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The Bubs Australia Ltd (ASX: BUB) share price is going bananas, jumping over 19% after it announced a new partnership with Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund (ASX: FSF) to produce a new formula product line.
Bubs was founded in 2006 by Kristy Carr and was listed on the ASX in January 2017. Its infant formula is based on goat milk and it also sells organic baby food. Bubs recently acquired NuLac Foods, Australia’s largest producer of goat milk products, it also guarantees exclusive supply of local goat milk from Australia’s largest herd of milking goats.
New Bubs Product And Partnership
Bubs has entered into a supply agreement with Fonterra to produce a new Bubs Organic infant formula range. Bubs says it will be the first company to offer Australian made certified organic grass-fed infant formula.
Fonterra will supply organic milk powder from its New Zealand organic milk pool, which will be manufactured at its facility in Darnum, Victoria. The initial agreement will run until 31 July 2021.
The new Bubs Organic range will be available at Chemist Warehouse within 3 months. Bubs entered into a strategic equity-linked alliance with Chemist Warehouse 3 weeks ago. Bubs also aims to export to China through online channels soon.
Bubs reminded investors of the recent acquisition of the Australia Deloraine Dairy manufacturing facility which is approved by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA).
With the CNCA-approved facility Bubs hopes to physically distribute the new range into Mother and Baby stores in China.
Mrs Kristy Carr, Bubs Australia Founder and CEO said: “Bubs has already established itself as a key player in the goat dairy infant formula sector in Australia and made significant in roads into China, and is now in a position to be the first to offer an Australian made certified organic grass-fed infant formula,”
“Cow milk formula accounts for close to 95 percent of the Australian formula market and represents a significant opportunity for Bubs, which already has both a premium Australian infant nutrition brand positioning and strong organic credentials established over 13 years producing Bubs Organic baby food portfolio.”
Is Bubs A Buy?
Bubs is strategically acquiring and putting foundations in place with multiple big announcements recently. I can see why investors are getting excited and I am certainly keeping watch. However there is a lot of competition in the infant formula space, even more than a few years ago.
Investors may be getting too excited and reminiscing about past formula company success stories, like A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) and Bellamy’s Australia Ltd (ASX: BAL), there’s no guarantee that Bubs can replicate that success and take the top players’ market share.
There are promising early signs for Bubs’ growth, but at this stage the two rapid ASX growth shares mentioned in the free report below are much further along with their international expansion and could be better picks.
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Disclaimer: Any information contained in this article is limited to general financial/investment advice only. The information has not taken into account your specific needs, goals or objectives, so please consider consulting a licenced and trusted adviser before acting on the information. Please read The Rask Group’s Financial Services Guide (FSG) for more information. This article is authorised by Owen Raszkiewicz of The Rask Group, which is a corporate authorised representative No. 1264179 of Strawman Pty Ltd (ACN: 610 908 211) (AFSL: 501 223).
At the time of publishing, Jaz does not have a financial interest in any of the companies mentioned.


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Revealed! How the biggest FTSE 100 companies performed in 2021
Members of the FTSE 100 have a combined market cap of £1.814 TRILLION. So far this year, the UK’s largest share index is up over 11%.
So, with the year almost over, let’s take a look at how the biggest members of FTSE 100 have performed in 2021. [top_pitch]
What are the biggest companies in the FTSE 100?
Here are the ten biggest members of the FTSE 100, based on their market cap:
|FTSE 100 member||Industry||Market cap (£ billion)|
|Royal Dutch Shell A||Oil and gas||66.98|
|BP||Oil and gas||66.5|
|Rio Tinto Group||Metals and mining||58.92|
|Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’||Oil and gas||58.86|
|British American Tobacco||Tobacco||58.46|
How have the largest FTSE 100 companies performed in 2021?
It’s fair to say that the five biggest companies in the UK have had mixed fortunes in 2021. Here’s the lowdown on how each individual stock has performed.
AstraZeneca’s share price has jumped 15.26% in 2021.
The largest company in the FTSE 100 has continued to hit the headlines this year as a result of its involvement in developing and distributing its Covid-19 vaccine.
2. Unilever Group
Unilever is the second biggest firm listed on the FTSE 100. The London-based consumer goods company has seen its share price slide 12.6% this year.
Consequently, it’s fair to say that investors have not taken well to Unilever’s interim results in 2021. Analysts suggest the company has suffered greatly from the Covid-19 pandemic, which has had an adverse impact on its operating margins.
Diageo’s share price has surged in 2021.
The beverage firm, which owns big-name brands such as Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, and Bailey’s, has seen its value rise by an impressive 35.91%. This is in stark contrast to 2020 when Diageo’s value fell 10%.
4. HSBC Holdings
HSBC is another member of the FTSE 100 that will be satisfied with its performance in 2021. The self-proclaimed ‘world’s local bank’ has witnessed its share price increase by a respectable 16.3% in 2021.
Despite this, the bank will be all too aware that its share price hasn’t risen as much as rivals Barclays and Lloyds Banking Group. Both of these banks have seen their share price climb by around 30% this year.
GlaxoSmithKline’s share price has risen 16.5% in 2021.
Investors in the manufacturing giant will likely be pleased with this performance, given the company had an awful 2020. In 2020, GSK’s value dropped by almost £500 a share.
What can investors learn from these performances?
Four out of five of the FTSE 100’s largest firms have seen their share price rise by more than the 11% average. This tells us that 2021 was, overall, a particularly good year for its biggest members.
Diageo shareholders will almost certainly be some of the happiest. Its share price has grown by a massive 35% over the past 12 months.
Meanwhile, Unilever investors have had a year to forget after the company’s share price slumped by more than 12%. Having said that, some investors will undoubtedly be keen to pick up Unilever shares in 2022 given its perceived ‘knock-down’ price.
How can you invest in the FTSE 100?
If you want to invest in members of the FTSE 100, you have two options.
You can invest in a FTSE 100 index tracker fund that tracks the collective performance of its members. To do this, you will need to find an investing platform, such as Hargreaves Lansdown, and choose the appropriate fund.
Alternatively, you can choose to buy shares in individual members of the FTSE 100. To do this, you can open a share dealing account and pick specific companies you wish to invest in.
As with any investing, remember that the value of your investments can fall as well as rise. If you’re new to investing, it’s a good idea to read The Motley Fool’s investing basics guide.
The post Revealed! How the biggest FTSE 100 companies performed in 2021 appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.
Is this little-known company the next ‘Monster’ IPO?
Right now, this ‘screaming BUY’ stock is trading at a steep discount from its IPO price, but it looks like the sky is the limit in the years ahead.
Because this North American company is the clear leader in its field which is estimated to be worth US$261 BILLION by 2025.
The Motley Fool UK analyst team has just published a comprehensive report that shows you exactly why we believe it has so much upside potential.
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Central Europeans have been used to traveling to cheap, warm places in the tens of thousands. But the last couple of years limited these possibilities, and a bit more expensive places in Spain, Italy, and Greece have forced them to think twice about their holidays. Already in 2015 people were thinking more about security and destinations closer to home. Slovakia, for example, ended in first place as a holiday target for Czechs with traditionally popular Croatia only second.
Such trends have apparently accelerated. The Polish weekly Polityka recently reported that by the end of July there had been a 7 percent decline in foreign trips made by Poles in comparison with last year. According to one poll about 12.6 million planned to spend their vacations in Poland – 1.8 million more than last year. Similarly, research done by eCall in Slovakia revealed that half of the respondents wanted to spend their vacations in their home country.
The domestic tourism boom has a significant political dimension as well. Simply put, even though there are very few immigrants and refugees in post-communist Central Europe, people feel threatened. And some domestic travel agencies have even cleverly managed their campaigns since the winter to show that the only safe place to have a vacation is one’s home country.
Read full article (in English) by Martin Ehl of the Hospodarske noviny daily published by the tol.cz portal.
21st January 2021
20th January 2021


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Retail sales at the company, which is near to Ripon and currently employs 12 staff, rose by 56% this year, despite a 5.5% slump in the chilled soup category, Kantar Worldpanel data showed.
The firm, which was set up seven years ago by entrepreneur Belinda Williams, supplies Waitrose, Tesco, the Co-operative and dozens of other independent food halls and farm shops.
Sales have risen by 85% in the past four years and are expected to climb by a third to more than £5.3M in the next six months, according to the firm.
Doubling the size
As a result of doubling the size of the factory, sales are expected to rise by a further 80% in the next three years, it claimed.
Yorkshire Provender’s sales success reflected changing consumer shopping habits, said Williams.
"We have benefited from the change in shopping habits, with people forgoing the weekly shop for more regular visits to the supermarket, picking up a pot of soup for example on the way home from work," she told FoodManufacture.co.uk
Consumers perceived soup as a healthy and nutritious option, Williams added.
Soup sales are also expected to rise in January, as consumers battle the effects of the Christmas splurge, according to figures from the consumer shopping app Shopitize.
300% in January
Purchases of soup increased by 300% in January this year, compared with sales in December 2013, Shopitize’s statistics showed.
Irina Pafomova, md and co-founder of Shopitize, said: “Soup is the perfect answer to the obligatory January detox. It’s warming and healthy and won’t break the bank.
“Many of the gourmet soups on the market make a great lunch or dinner, and savvy chefs even create hearty stews with a few extra ingredients.”
Of those surveyed by Shopitize, 54% said they preferred gourmet and fresh varieties of soup, such as those manufactured by Yorkshire Provender, as opposed to canned soup.
Meanwhile, the nation’s top three favourite soups were tomato and basil, carrot and coriander, and Thai chicken, according to Shopitize.
Top 10 soups of 2014
- Tomato and basil
- Carrot and coriander
- Thai chicken
- Potato & leek
- Butternut squash
- Wild mushroom
- Lentil & bacon
- Mexican bean
For all of the latest jobs in food and drink manufacturing, visit FoodManJobs.


