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Solar installers reap sunshine days
THE Queensland Government's Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariff sparked a rush on solar panel systems in the state, and there are fears the solar industry will not be able to cope with the demand.
Emerald-based solar installer Scott Black said he had an influx of customers signing up for solar power right up until the tariff cut-off date on July 9.
But he is not concerned about the pressure.
"We had a big demand up until then … a couple of hundred people in the last week before cut-off," he said.
Mr Black said they had not had anything after the deadline but they would be very busy in the coming months.
"We have enough work to keep us going for the next six months."
Mr Black said the interest and demand for solar energy would not stop, even though the registration date had passed.
"NSW has their tariff cut off over 12 months ago," he said.
"It's cut back, but it still growing at 30% (a year).
"The products and demand will change, but it's not going to stop."
He said rising electricity prices would force people to save money any way they could.
"As power goes up, people are going to be forced into looking at ways to save money and solar is the one thing to help save money," Mr Black said.
"Across the board people are looking at more efficient ways to run things."


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Lotus 3-Eleven posts 7-minutes 06-seconds lap-time splits at Nürburgring Nordschleife
Lotus debuted the 3-Eleven at Goodwood earlier this year, calling the car its "quickest and most expensive series production car ever." But just how quick is it? To find out, the carmaker has been testing the 3-Eleven at the Nürburgring, and it turns out it's faster than even Lotus thought.
OK, so we already knew the 3-Eleven was no slouch based on the figures that Lotus provided when the car dropped. It will hit 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in less than three seconds, with the the road-legal version of the car topping out at 180 mph (290 km/h) and the Race version hitting 174 mph (280 km/h).
The automotive rite-of-passage that is the Nürburgring Nordschleife, however, breathes color into those figures, giving an insight into just what a car can do under track conditions and compared to its contemporaries. Lotus says that, over the two-week testing period during which it clocked up over 2,000 km (1,243 mi), the 3-Eleven "lapped regularly on or below the target simulation time," (which Gizmag has asked Lotus to divulge, without response as yet). This despite it being an industry pool test period, and the track not being reserved solely for Lotus.
We also asked Lotus what the fastest full lap completed by the 3-Eleven was, and are waiting to hear back. In a press release, however, Lotus explains that by combining the quickest sector times achieved during its two fastest laps, the 3-Eleven can be shown to be capable of a hypothetical 7 minutes, 06 seconds lap time.
To put that into context, Group Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales calls it "one of the fastest ever lap times around the Nürburgring for any class of car and faster than many other supercars." Were it an official time, it would put the 3-Eleven behind only the Radical SR8LM, the Radical SR8, the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, according to nurburgringlaptimes.com.
One of the three drivers involved in the testing reckons that the 3-Eleven could actually go faster than the sector-aggregated time. "I know the Nürburgring Nordschleife very well and have driven many cars around the circuit," says Marc Basseng. "I’m sure, with the track completely to itself, the car could push towards a seven-minute-flat lap-time."
Prices for the 3-Eleven start at £82,000 (US$126,000) for the Road version and £96,000 ($148,000) for the Race version. Deliveries are scheduled to begin from April 2016.

domain: news


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The Biggest One-Week Launch Of Any Product Was For An Electric Car
It's been about a week since Elon Musk unveiled the long-awaited Tesla Model 3. And the world has welcomed it with unbelievably open arms. The company announced Thursday that it has already received 325,000 preorders of the car (which requires a $1,000 deposit). This corresponds to about $14 billion in implied future sales, making this the "single biggest one-week launch of any product ever."
Any. Product. Ever. And we're talking about an electric car. Tesla called this past week "The Week that Electric Vehicles Went Mainstream."
“This has been a true grass-roots effort driven by the passion of the Tesla team that’s worked so hard to this point, and our current and future customers who believe so strongly in what we are trying to achieve,” the company said.
Industry analysts and executives have been stunned so far by the reaction.
“We are not aware of any precedent of this level of order interest for any other car,” Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley analyst, wrote in a research note.
In fact, sales of current electric cars and hybrid models have suffered as American consumers have taken advantage of low gas prices by buying gas guzzlers like SUVs. But the new Tesla completely obliterated expectations.
“Despite its many accomplishments, Tesla had not yet truly disrupted the auto industry,” Mr. Jonas wrote. “We are now getting the feeling that this may be starting to change.”
More than 100,000 people had laid down their money before they ever even saw the car. Musk tweeted that 276,000 people reserved the Model 3 during the first three days. And the current number is twice as many Model 3s as Tesla reportedly expected to make. Hopefully, Tesla will be able to meet expectations building far more cars than it's ever built.
But even though Tesla has grappled with production problems in the past, Elon Musk, the company's chief executive, doesn't seem too concerned. In a Twitter Q&A the other day, he said he expects the Model 3 to crack a half-a-million preorders—and this is all for a vehicle that's been only half-revealed.
So, it seems, people are not only ready for electric cars—they're actually lining up around the block for them.
(h/t The Verge)
Ready to learn more about how to unlock the power of food to heal your body, prevent disease & achieve optimal health? Register now for our FREE web class with nutrition expert Kelly LeVeque.


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Japanese carmaker Nissan will sell its Leaf electric car for a base price of US$32,780 ($46,700) in the United States and begin taking orders on April 20.
When combined with a US$7500 federal tax credit, the Leaf would be priced at US$25,280, the carmaker said in a statement. State and local credits could further reduce the cost to consumers.
Nissan also said it would sell the battery-powered Leaf hatchback starting at 3.76 million yen ($58,000) in Japan, where it is also counting on government subsidies to slash the cost to consumers.
The company aims to sell 6000 Leaf cars, its first mass-volume all-electric model, in Japan for the year ending in March 2011. It began taking orders for the model this week, with the first delivery expected in December.
After accounting for Japanese government subsidies, Nissan said the net cost to consumers to buy a new Leaf would be near 2.99 million yen ($46,200).
The Leaf pricing also represents a premium over established, combustion-engine powered small sedans, such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
Analysts have said the premium reflects the cost of developing and producing the Leaf’s lithium-ion battery pack.
The cost of batteries and the reluctance of consumers to pay more upfront for fuel-saving technology are seen as the major hurdles to mass-market adoption of electric vehicles.
From:New Zealand Herald


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The Springfield, Mo.-based franchise group Hamra Enterprises has acquired 24 Panera Bread café units from franchise group CSC Investments, the company said Wednesday.
The two dozen locations sold by CSC Investments include units in Alabama (2), Georgia (2), Tennessee (10) and Louisiana (10). Mike Hamra, president and CEO of Hamra Enterprises, said in a statement that the more than 800 employees of CSC would be joining the Hamra team, which will now total more than 7,400 employees across 195 restaurants in 11 states.
“Thanks to a quality team dedicated to guest service and excellence, Hamra Enterprises has experienced phenomenal growth over the past year, which has enabled us to grow our family and the communities we serve,” said Hamra in a statement. “We are excited to be adding another 24 locations that were developed by another great Panera Bread owner who has been a Panera Bread franchisee for 24 years, and I am excited to have the employees of CSC join our team and looking forward to supporting them in their business to serve guests and the communities they do business in.”
Hamra Enterprises already owned and operated 66 Panera locations, so the acquisition brings the franchise operator’s total bakery-café count to 90 units. The franchisee also operates 98 Wendy’s restaurants and seven units of Noodles & Company.
Earlier this year, the company also agreed to open 24 Caribou Coffee locations in Missouri. The group is also planning to open two new Wendy’s units there this year.
Dan Cooke, president of CSC Investments, predicted an easy transition for the restaurants.
“We have an environment at CSC Investments where dignity and respect for our teams has been the cornerstone of our core beliefs and Hamra Enterprises has an equally impressive ‘people first’ culture that aligns with what we created in our organization so it’s an amazing fit and easy transition for our teams to join Hamra Enterprises,” he said in a statement.
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Planar Systems Inc. shares fell more than 13 percent Thursday after the company said second-quarter sales will come in far lower than initially projected.
The Beaverton-based display technology company (NASDAQ: PLNR) in February announced that it expected second-quarter revenue of between $45 million and $48 million. But on Thursday it reduced that to around $38 million, with an expected loss of between 15 cents and 20 cents per share, excluding certain charges.
The reduced expectations are the result of weaker than expected orders for several products over the last month.
In a news release, the company said it is taking action to reduce ongoing expenses “to allow for a lower break-even level.” A company official couldn’t be reached Thursday to explain what expenses may be targeted and if it had any effect on the company’s workforce.
Planar will release its complete second-quarter earnings report on May 2.
- Click here to read the complete news release from Planar.
Erik Siemers is managing editor of the Portland Business Journal.


