than that, you just have to try harder: look at Dagueneau, Pavillon Blanc and Cheval Blanc’s new white.” As these wines show in the right hands, Sauvignon Blanc can offer both finesse, depth and longevity. There is a perception that this is a variety that cannot age and does not deserve a position in the ranks of fine wine grapes, which needs to be corrected. In an attempt to protect Marlborough’s reputation and distinguish the quality-oriented producers from the high-cropped, bulk-shipped wines, a group of local producers launched Appellation Wine Marlborough in 2018. Approved wines must be 100% grown in Marlborough with a maximum yield imposed (which, at 15t/ha seems a little on the generous side) before being bottled in New Zealand and approved by a tasting panel. It’s still a work in progress but for members like Dog Point, which crops its Sauvignon Blanc at around 8t/ha, it is clear that not all Sauvignons are equal, and that message needs to be conveyed. “We need to protect the tip of the sword and that’s why we got involved in Appellation Wine Marlborough,” says Dog Point’s Matt Sutherland. It is the distinctiveness of Marlborough Sauvignon that first won over drinkers in the 1980s. It’s not just marketing: research has shown that the region’s wine can be distinguished by their “fruity and green-perceived characters”. A key component of this distinctive style is the region’s high concentrations of thiols. These sulfur-containing compounds, formed by yeast during fermentation are responsible for some of the variety’s distinctive aromas such as passionfruit, boxwood (cat’s pee) and grapefruit characters. Research has shown that thiol levels in Marlborough are much higher than Sauvignons made in other parts of the world and, in combination with other wine chemistry and this cool climate’s bright acidity, they are truly distinctive. There’s not yet conclusive proof why Marlborough has such high levels of thiols compared with other Sauvignon specialists. It is likely to be a combination of factors including the climate, soil and potentially the MS clone, which is the source of most Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. However, scientists have discovered that machine harvesting Sauvignon can increase the level of thiols by as much as five to ten times compared with hand-picking the fruit. The classic style that this creates has attracted many drinkers who know what they’re going to get when they buy a bottle. Success inevitably attracts those looking for a piece of the action.” --Rebecca Gibb MW, New Zealand Whites: The State of Play, November 2020 To read Rebecca's first report and learn about the temperature of the New Zealand white wine scene, check out the full article on Vinous now. Below is a selection of notes from the report.


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- Griffin Gaming Partners announced the creation of the world’s largest gaming fund, garnering $750 million for its game-focused venture capital fund.
- Peter Levin, Phil Sanderson, and Nick Tuosto (a Griffin adviser and managing director at Liontree) founded the fund to invest in gaming and related industries such as esports, gaming infrastructure, tools, social gaming platforms, streaming, and the cloud.
- Griffin Gaming Partners now manages more than $1 billion in assets for gaming investments through its two funds.
Griffin Gaming Partners announced that it had raised the largest gaming fund in history, raising $750 million for its game-focused venture capital fund. The fund’s founders, Peter Levin, Phil Sanderson, and Nick Tuosto (a Griffin adviser and managing director at Liontree), focus on gaming and associated areas such as esports, gaming infrastructure, tools, social gaming platforms, streaming, and the cloud. Griffin Gaming Partners now manages over $1 billion in-game investments through its two funds.
The fund’s size reveals a great deal about the condition of games and game finance (which we will discuss at GamesBeat Summit 2022). According to market researcher Newzoo, gaming has surpassed music as the world’s most effective form of entertainment, with $180.3 billion in revenue expected in 2021. This figure exceeded Newzoo’s previous forecast of $175.8 billion, owing to growth in mobile gaming and continued strength in the core console business for the Nintendo Switch, Sony PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
When asked what the $750 million fundraising round meant, This suggests that now is a perfect moment to be a founder. When he considers the history of gaming, he realizes that it has a reputation among investors as a very hit-driven industry with a difficult time making money. The majority of people who invest in this category do so for a portion of their time. They are not all in on the joke. They keep a close eye on this area. It requires knowledge, relationships, and a laser-like focus, he added.
According to Drake Star Partners, 2021 was a record year for video game agreements, with $85 billion in value over 1,159 announced or finalized transactions. That was nearly thrice the amount in 2020. It resulted from gaming’s unprecedented boom during the epidemic, as individuals used games to pass the time during lockdowns. These practices persisted when lockdowns were lifted and reintroduced, and gaming firms profited.
Levin stated in an interview with GamesBeat that Phil Sanderson is the longest-running active venture capitalist investing in games, having sponsored in Discord first. Nick Tuosto is undoubtedly the industry’s top banker. He has access to a wealth of private data and a keen understanding of what buyers and strategic investors are searching for. He has spent his whole career at the nexus of gaming and journalism. He noted that these realms of gaming, television, sport, social media, creative economies, and brands are now merging.
Drake Star Partners now anticipates more than $150 billion in deals in 2022, owing to the more than $85 billion in sales already announced in January, including Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, Take-acquisition Two’s of Zynga for $12.7 billion, and Sony’s acquisition of Bungie for $3.6 billion. Acquisition prices for game companies continue to rise.
Levin admitted that new sources of funding are flooding into gaming. At times, this results in artificially inflated values, which they are not interested in, he explained. They are at ease with adhering to their models, and logical entrepreneurs gravitate toward that strategy. According to Newzoo, the gaming market has surpassed movies, music, and books combined. It is the fastest-growing consumer trend globally, with a projected 248 percent raise over the next decade.
According to Newzoo, the global gaming business is expected to reach a remarkable $256 billion in yearly consumer expenditure by 2025. According to DFC Intelligence, one-third of the world’s population, or 3.1 billion gamers, spend about an hour a day playing games.
