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Best Buy is one of the world’s largest sellers of Apple products like the iPhone and iPads. But you would never really know that once you see the throngs of customers waiting to purchase the iPhone 5 outside of the 250 or so Apple stores across the country Friday morning, including the Mall of America and Uptown.
The debut of a hot consumer electronic product is sort of like the movie business. Everything depends on opening weekend grosses, which sets the pace for how the movie fares for the rest of its run.
Analysts expect iPhone 5 to be a big blockbuster, even though the device offers only relatively modest upgrades like an improved camera, 4G capability, and a longer screen.
Unfortunately for Best Buy, Apple’s decision to debut products like iPhone 5 at its own retail chain kind of steals most of the initial sales thunder from BBY stores. Oh sure, Best Buy will sell plenty of iPhone 5s. But one would think they would sell a whole more if Apple chose to debut the phones at a Best Buy.
Microsoft is also stretching its retail muscles. The company will reportedly debut its Surface tablets this fall at the roughly two dozen Microsoft stores. And borrowing a page from Target Corp., Microsoft will also open 32 “pop-up” stores at malls and shopping centers this holiday shopping season. (Even Amazon, Best Buy’s online nemesis, plans to open physical stores.)
All of this should worry Best Buy. Back in the day, retailers were retailers and manufacturers were manufacturers. Today, those lines are completely blurred. In the past, you would line up outside a Best Buy for the latest gadget.
Nowadays, the only time you see huge lines outside of a Best Buy is Black Friday, when the retailer offers huge day-after-Thanksgiving discounts to jump start the holiday shopping season.
New Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly has certainly thought about this. Best Buy must work with its key suppliers like Apple and Microsoft to create value and excitement, he said.
“As a major retailer, we are very important to them,” Joly told the Star Tribune in an earlier interview. “There has to got to be things that we can do for their benefit and our benefit. Ralph Lauren has its own retail business but also partners with Macy’s. There are lot of partnership opportunities. Is it exclusive products? Or other things? I don’t know yet.”
These days, brick and mortar stores use exclusivity to drive people to its stores. Without design partnerships like Missioni, Shops at Target, and Neiman Marcus, Target might be just another discount chain hawking pet food, toothpaste, and shower curtains.
It’s hard to think of any such equivalents at Best Buy. The retailer does offer several private label brands, including Rocket Fish, Dynex, and Insignia.
But “Best Buy has not aggressively marketed their own brands,” said Carol Spieckerman, president of newmarketbuilders, a retail consulting firm. The retailer has so far failed to offer something truly unique and experiential to shoppers, she said.
Best Buy still harbors hope that it can exclusively sell that next must-have gadget. The company operates a venture fund that seeks to invest in hot technology startups from Silicon Valley in exchange for first rights to sell that product.
Some new technology that will prompt people to line outside of Best Buy the same way they do for Apple.
Until then, Best Buy can only wait until the second wave of iPhone buyers hit its stores.


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It’s being speculated that Microsoft is interested in acquiring Warner Bros. Interactive. This news follows the recent article that AT&T is possibly deciding to sell the video game development arm of Warner Bros.
IGN reports that the sale is not currently imminent. The Information reported that with Activision, EA and Take-Two, Microsoft is also interested in acquiring WB Interactive and several game development studios under it. If ever Microsoft, or any other company, buys WB Interactive, then they’d likely purchase studios such as Avalanche Software, Monolith Productions, NetherRealm Studios, Rocksteady Studios, TT Games. They would also be able to buy other WB Games studios that are situated across the globe.
Do note that by acquiring WB Interactive, the company will not own Batman or Harry Potter and other notable characters. It only means that in the future, potential buyers must negotiate licensing deals. Doing this allows studios to create new games based on Warner Bros. characters and DC Comics.
However, in the sale of NetherRealm Studios, Microsoft or Activision will be able to own Mortal Kombat.
By acquiring WB interactive, Microsoft will be able to increase the number of Xbox Studios developers. By adding studios like NetherRealm, they would be able to develop DC and HP games similar to how Insomniac has the license to develop Spider-man games for PlayStation. Microsoft already has high-profile developers under its wings, notably; Ninja Theory, Obsidian, and Double Fine.
The news of parent company AT&T planning to sell EB interactive was released last month. The company is looking down to pay its $145 billion debt. WB Interactive is potentially valued at $4 billion.
In 2018, AT&T purchased Time Warner for $109 billion, and this is what resulted in its current debt. Investors are demanding that the company sell “non-core assets,” such as DirecTV and WB Interactive.
IGN reports WB Montreal is working on a new Batman project. There are rumors that Rocksteady is developing a new DC game. In addition to that, Avalanche Studios is being linked to an unannounced Harry Potter RPG.
Rocksteady, Netherrealm, and Monoloth are elite studios. FEAR and Mortal Kombat IPs come with deal. Potentially could renegotiate for Lord of Rings, Batman, Injustice, Harry Potter, Lego, etc. Make the deal XBOX! @XboxP3 https://t.co/MG2zGYVQ4f
— Logan Meyer (@Logmey92) July 9, 2020

domain: news


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China recently surpassed the European Union as the world’s largest importer of sheep meat. Now a surge in domestic sheep production, coupled with these high import levels, has weakened China’s domestic sheep and sheep meat prices.
After peaking in early 2014, retail mutton prices stabilized and then declined last year as domestic supplies increased due to improved breed performance and gains in feeding efficiency. China’s slowing economy and lower rate of growth in the foodservice sector also contributed to falling prices. Reports of culling among producers suggest the industry is seeking a new equilibrium level, although provincial information collected by USMEF suggests that in both the northeast grassland areas and the north China plains production areas, most producers are still earning profits.
At the end of the third week of March, live market-ready sheep prices (approximately 45 kg) stood at approximately RMB 17/kg ($1.19/lb), up 42 percent from the July 2015 low of RMB 10-12/kg, but still off from the historic high of RMB 25/kg in January 2014. With an estimated total production cost of approximately RMB 550-600/head ($84.90-$92.60), producer profit margins have rebounded from last year’s negative territory to an estimated current profitability level of RMB 100-150 per head ($15.40-$23.20). Feeding margins are higher in some production areas, such as those south of Beijing.
China’s retail mutton prices were higher than beef until about one year ago, as beef prices stabilized while mutton prices continued to drift lower. Although live sheep prices fell nearly 50 percent from their peak, national average retail lamb prices have fallen only 15 percent from the January 2014 record. Current prices are RMB 57.66/kg, down 11 percent year-on-year. Demand for lamb meat surged over the past decade with total estimated domestic and imported supplies increasing from 3.68 million metric tons (mt) in 2006 to 4.63 million mt last year. Total imports, including variety meat, jumped from 56,869 mt in 2010 to a record 281,210 mt in 2014, before falling more than 20 percent last year. Through February, China’s 2016 imports were 7 percent ahead of last year’s pace at 38,959 mt, driven by larger volumes from New Zealand. Nearly all imports are from New Zealand or Australia, although the market is also open to imports from Uruguay, Chile and Mongolia. China is closed to U.S. lamb.
The roots of the current sheep cycle began toward the end of 2010 when new restrictions on grazing in key northeast and western production areas were implemented as demand for sheep products surged. Compounding these supply constraints was an outbreak of ovine rinderpest. Provincial governments placed restrictions on movement of live animals, resulting in temporary upward pressure on prices. At the same time, the national and local governments instituted support programs whereby larger-scale feedlot production and breed improvements were encouraged by awarding per-head subsidies on a sliding scale, based on operator size. As a result, lambing productivity increased significantly, resulting in a quick rebound of the national herd size. According to data from China’s Ministry of Agriculture, the national sheep inventory increased 15 percent in the first half of 2015. According to the Inner Mongolia Sheep & Livestock Exchange Center, 2015 mutton production in the province increased 30 percent over the previous year.
While it is difficult to estimate the impact of China’s economic slowdown and moderating growth in foodservice receipts, demand for sheep meat grew sharply over the past decade as rising disposable incomes led to continuous increases in meals consumed outside the home. The growing popularity of hot pot restaurants throughout the country – as well as the spread of western Chinese ethnic lamb barbecue and shashlik – has led to a surge in lamb demand. According to research by the online group buying giant Meituan-Dianping, China has an estimated 350,000 hot pot outlets, with lamb a staple ingredient. Lamb consumption has expanded in the summer months as outdoor grilling of lamb leg and kebabs has become more popular, especially in northern China. According to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Research Center for Rural Economy, away-from-home lamb consumption accounts for 65 percent of the national total.
As with beef, most of China’s large-scale lamb processing plants practice halal slaughter. National standards for halal food, including meat products, are under consideration in China but have not yet been adopted.


