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Tim Cook meets Chinese Vice Premier in Beijing, talks IP law, worker rights
byZach Honig||March 28th 2012 at 2:11pmMarch 28th 2012 2:11 pm
Tim Cook's visit to China this week marks his first as Apple's CEO, but what originally appeared to be a casual jaunt to Beijing with possible carrier meetings on the agenda, has turned out to be a carefully orchestrated visit, including appointments with top government officials to talk economic development and intellectual property rights. Xinhua, the country's official press agency (and therefore not the most objective of sources), reported that Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang stated that the country will "strengthen intellectual property rights protection" and "pay more attention to caring for workers." Typical of state-sponsored releases, the report failed to expand on either statement, but even if nothing comes of this particular meeting, Keqiang is in line to take over as Premier next year, making him a solid addition to Cook's rolodex. There's a Chinese-language video of the encounter waiting just past the break.
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Credit cards Updated:
When was the last time you checked your credit score? If your answer is a while ago – or even worse, never – you may be in for a shock, because not only could it become more difficult to access the credit you want, but you may end up paying more for goods and services, too.
This could be particularly true for near prime borrowers, the research found, and with an estimated 6.8 million near prime borrowers having never checked their credit score, it could be an increasingly widespread issue.
The figures, from NewDay, also show that an estimated 3.9 million near prime borrowers – those who could find it difficult to obtain credit from traditional lenders due to having a limited or adverse credit history, and/or other constraints such as a low income or an inconsistent address history – don't even know how to check their credit score, but this could have seriously detrimental effects.
For example, over 2 million near prime customers have been declined credit in the last three years, and it can start a vicious circle: once you're declined for credit you'll get a black mark on your file, which will in turn make it even harder to be accepted. The more times you apply, the more black marks you'll have, and so on and so forth.
Unfortunately, widespread misconceptions about credit scores could mean it's even less likely for these borrowers to check their history, with 28% of respondents unaware that a poor credit rating can exclude them from accessing credit. A further 38% believe that missing one payment means it is impossible to ever improve their credit score, which could mean they're less likely to try.
Furthermore, 75% didn't realise that a poor credit rating could lead to having to pay more for goods and services (such as mobile phone contracts, broadband and energy bills), which could seriously affect their finances in the long run.
James Corcoran, CEO of aqua card issuer NewDay, commented: "The findings in this report confirm what we know from our experience: there is not a 'one size fits all' approach for consumers in this market sector; their needs are distinct and diverse.
"However, this research also demonstrates that too many consumers are still not aware of their credit score and its importance. For the millions of near prime consumers in the UK, having this knowledge would inevitably help them be better with credit, closing the credit gap that currently excludes millions from accessing better prices for basic goods and services."
Having a thorough grasp of your credit score is vital if you want to boost your chances of being accepted for credit. Make sure yours is up to scratch by heading to a credit check provider, and if it isn't, read our guide for steps to improve it.
Disclaimer: Information is correct as of the date of publication (shown at the top of this article). Any products featured may be withdrawn by their provider or changed at any time.
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Mastercard Start Path is an exclusive startup engagement program that enables later-stage startups to rapidly scale through access to Mastercard’s technology, solutions & partners around the globe
Focused on financial inclusion, Ukheshe’s technology platform helps banks and telcos provide affordable digital banking and payment services (BaaS). With client acquisition, onboarding and distribution costs that are a fraction of traditional merchant accounts, informal banking is now an accessible, untapped and lucrative growth market for banking partners. Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the fastest-growing investment zones for financial technology companies and is fast-becoming the flagship for mobile disruption. Driving this growth is the unbanked.
Clayton Hayward, co-founder and CEO, Ukheshe, says that its inclusion in Mastercard’s Start Path programme is not only exciting, but prestigious for the startup: “Mastercard’s ecosystem, customers and innovations will assist us to continue building one of the most significant transaction platforms on the continent.”