Tuosto stated that it is not just a big market in aggregate but also a market with several subcategories, each with its characteristics and each team addressing things differently. It’s pretty challenging to transform this into the type of pattern recognition and muscle memory that investors build for other asset classes. The addressable market for gaming is around two-thirds the size of the addressable market for commercial software. The absence of professional investors in this market is a glaring error, and that is our premise.
Tuosto noted that they have competition in this category from other fundraisers. This implies that there will be a lot more innovation, he explained. It’s terrific that more individuals are playing games daily and for more extended periods. That opportunity generates more significant income. It is only natural that additional cash should be available to serve that audience.
Levin stated that the epidemic had altered people’s perceptions of games. Its trajectory is rapidly overtaking film, television, literature, and music. And parents are becoming aware that their children are becoming engaged in gaming and are developing the habit. They’re coming to terms with the fact that this is, in fact, a thing, Levin explained. According to App Annie, consumers would spend an average of 5 billion hours and $1.7 billion a week on mobile games in the first half of 2021.
According to Phil Sanderson, managing director of Griffin Gaming Partners, the barriers between gaming, media, sport, and social connectedness have become increasingly blurred. They gain a bird’s eye view of the industry and what it will take to succeed in the following interactive entertainment phase across platforms, genres, and demographics by reviewing over 1,300 qualified investment opportunities per year.
By investing in both early- and late-stage gaming firms, the new fund will help drive these acquisitions. Griffin invests in content, software infrastructure, social networks, and Web3 firms focused on gaming. The company’s first fund began in 2019 and was announced in November 2020 with a capital commitment of $235 million. Griffin Gaming Partners was the top-performing fund in 2019 with an internal rate of return of 81 percent, according to statistics released by Pitchbook.
Griffin asserts that its track record and competitive advantage are based on pattern identification gleaned from historical knowledge, proprietary research, and hands-on experience growing portfolio companies.
According to Tuosto, they can get their hands on a thing and determine whether it’s enjoyable. That is the aspect of the work that does not always transfer into numerical values. However, he believes it is a unique mix to analyze thousands of data points used to assess a company’s performance and make sense of the data and comparisons across the gaming industry. They examine dozens of offers in a given category, if not more. They constantly provide a consumer perspective.
Each year, the Griffin team analyses massive data and evaluates over 1,300 qualifying investment options to inform perspectives on growth, retention, and monetization. Using its unique skills and emphasis on gaming, the company aids portfolio firms with hiring and business development.
Levin stated that they are all in it for the culture; they play games, are passionate about them, care deeply about the business, and ultimately invest in the ecosystem. This results in creating jobs and opportunities for people to create jobs, Levin explained. Additionally, scalability is critical. However, they are intensely focused on early-stage investments by design.
Griffin Gaming Partners was founded in Santa Monica, California, by general partner Peter Levin, co-founder of Nerdist Industries and former Lionsgate president of interactive ventures, games, and digital strategy; Phil Sanderson, a venture capitalist with two decades of experience in play investing; and Nick Tuosto, managing director of investment banking firm LionTree. Liontree is the fund’s strategic partner.
Their primary concept is to study as much as possible about a category they are enthusiastic about, to be active and understand where buyers’ minds are, what they find appealing, where they want to purchase, and to invest in patterns that indicate where the puck is headed. Tuosto described this as a distinctive aspect of their strategy.
Levin was instrumental in bringing Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy from Westworld to work on a video series for Amazon based on the Fallout video games and bringing Candy Crush Saga to CBS for a program. He also assisted with integrating John Wick and Reservoir Dogs into Fortnite and Pay Day. He believes we’ll see even more triumphs in the future, such as the Sonic the Hedgehog film and the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher novels.
Sanderson, who runs 100-mile races regularly and just finished a 240-mile race, formerly worked at IDG Ventures and has invested in games for 23 years, with deals including Funzio, Next Games, Telltale, and Plain Vanilla Games. Levin explained that the organization leverages its extensive network to assist game developers with employment, commercial growth, and corporate development.
Toronto is one of the most active investments and acquisition advisers in the gaming industry, having advised on seven 2020 transactions, including Take-Two Interactive’s $12.7 billion acquisition of Zynga, Electronic Arts’ $1.3 billion acquisition of Playdemic, Scopely’s acquisition of FoxNext Games, AppLovin’s acquisition of Machine Zone, and Phoenix Labs’ sale to Garena. He was also involved in the (partial) sale of N3twork to Forte and the public offers (through SPACS) of Nexters, Playstudios, and Skillz.
The initial fund generated several significant returns, including the IPOs of Skillz and AppLovin. Among its investments was N3twork, which sold a segment to another Griffin portfolio company, Forte. Additionally, Tactile, Wave, Subspace, Scopely, Discord, Overwolf, Winzo, Spyke, and Funzy were invested. Additionally, it invested in Theorycraft, Incredible Dream, Players’ Lounge, Latitude, ggwp, and Super social as seed investors.
Additionally, the second fund has made investments in gaming firms such as Winzo, OMG, Hadi, Forte, Neon, Million Victories, STG, Palm, and DeHorizon. All of these activities will focus on our GamesBeat Summit 2022 event, which will take place on April 26–28. Griffin aided in Forte’s $725 million funding, a blockchain gaming infrastructure startup.
Griffin Gaming Partners’ philanthropy
In interviews, Levin and Tuosto stated that the team comprises gamers who have decades of aggregate expertise in the gaming business, including investment, consulting, and running.
Levin stated that the fund’s core consists of gaming. Collectibles and arcade equipment abound at the company’s headquarters. In front of Levin’s life-sized Mario facsimile, Shigeru Miyamoto, the game’s designer, posed for a photo. While Levin claims to be an Animal Crossing enthusiast, Tuosto is a Pokemon Go devotee.
