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Bold Lane's Parksafe car park in Derby to feature in American documentary
A CAR park in Derby which claims it is the "world's safest" is being featured in an American documentary.
A camera crew visited Parksafe, in Bold Lane, yesterday to shoot some footage for an programme called Extreme Parking.
The crew decided to feature the Derby lot to find out how it has used hi-tech security equipment to remain crime-free for more than a decade.
Producer Eric Michell said he thought American audiences would be fascinated by Parksafe.
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He said: "People know Fort Knox and they know how safe it is.
"Parksafe is right up there and I think the audience will be interested to see why."
Parksafe, based at Shottle, has been running the 440-space car park since 1998, during which time there have been no crimes reported there.
The year before the £200,000 refit, there were 120 reports of car theft or car break-ins at the Bold Lane site.
At the 440-space site, drivers use a credit-card style key issued at the barrier to get in and out.
The key also activates the security system which sets off an alarm if the car is moved.
There are also 190 CCTV cameras, automatic entry gates, panic buttons on many of the car park's pillars and each car which enters and exits is photographed from 360 degrees by hi-tech camera equipment.
Mr Michell said the show would also feature car parks from all round the world.
He said: "We feature a place in Singapore which is the car park for a luxury apartment block.
"People drive their cars into a space which is then raised like an elevator cart up level with their apartment.
"The sides are made of glass and it attaches to the outside of their wall so they can see their own car from their living room.
"We also have a bloke who had always wanted this old Ferrari and, because it was too expensive, painted it perfectly on to the side of his garage."
The documentary will be shown on the Travel Channel and will be screened first in the US. The UK air date is not yet known.
Parksafe owner Ken Wigley had parked an armoured car outside the Bold Lane site yesterday as an appropriate filming prop for the crew.
He said: "It's a real compliment to be picked for the programme and it will show people why we are the world's safest car park.
"I hope it draws people to the city.
"My only disappointment with the way Parksafe has developed is that there isn't one in every city in the country."


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Interesting bit! You raise an important question about targetted content and its pitfalls. I definitely think that in today’s world where information is abundant, there is a merit in showing news articles according to person’s interests and past behavior. But, internet companies should give greater control to end-users on the way they want content to be delivered to them. Users should be able to switch between receiving content based on their consumption history or based on what editors think is most important. But, internet inherently exposes content providers with a much higher level of scrutiny given the ease of sharing and commenting. NYT’s investments in comment moderation is definitely a step in the right direction. But NYT should do much more than that to take full control. Few media companies have started monitoring the “internet chatter” to predict how receptive or hateful people are towards their content. An interesting example of how this was implemented recently can be found in this article: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2012/06/forget-movie-critics-mindless-internet-chatter-predicts-blockbusters-and-bombs
Thanks for this thought-provoking bit! When we think of automation, the construction industry rarely comes to mind. But, given the short supply of skilled labor and craftsmen, the industry is ripe for automation & digitalization. The ideas about BIM and “Uber for Labor” might be groundbreaking and might improve both the time and cost required for construction. Given the inevitability of these innovations in the construction industry and resulting efficiencies leaves me with the question of what might this mean for real estate as an asset class. Will lower costs and shorter lead times result in erosion of wealth for people who hold most of their net-worth in real estate?
I think O&G companies across the world have to reinvent themselves in the face of increasingly stricter environmental regulations and growing awareness amongst consumers. I believe that it is high time that companies such as Exxon start comprehensively assessing not just their financial performance, but also environmental performance. Not just will such measurements help Exxon improve the public perception, but also guide its managers in making decisions which might look financially inviable right now, which might be strategically crucial going forward. Energy companies such as BP have already embarked on that path and might soon start lobbying governments to impose stricter controls on its peers to get a competitive advantage. I believe that Paris Agreement is just a start of a much stricter environmental regime across the world and Exxon needs to take note!
Although isolationism is re-shoring jobs back to the US as of now, I wonder if this will reduce the global competitiveness of GM in long term. As you rightly pointed out, automation might reduce the dependence of costly labor but it goes against the fundamental premise of why trade policies were put in place in the first place. Also, drastic measures such as these would expose companies such as GM to inefficiencies in short-term as it might take years to set up new localized supply chains, hire and train workforces, raise fresh capital and develop new automation technologies, leaving more globalized competitors with the opportunity to create better synergies and rapidly gain market share. Another aspect to think about is social and political tensions arising out of localization of trade. Free flowing trade has been a crucial factor in global cooperation. With every country following the path of isolationism, are we trading off a global optimum for a local optimum?
Thanks for this very interesting article. You brought up a very important point that every industry, including education, is affected by isolationism. Isolationism is a result of an incomplete understanding of how economy & markets work. I think Brexit was a knee-jerk reaction to slowing growth internally by blaming external factors. I believe that it is upon institutions such as Oxford to go against these undercurrents and position themselves as institutions which support international cooperation. I really like the idea which you have presented about opening a campus in France. When a coveted institute such as Oxford shows that they believe that they support international cooperation at all costs, it would send a strong signal to the government as well as to the common people of UK and spark a debate about the long-term ill-effects of isolationism.
Great summary of the various initiatives taken by Nike to reduce the carbon footprint of their products. What I liked the most about Nike’s actions is that all their steps make economical as well as environmental sense. The fact that the consumers don’t have to pay more for an environmentally friendly shoe will ensure that these initiatives will sustain. What I would be keen to see going forward is how Nike can change consumer behavior to encourage more and more people to recycle their shoes. The sustainability loop is not closed if a shoe ends up in a landfill at the end of life.

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Neuroscientist Matthew Walker said that sleep devices and intelligent home systems could be combined in the future. There has been increasing interest in sleep in personal health tracking in recent years. All kinds of new devices have started to appear in the reports of prominent we-medisignificanttness guru Joe Rogan wearing a Whoop Strap on his wrist. The device’s algorithm suggested he get four or five hours of sleep a night, rather than the seven or eight he once thought; Aubrey Marcus wears an Oura bracelet that measures various biometrics overnight and evaluates a score the following day.
Wearables like watches, rings and headbands are appealing to those of us who like to check our various biometric data, but they can also cause anxiety and insomnia. Darren Mansfield, a sleep disorders and respiratory physician and associate professor and vice president of the Sleep Health Foundation, believes we need to strike a balance.
Mike Toner runs Thick As Thieves, a dance music agency. He has spent the past decade staying up late at clubs in Melbourne and answering international emails at 3am on his mobile phone. He had been trying to solve his sleep problem for five years.
“I’ve tried everything,” he said. “Magnesium capsules, sprays, melatonin, Chinese herbs… I was even treated at a sleep centre, where I was made to sleep in a room with wires all over my body, my nose stuffed with devices and even a camera pointed at me. Ironically, I slept better that night than I had ever slept before.”
So he decided to start monitoring his own body seriously, keeping an eye out for new devices on Huberman’s lab podcast and The Quantified Scientist. Sleep monitoring wearables have come a long way from being equipped with accelerometers to track movement and algorithms to determine when a person is asleep, to being able to track sleep latency, sleep efficacy, heart rate variability, depth of sleep, RAPID eye movement sleep and sleep position, to name a few.
In addition to these wearables, he also bought various cooling devices. As soon as the weather warms up, Toner lays down his water cooler mattress, Chilipad.
The theory behind the mattress is that lying in a cool room after a hot bath tricks the body into sleep since our body temperature drops when we fall asleep. In general, people tolerate cold temperatures more than heat while asleep.
Staying cool helps you sleep, Mansfield says. “Generally, cooler temperatures are more tolerable at night… 25 degrees Celsius is beautiful and comfortable during the day, but at night, when our core temperature is dropping, it becomes unendurably hot, so 18 or 19 degrees is ideal.”
In the future, we can look forward to the combination of fitness tracking devices with smart indoor furniture, such as smart air conditioning and smart lighting systems. “Over time, using commonly used machine learning algorithms, we should be able to use AI to tell the owner of each bedroom what the most comfortable sleep temperature is based on biophysiological data calculated by sleep tracking devices,” Walker said. “We could even set a natural circadian rhythm, Make the room temperature change every night in harmony with the owner’s body temperature.”


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- Real Estate
- Food & Drink
Aug. 8, 2019
Vinyl Taco is now open seven days a week. The restaurant at 3609 W. 41st St. has added Sunday hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Next door, that means Vinyl Social Club now will be available for private parties on Sundays. The entertainment venue for adults, which is open Wednesday through Saturday, has been booking corporate events on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Taco John’s is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a special Taco Tuesday. Get a hard-shell taco for 69 cents on Aug. 13. Limit of 10 tacos per customer. The first franchise opened in 1969 in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Expanding on its quick lunch option of pizza by the slice, Books n Brewz Pizzeria is serving pasta. Angela Kull or Travis Graham make a different pasta dish every day. The $8 meal comes with a side salad. The pasta special is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at the combination bookstore, bar and restaurant at Eighth and Weber.
Teachers can get a free breakfast next week at The Original Pancake House. The restaurant at 41st and Kiwanis is serving a meal with coffee, eggs, hash browns, pancakes and bacon or sausage Tuesday through Thursday. Teachers must show a current ID badge. OPH is open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Leonardo’s Cafe in the Washington Pavilion has added a hot case that’s stacked with grab-and-go items for the business lunch crowd and families visiting the attractions. Selection varies and includes options such as chicken strips, mini corndogs, fries, tater tots, onion rings, cheese curds, churros and mini cinnamon rolls. The café is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Abelardo’s Mexican Fresh has scaled back its late-night hours after a test run. Updated hours are 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. And now, customers can enjoy a beer with their tacos. The restaurant at 1200 S. Minnesota Ave. received its alcohol license.
Parker’s Bistro has been throwing a monthly patio party all summer, highlighting food and drink from different countries. This month’s party, which is Aug. 15, showcases Ireland and will feature live music from The Shamrockers. The restaurant is offering a sneak peek at one of its cocktails. The Aine, named after the Irish goddess of summer, wealth and sovereignty, features single-batch Irish cream liqueur, The Dubliner Irish whiskey, chocolate sauce and house-made cold-press coffee that’s shaken with cold-press ice cubes and garnished with espresso sugar.
Plant-based burgers have arrived at Burger Kings nationwide. Starting today – and for a limited time according to the fast-food giant – customers can get a flame-grilled Impossible patty on their Whopper.
Here’s a look at what’s new in the local dining scene.