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Salone del Mobile: An Education
At this very moment, designers, manufacturers, artists, architects and design devotees alike are converging at the 54th edition of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Italy to celebrate innovation and excellence in design – and some of DZINE’s own are among them! Also known as the Milan Furniture Fair, the Salone is not only the largest annual trade show of its kind in the world, but it is acknowledged as one of the most important for the home furnishings industry and the brands that debut their products there.
A small group from DZINE jetted off for seven espresso and Prosecco-fueled days to witness the latest in global design trends by revered design houses, as well as new, emerging talents. The fair runs this week from April 14-19 at the Milan Fairgrounds in the town of Rho on the outskirts of the city. Thousands of luxury home products, from beds and bookcases to sofas and shelving, are showcased over more than two million square feet of space by 2,000+ exhibitors.
The Salone del Mobile made its inaugural debut in 1961, beginning as a small event for furniture manufacturers to promote the exportation of Italian furniture. It has since grown to include manufacturers from all around the world promoting not just furniture, but high design of all types, including lighting, bathrooms, outdoor furnishings and accessories. While the fair caters to those within the furniture sector, it is also open to the general public for two days during its weeklong stretch.
DZINE has attended the Salone for the past 11 years and we are continually awed by how completely the Milanese embrace design week. It’s not just manufacturers and designers roaming the fair – you can find hoards of schoolchildren and a large number of young people, as well. Last year, over 39,000 members of the general public turned out for the event, a clear indication of how fully design is woven into the fabric of Italian culture.


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NAPA Auto Parts representative George Shakelton helps announce title sponsorship of NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week on Thursday night during the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment.
NAPA Auto Parts Becomes Title Sponsor of Super DIRT Week
41st running of DIRTcar Racing’s premier event continues to grow
CONCORD, N.C. – Feb. 23, 2012 – DIRTcar Racing is pleased to announce NAPA Auto Parts will be title sponsor of Super DIRT Week XLI in October.
NAPA Auto Parts has more than 6,100 stores nationwide, with over 100 stores surrounding the Central New York territory, the home to NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week centered at the New York State Fairgrounds, Oct. 3-7, in Syracuse.
“NAPA Auto Parts is proud to be the Title Sponsor of Super Dirt Week XLI,” said NAPA Syracuse GM Ed Glowacki. “This provides NAPA Auto Parts with a great opportunity to partner with one of the most well known events in the entire state of New York and get the NAPA brand in front of our target audience. We believe that NAPA Auto Parts’ involvement will make Super DIRT Week XLI the biggest event yet!”
In addition to the events at the New York State Fairgrounds, NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week also includes races throughout the region, including DIRTcar Modified, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and World of Outlaws Late Model Series events.
“Super DIRT Week has been the marquee annual Modified event for more than 40 years, and we’re looking forward to NAPA’s involvement to make this year’s event the biggest one of all,” said World Racing Group CMO Ben Geisler. “We believe NAPA Auto Parts’ involvement will enhance the event for the thousands of fans who make NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week so big.”
NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week XLI features four premier divisions of DIRTcar Racing in spectacular action on the 1-mile New York State Fairgrounds oval. It kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 3, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 7. In addition, DIRTcar and World of Outlaws events at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge, N.Y., (Oct. 4 and Oct. 6) expand the Super DIRT Week experience.
For news and information about Super DIRT Week XLI – including schedules, entry forms and tickets – click SuperDIRTWeekOnline.com, or call DIRTcar Racing’s Northeast office at 315-834-6606.
DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast Region is brought to fans by several sponsors and partners; including Hoosier Racing Tire; VP Racing Fuels; GM Performance Parts, Nationwide Insurance, NAPA Auto Parts and Safety-Kleen. Promotional partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors are ASI; Bert Transmissions; Bicknell Racing Products; Bilstein Shocks; Brodix; ButlerBuilt; Comp Cams; Intercomp; JE Pistons; KSE Racing Products; Motorsports Safety Systems; MSD Ignition; Penske Shocks; Racing Electronics; Super Flow; Vicci Racing Apparel; WIX Filters; Wrisco Industries; Xtreme Lubricants and Extreme Mufflers.


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More than 130 staff at Yorkshire Linen have lost their jobs after the retailer slumped into administration on Thursday.
The chain had 19 stores across the North of England, including one in King Edward Street in Hull city centre.
Earlier this year, eight stores shut their doors as part of a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) agreed in a bid to save the business.
Those efforts look however to have been in vain, as all 19 remaining stories have ceased trading with immediate effect.
BDO LLP has been appointed as administrator.
Graham Newton, BDO partner, said: “Extremely unpredictable market conditions, coupled with the well documented challenges facing high street retailers have had a significant negative impact on trading in recent months.
“Despite the considerable efforts of management and their team, it has not been possible to secure a sustainable future for the business.
“As Joint Administrators, we will be taking all necessary steps to maximise value of the assets for the benefit of all creditors.
“We will also ensure that employees impacted by the administration receive the support they need.”
All 134 staff employed at Yorkshire Linen have been made redundant as part of the administration.
Yorkshire Linen specialised in the sale of bedding, curtains, cushions and throws.
Founded in 1993, the retailer also had stores in places including Leeds, Huddersfield and Wakefield.
A pop-up message on the site also confirmed the administration.
It read: “The Company has ceased to trade with immediate effect.
“Creditors with claims against the Company should email BRNotice@bdo.co.uk in the first instance.
“The Joint Administrators will be writing to all creditors in the next few days with formal notification of their appointment.”
People in Hull have spoken of their sadness at the news.
On the Hull Live Facebook page, one person said: “What a shame. I loved this shop and the staff were lovely, really helpful too.”
Another added: "Another great shop gone and jobs lost."
One shopper said: “No way, this can’t be happening, another great shop Hull has (been) lost.”


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BEIJING (REUTERS) - China's factory activity expanded at a slower pace in August, while the services sector slumped into contraction, as coronavirus-related restrictions and high raw material prices pressure businesses in the world's second-largest economy.
The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) was 50.1 in August from 50.4 in July, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday (Aug 31).
The 50-point mark separates growth from contraction.
Analysts polled by Reuters had expected it to slip to 50.2.
China staged an impressive recovery from a coronavirus-battered slump, but growth has recently shown signs of losing steam due to domestic Covid-19 outbreaks, slowing exports, tighter measures to tame hot property prices and a campaign to reduce carbon emissions.
In a worrying sign for China's slow consumption recovery, a gauge of activity for the services sector in August slipped into sharp contraction for the first time since the height of the pandemic in February last year.
The official non-manufacturing PMI in August was 47.5, well down from July's 53.3, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.
To bolster the economy, the People's Bank of China cut the amount of cash banks must hold as reserves in mid-July, releasing around 1 trillion yuan (S$207 billion) in long-term liquidity.
Many analysts expect another cut later in the year.
China's latest coronavirus outbreaks appear to have been largely brought under control, with zero locally transmitted cases reported on Aug 30, for the third day in a row.
But it spurred the authorities across the country to impose measures including mass testing for millions of people as well as travel restrictions of varying degrees and port shutdowns.
Meishan terminal at China's Ningbo port resumed operations in late August after shutting down for two weeks due to a Covid-19 case. The closure caused logjams at ports across the country's coastal regions and further strained global supply chains amid a resurgence of consumer spending and a shortage of container vessels.
Higher raw material prices, especially of metals and semiconductors, have also pressured profits. Earnings at China's industrial firms in July slowed for the fifth straight month.
The official August composite PMI, which includes both manufacturing and services activity, fell to 48.9 from July's 52.4.


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The Apple Watch Series 8 is expected in September. But, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power-Up Bulletinnot one but two new Apple Watch models could include a body temperature sensor.
Gurman says this feature had been rumored for some time, but its inclusion was far from certain. Gurman says it depends on whether “the ability passes the test in internal testing.”
Now, however, he thinks it’s likely: “I now think the feature is live.”
It will be on the Apple Watch Series 8, but not on the lower-priced second-generation Apple Watch SE, which is also said to be in development.
The second watch likely to be capable of this is “a new rugged edition aimed at extreme sports athletes”.
This means the Apple Watch will be able to tell you if you have a fever. Well, after the past two years, any kind of early warning information about possible disease would be great, wouldn’t it?
But it’s not a thermometer. “The body temperature feature won’t give you a specific reading, like with a forehead or wrist thermometer, but it should be able to tell if it thinks you have a fever. It might then recommend talking to your doctor or use a dedicated thermometer.
The current Apple Watch may sport Heart Rate Variability (HRV) – the tiny variations between one heartbeat and the next – and Covid is thought to bring plunging HRV with it. So it’s already possible that the Apple Watch could spot Covid early and accurately, although that’s not something Apple has ever claimed for its wearable.
So something like a fever warning could be interesting, and see Apple push the watch even further into health monitoring.