While playing Call of Duty: Multiplayer and Call of Duty: Warzone, the Griffin team met Pierre Planche, who eventually became a partner. With Levin and Planche, I’ve had the opportunity to play Warzone, and Planche is an esports-level player. My friends Anthony Palma and James Wing (as well as Timmie Graves) and I have played Warzone on a more regular basis, and they have taken me to victory or relative success several times. At the recent DICE Summit, we had our first face-to-face meeting.
CEO Josh Williams of Forte stated that Griffin had supported Forte’s shared vision for the future of gaming by being a valued partner. As a result, they have secured breakthrough business alliances and necessary leadership appointments. They put in as much effort on behalf of their portfolio firm as any other investors. Griffin fund advisor Felicia Day is an actor, producer, and author.
“We are always on the lookout for fascinating gaming properties and creators,” Griffin said in a statement. Griffin’s investments are helping to elevate independent voices, stimulate innovation, and support out-of-the-box thinking as gaming and other media become increasingly intertwined.
The most popular or least popular gaming trends
When it comes to infrastructure and content, Levin says we’re witnessing tremendous dynamic shifts in the sector. Nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and a metaverse development roadmap are becoming increasingly commonplace on the web 3.
He said that the company is investing in that area with the same prudence that it has used throughout its long business history. To avoid a “spray and pray” strategy, the fund is only investing in one or two companies at a time. In its place, it seeks to identify the best individuals, groups, and initiatives.
“They have to take a real hard look” when they see “incredible people coming together, with a wonderful roadmap, with a product and an opportunity in the market,” Levin added. They don’t adhere to a strict policy of allocating a specific percentage of the budget to particular subgenres.
He explained that the company had avoided VR in the past because it didn’t consider it ready for primetime. However, he claimed that “everyone” will benefit if virtual reality “turns a corner.” Because of the opposition from diehard gamers, he cautioned against investing in NFTs.
Levin stated that several of NFT’s investing decisions appeared opportunistic and predatory. “That raises more than a few questions in our minds.” They will flee as fast as possible if they perceive any gaming mechanic or product to be opportunistic or exploitative. They want to make sure they’re doing a decent job in the sector to which they’ve dedicated their lives. They can’t help but be giddy about it. However, when it comes to making investments, they want to take their time.
In contrast, Forte, an infrastructure firm specializing in ensuring regulatory compliance for blockchain game firms, is a strong supporter. Levin noted that the underlying parts are being put in place. Companies like Forte will allow developers to thrive on top of a platform capable of scaling.
Also, Tuosto feels that blockchain and the web three are popular, as demonstrated by Forte’s investment and expansion. For him, free-to-play games aren’t the only way to make money from gaming.
Free-to-play games opened the door to three billion gamers, he added. He thinks a similar thing may happen in terms of new game prospects. It’s not going to start up by itself. It’s more likely that we’ll choose a more complicated route. New teams with innovative ideas will spring up, free of the constraints imposed by the innovator’s dilemma.
There is no first pitch in the first inning of a nine-inning game regarding Levin’s metaverse. They’re about to go out on the field. There can be no better approach to empower players than reducing economic friction and doing it in a safe and legal way. Right. The puck is visible. They don’t want anyone getting too far ahead of themselves to be safe. It will need the installation of guardrails.
According to Levin, the time is right to invest in Latin America, India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. He claimed that Turkey has a plethora of talent and that Northern Europe remains a breeding ground. Levin stated that he had gone to Finland more than 50 times in his lifetime.
He described the growth in the whole market as “astonishing.” As a result, it’s more important than ever to remain disciplined and grounded in your approach.
Predicting the year 2022
Regarding the remainder of 2022, Tuosto stated, “It’s difficult to compete with $85 billion in transactions in six weeks.” That pace will be challenging to maintain. However, I anticipate that the number of scaled transactions will stay at an all-time high. It’s been a great start to the year, but the level of discussion has never been higher throughout the globe, which is exactly what this category should be.
Gaming should be a strategic emphasis for media organizations, technology companies, incumbents, and foreign enterprises. Everyone should be considering their strategy about the metaverse and gaming since it is a fundamental component of the human leisure experience. This is a mass-market phenomenon that will not decrease. It’s on an exponential curve, so sitting on the sidelines makes no sense.


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Dennis looks to sell lads' mags empire
Maxim publisher Felix Dennis is considering selling his lads' mag empire, which could be worth about £350m.
Dennis, pictured, has hired media bankers Allen & Company to explore 'strategic alternatives' for Dennis Publishing, including a sale to fund the enlargement of his forest in Warwickshire. He plans to give the 'Forest of Dennis' to the nation.
It comes as men's magazines are suffering a massive decline in circulation with Maxim sales down 29% to 131,497 in the second half of last year. Dennis launched Maxim in the UK in 1995 and in the US in 1997.
Dennis, one of the most colourful figures in business, also publishes news weekly The Week, which has seen healthy sales growth in recent years, and Stuff and Blender in the United States.
Lads' mags, seemingly unstoppable five years ago, have come under pressure from the internet and weekly magazines.
According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations figures for July to December, published yesterday, sales of men's magazines were down 14.4% on a year earlier at 1.97m for each issue.
Arena, owned by Emap, was one of the hardest hit with a decline of 29.9%, selling 34,500 copies. FHM, also owned by Emap, saw a 26% fall to 371,000 copies.
Dennis (pictured right) has had a colourful career. He was imprisoned in 1971 as co-editor of OZ magazine, which was prosecuted for obscenity. After his acquittal on appeal, he founded his own magazine publishing company in 1974 and made millions with the sale of Personal Computer World and MacUser in the mid-eighties.