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Great news for people who don’t like to sleep: A South African coffee company claims to have concocted the most powerful java in the world — and it’s now taking orders from the United States.
Black Insomnia Coffee contains 702 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce cup. That’s more than four times as strong as the average cup of joe — and more than twice the caffeine that the FDA says a healthy adult can safely consume in a day. But, hey, health: Is it really that important?
Every month or so, another coffee company announces that it’s concocted the world’s strongest brew. It’s like the space race, but for making your heart explode instead of landing on the moon. Until Black Insomnia first became available for purchase in South Africa last year, Death Wish Coffee, which boasts a caffeine content of 660 mg, was leading the pack.
Well, Death Wish, this is 2017, and your wimpy-ass bean water isn’t going to cut it anymore. Caffeine Informer has made it official: Black Insomnia is the most jittery java around… for now.
The only caffeinated beverage stronger than Black Insomnia — that we’re aware of — can be found in Adelaide, Australia, where local shop Viscous Coffee recently added a dangerous iced coffee named the “Asskicker” to its menu. The “Asskicker” contains 5,000 mg of caffeine — the equivalent of 75 espressos, and half a lethal dose of the stimulant. That’s cool and all, but you can’t order iced coffee from the other side of the world over the internet. It would melt, silly.
Black Insomnia, on the other hand, can be ordered on Amazon. All you have to do is click a button, wait for the coffee to arrive at your doorstep, and several days later, you’ll be doing backflips in your underwear. There is, however, one small problem: Just about as soon Black Insomnia became available for purchase in the U.S., it sold out on Amazon.
That’s OK. Be patient; the supply will replenish. In the meantime, you might want to start hydrating, and maybe catch up on sleep. You’re going to need it.


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New BMW iX | i4 to be made using Hydro-Electric Power alone
Oliver Zipse, the CEO at BMW, strives to produce some of the world’s greenest cars. In theory, electric vehicles indeed have zero emissions; however, most people fail to realize that the carbon footprint to manufacture an EV is significantly greater.
BMW, the auto giant from Munich, Germany, wishes to bring about a change by radically revamping its supply chain.
BMW iX | i4 Range to be manufactured only using Hydroelectric Power
The process of decarbonizing the Automotive Industry is paving the way for the entire market, with various players striving for carbon-neutral goals and a commitment toward sustainability.
BMW has vouched to use Hydroelectric Power to manufacture its soon to launch iX and i4 EVs.
According to Oliver Zipse, reducing carbon emissions of any form plays a vital role in the long road towards sustainable mobility and protection of the environment.
Although the BEV’s might use energy from renewable sources, the manufacturing of battery packs is relatively energy-intensive.
Two contracts have been signed with RWE Supply & Trading and Stadtwerke München, two local power companies, to supply Hydroelectric power to BMW’s Munich & Dingolfing plants.
The Hydroelectric power will be produced from the Lech & Isar and tributaries of one of Europes’ most prominent rivers, the Danube, which flows through the Bavarian state in Southern Germany.
A shift towards the adoption of EV’s on a monumental scale is happening currently, with an increasing number of EV’s coming to market. This would only mean that co2 emissions from the supply chain would go up by a 3rd.
This future increase in the carbon footprint would ultimately defeat the purpose of an EV. BMW strives to avoid this jump in emissions from the supply chain and reduce it by close to 20%, and it will achieve this goal by closely working with its suppliers.
Milan Nedejkovi, one of the members of the Production council, “At BMW Group we have adopted a global vision, in which sustainability is integrated throughout the value chain”.
Here’s BMW’s take on how they plan to reduce their impact on their environment “rather than simply minimizing emissions from driving, we also work to reduce the carbon footprint of our production processes significantly.”
The BMW Group is already at the forefront of adopting the use of energy from renewable sources in the auto industry. It is currently supplying green energy to countless production sites around the world.
Currently, only aluminum produced using solar energy is being used by the BMW group for all its vehicles.
Nedeljkovi adds, “The novelty is that, in the future, we will supply renewable electricity directly from local suppliers located near our plants.”
Right from 2013, Tueton has strived to supply energy from only renewable sites. For instance, the four wind turbines used at the Leipzig plant where the BMW i3 is currently manufactured use electricity from renewable sources.
Another example of green energy adoption is at the BMW Group production site in San Luis in Mexico, where the company is also using Solar Energy. The proportion of Cobalt, another critical raw material used in the cathodes of batteries for next-generation BEV’s has been significantly reduced, according to Zipse.
Cobalt and Lithium are now purchased directly from miners in Australia and Morocco. He adds that BMW’s EV’s will also be for any rare earth metals.
As mentioned above, future models like the BMW iX will be done using Hydroelectric power originating from the Moonsburg and Landshut sites. The BMW i4, on the other hand, will be manufactured using hydroelectric power from the plant at Gersthofen.
The BMW dons use green energy to manufacture its cars and various components of electric components that its EVs use.
BMW Groups long term climate Goals
The climate goals that BMW has set are for the long term. Between 2016 and 2019, BMW cut emissions by close to 70% for every vehicle it produced. This is a significant achievement by any means.
BMW has also agreed with all its suppliers for using green energy for the production of battery cells. This move will avoid emissions of close to 10 million tonnes by 2030.
Since 2020, BMW has been supplying 100 % green energy to all its production sites. The brand strives to achieve even more and plans to do so by taking advantage of digitizing various processes.
Analysis of various data points has already helped the brand make its manufacturing process far more efficient. For instance, BMW has managed to optimize various aspects of its production line, like reducing the number of rejected components and periodic predictive maintenance of various machinery.
“We want to reduce CO2 emissions by another 80 percent by 2030, to be less than 10 percent of what they were in 2006.” Says Nedeljkovi.
Apart from reducing its carbon emissions, the BMW Group is set to completely offset all the remaining emissions ( Scope 1 and 2) with various certificates.
The brand is set to increase its use of secondary recycled materials for all its vehicles. Some of these recycled materials will include steel, aluminum, and plastic.
Availability of these recycled materials in their purest form remains a challenge. For instance, it is found that copper is mixed in steel, due to which this material would fail the stringent safety standards that have been set in the automotive industry.
Despite all these challenges, the BMW Group is determined to achieve its climate goals and is already on the right trajectory to achieving them.


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The long-running game series “Halo” is set to release its sixth main entry and 16th game overall — the “Halo Infinite” in this year’s holiday launch.
Halo Infinite is currently scheduled to arrive during September to November 2021 with a firm release date yet to be confirmed by the game developers.
The game was originally supposed to be launched last year in November, alongside the Xbox Series X/S, but it was delayed to 2021 due to challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new Halo game is a first-person shooter game developed by 343 industries and published by Xbox Games Studios for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
For almost 20 years, Halo multiplayer has been defined by sandbox-focused emergent gameplay that offers players a wide array of weapons, vehicles and toys in the name of enjoyment and competition.
“From the expanded sandbox, bots and personal AI, millions of ways to customize your Spartan Hero, to battle passes that never expire, there’s a lot more to learn and love about #Halo Infinite multiplayer,” Joseph Staten the creative director for Halo Infinite said in a tweet.
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode will launch as a free-to-play title and players can look at the Master Chief collection’s free “battle pass” system for a new peak at how the newly added mode can work.
In addition to returning favorites and brand new weapons, Halo’s infinite sandbox is punctuated by the addition of Halo 3-esque equipment, a game changing limited-use abilities that players will search during a match.
The Halo Infinite’s team of 343 industries is continuing to embrace the franchise’s legacy even after imbuing it with new modern twists that lean into the series’ strengths while simultaneously laying a foundation for it to grow and evolve in the months and year beyond the launch.