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Find Black Potion at 1900 Frederiksburg Rd.
A new nightlife hub for San Antonio's nerds, Black Potion gaming tavern, is opening this weekend with craft beer, wine, and a retail space. If y
Tennis legend Serena Williams, who is currently competing in the 2022 US Open, showed up in a glittering dress befitting of the occasion. However, her professional tennis career is set to last f
Starting at noon, Wednesday, Oct. 19, the Reese's Secret Stash Trick-or-Treat bags are free (while supplies last) with the purchase of a 9.6-ounce bag of Reese’s Peanut Butter Snack Sized
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In other words, it's the perfect addition to your home bar.
We don't know about you,
By Belinda Cleary For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 02:29 EDT, 15 September 2022 | Updated: 02:29 EDT, 15 September 2022
A house-proud mother-of-two has revealed the
This exquisite 2017 sailboat canal, custom-built home shows like a model and features an abundance of upgrades, including an extended-sized paver lanai, expansive saltwater pool with heater, and
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Find the best prices in the AO.com Cle
MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Public Library Art Gallery has launched its first ever digital art show, entitled A Case for the Ukrainian Cause, featuring products that carry cultural symbols


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Posted on Thursday, February 07, 2013
The photos taken of Funrise's booth at the Nuremberg Toy Fair were not meant to be shared with the public and featured prototypes. Some of those plush, particularly the new characters, sizes, and poses that we saw, are not guaranteed official releases. This includes Cheerilee and Trixie Lulamoon, the laying down Rainbow Dash, the giant Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, and the five-pack.
We won't know for sure who or what will be released until Funrise officially announces it. Still, the photos taken at the Toy Fair are a glimpse of what may come, or at least what has been considered.


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Redflow Limited, a publicly-listed Australian company (ASX: RFX), produces small 10kWh zinc-bromine flow batteries that tolerate daily hard work in harsh conditions. Marketed as ZCell and ZBM2, Redflow batteries are designed for high cycle-rate, long time-base stationary energy storage applications in the residential, commercial & industrial and telecommunications sectors, and are scalable from a single battery installation through to grid-scale deployments. Redflow batteries are sold, installed and maintained by an international network of energy system integrators. Redflow’s smart, self-protecting batteries offer unique advantages including secure remote management, 100 per cent daily depth of discharge, tolerance of high ambient temperatures, a simple recycling path, no propensity for thermal runaway and sustained energy delivery throughout their operating life.
Australian battery company Redflow Limited aims to produce as many as 3000 batteries a year from its new Thai factory, which it is currently fitting out, reports Redflow Chairman Brett Johnson.
In a letter to shareholders, Mr Johnson said that once the Thai facility was fully operational, it would have the capacity to manufacture as many as 250 batteries a month. “I am confident that once our new factory is producing quality batteries, Redflow will be able to demonstrate that it has a unique and viable product with real benefits for many energy storage applications,” he said.
“Our initial sales focus will be on market sectors with established battery demand where our technology has a clear competitive advantage over conventional batteries, notably lead-acid. These markets include telecommunications and network power and applications where there is either no or limited grid power available.”
ASX-listed Redflow announced last month that it has started installing battery production equipment at its new factory in Thailand, putting it on track to commence initial operation by the end of this year. Through its Thai subsidiary, Redflow has signed a three-year lease on the 1500-square-metre building at the Hemaraj Chonburi Industrial Estate, part of the IEAT free trade zone, 110km southeast of Bangkok and 25km from the Laem Chabang deep sea container port.
A Queensland family has chosen ZCell batteries to guarantee that their new home has electricity without any power bills in the largest Australian residential energy storage system to date for Redflow Limited.
The Bates family’s six-battery, 60 kilowatt-hour (kWh) system ensures complete off-grid operation for their recently built home on a cattle and grain property, about 2.7 kilometres from mains power.
When Scott and Breeann Bates built their new house near Wallumbilla, they chose a ZCell-based energy storage system to give them uninterrupted power, grid-independence and no power bills rather than pay many thousands of dollars per kilometre to connect mains power to the house.
ZCell batteries are produced by Redflow Limited, the ASX-listed company that has developed the world’s smallest zinc-bromine flow battery. The system was installed by Off-Grid Energy Australia.
Breeann Bates said the ZCell-based system was living up to their expectations. “We are really impressed with it,” she said. “Scott wanted to be able to do everything on batteries that we could do on mains power and not compromise our way of living. It’s cold in the morning, so we’re running the heaters to keep our three kids warm, and we keep them on until the day warms up.
Australian battery company Redflow Limited has started installing battery production equipment at its new factory in Thailand, putting it on track to commence initial operation by the end of this year.
Through its Thai subsidiary, Redflow has signed a three-year lease on the 1500-square-metre building at the Hemaraj Chonburi Industrial Estate, part of the IEAT free trade zone, 110km southeast of Bangkok and 25km from the Laem Chabang deep sea container port.
Redflow CEO Richard Aird recently visited Thailand to finalise the lease agreement with David Nadone, Chief Executive Officer and President of Hemaraj Land and Development Public Co Ltd, a subsidiary of WHA Corporation.


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Better sound quality, worse pay
- Apple Music and Amazon offer better sound quality at no extra charge
- Why these two tech giants decide to take this step
- Why this is good for the users, but bad for the musicians
- Why streaming subscriptions are too cheap
From a consumer’s perspective, it all sounds amazing: Apple Music announced that starting June, they will be offering higher sound quality at no additional cost. Amazon Music quickly followed suit and wasted no time announcing that they, too, will no longer be charging extra. They are thus increasing the pressure on other streaming providers such as Deezer and Tidal, which charge a higher price for better sound quality, as does Spotify, which projected its HiFi quality launch to come later this year.
Good for the ear – bad for the wallet
Musicians see a positive aspect in this development, as well, since consumers now get to listen to their songs the way they were produced and not just some compressed version of them. But if you look at the royalties, then these are no good news for artists. By passing up higher subscription fees, Apple and Amazon are also passing up additional revenues, which means that less money is paid out to the artists.
But why are Apple and Amazon doing this? On the one hand, there is the competition with other streaming services, which all have approximately the same songs in their repertoire. But the more important reason is that for Apple and Amazon, streaming is by no means the main source of revenue. Rather, consumers are meant to enjoy the better sound quality on the speakers or AirPods that these companies produce. Just from selling AirPods alone, Apple rakes in more than double of Spotify’s total profits.
Subscription prices are too low
However, this is just the latest chapter in an already long-existing problem: Streaming subscription fees are simply too cheap. For many years now, the price has remained more or less unchanged at 9.99, or even significantly cheaper when it comes to family, duo, or student plans. But due to inflation alone, a Spotify subscription in the US, for example, should cost $13.36 instead of the $9.99 the company has been charging for the past two years.
Even though they argue that higher prices lead to more illegal downloads, Spotify did increase its prices in some of its markets. But the announcements made by Apple and Amazon will probably slow down the increase in price or even put it to a complete halt. The message to the musicians is clear: Don’t expect higher royalties anytime soon.
The only hope that remains is that while the streaming services might choose not to add a 5 Euro surcharge for HiFi, they might still raise the price for all their subscription plans by one or two Euros. If that doesn’t happen, then this will be yet another skirmish in the battle for market shares that is fought at the cost of royalties for artists and that is additionally fuelled by two tech giants primarily out to sell their own products to the users.


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Nike Lunar Hyperdunk+ ‘Olympic’ – The Sneaker Of The Day
The sneaker of the day goes to the Nike Lunar Hyperdunk+ 'Olympic.'
Nike will be introducing a new sneaker and technology this summer for the Olympics. It has been four years since USA Basketball team won gold. Now the team is back to defend their supremacy in the global basketball community. The Nike Lunar Hyperdunk+ 'Olympic' comes in several colorways for other countries to rock.
Not only is this sneaker new to the Nike, Inc scene but the technology is revolutionary. While you are playing basketball in this sneaker, you are also being recorded for information on your quickness, vertical leap, and NikeFuel. All that information can be sent to iPhone and Android. You can monitor your progression as an athlete with this technology which is unheard of on this level. Nike may have struck gold.


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Pine River-Backus meals will be changing as a result of new nationwide school nutrition standards.
Food Service Director Brenda Anderson reported to the school board, Monday, that there are new guidelines to be implemented, including changes to portion size and menu items.
At least half of the grains offered must be whole grain in the National School Lunch Program by July 1, and all grains must be whole grain by July 1, 2014.
A few items that were served this school year won't qualify next fall because they lack whole grains. Those items include lasagna, soup in a bread bowl, cheese bread and foot long hotdogs. The lasagna noodles aren't whole grain and neither are the bread bowls, bread for the cheese bread or hotdog buns.
The new nutrition standards also include different portion sizes for grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. This may be particularly cumbersome at breakfast time when students from a variety of ages are being served during the same time period, Anderson explained.
Aside from a vegetable requirement, the new standards categorize types of vegetables into subgroups. There is a weekly requirement for each vegetable subgroup including dark green vegetables; red/orange vegetables; beans/peas; starches like corn and potatoes; and the "other" category which includes celery, cucumbers, iceberg lettuce and mushrooms, for example. The requirement will be for 3/4-1 cup of vegetables a day, as opposed to a requirement of 1/2-3/4 cup daily of fruit and vegetables combined.
Anderson said she is worried about waste if students throw away vegetables they are served but do not like.
The amount of salt allowed will be reduced in a prescribed manner between 2014 and 2022.
Anderson said that she hasn't had salt on the tables or added salt to any of the food in years. However, some items that they purchase - such as soup - will exceed the allowed sodium amounts under the new guidelines. Food manufacturers will have to make changes to comply with the school nutrition standards.
In the past, menus had to meet a minimum calorie count. Now there is an upper limit as well. Anderson said they might need to portion out condiments, like ketchup and salad dressing, to prevent meals from exceeding the upper calorie limit.
In mid-March Anderson orders commodities for the following year. Commodities are purchased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and provided to schools at a minimum cost. USDA foods include meat, poultry and eggs, cheese, fruits and vegetables, grains and oils.
The school will be allowed to use up the commodities already ordered this year.
Anderson said she and her staff will attend training this summer to learn more about the new guidelines.
Aside from the new nutrition standards, PR-B will also have to raise its meal prices by 5 cents in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade towards reaching federally mandated prices. This fall pre-kindergarten through fourth-grade lunch will cost $1.40; lunch for grades 5-12 will cost $1.45.
pineandlakes.com ©2013. All Rights Reserved.