He is also a poet and author of How to Get Rich, published last year. He is estimated to rank among the top 100 richest people in Britain.
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Junior Achievement Inspires and Prepares Young People to Successfully Participate in Our Economy through Workforce Development, Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy
During your holiday shopping, don’t forget about Junior Achievement. Use Amazon Smile to shop and they will give back to JA!”
JA is offering an exciting and educational summer alternative to that long New Orleans summer for area ‘tweens! Click here for more information and to register today.
In The News
The average amount of cumulative student debt for undergraduates in the class of 2012 was $26,885, according to a recent Pew Research report. The average debt for 2013 graduates is expected to be even higher. “It’s a scary statistic,” said Jack Kosakowski, president of Junior Achievement USA.


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mercedes-benz sl-class Reviews and News
Mercedes-Benz SL Mille Miglia 417 Limited Edition UnveiledTUE, 17 FEB, 2015
Mercedes-Benz will officially pull the covers from its latest limited-edition model at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, based on the SL roadster.
The Week That Was: Subaru Outback & Liberty, BMW X6, Alfa GiuliettaSUN, 21 DEC, 2014
Subaru’s all-new Liberty and Outback arrived in Australia this week, bringing new styling, improved economy and new standard features.
Motorclassica: Mercedes S-Class Coupe, '57 SL Prototype And MoreFRI, 24 OCT, 2014
The doors to Melbourne's Motorclassica were thrown open to the press and guests last night, and sitting in pride of place, Mercedes Benz' f...
Recalls: Mitsubishi, Jaguar, Audi, Jeep, Smart, MG, Suzuki And MoreMON, 15 SEP, 2014
Audi, Jeep, Holden, Citroen, Jaguar, Land Rover, Smart, MG, Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Fiat and Saab have all issued recalls in Australia i...
Mercedes-Benz SL 350 To Be Replaced By SL 400 Later This YearTUE, 8 APR, 2014
Mercedes-Benz's SL uber-roadster will go all-turbo, with the German automaker announcing this week that the twin-turbocharged SL 400 will ...
Frankfurt Motor Show 2013: Ten Reasons Why 'You Shoulda Been Here'MON, 23 SEP, 2013
2013 FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW You’ve missed it, the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show has closed.
2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 350 And SL 500 On Sale In AustraliaMON, 17 SEP, 2012
The all-new Mercedes-Benz SL range has hit Australia this week, launching with the entry-level SL 350 and top-spec SL 500.
Mercedes Reveals New SL 65 AMG, First-quarter 2013 Australian Launch SetWED, 21 MAR, 2012
Mercedes has revealed the V12-powered hero in its convertible grand-tourer line-up, with the unveiling of the new SL 65 AMG today following Febr...
2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG In Australia By Third QuarterWED, 22 FEB, 2012
The Mercedes AMG Petronas W03 F1 racing car wasn't the only new Merc to roll out this week, with the all-new SL 63 AMG driven onto the Barce...
2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG Sheds Some CamouflageWED, 1 FEB, 2012
Mercedes-Benz' 2013 SL 63 AMG, the flagship in its new SL range, has been spied testing this week. Unlike the last time we caught it out...
2015 Mercedes-Benz SL400 ReviewWED, 17 DEC, 2014
What’s Hot: Big performance boost over SL 350, comfy ride.
Review: A Farewell To AMG’s Atmo V8FRI, 14 MAR, 2014
Who would say no to the chance to put two thundering Mercedes-Benz AMGs back-to-back on the Albert Park GP circuit during Formula One week? (Not us...
2015 Mercedes-Benz SL Mille Miglia 417 Limited EditionTUE, 17 FEB, 2015


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Vontobel Bank CEO was a guest at Bloomberg TV today, where he revealed that their clients like to invest in digital assets, but also why they believe in Blockchain technology.
Right at the beginning of the interview about digital assets, Zeno Staub confirmed that clients are interested in cryptocurrencies with the words "Clients have an interest in crypto,". However, according to him, this is not the most important, because according to him, it is the technology itself, ie Blockchain.
We believe that the underlying technology is actually more important than certain times of applications, we believe the underlying blockchain technology is the logical consequence of the general trend of securitization, because it’s the only available technology that can create trust without a central counterparty. Zeno Staub
According to Zeno S., Blockchain technology is very important, especially in the field of securitization. Vontobel Bank CEO justified this by saying that Blockchain is currently the only available technology that can build trust without a central counterparty.
Regarding how the Swiss bank Vontobel prepared itself for the demand for cryptocurrency investments, the CEO said that what they offer is a secure, convenient and easy way.
Zeno Staub concluded by adding that clients appreciate that they can allocate part of their wealth to cryptocurrencies.


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California Online Poker Bill Pulled From Hearing
Legislation Won't Be Considered Wednesday
The first week of 2016 was set to have an online poker bill in California considered in a hearing, but the proposal unfortunately has been pulled from the hearing’s agenda.
Lawmakers in the state’s Governmental Organization Committee will have a hearing Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. local time in Sacramento, but a measure previously on the agenda was Assembly Bill 167, legislation introduced early last year by Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-South Los Angeles).
The bill is seen as favorable to racetracks and PokerStars, two potential players in the California intrastate web poker market that some tribal gaming groups don’t want to be dealt a hand.
Some tribes want the inclusion of a so-called “bad actor” clause which would prevent PokerStars from doing business in California because of past run-ins with the federal government. PokerStars settled with the U.S. government in 2012 without admitting wrongdoing for more than $730 million, and roughly two years later the company was sold to Amaya Gaming Group for $4.9 billion. Last year, PokerStars received an online gaming license in New Jersey.