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October 22md witness the HarmonyOS Connect Partner Summit with various announcements of new releases, and devices under HarmonyOS Connect ecology. Since the announcement of this brand, it gave new achievements and shown significant growth.
At present, over 1,800 hardware ecosystem partners have joined this Huawei platform. Furthermore, the product categories have achieved 4,000 counts in terms of the official certificates. On top of this, in 2021 HarmonyOS Connect has more than 60 million new devices.
The new products are applicable in various industries that include smart home, sports and health, smart travel, audio-visual entertainment, education, office, and others. The company’s industry partners have made equal contributions to this new device lineup.
HarmonyOS Connect: Fully Upgraded Platform
Speaking of a basic level, the HarmonyOS Connect certified devices are showing notably improved performance. The previous methods have been revised and introduced two new methods called- “rely on one” and “scan and sweep”. In this line, the Widgets have been elevated with a new service center and multi-device entrance.
For instance, smart door locks can achieve real-time visual interaction with the Widgets. In this manner, not only the fingerprint recognization has been improved but various services including one-click interconnection also get new functionalities.
Furthermore, the certified products have the advantages of the HarmonyOS SuperDevice feature. It allows other devices to join and delivers a multidevice smart experience in various scenarios.
If we take health or exercise as an example, we can have better results through multi-device connections including a smartphone, a smart accessory, and a smart scale. Besides, the vertical applications including basic, enhanced, and application service packs have provided new applications.
At present, the hardware packages synchronize with 11 mainstream chips integrated with 11 modules and, 20 other modules. Furthmore, technology certification capability has been upgraded, from a monthly certification of 100 SPU to 400 SPU to help the manufactures quickly link the devices with HarmonyOS Connect Platform.
Canada to ban Huawei from 5G: Report
Huawei has been under a lot of difficulties for the last three years due to U.S. sanctions, which have led to bans on its network equipment in different markets. However, despite various processes, Canada has now also shown its direction on this matter to ban Huawei from 5G development in the country.
According to the report coming from Reuters, Canada is planning to ban Huawei from its 5G network gear installation program citing national security risks without showing any of them.
The country is following the path of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group including five countries including the U.S., U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
“We intend to exclude Huawei and ZTE from our 5G networks,” Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters in Ottawa. “Providers who already have this equipment installed will be required to cease its use and remove it under the plans we’re announcing today.”
Aside from this, the Canadian government has also laid down a deadline for carriers and network companies to remove their network 5G equipment by the year 2024. On the other hand, companies that use 4G equipment from Huawei will be required to remove the gear until 2027.
In 2018, Canada announce to review of the ongoing Huawei matter to adapt its network gear. Last, in 2018, Huawei’s Chief Financial Official is detailed Vancouver Airport.
regarding this matter, Alykhan Velshi, Vice President of corporate affairs for Huawei in Canada said with Canadian Broadcasting Corp that the company is still waiting to hear what sort of national security threats they think Huawei poses.
Adding to this, Velshi said, Huawei is completely operational in Canada and there are over 1500 employees in the country, most of them conduct research and development. Other than these, Huaewi continues to sell new products in the market.
Throughout the entire discussion, Huawei has been targeted by the different governments over political means but no one has not shown any sort of evidence against the Chinese tech firm.
Huawei registers ‘Huawei Soil’ trademark
On May 18, 2022, Huawei registered the ‘Huawei Soil’ trademark in China. This trademark application has document version 47543398 and the trademark has not been published yet. According to the information, Trademark Office held that the goods designated for use by the opposed trademark were Class 1 “silicones”.
The ‘Huawei Soil’ trademark class belongs to the same category as “unprocessed plastics; plasticizers” that were approved for use in trademarks such as “Huawei Zhixuan” cited earlier by the opponent. or similar goods.
In further terms, the opposed trademark completely contains the distinctive identification part of the trademark cited by the opponent, “Huawei”, and does not form a new meaning with an obvious difference. If it is used concurrently, consumers will be misunderstood.
(via – ithome)
Huawei AppGallery facing a severe issue: Report
Huawei AppGallery is a new generation of an app distribution platform for Huawei devices and the Chinese tech maker is working on improving its productivity for smartphone owners. However, recently a severe issue has been reported on Huawei AppGallery that allows downloading paid apps for free of cost.
According to the input coming from 9to5Google, an Android developer has found an issue in Huawei AppGallery that doesn’t have any special protection feature for the paid applications. This could lead to easy exploitation and enables to obtain the download link for premium apps without even paying for them.
In simple words, it could cause a loss to the developer but the report also mentions that this issue has been reported to Huawei. However, there’s no clear guideline or response that has been received on this matter.
Huawei AppGallery is a smart solution that allows developers to create a new user experience for the consumers. The platform is supported by Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) Core, which enables various APIs in applications.
Huawei AppGallery serves under the top three app marketplace globally and brings a whole range of global and local apps including navigation & transport, news, social media, and more.
AppGallery is available in more than 170 countries and regions with over 580 million monthly active users globally. Huawei partnered with 5.4 million developers across the globe, and in 2021 the total app distributions from AppGallery reached 432 billion times.


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Affected Samsung employees wary about futureWith Samsung Group deciding to sell its chemical and defense businesses to Hanwha, questions arise over the future of employees of those affiliates.
In previous sales, Samsung gave affected employees the opportunity to move to other Samsung affiliates or cash compensation.
But with the scale of the deal announced Wednesday, which involves more than 8,000 employees, industry insiders will be watching closely to see how Samsung handles its employees.
Samsung Techwin has about 4,700 employees, Samsung Thales about 1,800, Samsung Total Petrochemicals about 1,500 and Samsung General Chemicals about 350.
Samsung Group said no decision has been made, but the deal stipulates that no workers will lose their jobs.
“Letters written under the name of each affiliate’s CEO are expected to be sent to employees soon with a message including the company’s vision,” said an official from Samsung Group.
However, employees of the four affiliates who move from the No. 1 conglomerate to No. 10 say they are nervous about their future and the atmosphere in offices is gloomy.
“It is very shocking, as we didn’t expect this would happen,” said a researcher at Samsung Techwin who asked not to be named. “We haven’t heard anything from the company about compensation or employment plans, but people here are already discussing their future.”
When Samsung Electronics sold its hard-disk drive assets to U.S. company Seagate Technology in 2011, it paid a maximum 50 million won ($45,200) and the cash equivalent of six months of base pay to each employee. In 2007, when Samsung C&T sold its distribution assets to Aekyung Group, it was reported that employees have received compensation equal to 54 months’ pay.
Most recently, when the semiconductor parts division at Samsung Tech was handed over to MDS in April, the company reportedly paid more than 60 million won to each employee.
However, compensation plans have not always gone smoothly. In November 2013, when Samsung decided to sell its stake in Samsung Corning Precision Materials, employees here first requested compensation of 300 million won each, but later agreed to receive 40 million won and 10 months of pay.
But Samsung employees say that even if they receive compensation, they worried a change of lifestyle and adjusting to a new corporate culture.
“Although we heard that job succession is included in the deal, who knows if we will be doing the same work after the M&A is finished,” said a Samsung Techwin employee.
Hanwha said it is confident it can integrate Samsung employees as the group has been through many M&As.
“It is not exaggerating to say that Hanwha Group’s growth has been done with M&As, but throughout the deals, there was no friction,” the group said in a statement. “We will combine the culture of Samsung and culture of Hanwha.”
However, industry observers speculate there could be a work force restructuring as the company will be too big.
BY JOO KYUNG-DON [firstname.lastname@example.org]


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Coinciding with the launch of Desigual's start-up accelerator, FashionNetwork.com spoke to the Catalan label's CEO, Alberto Ojinaga, who explained the group’s new strategy centred on innovation and collaboration.
Esteban Cortazar, who began his fashion career as a teenage wunderkind, returned to his pre-teen days in halcyon hipster days of nineties Miami for his new linkup with Spanish label Desigual that launches today.
FashionNetwork.com spoke to Desigual’s Jordi Balsells, channel strategy director, and David Sgreccia, geographies business director, about the group’s plans in Japan, its post-pandemic recovery and future projects.
The Catalan fashion label is upping its omni-channel game by launching a project to expand its e-shop, reaching 150 countries in 2021. Last year, 30% of Desigual's revenue was generated by the e-tail channel.
As the brand returns to its store opening plans following Covid-19, FashionNetwork.com spoke to David Sgreccia and Balázs Krizsanyik, the men driving the international expansion of the brand founded by Thomas Meyer.


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While online publications struggle to grow their subscriber bases in a medium defined by free content, one site has been quietly building one of the Net's largest subscription-based services.
Consumer Reports, the popular print magazine, today announced that its online edition has more than 180,000
By comparison, the Wall Street Journal,
considered to be one of the most successful subscription services on the
Internet, has 250,000 members. But the Journal, which produces daily content,
has been charging for subscriptions for two years.
Subscriber bases of other sites, such as Microsoft's online opinion journal Slate, pale by comparison, with members counted in the five, rather than six figures.
Web users have shown time and again that they are reluctant to part with
money for subscriptions when they can access so much online content--including
many newspapers and magazines--for free. But they also have shown that they are willing to pay for well-established brands--if the information being offered is valuable.
Consumer Reports, which has been online in various forms for nearly two
decades, launched its Web site last November 17 after deciding it would reach
more people as an independent site rather than by relying on a host service such as America Online, on whose portal it last resided.
Michelle Rutowski, marketing manager for the nonprofit, non-commercial
company, attributed the relative--albeit almost quiet--success of Consumer Reports online to several factors, including the publication's well-known
brand name and the fact that people who tend to log on to the Net also tend
to fit into the magazine's demographic profile--relatively affluent and well-educated.
"I think people understand our model, which is no ads," Rutowski said. "People
understand that information is not free."
They understand also, she said, that in order to make the publication free, Consumer Reports would have to accept advertisements, something that would be antithetical to its mission.
"Our franchise is really our untainted, uncommercialized reputation," she
said. "People understand that's our value. And they're willing to pay for
Rutowski noted that Consumer Reports readers are especially willing to spend $24 annually or $2.95 monthly to get the magazine on the Web if they are about to purchase a big-ticket item, such as a car or home appliance.
The success of the online venture underscores what analysts have been
saying all along--that people will buy trusted name brands online, if they are offered value that is not duplicated elsewhere for free.