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Card Factory PLC (LON:CARD) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 148.40 ($1.94) and last traded at GBX 150.40 ($1.97), with a volume of 171557 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 155 ($2.03).
A number of research firms recently issued reports on CARD. Liberum Capital restated a “hold” rating and set a GBX 170 ($2.22) price objective on shares of Card Factory in a report on Thursday. Peel Hunt restated a “reduce” rating and set a GBX 150 ($1.96) price objective on shares of Card Factory in a report on Thursday. Peel Hunt restated a “reduce” rating and set a GBX 150 ($1.96) price objective on shares of Card Factory in a report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Card Factory in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Card Factory currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of GBX 167 ($2.18).
The stock has a market cap of $549.89 million and a PE ratio of 11.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 145.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.24. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is GBX 168.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 174.35.
Card Factory Company Profile (LON:CARD)
Card Factory plc operates as a specialist retailer of greeting cards primarily in the United Kingdom. The company designs, sources, prints, warehouses, produces, distributes, and sells greeting cards, dressings, and related gift items. It operates through two segments, Card Factory and Getting Personal.
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Willy Woo, a respected cryptocurrency and digital product analyst, shared his analysis of the cryptocurrency market and claimed that Bitcoin’s price could go below $ 6,000 in the short run.
Table of Contents
Since mid-May, Bitcoin has failed to test the $10,000 level, while the crypto money market is constantly in decline and miserable. The vast majority of the coaches in the sector continued to fall as well as Bitcoin and Ethereum, while the correction in the lower coins was a bit tougher than Bitcoin.
Speaking on May 25, Woo said that while Bitcoin was waiting for the price to fall below 6 thousand dollars, it saw 5 thousand 500 and 5 thousand 700 dollars levels as two support . Earlier reports also indicated that key support levels for Bitcoin will be at these points.
According to Woo, Bitcoin went down to under $ 7,000 in the short vault; You will test 6,500 dollars and you will not be able to hold it here, which will start Bitcoin’s journey to under 6,000 dollars. At the same time, Woo said that the level below 6,000 would be below 5,500 dollars. A successful analyst commented on the subject as follows:
“We need to be able to give the current price in terms of Blockchain technology. Otherwise, prices continue to fall, at least in the short term. The volatility is still very high and I think we will experience some more decline. But after that, good days are near again. ”
Woo also said that while doing this analysis, he used an indicator called NVT Signal , which he developed . Woo, indicating that Bitcoin is not going to be under $ 5,000 at this stage, replied once again that he regarded $ 6,000 as a high probability.
Stating that there will not be any such correction period in 2018 due to the intense downtrend that has started since the end of 2017, Woo said that he did not participate in the 2014 rhetoric for 2018 crypto money . Woo, said:
“If we come up with the most probable estimates … It will gradually fall to $ 6,800; then we will head for 5,700 more serious and accelerating. We will continue to do so for a while. This prediction is not really a prediction made, it is an estimate of someone who has been trained and has proven himself. It should be taken into account. ”
Rise After 5 thousand 700
In October 2017, Bitcoin nearly doubled its value over the three months to $ 5,700. It means testing 5 thousand 700 dollar levels; It means that Bitcoin will return to where he started after 9 months.
However, of course, the crypto money markets are not the ones in October 2017. Many factors, such as prices, companies, stock exchanges, have changed over the past 9 months, and people are now more aware of it than Bitcoin.
With this and market underperformance, Woo and many other prominent analysts predict that Bitcoin prices will rise again. Analysts, however, seem to agree that a difficult period ahead of them will happen. Can Bitcoin really do the expected rally in the third quarter of 2018, as analysts predict? Tags: bitcoin price prediction 2018, bitcoin price prediction tracker, ethereum price prediction, bitcoin news, bitcoin market, altcoin prices, bitcoin cryptocurrency, cryptocoin price


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"We are currently examining practices that undermine the tools that consumers can use to opt out of behavioral advertising," Vladeck said this morning at the FTC's roundtable on privacy. "We hope to announce law enforcement actions later this year," he added.
Vladeck didn't elaborate, so it's not yet clear which companies are in the FTC's crosshairs. But one possibility is that he was referring to companies that use Flash cookies to circumvent users' wishes -- something that Vladeck and Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour have previously criticized.
In fact, Flash was a big focus at the first FTC panel discussion this morning. Berkeley Law's Chris Hoofnagle mentioned that some companies had boasted that Flash cookies can be used for behavioral targeting because most consumers don't know enough to delete such cookies -- stored in a different place than traditional HTTP cookies.
Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, pointed out that companies' use of Flash illustrates a longstanding pattern in which technology evolves faster than consumers' knowledge. The result, he says is a "gap created between what technology can do and what consumers want."
At another panel today at the FTC, Chris Conley, technology & civil liberties fellow at the ACLU of Northern California, gave a vivid example of the real-world consequences of Facebook's new privacy settings. Conley reported that two closeted students complained to his organization that they were outed by Facebook's new privacy settings. The students had previously signed up as fans of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) page on Facebook. But the site now classifies all pages people are fans of as "publicly available information" -- which gets published on their profile pages.
Facebook's Tim Sparapani, director of public policy, offered the disingenuous response that the information was always public because the LGBT's page posted the names of fans. That may be true, but there's a big difference between being named on a fan site that also lists 19,000 other Facebook members, and having the information appear on users' own profile pages.


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10-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR FORD TRANSIT
Ford has started production of a new ten-speed automatic transmission for rear-wheel drive variants of the Ford Transit. According to Ford the new transmission has a low fuel consumption, in combination with the 125 kW (170 hp) 2.0 EcoBlue diesel engine. The manufacturer says it should be a valuable option for the popular 18-seater Transit
The new ten-speed automatic transmission increases the comfort and ease of use of the Transit. It has been developed in-house and is already to be found in the Ford F-150 pick-up and sporty Ford Mustang. Ford states the gearbox is designed to minimize fuel costs and to have the engine run more efficiently. Available on the rear-wheel drive variants of the Transit with the new 170 hp 2.0-liter EcoBlue HDT (Heavy Duty Truck) diesel engine, the 10-speed automatic transmission has undergone long-term performance and wear tests to ensure its durability during intensive use. The new transmission builds on a host of updates that the Transit has undergone in 2019, including electrified engines, higher payload and improved connectivity. The front-wheel drive versions of the Transit remain unchanged with a six-speed automatic transmission.


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Celebrity stylist Law Roach says the looting of luxury stores such as Gucci and Chanel was a “f*ck you to a hierarchy, to the people that made me feel like, ‘You don’t belong here.'”
Roach, who styles celebrities such as Ciara Wilson (pictured left), Tiffany Haddish and Zendaya, says looters aren’t motivated to rob luxury stores to keep the merchandise.
Roach told Page Six: “I don’t think that any of those kids there, or any person that was black, went into the stores with that motivation of just having it just to have it,” he said.
He suggested that the looters intend to pawn or sell the items to feed their families.
“I don’t think people are going to go to Rolex to keep a Rolex. I think they’re going to Rolex to steal a Rolex so they can feed their f–king family.”