The state of Kentucky late last month ordered PokerStars to pay $870 million for illegally doing business with roughly 34,000 Kentuckians from 2006 to 2011.
PokerStars has nearly 70 percent of the global online poker market.
Six powerful tribes wrote a letter last March calling AB 167 “fatally flawed,” and saying:
Our Tribal Governments have invested many hundreds of millions of dollars in brick-and-mortar operations that create tens of thousands of jobs for Californians. We did so in reliance on the rights granted by the people of California and the compacts we have negotiated with the State in the exercise of those rights. Legislation like AB 167 – which could threaten these rights, these substantial investments, and so bitterly divide California Tribes – should not move forward solely for the sake of supporting a business model that might possibly benefit a few tribes in the short term, to the certain and permanent detriment of all other tribes, not to mention, the citizens of California.
A coalition including PokerStars, leading California card rooms and two tribes have opposed legislation as well. That group said that a different bill would “establish artificial competitive advantages for some.”
California stands as the largest potential online poker market in the country.
It has been estimated that the state’s online poker market could eventually be worth more than $380 million a year. Between 2009 and 2010, California players accounted for 16 percent of U.S. revenue and four percent of worldwide revenue in online poker.
California’s tribal gaming industry is the largest in the country. Tribal gaming is a $28.5 billion market in the United States, with the California region representing $7.3 billion of that figure.
AB 167 was one of several online poker bills considered last year in the Golden State. A different California online poker bill advanced out of the same legislative committee in April. It was the first time any California lawmaker had ever voted on an online poker bill, but no momentum was realized.
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|7||Police In Tennessee Raid Poker Tournament, Seize $18K|
|8||DSE III Now Running; Guarantees Over $21M|
|9||Las Vegas' Best Non-WSOP Summer Series In 2017|
|10||Poker Legends Buy Las Vegas Italian Deli|


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By Derrick Silimina
Vice-President Inonge Wina says Government has opened up market linkages in China in a bid to stimulate local manufacturing industries.
Speaking on the side-lines of the 93rd Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka under the theme Embracing Industrial Development, Ms Wina said creating market linkages through activities such as the annual show was vital to help grow the local industries.
It was for this reason Government was creating an environment conducive to the emergence of small sector producers, manufacturers and industrialists.
“We have opened up market linkages in China to scale up local producers in the areas of farming such as those involved in producing cooking oil, edible oils find markets not only in Zambia but also into the surrounding countries.”
The vice-president also stressed that value addition among small farmers was key to enhance industrialisation in the country in order to spur economic development, adding that local manufacturing industries ought to actualise the potential existing in the country.
“We have the potential but we have to actualise this potential as Zambians because we can’t have to talk about this potential year in year out. I hope this exchange of knowledge and ideas will help us understand the dimensions of industrial development.”
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo echoed the vice-president’s remarks and stated that Smart Agriculture and value addition are components that farmers ought to be empowered with through affordable mechanism.
“Value addition and Smart Agriculture are the key components that our farmers are supposed to be empowered with through mechanised equipment that are affordable.”
Mr Katambo said to enhance production and productivity, farmers needed proper equipment to become part of industrialisation.
“This theme suits us very well because if our farmers are adding value to the crop commodities or even to livestock or fisheries, then we will be creating employment and uplifting livelihoods of our people and then our citizens will be generating income out of the whole process of value addition,” he said. – Courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.


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As expected, at its “Hi, Speed” event Apple (AAPL) debuted its several new 5G iPhone models, expanded its iPhone lineup from as low as $399 to a high as $1099, and introduced a new device, the HomePod Mini. Along with the new products, CEO Tim Cook continued to reinforce the company’s commitment to privacy, calling out how the feature is intrinsic within each device. But the item that caught our attention was the special offers that were announced by mobile carriers for Apple’s new iPhone models.
Early on in the event, Hans Vestberg, Chairman and CEO of Verizon (VZ) appeared to discuss his company’s 5G nationwide network and 5G Ultra-Wideband offering, including a focus on network capacity in stadiums, airports, and music venues – if anyone can remember what those are. Investors were apparently impressed by what Vestberg had to say as his company’s share price, having dropped over 1% prior to the event, spiked up to +0.2% during but closed down 0.1% on the day, the same as the Nasdaq Composite but less than the S&P 500 which fell 0.6%.
Apple shares, on the other hand, trended mostly down during the presentation, falling 2.6% by the market’s close. To be fair, in the five trading days leading up to yesterday’s event, shares had gained 9.9%, so much of the enthusiasm had already been priced in. The takeaway is that investors didn’t see anything to tickle their fancy well beyond what they’d expected.
Apple showcased several new technologies in its high-end iPhone that will no doubt pave the way for forthcoming augmented and virtual reality applications. The Pro line will have a LiDAR scanner (Light Detection and Ranging) that will help users map rooms to provide an improved AR experience. Also of note is the custom OLED display in all model 12 phones, which has 2x the pixels of the model 11 phones, that will spur demand for Universal Display (OLED), and the cover glass developed in conjunction with Corning (GLW) that boosts 4x better drop performance – as if we’d ever drop our phones!
Ok, so maybe that happens on a daily basis.
The new A14 chip in the model 12s is reportedly the first-ever to be built on 5nm technology and Apple claims that it is 40% faster than the A13 in the model 11 phones. The faster chip in conjunction with a 5G network now makes it possible for gamers to step away from their desks and WiFi networks. The most-played PC game in the world, League of Legends, can now be enjoyed from a gamer’s phone. For those that consider their iPhone a camera that happens to allow for phone calls, texts, and emails, the advancements in both lenses and computational photography are worth a look. The company also debuted its new take on wireless charging with its MagSafe technology, which included a dual iPhone and Apple Watch charger.