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ViewSonic expanded its 3D portfolio this morning with the launch of its V3D231, a new 23-inch 3D-ready LED monitor with a 2ms response time, 20,000,000:1 contrast ratio (dynamic, of course), and affordable price tag. As you might expect, ViewSonic is really playing up the ultra-fast response time, saying it's equally suited for 3D gaming and delivering broadcast quality, full-motion video.
Android tablet makers who aren't willing to compete with Amazon's upcoming Kindle Fire are likely to get burned (which is why some are choosing to focus on Windows 8-based slates instead). ViewSonic's message is 'Game on' as it introduces its new ViewPad 7e tablet with the "economical consumer in mind." And by economical consumer, ViewSonic is referring to customers willing to pony up no more than $200 for an Android slate.
If you’re on the lookout for a 3D monitor, the number of options at your disposal has just gone up by one with the launch of ViewSonic’s V3D231 LED monitor. Meanwhile, those of you who can’t stand 3D displays that require special glasses can safely add the V3D231 to the list of 3D monitors to avoid.
ViewSonic tells us its new 24-inch LED monitor (VX2451MHP-LED) is designed to compliment an Apple Mac environment, but is also appropriate "for those who appreciate good design and want something different." What's different about this display is its all white frame and stand complimented by an ultra-slim body that measures just a hair over 1.4 inches (3.6 centimeters if you want to be all metric about it).
The folks over at the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) probably thought the royalty free digital interconnect known as DisplayPort would have supplanted DVI and VGA interfaces by now, but here we are five years after it was designed and not a lot of mainstream users are ditching their DVI cables. We're still a few years away from when DisplayPort is expected to dominate the commercial desktop scene, but you can still find it on select displays, such as ViewSonic's latest large format graphics (VG2732m-LED) and professional (VP2765-LED) monitors.
Display maker ViewSonic today announced its new V3D245 model display, a 24-inch 3D LED backlit monitor with Full HD (1080p) support. The new monitor includes a built-in Nvidia 3D Vision wireless emitter and 3D Vision glasses, and comes with an HDMI 1.4 input to connect directly to Blu-ray 3D players or PlayStation 3 consoles. It also boasts integrated 2W SRS Premium Sound audio speakers.
ViewSonic appears ready to move all-in with LED backlights, announcing that "LED technology will feature in all of ViewSonic's mointors moving forward." Kicking off ViewSonic's commitment to LED displays, the company's European operations just launched a pair of new monitors aimed at two very different target audiences, including ViewSonic's flagship VX2753mh-LED, and VA2448-LED for school kids and business users.
With the widespread adoption of touchscreen displays, we figured it was only a matter of time before our desktop displays got in on the action. To that end, Viewsonic’s VX2258wm is a solid enough, if unremarkable, touchscreen monitor with 21.5-inches of real estate, a 1920 x 1080 resolution and a rated 5ms response time.
Hit the jump for the whole review and a video breakdown!
According to a leak to Pocket-Now, Google will be pushing out an update to the Android platform in April. This will be version 2.4, but will not be the rumored Ice Cream release. Rather, this will be a second iteration of Gingerbread. It is the same situation that we saw last year with Android 2.0 and 2.1 both being branches of Éclair. Apparently, this update will be all about dual-core support.
Fresh from the CES showfloor, Online Features Editor Amber Bouman checks out ViewSonic's lineup of three new All-In-One PCs. With options including a 22 inch multi-touch screen, and a Core i3 processor, these All-In-Ones are definitely worth a look. Check out the full video below:


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We're only just getting used to QD-OLED and MLA OLED TVs, but another OLED TV panel technology has already appeared on the radar. So-called PHOLED involves an upgrade to phosphorescent materials for blue. Currently, all OLED TVs already use phosphorescence for red and green, but fluorescence for blue.
The company behind these fully phosphorescent panels, Universal Display Corporation, has told ETNews (thanks, FlatpanelsHD) that the upgrade to the blue OLED "can increase the luminous efficiency by 4 times". In other words, these panels should be capable of going brighter than current OLEDs.
There appears to be no reason that this new technology can't be combined with the new QD-OLED and MLA technology that's now allowing OLED TVs to hit vastly brighter peaks than ever before, which means we could be looking at yet another big jump in brightness in the near future.
How near? It could be as soon as next year, though Universal Display's Mike Hack told ETNews that ultimately the timescale will be determined by LG Display and Samsung Display, who currently manufacture all of the OLED panels used in current OLED TVs and who Universal Display will sell its technology to.
Whether these new fully phosphorescent OLED TVs will cost more is another unknown, with Mike Hack saying only that his company will provide its technology at "a reasonable price", which could mean anything really.
As ever, stay tuned for more info as we get it, and in the meantime check out our review of the LG G3, the world's first MLA-boosted OLED TV.
Here are the best TVs you can currently buy
And these are the best OLED TVs
Don't forget the sound: here are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we've tested
I remember a chat with an LG rep, in a John Lewis 2 or 3 years ago and he said the blue does suffer fade much earlier and their panels use white, with red and green filters, so blue is retained. I must read more about this.
It does appear that the blues are difficult to get right, with any panel technology.
With anything OLED related, image retention will be an issue and screen burn probable.
I know there is software to 'reset' the panel and clear much of this, but it still feels there's a long way to go.
TV stuff is exhausting now.
Two years isn't a long time (and I watch almost nothing with static images), but I think OLED has been a step forward with these issues in comparison with plasma, as well as being a significant jump in PQ.
Time will tell.
Whatever marketing name they are given, LED, QLED etc, the underlying display panel will be an IPS or VA (eg Samsung QLED) LCD panel and, LCD will not suffer retention.


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Italian fashion label No21 is planning to expand operations in South Korea.
The firm has signed with Korean distributor Lee & Han as part of a move to set up 18 stores within the territory over the next five years. It currently operates a series of retail corners in Korea.
Implementation on the new expansion has begun with the launch of a more than 300sqm flagship store in Seoul’s Cheongdam district. It is currently the brand’s largest store, showcasing No21’s ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories collections for men and women.
Lee & Han is a shareholder and licensee of Converse and Kappa and boasts a broad portfolio of lifestyle brands.


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Passenger vehicle sales rise 9%, car sales up 5% in May: SIAM
Total two-wheeler sales in May grew 11.89 percent to 16,94,325 units as compared to 15,14,334 units in the year-ago month
New Delhi: Domestic passenger vehicle sales grew 8.63 percent to 2,51,642 units in May from 2,31,640 units in the same month last year.
Car sales were up 4.8 per cent at 1,66,630 units as against 1,58,996 units in May last year, according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
Motorcycle sales last month rose 7.72 percent to 10,60,746 units from 9,84,715 units a year earlier.
Total two-wheeler sales in May grew 11.89 percent to 16,94,325 units as compared to 15,14,334 units in the year-ago month.
Sales of commercial vehicles declined by 6.36 per cent to 53,457 units in May, SIAM said.
Vehicle sales across categories registered a growth of 10.05 per cent to 20,35,490 units from 18,49,542 units in May 2016, it added.
Passenger vehicle sales log steepest decline in nearly 18 years, industry seeks govt support to stimulate growth
Passenger vehicle sales in India witnessed the steepest decline in nearly 18 years, dropping by over 20 percent in May, as continued weakness in retail offtake forced manufacturers to cut production in order to adjust to market demand
Domestic passenger car sales fell for the first time in 15 months after logging a marginally dip to 1,68,303 units in January as against 1,69,527 units in the year-ago period.
Domestic passenger vehicle (PV) sales declined by 17.54 percent to 2,25,732 units in June from 2,73,748 units in the year-ago period


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"If it's green, it's biology; if it stinks, it's chemistry; if it has numbers, it's math; and if it doesn't work, it's technology...."
That quip by Gary Kayye set the stage for his keynote address at last month's inaugural EduComm Conference, held in conjunction with InfoComm 2004 at the World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Kayye, chief visionary at Kayye Consulting, and noted authority on AV technology, predicted that this is the year--finally--that IT departments begin to wrestle control of the AV department due to emerging plug-and-play products and controls coupled with networking technology and management software.
In short, Kayye views technology in the same light as those perpetual optimists who always see the glass half filled. And, as a consultant, the glass is always overflowing in rhetoric and visions about the next wiz-bang-must-have-revolutionary-paradigm-shifting new gizmo. As someone who has followed and reported on technology and business applications since the advent of the PC, I can attest that very few new tech products/solutions live up to pre-launch, launch, or post-launch hype. And, as many of you know, many a software product over the years has been shipped prematurely to meet marketing deadlines, rather than quality-control benchmarks.
Kayye doesn't disagree, insisting that, this time, what he predicts will really be a major step forward. And the results? In less than 18 months, Kayye envisions IHEs benefiting from networked AV products that are smarter, cheaper, better, and easier to use than today's stand-alone AV products. They'll also be a snap to install and use, lessening the need for staff set-up and onsite troubleshooting. And because they will be wireless-capable, there will be less back-end cost to hardwire the AV products to the network.
Sounds great, right?
Sure, I'm as skeptical as the next guy. So I followed the old journalist's adage: "If your mother says she loves you, check it out." And after traversing the InfoComm show floor for three days and meeting with AV manufacturers; listening to our speakers at the EduComm conference; and kicking the tires during new product demos, I must admit that Kayye may not be over-hyping what's around the bend. And the reason, Kayye said, is simple: Today, technology is now bubbling up from consumer demand and finding its way to professional and corporate use.
"We're (business/education) not the guinea pigs anymore," he said. Moreover, price and quality have followed the consumer path. The show floor was peppered with awesome AV products that have come down in both size and price, and offer better quality. And, said Kayye, some 70-plus percent are network-ready today; By 2006, a full 82 percent will be ready to plug-and-play.
Here's an example of how the emerging wireless-based, networked AV technology will work on campus:
Early in the semester, Professor Smith transmits her audio-visual-multimedia support materials to the IT department's brand-spanking-new digital content server. The materials are tagged and scheduled for the appropriate time and place of her twice-weekly lecture. When Professor Smith enters her lecture hall the first day of class, a ceiling-mounted video camera and motion detector announce her arrival to the server (and security can see that it is indeed Professor Smith), which downloads her first set of stored lecture materials. The AV projector, display screen, and audio equipment are activated. All Professor Smith has to do is, well, teach. Her AV materials are ready to go with a click of a console button, and if there is an immediate problem, the IT technician monitoring the room can fix the problem remotely. And if Professor Smith's usual lecture hall isn't available for some reason, no problem. Her materials can be downloaded to any other venue on campus.
Look at the benefits. No more training non-technical educators to run AV equipment or fumble with connecting laptops. No more AV people loading and pushing carts of equipment around campus--or being summoned to fix a "problem." Kayye mentioned that some 92 percent of AV department calls deal with operator error, not equipment failure.
End Note: Kayye's keynote speech can be viewed at www.sonicfoundry.com. And UB will present a special InfoComm/EduComm section in our August issue, highlighting specific new products and technologies targeted for IHEs.
You can reach Tom Halligan at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Register now for UBTech 2018
Register now for UBTech 2018, June 4-6 at the Mirage, Las Vegas. At UBTech 2018, you’ll network with a dynamic community of higher ed leaders who are shaping the future of campus technology and explore topics like cyber security, distance learning, campus learning space design, communications, personalized learning and more. Your UBTech registration also includes a free pass to the InfoComm exhibit hall.