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Timeless Objects Exhibit at The Future Perfect in Manhattan
The Future Perfect’s recently opened store on Great Jones Street is now showing an exhibit featuring works by Constantin and Laurene Boym set to run through the holidays until January 7, 2010. Their presentation of Timeless Objects includes a number of items created exclusively for The Future Perfect. Prior to the store’s installation, the Boym duo presented Timeless Objects to the public at Lisbon’s ExperimentaDesign in September, NYC’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in October, and in a personal exhibition last month at Wright in Chicago.
(Photo from Dezeen.com)
(Photo from Objectdesignleague.org)
As modern alchemists in their Brooklyn studio, the Boyms take ordinary objects and apply a coat of special, secret formula for a tough type of polymer that ends up looking like the dripping bronze of historical monuments. And voila! The mundane, discarded objects are now quite beautiful, giving new life worthy of a second look from the people who might otherwise disregard them in their everyday worlds.
Their handmade collection, a sort of commentary on the essential versus the trivial, challenges the commonplace with permanence and attempts to give the objects everlasting value. In line with the Boyms’ earlier projects, such as Recycle (1989), Searstyle (1992-94), and SalvationCeramics (2000-02), Constantin and Laurene Boym aspired to emancipate conventional objects from oblivion and neglect to give them new value and another life.
Visit the exhibit at The Future Perfect Manhattan outpost:
The Future Perfect
55 Great Jones Street (Bowery)
New York City, 10012
Posted by Nicole Bruce


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Confident in the strength and long-lasting design of its machines, John Deere is extending the eight-year/20,000-hour power electronic components on the 944K Hybrid Wheel Loader. The warranty supports John Deere's commitment to the durability and reliability of its popular 944K Hybrid Wheel Loader, which was recently named as a finalist for the in the Electrification Application of the Year category.
DitchWitch partners with MetaFLO on distribution of solidification reagents
Dumping liquid spoils from directional drilling is highly regulated, costly and time consuming. To combat these challenges, Ditch Witch, a Charles Machine Works Company, has partnered with MetaFLO Technologies to be the exclusive provider of SolidState 2 and SolidState 6 solidification reagents. This partnership will provide a more accessible and efficient process for the solidification of drilling spoils to an extended network of users and contractors.
Utilizing the SolidState 2 and SolidState 6 reagents, underground construction contractors can easily and quickly solidify and stabilize drilling fluids to cut time, costs and the environmental impact of disposing waste. These reagents can convert liquid spoils into a solid in the time it takes to get to a dump site, or less, and create dry, stackable solids for easy handling and transportation.
"Our partnership with MetaFLO will allow our customers to easily access products that help dispose of liquid spoils in a safe and efficient way," said Randy Rupp, Ditch Witch vice president of Product Strategy. "The SolidState reagents allow for a quicker and less costly way to dump liquid spoils that is beneficial for a wide range of users in a highly regulated industry."
"We're excited to partner with the Ditch Witch organization to expand our offering throughout their global dealership network and create convenience for our current HDD users with one stop for reagents, drills, recycling systems, service and support." said Andrew McNabb, MetaFLO president and CEO.
Both the SolidState reagents are exclusively sold through the global Ditch Witch dealer network, providing a one-stop shop to underground construction contractors for their jobsite needs.
The SolidState 2 reagent is engineered to work in conjunction with mixing systems for large volume applications. It solidifies liquids in fewer than 30 minutes using a typical dosage of 0.5 - 1.5 percent by weight. The SolidState 6 reagent is specifically designed for heavier, semi-solid waste streams. It absorbs quickly and works immediately, solidifying liquids in fewer than 10 minutes using a typical dosage of 0.25 - 1 percent by weight.
One specific customer was using a competitive product in attempt to dry liquid spoils before removal - using between 3,400 and 5,100 pounds of the product per a 20-yard bin of spoils to get it dry enough to transport to a dump site. This process was costing the customer between $420 and $610 on top of disposal weight costs. After switching to MetaFLO, the customer now uses only 250 pounds of the SolidState 6 reagent to solidify the same amount of spoils at a cost of $310, a $110 to $300 savings every time.
More from Industry News
Stellex Capital Management, a middle market private equity firm, has announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell Morbark, LLC, the manufacturer of high-performance equipment and after-market parts for the forestry, recycling, tree care, sawmill, land clearing and biomass markets, to Alamo Group for $352 million. The sale includes all assets and operations of Morbark and its affiliate brands.
The Government of British Columbia has revised the list of pre-qualified bidding teams that have been invited to participate in the request for proposals (RFP) stage to design, build and finance the Broadway Subway project and the Pattullo Bridge Replacement project.
MAJOR, a manufacturer of high-performance screening media, introduces a training program — Hands-On SMS — to give operations the tools they need to maximize uptime. MAJOR is first offering the program through General Equipment & Supplies, a Fargo, North Dakota-based dealer. The training includes hands-on experience with all aspects of a vibrating screen. It can be a stand-alone presentation, or a supplement to training already provided by the dealer, including material handling and crushing courses.
Liebherr-MCCtec Vertriebs- und Service GmbH is investing approximately 20 million euros in a new subsidiary in Hamburg Port. The official handover took place on 6th September 2019.
Construction industry entrepreneurs James Faulkner, Christian Hamm, and Andrew Hansen today announced the launch of The Site Visit, a podcast focused on leadership in construction with perspective from the jobsite. The podcast has already produced 18 episodes, has 500+ subscribers and has hosted guests that include senior executives from Fusion Projects, Ram Consulting, Faber Technologies, Landa Global, Clearview Demolition, Pit Stop Portables and Colony Construction.
"Large lifting companies with multiple cranes have options to get jobs done. I don't have that luxury," comments Steve Kelly, owner/operator of Steel Giraffe LLC. The Portsmouth, R.I.-based "boutique" crane company doesn't search out the typical residential and commercial construction projects. Rather, Steel Giraffe completes specialized lifting projects, and 90 percent of its lift jobs fall within a 30-mi (48-km) radius of the headquarters location.
Tigercat has appointed Jochen Reiter to the position of factory support representative for western Canada.
TRC Hydraulics Inc. will assume a greater strategic role to support Bosch Rexroth hydraulic products, services and customers as well as grow Bosch Rexroth business from their four locations in Atlantic Canada: TRC Hydraulics Inc., Dieppe; TRC Manufacturing, Dieppe; TRC Hydraulics Inc. Dartmouth and TRC Hydraulics Inc. Paradise.
CM Labs' new Mobile Crane Training Pack features all-new assessment tools and training exercises, including the industry's only tandem lift exercise for mobile cranes.
Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics are actively developing and testing automated trucks with SAE Level 4 intent technology on public roads. The initial routes are on highways in southwest Virginia, where Torc Robotics is headquartered. All automated runs require both an engineer overseeing the system and a highly trained safety driver certified by Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics. All safety drivers hold a commercial driver's license and are specially trained in vehicle dynamics and automated systems.
SBM Mineral Processing has spent the last six years growing its presence in Canada significantly. In order to support SBM's growth and ambitious expansion plans throughout North America the company is opening its factory parts and service hub in Canada.
Case Construction Equipment has named Steve Cianci as its new vice president for North America. Cianci joins Case with more than 25 years of leadership at various global heavy equipment and industrial companies – most recently with Kalmar USA, Inc.
Generac Mobile is now part of Sourcewell cooperative purchasing. Sourcewell, formerly the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA), helps government, education and nonprofit agencies operate more efficiently by helping save time and money with contract purchasing solutions nationwide. Generac Mobile equipment with related accessories and attachments can now be purchased through this program.
Volvo Trucks North America is utilizing 3D printing technology to produce tools and fixtures used in the manufacturing process at its New River Valley (NRV) plant in Dublin, Virginia, where all trucks for the North American market are built. The implementation of 3D-printed manufacturing tools enables quicker production and continuous quality improvements.
The Brandt Group of Companies has reached an agreement to acquire the businesses of Nortrax Canada Inc. and Nortrax Quebec Inc. (together, "Nortrax"), subject to due diligence and regulatory and other approvals.
Avi Kahn, Region Head and Chief Executive Officer of Hilti North America, has been promoted to the Hilti Group Executive Board effective January 1, 2020.
Montreal-based AGF Access Group, Inc. has been selected to provide a modular access solution manufactured under its Winsafe brand for Canada's largest clean energy project: the Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Southern Ontario, a joint venture refurbishment project led by SNC-Lavalin Group, Inc. and Aecon Group, Inc.
ASV Holdings, Inc.'s stockholders voted to adopt the merger agreement pursuant to which ASV will be acquired by America Corporation in an all-cash transaction, which was first announced on June 27, 2019.
ShearForce Equipment and key former employees of TerraFirma Equipment has announced that they are joining forces in northern Alberta to provide sales, rentals, parts, and repair and maintenance services for hydraulic excavator attachments. They are not only expanding their regional support capacity across northern Alberta, but also the product lines they can service and repair.
CNH Industrial N.V. is entering into a strategic and exclusive heavy-duty truck partnership with Nikola Corporation, based in Phoenix, Arizona, to accelerate industry transformation toward emission neutrality of Class 8 / heavy-duty trucks in North America and Europe through the adoption of fuel-cell technology.
Case Construction Equipment has named its 2019 "Diamond Dealer" and "Gold Dealer" award recipients as part of its North American Construction Equipment Partnership Program. The awards recognize dealerships across the U.S. and Canada for excellence in five categories including sales performance, marketing and communications, product support, parts support and training.
Elgin Sweeper Company has introduced the RegenX regenerative air street sweeper, a sweeper designed with the input of municipalities and contractors including operators, service technicians, fleet managers and public works directors across the United States and Canada.
Epiroc has introduced the Mining and Construction USA blog, a valuable new information hub for the two industries. Visitors will discover vibrant content designed to help their operations increase productivity, safety and cost efficiency. They will also read about how to use latest advancements in technology to their full potential.
Pettibone/Traverse Lift, LLC has launched a new X-Series Service School program to provide live, in-person machine training opportunities for members of its dealer network. Hosted by Pettibone dealers at various regional locations, the service school is specifically focused on Pettibone's next gen X-Series Extendo and Traverse telehandlers.
Meet the Canadian operators headed to the Global Operator Challenge regional finals in North Carolina
Venturo, a producer of truck- and van-equipped cranes, has announced a new distribution partnership with Halrai of Quebec. This Canadian equipment dealer will distribute the entire line of Venturo products with a focus on fully hydraulic cranes, including models equipped with (VLC).
ARA “Rental Customer Needs Study” shows that contractors expect to increase rental activity in coming year
Among professional construction contractors who rented equipment in the past year, a majority expects to increase reliance on rental in the year ahead, according to a comprehensive survey of contractors released by the American Rental Association (ARA).
Over the next few years, 20 million skilled employees will retire.
Manitex International, Inc., a provider of cranes and specialized industrial equipment, announced that the Board of Directors has unanimously approved the appointment of Steve Filipov as Chief Executive Officer and Director of Manitex International, and David Langevin as Executive Chairman. The changes are effective September 1, 2019.
Ariel Rubinstein has been named President and General Manager of Atlas Copco Compressors Canada, effective as of October 1, 2019.
Linamar Corporation's Skyjack division recently launched its fully revamped website www.skyjack.com. The new portal was designed with a combination of new technology, international audiences, and mobile first roles in mind.
Shawmut Equipment of Canada, one of Manitowoc Crane's dealer partners for success in North America, has opened a new facility in Elmsdale, near Halifax in Nova Scotia. The new location will serve as the company's Canadian headquarters, and comes as demand for its products and services has been constantly expanding in the region.
The Toro Company is realigning the organizational structure for its underground construction businesses to better serve customers, maximize synergies and streamline costs. The company intends to combine certain aspects of the Ditch Witch, American Augers and Trencor businesses, all of which were part of the Charles Machine Works acquisition announced earlier this year. This realignment supports a streamlined approach to the marketing, sales and service functions of those businesses to more effectively support end customer needs.
Gryphon Investors, a San Francisco-based middle-market private equity firm, has signed a definitive agreement to make a significant investment in Mechanix Wear, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance work gloves. Working alongside current owner and CEO Michael Hale, who will retain an ownership stake in the Company, Gryphon intends to build a leading platform in the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) sector. The transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, is subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The new five-year forecast from the American Rental Association (ARA) updated in August calls for equipment and event rental revenues in North America to surpass $71 billion in 2023, including $64.7 billion in the United States and $6.4 billion in Canada. The latest forecast is ARA's first to project rental revenue for 2023. The current figures, which are updated quarterly, also project slightly less growth for 2019 through 2022 than what was forecast in May. "The market for the equipment and event rental industry remains positive, but there definitely are signs that the U.S. economic growth is slowing and this projected slowdown is reflected in our latest forecast," says John McClelland, Ph.D., ARA vice president for government affairs and chief economist.
Caterpillar enlists Mike Rowe to host a fake game show quizzing the experts on frequently asked questions about Caterpillar services and products.
Mack Trucks dealer Kriete Truck Centers invested $6 million in a new building at its location in Racine, Wisconsin, doubling the amount of service bays at the facility. The Mack Certified Uptime Dealer location will also add a mezzanine in October to double its parts warehouse capacity.