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To call what’s happening inside the walls of Flying Star Cafe’s location in Nob Hill a “renovation” falls short. “Remodel” doesn’t do it justice either. Contractors are taking the World War II-era building, which was the first Flying Star (nee Double Rainbow) down to its original brick walls, installing new, well, everything, from sewer pipes to seating. The rebooted restaurant is slated to reopen the week of October 21, just in time for the Albuquerque chain to celebrate 32 years as a local, independent business.
In many ways, Flying Star is going back to its roots. More than three decades after founding the business, Jean and Mark Bernstein are doubling down on the location where the journey began, and they’re back at the helm of day-to-day operations.
Investing almost a million dollars in the flagship location was an act of cognitive dissonance, Mark says. The cafe was no longer a sales leader among the Bernsteins’ six Flying Star locations. (They also own six—soon to be seven—Satellite Coffee locations and the bakery that serves their restaurants.) They say construction along the Central Avenue/Route 66 corridor during the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project had hobbled the Nob Hill location’s business. “It redirected casual traffic and took the business out of people’s temporary memory,” Mark says. They weren’t the only business that felt the squeeze. As they looked around the neighborhood, they saw empty shop windows and several shuttered restaurants, including Elaine’s, Scalo and Zacatecas.
They considered whether keeping Flying Star in Nob Hill was a sound long-term decision. An evening walk through the neighborhood one Friday changed their thinking. They strolled the neighborhood in which they had lived and worked for decades. When they arrived at the restaurant, they found it hopping. Friends sat laughing in window booths; couples toasted date nights. It remained a neighborhood gathering place—just as it had been from the start. “We’ve served millions of people at that location. Many of them over and over again. And they’re still there,” Mark says.
And upon reflection, the Bernsteins acknowledged that the neighborhood’s current status felt familiar. In 1987 when they launched their business, Nob Hill was in a similar slump. The neighborhood recovered in the 1990s, and the Bernsteins see it poised for a similar growth cycle now thanks to the addition of several luxury condo apartments and long-term housing under construction from east of I-25 to Washington. “It’s still one of the only funky urban areas in the city. It’s the only place among malls and out-of-state corporate developments that we Albuquerqueans can call our own,” Jean says. So, the Bernsteins went all in—again.
The Bernsteins’ vision for the rebuilt restaurant reflects how their guests use space: as a place to congregate and linger. The front door will open into a room with a long communal table. Booths will still line the windows looking out onto old Route 66. A new wine and beer bar, which the restaurant had when it first opened, will offer similar views. The restaurant will also have lounge areas, with couches and low coffee tables, encouraging customers to hang out for a while. Exposed brick walls will play backdrop to seating upholstered in warm tones. “It will be comfortable, yet sophisticated,” Jean says. The design lives up to the business’s new credo: fine cuisine in a coffee shop scene.
Flying Star Nob Hill isn’t the only thing that’s new again. “We’re a completely different company than we were a few years ago,” Mark says.
On January 30, 2015, Flying Star filed for bankruptcy. The filing seems overdetermined considering all the factors that were stacked against them. “She points to the Great Recession, from which New Mexico was slow to recover, as a key factor in the business’s downturn and the steady dribble of people and families that left the Metro area during this time. She cites the 16-day government shutdown in 2013, the third-longest shutdown in U.S. history, as the final straw leading to the bankruptcy. During that period, furloughed employees from Kirtland Air Force Base and Sandia National Labs, and small government contractors, which make up a large portion of the Duke City’s workforce, stayed home—turning Flying Star’s otherwise bustling restaurants into ghost towns.
And if that didn’t urge some soul-searching, the specter of a hostile takeover gave the Bernsteins laser focus. “It helped us see our own worth,” Mark says. But persisting meant the Bernsteins had to invest their own life savings to recover the company. “We believed in it and felt we were the only ones that could resurrect it,” Mark says.
The Bernsteins resumed daily operations, which they’d previously handed off to a management team. They let their top-level managers go. “The great news was that our customers stayed and our best employees stayed. Through the whole thing, all the best people stayed,” Jean says.
Unburdened by money-draining downtown Albuquerque and Santa Fe Railyard’s leases, the Bernsteins were able to emerge from the bankruptcy proceedings two years after filing. “It’s truly one of the greatest turn-around stories you’ll ever hear,” Mark says. Resuming the operations has been, “just as exhausting as I thought it would be,” Jean laughs. “We’re very involved, and the pace is relentless.”
“But seeing the customer response keeps us going,” Mark adds. “And the people,” Jean counters. “We like who we work with and our customers. If you don’t like people, you shouldn’t be in the restaurant business.”
Pulling Flying Star out of the red has meant getting back to basics: good food. They chased dishes customers craved. They traced recipes back to their beginnings and followed them to the plate, eliminating food waste and improving execution along the way. They grew their in-house bakery operation, including providing a chef’s line of desserts to hotels and food service. Jean says it’s now one of the largest homegrown bakeries in the state.
Jean reminds that the menu starts with high-quality ingredients, like humanely raised meats that are free of antibiotics and hormones; eggs from cage-free hens; wild-caught Atlantic cod; and organic whole grains. Products are also made in house, from the pickles and strawberry jam, to salad dressings, the flexitarian veggie burger and of course, all the cakes and pastries. They source and roast organic coffee beans from a women’s cooperative and other certified origin sources. They partner with Rishi Tea and Botanicals, a fair-trade importer that sources from ecologically sustainable gardens. “After 32 years, what we do gets taken for granted,” Jean says. “We still want to be the best at what we do.”
Their efforts are paying dividends. Mark says Flying Star’s business is setting new sales records. In fact, “it’s better than any time in our 32-year history,” Mark says.
Flying Star has gone back to its roots, from rebuilding its original location to placing its founders at the helm. Choosing to root in Albuquerque—yet again—is a tenacious choice when so many pull up those roots instead. It reflects the spirit of Nob Hill, which stands as a vestige of the Duke City’s independent and eclectic entrepreneurs. And it reflects a belief and pride in Albuquerque—and her people.


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[May Point Network] "Cruise tourism has become a new bright spot in China's tourism industry." At the 4th China Cruise Industry Development Conference and the first International Cruise Exhibition held today, China's transportation...
[Maidian.com] "Cruise tourism has become a new highlight of China's tourism industry." At the 4th China Cruise Industry Development Conference and the First International Cruise Exhibition held today, Qian Yongchang, President of China Transportation Association, made a keynote speech. Said that it is very gratifying to see that China's cruise economy has entered a very good stage of development.
Qian Yongchang said that as an emerging industry in China, the cruise industry has received the attention and support of the government. In June 2008, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of China's Cruise Economy". Since the beginning of this year, the central leadership has paid more attention to the cruise industry. All ministries and port cities have also attached great importance to the development of the cruise economy. A series of incentive policies and measures have been formulated.
In the past three years, China has three new international cruise centers in Shanghai, Xiamen and Sanya. The Tianjin Port's home port is expected to be put into use next year. Dalian International Cruise Terminal will start construction next year. Coastal cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Haikou, Ningbo, Qingdao and Qinhuangdao have begun to pay attention to the planning and construction of the cruise terminal.
From a broader perspective, since the end of the last century, world cruise tourism has maintained an average annual growth rate of 8%, becoming the fastest growing segment of the global tourism market. In 2008, there were approximately 17 million visitors from all over the world participating in cruise tourism. Despite the financial crisis, the North American cruise passenger market has shrunk from the previous year, but cruise passengers around the world are still up 4% from the previous year.
Among them, China's cruise tourism market is even more eye-catching. Qian Yongchang mentioned that before 2006, mainland tourists traveled by cruise, usually by plane to Hong Kong and Singapore. In 2001, there were more than 8,000 people, which surged to 53,000 in the following year. In 2004, it reached 93,000. In 2007, only Guangzhou travel agencies organized more than 50,000 passengers to travel by cruise.
In July 2007, Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises successively opened cruise routes with Shanghai and Tianjin as their home ports. After mainland tourists can take a cruise on China, the cruise tourism market in China has grown rapidly. This year, China plans to receive 156 international cruises, an increase of nearly 40% over the previous year. A total of 20 international cruise ships are visiting China or operating in China. The number of international cruises departing from the mainland is expected to reach 200,000. If you join the cruises from the Mainland to Hong Kong, Singapore and other countries and regions, the number of Chinese cruise tourists is expected to reach 350,000 to 380,000.
Qian Yongchang believes that the Chinese cruise market is increasingly receiving attention from the domestic and international tourism industry, and cruise travel is becoming a new leisure resort for Chinese white-collar workers. It can be predicted that in the next two or three years, China's cruise tourism will have an explosive development. ( Hainan Daily )
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February 19, 2019
Italy’s fashion sector is booming, but almost one-third of the country’s fashion sales are generated by brands owned by foreign shareholders.
Perhaps counterintuitively, a report from Mediobanca found that as fashion companies become more valuable for the Italian economy, non-domestic sales are of increasing importance. Europe’s largest fashion groups generated more than 85 percent of their 2017 sales outside of their respective countries of origin.
“The Italian fashion sector accounts for 1.3 percent of Italian GDP in 2017, compared with 1.1 percent in 2013,” said Nadia Portioli, analyst from Mediobanca Research Area, Milan. “Its power is based on the quality of ‘Made in Italy,’ which is universally known and loved.”
In addition to examining the largest European fashion groups, Mediobanca evaluated more than 160 Italian fashion companies with a turnover of more than 100 million euros, or $113 million at current exchange, in 2017.
Made in Italy
The Italian fashion industry had a growth rate of 4.5 percent in 2017, based on a survey of companies’ financial statements. This includes 26 Italian-based, French companies, of which 11 are owned by Kering and nine by LVMH, such as Fendi and Bottega Veneta.
Mediablanco assigned each fashion company a primary sector: clothing, leather goods and footwear, jewelry, textiles and eyewear.
Sales of clothing accounted for 40.5 percent of total revenue for Italian fashion companies in 2017. From 2013 to 2017, the jewelry sector had the highest rate of growth at 13.3 percent.
Tod's spring/summer 2019 campaign. Image credit: Tod's
Sixty-three percent of Italy’s fashion revenues originated abroad, up more than 22 percent from 2013’s non-domestic sales. In comparison, 56.7 percent of revenue for other Italian manufacturing companies comes from international markets.
Eyewear in particular thrives in markets outside of Italy, with non-domestic sales accounting for 89.8 percent the sector’s total. Textiles and leatherwear are also geared towards markets abroad.
Reflecting the sector’s rise, Italian fashion’s workforce has grown nearly 20 percent since 2013, totaling almost 363,000 employees in 2017.
Net profit as a percentage of sales also increased for Italian companies, hitting 5.3 percent in 2017. Mediobanca attributes this growth to a reduction in Italy’s tax rate.
In 2017, the country’s fashion sector recorded a profit of 3.8 billion euros, or about $4.29 billion at current exchange.
Bottega Veneta is one of several Italian brands owned by French luxury group Kering. Image credit: Bottega Veneta
Out of the 163 Italian fashion companies Medioblanca evaluated, 15 reported 2017 sales of more than 900 million euros, or $1.02 billion at current exchange.
Among the Italian luxury labels in the "Top 15" are Prada, Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Moncler and Tod’s.
Luxury fashion growth
French luxury group Kering’s consolidated revenues were up 26.3 percent in 2018, as its key fashion houses saw double-digit increases.
Kering’s revenues for the year totaled 13.67 billion euros, or about $15.46 billion at current exchange. Italian fashion label Gucci’s growth was slightly down from 2017, but the brand still saw a revenue increase of 33.4 percent.
While all regions saw growth, Gucci’s increases were primarily driven by Asia-Pacific and North America (see story).
Together, Italy’s most valuable brands are worth 72.5 billion, or about $89.3 billion. About a third of this total comes from luxury companies.
Gucci tops BrandZ’s Italian-focused rankings with a value of around $16 billion. The almost 100-year-old label has seen an 8 percent growth in brand value over the last year.
Prada comes in at number five, while fashion labels Bottega Veneta, Salvatore Ferragamo and Fendi also make the list (see story).
“The Top 15 [Italian companies] can count on the strength of brands which symbolize the quality of ‘Made in Italy’ and on Italian creativity which is unique in the world,” Ms. Portioli said. “In order to take on the larger French leaders they have to continue to invest in new materials, new products and ideas, on innovation, technology and creativity.”