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Death Stranding, Hideo Kojima’s first project since his departure from the video game company Konami, gets confirmation as running at native 4K on PlayStation 4 Pro.
Hollywood director and friend of Hideo Kojima, Guillermo del Toro, rips into Konami on Twitter, slamming the company for its decision to cancel Silent Hills.
The developers for Final Fantasy 15 plan to release post-launch content for the game featuring a boss battle with Square Enix President and CEO Yosuke Matsuda.
Arkane Studios releases a new gameplay trailer for Prey, with the game’s creative director and lead designer walking viewers though the game’s mechanics and features.
Sony Interactive Entertainment reveals that the pre-orders for the forthcoming action-adventure title The Last Guardian exceed the company’s original expectations.
Bungie announces Destiny’s December Iron Banner PvP event will return next week as the Rift gametype, bringing a new set of armor and weapons to collect.
Ubisoft issues a revised statement regarding daily active user totals following the release of the game changing update 1.4 for Tom Clancy’s The Division.
We have the early scoop on where to find the vendor Xur and what exotic armor and weapons he has available to Destiny players for the weekend of December 2nd.
A brand new trailer for the episodic interactive adventure game The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series – A New Frontier debuts at The Game Awards 2016.
Developer Yacht Club Games premieres the first trailer for Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment at The Game Awards, revealing it to be a prequel to the original game.
BioWare and Electronic Arts offer The Game Awards viewers their first look at Mass Effect: Andromeda gameplay in action, showing off one of next year’s most anticipated games.
Psyonix announces a new space-themed update for Rocket League that will bring a new arena, custom training mode and a new premium car
Gearbox Interactive announces Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition, the remaster to the 2011 shooter, with a Duke Nukem DLC included for those who preorder the game.
Hideo Kojima presents a brand new trailer for his mysterious Death Stranding project at The Game Awards 2016, confirming the involvement of Guillermo del Toro.
Final Fantasy 15 is an unprecedented success for the series, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some familiar faces present – here’s where to find all 7 of its summons.
Ubisoft releases a new trailer detailing the Season Pass and DLC information for Steep, less than 24 hours before the extreme winter sports game hits retail.
Final Fantasy 15 players get creeped out by a photobombing creature, Carbuncle, who appears in photos even when it can’t be seen by players during gameplay.


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Google-x operating system Android think globally about two billion smartphones. Using the company makes a variety of tricks for users to be transferred to the location tracking or not abschalteten. The data obtained will then be used for various purposes, including for targeted advertising.
Google but do not have sufficient legal grounds to use these data and, therefore, in violation of EU law, it was said Consumer Protection on. The consent of the users to capture and process the data are not given voluntarily in these circumstances.
"Google-x According to the obvious thirst, but the extent to which it conducts its users astray to track every step and make money is staggering, "said Chief Executive Officer Beus


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Even still, many sites are shying away from the content due to polarized atmosphere caused by the issue. “As you can imagine, despite personal opinions some of the companies did not want the controversial and possible backlash the series can create, and in a weakened economy, it’s hard to find folks willing to spend money at all in web video currently, let alone for a political message,” said the Fine Brothers. "We created the show out of our own pocket and are using our web celebrity and fanbase to raise awareness for equal rights in our style of comedy. We plan to continue to be involved in the movement until marriage rights are legal for all couples, same sex or otherwise, in California, and the rest of the country."
The third episode of their show "Prop 8: The Web Series" has just been released, this time showcasing in their usual absurdist style what would happen if a proposition was passed to bring back Slavery.
"Prop 8: The Web Series" - Episode 3 - Slavery
The Fine Brothers say they'll produce more videos through the time a decision is made on the case by California Supreme Court. “We hope the ruling ends the issue specifically of Prop. 8, at which time we will refocus our efforts to providing content related to federally legalizing same-sex marriage,” they said. “We also hope to get in touch with the leaders of the cause locally, and help them produce official content if they saw us fit to do so.”


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Plenty of games drop players into an arena to battle friends or rivals over the internet, but Butter Royale takes a much lighter tone than most. It’s a food fight, not a desperate struggle for survival.
This game for players age 9 and up debuted today on Apple Arcade.
A new analyst report suggests 33.6 million customers were ready and waiting to subscribe to Apple TV+ before its November launch and estimates that number could grow to 40 million subscribers by the end of this year.
If accurate, the numbers from TV industry market analyst Ampere Analysis would put Apple TV+ ahead of Hulu and Disney+, and already at more than 50% of Netflix in the United States.
A dangerous piece of Mac malware that hides as a fake Flash warning is a growing security threat to Mac users with one in 10 Macs infected, according to the security firm, Kaspersky.
The Shlayer Trojan has been active since early 2018 and so far it shows no signs of going away quietly. Shlayer has had an enormous amount of success attacking Macs, even though it’s a rather normal piece of malware.
With AirPods Pro sold out everywhere, the last thing you want to do is destroy the pair you already own. Protect them with Elago’s gorgeous new cases instead, and never worry about them getting beaten up.
Made from natural cowhide leather, the cases are brilliantly robust and beautiful. They come in a number of color options, and include a clip that lets you attach them to almost anything.
On this day in 1984, the first Macintosh computers started shipping. Who could have imagined that 36 years later to the day, this iconic machine would be commemorated with a tiny plush pillow that fits in your hand?
Only one person possesses this kind of vision – Roberto Hoyos. His Throwboy brand is launching a crowdfunding campaign today for two new plush Mac toys.
Chipmaker Broadcom has inked two multi-year deals with Apple to sell it some $15 billion in wireless components for its iPhone product line, the company announced in an SEC filing on Thursday.
The announcement did not specify which components Broadcom would provide to the iPhone maker. The deals apply to “Apple products launched during the three and a half year period beginning in January 2020,” the chipmaker said.
This week on The CultCast: It’s not your imagination — Apple changed AirPods Pro and made them worse! We’ll tell you what’s going on. Plus: A new report says Apple caved to FBI pressure to keep your iCloud backups less safe. And stay tuned to hear about about Tim Cook’s favorite new … shower tech? Rub-a-dub-dub, my friends.
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast, and use offer code CultCast at checkout for 10% off your first purchase.
January 24, 1984: Apple ships its first Mac, the mighty Macintosh 128K.
Bringing a mouse and graphical user interface to the masses, and heralded by an acclaimed Super Bowl commercial that’s still talked about today, the first-gen Mac will quickly become one of the most important personal computers ever released.


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It’s been nearly two years since Toyota announced its collaboration with Tesla Motors to bring electric variants of the RAV4 to market in 2012. We first got a glimpse of what that model might look like through a demonstration prototype unveiled at the 2010 L.A. Auto Show.
Toyota is now preparing to show the public its fully engineered RAV4 EV at the 26th World Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition (EVS) on May 7.
The one glimpse we have of the new electric vehicle is the badge decal on the front doorsill (shown above). Starting later this year, the jointly developed EV will be built by Toyota at its Woodstock plant in Ontario, where the current RAV4 is built. Toyota paid Tesla about $100 million to supply the RAV4 EV’s powertrain, including the battery, motor, gearbox and power electronics. Toyota says the RAV4 EV’s range could reach about 100 miles, which is what most carmakers quote for their EVs before EPA testing.
There’s no word yet if the RAV4 EV is based off a new RAV4 design or the current vehicle, which has been on the market for nearly six years now.