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Details of Ducati GP bike emerge
Details of Ducati’s GP V4 four-stroke are emerging and there is now confirmation that a road bike based on it " is in the plans " .
First pictures of the race bike are expected to emerge in three to four weeks. They will show a Ducati unlike any other. The bike is currently being wind-tunnel tested to ensure optimum efficiency. It will have a long nose, a minimalist five-tube trellis frame and be about the size of a GP250.
Insiders say it does not stick rigidly to typical Ducati design principles in that looking good is given a lower profile than functioning efficiently.
The fact that it is so small means some riders don’t fit behind its current screen as well as others. Troy Bayliss is reported to fit snugly behind without disrupting the airflow while free-climbing Ben Bostrom’s broad shoulders play havoc with it. That’s not a problem Ducati won’t be able to overcome.
Details have been emerging at Ducati’s financial and business presentation in Bologna over the last couple of days.
Senior insiders there are confirming a road-going V4 is " in the plans " and that they hope it will come to market with a twin-pulse firing order. The final engine arrangement of the race bike will be decided by further testing.
Monday, February 18, 5pm Ducati’s top brass have issued their heaviest hint yet that a V4 road bike is the inevitable result of the firm’s plans to go GP racing with an engine of that configuration.
Ducati Corse’s CEO Claudio Domenicali said he was sure technology used in the project would find its way into road bikes and added: " This was a very important factory for the board of directors when they decided to go with this project. "
Domenicali was speaking at the firm’s Bologna HQ on Monday, as the firm announced its latest business statistics.
The company sold 39,087 bikes in 2000 and 40,016 in 2001, up 2.4 per cent. Profits rose from 10.5 million Euros in 2000 to 10.6 million in 2001.


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As many as 8000 ‘‘.nz’’ websites may be knocked offline tomorrow as a result of a software change.
Open-source software behind the Domain Name System – which is the addressing system for the internet – is being updated to make websites load faster and to help protect websites against ‘‘denial of service’’ attacks.
New Zealand’s domain name commissioner, Brent Carey, said tests indicated about 1 per cent of ‘‘.nz’’ websites used software that was not compatible with the update and would fail on Saturday unless changes were made.
The number of websites around the world that could fail on what has been dubbed ‘‘DNS Flag Day’’ might run into the millions, he believed.
However, technology experts have forecast few internet users will notice, given that the vast majority of websites that will fail will be poorly maintained sites that have few visitors.
People can test websites’ readiness at dnsflagday.net .
The Domain Name Commission (DNC) has been contacting website owners who appeared unprepared for the change.
But in doing so it had discovered about 1500 ‘‘.nz’’ sites that had been registered with false contacts details, Carey said. It had requested registrars take down those websites.
Carey said the DNC had been stepping up its crackdown on scam ‘‘.nz’’ websites that were registered with false details.
Concerns surfaced in 2017 that consumers had become too trusting of ‘‘.nz’’ internet shopping sites because they wrongly assumed they needed to be run from New Zealand or have some association with the country.
A survey by InternetNZ yesterday showed Kiwis’ trust in ‘‘.nz’’ websites was still far higher than in ‘‘.com’’ sites, but was declining at a significant rate. Thanks John B for the heads up.


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iOmoon Release Date
The game iOmoon is already released on PC (Early Access) in the USA and UK. The upcoming PlayStation 4 release date in the USA and UK is to be announced.
Release DatesReport Date / Submit Product
Have you ever wanted to explore Jupiter's moon in virtual reality? Well you are in luck. iOmoon is an interactive experience where players pilot a space probe as it plunges into the cold depths of space. iOmoon is being developed by Headtrip games and set to launch for VR devices on PC and PlayStation 4.


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Alarnab, who has been cooking in London for the past four years at a series supper clubs, including a two-week pop up in Bethnal Green, and charity events, will launch Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in November.
He is looking to raise £50,000 through crowdfunding to support his new venture.
The chef and entrepreneur previously ran two successful restaurants and a cafe and chain of juice bars in Damascus but his businesses were destroyed during the Syrian Civil War. In July 2015, he fled Syria and made his way through Europe eventually arriving in London in October 2015. The following year he brought his family over to England.
Alarnab sought refugee status in the UK, initially working as a car salesman before returning to his passion for food and cooking.
Imad’s Syrian Kitchen will serve a selection of Syrian mezze, including falafel, as well as main and sharing dishes such as fattet macdous - crispy baby aubergine stuffed with lamb, topped with flatbread and a garlic cumin sauce; watermelon, halloumi and za’atar salad; hamsit lahem – slow cooked marinated lamb shoulder; and anginaar - roasted artichoke, stuffed with vegetables.”
“After four years I am so very excited that I am now finally going to open my own restaurant in the heart of London, the city I and my family now call home,” he says.
“Losing my restaurants in Damascus was devastating, but I am so happy that I can now bring my Syrian cooking to Kingly Court in Soho, to the people of London who have supported me so much over the last few years. Thank you to you all and I cannot wait to welcome you to my new venture, this is a dream come true.”
Imad’s Syrian Kitchen will donate £1 from every bill to refugee charity Choose Love.


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Symantec Corp. today announced it has been granted a default judgment of $3.1 million against Sam Jain for selling counterfeit Symantec software and violating Symantec’s intellectual property rights.
Specifically, the judgment, handed down by the United States District Court for the Central District of California, found in favor of Symantec against Jain for trademark infringement, copyright infringement, false designation of origin, and unfair competition. In addition, the Court enjoined Jain and anyone acting in concert with him from infringing Symantec’s intellectual property rights again in any way or from further misleading consumers in the future by using representations or imitations of genuine Symantec trademarks, service marks or copyrighted materials.
“Of all the software piracy cases we’ve been involved with so far, this one in particular posed a number of serious threats to our customers and consumers at large,” said William Plante, director of Corporate Security and the Brand Protection Task Force for Symantec. “Jain and his cohorts used pop-up ads and false or misleading advertising to harass, confuse and deceive unsuspecting consumers into purchasing counterfeit software. We’re particularly gratified with this judgment.”
The award concluded legal action Symantec filed against Jain and others in April 2004. In the suit, Symantec alleged that Jain and his co-defendants used pop-up ads that misled consumers into believing that their Symantec software was about to expire and needed to be renewed to maintain functionality. Symantec also alleged that some of the pop-up ads re-directed unsuspecting consumers to a Web site selling the defendant’s own software. Finally, Jain, working under names like Greatbizdeals.com, DiscountBob.com and Buysmarter.com, also sent out thousands of spammed e-mails that advertised counterfeit Symantec software at extremely discounted prices. The e-mails included links to the aforementioned Web sites. Products involved included Norton SystemWorks, Norton AntiVirus, Norton Ghost and pcAnywhere.
Jain avoided being served with papers regarding the case for several months by leaving the country, and did not respond to the suit until the court granted Symantec’s motion for service by alternative means. He later claimed he believed he had never been properly served. However, depositions disclosed that Jain had knowledge and was told about the case by one of his parents and had discussed the case all along with his attorney and at least one of his business colleagues, co-defendant James Reno. The court called Jain’s actions a “cynical and intentional manipulation” of the proceedings.
The judgment follows similar results achieved by Symantec against Papa B Enterprises in June 2004, Maryland Internet Marketing (MIM) in December 2003, eCommerce in October 2003 and CD Micro in September 2003. In the case of Maryland Internet Marketing, Symantec obtained a $3 million stipulated judgment and permanent injunction against MIM for selling counterfeit Symantec software. Maryland Internet Marketing CEO George Moore was required to personally pay $300,000 to Symantec as part of that settlement.
Symantec also settled litigation against eCommerce for a significant monetary payment and an injunction that permanently barred eCommerce from selling unauthorized Symantec-labeled software, specifically in the form of spammed e-mail. eCommerce was offering counterfeit Symantec products via spammed e-mail at grossly reduced prices under the Web site heading of PerfectCollectibles.com. Finally, the court awarded Symantec a judgment of more than $10 million against CD Micro and its CEO Vince Webb for the sale of counterfeit Symantec software.


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Nokia has released its third-quarter results, showing a significant drop in sales and profits.
According to the results, issued on Thursday, net sales were down five percent year-on-year. Quarterly profits were down by just over 30 percent over the same period, ending up at €1.09bn (£852m). Operating profits were down 21 percent year-on-year.
Nokia's global market share dropped slightly, down one percent from its 39 percent share in the third quarter of 2007. The Finnish firm's chief executive, however, gave an upbeat take on the situation.
"As a result of our strong operational management and market position, Nokia was able to achieve solid margins and operating cash flow of €1.3bn for the third quarter of 2008," said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. "With our scale, brand, improving product portfolio and low cost structure, we believe Nokia is well positioned for the current times."
Nokia has a particularly strong grip on the lower end of the market, and one reason for the drop in profits appears to have been a drop in the average selling price of a Nokia handset. This was €72 in the third quarter of this year, and €74 in the corresponding quarter last year.
The drop in average price was "primarily due to a higher proportion of lower-priced products and the negative impact of the weaker US dollar", according to Nokia's statement. In the third quarter of this year, 310 million units were sold: an eight percent year-on-year rise.
Nokia's sales of mobile phones saw healthy year-on-year increases in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia-Pacific regions. In Europe, however, unit sales were down 5.5 percent, and North America saw a drop of 16.7 percent.
Looking to the future, Nokia said it expected its market share to hold or slightly increase in the fourth quarter of 2008.
The manufacturer's intra-day share price had fallen nearly eight percent at the time of writing.
Nokia is the first of the major phone manufacturers to announce its Q3 results. Sony Ericsson will announce its results on Friday.