He says that Start Path will also assist in further addressing the unbanked challenge faced by the continent: “We need to ensure that we are able to reach these unbanked individuals and better understand, as financial service providers, why they opt to stay in the informal sector.”
According to Hayward, since launching Ukheshe 15 months ago, the plight for financial inclusion has become glaringly obvious. While progress has been made in terms of mobile money, it’s become imperative that we move beyond that and look into digital payment solutions: “Financial inclusion is not just about technology disruption, but more about solving greater economic problems. Consumers need simpler, more cost-effective ways to do simple tasks such as sending or receiving money and buying airtime.”


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Online Social Data and Relationship Cultivation
Reid Hoffman, founder of business-oriented social networking site LinkedIn, says that the massive amounts of social data available on the Internet will change the business world by allowing for the development of products that yield analytics from user relationships and identities.
A video interview was conducted with Hoffman on IdeasProject discussing how new products will be created from social data. "Once you have all these piles of data, people will build products out of the synthesis of this information," explains Hoffman. "I think the Web 2.0 platform concerning actual identities and relationships is really just at the beginning stages of its growth--we're not close to even the midpoint of this development."
"As the founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman redefined online professional networking, making a seminal contribution to the rise of social media," said Valerie Buckingham, Director of Technology Marketing, Nokia. "Now Hoffman is once again setting his sites on the future, exploring how companies will use the growing base of online social networking information as a foundation for business innovation."


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If a picture is worth a thousand words, in the field of financial information that merit belongs to a very specific type: graphics. There is no better way to understand, for example, the stock market crash that Big Tech suffered in 2022 than to observe the inclined curve —with more or less oscillations depending on the case, but a clearly decreasing pattern— that the prices of large companies track industry, such as Google, Amazon or Meta. During the first quarter of 2023, however, that same curve leaves a very different pattern.
If 2022 was a bad year for the valuation of large technology multinationals, in 2023 they seem to be back with strength.
What does the data say? That at least some of the big technology companies have managed to trace a growth curve so far in 2023, with oscillations, ups and downs and different itineraries depending on the case, but in general showing a recovery trend after the 2022 “scoop”.
This is reflected by Axios, which shows how so far this year, between December 31st and March 29th, Meta has experienced a 71% increase, Tesla 57%, Apple 24%, Microsoft 17% and Alphabet 15 %. The Standard and Poor’s 500 (S&P 500), a stock index that tracks the shares of the 500 largest companies listed on the US stock exchange, grew 5% in the same period.
What about percentages? Trading numbers from the Investing platform help complete the picture. An example: On December 30, 2022, it identified a value of $120.34 per share, well down from Thursday’s $216.10. Another interesting case is that of Tesla. Musk’s multinational said goodbye to last year at US$ 123.18 and scored US$ 185.06 in the middle of this week. In the case of Apple, it went from 129.93 to 164.66.
Where we came from? From a bad 2022, a year in which large technology companies were penalized by a complex context, marked by rising interest rates. In the economic newspaper Five days It calculated that Amazon dropped 48.5%, Netflix 51.7%, and Meta saw a sharp drop of 65.4%. In the case of Apple, the fall was 25.2% and in the case of Alphabet, Google’s controller, 38.3%. The devaluation, in line with that of the Nasdaq Composite, led some analysts to even speak of a change of cycle.
The reasons? A “cocktail” of factors that includes changes in consumer habits that have affected Netflix and Meta or the impact of the size that giants like Amazon, Alphabet or Apple have reached. Morningstar completes the picture with other equally relevant factors, such as fears of recession, macroeconomic pressures, the behavior of advertising investment or, in the case of Nvidia, which suffered a significant setback, a return to the office faster than expected or US restrictions on chip sales to China.
And the reason for the change? At Axios, they slide some keys to understand the scenario in which technology companies moved during the first quarter of 2022. And one of the main ones is the behavior of their Human Resources offices. In recent months, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Amazon or, more recently, Apple, among other big tech companies, have applied significant workforce cuts. On Wall Street, they may be rewarding these adjustments.