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London and a Year: Pre-Orders Available
My friend Brian Leli, an incredibly talented writer and photographer, has a book coming out in January and it’s currently available for pre-order. He’s made the first 20 pages available for free, if you want to take a look and see what the book is all about.
In 2011, Brian launched a successful Kickstarter Project (raising over $15,000),
where he would be photographing and documenting his time in London (where he had gone to attend the International Journalism MA program at City University London). During the subsequent months, he documented his experiences and stories over at the project’s website: London and a Year.
If you’d like to see more of what he does with words and light, check out Brian’s personal site. He’s got a lot of work posted up, both on his site and across the web (New Statesman, The Morning News, Pitchfork).
Brian’s book is scheduled to be completed on January 16th, and will start shipping soon after. More than a year in the making, it’s a limited run with only 250 printed in total. You can pre-order a copy over at London and a Year.
Note: Brian is currently writing a series of letters to Tom Waits. Very worth checking out.


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If you’re looking for an affordable gaming mouse without the cable hassle, this one might interest you. Logitech G announces the Logitech G304 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse. The mouse brings Logitech’s LIGHTSPEED wireless technology and HERO (High Efficiency Rated Optical) sensors to gamers in a familiar build.
“For years, we have been committed to delivering wireless performance that was faster than our competitor’s wired offerings,” says KP Sim, Country Lead for Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines at Logitech.
“Through our work, wireless has advanced to the point where eSports pros are trusting our innovative technology and winning with our wireless mice. With the G304, we wanted to bring the same top-of-the-line technology to everyone.”
The Logitech G304 boasts 10 times the power efficiency of the previous generation of mice. The mouse also uses 400 IPS precision and sensitivity of up to 12,000 DPI, with no acceleration or smoothing. Moreover, its LIGHTSPEED wireless technology offers a 1ms report rate and end-to-end optimized wireless connection for responsiveness and reliability.
The mouse’s Performance mode can run about 250 hours of continuous gameplay on one AA battery. Alternatively, users can switch to Endurance mode to extend battery life further to nine months, but with an 8ms report rate.
This handy new device weighs 99 grams and comes in the colour of black. You can purchase the mouse from Logitech’s authorised resellers in Malaysia at RM199. Check out the Logitech’s G304 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse’s product page.


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A ten-year study found that organic tomatoes contain twice as many antioxidants as conventionally grown tomatoes. The study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry claims that when compared to standard produce, organic strains contain higher levels of two high blood pressure-fighting flavonoids.
These findings also confirm recent European research, which showed that organic tomatoes, peaches and processed apples all have higher nutritional quality than non-organic
They found that on average they were 79% and 97% higher respectively in the organic tomatoes than in the conventionally grown fruit.
New Scientist magazine reported that the different levels of flavonoids in tomatoes are probably due to the absence of fertilisers in organic farming.
Flavonoids are produced as a defence mechanism that can be triggered by nutrient deficiency, such as a lack of nitrogen in the soil.
The inorganic nitrogen in conventional fertiliser is easily available to plants and so, the researchers suggests, the lower levels of flavonoids are probably caused by over-fertilisation.
Who would’ve guessed: fewer chemicals lead to better soil and healthier produce.


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Capcom have announced that the upcoming DmC: Devil May Cry from Ninja Theory will be getting a film adaption. The publisher’s blog spilled the details, stating that Kyle Ward is penning the script. Ward is also behind the upcoming Hitman 2 and Kane and Lynch films.
The popular franchise has already seen anime and comic book adaptions, but we can’t wait to see how Dante’s sword sorcery translates to the big screen. Will basing this on the new game mean that we don’t get to see the hero in his classic outfit?


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By Jamshed Baruah
GENEVA (IDN) – “The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift towards a more digital world. The changes we make now will have lasting effects as the world economy begins to recover,” says Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The acceleration of online shopping globally underscores the urgency of ensuring all countries can seize the opportunities offered by digitalization as the world moves from pandemic response to recovery, he adds. (P19) JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | TURKISH
Mr Kituyi’s remarks are based on the survey, entitled “COVID-19 and E-commerce”, which examines how the pandemic has changed the way consumers use e-commerce and digital solutions. It covered Brazil, China, Germany, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, South Africa, Switzerland and Turkey.
Following the pandemic, more than half of the survey’s respondents now shop online more frequently and rely on the internet more for news, health-related information and digital entertainment. Consumers in emerging economies have made the greatest shift to online shopping, the survey shows.
The survey conducted by UNCTAD and Netcomm Suisse eCommerce Association, in collaboration with the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br) and Inveon, shows that online purchases have increased by 6 to 10 percentage points across most product categories.
The biggest gainers are ICT/electronics, gardening/do-it-yourself, pharmaceuticals, education, furniture/household products and cosmetics/personal care categories.
However, average online monthly spending per shopper has dropped markedly Consumers in both emerging and developed economies have postponed larger expenditures, with those in emerging economies focusing more on essential products.
Tourism and travel sectors have suffered the strongest decline, with average spending per online shopper dropping by 75 per cent.
“During the pandemic, online consumption habits in Brazil have changed significantly, with a greater proportion of internet users buying essential products, such as food and beverages, cosmetics and medicines,” said Alexandre Barbosa, manager of the Regional Center of Studies on the Development of Information Society (Cetic.br) at the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br).
Increases in online shopping during COVID-19 differ between countries, with the strongest rise noted in China and Turkey and the weakest in Switzerland and Germany, where more people were already engaging in e-commerce.
The survey found that women and people with tertiary education increased their online purchases more than others. People aged 25 to 44 reported a stronger increase compared with younger ones. In the case of Brazil, the increase was highest among the most vulnerable population and women.
Also, according to survey responses, small merchants in China were most equipped to sell their products online and those in South Africa were least prepared.
“Companies that put e-commerce at the heart of their business strategies are prepared for the post-COVID-19 era,” said Yomi Kastro, founder and CEO of Inveon. “There is an enormous opportunity for industries that are still more used to physical shopping, such as fast-moving consumer goods and pharmaceuticals.”
“In the post-COVID-19 world, the unparalleled growth of e-commerce will disrupt national and international retail frameworks,” said Carlo Terreni, President, NetComm Suisse eCommerce Association.
“This is why policymakers should adopt concrete measures to facilitate e-commerce adoption among small and medium enterprises, create specialized talent pools and attract international e-commerce investors.”
Digital giants grow stronger
According to the survey, the most used communication platforms are WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger, all owned by Facebook.
However, Zoom and Microsoft Teams have benefitted the most from increases in the use of video calling applications in workplaces. In China, the top communication platforms are WeChat, DingTalk and Tencent Conference, the survey shows.
The survey results suggest that changes in online activities are likely to outlast the COVID-19 pandemic. Most respondents, especially those in China and Turkey, said they’d continue shopping online and focusing on essential products in the future. They’d also continue to travel more locally, suggesting a lasting impact on international tourism. [IDN-InDepthNews – 09 October 2020]
Photo: Online shopping will never be the same after the coronavirus pandemic. Source: UNCTAD
IDN is flagship agency of the Non-profit International Press Syndicate.