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Microsoft’s new ebook store is now available as part of Windows 10’s Store app on both Windows 10 PCs and tablets as well as Windows 10 Mobile devices for Windows Insiders in the U.S.A. with build 15014.
The new ebook section of the Store app, labelled ‘Books’, is fully functional for those that can see it and users are being encouraged by Microsoft to purchase some titles and give them feedback on both the shopping and reading experience.
Interestingly, Microsoft doesn’t seem to have plans to release a dedicated ebooks app for Windows 10 and is instead adding the functionality to its Microsoft Edge web browser. This appears to be a similar strategy to how the company has encouraged Windows 10 users to use Edge for viewing PDF files instead of a separate PDF viewer app.
With this update for Windows Insiders, Microsoft Edge has gained a new hub entry, next to the favorites icon in the upper-right corner of the app, which will act as a user’s personal ebook library. The Edge ebook experience also supports Cortana integration for looking up words, font size and spacing customization, theme and navigation control options, and EPUB file support.
Windows Insiders are a select group of Windows 10 users who test early versions of Windows updates and features before they’re rolled out to the general public. The Windows 10 ebook store will likely become available for everyone when the Creators Update launches sometime during the next few months.
Are you excited for ebooks in Windows 10? Is using Edge as the ebook reader a good decision? Let us know in the comments below.


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Rotterdam bunker sales drop to 10-year low in 2016Total sales at the key northwest European port slipped to 10.15 million cu m, the lowest since at least 2006
Brightoil fuel oil sales jump 38% in second halfThe company reported a HK$412 million ($53 million) profit in the second half of 2016, after swinging from a loss of HK$523 million in the same period a year earlier
ANALYSIS: Singapore bunkers may face Russian challenge in 2017 after stellar growthThe city-port saw its bunker sales surging 7.7% year on year to a record 48.6 million mt in 2016, surpassing the previous year's record sales of 45.2 million mt
FEATURE: Panama Canal's green ambitions could be big boost for LNG* Panama Canal Authority encouraging environmentally friendly ships * Sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide targeted * LNG bunkering facilities in region planned
German shipowners criticize shipping inclusion in EU emissions trading scheme"Climate protection, as well as shipping, need global solutions, not a patchwork of regional approaches."


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LOUISVILLE, KY – AUGUST 15, 2019 – Papa John’s International, Inc. has named Camp + King as its creative agency of record. The announcement comes as the company prepares to launch a new advertising campaign, featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Papa John’s franchisee and Board Member.
“We wanted a creative team who could showcase Shaquille’s unique, authentic relationship with the Papa John’s brand. We believe Camp + King is the right partner for us,” Karlin Linhardt, Papa John’s Global Chief Marketing Officer said. “We were impressed with the energy and insights they brought in their creative concepts and look forward to debuting an exciting new campaign this fall.”
Camp + King will officially start work as Papa John’s creative and strategic agency partner immediately and will work across Papa John’s brand marketing channels.
A two-time AdAge Small Agency of the Year, and most recently, one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work in America, Camp + King is known for its culture of inclusion and diversity.
“Camp + King shares our commitment to having diverse talent both behind and in front of the camera,” Melissa Richards-Person, Chief Brand Officer at Papa John’s Inc. said. “Their team will add new perspective and ideas as we write the next chapter for the brand.”
Kristin Barbour, Managing Director Chicago, will lead the business. The business will be led out of Camp + King’s Chicago office and supported by its San Francisco headquarters.
“Papa John’s has always been a leader in quality. As a personality who is larger than life, Shaquille sets a natural path for the brand to touch the hearts and minds of its customers. That’s what pizza is all about – bringing people together over fun,” Barbour said.
Amir Farhang, an Iranian filmmaker who works with Hungry Man Productions, will head up the production of the Shaquille O’Neal campaign. Farhang is a former agency creative, turned award-winning director, who has worked with the NBA Hall-of-Famer in the past. He’s also done work for Adidas, Nike, and Dove, to name a few.
About Papa John’s
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company. In 2019, consumers rated Papa John’s No. 1 in product and service quality among national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). For 18 of the past 20 years, consumers have rated Papa John’s No. 1 in customer satisfaction among national pizza chains in the ACSI. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John’s at www.papajohns.com.
About Camp + King
Camp + King (C+K) is a Havas-aligned creative agency launched by Roger Camp and Jamie King in February 2011.They were named Ad Age’s West Coast Small Agency of the Year – Silver in 2015 and Gold in 2017. Based in San Francisco, the agency is dedicated to making brands more Conversationworthy. C+K boasts an impressive client list, which includes Energizer, RE/MAX, and Del Taco among others. For more details, visit camp-king.com.


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The cost of pork has risen sharply on the world market over the past week leaving the Estonian meat industry concerned about the future. Consumers in Estonia have proved highly sensitive to price changes and competition is fierce. However, the latest price rises will not be reflected in the cost of pork on Estonian supermarket shelves just yet.
On Thursday, the Nõo meat factory in Tartu County reported, that pork prices have reached their highest level in 20 years. The cost of raw pork has risen by almost 60 percent in recent weeks, while the price of pork products has also gone up, though only by 10-15 percent.
Olle Horm, head of the Atria meat factory, which supplies products for the brands Maks & Moorits and Wõro, told ERR, that the latest surge in raw pork prices began last week.
"As competition is tough and consumer purchasing power low, it is unlikely that all this will reach consumers in the near future. The pressure to keep prices low is very high indeed," he admitted.
According to Horm, Atria is continuing to monitor the situation closely and, with costs rising rapidly across the board, the temptation for Atria to increase its prices for customers is strong. Nevertheless, according to Horm, that is certainly not something Atria will be doing in the immediate future.
"Nobody can say whether or not this is just the beginning of the (price) increases, so the situation is unpredictable and there's no way of knowing how prices will behave further down the line," Horm said. "At the moment, we are sitting and waiting to see what is ahead. The meat industry is a low-margin labor-intensive business, but we can't absorb raw material price increases indefinitely."
CEO of food companies Rannarootsi Meat and Maag Grupp Sven Sooman, also said that it was very difficult to predict how prices would develop in the future.
"The latest increase in pork price increase has definitely not yet begun to affect products on the supermarket shelves," he added.
According to Sooman, Estonian consumers are very sensitive to price changes, with even more now opting for cheaper, mostly imported goods at the supermarket than before. Sooman also pointed out, that the amount of food purchased in Estonia has begun to decline in general.
According to Ragnar Loova, Managing Director of Nõo meat factory, the steep rise in raw material prices will inevitably lead to the increased use of lower quality raw materials.
"People often make choices based on cost, and because of the price pressure, unfortunately, they are opting for food, which has been imported from far away or is of lower quality," he said.
Olle Horm added, that there has been growing tendency for more people to purchase cheaper products, as well as a rise in consumer anxiety. However, he also said, that up to now, there has been no noticeable drop in the consumption of meat products.
Horm pointed out, that pork is the last of the main meat products for which prices have gone up. Last year saw a surge in the cost of beef for instance. However, as Estonian consumers don't tend to eat as much beef as pork, it did not cause any major shockwaves. Chicken prices shot up next, with the cost of fillets practically doubling.
"Chicken consumption has fallen a bit and now it's the turn of pork to have an upturn in price. However, the increase hasn't yet hit final prices to the extent that it's starting to affect consumption," Horm added.
According to Horm, there are several reasons for the recent rise in the cost of pork, which is naturally affected by other trends in the global market.
These include China's ecomomic behavior, and the EU's overproduction of pork in the past, as well as the sharp rise in global cereal prices as a knock-on effect of Russia's war in Ukraine.
CEO of Ranna Rootsi Sven Sooman pointed out that operational costs for pig farming have become more expensive and that, as a result the amount of pork produced has decreased.
"Pig farming became no longer profitable due the significant increase in the cost of feed and grain, as well as energy," he explained.
According to Ragnar Loova, pork prices are expected to remain high for some time.
Editor: Michael Cole


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Kia Seltos SUV had only started creating the much-anticipated buzz that the South Korean auto conglomerate Kia Motors has already announced its second product for the Indian market, and that will be the Carnival MPV. This Kia MPV is already available in certain markets and is sold by the name of Sedona.
Kia Motors has finally made an official confirmation on the MPV’s India launch sometime in the first half of 2020. But before that, Kia will reveal the updated Carnival at the upcoming Indian Auto Expo. The company plans to display a slightly refurbished version of the Carnival MPV at the much-awaited 2020 Auto Expo in India, which will be followed by precise model configuration and product pricing as per the buyer’s expectations.
The India-bound Kia Carnival MPV is expected to come with a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine that transfers power to the front wheels. The Kia Carnival MPV’s powertrain generates 202.5bhp of max power at 3,800rpm and 441Nm of peak torque that ranges in the middle of 1,750 to 2,750rpm.
This Kia MPV motor comes paired with a six-speed manual transmission however we can expect that a six-speed automatic gearbox option could possibly be offered as the transmission of choice.
Kia Carnival or the Sedona (as known in some markets) will be sold as a seven-seater MPV and will directly pit against the segment leader - Toyota Innova Crysta.