It is not the only explanation on the table to explain the trend of recent months. Others point to the wave of enthusiasm generated by AI, a correction in the course of the market or even that some companies are allocating part of their cash reserves to buy back shares.
cover image: Nicholas Cappello (Unsplash)
In Xataka: The thousands of workers laid off by Big Tech are finding a surprising outlet: spies.


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April 6, 2018
The Maxim fragrance collection will debut this fall in department stores and fragrance retailers worldwide.
This is the second license for Omni Secrets, which also recently signed a deal to produce a Miss Universe fragrance that will be available in August.
is more than a magazine. It is a lifestyle brand that resonates with men all over the world,” says Neil J. Katz founder, president and chief executive officer, Omni Scents. “When
holds an event there is worldwide interest. Our job will be to harness and bring that excitement, fun and suggestiveness to the fragrance world."
The men’s magazine launched in the U.S. in 1998 and now has 17 international editions and is distributed in 85 countries.
“The Maxim brand continues to resonate with men around the globe. We welcome this first fragrance brand for men, which will provocatively expressthe brand’s unique voice,” says Jack Kliger, executive chairman, Alpha Media Group. “I believe it will have tremendous appeal to the global Maxim consumer. Entering into the grooming category is a natural progression of Maxim’s global growth strategy.”
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Dominos is asking you to forget about superheroes in capes and spandex as the global pizza brand launches a campaign aimed at giving every Australian the chance to be an everyday hero, and help other Australians – just by eating pizza – for its second annual ‘Domino’s for Good Day’ on February 9th.
The initiative will see one dollar from the sale of selected pizzas being donated to Domino’s Give for Good charity.
Working with a wide range of charity partners, Give for Good has donated funds to Australians in need since 2016. Give for Good supports causes aligned with values that lie at the heart of Domino’s, including youth and education, leadership and entrepreneurship, rural communities, mental health initiatives and disaster relief.
“Dominos for Good Day is a wonderful way to bring people together every year, while raising funds to support the good work so many Australian charities and organisations are doing,” said Bronwyn Spencer, Give for Good General Manager.
“Donating simply by buying a pizza means you don’t have to be a superhero to help Australians,” the brand said. “So put away your superhero onesie, on Domino’s for Good Day, everyday heroes eat pizza.”
David Burness, Domino’s ANZ CEO said: “Through this initiative, we’re aiming to raise more than $150,000 across 750+ Domino’s stores to do some serious Good in communities right across Australia.”
It’s Friday CCO, Vince Lagana added: “On Domino’s for Good Day you don’t need to leap tall buildings or soar like an eagle to help others. It’s one of the rare occasions when you can give back while enjoying yourself at the same time. So while the causes Give for Good support are serious, the invitation to contribute doesn’t have to be. It’s a chance to help others while you help yourself to a pizza. That’s a cause anyone can get behind.”