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Burnout voted video game franchise most in need of a revival
Over 15,000 Redditors have voted on which video games they’d like to see mount a comeback and the top four are all EA titles.
So many seemingly minor video game franchises have had an unexpected revival recently, from Busby Bobcat to the upcoming Psychonauts, that it’s pointless to say that any series is too obscure to receive a reboot.
That said, there are a number of fan favourites that companies seem very stubborn about not bringing back, which is why fans on Reddit recently got together to organise a survey on which games they think are most deserving of a revival.
It seems to be a complete coincidence, but the majority of games in the top 10 are either EA published or otherwise connected to the company, which is going to make for some interesting reading at the next board meeting.
While 15,000 is a lot of people, the games at the top of the list are not really what you’d expected, with two real-time strategies in the top three and some that have already had a revamp confirmed, such as TimeSplitters.
Nevertheless, arcade racer Burnout was the clear winner, which is a shame as EA seems to have no plans for a new game. Series creators Criterion are currently working on fellow racing franchise Need For Speed and it’s very unlikely they’d be able to work on Burnout anytime soon.
The most recent mainline entries in both Battle For Middle-Earth and Command & Conquer were by the now defunct studio Danger Close. EA no longer has the Lord of the Rings licence but do occasionally make attempts to revive the Command & Conquer name, most recently with the Remastered Collection.
SSX has already been revamped once before, in 2012, but like Burnout is essentially an arcade racer, which, unless you count Mario Kart, no publisher has had any luck with in the modern era.
Top 20 most wanted video game revivals
2. The Lord Of The Rings: The Battle For Middle-Earth
3. Command & Conquer
6. Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
7. Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver
8. Silent Hill
9. Dark Cloud
10. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
11. Jak And Daxter
12. Star Wars: Jedi Knight
13. Army Of Two
15. Jet Set Radio Future
16. Legend Of Dragoon
17. Chrono Trigger
18. Sly Cooper
19. Star Fox
20. Twisted Metal
There are other EA connections in the top 10, since they distributed both Portal games on Valve’s behalf and now own Knights Of The Old Republic developer BioWare. Although BioWare are not directly involved, a remake of the first Knights Of The Old Republic is currently underway at Aspyr.
Back in 2019 EA promised remasters of unspecified ‘fan favourite’ games, which subsequently turned out to be Mass Effect and the recently announced Dead Space remake.
It’s possible they may have other plans though, especially given Mass Effect outperformed their expectations and they now have this list to inspire them.
As for the other games in the list, there are some that are more expected, such as Square Enix’s Soul Reaver, the eternally rumoured Silent Hill, and Splinter Cell – which Ubisoft keeps teasing, in terms of cameos of Sam Fisher in other games, but which has not had a new sequel in eight years.
It’s also notable that there are surprisingly few Nintendo franchises in the list, just Star Fox at number 19 – which only underlines why they’ve never tried to bring back F-Zero in the modern era.
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Bonnie Brooks has been named president of Hudson’s Bay Co. as part of its purchase Monday of U.S. sister company Lord & Taylor Holdings LLC and will run both The Bay and the department store chain Lord & Taylor.
President and chief executive of The Bay since 2008, Ms. Brooks has been credited with the department store chain’s exceptional turnaround, discontinuing unpopular brands in favour of edgy new ones, and securing exclusive fashion deals with such brands as Ralph Lauren.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Prior to her tenure, many retail watchers believed consumers had lost interest in department stores in favour of more focused big-box or specialty stores such as Future Shop and The Gap. But Ms. Brooks’ personal touch — appearing as the voice of the retailer on radio spots and refreshing every end of the business down to its restaurants and hair salons — has helped introduce The Bay to a new audience.
Monday’s announcement comes after U.S. real estate investor Richard Baker dissolved Hudson’s Bay Trading Co., the private umbrella company that had held the two chains.


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- CMS has issued an interim final rule that raises Medicare payments for durable medical equipment (DME) to ensure Medicare beneficiaries have access to critical medical devices.
The rule will raise DME payments to Medicare providers from June 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018 within rural regions not subject to the DME Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP).
CMS estimates that Medicare will pay an additional $290 million in benefit payments and $70 million in beneficiary cost sharing for DME services during the six-month period.
The agency stated that many small DME providers and businesses experience financial challenges under CMS’s current DME payments rates. Raising the rates would ensure that these smaller businesses can maintain financial stability and effectively provide beneficiaries with devices.
“This action will help Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas continue to access life-sustaining durable medical equipment, like oxygen equipment,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma.
In 2016 and 2017, the DMEPOS CBP adjusted payment rates for devices like oxygen tanks and enteral nutrition systems in rural areas that are catalogued as “non-bid” areas. These non-bid areas saw adjusted payment rates that were 50 percent lower than unadjusted rates in parts of the country participating in the DMEPOS CBP.
Rural DME providers will now receive “blended rates” from CMS. The blended payment rates are calculated by combining 50 percent of DMEPOS CBP rates and 50 percent of the traditional fee-for-service payment rates.
Stakeholders will have until July 9th, 2018 to submit final comments to CMS about possible DME payment changes here.
“Going forward, CMS will continue to review data and information about rates for DMEPOS items and services,” the agency said. “CMS intends to undertake subsequent notice-and-comment rulemaking to address the rates for durable medical equipment and enteral nutrition furnished in 2019 and beyond.”


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The Philadelphia native plans to open a two-in-one restaurant concept at 407 N. First St. in Jackson Ward.
Commercial Real Estate
Singaporean investors bought the 47-acre site from Longships Capital, Homeward Angel and Prudent Richmond, which paid $38 million for the property in 2017.
The Belgian company plans to close or sell all 128 of its North America stores by the end of March due to the drop in foot traffic during the pandemic.
The city’s new 20-year master plan would allow for a greater variety of uses in areas around The Diamond, but also would remove some uses currently allowed.
The Cordish Cos., Bally’s Corp. and Urban One are finalists. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Wind Creek Hospitality and Golden Nugget Hotels & Casinos are out.
The developer is “at a little bit of a loss of what we will do next with the property” after a plan for townhomes and commercial space was nixed.
The Pit and The Peel will join two office tenants in the mixed-use project rising on the site of the old school property at 5800 Patterson Ave.
The furniture store will stay open in the space for at least the time being but the owners are mulling retirement.
D’Haiti Wellness, which has operated online since 2019, plans to open a retail location in the West End shopping center in April.
The restaurant space at 309 N. Laurel St. is swapping out brisket and cornbread for dumplings and ramen.


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It is thought that Nokia will add two more mobile phones to its unique business trialling scheme.
The initiative allows companies in the UK to try the handset for 30 days and now the Finnish firm has added two new devices to the line – the Lumia 1520 and 2520.
According to Tech Radar, businesses can apply to trial a number of phones on the Nokia website. If you qualify, you could receive a Nokia Lumia 520, 625 and 925 to test. As well as the handsets, companies also get their hands on a built-in video player that gives them short films to introduce them to the scheme.
Talking to Mobile Magazine, Nokia director of Business Sales for UK and Europe Adrian Williams said, "We have made good progress in 2013 and we now plan to scale our activities across all channels."
Nokia has enjoyed the strongest growth of any manufacturer during 2013 but is still struggling to compete with giants Apple and Samsung.
Posted by Samantha Green


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Uruguay: Inflation reaches near-decade high in February
March 5, 2014
In February, consumer prices rose 1.66% over the previous month, which was below the 2.44% increase recorded in January. The print exceeded market expectations of a 1.00% increase. According to the Statistical Institute, the monthly rise in consumer prices was mainly driven by higher prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages as well as for household items.
Annual inflation rose to 9.8% in February, which was up from the 9.1% tallied in January and marked the highest value since August 2004. Consequently, inflation remains well above the Central Bank's target range of 4.0%-6.0%.
LatinFocus Consensus Forecast participants expect inflation to moderate to 8.1% by the end of 2014, which is up 0.1 percentage points from last month's projection. For 2015, panelists see inflation at 7.5%.


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Have you heard of a company called Torotrak? Probably not. They make a very clever gearbox called an infinitely variable transmission system – basically a form of zero-shift a little bit like the gearboxes they use in F1.
Trouble is, although Torotrak has been around for nearly a decade, not one single car manufacturer has been bold enough to invest in its gearbox (although Jaguar is working with it on a mechanical hybrid system). The industry, it seems, made up its mind long ago that Torotrak’s exceedingly clever transmission is too complex, too heavy and too expensive to use on the road. And so yet another of Britain’s brilliant engineering ideas has failed to get off the ground.
Until a few days ago, that is, when shares in the firm rocketed from 9p to 22p in less than one hour, following an endorsement from world-leading US lorry gearbox manufacturer Allison Transmisions, which has said it will invest over £10 million in Torotrak during the next two years.
The great thing about the Torotrak system is that it is, in theory, incredibly fuel efficient because it creates far less friction than a conventional gearbox, or even a DSG. And now, maybe, Torotrak is up and running and will appear in road cars of the future. Perhaps not everything is doom and gloom for British industry after all.