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In a different vein to the usual thrills and spills that take place on the renowned Silverstone race track, the Silverstone Classic is one of the biggest classic car display events of its kind in the UK.
This year’s Silverstone Classic event – taking place on 23rd – 25th July – is celebrating 60 magnificent years of the Formula One World Championship. The weekend will feature a breathtaking display of classic racing vehicles from the 50s, 60s and 70s, as well as more modern saloon, sport and touring cars from the 1920s to the 1990s.
Harley-Davidson will be at Silverstone representing the cream of the crop in motorcycles, as well as performing some wondrous on-track bike stunts for spectators. Also, 120 Classic Car Clubs have signed up to show more than 5,000 of their member’s cars at Silverstone, with all of the world’s most iconic brands on display.
The Silverstone Classic is also a family-friendly event, featuring air displays, a funfair, exhibitions, food and drink outlets and live music concerts.
All of this means that classic car fans from all over the country will be flocking to Silverstone this July. If you’ve got a ticket, the only question to ask is how will you get there?
A great option is prestige car hire; imagine yourself making a most fitting entrance at the Silverstone Classic in a luxury vehicle like a Rolls Royce Phantom, chauffeur driven of course. It’s the perfect way to travel to and from this kind of event, so why not hire one for the weekend?


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LA MANUFACTURINGRecent and archived news stories on: Aerospace, Agribusiness, Chemicals, Electronics, Energy, Fabrication, Industrial, Plastics, Textiles...
Officials for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach released data for July’s cargo volumes on Friday.
Superior Industries International Inc. announced on Friday that preliminary results indicate the company’s slate of candidates will be elected to the board of directors.
Thousand Oaks pharmaceuticals firm Amgen announced a double dose of bad news Wednesday in the form of a trial setback and a recall.
Westwood pharmaceuticals firm Puma Biotechnology on Monday reported a deeper net loss during the second quarter as the firm substantially increased its research and development expenses amid efforts to bring its breast cancer drug to market.
Nestle USA announced on Tuesday it is shutting down its Chatsworth plant that manufactures Hot Pockets and will move the operation to an expanding facility in Mt. Sterling, Ky. Up to 360 workers could lose their jobs.
Amgen Inc. announced on Monday positive human trial results for a cancer drug that was the focus of a multibillion dollar acquisition last year.
Southern California Edison has signed contracts with solar and geothermal energy producers representing more than 1,500 megawatts of power.
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. of Los Angeles announced Friday that it had acquired Northern Illinois Steel Supply Co. for an undisclosed price.
Herbalife announced Thursday that it plans to begin manufacturing its products at a facility in China that the company anticipates will be able to produce nearly two thirds of its products sold in that country.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that AllenCo Energy has agreed to pay a $99,000 penalty for violating federal environmental laws at an oil field near USC.
Aluminum wheel manufacturer Superior Industries International Inc. announced Wednesday it would close its Arkansas plant by the end of the year as it prepares to open a fourth plant in Mexico next year.
Amgen Inc. announced on Tuesday that it would cut up to 15 percent of its global workforce, or as many as 2,900 jobs, as well as close plants and consolidate its offices at its sprawling Thousand Oaks headquarters complex.
Beyond Meat, an El Segundo startup that produces synthetic meat products from plants material, announced Monday that it had closed a Series D funding round.
Restaurant chains have test kitchens to try new recipes. James Bond calls upon Q’s lab to add a laser cutter to his wristwatch.
Los Angeles oil company Breitburn Energy Partners announced Thursday that it has agreed to buy QR Energy of Houston for nearly $2 billion in cash and stock.


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SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s new regulations set to curb outbreak of listeriosis published by the Department of Trade and Industry now give effect to the guidelines for the processed meat industry as laid out in SANS 885.
The new compulsory regulations, giving clear checks and balances for processed meat manufacturing, specifies the handling, preparation, processing, packaging, refrigeration, freezing, chilling and storage of processed meat products.
They cover all aspects of a manufacturing facility, from its physical structure and equipment, to ingredients used, test methods and the handling, preparing, processing, producing, packaging, marking, labelling and storage of the product.
In addition to that they are intended to enable the inspection of processing plants.
The regulations follow an agreement between the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Departments of Health (DoH) on the final publication of the Compulsory Specification for Processed Meat Products (VC 9100).
After extensive stakeholder consultation, the regulation was gazetted on 8 August 2019, to come into effect two months from the date of publication.
The new regulations will be enforced by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), an entity reporting to the DTI.
The DTI will work with the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development (DALRRD) to coordinate the enforcement of the new regulations.
The NRCS is setting up an extensive regulatory programme of inspections throughout the country. This will enable government and industry to detect any food borne bugs early.
Government will continue to make improvements to food safety in order to ensure that consumers can rely on the food products that the local industry is producing.
The outbreak of listeriosis from contaminated processed food have resulted in the deaths of a number of people as well as the closure of processing plants last year.
The threat of listeriosis hasn’t subsided since the 2017/2018 outbreak. In fact, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed in October 2019 that 87 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases had been reported in the year since then.


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As more breweries choose cans, often at minimum quantities, the three can producers—Colorado’s Ball Corp., London’s Rexam and Pennsylvania’s Crown Cork & Seal—are struggling with an influx of new orders.
American brewers win at European awards; wild hop variety makes commercial beer debut; SweetWater to build West Coast brewery; Wynkoop revives Beer Drinker of the Year awards; Bill Siebel passes away at 69; and Constellation Brands to acquire Ballast Point.
Many craft breweries are cults of personality. But when these icons eventually fade, we’re left with the next generation to think about, as the brewery must go on. Craft brewing has always been a business.
Beers like Founders Breakfast Stout and Short’s Bellaire Brown Ale enhance these recipes for fudge, a perfect make-ahead dessert that travels easily, shares well and can be quickly placed on a candy dish for impromptu gatherings.
Ben Low chose a career in brewing as an alternative to a life as an academic specializing in classics. That one decision point resonates through Low’s approach to brewing at Baxter Brewing Company, the Lewiston, Maine-based beermaker where he serves as director of brewing operations.
Wild Beer’s careful, considered way of doing things—harvesting native yeasts, implementing uncommon ingredients, blending, aging, experimenting—makes this remote operation one of the most forward-thinking craft breweries England has ever seen.
New York State’s introduction of the Farm Brewery License in 2013, paired with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration’s pro-brewery stance, has encouraged small farm breweries to open in the Hudson Valley.
There’s a growing wine-beer movement across the country, from the coasts of Oregon to Midwestern prairies and even Texas hill country. Brewhouses stacked high with barrels are increasingly looking and acting like wineries.


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"After yesterday's shock inflation figures British business accepts that a Bank Rate increase to 5.50% in May is necessary in order restore credibility in the anti-inflation strategy. But calls for a 50 basis points increase to 5.75% are misguided and potentially dangerous.
"The increase in headline average earnings to 4.6% is worrying but should not be exaggerated, as it was largely due to higher bonuses. Excluding bonuses average earnings growth remains benign. The MPC minutes published today confirm our view that the Committee was preparing to raise rates even before the March increase in CPI inflation became known.
David Kern concluded: "Higher interest rates are already causing considerable pain. The squeeze on consumer disposable incomes is intensifying, and the surge in sterling is squeezing exporters' margins, in spite of the partial offsetting benefits resulting reduced costs of imported raw materials. The MPC must curb the upsurge in inflation, but must avoid monetary overkill that may cause long-term damage to business."