Last but not least, the new HomePod Mini, an intelligent speaker, is arguably positioned to be one of the central hubs in the connected home, but we learned that Apple is continuing to fight other leading content creators. Currently, the HomePod mini can access Apple Music and podcasts (of course), iHeartRadio, RADIO.COM, and TuneIn. Amazon (AMZN) Music and Pandora — a subsidiary of Sirius XM (SIRI) — will be available soon. Noticeably absent from the streaming content lineup is Spotify (SPOT), which may for some be a dealbreaker.
But once the dust settled from the presentation, and we had time to consider what was shared during that jam-packed hour, some of the most intriguing takeaways are the wireless carrier special offers mentioned during the presentation and fleshed out further on Apple’s website. They are not just with AT&T (T) and Verizon: these special offers are available at roughly 100 mobile carriers across the globe.
Here’s the thing, we’ve seen mobile carriers try to entice consumers to hop from their existing network provider to another with trade-ins, discounts, and other promotional activity. With the iPhone 12, we’re seeing mobile carriers not only offer favorable trade-in terms to existing customers but are doing so on the latest and greatest iPhone lineup, all of which contain 5G technology. For example, after an approved trade-in, an existing Verizon customer can get the new iPhone 12 mini for as low as $11.95 per month for 24 months or the iPhone 12 for $14.95 per month for 24 months. And yes, AT&T, as well as T-Mobile USA (TMUS), have special offers for both devices as well.
We have at least one theory as to why this is.
During his part of his presentation, Verizon CEO Vestberg hit home a number of the positive attributes for 5G networks compared to 4G and earlier iterations that we shared several weeks ago – considerably higher data speeds, super lower latency, and a significant boost to network capacity. In today’s COVID-19 pandemic world, we’ve all heard stories about or experienced first-hand network outages, at often critical moments during business video calls or online education. We all know the spinning wheel of death, the “undelivered” message when a text message doesn’t go through or an email that is trapped in the dreaded Outbox. Simply put, the existing network infrastructure can’t cope with mass numbers of devices, leading to slower data speeds and longer lag time for downloads. The result is the network congestion that we are living with in 2020.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand that was expected to grow over the coming years instead appeared much more rapidly, exposing shortcomings and network deficiencies. This was summed up succinctly by Nokia’s (NOK) Sandy Motley, President of Fixed Networks, when this past June she said, “Many customers had planned to grow their network by 30% to 40% over the next few years, assuming a similar growth in traffic, but Covid-19 brought in that traffic growth overnight.”
By pricing Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup to foster device upgrades, mobile carriers are looking to tap into the new 5G networks to alleviate congested 4G networks that often struggled during peak hours to not only offer users a more robust experience but also to allow for a greater number of them to connect simultaneously.
The bottom line here is that in the context of pandemic-induced network strains caused by near-overnight shifts in how and where the global workforce gets things done, carriers have a vested interest in moving their customers onto 5G. This has, at least for now, altered the dynamic between carriers, smartphone makers, and users. To help with this migration, carriers are willing to subsidize the purchase of 5G devices – great for users and a boost for device-makers – but a likely hit to carrier margins.
Finally, while the focus is on 5G, it’s worth noting that work is already being done on the next iteration of mobile technology dubbed 6G. On October 20-21, a virtual 6G symposium will be held, and include representatives from AT&T, Qualcomm (QCOM), Nvidia (NVDA), T-Mobile USA, NTT DoCoMo (DCMYY), and others. This event follows the recent announcement by the government of South Korea that it sees 6G trials by 2026 with planned commercial launches targeted for 2028-2030. Clearly, it’s more than premature to consider 6G just as 5G is lighting up, and following Apple’s 5G lineup being revealed we would have to agree with Verizon’s Vestberg when he said, “5G just got real.”
Nokia (NOK), NVIDIA (NVDA), Qualcomm are constituents in the Tematica BITA Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity Index.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.


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By: Palesa Makanyane
Exactly 365 days ago on 26 March 2020, South Africa entered into a hard lockdown. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced level 5 restriction rules and this was the only way to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Coronavirus has modified our ways of living but not everyone has adjusted to the new norm. This Covid-19 lockdown has tested our livelihood and made it difficult for people who depend on the streets for survival.
The streets of South Africa were left empty after it was announced that no one should leave their home unless they are essential workers or going out for essentials. Soldiers patrolled the streets and malls around the country as soon as the lockdown was announced to ensure that everyone follows the law.
Ireen Manthata from Burgersfort, Ga-Phasha said the hardest thing about lockdown was forgetting a mask, the slow and long queues at shopping centres and being unable to travel to other provinces.
Meanwhile, Doreen Molapo (75), a street vendor explained how difficult it is to be an elder on the street trying to make a living by selling veggies.
“We heard Covid-19 affect older people because they are high risk, but I have to take care of my grandkids. My Sassa money does not sustain all our needs. My unemployed sons are selling next to the rank and I am scared that one of us gets infected; it means everyone will have it back at home. Regardless of everything we are thankful for the unemployment grants; it has made a huge difference for the youth specifically,” She said.
However, most businesses were ordered to stop operating to contain the spread of Covid-19. Tavern owner Ntswela Legora said although she was affected, the lockdown was a brilliant idea.
“The only way to survive was through my savings. I have kids; I don’t think I would have operated even if lockdown was not announced. I would rather lose my business than my family because of ignorance,” Said Ntswela.