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The highly-acclaimed Blue Badge Protector, an essential security device for safeguarding the Blue Badges of disabled individuals, is set to make its debut in the nationwide retail scene. Having experienced remarkable success through online sales, this invaluable product will now be accessible on the shelves of over 200 Halfords stores across the country from Monday the 9th of October.
Every disabled individual understands the unparalleled significance of a Blue Badge – it’s not just a
permit; it’s a lifeline that promotes mobility, freedom, and dignity. Unfortunately, thefts targeting these
badges have been on the rise, causing untold inconvenience and distress. This is where the Blue Badge
Protector steps in, providing a robust line of defence against such malicious intents.
For many, online shopping can be accompanied by concerns of delivery delays and extra costs. With the
product’s launch in Halfords, these concerns became a thing of the past. Not only will customers save on
delivery charges, but the physical availability also offers the immediate satisfaction of purchase.
Moreover, this move to Halfords is not just about ease of purchase. It’s about the experience. The
knowledgeable and friendly Halfords team will be on standby to assist customers, ensuring they fully
understand the product’s features and benefits. This personalised touch ensures that every customer
leaves the store confident about their purchase.
“We are immensely pleased to bring the Blue Badge Protector to a wider audience through this
partnership with Halfords,” said Jarred Haines – Halfords Buyer Travel Equipment. “Being available
in-store means we can ensure even more Blue Badge holders have the peace of mind they deserve, and
we are looking forward to serving the disabled community more efficiently and effectively.”
The Blue Badge Protector is now available in 236 Halfords stores across the UK as well as
Halfords online. Protect your peace of mind, protect your badge.
For more information about the Blue Badge Protector or for media enquiries, please contact:
Phil Brittain – Customer Success Manager on email@example.com or 020 3793 0098
About Blue Badge Protector:
For over 17 years, Blue Badge Protector has been dedicated to designing and creating security devices
to safeguard the disabled community from Blue Badge thefts.
At Halfords, we’re all about the journey. With more than 600 stores with over 10,000 colleagues, we’re the UK’s leading retailer of automotive and cycling products – pleasing more than 750,000 customers every year.


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TEHRAN, Iran, July 20
Iran may close more businesses, if the coronavirus situation worsen, said the head of Tehran Guild Chamber.
"Some businesses have been closed for a week now due to the coronavirus infection; if the situation improves they will resume their work, but if not, more businesses will be closed," said Qasem Noudeh-Farahani, Trend reports citing ILNA.
Against the backdrop of growing coronavirus mortality rate and the second wave of COVID-19 spreading across the country, Iran has closed businesses for a week from July 14.
"The National Headquarter to Fight Coronavirus has agreed during its latest meeting to send inspectors to monitor the implementation of health protocols in busy places such as shopping malls," Noudeh-Farahani said.
"Wearing mask should be mandatory in all shopping centers since there is a high risk of infection in places with large gathering. If these businesses ignore the rules, they will be given notice and prosecuted; if they continue to violate instruction, they will be shut down," he added.
"There should be plans to adapt to live with the coronavirus since we don't know when it would be over," said the head of chamber.
"Around 80 percent of businesses in Iran were affected by the coronavirus spread, only 12 percent of them have received loans from the government to compensate the economic loss," he noted.


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Owner of Di Olivas opens Hot Sauce Werks on Main Street in St. Charles
Di Olivas Oil & Vinegar owner Robert Palleja has brought the heat back to St. Charles’ Historic Main Street. Hot Sauce Werks, which opened July 3 at 418 S. Main St., a couple blocks from Di Olivas, sells all things spicy. Items on offer include over 300 hot sauces, barbecue sauces and salsas, as well as hot pickles, pasta and sea salts, spicy maple syrup and mustard, and candied jalapenos.
Although many of the items are sourced nationally and some internationally, the shop also features a small selection of local products from the St. Louis metro and bi-state areas. There will be a few crossover items sold at both the new spot and Di Olivas, but the majority of products will be unique to each location.
Like Di Olivas, Hot Sauce Werks also sells coffee beans that staff can grind in-store for customers, including a popular bourbon-infused coffee. There are currently 10 flavored options that are roasted in Illinois, and by the end of next week, Palleja plans to add about five unflavored brews that will be roasted in St. Louis.
After Figuero’s International Gourmet Foods (also a couple blocks from Di Olivas) changed ownership and names a few years ago and then moved off Main Street in early 2019, Palleja noticed people were missing the spice. “Anywhere from two to four times a week, people kept asking me where the hot sauce was,” he said. “After a year and a half of there not being hot sauce on the street, I decided I could get people what they were asking for.”
Palleja is no stranger to heat. “Some people want to elevate their food with high quality fats and acids, and some people enjoy elevation with a certain level of spice,” he said. He notes that some of his most popular olive oils and balsamic vinegars are spicy.
Although tasting, once a core component at Di Olivas and what would have likely been integral at Hot Sauce Werks, has been complicated by the pandemic, Palleja has a solution. In the future, he hopes to host Meet the Producer events, in which once a month, one of local purveyors will spotlight one of its products.
“This way, there will be a single product very well-managed for [safe] tasting, and people can talk to the people that make these products right here in St. Louis,” he said.
As for opening a store during a pandemic, Palleja said, “Like anything else, there’s challenges. The place I normally go to for [decorating] ideas has been closed for months.” Instead, the store’s mechanical theme is furnished with toolboxes and diamond deck shelving units from Cotton’s Ace Hardware.
Hot Sauce Werks is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday with a closing time of 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
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China a cash cow for our dairy farms
FROM the plains of Inner Mongolia to a muddy field in Athy, representatives of the world's most populous country hot-footed it to the Championships yesterday to find out how we do things over here.
China is turning out to be a cash cow for the Irish dairy industry, as that country develops a newfound thirst for milk, and business experts are hoping to deepen the links.
Zhenghong Lee, who manages a co-op with 20,000 cows in Inner Mongolia -- a province of China -- couldn't believe his luck when he came to inspect milking machines, and ended up shaking hands with President Mary McAleese.
"It is very interesting to see how you do things here and especially so much in one place," said Mr Lee, who plans to open a chain of 15 farms back home.
The Chinese are drinking three times as much milk as they did 10 years ago, but the industry has been battered by a scandal involving contaminated formula milk in 2008, and they are turning to our centuries-old dairy industry to get some lessons in quality control.
Enterprise Ireland brought the team of buyers with millions of euro of buying power from all over China to Athy yesterday to get a flavour of Ireland's agrifood business -- and develop vital trade links.
An ultimate goal would be to set up a major Irish dairy farm in China, harnessing this country's expertise in genetics, machinery and food safety, said Cathy Holahan, China Adviser of Enterprise Ireland.


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This year, as we celebrate Chanukah and we remember the story of the miraculous oil, it’s worth taking a moment to ask—what kind of oil are we talking about?
The Talmud states that the menorah, at the center of the Chanukah story, can only be lit with pure, pressed olive oil. We honor that miracle of one day’s worth of oil lasting for eight by making foods and candles with all sorts of oils. Unfortunately, some of these oils are far from miraculous.
Some of the oil used in our favorite Chanukah foods comes from palm oil. Palm oil cultivation is leading to the rapid destruction of rainforests across Southeast Asia, encroaching on the habitat of some of the Earth’s most beautiful creatures: Sumatran tigers, orangutans, elephants and rhinos.
If you buy your sufganiyot (doughnuts) at Dunkin’ Donuts or Krispy Kreme, there’s a good chance it’s being cooked in or with palm oil that comes from destroyed forests.
It’s a real crisis. The palm oil industry already has destroyed more than 30,000 square miles of land, leaving behind only 400 Sumatran tigers in the wild. The burning of these forests is also sending billions of tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere, making it one of the world’s largest drivers of climate change.
What’s really tragic is that palm oil can be grown without deforestation, but Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme lack basic practices that could ensure that they’re getting it from responsible sources.
Though these companies claim that they use palm oil from companies endorsed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), this industry-led group adheres to weak standards that still allow for deforestation.
For example, a new report by Friends of the Earth, Forest Heroes and SumOfUs chronicles how the IOI/Bumitama company, a member of RSPO, bulldozed orangutan habitat in Borneo to make way for palm oil plantations that reach the global marketplace (including Chanukah products sellers) through global agricultural products traders. That’s why companies like Nestlé have adopted stronger standards that eliminate deforestation from their supply chain.
Here are three ways you can make a difference:
1. Buy doughnuts, gelt and other Chanukah foods that don’t have palm oil from destroyed rainforests.
2. Burn candles, not rainforests, by using candles made of beeswax or paraffin rather than palm oil.
3. Ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme to adopt responsible palm oil sourcing policies by signing the petition at www.forestheroes.org.
If one day’s worth of oil can last for eight days, then perhaps with our help, these threatened species can thrive once more.
France moved one step closer this weekend to banning short-haul flights in an attempt to fight the climate crisis.
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By Rishika Pardikar
Search operations are still underway to find those declared missing following the Uttarakhand disaster on 7 February 2021.
Biden Refuses to Shut Down Dakota Access Pipeline, Despite Campaign Pledges on Tribal Relations and Climate
By Jessica Corbett
Indigenous leaders and climate campaigners on Friday blasted President Joe Biden's refusal to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline during a court-ordered environmental review, which critics framed as a betrayal of his campaign promises to improve tribal relations and transition the country to clean energy.
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Bitcoin peaked at over $ 19,000 in December 2017. It is currently trading at around $ 4,600.
So it seems safe to say that the bitcoin bubble has exploded. Should investors start relocating bitcoins and other encrypted assets?
Maybe. Some bitcoin bulls are welcoming recent volatility. It may scare some of the momentum investors who have rushed, which means bargain hunters can accumulate bitcoins at a more attractive price.
"Experienced investors understand that digital currencies are the future of money and, as such, will capitalize lower prices to build their portfolios and strengthen their positions," said Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group, a company financial consulting firm.
"Financial traditionalists regard cryptocurrencies as traditional stores used to display online retailers," said Green. "Cryptic crypts are using this current wave of volatility to knock on digital currencies: whether it's Bitcoin or any coin generation, or not, cryptocurrencies are here to stay."
SEC that keeps the Fishers in the eye
It's also a more technical reason, for which the bitcoin is going down.
In the last year, bitcoin went through a division process known as fork. The first fork has created bitcoin liquidity and bitcoin money has recently been split into two other forks. For the average investor, this basically means only more volatility.
But there are still some potential problems for bitcoin and the legion of other cryptos out there, such as ethereum, litecoin, ripple and stellar. Even their prices have plummeted recently.
Part of the problem is a bubble mentality. Short-term investors are all trying to get rich quickly with these cryptocurrencies, as well as with initial coin offerings or ICOs. Those are securities guaranteed by cryptographic assets.
But they are incredibly risky. And the Securities and Exchange Commission is starting to crack down on ICOs that do not exceed regulatory requirements.
"The SEC reminded the cryptic world that has the final word on everything that smells of security," said Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Think Markets UK. "The fear is that the SEC will not stop here and could take similar actions against several companies that have adopted a similar path.
He claimed that many companies will not be able to raise more capital and will not be able to survive.
"The current bear market will hurt in no time, both for crypto funds and for ICO projects, and pain is something that many of these entrepreneurs and managers have never faced," wrote Pompliano.
But he sees the light at the end of the tunnel. Pompliano believes that the current shakeout is necessary. It will free the market from weak hands and leave only the real crypto-believers – as opposed to traders – to thrive from continued global growth in the cryptic world.
"Things will be much worse before they get better." All right, remember, leads the markets to get rid of tourists so that real entrepreneurs can focus on building sustainable value, "wrote Pompliano.