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On 6 August 2013, Federal Judge Amos Mazzant of the Eastern District of Texas of the Fifth Circuit ruled that bitcoins are "a currency or a form of money" (specifically securities as defined by Federal Securities Laws), and as such were subject to the court's jurisdiction, and Germany's Finance Ministry subsumed bitcoins under the term "unit of account"—a financial instrument—though not as e-money or a functional currency, a classification nonetheless having legal and tax implications.
Bitcoin is a new currency that was created in 2009 by an unknown person using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. Transactions are made with no middle men – meaning, no banks! Bitcoin can be used to book hotels on Expedia, shop for furniture on Overstock and buy Xbox games. But much of the hype is about getting rich by trading it. The price of bitcoin skyrocketed into the thousands in 2017.
The bitcoin blockchain is a public ledger that records bitcoin transactions. It is implemented as a chain of blocks, each block containing a hash of the previous block up to the genesis block[a] of the chain. A network of communicating nodes running bitcoin software maintains the blockchain.:215–219 Transactions of the form payer X sends Y bitcoins to payee Z are broadcast to this network using readily available software applications.
Jump up ^ Mooney, Chris; Mufson, Steven (19 December 2017). "Why the bitcoin craze is using up so much energy". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018. several experts told The Washington Post that bitcoin probably uses as much as 1 to 4 gigawatts, or billion watts, of electricity, roughly the output of one to three nuclear reactors.
Bitcoin is an increasingly popular cryptocurrency that utilizes blockchain technology to facilitate transactions. Basically, a user obtains a Bitcoin wallet that can be used for storing bitcoins and both sending and receiving of payments. The blockchain technology used by Bitcoin is really just a shared public ledger that is used by the entire public network. The technology used is secured through cryptography, a branch of mathematics that provides a highly secure means of facilitating and recording transactions on the network.
The price of bitcoins has gone through cycles of appreciation and depreciation referred to by some as bubbles and busts. In 2011, the value of one bitcoin rapidly rose from about US$0.30 to US$32 before returning to US$2. In the latter half of 2012 and during the 2012–13 Cypriot financial crisis, the bitcoin price began to rise, reaching a high of US$266 on 10 April 2013, before crashing to around US$50. On 29 November 2013, the cost of one bitcoin rose to a peak of US$1,242. In 2014, the price fell sharply, and as of April remained depressed at little more than half 2013 prices. As of August 2014 it was under US$600. During their time as bitcoin developers, Gavin Andresen and Mike Hearn warned that bubbles may occur.
Bitcoin prices saw tremendous activity during 2017, rising several thousand percent over the year. The market has seen some volatility, although many of the dips seen in the cryptocurrency have thus far proven to be good buying opportunities. This trend may or may not continue, but given the outlook for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the trend could potentially remain higher for a long time to come.
The overwhelming majority of bitcoin transactions take place on a cryptocurrency exchange, rather than being used in transactions with merchants. Delays processing payments through the blockchain of about ten minutes make bitcoin use very difficult in a retail setting. Prices are not usually quoted in units of bitcoin and many trades involve one, or sometimes two, conversions into conventional currencies. Merchants that do accept bitcoin payments may use payment service providers to perform the conversions.
The very first major jump in Bitcoin price took place in July 2010. At this point, the value of Bitcoin went from about $0.0008 all the way up to $0.08, a truly dramatic increase in price. At this point and in the following year, very few exchanges supported trading of Bitcoin. There was also extremely limited liquidity at this time due to cryptocurrency still being relatively unknown. That meant that when the price started an increase in June 2011 from about $0.95, the approach was among the steepest recorded. Unfortunately, the drop also followed suit. By mid-June of that year, Bitcoin was up to $320, an all-time high. By November, it had declined 94 percent all the way to $20.
Volatility. This very reason many speculators are attracted to Bitcoin is the same reason many potential users are hesitant to get involved. Users that look at Bitcoin as a speculative investment option are essentially gambling on the process, and the future price of Bitcoin is largely unknown. There are estimates that Bitcoin will both be worth pennies in a few years, while some predict that a single bitcoin will be worth $500k in three years. As new investors continue to invest and the market cap grows, Bitcoin’s price could become more stable.
The other reason is safety. Looking at 2009 alone, 32,489 blocks were mined; at the then-reward rate of 50 BTC per block, the total payout in 2009 was 1,624,500 BTC, which at today’s prices is over $900 million. One may conclude that only Satoshi and perhaps a few other people were mining through 2009, and that they possess a majority of that $900 million worth of BTC. Someone in possession of that much BTC could become a target of criminals, especially since bitcoins are less like stocks and more like cash, where the private keys needed to authorize spending could be printed out and literally kept under a mattress. While it's likely the inventor of Bitcoin would take precautions to make any extortion-induced transfers traceable, remaining anonymous is a good way for Satoshi to limit exposure.
Additionally, FinCEN claimed regulation over American entities that manage bitcoins in a payment processor setting or as an exchanger: "In addition, a person is an exchanger and a money transmitter if the person accepts such de-centralized convertible virtual currency from one person and transmits it to another person as part of the acceptance and transfer of currency, funds, or other value that substitutes for currency."
Bitcoin continued to decline during early 2018, before eventually stabilizing at around $7,000 per coin. It has remained in the $6,000 to $7,000 range since June, and the volatility that characterised the market in 2017 and early 2018 has all but evaporated. On its 10-year anniversary, bitcoin is trading at $6,305 per coin, according to Markets Insider.
Jump up ^ Beikverdi, A.; Song, J. (June 2015). "Trend of centralization in Bitcoin's distributed network". 2015 IEEE/ACIS 16th International Conference on Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Networking and Parallel/Distributed Computing (SNPD): 1–6. doi:10.1109/SNPD.2015.7176229. ISBN 978-1-4799-8676-7. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018.
More recently, at a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill, global economist and New York University professor Nouriel Roubini said, "Crypto is the mother or father of all scams and bubbles." He called out "swindlers" who tapped into investors' fear of missing out and took them for a ride with "crappy assets that went into a bust and crash — in a matter of months — like you have not seen in any history of financial bubbles."
Bitcoin has been criticized for the amount of electricity consumed by mining. As of 2015, The Economist estimated that even if all miners used modern facilities, the combined electricity consumption would be 166.7 megawatts (1.46 terawatt-hours per year). At the end of 2017, the global bitcoin mining activity was estimated to consume between one and four gigawatts of electricity. Politico noted that the even high-end estimates of bitcoin's total consumption levels amount to only about 6% of the total power consumed by the global banking sector, and even if bitcoin's consumption levels increased 100 fold from today's levels, bitcoin's consumption would still only amount to about 2% of global power consumption.
On 3 March 2014, Flexcoin announced it was closing its doors because of a hack attack that took place the day before. In a statement that once occupied their homepage, they announced on 3 March 2014 that "As Flexcoin does not have the resources, assets, or otherwise to come back from this loss [the hack], we are closing our doors immediately." Users can no longer log into the site.
By 2017, Bitcoin dominance had plummeted from 95% to as low as 40% as a direct result of the usability problems. Fortunately, a large portion of the Bitcoin community, including developers, investors, users, and businesses, still believed in the original vision of Bitcoin -- a low fee, peer to peer electronic cash system that could be used by all the people of the world.
Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency: Balances are kept using public and private "keys," which are long strings of numbers and letters linked through the mathematical encryption algorithm that was used to create them. The public key (comparable to a bank account number) serves as the address which is published to the world and to which others may send bitcoins. The private key (comparable to an ATM PIN) is meant to be a guarded secret, and only used to authorize Bitcoin transmissions.
In 2012, the Cryptocurrency Legal Advocacy Group (CLAG) stressed the importance for taxpayers to determine whether taxes are due on a bitcoin-related transaction based on whether one has experienced a "realization event": when a taxpayer has provided a service in exchange for bitcoins, a realization event has probably occurred and any gain or loss would likely be calculated using fair market values for the service provided."
Welcome to the Investopedia Bitcoin Center, where you can find the current price of Bitcoin as well as real-time updated news on the world’s most important cryptocurrency. For good or for ill, Bitcoin is being explored by every major world bank and may very well be the backbone of our global financial system in the near future. Use charts, watch videos, learn new Bitcoin related terms, and get all of your questions answered about Bitcoin here at Investopedia.
According to the Library of Congress, an "absolute ban" on trading or using cryptocurrencies applies in eight countries: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates. An "implicit ban" applies in another 15 countries, which include Bahrain, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Lesotho, Lithuania, Macau, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan.
One of Bitcoin’s most appealing features is its ruthless verification process, which greatly minimizes the risk of fraud. Since Bitcoin is decentralized, volunteers—referred to as “miners”—constantly verify and update the blockchain. Once a specific amount of transactions are verified, another block is added to the blockchain and business continues per usual.
Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency, a concept that was discussed in the late 90s. The first Bitcoin specification and proof of concept was published in 2009 in a cryptography mailing list. The concept was presented by a person or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto. The real identity of Nakamoto has been a mystery since that time, with various theories on who the individual or group may be.


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Last week we posted about a deal from PNI where you get 25% off everything on its website. The best thing about the sale of course, is that it drops the brand’s incredibly powerful pre-workout Prodigy down to a very competitive $45 with free shipping. This week we’ve got even more news about the availability of PNI pre-workout’s, which is possibly better than the sale we recently shared.
PNI has announced that Prodigy is soon going to be available through the major retailer Tiger Fitness. Not only is it going to make purchasing the supplement a lot easier, especially if you’re a regular Tiger Fitness customer, but it is also going to give Prodigy a consistently lower price. The store is in fact already listing the product at just $39.99, all we have to do now is wait for stock to arrive.