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October 19, 2008
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Kong Inc., a microservices API company, has announced Kong 1.0, the latest version of its open-source microservice API gateway. This latest version of the Kong platform includes a variety of features such as support for service mesh deployments and Kubernetes Ingress controller.
Proving to be too popular, the Google Translate API will be discontinued December 1 due to what the company characterizes as "extensive abuse." Effective immediately, rate limits will be greatly reduced. The search giant announced plans to shutter a dozen APIs in all, though most were older and less used than Translate.


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During the last two years, FinTech accelerated and grew through the roof. Partly because of the global success of e-commerce and the widely known consequences of the COVID-19 situation. Now it’s time to take it a step further. What will shape FinTech industry trends in 2023 and what could be the outcome for your company? Let’s review the current market landscape.
According to the Global Newswire, the total value of the global FinTech market will hit $305 billion in 2025. Now, at the brink of 2023, it’s good to take a closer look and prepare for the road ahead. These are the current FinTech trends. When the pandemic began, the usage of digital wallets surged to 83% and pundits project the industry will be worth over $10 trillion a year by 2025 (TelecomTV, 2021). Moreover, 2020 saw over 779 billion digital transactions worldwide, which is expected to grow 13% in the coming years and make cash payments the least common payment method by 2022.
What are the most important FinTech industry trends in 2023?
- Consumers and investors alike are increasingly interested in embedded finance. The search volume for phrases like “embedded finance” and buy now, pay later (BNPL) skyrocketed in the last 24 months. Buyers don’t have to visit a bank for a consumer loan. Instead, they can apply for a deferred payment and buy goods. All without the need to leave the platform they are already on. They don’t have to waste time on paperwork or enter credit card information. All data is already there.
The embedded finance market is already worth $54.3 billion and is predicted to grow to more than $248 billion in 2032. In 2021, venture capital investments in embedded finance reached $4.25 billion. That was 3x the value of investments made in 2020. The most popular embedded finance tool right now is making payments via a digital wallet. Insider Intelligence reports that 42% of Americans have used a digital wallet. An equal percentage of consumers (23%) have used BNPL or sent money via social media.
2. China will lead the FinTech market and evolution. China is a leading country for FinTech adoption. By many rates, the country is at the forefront of innovation in this regard. In fact, the country’s leadership in the area has reached almost all FinTech categories. There are more internet users (800 million, 98.6% of them using mobile) than the combined population of the US, Russia, Mexico, and Japan—and more than any country in the world.
China also leads in e-commerce. The market is valued at $1.9 trillion USD in 2019 compared to the $343.15 billion of the US, for example. All we got to do right now is to make a link between this fact and buy now, pay later (BNPL) options. Who’s going to make it to the top? Rising Chinese middle class (for more than a decade now) and BNPL operators.
According to BI Intelligence, Statista, and many other sources, China leads in FinTech adoption. In many fields, I might add – banking and payments, financial management, financing, and insurance. It’s a juggernaut with more money to invest than a few other leading countries combined.
3. Banks enter the BNPL market, competing with FinTechs. PKO BP, a Polish national bank, is one of the few in the world, that invested in its own BNPL solution. This is the next stage of the market war between high street banks and FinTech companies. Banks helped launch the BNPL, now they aggressively pursue it. We expect even more market movement in that regard in the upcoming year.
4. The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) will become even more natural. The more data you have, the more informed decisions you can take. The more precise tools for data management and processing you have, the more accurate those decisions. The less time you spend on analysis, the better the final outcome. Takeaway? Use AI for all.
Machine learning and AI adoption in FinTech accelerated. According to multiple reports, FinTechs are expected to cut operational costs by 22% by 2030. All possible through the usage of AI. The savings are expected to have an equivalent of $1 trillion.
5. Regtech solutions will reach all-time high adoption rates. Juniper Research (and many others) predicts, that the regtech industry will experience 200% growth between 2022 and 2026. Since More than 30% of financial institutions spend greater than 5% of their revenue on compliance, there’s a need for improved efficiency, greater accuracy, and better insights for the entire company.
We expect further investments in regulatory solutions. Especially since FinTech regulations get increasingly difficult to navigate and manage.
6. The FinTech industry will combine financial offerings with green initiatives. We have already touched on the subject. Green FinTech companies take over the niche, which becomes more and more important. Business puts more emphasis on sustainability, consumers expect good practices. The result? 8% of fintech founders say they are in the “sustainable fintech” category.
There’s definitely room to grow here. We expect rapid development of new green FinTech, as well as the implementation of good practices among those products, that don’t necessarily agree with 100% green approach. It’s already happening. VC investment also capitalizes on the trend. From 2020 to 2021, VC investment in green fintech grew by 100% for a total annual investment of more than $40 billion in more than 600 venture deals. The trend will accelerate, bringing more green to the table. Practices, and money alike.
7. On-demand pay becomes a new way of the wage distribution. Paying on demand? We already have that. Getting paid on demand? That’s a new one. On-demand pay, also known as earned wage access is taking the market by storm. According to Payments Dive, US employees alone withdrew $9.5 billion in pay using these types of platforms in 2020. That was nearly triple the amount in 2018. The trend will continue due to inflation and financially stressful situation. Nearly 80% of workers say that they would take a job with an employer that provides on-demand pay over an employer that does not.
We expect this trend to continue its rise through 2023 and beyond. It’s convenient for employees. Tech and financial infrastructure are already here.
FinTech industry trends in 2023 will continue its march towards increased integration of what’s already on the market and what emerged in the past 24 months. The COVID-19 situation put additional pressure on many companies and their clients. That’s why new solutions are needed.


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Wubba lubba dub dub! The hit show Rick and Morty, which has garnered a huge fanbase, has catapulted a few catchphrases into online history. If you’ve watched the show, you’ll know how overused “Wubba lubba dub dub” (yes, I did use it) and “I’m Pickle Rick!” have become. But one other detail has taken its own ride on the internet hype train. It’s not some alien species from an obscure dimension, nor does it involve the Council of Ricks. It’s the McDonald’s Szechuan sauce, the one that appeared in the first episode of the third season. So far, there hasn’t been the crazy story arc that Rick described, but it has made its way into our dimension! At least we think. McDonald’s recently announced it would be promoting the sauce on October 7th only. And of course, we assume, that’s in the US. But what about elsewhere? Will McDonald’s Szechuan sauce be available in Canada? Will McDonald’s Szechuan sauce be available in Europe, Australia, or Asia?
It looks like the answer right now is no, McDonald’s Szechuan sauce will not be available in Canada. And no, there won’t be any Szechuan sauce will not be available in Europe, or Asia, or anywhere else. It’s a US-only promotion. Are you curious if your local McDonald’s will be offering the sauce? If you’re a US resident, check out the list of participating restaurants here.
So if you’re living in Canada, or anywhere else for that matter, you won’t be able to get any of that sweet, tangy sauce any time soon. Reports have also indicated, that McDonald’s Canada itself has no plans on doing this promotion either. Here is an official statement from our neighbours to the north:
The Szechuan sauce is not planned on our exciting menu in Canada. It's sad to announce, but we have some other things planned!
— McDonald's Canada (@McD_Canada) October 3, 2017
So unfortunately, us Canadians (who are lucky enough to live close to the border) will have to make a special trip to our American brothers if we want to get our hands on the sauce. Our European friends and our brothers from down under? It’d be one expensive plane trip (or eBay auction), so it’s unlikely for now. We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed for that one. Or get our hands on a portal gun and grab some from another dimension.