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Minecraft Lunar New Year 2021 – Year of the Ox Skin Pack Revealed
Minecraft players can get the Year of the Ox skin pack for free from the developers as a gift for celebrating Lunar New Year.
With the Lunar New Year arriving a few days from now, a lot of developers around the world have already prepared multiple contents with the Chinese New Year theme to celebrate this worldwide festival along with players. When it comes to Mojang, they will have a brand new Minecraft Lunar New Year 2021 skin pack including nine different skins.
This year’s Lunar New Year is going to be a very special one for Minecraft and Mojang Studios. As shared by the developer recently, when Minecraft first launched back in 2009, the Lunar year’s icon back then was Ox, and since then, this year is the first time that the Lunar year will be recognized by Ox once again. In order to celebrate this special period of the year with Minecraft players, you can get the Minecraft Lunar New Year 2021 skin pack from the Marketplace or the Character Creation section. Here are what the pack includes:
- Spring Festival Mooshroom
- Spring Festival Ox
- Spring Festival Cow
- Lion Dance Boy
- Spring Festival Boy
- Tang Suit Boy
- Spring Festival Girl
- Hanfu Girl
- Tang Suit Girl
Mojang Studios is now officially a part of Xbox Game Studios and works under the wings of Microsoft. The Swedish team launched a new spin-off from the Minecraft series last year in the dungeon-crawling genre, which received mixed reviews from the media, but seemed to be a good start for the developers for expanding the presence of Minecraft in different genres.
Thanks to the good relationship between Nintendo and Microsoft, Minecraft supports cross-play between Xbox consoles and Switch. On the other hand, Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate added Steve from Minecraft as a new character to the game in 2020.


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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently conducted a study into the impact of air pollution on solar modules. Find out what the results look like and how you can use our products to your advantage in solar power generation.
This year’s Intersolar Europe, the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry and its partners, will take place between May 31 and June 2, 2017 at the Neue Messe München – and we will be on-site for you! You can find us on the joint booth of Baden-Württemberg International with the number A3.460. Here we present a selection of our all-in-one weather sensors as well as our snow depth sensor for solar monitoring applications.


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All the talk regarding the release of the brand-new Apple iPhone icloud lock 5 began in the initial quarter of the year claiming that the phone might be introduced to the market very early September of this year. Up till now, there are still no discoveries of the iPhone icloud lock 5. Images of the device that was purportedly implied to be utilized with the iPhone icloud lock 5 were released on the web for some time however now it was supposedly taken down as well as replaced by a different material. For this factor, many individuals are coming to be sure that the iPhone icloud lock 5 is going to be slimmer and with more rounded edges.
Although no official word has actually come out from Apple to validate insurance claims that the production of the iPhone icloud lock 5 is now being escalated, lots of people are encouraged that the iPhone icloud lock 5 is going to use the iPhone icloud remover lock 5.0, a brand-new user interface that was presented early June. This brand-new user interface will certainly bring greater than 200 brand-new attributes which will certainly after that make it one of the most advanced os ever before utilized for a smartphone. The iPhone icloud lock 5 boosts default services like the notice facility, iMessage, Newsstand, Reminders, and also a lot more.
The iPhone icloud lock 5 is additionally expected to have an all-improved 8-megapixel camera with double LED flash. More camera attributes are likewise anticipated from the iPhone icloud lock 5 such as a preset breathtaking photo-capturing feature, which lets customers take photos in sequence. The majority of the luxury mobiles out there are currently utilizing an 8-MP electronic camera, so the developers of iPhone icloud lock 5 are anticipated to bring something that the market hasn’t seen before. There is also a lot of speak about the iPhone icloud lock 5 having the iCloud solution. The iCloud service is an innovative system of accessing music from other devices over a cordless link.


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Tesco celebrates The Hosts this Christmas
Tesco Ireland has launched its new Christmas campaign and it focuses on the recognition of hosts, the unsung heroes of Christmas.
Hosts are the ones who make Christmas happen, they wake up at 6am to baste the turkey and make sure the roast potatoes are perfectly crispy. Given the intimate nature of Christmas, instead of the thank you coming from Tesco, it will come directly from the guests themselves. In a heartfelt and brave move, Tesco will turn all of its advertising space into a platform for members of the Irish public to personally thank their Christmas hosts.
Across November and December the campaign will be rolled out across TV, Cinema, Radio, Outdoor, Press, Digital and In-store. The youngest letter writer is six years old and the eldest is 93 years of age. The story will continue to evolve across the Christmas period with a call out to the nation to get involved to hero the host in their lives. The Outdoor element of Tesco’s campaign was planned by Initiative and PML, with creative by Rothco.
Watch out for lots of other surprise and delight moments across the season, including Outdoor projections, an interactive digital billboard and in-store activations.
Click here to view on Tesco’s #ToTheHosts Christmas adverts.


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A handful of Brooklyn business owners play a starring role in a national ad campaign for Small Business Saturday, the "shop local" alternative to corporate retail's Black Friday doorbusters.
The country-wide promotion, created by credit card giant American Express, highlights the quaint, quirky shops and boutiques in the Park Slope Fifth Ave. Business Improvement District, which stretches from 18th St. nearly to the Barclays Center.
"I think they see the appeal," said Mark Caserta, the group's executive director. "We are a center for shopping small."
A film crew tailed Caserta during last year's Small Business Saturday events in the Slope, conducting interviews with local shop owners and gathering material for the online campaign leading into this season.
The Website for Shop Small includes big photos of Caserta schmoozing on the street and Bonnie's Grill owner Mike Naber posing in front of his restaurant.
A two-minute video includes interviews from inside Gorilla Coffee, Poppy and Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store.
"I think any exposure in that way is really great," Blue Ribbon owner Ann Cantrell told the Daily News. "I feel like Fifth Ave. has so much to offer, Park Slope has so much to offer and Brooklyn has so much to offer."
This will be the fifth year of Small Business Saturday, which falls on the weekend after Thanksgiving. The event encourages people to do their holiday shopping in independently owned stores close to home. It's grown to more than 1,400 neighborhoods across the country, according to American Express.
The Fifth Ave. district times its Christmas tree-lighting celebration to coincide with the event and draw more people, Caserta said.


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Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has dramatically upped his stake in "no brainer" AAPL in the last quarter... as Soros, Icahn, Tepper, Cooperman, and Einhorn dump stakes.
Berkshire held 15.2 million shares the company as of June 30, according to a regulatory filing Monday from the billionaire’s Omaha, Nebraska-based company. That compares with about 9.8 million shares three months earlier.
This makes Berkshire the 37th largest AAPL shareholder.
Buy when everyone else is selling?
- *BERKSHIRE 13F SHOWS INCREASED STAKE IN APPLE
- *GREENLIGHT REPORTS REDUCED AAPL, KORS,TWX, VOD, TERP STAKES:13F
- *TIGER GLOBAL MANAGEMENT EXITS NETFLIX, CUTS APPLE: 13F
- *APPALOOSA NO LONGER SHOWS PCLN, AAPL, HPE, CBI, EMN STAKES: 13F
- *OMEGA NO LONGER SHOWS SIRI, GILD, XLP, GLPI, AAPL STAKES 2Q:13F
And as reuters reports, Soros is completely out of AAPL.
It appears the market is not particularly impressed at Buffett's buying...