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As the third largest consumer show to be held in San Diego annually, The San Diego Boat Show returns to the San Diego Convention Center and Marriott Marina Jan. 8-11, with two new features to address growing industry trends and consumer demand -- the Green Boating Zone and Affordability Pavilion.
The 2009 Boat Show is helping water enthusiasts discover eco-friendly boating at the new Green Boating Zone -- which features the latest eco-friendly boats and engines to hit the market. As well as West Marine's "Go Green" display, which offers earth-friendly practices; and the Green Accessory Center, previewing the newest green boating accessories to hit the market.
Products on display in the Green Boating Zone include in-water demos of the revolutionary Torqeedo, a portable electric outboard engine that fits inside a backpack; RailLight Clamp-On-Solar-Powered Light; Enviro-Flo Plus Gas Can; and the first marine cleaners to carry the EPA "Design for Environment" label.
The Green Boating Zone will also hold the seminar, "Trends Toward Greener Boating," given by Russ Grandinetti. Grandinetti is a renowned mega-yacht captain, whose new role as the "Eco-Detective" for Knight and Carver Boatyard involves testing new green boating products and procedures. The seminar will address what's new in eco-friendly marine products and will highlight the most effective and useful procedures.
In an effort to help existing boaters and outdoor enthusiasts uncover budget conscious ways to take the water, the San Diego Boat Show is rolling out the Affordability Pavilion, which highlights examples of a variety of boats that can be financed for $250 or less per month.
The Discover Boating Center is also back and will be featured within the Affordability Pavilion. The center is the ideal first stop for anyone interested in boating, providing education and resources on how to get started in boating and the types of boats suited to meet any budget and lifestyle.
Admission is $10 for adults (aged 16 and above), $5 for youth and children 12 and under are free. Visitors looking for additional information can visit sandiegoboatshow.com or call 858.274.9924 for complete details.
During the month of February, the San Diego Museum Council invites entertainment seekers to visit more than 30 participating institutions at half price admission with a free Museum Month Pass. With so many museums and organizations to visit -- from botanical gardens to science, and aquatic life to the visual arts -- the Museum Month pass gives San Diegans and visitors a chance to try it all.
A special Museum Month brochure will be available beginning Feb 1. Included in the brochure is the Museum Month pass which visitors must take to any of the participating institutions in order to receive the half-price admission.
Created back in 1989, Museum Month was created to promote awareness of the region's museums, historical sites, educational institutions and cultural offerings. Since that time the promotion has grown to become a cultural tradition on a level witnessed by very few cities in the country. Last year, more than 17,000 people used the Museum Month Pass and this year, the Council will be celebrating 20 years of museum going.
For more museum information log onto sandiegomuseumcouncil.org
Peartrees Catering Inc. has been selected for the 2008 Best of San Diego Award in the Caterers category by the U.S. Local Business Association.
The association's "Best of Local Business" Award program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, they identify companies which they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 award program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.
USLBA is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in town, large and small, across America. They were established to recognize the best of local business in the community as well as promote local business through PR, marketing and advertising.


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- Public register
DMCC – the world’s flagship free zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise – has partnered with the global VC firm Brinc to provide DMCC Crypto Centre members with access to Brinc’s USD 150 million accelerator fund. Brinc is a portfolio company of Animoca Brands, a global leader in Web3 and blockchain investment.
In addition to the comprehensive offering of the DMCC Crypto Centre, members will now also gain access to Brinc’s global network of innovative startups as well as business mentoring services from their new office in DMCC. The partnership will support the long-term and rapid growth of the companies that develop Web3 and blockchain technologies and associated value-added services at the DMCC Crypto Centre.
By providing an unparalleled environment for crypto entrepreneurs, SMEs and multinationals, the DMCC Crypto Centre has attracted over 450 crypto firms since its launch in 2021, making it the largest concentration of blockchain and Web3 businesses in the region. The DMCC Crypto Centre members operate in a broad range of sectors, using blockchain and Web3 technology in areas such as financial services, healthcare, entertainment, gaming and sustainability.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said: “We are proud to be partnering with one of the world’s leading VC firms in this space, and to meet the growing demand from our members to access funding, while also providing access to Brinc's well-connected ecosystem. With so many global challenges occurring simultaneously, major businesses are focused more than ever on accessing state-of-the-art infrastructure within a comfortable working environment, which is exactly what DMCC strives to provide.”
Manav Gupta, Founder and CEO of Brinc, said: “The newly launched Dubai Metaverse Strategy aims to support over 40,000 virtual jobs by 2030; while Dubai’s plan to use cutting- edge technology to improve efficiency and sustainability vastly appeals to Brinc, whose mandate since inception has been to discover and enhance businesses that creatively solve global problems. Our partnership with the DMCC will reveal a new pool of Web3 entrepreneurs and enable us to identify, empower, and invest in startups that shape the future based on a shared thesis and set of ideals.”
Yasin Aboudaoud, CDO and MP of Brinc MENA, said: “Brinc has an exceptional track record working with incredible partners such as the DMCC to progress innovative startups in a way that redefines sustainability while delivering tools, networks, and knowledge to some of the world’s most promising and innovative founders. Collaborating with the DMCC and its vibrant community at a time when MENA is welcoming blockchain and digital asset innovation is a hugely exciting prospect. The ability to build networks in Web3 – where community is king – will be invaluable to our mission.”
The DMCC Crypto Centre is a complete ecosystem for companies that develop Web3 and blockchain technologies, and associated value-added services, providing everything that crypto businesses and entrepreneurs need to scale their operations. It provides its member companies with access to capital through global investors, the best local and international industry talent, and a full suite of crypto licences that increase the ease of doing business.
In H1 2022, DMCC broke all previous records by attracting 1,469 new member companies. Owing to the leading environment provided at the Crypto Centre, over 14% of these new company registrations were related to crypto activities.


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Mike O’Halloran: A few Maryland policymakers walk the walk to help small businesses recover | COMMENTARY
By Mike O'Halloran
Jan 25, 2021 at 5:30 AM
As Ronald Reagan once said the most terrifying words are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” That line has long resonated with small business owners who frequently wrestle with complex regulations, rising taxes, and government-imposed mandates.
Now, nearly a year after the pandemic brought about extremely restrictive mandates in states across the nation, shuttering businesses and limiting their operations, two Maryland elected leaders are truly here to help. They are not just talking the talk.
A few months ago, this newspaper published our small business association’s plea on behalf of our members, for a second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans (Get it done, Congress, before small businesses shut their doors forever, November 29). At the time there was gridlock in Washington, D.C, and passage of a second relief bill had been stalled for months.
As a result of that inaction, hard-hit small businesses, especially those who rely on customers coming in their doors, were floundering. They had spent the initial PPP funds to keep their employees on the job and some had even gone through their own savings to avoid permanent closure. A recent survey of small business owners showed one in four would have to close their doors if economic conditions didn’t improve soon. Another showed a historic drop in small business optimism due to the bleak outlook for expected sales and business conditions.
U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin has been a constant voice of support for these entrepreneurs in the Senate, imploring his colleagues to address the economic disaster small businesses face. Finally, they listened and the relief bill passed in December including changes to make it even more helpful. It is reassuring to know Cardin will now head the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee in the 117th Congress as our nation and Maryland continue to recover.
At the state level, Gov. Larry Hogan has walked a tightrope trying to ensure public health while also reducing the harm to small businesses. Having been a business owner, he knows how difficult it can be to keep revenue coming in the door and meet payroll to keep the workers employed.
Maryland had fewer small businesses close during 2020 than Pennsylvania, D.C., New Jersey, and Virginia, according to a Harvard website tracking that data from January to December. We suspect Hogan’s policy decisions may be the reason for that.
Recently the governor announced his RELIEF Act of 2021. That bill contains many of the priorities NFIB has been lobbying for on behalf of its members.
It includes financial support targeting small businesses that have suffered most, like restaurants and retail shops, by tying the relief to the sales tax they remit. Those business owners have dealt with ongoing restrictions and will find it hard to recover until the vaccine is widely distributed and people feel safe gathering in public again.
He also prevented employers from drastic increases in unemployment taxes due to the number of claims filed, and he is asking the legislature to extend that relief in his bill. This is another issue NFIB has been working hard to see addressed.
We encourage lawmakers to support this legislation because in Maryland, almost half of the state workforce is employed by small businesses, and nationally two out of three jobs are created at these smaller companies.
These two public servants, Cardin and Hogan are doers. They know Maryland needs small businesses to survive so they can help lead the recovery. And we thank both of them for walking the walk.
Mike O’Halloran is the state director of the National Federation of Independent Business in Maryland, an association that advocates on behalf of thousands of small businesses in the state.


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'Perfect storm' of US bankruptcies
Billion-dollar bankruptcies in the US are at their highest in five years. So far in 2008, seven companies with more than $1bn (£505.2m) in assets have hit the wall.
'We seem to be in the midst of a perfect storm leading to more bankruptcies: high levels of debt, high energy and raw-material costs and weakness in the US economy,' George Putnam of New generation Research, publisher of BankruptcyData.com said.
Last year, only one company listed at more than $1bn, New Century Financial Corp, filed for bankruptcy.
There were 15 billion-dollar bankruptcies in 2003 and 25 in 2001, says BankruptcyData.com.
Subprime mortgage provider Fremont general Corp has been the largest bankruptcy of the year so far. It had $13bn in assets before it applied for protection.
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Tokyo Motor Show 2011
Pre-opening took place last Wednesday, to show the general public will open on Saturday this week. The main novelties are the electric cars and hybrids. In recent auto show in Japan is not particularly popular because of the recession and the fact that the palm at the car went to China. In the auto show does not take part company Ford Motor Co of the United States and most European companies presented their new products at a very modest rigs.


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Kroger, the supermarket operator, announced a deal to sell its convenience store business to EG Group, the U.K.-based convenience store retailer.
In a press release, Kroger said it is selling the unit for $2.15 billion, with the deal expected to close in the first quarter of Kroger’s fiscal year. As part of the deal, the companies announced EG Group will create a U.S. headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio and will operate the stores under their banner names. In October of 2017, Kroger announced it was looking for an alternative for its convenience store business, which included the potential for a sale.
“Our convenience store business has been a part of our company for many years. We want to thank our management team and associates for their enduring commitment to our customers, and for the contributions they have made to build our supermarket fuel business,” Mike Schlotman, Kroger’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, said in the press release. “As part of our regular review of assets, it has become clear that our strong convenience store business unit will better meet its full potential outside of our business.”
Kroger said the proceeds from the sale will be used to buy back stock and to lower its net total debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio. Kroger’s convenience store business is in 18 states and has 66 franchise operations.
“This is an exciting time for EG Group; the entry into the U.S. market presents a fantastic opportunity to deliver a successful retail offer to consumers across the various states,” said Mohsin Issa, EG Group founder and co-CEO. “We have had much success across Europe, and we firmly believe the Kroger assets present a fantastic foundation to overlay our retail experience and know-how in the U.S. We are committed to investing in the Kroger network, partnering with leading retail brands and working with the exceptional management team and associates transferring across to deliver a comprehensive retail offer.”