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ProWein director: ‘We want to look forward, not back’
Just a year into the job, and ProWein director Peter Schmitz is preparing to lead the world’s biggest trade fair on its inaugural venture in Tokyo. Eloise Feilden finds out what makes the new boss tick.
Anyone who works in the wine and spirits industry knows about ProWein. The trade fair organiser, headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. What’s more, it heads into its third decade with a new director at the helm. Peter Schmitz, who has worked at ProWein organiser Messe Düsseldorf since 1987, took over in February last year following the departure of former head Bastian Mingers in June 2022.
Now a year into the role, Schmitz has found his footing as head honcho. The new boss is clear about what he doesn’t want when marking the 30-year milestone. “We will not have a big party,” he states – a decision he has come to internally with the team at Messe Düsseldorf. But what first appears to be a joyless statement turns out to be an optimistic one. “We don’t want to look back. We want to look into the future,” he explains.
Schmitz may not want to dwell on the past, but the history he is building on is an important one. What began in western Germany in 1994 with just 321 exhibitors and 1,517 visitors has now turned into one of the largest wine and spirits exhibitions in the world.
In spite of public transport strikes, 49,000 trade visitors from 141 countries attended the German show in 2023. Not only are its visitors global, but the past decade has seen ProWein ramp up its presence in international markets too.
The trade fair organiser launched its first international exhibition in Shanghai in 2013, and its presence in Asia has grown from there. It now boasts five annual or biannual trade fairs in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, and, for the first time this year, Tokyo.
Each of the exhibitions in Asia offers a unique identity reflective of the market itself. India is what Schmitz would call a “difficult market”, with complicated import restrictions and a smaller population of consumers wealthy enough to have a disposable income, meaning interest from the trade tends to centre around the hotel and catering industries. Singapore, a more well-established, small and wealthy market, acts as a commercial hub, and draws a more diverse international crowd, as well as the big-name hotels. ProWine Tokyo is, as Schmitz puts it, “our newest baby”.
Japan, as the third-largest economic power in the world, offers huge potential, especially due to its “unique and sophisticated eating and drinking culture”. “In 2022, per capita sales of wine were around €66 (HK$561), and this is well above the global per capita sales of around €37,” Schmitz says. “This makes Japan the ideal location for a new exhibition.”
What sets ProWine Tokyo apart is its focus on pairing. “When you just look at ProWine in Tokyo, it’s more or less the same as we are doing in Shanghai or Singapore, but the exhibition runs alongside a food exhibition, and from our perspective, that makes sense in terms of food pairing for the eating and drinking culture there.”
ProWein’s organisers have been eyeing up Japan for a while, discussing potential local partnerships, and have now secured a deal with FABEX Tokyo, ISM JAPAN and anuga SELECT Japan. Taking place on 10-12 April, preparations are off to a “successful start”, with 200 exhibitors already signed up. Schmitz is expecting well over half of the exhibitors to be domestic wine and spirits producers, and up to 90% of visitors are likely to come from Japan.
This, he argues, is a tactical move. “From a strategic point of view it’s important for us to have these satellites, with local attendees,” he says. “For us it is important to have international visitors and exhibitors here in Düsseldorf at the main exhibition, which is the most important exhibition for this industry.”
Satellite shows are therefore like an appetiser for the main meal – ProWein Düsseldorf. “Many of these local visitors first get to know the regional ProWine, in Tokyo or Shanghai or Hong Kong, then it’s usually the case that they become curious about Düsseldorf.”
Shanghai is a prime example. Just 60 Chinese trade visitors were present at the 2010 ProWein Düsseldorf exhibition. That number has risen to 450 at its peak, Schmitz says. “OK, there was a cut with the pandemic, but in 2023 we saw a slight recovery of around 280 visitors from China, and that will hopefully grow again.”
A global pandemic did not bode well for a company whose business relies on large international groups flocking to one place. Shows were cancelled in Singapore in 2020 and Shanghai in 2022, and both Düsseldorf exhibitions in 2020 and 2021 were skipped.
But the “force majeure” that was Covid-19 is finally abating, and is no longer the biggest obstacle on the road to growth. Now, political tensions are highest on Schmitz’s list of concerns. Chinese tariffs Crippling Chinese tariffs imposed on Australian wine, in place since 2020, have had a grave impact on the Aussie wine trade. Australia’s global wine exports dropped by 30% by value in 2021 as tariffs wiped nearly AU$1 billion off the value of the country’s exports to mainland China.
Even now, more than three years after the tariffs were introduced, Australia continues to suffer, and, according to Rabobank, if China reopened tomorrow it would still take Australia two years to clear a surplus 2.8 billion bottles languishing in tanks and cellars as a result of the drastic cut to exports.
The negative impact has trickled down. ProWein has been affected by the ongoing restrictions, particularly when it comes to the Shanghai exhibition, where focus has shifted more towards European consumers to fill the gap left by Australia.
In October 2023, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, revealed that the two governments have agreed to a five month long review of the tariffs. With a solution on the horizon, Schmitz hopes to get “back on track with Australia”.
But other political roadblocks lie ahead. “There could be challenges coming up,” says Schmitz. “What will happen at the end of this year when we perhaps have another government in the USA? These are questions we don’t have the answer to now, and that could happen in Asian markets too.”
Beyond politics, there is one challenge which outweighs the rest: a decline in wine consumption. “I think we are all faced with one problem and that is the consumption of wine. This is globally a problem,” he notes. Despite still accounting for 48% of global wine consumption in 2021, European Union figures have been in decline for over a decade. Wine consumption fell by almost a quarter (24%) in the 10 years to 2020, and this decline is expected to continue, though at a slower rate.
To combat this, ProWein is turning its attention to spirits. The company’s CEO puts it simply: “The spirits industry is the only one growing in wine and spirits at the moment.”
According to Statista, sales will reach €601.70bn by 2027, when the average per-capita consumption will be 4.76 litres. ProWein Düsseldorf 2024 will debut its ProSpirits hall in March, complete with 300 exhibitors from 40 countries. “In the future that will also play a role in our satellite exhibitions,” says Schmitz.
Host to some of the best and most innovative cocktail bars in the world, Asian markets like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mumbai are the perfect location for a more spirits-centric approach to exhibitions. But wine should not be forgotten. Europe’s consumption may be down, but Asia represents burgeoning potential for the category. Wine in Asia is expected to grow annually by 5.19% to 2027, according to Statista data.
In China, wine has now become a serious alternative to baijiu, the country’s national spirit. With a growing population (which currently sits at 1.4bn), China’s number of imported wine drinkers has also grown by about 14% since 2019.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the market for wine is expected to show volume growth of 2.5% in 2024. And Japan, where the wine market was expected to be worth US$3.8bn in 2023, is predicted to record 1.6% volume growth in 2024.
Having cornered the Japanese market, Schmitz is hitting pause on further expansion in Asia. “From our point of view, at this time there are enough exhibitions for the wine and spirits industry in Asia. Maybe other markets in the world might be interesting for the future, but for now there is nothing to tell,” he says.
When asked about his competition, he laughs. “It’s not a secret, we are not alone.” Rival trade fair organisers also run exhibitions in some of the same markets, namely Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mumbai. But Schmitz isn’t worried. Why? He shrugs: “We are running the best shows.”


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Nestlé-owned Sweet Earth Foods announced a plant-based alternative to jerky. This new launch is said to mirror the same unique and meaty taste as the traditional. It also comes in two flavours. The brand is departing from the frozen and refrigerated section to the snacking aisle in high-street supermarkets. With this product, Nestlé aims to capitalise on the consumer adoption of vegan and flexitarian diets into their traditional food plans amid the health concerns with meat consumption. According to GlobalData’s 2021 Q1 consumer survey, this aligns with the 22% of US consumers now consuming plant-based foods more frequently.
This release comes in two flavours, Spicy Kung Pao and Sweet Korean BBQ. Spicy Kung Pao Jerky is produced with unique flavours of the Szechuan Province, including fiery-cracked red peppercorns and spicy ginger. Available later this year, Sweet Earth Foods will launch its Sweet Korean BBQ Jerky, which will feature sweet soy sauce and gochujang peppers. Notably, there are no artificial flavours or colouring included in the production process, aligning to consumer demand for natural products which are perceived as healthier. This, combined with the sensory and indulgent flavours, will resonate with 28% of US consumers who consider unique formulation as an essential influence towards purchasing decisions*. Sara Wheeler, Sweet Earth’s general manager, has stated that the blends in the two flavours are said to produce the “same mouth-watering meaty taste and texture as traditional jerky”.
Sweet Earth’s plant-based jerky is available in the snacking aisle in supermarkets – the same section where traditional jerky varieties are located. Rather than separating the two jerky variants, which would highlight the faux meat as different or ‘fake’ to meat-eaters, placing them side by side reiterates their similarities in taste and texture, and could subconsciously incentivise the consumer to go for the perceived healthier option, in this case, the plant-based variety.
This plant-based meat contains high protein content of 13g per serving. This was a timely innovation for the brand to launch a product that consumers perceive to yield health benefits alongside unique and unusual flavours. This reassures consumers that the plant-based aspect of the snack is not being compromised by taste and will resonate with 61% of US consumers who perceive health as the main factor for consuming plant-based alternatives to meat or dairy products*. Consumers will follow the moderation and avoidance trend as they are becoming increasingly aware of the health issues surrounding meat consumption in their diet.
The brand has also emphasised the accessibility of the product. Wheeler mentioned going ‘beyond the bun’ to provide plant-based offerings for different occasions, and that the product addresses flexitarian consumers’ requirements for a tasty and convenient plant-protein.
*All data is sourced from: GlobalData’s Q1 2021 Global Consumer Survey (March 2021)


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Travel agents won’t sell Jet tickets, want commission system backDecember 1st, 2008 - 10:10 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS) Travel agents’ associations Monday decided to stop selling tickets of India’s leading private airline Jet Airways and its sister carrier JetLite from Dec 4, protesting against the air operators’ decision to scrap a five percent agents’ commission. The six major travel agents associations met here to discuss the ongoing impasse between the agents and airlines over the commission fee issue. They also urged other carriers to restore the commission system at the earliest.
“It is our right to claim commission on basic fares and all other charges for our services were already reduced,” Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) president Rajender Rai told reporters after the meeting.
The meeting was attended by heads of the travel agents’ associations, including the Travel Agents Federation of India and IATA Agents Association of India.
“We (travel agents) are still not getting any commission from airlines,” said Rai.
Officials said 15 airlines have scrapped the commission Nov 1 while some of them have replaced it with a new transaction fee system. This, according to the airlines, would ensure that the agents get their share.
On their decision to boycott Jet carriers, Rai said the airline had recently said it would bring down the airfares by withdrawing transaction fee, leaving the agents in trouble.
“To start with, travel agents will not sell tickets of Jet Airways and JetLite for all domestic and international routes, until the airline meets our demand,” Rai said.
The major airlines are expected to meet travel agents’ representatives to find a way out to the impasse, but no formal decision has been announced in this regard.
“We have not taken any decision as of now. The management has to take a decision in this regard,” a Jet Airways spokesperson said.
About 85 percent of airline bookings in India are done through travel agents, including online agencies.


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Central heating firm expands with £1m contracts
An east Belfast central heating company is set to expand into the Republic after obtaining contracts worth £1m.
Solv Group, which provides central heating maintenance to the public and local businesses, will create 10 new jobs after securing the new business. The company said recent growth was partly due to severe weather conditions and the growing awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide.
But Solv Group said it had also developed new technology, including a system giving customers updates on the location of their engineer and allowing them to rate their service.
Solv managing director Stephen Kane said: “By incorporating innovative technology we have been able to significantly enhance our customer service and continuously improve.”
He said the firm, supported by Northern Bank, was also able to manage cash flow more effectively using the bank’s online service.
David Croft, business manager at Northern Bank’s Belfast finance centre, said: “Solv is a great example of an enterprising business effectively using technology to improve customer service and also to manage their business.”