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COVID-19: The UK Logistics Sector: Future M&A Trends in a Post-Pandemic Environment
Nothing focuses the mind more than when you cannot obtain food which, as Maslow's hierarchy of needs tells us, is the first building block of humanity's motivation (although it’s currently unclear where toilet roll fits into this). There has long been a need for efficient and effective logistics networks and supply chains but, in recent months, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought their importance into sharp focus and to the forefront of the minds of businesses, consumers and the government alike in the UK, and worldwide.
This article considers the factors that are driving change in the UK logistics and distribution sector (the Logistics Sector), particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and trends that we expect to see in the industry’s M&A activity in the coming months.
Drivers of Change in the Logistics Sector
While the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted many sectors and has forced many businesses to cease operations for a number of months, the Logistics Sector has generally remained resilient throughout the outbreak, demonstrating an adept capability to adapt to fast-changing consumer needs and demands, whether that be the delivery of PPE equipment to NHS workers or basic household essentials to self-isolating consumers.
The following are areas where we have seen the greatest drivers of change in the Logistics Sector in recent months, both as a result of the pandemic and more generally:
- Increase in e-commerce & technology: online shopping is becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly in response to the pandemic when non-essential shops were required to close and consumers were restricted from leaving their homes. Even prior to the pandemic, the UK high streets were struggling, with more people turning to online shopping rather than visiting physical stores. The pandemic has brought a wider range of businesses within the scope of e-commerce, including grocery delivery businesses, with some major supermarkets leasing, or re-leasing, additional warehouse space to cope with the new levels of online demand. This demand is expected to continue, even post-pandemic, as witnessed by the online grocery delivery service, Ocado, having more than a million customers on its waiting list. With increased demand comes the need for greater innovation and integration - technology plays, and will continue to play, a key role in the development of the Logistics Sector in the coming months and years to ensure that businesses can continue to develop and meet consumer demands in innovative, yet cost-efficient ways.
- ʺJust in caseʺ logistics: in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the need for greater contingency, businesses are starting to move away from the more traditional ʺjust in timeʺ supply chain model (where companies store as little stock as possible, replenishing it only exactly when needed to meet consumer demand so as to avoid stock perishing or becoming obsolete), to ʺjust in caseʺ supply chains. Companies adopting the ʺjust in caseʺ model are maintaining larger inventories of stock to reduce the risk of supply and demand issues. While this model provides greater contingency, it also requires greater warehouse space. Businesses who are choosing to shift strategies will likely need larger warehouses that can cater for their specific needs. This will result in more development and change of use applications to not only ensure that sufficient warehouse space is available, but also that such space meets a business’s specific requirements.
- Sustainability: as a major contributor to the global carbon footprint, businesses operating in the Logistics Sector are facing increasing pressure from consumers and government authorities to engage with Environmental, Social and Governance issues and objectives, and this pressure is likely to grow as fulfilment and logistics companies become more prominent in peoples' lives. Whether that be the use of clean energy sources (such as solar power) to power their operations, sustainable materials in their packaging and in the construction of their distribution centres, reducing food or air miles and/or turning to electric / hybrid vehicles as part of their transportation network, companies operating in the Logistics Sector will need to balance sustainability with economic-feasibility; managing their fuel and packaging costs whilst minimising their environmental impact.
- International trade & tariffs: in response to COVID-19, as well as the UK’s exit from the European Union (ʺBrexitʺ) and the trade war between China and the US earlier this year, countries may look to impose stricter requirements and regulations on imports, including greater levels of bureaucracy and increased tariffs. Such restrictions would likely result in increased costs for logistics companies, most of whom already operate on tight margins, and may make international trade less attractive or unfeasible for some businesses, thereby shifting the focus to domestic trade.
Future M&A Trends in the Logistics Sector in a Post-Pandemic Environment
While M&A activity in the UK has generally quietened down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the profile of the Logistics Sector has been raised and, while there will be casualties due to wider economic difficulties, the industry is expected to come out of the current crisis healthier and stronger than businesses operating in some other sectors. Stronger balance sheets will enable logistics companies to deploy capital on expanding and consolidating their businesses so that they can continue to grow and meet ever-increasing consumer demand. The following list sets out the main M&A trends that we expect to see in the Logistics Sector as the UK emerges out of the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Consolidation: the Logistics Sector is often recognised as being a highly fragmented industry, and consolidation has been important in recent years as companies seek to improve the efficiency of their supply chains. Consolidation is likely to become more prevalent going forwards as logistics businesses look to localise their supply chains at a national level to increase their resilience and contingency capabilities in response to the pandemic. This will become even more crucial if and when countries impose greater restrictions on imports. This in turn will lead to M&A activity becoming more domestic in nature.
- Financial Investments & opportunistic acquisitions: financial investors, such as private equity houses and venture capital funds, are continuing to invest in the Logistics Sector and the level of investments is expected to increase, particularly given the sector’s raised profile in recent months and the record levels of 'dry-powder' held by investors. Following the economic uncertainties caused by the pandemic, as well as Brexit, investors are looking to invest in businesses that have income-producing assets that provide regular returns, with asset-backed logistics and fulfilment companies now potentially being seen as 'safer bets' due to the industry's generally strong performance during the current crisis. In the shorter term, as some countries (particularly in Asia) emerge out of the COVID-19 pandemic sooner than others, there is likely to be an increase in interest from cash-rich overseas buyers who are looking for a 'bargain' through the acquisition of distressed or undervalued, but otherwise sound, assets. In light of this increased competition for investment into the Logistics Sector, it is expected that the greater levels of demand will lead to increased multiples / valuations for sound businesses in the sector.
- New players: the increasing importance of technology and efficient integration within the Logistics Sector (whether that be data analytics systems and artificial intelligence to assist with 'last mile distributions', or payment security via block-chain technology), means that technology companies are becoming valuable commodities in the sector (as shown by the acquisition of Digital Applications International Limited by Kion Group AG in March 2020). There is an increased opportunity for new players with innovative technology solutions to enter the market. This is likely to lead to an increase in acquisitions in this field, whether that be established technology businesses acquiring complementary logistics companies, or existing logistics and fulfilment companies acquiring smaller, technology companies via bolt-on acquisitions in order to expand their pre-existing technological capabilities.
- Real Estate Assets: with high street retail suffering, and offices potentially becoming obsolete as many businesses embrace the 'working from home' culture, institutional investors looking to invest in property portfolios that have secure, cash-generating tenants will likely move their focus to real estate assets within the Logistics Sector, in particular industrial parks and distribution centres (as demonstrated by SEGRO's recent acquisition of a portfolio warehouse estate from Federated Hermes). While primarily involving property assets, this may also provide new opportunities in the M&A sphere, particularly in relation to the sale and purchase of mixed real estate assets packaged as portfolios.
Many investors have been operating a 'wait and see' approach during the COVID-19 pandemic but, as the UK emerges out of lockdown, M&A activity is starting to pick up. While there is still uncertainty around when things will return to the ʺnew normalʺ, one thing is for certain - the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the profile of the Logistics Sector and, although there will undoubtedly be casualties along the way, the industry will emerge out of the pandemic stronger than ever and that will have a noticeable impact on M&A activity in the sector.
This publication/newsletter is for informational purposes and does not contain or convey legal advice. The information herein should not be used or relied upon in regard to any particular facts or circumstances without first consulting a lawyer. Any views expressed herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the law firm's clients.


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Oracle survey: Social media users have higher expectations for customer service
REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. — A "live help" feature, detailed information about products and services, and access to personal account information are the three most important features consumers expect to find at a company’s website, according to an annual survey by Oracle.
The report, "Consumer Views of Live Help Online 2012," found that social media users have exceptionally high expectations for online support: More than half of Twitter users worldwide expect a personal response within two hours of tweeting a question or complaint. And 51% of Facebook users expected a same-day response to questions or complaints posted via the social media site.
Oracle surveyed more than 3,000 consumers worldwide regarding their use of customer service channels including call centers, live chat, click-to-call and email.
It also noted that as consumers spend more time online, they rely more on live help: Half of consumers worldwide browse and research products online daily, nearly double the number reporting daily habits in 2009. Consumer use of online customer service also is on the rise, as 50% consumers use live help compared with 37% in 2009.
"Whether the customer visits the company’s commerce site or social media page, there must be a clear link to a customer service person that is informed and able to help," Oracle Retail SVP and general manager Mike Webster said. "It is critical that the ‘live help’ platform provide the representative with immediate information on the full context of the customer’s account and recent queries or transactions with the company."
On the international front, Oracle found that 76% of Chinese consumers are online daily to browse or research products (compared with 49% worldwide) and 60% said they used live help to reach customer service (versus 50% worldwide). In Latin America, consumers were most likely to expect a social media presence: 84%of consumers surveyed in Mexico and Brazil use Facebook and 63% of those using Facebook said they expect companies to have a presence on those platforms.
Reports: Washington state pertussis cases increased tenfold since May 2011
NEW YORK — Budget cuts have added an extra challenge to the response of health authorities in Washington state to an epidemic of whooping cough, according to published reports.
According to a report by the Washington State Department of Health, there were 1,284 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, reported so far for 2012, compared with 128 during the same period last year. No deaths have been reported so far.
The Associated Press reported that the state government had created special fund to contain the outbreak, which officials had declared an epidemic, but budget cuts had made the job more difficult; for example, the Public Health Department of Skagit County, Wash., had half the staff it did in 2008, while preventive care programs had mostly disappeared.
According to the article, while many states require children of school age to receive the pertussis vaccine, Washington state had the highest percentage of parents in the country who opted out, which could be a factor in the current outbreak.
MinuteClinic joins coalition dedicated to raising diabetes awareness in Chicago’s South Side
CHICAGO — MinuteClinic, which is owned by CVS Caremark, announced on Monday that it has joined a coalition of organizations dedicated to raising diabetes awareness among families on Chicago’s South Side.
The coalition is working with Perspectives Charter School Calumet Campus to educate, screen, diagnose and, if needed, provide follow-up care to any student diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Members of the coalition are MinuteClinic; University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago Medical Center; Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation; Jay Cutler Foundation; Chicago Diabetes Project; and Access Community Health Network.
"The epidemic of obesity in America affects 17% of all children and adolescents, and more than 215,000 youth under 20 have already been diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes," stated Tobias Barker, VP medical operations at MinuteClinic. "Through this program, MinuteClinic and other coalition members can help a group of children on Chicago’s South Side whose diabetes might otherwise go undiagnosed or untreated until serious health complications result."
MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics are located inside 35 CVS/pharmacy stores in Chicagoland (Illinois and Northwest Indiana).
The idea for the screening program was conceived when the Jay Cutler Foundation and CVS Caremark approached Greater-Auburn Gresham Development about conducting a childhood diabetes awareness campaign. GADC, which works to foster and promote revitalization of low-to-moderate income Chicago neighborhoods, sees the campaign as a natural extension of its ongoing community health fairs, also sponsored by CVS Caremark. This pilot program facilitated by GADC will serve as a model for the Cutler Foundation’s expansion of diabetes testing to other Chicago neighborhoods.
Students diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes will receive a free follow-up visit at Access Community Health Network and also may select to receive care from a University of Illinois Hospital specialist.
Students from other schools in Chicagoland can visit one of Access Community Health Network’s 60 Chicagoland health centers to receive a diabetes screening. Students must meet Access’ enrollment requirements, which include parental consent for most services.