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Neither of Sony’s two previous smartwatches were runaway hits, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped the Japanese electronics giant from taking another crack at the concept. A slew of tweets hash-tagged #itstime started appearing on the official SonyXperia account the other day, and they hinted heavily that the company is preparing to show off yet another smartwatch at the Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai next week.
Sony seems content to keep all the juicy details under wraps for now, but it’s holding press conferences in Shanghai and Germany next Tuesday so all will be revealed in short order. Of course, if Sony really does bring another smartwatch to market, will it actually sell? Sony hasn’t exactly had the best luck pushing its Xperia smartphones (though the flagship Xperia Z seems to be doing pretty well), so pushing yet another smartphone-centric accessory into the field may prove problematic.
To Sony’s credit, it looks like the company is even more cognizant of the developer community than before — as they should, since apps crafted for the wrist-worn gadget will really determine whether people take the plunge. Sony’s second smartwatch (called, unimaginatively, the SmartWatch) was eventually augmented by some 200 custom applications in the Google Play Store, and Sony recently sought to make the thing even more useful by letting developers cook up their own firmware for it.
Still, I can’t help but wonder if Sony would’ve taken another chance on a smartwatch if it weren’t for some popular, buzzy startups. The meteoric rise of the Pebble and the wrist-worn gadgets that appeared in its wake signaled a resurgence and popularization of a concept that’s been kicking around with varying degrees of success for years. Subsequent (and persistent) rumors that Apple, Samsung, and even Google are eagerly eyeing up the smartwatch market may have only added fuel to Sony’s competitive fire. The company been churning these things out for the better part of 6 years now — hopefully this time they’ve got enough experience under their collective belts to really crack the formula.


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Sales ticked slightly slower for 2010 Boy Scouts Commemorative Coins. Newly released United States Mint figures reveal 2,820 of the proof silver dollars are left.
The uncirculated $1s dropped 25, which was lowest decrease since the US Mint started adjusting for their returns, cancellations and standby orders. They sold out five weeks ago.
Proofs gained 2,244 versus the prior week’s 2,381. Separated, collectors have purchased 2.25 times more of them than the uncirculated for a near perfect 70/30 split — a breakout that is now apparent the Mint set for final mintage spreads based on earlier demand between the two options.
Combined, the Boy Scouts commemoratives have hit 347,180 for 99.2 percent of the possible 350,000 authorized. They were released ten weeks ago.
The remaining proof coin is listed for $43.95. Orders may be placed directly online at http://catalog.usmint.gov, or by phone at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
A surcharge of $10 on the sale of each coin is forwarded to the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation to continue its efforts in hard to reach areas.


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Equities research analysts forecast that W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW) will report $3.27 billion in sales for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Five analysts have provided estimates for W.W. Grainger’s earnings, with estimates ranging from $3.23 billion to $3.30 billion. W.W. Grainger reported sales of $2.94 billion during the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year-over-year growth rate of 11.2%. The business is expected to announce its next earnings results before the market opens on Thursday, February 3rd.
On average, analysts expect that W.W. Grainger will report full-year sales of $12.94 billion for the current fiscal year, with estimates ranging from $12.89 billion to $12.97 billion. For the next year, analysts anticipate that the business will report sales of $13.90 billion, with estimates ranging from $13.74 billion to $14.00 billion. Zacks’ sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that cover W.W. Grainger.
W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.31 by $0.34. W.W. Grainger had a return on equity of 45.31% and a net margin of 7.35%. The firm had revenue of $3.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.32 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.52 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis.
NYSE GWW traded up $0.44 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $498.44. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 215,822 shares, compared to its average volume of 265,673. W.W. Grainger has a 12 month low of $356.23 and a 12 month high of $501.05. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $440.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $444.59. The company has a market cap of $25.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 2.58 and a quick ratio of 1.43.
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 8th will be given a dividend of $1.62 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 5th. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.30%. W.W. Grainger’s payout ratio is currently 36.99%.
In other news, VP Paige K. Robbins sold 565 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $450.00, for a total transaction of $254,250.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 10.04% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Clean Yield Group bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in W.W. Grainger by 68.8% during the 1st quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 81 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Herold Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Bbva USA bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in W.W. Grainger during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $65,000. 69.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
W.W. Grainger Company Profile
W.W. Grainger, Inc operates as a supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products (MRO), with operations also in Europe, Asia and Latin America. It operates through two segments: United States and Canada. The United States segment offers a selection of MRO products and services through its eCommerce platforms, catalogs, branches and sales and service representatives.
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The Construction Leadership Council has written to both the Secretaries of State at the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities urging them to put a brake on the introduction of CA Marking for construction products.
The switch from CE to CA certification has already been delayed and is due to be implemented in January 2023.
However, the CLC has asked Business Secretary Grant Shapps and Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove for a further delay of two years.
In the letter, Construction Products Association chief executive Peter Caplehorn and CLC co-chair Mark Reynolds said: “One area of initial concern we would like to draw your attention to is the decision to move from CE to UK CA marking, effective from January 2023.
“The Construction Products Regulations UK (CPR) were adopted into the UK from the original EU regulations as part of the Brexit negotiations. These regulations are specific to construction products, with separate provisions and definitions from the wider product regulations used in the wider economy.
“The CA mark and transition arrangements from CE remains unclear and the UK testing capacity has not been able to scale up to meet the demands. Not all products are affected but many of the most important to construction are, such as glues and sealants, glass, insulation, radiators and passive fire protection to name a few, which are all necessary to deliver the new homes, schools and hospitals the country needs.
“Approximately 28% of products are imported and half of that from the EU and therefore these products are also affected. As a result, many global manufacturers now regard the UK as just too difficult to do business with, which has resulted in products being withdrawn – impacting on the UK’s ability to deliver completed projects.”
The CLC has previously proposed a number of solutions that can be put in place for the short and medium term, while the complexities are considered and resolved in the longer term.
It has now asked the Government to urgently consider:
- Suspend the implementation of UK CA marking for at least 2 years.
- Establish a joint working party between Government and the Construction sector to plan a transition to the new arrangements.
“Given the current business environment of significant material inflation, increased energy costs and uncertainty, we call for urgent action and intervention to assist the construction sector to remain resilient and deliver upon the current and future needs of the country,” the letter adds.
The CLC points out that only products that have a harmonised standard (now designated standards in the UK) are covered by the CPR.
The UK decided that to gain CA marking construction products with a harmonized /designated standard need to be retested and certified by a body in the UK. The same product is put through the same process to achieve a change from CE to CA at a cost of between several thousand to several hundred thousand pounds by a body in the UK. Some products require several tests.
There are currently about 440 such standards some will cover one product some many products.
In addition, there are an increasing number (approx. 400) of further and updated versions of standards held up in a dispute between the EU commission and CEN-CENLEC, (the standards body) that at some stage will need to be reflected in the UK designated standards list. This is important because these relate to updated standards that are needed to support the latest good practice but can only be unofficially ‘recognised’ at present.
There is relatively limited certification and testing capacity across the UK. The EU has around 770 facilities, the UK around 40. Not all such facilities can test all products. These facilities have come under pressure as the product sector has reacted to achieving CA marking. Manufacturers from further afield also need these facilities and are creating further demand as they try to achieve CA.
For many product groups there is no ability or very limited capacity to undertake this retesting and certification in the UK. The EU has a mature well organised certification and testing environment led by EOTA (European Organisation for Testing Assessment). Standard approaches and guidance documents are organised through this network. The UK bodies have been slow to come together, and leadership is desperately needed.
So far, the UK has not provided any similar support. As a result, over the 2 plus years this has been an issue very little progress has been achieved and no substantial increasing testing or certification capacity in the UK has been created.
The CLC acknowledges the easement issued in the summer allowing existing products (subject to system 3) having a current CE mark and related certification to gain CA status. It said this has reduced the potential impact for now, however, it does not cover new products nor changes to existing products that still remain an issue after the deadline at the end of this year.
It warns there is a risk that the UK in creating its own standards this will further restrict our market resulting in further shortages, delays and increased inflation.