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IKEA’s trademark was legally registered for a little known rattan furniture company in Indonesia. The Indonesian company registered its name in 2013, even if IKEA applied for the right to the brand in Indonesia back in 2010, according to International Business Times (IBT).
Because the Swedish furniture company didn’t actively use the trademark in Indonesia for 3 consecutive years, the law allows it to be deleted. Thus, the rights for the trade mark were given to Ratania Khatulistiwa.
As ITB reported, the Supreme Court of Indonesia published the ruling last week. It seems that this ruling was made back in May 2015, but neither IKEA nor the public knew anything about this.
"The decision rendered by the Supreme Court in Indonesia in May 2015 was notified to our local, Indonesia lawyers yesterday [4 February]. We have therefore not yet had the opportunity to analyse the decision. The company however said that it has taken measures to allow it to continue using the IKEA trademark,” reported Inter IKEA Systems BV, a Dutch company that manages IKEA's international franchises.
Still, the ruling doesn’t interfere with IKEA’s operations in Indonesia because it owns the exclusive rights for the term covering other classes.
The original IKEA got its name from the initials of the founder, 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad, the farm where he grew up, Elmtaryd, and Agunnaryd, his hometown in Smaland. At the same time, the Indonesian company says that their name stands for Intan Khatulistiwa Esa Abadi, which refers to palm rattan (which is used to make furniture).
However, the Indonesian Supreme Court did recognize IKEA first coming from Sweden and one of the three judges ruled in favour of Ikea noted the size difference between the two companies.
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Biggest: Dane County Farmers Market – With an 18-year waiting list, it is Wisconsin’s largest producer-only farmers market.
Oldest: West Allis Farmers Market – It’s up for debate, but this market, established in 1919, claims to be the oldest.
Unique: Fondy Farmers Market – This market is known for its healthy food advocacy through heritage.
“I’ve been to a lot of farmers markets in America and most are like cookie cutters, you see the same vendors,” said Kristin Krokowski, Wisconsin Farmers Market Association. “But our farmers markets come together so organically that they have a special reflection of their different communities.”
– Ru Wong


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The Australian bank Westpac is apparently considering to use a predecessor bank name as a separate online brand to help lure deposits. Reviving a brand online is one that is gaining increasing currency in an Internet age. Even retailers are doing it, the best example being the British version of
LONDON – The UK seems to have been a holdout in the brand-washing category, namely dumping old brands in favor of invented ones. But this is no longer the case. We heard about the news that the Abbey, Alliance & Leicester and Bradford & Bingley brands are to be scrapped
There are the crashed financial empires of today, and the crashed empires of yesteryear. Each generation leaves its famed financiers. A forgotten tycoon is Lytton Financial, which was a high flying savings and loan company. Its founder, Bart Lytton, looks right out of the “Mr. Drysdale” California of the 1960s.


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The question of social media and air cargo
The passenger side of aviation is well-known for its social media campaigns, rallying followers to share vacation photos in exchange for tickets and communicating with the public during crises.
But the cargo side still has a ways to go.
It remains unclear how many companies dealing in airfreight use social media, what people in the industry think of it and its usefulness in a business-to-business (B2B) environment.
Air Cargo World sent a survey to its readers, asking questions about social media in the air cargo industry, and 265 people -- those with airlines, forwarders, airports, shippers and others -- responded. The graphs are throughout this story.
Air Cargo World sent a survey to its readers asking for their take on social media in the airfreight industry, and 265 people – those with airlines, freight forwarders, airports, shippers and others – responded. Nearly 70 percent reported having 11 or more years of experience in airfreight logistics.
Having a social media presence is no longer a choice, says Silvia Cappelli, Swiss WorldCargo senior public relations and online communication executive.
“It is not any more an exception, but it has become the norm when it comes to communicating,” Cappelli says. “It cannot just be a nice-to-have but it’s really crucial in the communication mix because we have realized that communication is not one-way anymore, but it has become a two-way street.”
Nick Smith, investment director at Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP), deals with logistics warehouses at major UK airports, including London Heathrow Airport. Smith says he can only see social media use – such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – growing in the airfreight industry.
“Wherever anybody is located globally, then it’s a great way of getting great market penetration and engagement,” he says. “Certainly being based in Edinburgh, that’s not necessarily the pinnacle of the air cargo world or anything, but through social media, we’re able to communicate with a very broad base of customers.”
Social media also can facilitate a global conversation, says Michael Sanfey, business development manager at Aer Lingus Cargo, Ireland’s flag carrier.
“We have a lot of things that we share in common, and both customers and suppliers in the different countries are facing the same issues, so certainly I think social media can allow people in different parts of the world to share those conversations and learn from each other’s mistakes, and things that have worked in one country will probably work in another country,” Sanfey says. “It’s a useful forum for people to engage with each other across long distances.”
Right now, passenger airlines use social media to a greater extent than their cargo counterparts.
“Some people have a different audience and a different customer base than we do, so you’re going to see them react more like AirAsia, where they’re dealing with more of a consumer population that is totally social media-driven,” explains Jennifer S. Torlone, Amerijet senior director, technology and information services. “Then there are some that are just business-to-business, and they’re going to be posting things that are somewhat different, more like newsfeeds.”
Airlines manage their cargo and passenger social media in different ways. Some cargo carriers, such as Swiss WorldCargo, have their own social media accounts.
“The air cargo business is completely different,” Cappelli says. “It has a different target group.”


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New medium, a new vision
Published 4:00 am, Sunday, May 23, 1999
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on one of the largest problems affecting the healthy growth of the online marketplace: consumer privacy.
From the outset, the committee incorrectly pitted industry self-regulation against government oversight as two mutually exclusive solutions.
What is needed is a solution that melds the weight of government pressure with the discipline of self-regulation. That solution is called self-governance.