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Hughes Networks Systems LLC is releasing a new gateway -- beefed up with fully featured security software -- aimed at retailers and branch offices.
The HR4700 Branch Gateway integrates Fortinet Inc.'s FortiGate 60D security platform with Hughes' suite of WAN acceleration and optimization services, said Doug Medina, senior director of enterprise marketing at Germantown, Md.-based Hughes.
Hughes has offered security to its managed services customers in the past, but those implementations required separate devices; this is the first Hughes gateway that encompasses a WAN accelerator, security and other networking capabilities in a single device, Medina said. As with its other customer-premises devices, Hughes provides management and maintenance of the gateway.
"Hughes has come in with WAN optimization, and now with Fortinet they can ship their devices as managed devices [at an attractive price]," said Current Analysis Research Director Brian Washburn. "The WAN optimization will improve performance on all types of broadband, which will make it more than just a best-effort service; [customers] can play with the pipes and can juggle things to make sure primary apps get through."
The HR4700 is also the first customer-premises device marketed under the vendor's HughesON Managed Network Services umbrella. HughesON, introduced in late April, is a suite of networking services that includes WAN optimization, Quality of Service, data compression, routing and application performance.
Medina said FortiGate 60D -- which spans next-generation firewall, intrusion prevention services, VPN anti-malware and other threat mitigation features -- will appeal to Hughes' mix of retail customers that handle millions of credit card transactions each year.
"Security is job No. 1, especially for retailers and enterprises with a lot of wireless mobile devices," Medina said.
In addition to bolstering Hughes' offering to existing customers, the HR4700 reflects the company's ongoing effort to make its managed services portfolio more attractive to enterprise users, said Sampath Ramaswami, Hughes' senior director of strategic planning, North American Enterprise Division. "We will market this to retailers, but this gateway will also allow us to branch out. We are looking to expand our market." Currently, Hughes has more than 290,000 sites under management, spanning gas stations, convenience stores, drug stores and hotels.
Current Analysis' Washburn said broadening the market makes sense for Hughes. "They've incorporated great functionality at a low cost and [the integrated gateway] can do great things for clients that know them. But there is a bigger universe that can be addressed," he said.


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This article is syndicated from our partners at East-West Digital News
CallPage, a Polish startup with Ukrainian roots, has attracted 17 million zloty (roughly $4.5 million at the current exchange rate) from several venture funds. These include Innovation Nest, Market One Capital and TDJ Pitango Ventures. The news was announced by the startup’s co-founder Ross Knap earlier this month.
The money will be used to propel the business in the US. “We can create a product on the Polish market and then sell it globally. In California, it will cost five times less than local competitors’ offers,” the Polish media quoted Knap as saying.
“Besides, there are strong professionals in Krakow,” he added.
With more than 3,000 companies (up from 1,100 in early 2017) using the product around the globe, including UPC, Medicover, Coral Travel and Virgin, CallPage helps commercial sites convert page views into inbound sales calls through immediate callback to the real phone numbers.
“We believe that unifying human conversation and technology has changed the world of sales,” CallPage states on its website.
The startup claims that its clients may “gain 75% more calls, conversion, leads and deals.”
The company claims to have served the total of two million customers, with 800,000 of them being the EU citizens.
According to Tkachiv, the startup is currently integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to the solution. CallPage claims it will allow analyzing hundreds of thousands of conversations.
The startup was founded in 2015 by three Ukrainians — Knap (CEO and co-founder), Andrew Tkachiv (CTO) and Sergey Butko (CMO) — in Krakow, Poland.
As of today, the team consists of 50 people.
The startup raised €1 million from Polish venture fund bValue in early 2017 and $500,000 from bValue and a few individual investors under undisclosed terms a year before.


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Preparations are well underway for the 35th edition of Licensing Expo, with a host of new brands already set to exhibit and a new Sports section planned for the show floor.
Mattel has unveiled new publishing plans at the Bologna Children's Book Fair including a renewed focus on Barbie story-telling and digital publishing.
Popular YouTube personality, fashion designer and influencer Bethany Mota will deliver The Big Interview keynote address at Licensing Expo, June 9.
Rainbow is highlighting its top brands including "Winx Club" and "Mia and me" at both the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair this week.
Bulls Licensing and Moomin Characters are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Moomin publishing brand this week at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy.
Registration is now open for the Licensing University conference program held in conjunction with Licensing Expo and organized by LIMA.
The Bologna Licensing Trade Fair has launched Licensing Prospect Day, a networking event that aims to introduce Italian manufacturing companies to licensing.
The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association has undertaken its first-ever comprehensive survey of the global licensing business.
Licensing Expo is adding a new Digital Media Licensing Summit to the calendar of events at the 2015 show, which will take place in Las Vegas, Nev., June 9-11.
License! Global, the official publication of Licensing Expo, is calling for news for its exclusive Show Daily magazines.
The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association has announced the nominees for positions on its board of directors.
Nickelodeon has ordered a 20-episode second season of the new preschool series “Dora and Friends: Into the City!”
Ink Global introduced two new animation series–“D6” and “Zafari"–and continued to sell its hit series “Masha and The Bear” at MIPCOM this week.
Swarovski has joined forces with the technology company Misfit to develop a new line of health and fitness wearables that will debut at CES this week.
Studio 100 International is focusing on expanding its Maya the Bee brand this week at U.K. Toy Fair in London.
On Thursday, licensing professionals will host a series of discussions on the connection between licensing and toys at the Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair Germany.
Toy fair season culminates in New York City with an impressive slate of licensed merchandise on display.
Jazwares has debuted its 2015 toy portfolio at New York Toy Fair, with a diverse range of products including items for its newest licenses–Peppa Pig and "Terraria."
UBM Advanstar, the producer of the MAGIC, has entered into a strategic alliance with the Eurovet/CurveExpo to create a jointly owned new swimwear and lingerie show.
Media company Meredith will launch its new line of Allrecipes cookware, bakeware and kitchen gadgets at the International Home and Housewares show.
Guru Studio has announced new broadcast partnerships with Cartoonito in Italy and Netflix in Latin America for “Justin Time.”
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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The Rap on True Religion:True Religion is celebrating its 21st birthday with a colorful collection of denim, activewear and tops with iconography and amplified details referencing its early fashion days.
The brand is also harking back to its hip-hop music roots with a “Music Is #MYRLGN” campaign featuring Atlanta-based rappers Lil Gnar and Kaliii, also known as Kali. True Religion has previously collaborated with Chief Keef’s Glo Gang, which includes Lil Gnar.
True Religion will later collaborate with hip-hop collective AG Club for exclusive social content, and with Dj Whoo Kid, of G-Unit and Shade 45 fame, on an anthology track of songs over the years that shout out the brand. True Religion will play the mashup at its New York Fashion Week event in partnership with Highsnobiety Sept. 9 celebrating its birthday.
True Religion’s second drop of the collection, happening Sept. 14, features the brand’s signature stitch in a denim hookup titled the Ricky Red Rope, tapping into AG Club as campaign faces. AG Club and True Religion announced their partnership in 2022 with tour merchandise, sold just at Coachella. The brand also enlisted Peder Cho of Utopia to design a custom-fit archived upcycled look for the duo’s festival performance. Most recently, AG Club and True Religion teamed up for a performance in Los Angeles at the Leimert Park Juneteenth Festival.


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ASIC announces action on misleading or deceptive conduct in ICOs
ASIC has already taken action against suspicious ICOs.
ASIC chairman John Price recently warned that Australian consumer law would apply to ICOs, even if they were extended from overseas. On 1 May ASIC announced that this would start taking the form of a crackdown on deceptive or misleading conduct by ICOs, which is prohibited under the Australian Consumer Law and the ASIC Act.
It has started issuing inquiries to ICO issuers and their advisers where it has identified conduct or statements that may be misleading or deceptive. "This is in addition to our inquiries where we identify potentially unlicensed conduct," it said.
The inquiries have already seen some token issuers stop their ICOs, or say that they will be modifying their ICO structure to comply with Australian law.
"If you are acting with someone else’s money, or selling something to someone, you have obligations. Regardless of the structure of the ICO, there is one law that will always apply: you cannot make misleading or deceptive statements about the product. This is going to be a key focus for us as this sector develops," Price said.
The ASIC release gives the specific example of an identified violation, where it took action to protect investors from an ICO whose structure, offeror and whitepaper disclosures raised fundamental concerns.
"In addition to potentially misleading statements in the white paper, the offer was an unregulated managed investment scheme," ASIC says. "This means the offeror would have been in breach of the relevant provisions of the Corporations Act had the offer proceeded, potentially leading to serious penalties under the act."
The crypto-space has been rife with "managed investment" type scams even outside of ICOs, but it has also presented some novel interpretations of managed investments, such as Iconomi Digital Asset Arrays. Elsewhere in fintech, robo-advisors have been helping people invest, and there's no shortage of projects that aim to turn AI loose on cryptocurrency markets.
With so many grey areas and unusual use cases emerging, it might be little surprise that ASIC is looking to the fundamentals of Australian consumer law, and specifically taking action against clear examples of misleading and deceptive conduct.
Disclosure: At the time of writing the author holds ETH, IOTA, ICX, VEN, XLM, BTC, NANO
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