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With hectic schedules, it can be hard to keep track of everything in your news feed. That’s why we created the TalkAndroid Daily Dose. This is where we recap the day’s hottest stories so you can get yourself up to speed in quick fashion. Happy reading!!
Best Android music playing applications [May 2013]
Samsung TecTiles 2 Now available to purchase
Fitbit adds Bluetooth 4.0 sync support for Samsung Galaxy S 4 in new update
Classic Sonic the Hedgehog by Sega launched to Google Play for $2.99
Do you remember last month when we told you of the sad news that Samsung’s old TecTiles didn’t work with the new Galaxy S 4. Well cheer up my friends because Samsung TecTiles 2 are now available for you to purchase. For those of you that don’t know what a Samsung TecTile is, let me give you a quick refresher. They are smart NFC tags that can be programmed by the Samsung TecTile app to do many things. You can set TecTiles to change settings in the phone, call a specific number, or send a predefined text. As an example, you can place a tag at the office, and when you scan the it, it can set your smartphone to silent or it could bring up your work calendar. You choose what you want the tag to do when it is scanned, making the little tasks that much easier.
For those that have a Galaxy S 4 and want more info, check out the source.
If you’re thinking that HTC will extend their $100 trade-in promotion for the HTC One, then think again. Earlier in the month they extended it to purchases made by May 19th, which is this Sunday. HTC is reminding everyone that this is your final chance to get in on it, which means they don’t plan on extending it. Of course we never say never in this business, but if you’re thinking of grabbing the One with this deal, you might want to pick it up this weekend. Because there is always the possibility that you might want to return your shiny new phone, HTC is giving you until June 19 to get your paperwork in. Hit the source link and use code US001UVORE.
source: HTC Trade Up
As we reported before, over 900 million Android-powered smartphones have been activated since the platform’s debut in 2007. While its no surprise that Samsung leads the herd over HTC, LG and Sony (among other competitors), it may come as a shock just how much they dominate by. According to a report by Strategy Analytics, Samsung captured 95% of Android’s profit in the first quarter of 2013.
In a recent piece on Focus Taiwan, Jack Tong, president of HTC North Asia, said HTC will double production for its recent flagship, the HTC One. Tong also mentioned the company’s older device, the HTC Butterfly, has seen sales rise since the company lowered the price of the device in Asian markets. To help sales further, the Butterfly will soon receive an update to Sense 5.0, as featured on the aforementioned HTC One. The update will include the Sense 5.0 user interface, the BlinkFeed home screen feed and improvements to the camera, among other additions.
A recent analysis claims only 10% of Samsung’s newest flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S 4, is shipping with Samsung’s own Exynos 5 Octa chip. Considering the device is on pace to become the company’s fastest selling smartphone in history, one might think Samsung would want to put more of their own hardware in the hands of consumers. However, Samsung seems to think it is more important to put devices in the hands of consumers regardless of the component sources. So in the case of the Galaxy S 4, the majority of the phones are shipping with Qualcomm chips.
Earlier this week, when the Samsung Galaxy S 4 broke a record by selling 4 million units in just 5 days, the company predicted the 10-million mark to be surpassed by the end of the month. That figure is still still on track, with Samsung co-CEO JK Shin stating “We are confident that we will pass more than 10 million sales of the S4 next week. It is selling much faster than the previous model S3.” Just how much faster? The Galaxy S 3 took 50 days to pass the 10 million sales mark, while the S4 was debuted less than a month ago. Quite impressive.
In other news, Shin said that the Galaxy Note III will be unveiled in September at the IFA in Berlin. He confirmed that the device will have 5.9-inch OLED display.
source: Korean Times
Music is a big part of a smartphone’s feature set. We’ve already talked about the best available music streaming services, but sometimes music streaming isn’t an option, whether that’s because you’re dealing with a pesky data cap, you’re somewhere without a reliably fast internet connection, or you would just rather keep your music on your device. Whatever the reason, we’re going to go over the top music playing apps for your Android device so hit the break to find out more.
We have some good news for retro game-lovers today, as Sega launched the classic version of Sonic the Hedgehog to Google Play. On the game’s official page on the Google Play store, Sega states that this is the full original version, and includes some pretty neat exclusive features, such as the ability to play as Knuckles and Tails. The game is available for download at only $2.99. Enjoy, gamers! Let us know how you like it. The Google Play link is available after the break, as well as a preview video.
Last month, Samsung officially announced a 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3, and today rumors are flying that they will soon announce an even bigger version. SamMobile says they have received their first photo of an 8-inch Galaxy Tab 3. As you can see above, it looks very similar to the Galaxy Note 8.0 without a pen, except for a thinner bezel and different camera and speaker placements.
The specs, though SamMobile warns they could change, include a 1280×800 screen with a an 1.3-megapixel camera on the front, and 5-megapixel camera on the back. The Android 4.2.2 powered device is supposed to have an unnamed 1.5GHz dual-core CPU , with 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a microSD slot. The tablet is expected by the end of June.
While we await the imminent release of Android 4.3 and its inclusion of Bluetooth Smart support, some app developers have taken it upon themselves to start adding Bluetooth 4.0 syncing to their apps, including Fitbit, a healthy lifestyle tracking application.
As they added support for the Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II back in February, today they announced that the app will now support the Galaxy S 4, with all of the efficiency improvements that it brings. Obviously since the new Bluetooth support is not yet standard in Android devices, Fitbit says that custom development work is needed for individual smartphones. Obviously Samsung’s new flagship device was an early priority.
You can grab the updated Fitbit app from the Google Play Store after the break.
Those of you who were giddy and/or impatient at waiting for the original May 20th pre-order date are probably going to start salivating at this tidbit of news: NVIDIA formally announced it will start taking SHIELD pre-orders from today. The reasoning for pushing up the pre-order is quite simple really as there has been an insane amount of buzz and hype not just from potential customers, but developers as well. That means some of you fanatics out there won’t need to wait any longer to shell out $349 for the Tegra 4-based beast from Newegg, Gamestop and Canada Computers.
Now enough with the chit chatter— prospective customers can hit the source links below to pre-order the device today.
source: NVIDIA | New Egg | Gamestop | Canada Computers
Panasonic recently decided to launch its first device in Indian markets with the Panasonic P51. The phone will come loaded up with Android 4.2, a 5-inch, 720p LCD screen, and a quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek processor. The phone is slightly reminiscent of a lower-end Galaxy Note 3, as it ships with a capacitive stylus and a magnetic flip cover. The RAM sits at only 1GB, there are 4GB of expandable storage, and the phone includes an 8MP rear-camera, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, and support for both HSPA+ and dual SIM cards.
The phone will launch in India next week at 26,900 rupees ($517 USD) contract-free which is a little expensive but should be a bargain when compared to its competition from Samsung. Hit the break for the full press release.
Just because the HTC One X is so last year doesn’t mean it’s not going to be treated to some welcome updates, possibly in the near-future. According famed developer LlabTooFeR, HTC is currently working on an extensive update that should not only bring Android 4.2.2, but will update the Sense UI software to version 5.0. Additionally, the new Sense UI update will bring the premium goodies that are Zoe and Blinkfeed as well, which brings enhanced camera capabilities and a brand-spanking new social feed to the device.
Of course everything needs to be confirmed by HTC above anything else, but here’s hoping we see something soon… very soon.
Archos introduced another tablet to their Elements series, called the 80 Xenon. The 8-inch device will come with both 3G and WiFi capabilities, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 1.2GHz processor, and a 1024 by 768 resolution IPS display.
This is shaping up to be a very affordable, mid-range tablet running Jelly Bean and with complete Google Play Store access.
The device will also come with 1GB of RAM and only 4GB of internal storage. The memory will be expandable, however, with a microSD card. The cameras are a little disappointing, as the 80 Xenon’s rear is only 2MP, and comes with a front facing “webcam.” The tablet will launch sometime in June for $199.99.


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tweet Print This! Taylor Hicks Visits Santa Clarita Wal-Mart Posted by: hometown in Santa Clarita News March 19, 2009 - 2:28 pm 0 0 Views Thursday afternoon, famous singer and former American Idol winner Taylor Hicks held a CD signing at Wal-Mart on Carl Boyer Dr. In Santa Clarita. Fans lined up to snap pictures, get their memorabilia signed, and to shake hands with the singer, who has just released his sophomore album titled "The Distance." 2009-03-19 hometown Taylor Hicks Visits Santa Clarita Wal-Mart Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * Email * Website Comment You may use these HTML tags and attributes:   <acronym title="">
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text: Great news! As some of you know, we are not so much into fur. Not because we don’t like the style, but the fact that animals have to suffer is more than enough reason to drop the style. Really great then, that with Gucci another high fashion brand decide to follow this new and necessary development. Read an interesting article about it in the Guardian here.


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Announced today: The Dell Social Innovation Competition. It's a worthy cause, and a great use of crowdsourcing tools. The deadline is Feb. 20.
"The RGK Center at The University of Texas and Dell are looking for college students worldwide with ingenious ideas to change the world.
Dream up a plan that combines creativity and innovation to tackle a pressing social issue, and you can win $50,000 to put your plan into action!
Students from all over the world are invited to create change at home, or anywhere in the world, with a social innovation designed to tackle a social problem and help every human reach their fullest potential. There is no limit to the imagination and any significant social issue can be addressed in this competition."


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HEADLINE: Thousands check out new store
By Jack Swanson
The rain washed out the elephant rides by the afternoon but it did not deter the crowds.
Despite the rain, just about everybody in Kitsap County came Saturday to the grand opening of HomeBase Silverdale. HomeBase is a massive, 100,000-square-foot home, hardware and garden center that is part of a rapidly expanding Fullerton, Calif.-based chain.
Jim Halpin, president of the company, said last week he hoped the firm would do a quarter of a million dollars in business its first weekend.
This morning, Carol Elfstrom, HomeBase's public relations director, would only say that the company was "very happy" with sales.
Why does Kitsap County need another hardware store?
"It doesn't need another one, it needs a good one," Halpin said.
Mainly, it's a matter of demographics, Halpin said. Silverdale fits the company's profile for the type of market the company looks for. It has opened 15 stores this year, including one in Bellingham.
The interior of the huge warehouse-style building was crammed with people Saturday. Children chased an employee in a Mutant Ninja Turtle costume, spilled popcorn everywhere and bombarded clerks with questions.
"Do you have Port-a-Potties?" asked one.
"I don't know," a clerk replied.
"How about replacement burners for gas barbecues?
"I don't know that either, but if we did, they would be at the end of aisle 35," the clerk said.
They did. In three sizes.
Halpin said employees are more attentive to customer needs than those at other hardware stores because the company offers an incentive bonus plan that gives hourly bonuses for those who pass skill tests.
"We're committed to paying for product knowledge," Halpin said. "We're the only home improvement store that does."
A clerk at the main customer service counter in Silverdale said she had never heard of the bonus plan. But then it was opening day.
Staff photo by Steve Zugschwerdt
Ann Waaga, left, and Barbara Waaga loaded up their shopping cart with plants while checking out the HomeBase grand opening Saturday.