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Georgetown University provided evidence of the success of the self-governance framework in a recent study that pointed to dramatic improvement in this area.
These examples are only the latest proof of two key online realities:
*There is market value in guarding privacy rights on the Web.
*Self-governance is real.
Most observers grapple with how self-governance fits into the Internet puzzle. Some believe that it means that the industry alone polices itself.
This overly narrow definition allows critics to contest that self-governance implies nothing more than blind adherence to toothless rules.
The reality is that self-governance is a three-dimensional system that leverages a variety of pressure points (from consumers to government to industry) to standardize appropriate practices. With self-governance, industry doesn't act alone; rather, it acts in concert with existing laws and mores.
The self-governance model will be a critical component of the overall success of the Internet in part because the statutes and laws that traditionally maintain order cannot completely cover a constantly changing, fast-growing global medium such as the Web.
Beyond that, the vision of self-governance is a result of the democratic quality of the Internet, where the law is defined largely by the engagement and participation of each community member.
Perhaps the brightest sign that self-governance is working is the success of privacy seal programs, such as the Better Business Bureau's online program. Similar to the Good Housekeeping seal of approval, online privacy seal programs assure that a Web site fully discloses its online privacy practices, allowing consumers to be informed about the use of the personal data they leave online.
If mindshare is a trailing indicator of success, then with more than 90 percent of all U.S. Web surfers encountering an online privacy seal each month, it is clear that seal programs are an effective way to communicate privacy practices to the consumer.
Seal programs are the manifestation of a burgeoning self-governance model that allows an industry to impose rules on itself while exposing itself to outside scrutiny and oversight. It is the Web's own form of checks and balances.
Recently, industry self-governance was put to the test when privacy advocates called attention to Microsoft's software registration procedures that initially caused data to be collected. A complaint was filed with my company's "Watchdog" - a mechanism that allows consumers to report Web sites that they believe have compromised their privacy.
The complaint triggered a formal investigation by my company, TRUSTe, found that Microsoft had not violated its Web site's privacy statement, or its contract with my company, TRUSTe.
While some clamored that the verdict proved the ineffectiveness of self-governance, TRUSTe argued the opposite: A consumer filed a complaint; a third party investigated the complaint; the company in question was found to be in compliance; the consumer was informed of the results.
What's more, the investigation revealed errors in the company's off-line practices, which Microsoft quickly acknowledged and corrected. In fact, the Microsoft case suggests that perhaps the off-line world could learn a few lessons from how the online industry governs its business practices.
Online self-governance has become a distinctive characteristic of the Internet. Privacy seal programs and the quick mobilization by the online community to address consumer privacy concerns indicate that the Web can become a safer and more secure environment.<


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The next big NFT discord servers to be hacked will be the official Lacoste Discord. The attack specifically went after people who used Discord by telling them they could see their NFT early. But if they had clicked on the link, the scammers would have taken over their entire cryptocurrency wallet. Today, the Lacoste Discord said that the situation is no longer dangerous and that they are looking into it.
The Lacoste Discord hack fits a pattern of fraud.
Lacoste, a famous French clothing company, has been growing its web3 presence and has recently started an NFT project called “UNDW3.” The official Lacoste Discord has more than 83,000 users, which makes it a busy place. Because of this, fraudsters have decided to target it.
“The hacker gave a fake link to a copy of the UNDW3 website that had a fake mint reveal link and asked users to sign a transaction,” the admin said this morning on Discord. Because of this, the scammer got all of their money. After finding the attack, we got rid of all the announcements and bad accounts on the site right away.”
Lacoste’s Discord seems to have followed all of the security rules. Even though they think one of their moderator tokens has been hacked, Lacoste has promised to look into it. We all know, though, that hackers only need a small mistake to get in.
Discord is still under hack
It looks like hackers still like to go after Discord. Because there are so many people on one server, it gives them a great chance to go after several people at once. Check the URLs you click on twice before you click on them. If you don’t know if a link is real, don’t click on it.


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Global Warming Gives Lowe’s Earnings a Boost
Though a warmer than usual winter badly affected the sales of retailers selling apparel such as sweaters and jackets, it boosted sales of home improvement chain Lowe’s (NYSE:LOW). Consumers enjoyed the warmer weather and embarked on home renovations they would normally start in spring.
Earnings Report: Lowe’s Companies Inc. Earnings: Rise in Profit.
Sales for the fourth quarter rose 11 percent to $11.63 billion which beat estimates of $11.34 billion. Net earnings were higher at $322 million (26 cents a share) from $285 million (21 cents a share) in the previous year. Adjusted for items earnings per share was 24 cents, which was what analysts expected.
The company’s results have also benefited from a shift in marketing strategy that places more emphasis on lower every day prices compared to promotions. Other positive moves by Lowe’s include: using better signage and technology in its stores, an improved website, and more localized products.
Lowe’s is expected to do even better once the housing market recovers. Credit Suisse analyst Gary Balter said, “We encourage investors to look past the near term and think about double-digit margins for all when housing recovers.” Balter has an “outperform” rating on both Lowe’s and its rival Home Depot (NYSE:HD).
Here’s how LOW and HD are reacting to the earnings report:
Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE:LOW): LOW shares recently traded at $27.98, up $0.82, or 3.02%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $18.07 to $28.46. Volume today was 6,287,908 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 15,779,000 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 20.49, while trailing earnings are $1.37 per share.
The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD): HD shares recently traded at $47.02, up $0.04, or 0.09%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $28.13 to $48.07. Volume today was 1,522,626 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 10,321,700 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 19.05, while trailing earnings are $2.47 per share.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Capel at email@example.com
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