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IBM Australia and New Zealand announce key appointment
IBM have announced the appointment of Amanda Johnston-Pell as chief marketing officer of IBM Australia and New Zealand, where she will also serve as a member of the IBM Australia and New Zealand board.
Johnston-Pell’s main priority will be to drive collaboration across the business, in order to deliver innovative solutions and services to clients in the cloud, cognitive, social, mobile and security areas.
With more than 20 years of expeirence, Johnston-Pell has held a number of senior executive positions in the US, and corporate advisory roles to Fortune 500 companies.
Closer to home, Johnston-Pell has also held senior positions at Telstra, including executive director of brands and marketing communications group, and executive director of sales and marketing at BigPond.
Johnston-Pell will remain a board director of the interactive social platform, Mosh – a company she co-founded in 2013 – which enables brands, artists and causes to connect and build deep, personalised engagements with fans and customers
IBM managing director for Australia and New Zealand Kerry Purcell said the appointment will be critical for IBM and the way in which it brings its clients transformative industry solutions.
“Amanda brings strong cross industry credentials and a proven record in driving marketing and communications to have a direct impact on business outcomes. This will be critical as IBM continues to work with our clients to bring them transformative industry solutions,” said Purcell.
Johnston-Pell said she was excited about the new role and looks forward to delivering more meaningful program to IBM’s clients.
“I’m very excited about this role and I look forward to delivering even more meaningful and relevant programs for our clients. This is a new era of business where speed, agility, innovation and connectedness are essential. IBM’s leadership, innovation and industry knowledge ensures we have the right products, services and expertise to help our clients transform their organisations and industries,” Johnston-Pell said.


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Many have questioned whether or not Google+ is still a viable social network. However, Google+ is dispelling those theories with huge sets of new updates upon new updates. Google+ recently announced the launch of 18 new updates, many for its Google Hangouts feature as well as video and photo sharing. With these 18 new features as well as newly released user metrics, Google+ is showing its importance in the social media world. But still, the question remains – how much time are users actually spending on Google+?
18 New Features
With 18 new features, Google+ focused mostly on Hangouts, video, and photo capabilities. For the Hangouts features, Google+ now allows users to more simply share their location using Google Maps by importing their device’s location directly from the app. Hangouts also enables SMS messaging now, which means that anyone who has a smartphone can chat with a Google+ user via text.
In addition, Hangouts will compensate for bad lighting during video calls, and several filters have been added to video as well as full screen support for desktop and mobile. If you use the On Air feature in Hangouts to broadcast a show, you can now create a dedicated watch page that allows you to schedule each episode, which benefits brands that may use this as a marketing tool.
Google+ also made significant updates to its photo and video sharing capabilities. The Auto Awesome tools received three updates: Action allows you to add a strobe-effect to your pictures, Movie creates editable highlight reels from your videos and photos, and Eraser allows you to erase unwanted people or objects from photos. This will enable brands to share higher-quality images and more interactive content on Google+. Google+ also updated the search tools for photos in your own and your connections’ libraries, and photo syncing has been improved for iOS users
New User Metrics
In addition to its 18 new updates, Google+ also released new user metrics. According to these numbers, Google+ has 540 million active users (counting those who login through Gmail) and 300 million monthly active users in the stream, which refers to those who directly visit the Google+ app or website. In addition, Google+ sees 1.5 billion photos uploaded each week from users.
Despite these impressive user metrics, the Wall Street Journal wonders exactly how much time these monthly active users are spending on Google+. They note that the number of monthly active users refers to those who use Google+ at least once each month. While Facebook had 1.15 billion monthly active users during Q2, Twitter has 232 million for Q3. Facebook stated that 61% of its monthly active users use Facebook every day, but Google+ does not release data on its daily active users.
What’s your brand’s experience with using Google+ to engage with customers? Check out CEM on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/+Contentequalsmoney!
Latest posts by Elizabeth K (see all)
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- Fog has Thanksgiving travel rush already off to slow start WPLG Local 10
- TRAVEL GUIDE: What you need to know before traveling for Thanksgiving WMBF
- Thanksgiving travel 2021: 53.4 million expected to travel; top 9 destinations al.com
- Thanksgiving travel to test airlines’ mettle as demand returns PostBulletin.com
- Thanksgiving travel: Millions more Americans leaving home for holiday The Washington Post
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Brought to you by Google News. Read the rest of the article here.


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Samsung is reportedly throttling the efficiency of 10,000 apps on its gadgets.
The Korean smartphone big has apparently made apps topic to “efficiency limits” as a part of its Sport Optimizing Service – resulting in stories being made on Twitter and pages upon pages of complaints in its boards in Korea.
The record of apps embody Instagram, Microsoft’s Workplace apps, Netflix, Google Preserve, and TikTok, Android Authority stories.
It even consists of Samsung’s personal Safe Folder, Samsung Cloud, Samsung Pay, Samsung Move, and the telephone app. Google’s predominant apps, together with YouTube, Google Maps, the Play Retailer, Chrome, Gmail, and Google Play Companies are additionally included.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t appear to have an effect on benchmarking apps similar to 3DMark and Geekbench, which implies the gadgets would possibly present as having sooner efficiency than they do in actuality.
One YouTuber renamed the 3DMark app to ‘Genshin Affect’ – a preferred cell sport – and located that the Galaxy S22 Extremely they have been testing on would start throttling it.
It’s not clear precisely which telephones are utilizing the Sport Optimizing Service. Android Authority stories that it was not current on Galaxy S22 gadgets, the Galaxy S20 FE, or the Galaxy S10E, nevertheless it was discover it on the Galaxy S21 Plus.
Nonetheless, 9to5Google stories that the software program was put in on their Galaxy S22 Plus.
This isn’t the primary time that an Android producer has been caught ‘optimizing’ telephones efficiency. OnePlus carried out comparable actions on the 9 Professional – claiming that it was achieved for higher battery life and warmth resistance, however which additionally excluded benchmarking apps.
The Unbiased has reached out to Samsung for remark.
In a Korean announcement, quoted by XDA builders, the corporate stated: “We wish to inform you concerning the Galaxy S22 GOS. We’re constantly working to increase person choices and supply optimum efficiency by gathering opinions from prospects. The Samsung Galaxy S22 sequence’ GOS (Sport Optimizing Service) is preloaded with our app ‘ that optimizes CPU and GPU efficiency to forestall extreme warmth throughout lengthy sport play.”
Samsung continued: “With the intention to meet the wants of varied prospects lately, we plan to implement a SW replace that gives a efficiency precedence choice within the sport booster lab inside the sport launcher app as quickly as potential. We are going to proceed to hearken to shoppers’ opinions and do our greatest for buyer satisfaction and client safety.”


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All throughout June 2020, free COVID-19 testing is available at the Tacoma Dome
A review of artist Lady Gaga’s newest album.
Pierce College offers tutoring services online during pandemic.
Meet Joey Torres, Pierce College JBLM’s new Student Success Coach
A new Netflix docu-series, contains no spoilers.
As Pierce College shifts to an online environment, many professors are advised to not require Zoom as a part of learning.
A review of Dua Lipa’s recent album.
The Nourish Food Bank remains open at the Puyallup and Fort Steilacoom during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A discussion about using self-defense products on campus.
Alexis Garcia Print Reporter Multiple new resources for stress and anxiety are available for Puyallup


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Erbert & Gerbert’s, the nationwide sandwich chain, is launching a new gluten-free menu to welcome a wider range of customers to its “Flavornation.” The new menu, which includes three gluten-free soups and a selection of classic sandwiches made with Udi’s gluten-free rolls, will launch in Erbert & Gerbert’s locations nationwide beginning in early December.
“Introducing these new gluten-free options will allow a whole new group to enjoy the flavors we offer at Erbert & Gerbert’s,” says Chuck Schwalbe, director of marketing. “That is truly exciting for our brand and franchisees, but even more importantly so for those who suffer from celiac disease or choose a gluten-free lifestyle.”
The menu’s focal point will be gluten-free versions of the chain’s three most popular sandwiches, using dedicated equipment to avoid cross-contamination. The three subs – the Boney Billy, a classic turkey breast sandwich; the Comet Morehouse, made with ham and provolone cheese; and the Jacob Bluefinger, a vegetarian option featuring provolone and avocado – will be made with specially-designed six-inch sub rolls made by Udi’s, a national gluten-free bread company. The sub rolls from Udi’s are certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO).
In addition to the exclusive menu, guests will have the option of substituting the gluten-free roll on any of Erbert & Gerbert’s 21 sandwiches for an extra charge, but those sandwiches cannot be certified gluten-free.
Erbert & Gerbert’s new gluten-free menu doesn’t stop at sandwiches: the chain will also offer a selection of three certified gluten-free soups, with more flavors in development. Two existing recipes – Cheddar Cheese & Broccoli and Cheesy Asparagus – have been reworked to eliminate gluten without altering taste, and a new flavor, French Onion, is also being introduced.
“Flavor is a key issue with gluten-free foods, and we wanted to develop a menu that upheld the values of Erbert & Gerbert’s Flavornation,” Schwalbe says. “Our reworked soups and the new sandwich menu reflect the best of both worlds: fresh, delicious fare that is certified gluten-free and meets our strict taste guidelines.”
The gluten-free menu has already been sampled in seven markets across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, and Schwalbe says the preliminary reception has been overwhelmingly positive.
“The customer response has been phenomenal,” he says. “We’re incredibly excited to roll the menu out nationwide and invite a whole new group of people to experience the flavors that make Erbert & Gerbert’s so unique.”
Founded in 1988 in Eau Claire, Wis., Erbert & Gerbert’s has grown to over 54 locations in eight states, with locations ranging from urban centers to rural areas. Growth for 2013 is targeted to Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois, with additional franchises slated to open in Michigan and Texas.