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August 24, 2017 9:05:39 am
Ford Motor Co said the new head of its China operations will be Jason Luo, the CEO of auto parts maker Key Safety Systems with wide experience in M&A – an appointment that comes as Ford embarks on range of initiatives in the world’s biggest car market.
The US automaker announced last week it is looking at setting up a venture with Anhui Zotye Automobile Co to build electric passenger vehicles in China under a new brand, a response to Beijing’s plans to set ambitious quotas for electric and plug-in hybrid cars.
Its Lincoln luxury unit also recently said it would start producing luxury SUVs in the country by 2019, while Ford is also moving some production of its Focus small car to China.
Luo has spent the last decade at the helm of the Michigan-based supplier, overseeing its $920 million sale to China’s Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp and most recently the $1.6 billion purchase of the healthier assets of bankrupt Japanese airbag maker Takata Corp.
Born in China and fluent in Mandarin, he achieved significant revenue growth in China for Key Safety Systems, Ford said in a statement.
Luo has a bachelor of science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Beijing Institute of Technology, China and master degrees from US universities.
The appointment will be effective Sept. 1.
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Last summer, Google made a splash with its Google Glass computerized eyeglasses, at its Google I/O developers conference. The Android-powered eyeglasses are equipped with a processor, memory, camera, GPS sensors and a display screen.
According to industry analysts, in the not-so-distant future, computers will be worn, whether incorporated into glasses, or in a piece of jewelry, such as a bracelet or pendant.
Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with ZK Research, said trying to get in on the wearable computer market before it takes off is a smart move for Intel.
The company has struggled in recent months as the PC market, where Intel has much of its business, has been weakened by a sluggish economy and the burgeoning tablet market. Getting in on a new wave of technology would be a step in the right direction, Kerravala said.
"PCs have virtually no growth right now," Kerravala said. "The only way Intel can grow is to find other uses for its chips... Think of all that is possible here."
Vara said wearable computers that record a user's activities or conversation would need privacy and security features that protect both the user and the people he encounters.
For instance, users could carry a small jamming device so when they approach someone who might be able to record them with a wearable computer, the device would run interference.
"I think one of the things we really need to do is be very conscientious about the fact that people like their privacy," Vara said. "People would like this and they'd be eager to use it, but some people aren't going to want to be videotaped... That's a really important thing to figure out before letting loose some of these things in the market."
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TikTok has introduced many new targeting and boosting features with Promote, which enables users to convert any of their existing TikTok videos into ads with a few easy clicks. Announced on February 8, 2023.
These new features are designed to help TikTok creators — including influencers, advertisers, brands, and small businesses — drive traffic back to their profiles, reach their target audience, inflate their marketing budgets, and convert viewers into leads.
YouTube launched sponsored videos back in November 2008, and Facebook launched sponsored posts in 2012. So, this is not a new concept.
But the fact that TikTok is expanding its Promote features is a sign that creators need more ways to promote their videos on the platform — especially in the wake of a controversy that erupted last month when Forbes reported: “TikTok’s secret ‘heat’ button can make anyone go viral. “
the Promote new features Giving TikTok creators additional tools to target their desired communities and choose exactly how they can interact with their ads — just in case TikTok employees decide to stop manually boosting the reach of videos with a “heat” button that bypasses the algorithm meant to power the TikTok experience.
Promote the new feature set
More profile views
The new “More Profile Views” objective allows advertisers to drive traffic directly to their TikTok profile.
With this new call to action, brands get more ways to tell their story or showcase a range of products or services.
Promote to others
The new Promote to Others option allows marketers to boost content, influencers or partners.
This new feature also allows marketers to promote creator videos or live videos to help increase views by their target audience.
There is a new geo-location targeting option, in addition to the existing audience targeting options for gender, age, and users’ interests.
This allows small businesses with physical locations to target their local community directly.
The new “More Messages” goal allows small businesses to drive traffic directly to their TikTok inbox.
This provides service companies, B2B brands and businesses that receive custom orders with greater customer interaction to close their sales.
Interview with Dennis Yu, CEO, BlitzMetrics
As I mentioned, promoting your videos is not a new concept.
He’s spent $1 billion on Facebook ads across his agencies and recommended agencies — and TikTok creators will want to know about his “Dollar a Day” strategy.
These are my questions and his answers.
Greg Garboe: First of all, tell us about your “dollars a day” strategy.
Dennis YuGreg, as you know, we’ve spent a whopping $1 billion on Facebook ads with Dollar a Day so we can drive sales in all three stages of the funnel.
And we know that on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn, the campaign goals are quite the same, from awareness to conversion consideration. It’s literally the exact same 24/7 ad systems built around the same campaign goals.”
GG: But what do you do after spending a dollar a day for seven days promoting a particular post?
DY: “I look at the analytics. If it’s OK, I’ll put in $2 a day for another 20 or 30 days. I might put $10 a day in, but I let this thing test at first. Right.”
GJ: So, what do you think of TikTok’s Promote features?
DY: “Promoting has been around for at least a year (for me), and it works just like boosting on Facebook. Instead of $1 per day, the minimum is $5 per day.”
GJ: So, what kind of results have you seen promoting your TikTok videos?
DY: “I boosted about a thousand posts across a range of accounts to test performance by goal (see screenshots).”
Video views were the most effective, by far, getting half a penny for three cents a view – with similar average viewing times for memberships.
So if your video is naturally good, boosting it will just “throw fuel on the fire”. But if it’s bad, no amount of money will beat that.”
Giga Jay: Do you have any recent examples you can share?
DY: “See screenshots from a promoted post I just made, and I’ve re-promoted it five times.”
Note that the video is about how much the pilot makes, but Alex isn’t wearing a uniform or in front of a plane.
“But the comments from the pilots, though, I can’t choose the pilots as a target.”
“TikTok’s algorithm is that good. So if you have great content, just invest money in it to get more of the same content.”
Giga Jay: Do you have any closing thoughts or tips you’d like to share?
DYTikTok video ads cost a third of Facebook’s because advertiser demand hasn’t caught up with traffic yet.
Therefore, anyone who has achieved success on Facebook should move their campaigns to TikTok to benefit from it — as long as they have vertical video.
TikTok intentionally designed its ad platform to be familiar to people running Facebook ads — and its teams told me that.”
Editor’s note: The interview has been lightly edited for clarity, brevity, and to adhere to our editing guidelines. The opinions expressed by the interviewee in this column are his alone and do not necessarily represent the view of Search Engine Journal.
- Key insights from TikTok in our 2023 Trend Next Report
- TikTok vs YouTube: Which is Better for You?
- How to Dominate Social Media Marketing: A Complete Strategy Guide
Featured Image: Phoenix 1319 / Shutterstock


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Everyone knows nicotine is physically addictive. But check out what these gents went through just to get some cigarettes, per ThePoliceNews.net:
La Marque, Texas — Police are looking for two men who pulled pistols on a convenience store clerk and made off with a supply of cigarettes valued at about $100.
The pair of black men, dress all in black and wearing ski masks pulled the robbery Wednesday morning at the Main Street Grocery Store in the 1600 block of FM 519, then fled on foot.
Police ask anyone with information about the two call La Marque Crime Stoppers (409) 938.8477
Ski masks and guns for $100 in cigarettes? That’s a head-scratcher. Here’s the source.


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Jesse Holland’s novel “Who is the Black Panther?” will debut at Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) on Saturday (April 28) for one day only ahead of its general release on May 8. Holland will visit the store at 4 pm.. to sign advance copies and lead a discussion on the novel.
The special event is in honor of Independent Book Store Day, which celebrates the impact of indie book shops on their communities.
The novel follows the story of the Black panther, a warrior-king, who leads the imaginary African nation of Wakanda. The country, rich with technological advancements, faces ruin as outsiders attempt to plunder its riches.
The day-long event includes the following program, provided by Scrawl Books:
10 a.m.: Meet and greet with Maisy the Mouse at Scrawl Books. Young fans are invited to meet Maisy, take photos and enjoy drinks and snacks courtesy of the Reston Town Center.
10:30 a.m.: Author Ann Marie Stephens visits Scrawl to read from her best-selling picture books, Cy Makes a Friend and Scuba Dog. Ann Marie will read to the audience, sign books and lead a fun STEM activity for kids of all ages.
12:30 p.m.: Author Megan Wagner Lloyd joins the party at Scrawl to read from her children’s book, Fort-Building Time. Following the story, Fort-Building becomes a reality inside the store when the author and her fans gather up boxes, blankets and tape, and build a giant fort.
4 p.m. : Author Jesse J. Holland, Who is the Black Panther? debuts the paperback version of his sold-out novel, 10 days before its general release. Holland will lead a discussion on the book, as well as sign copies for fans. Following the event, the paperback will be removed from the shelves until May 8.
Photo by Marvel
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Dec 8, 2019
HMV faces the music in Christmas crunch test
HMV Since Doug Putman rescued UK music retailer HMV in February, he has thrown himself wholeheartedly into running a transatlantic retail empire. Under Mr Putman's ownership, stores have given more space to vinyl albums and displayed them prominently, although he admits that CDs are still bigger than vinyl for HMV. In a music industry that is increasingly dominated by streaming, record shops have to be attuned to changing trends in physical formats. Looking ahead, Mr Putman wants to establish HMV as the trusted gatekeeper in a crowded cultural environment. HMV now has 113 shops, but is suffering from the lack of a big central London outlet since the closure of the heavily loss-making flagship store in Oxford Street in the wake of Mr Putman's takeover. New shops are already coming to other cities, with a 25,000 sq-ft store known as the HMV Vault now open in Birmingham.
Make a complaint about HMV by viewing their customer service contacts.