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All you have to do to help raise money and support our community and the Indian River Lagoon is drink a beer, eat delicious food and listen to live entertainment at LagoonFest 2015.
On Saturday, March 7, beginning at 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., the Marine Resource Council will be hosting the Lagoon Fest.
The LagoonFest is known as “the party with a purpose” because it offers the community an entertaining party, with delicious food and live music, all while raising money for the Indian River Lagoon.
This event will be located at the Ted Moorhead Lagoon House, in Palm Bay.
The Marine Resource Council will be serving up plenty of food, including mouthwatering barbeque, and cold drinks to wash it all down.
Live entertainment will include Pato Banton and the Now Generation, Austin Jenckes of NBC’s The Voice and Kyle Cook of Matchbox 20.
Other musical guests will include Bill (The Sauce Boss) Wharton, Josh Miller, The Lights Out Project, Inna Sense and Coastal Breed.
VIP and general admission tickets are now on sale for the Lagoon Fest and can be purchased online at http://marineresourcescouncil.wildapricot.org/event-1850244.
General admission tickets are now being sold for $12 online. The online option for ticket purchases ends March 5. After March 5, tickets will only be available at the door for $15.
The “Lagoon Lover” package is being sold online for $45, which includes one free drink and food ticket, a T-shirt and all-day admission to the Lagoon Fest.
The “Lagoon Ambassador” package includes access to the VIP area that has a private bar and silent auction, backstage passes to musical guests, two free food tickets, two free drink tickets, a t-shirt and all-day admission.
After March 5, tickets will only be sold at the door of the event.
Marine Resource Council Members will receive a 10% discount on their ticket. To become a MRC member, please visit http://marineresourcescouncil.wildapricot.org/join.
The purpose of the Lagoon Fest is to raise $75,000, to help benefit the Indian River Lagoon.
The Lagoon generates $4 billion a year, for the Space Coast’s economy and it is important that the community gives back to the lagoon and helps preserve its wildlife.
All it takes to help save the Indian River Lagoon is to enjoy a day of appetizing food, cold beer and live entertainment.
For more information, please visit http://www.savetheirl.org/.
By Alyssa Brady


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Star Wars 1313
This year’s E3 was pretty underwhelming as you can see from our reviews of Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft and EA. However, one thing that stood out was that it also gave us a glimpse of next-gen graphics and it’s as if these third-party publishers officially rang the bell signalling the start of next-gen. Nintendo Wii U will be released this year, and Sony and MS’ consoles will be probably released next year, but that didn’t stop people from speculating what these consoles will contain and based on these incredible tech demos shown by select publishers, we kinda know what to expect from them.
Square Enix, the publisher behind the legendary Final Fantasy series, showcased its new Luminous engine at E3 this year behind closed doors, and the tech demo that the public got to see was all in real-time and rendered using the engine. To prove that it is real-time, they also changed the values resulting in something that was pretty impressive. Do not mistake this for a Final Fantasy XV demo, because this is just something they created to showcase the particle system, high density models and so on. The demo titled Agni’s Philosophy was created by Visual Works with target hardware intended for next-gen, which means, it ran on a PC.
Epic Games gained a lot of goodwill this gen due to their versatile and cheap Unreal Engine 3, which not only many developers adopted but was highly regarded as being the best middleware available. Once Unreal Engine 4 was unveiled, the press and gamers were pretty enthusiastic to see what Epic Games was planning with their next-gen engine, and they released a tech demo to show exactly that. Apparently the demo was running on a GTX 680 and to run the engine at optimal, the next gen consoles need to be at least 1.5 TFLOPS. There is a scaled down version too, probably for the Wii U. The Unreal Engine was really popular at E3 with over 25 games utilizing it.
Ubisoft stole the show at E3 this year, mainly due to its new game – Watch Dogs. It was somewhat surprising seeing that at Ubisoft’s conference, because it took the world by storm and ended up trending on Twitter and was a major talking point after the conference. It’s going to be released for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, but the demo at E3 was running on a high-end PC, and was targeted at next-gen platforms. It looked spectacular and something never before seen in games this gen. Huge open-world packed game with detail isn’t something that can be easily accomplished, as you can see in the video below.
Lucas Arts came out of nowhere and showed a demo of Star Wars 1313, along with a bunch of information that you can check over here. It looked like Uncharted but with an incredible visual fidelity. The game was running on a high-end PC, and the game does not have any platforms yet, so it could be very well the first next-gen game to be announced. It’s a third-person action game built with Unreal Engine 3 as a base, and Lucas Arts has mentioned that the production values are quite high with, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation Ltd. and Skywalker Sound all working on the game. Have a look at the video below and be prepared to be blown away.
Tell us what you think in the comments section below.


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The Greek kings of melodic hard rock, OUTLOUD, featuring Bob Katsionis (Firewind), American singer Chandler Mogel (Khaøs, ex-Talon) and bassist Sverd (AmongRuins) announce the release of their brand new video for the single "I Was So Blind" from their forthcoming album Let's Get Serious, out on May 23rd on the AOR Heaven label.
The video was filmed at the historic Revenge of Rock club in Athens, Greece, and features brand new members Kostas Milonas (drums) and Jim Scordilis (guitar). Additionally the video stars gorgeous Greek model Angelina Stratigaki and was directed by the renown Greek rock videographer Themis of RawRec Productions.
This video marks a long awaited return to form for OUTLOUD, as they further go on to campaign sonically on their upcoming album.
You can view the entire video, right here, right now!
Keep a lookout for Let's Get Serious in stores in Europe and everywhere digitally on May 23rd!


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“Such an announcement is not the stuff of a well operated FTSE-100 organisation,” said Clive Black, director and head of research at Shore Capital, in response to the announcement this morning (September 22).
“However, this development may raise, indeed must raise, much more fundamental questions over the chairman's position and the nature, composition and extent of the board,” he stated. “We are flabbergasted by this development.”
Black added that he expected the market to penalise Tesco’s share value as a result.
Neil Saunders, md of Conlumino, said: “Today’s announcement will further undermine market confidence in a company that has already lost a lot of investor goodwill. Mistakes do happen, but this gives the impression of a company that is not in full control of its internal procedures. It is just not what you expect from a company as large as Tesco.
“More significantly, it means that performance, which is already extremely weak, is actually much weaker than anticipated. This is something that will alarm investors and means that Tesco has much further to travel to recovery than first thought.
“Although the errors did not occur on his watch, this is not a very auspicious start to [group ceo] Dave Lewis’s tenure. It is now more imperative than ever that Tesco outline a very clear and compelling strategy as to how it intends to put is UK business back on track.”
In its statement this morning, Lewis said: “We have uncovered a serious issue and have responded accordingly. The chairman and I have acted quickly to establish a comprehensive independent investigation.
“The board, my colleagues, our customers and I expect Tesco to operate with integrity and transparency and we will take decisive action as the results of the investigation become clear.”
Tesco stated: “On the basis of preliminary investigations into the UK food business, the board believes that the guidance issued on August 29 2014 for the group profits for the six months to August 23 2014 was overstated by an estimated £250M.
“Some of this impact includes in-year timing differences. Work is ongoing to establish the extent of these issues and what impact they will have on the full year.”
The UK’s top supermarket said it had asked accountancy firms Deloitte and legal advisory group Freshfields to look into the issue. As a result, it said it had put back the release of its interim results from October 1 to October 23.


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Redstor's cloud business growing by more than double the industry average
Mon, 09/10/2012 - 08:16
Recent research by Gartner predicts spending on cloud services such as online backup and cloud storage will grow by 19% this year in comparison with traditional IT spending which is set to increase by only 3%.Last year, Redstor's cloud business, in particular online backup, IT asset and device management and e-safety, grew by well over 40% with growth this year expected to be even higher. If you'd like to find out why the uptake of Redstor's services has been so high in the last year, give us a call to find out more.
Redstor Accounting For Financial Data Backups at The Alternative Accountancy Strategic IT Conference 2018
Continuing from a series of events in the first two months of the year, Redstor will be in attendance of this years, Alternative Accountancy... read more
February 20, 2018


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Fintech giant Alipay is playing a key role in efforts by the Chinese central bank to develop a statutory digital currency.
Alibaba-affiliate Alipay has made public five patents in relation to China’s statutory digital currency during the period from 21 January to 17 March.
The patents involve issuance of digital currency, as well as recording of transactions, digital wallets, support for anonymous trading and the supervision and handling of illegal accounts.
Sources told Global Times that the patents indicate that the first stage of development of China’s statutory digital currency is complete.
According to a report from Sina from late 2019 at least 15 companies are helping PBOC with the development of its statutory digital currency, including big state-owned banks, China’s big three telecoms companies and some of its leading tech companies.
These companies reportedly include:
- Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC),
- Agricultural Bank of China (ABC),
- Bank of China (BOC),
- China Construction Bank (CCB),
- China Mobile,
- China Telecom,
- China Unicom,
Cao Yan, managing director of Digital Renaissance Foundation, said to Global Times that the Chinese central bank’s collaboration with companies such as Tencent and Alipay is of tremendous benefit to the development of a statutory digital currency given their immense technological expertise.
Cao also said that China should accelerate development of its digital currency as it will help the central bank to slash interest rates amidst emergency conditions such as the COVID-19 outbreak.
“If there is a chance China is considering lowering its interest rate into negative territory as an final option and directing such policy to commercial loans and lending, a circulated digital currency rather than M0 will be able to achieve that,” said Cao.