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More “Healthy” Products for Sale by Keeplite
Keep has begun to cut into the food and beverage market, though only with healthy meals, healthy meals are still an emerging market in China compared to gym and fitness equipment.
As EqualOcean mentioned before, Keep has already placed “healthy” snacks in its e-commerce section. Previously placed products include packaged chicken breast, nuts, protein bars, etc., and products such as protein powder will be added in the near future.
After starting the gym business, selling hardware such as treadmills, and introducing healthy snacks, Keep has now added light-food salads, sandwiches and rolls takeaway. As for now the main product on the shelves is a light food salad. The new food products on the shelves include sandwiches, hand rolls, salads, etc.
According to the information from Keeplite, customers need to book at least one day in advance. Started from April 1st, the distribution of healthy meals only takes place in areas of Beijing, and it is expected that it will soon be launched in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
The price of the so-called healthy meals as shown on the KeepApp’s food section is as follows; the sandwich is priced at CNY 24 (available at CNY 17 on discount), 3 different kinds of salads at CNY 24.9 each and 2 kinds of chicken rolls are being sold at a rate of CNY 24 and CNY 22 each (discounted price is CNY 11). Still maintaining e-commerce product performance-price ratio strategy.
With that, it can be said, in addition to offline and e-commerce, Keep began to cut into the food and beverage market, though only for healthy meals. Healthy meals are still an emerging market in China compared to gyms and fitness equipment (Keepkit).
In 2018, after completing a USD 127 million D round financing, Keep started its offline business. Keep entered Shanghai in 2019, following the introduction of eight Keepland stores in Beijing. According to Crunchbase, Keep has raised a total of USD 174 million in funding over 5 rounds.
Balancing energy intake and satiety (foods that have a higher satiety index keep hunger down longer) is one of the most important features of Keeplight food.
In addition to these two points, Keep will label the food in four nutrient latitudes such as protein, fat, carbohydrates and dietary fiber, and in the future, these indicators will be reflected in the form of tools on KeepApp.
The two main points marked on the product are calories and satiety.
The supplier of Keep Salad is BAKKAVOR, which is also a Chinese fresh vegetable supplier of KFC and Pizza Hut. The products have also been sold at Starbucks and 7/11. As for distribution, Keep chooses the cold chain, and food products can be heated, reports 36kr.
From the perspective of healthy food, Keep has covered three categories; salads, healthy snacks, and nutritional supplements. This is more of Keep 's attempt to improve people’s eating habits.
We saw “KeepKit”, a variety of home equipment such as Keep's treadmill, sportswear “KeepUp”, and also Keep's offline gym “Keepland.” Even if Keep has competitive bidding in each field, it is not the same as its competitors' business models.
Keep's online training data can be fed back to the product and gym to guide user training; the user's exercise data obtained by Keep hardware can guide users to eat healthy meals; Keep healthy meal data can be fed back to the development of training plan.
EqualOcean had also mentioned about Keep continuing to expand their fitness hardware business. Keep's fitness products include treadmills and body fat scales, and will soon be home to exercise bikes, and sports watches. Even in the future, smart watches and smart chips that connect traditional fitness equipment will be available for customers use, read more on this.


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Mar 2, 2012
It's the end of the line for truly unlimited data on your AT&T phone -- even for the folks who were grandfathered in.
Mar 1, 2012
Marketers descended on Facebook's first one-day conference yesterday to find out what the social network has in store. Facebook announced that for the first time its getting into mobile marketing.
Feb 6, 2012
Hooray for interesting advertisements! Or something!
Dec 16, 2011
Mobile data use among teens has tripled in the last year
Dec 2, 2011
Hidden software in millions of smartphones appears to log keystrokes.
Dec 1, 2011
Learn this name: Carrier IQ
Oct 11, 2011
CTIA, a wireless industry group, is out with its semi-annual report today showing that there are 327.6 million wireless subscribers (CTIA says...
Sep 22, 2011
We all knew this was coming. Engadget is reporting that Sprint, the only major carrier with truly unlimited data plans, is about to cap data on ...
Sep 8, 2011
If you know you are going to get the tuna salad sued out of you by bringing an Android device to market - other operating systems start looking a...


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An Ethereum based non-fungible token project named Sad Frogs District, based on the controversial Pepe the Frog meme, has been delisted from the OpenSea marketplace after a Digital Millennium Copyright Act notice was filed by the character’s creator, Matt Furie.
OpenSea announced the delisting of the 7,000 minted images in the project on its Discord channel yesterday, much to the anger of many in the community who had already invested US$4 million in the project.
“We know this is likely disappointing, and we don’t enjoy doing it — that said, we must comply with lawful takedown requests,” said one of OpenSea’s Discord moderators.
The company has said its official position is to follow whatever is legally required, and the creators of Sad Frogs District are welcome to file their own counter-DMCA. DMCAs are filed by owners of copyrighted material when they believe their intellectual property is being used unlawfully.
The move is the latest attempt by Furie to reclaim ownership of Pepe, which from its innocent origins in a comic book in 2005 became a hate symbol used by the U.S. far-right, a pro-democracy symbol in Hong Kong, and present in other iconography. The case raises interesting questions about validity in the NFT marketplace.
Pepe began life in a comic series centered on four anthropomorphic animals living a bohemian lifestyle — until one issue featured a single panel showing Pepe saying, “Feels good, man” in response to a question from another character. For some reason, the image of the smiling frog and the catchphrase caught on and began circulating on the internet as a meme expressing generally positive news or sentiments.
Over time, some internet users appropriated the meme, slowly morphing it into a symbol of anti-Semitism and bigotry. U.S. anti-racism group the Anti-Defamation League listed Pepe as a hate symbol for those reasons in 2016, and has partnered with Furie in an attempt to reclaim the character from its uglier connotations.
In Asia however, the character took on a completely different meaning. In mainland China, Pepe is an apolitical emoticon, similar to any other, but it became a pro-democracy mascot during the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019. A full history of Pepe and Furie’s attempts to reclaim the character is recounted in the 2020 documentary “Feels Good Man.”
The term non-fungible refers to something completely unique and non-transferable, even with another version of itself. By encoding unique digital assets as NFT’s — a process called “minting” — it is possible to verify that an asset is unique and trace its ownership in an online world where material can be copied an infinite number of times.
But what if the original digital copy of an asset is removed from the internet altogether? This is an issue Marta Belcher of the Filecoin Foundation and Protocol Labs raised when speaking with Forkast.News in June.
Protocol Labs is the lead developer of the InterPlanetary File System, a peer-to-peer network for storing and sharing data in a distributed system. That sets it apart from the centralized internet we use today, on which data is stored in a centralized manner, which means that data is transitory, posing a risk to investors in NFTs.
“It really doesn’t make sense to store NFTs on the traditional web,” Belcher said. “You just can’t count on NFTs still being there in X amount of time. It’s one of the big use cases right now for [the InterPlanetary File System]. People say right now, ‘If it’s not on IPFS, it’s not your NFT.’”
Despite uncertainties around ownership, the NFT market exploded this year, most visibly when a bidder paid US$69 million for an NFT of a piece entitled “Everydays: the First 5000 Days,” by digital artist Beeple. The U.S. National Basketball Association released a series of NFTs of exciting plays named “Hot Shots,” many of which ended up selling for thousands of dollars, such as one featuring a dunk by LeBron James that sold for US$208,000 in February.
Buying a licensed NBA Hot Shot is one thing, but as seen with the Sad Frogs District, establishing the true ownership of an NFT is not always a clear-cut process. A photo of a Tibetan woman carrying a handful of crypto mining rigs in Chinese business news outlet Caixin recently went viral, leading to dozens of NFTs of the picture being minted without the knowledge or consent of the photographer or the subject.
In another example, Ze Han, a brother of deceased artist Qing Han, also known as Qinni, was informed after his sister’s death in February 2020 that fraudsters were stealing her art and minting NFTs of it. In an interview with tech outlet Wired, Ze explained that he felt powerless to stop NFTs from proliferating across many different NFT marketplaces.
Although some marketplaces were responsive to his requests for the pieces to be removed, the number of NFTs and marketplaces Qinni’s work was appearing on was too great for Ze to address them all.
The Sad Frogs District case differs, however. The 7,000 images were officially verified by OpenSea prior to their minting, as the individual works were created by artists who put their names to them. But in this instance, Furie was able to prove to the DCMA office he was the original creator, a fact he has had to prove time and again as he tries to reclaim the image from being one of hate.
The delisting has left investors holding worthless NFTs, but has returned some of Furie’s control over his creation.


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An article on CNBC recently highlighted interest in cryptocurrencies from the NFL star Richard Sherman.
One of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL, Sherman has a hands-on approach to money, and he negotiated his own four-year contract with the Seahawks.
He has also talked about his investments in interviews which include mutual funds, municipal bonds, and cryptocurrencies.
Sherman’s Crypto Investments
He is also a spokesperson for Cobinhood, a crypto exchange platform and has invested in the company’s native coin COB as well.
He suggests that he was “very active in the past year” in the crypto sector even though the prices of digital currencies have dropped.
Sherman also noted that once he had to stop his grandmother from investing in Bitcoin when it was at $19,000.
“Fortunately I was able to remove some of my money prior to the market falling as a whole. This is definitely a long-term play for me.”
He said that he expects the crypto market to turn bullish again.
He also advised NFL rookies to try and live within their means as they cannot be sure about how long their careers will last or how much money they will make.
A Crypto Enthusiast Since 2014
Sherman has been in the cryptocurrency business for a while now, not just for the last year. He first began selling Bitcoin merchandise on his website in 2014.
About a year ago, he said that the meteoric rise which took Bitcoin to $19,000 made it the new locker room talk.
He said that athletes were becoming more educated about cryptocurrencies and the financial markets in general. This is because in many cases these players have been taken advantage of by financial advisers.
Sherman also states that he wouldn’t give financial advice on cryptocurrencies because it is a very volatile and unpredictable market.


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U.S. stocks edged lower at the start of trade Monday as traders awaited more clarity on the ultimate economic impact of a growing outbreak of the coronavirus, which has disrupted global supply chains dependent on Chinese production where the virus originated.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 13 points, or less than 0.1% to 29,090, the S&P 500 index shed 1 points, or less than 0.1% to 3,326 and the Nasdaq Composite index fell 8 points, or 0.1% to 9,512.
Many Chinese factories began reopening Monday after weeks of closures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus, as officials there gain confidence that its spread will soon decelerate. But other facilities will remain closed, while the World Health Organization warned that the spread of the virus will likely accelerate in other countries in the coming days.
Investors were also monitoring fourth-quarter earnings results, as earnings season enters its final stretch. Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International Inc. and Allergan reported better-than-expected earnings Monday morning, sending their shares higher at the open.
Source : MarketWatch