Client: Domino’s – Give for Good
Agency: It’s Friday
Director: Daniel Fletcher
Production Company: Rabbit
Edit: Phoebe Taylor – Arc Edit
Post Production: Alt VFX
Sound: Stevie-Leigh Batiste – Sounds Like Butter


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In a potentially significant move, Spotify will start allowing music labels add sponsored listings to personalised music recommendations, the company announced on Monday. "Artists and labels can identify music that’s a priority for them, and our system will add that signal to the algorithm that determines personalized listening sessions," the company said, adding that only users who are using features on Spotify to discover new music will hear such sponsored music. This announcement could have significant repercussions for artists' "discoverability", as most popular music is released by three large labels, Universal, Warner and Sony, who may be able to outspend independent artists and independent labels. In India, there is the added concern that the music industry is dominated by film soundtracks, which is also concentrated in the hands of a small number of labels. We have reached out to Spotify for comment on whether this experiment — for now, that's what this is — will be rolled out for listeners in India. Want both artists and labels to reach listeners: Spotify However potentially tectonic this change could be, Spotify is careful about how it frames these sponsored songs. "To ensure the tool is accessible to artists at any stage of their careers, it won’t require any upfront budget. Instead, labels or rights holders agree to be paid a promotional recording royalty rate for streams in personalized listening sessions where we provided this service," the company said. The company added that these tracks will be targeted, and if they don't resonate…
- US govt warns businesses of ‘AI deception’, calls for mitigating risks before launching AI products March 24, 2023
- Here’s what TikTok’s CEO said in his U.S. Congressional Committee Hearing March 24, 2023
- Cyberabad police bust a gang selling personal data of 16.8 Crore citizens March 24, 2023
- Explained: What is Namma Yatri app and why is it joining ONDC March 24, 2023
- MediaNama Daily: What is ‘In’ in the world of Influencers? March 24, 2023
MediaNama’s mission is to help build a digital ecosystem which is open, fair, global and competitive.
Amazon announced that it will integrate its logistics network and SmartCommerce services with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
India's smartphone operating system BharOS has received much buzz in the media lately, but does it really merit this attention?
After using the Mapples app as his default navigation app for a week, Sarvesh draws a comparison between Google Maps and Mapples
In the case of the ‘deemed consent' provision in the draft data protection law, brevity comes at the cost of clarity and user protection
The regulatory ambivalence around an instrument so essential to facilitate data exchange – the CM framework – is disconcerting for several reasons.
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One of my primary sources of information on the bicycle industry - after BRAIN, of course, especially for Europe -- is BikeEu.com. I regularly receive an email update about trends and developments in that part of the world and theme that keeps repeating itself, month-after-month is the steady growth in the sales of electric-assist bicycles, there called pedelecs and speed-pedelecs.
Take today's lead story headline: "Sharp Contrast at Biggest in Bikes: Dorel and Giant 'Bleed', Accell Booms." Basically, the article is about sales shortfalls at Dorel, called the "‘mother’ of Cannondale, Mongoose, GT and other brands" and Giant, maker of the Road-e featured in the top photo. So far in 2016, Giant's total sales are $US925.5 million, down 3.7% from 2015 The company's net (after tax) profits dropped 5% to just over US$54 million on the production of some 2.56 million bicycles and e-bikes.
In contrast, the Dutch-based Accell Group -- owners of a couple dozen different brands including Raleigh, Haibike and Currie -- saw its profit rise 7% to US$37.9 million. While all its brands combined sold only about a third as many bikes as Giant over the same six months period, the average price of its bikes are higher: €541 (US$603) versus €325 (US$362). Reports, Bike Europe:
"E-bikes and e-MTB’s are causing the contrasting figures at the world’s biggest in bicycle companies. In the first half of 2016 Accell benefitted from its early entrance in the e-MTB market. The turnover in e-bikes increased by 39%. E-bikes are now taking as much as 43% of the total revenue of Europe’s biggest in bikes."
Giant, based in Taiwan points out in their latest financial report that "e-bikes shall continue to see growth." This despite their costing more than most conventional bicycles. For example, the Giant Road-e pictured below and in the top photo is the first legal electric-assist road-style bike -- in contrast to the "mechanical doped" models with motors and batteries hidden in their seat post tubes -- to hit the market with a suggested retail price of €3,899 (US$4351).
As much as the cycling world may distain electric-assist, one fact is obvious, they are helping keep many of the leading brands afloat financially. And who knows, we may even see the day when electric bikes have their own race circuit and find their place in some future Olympics. After all, they brought back golf, didn't they.
Posted By: Bill Moore [11-Aug-2016]
PAGE VIEWS: 9077


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Photographs of faces may not be adequate proof of a person's identity and this could have serious implications for the accuracy of passport photographs in determining identity. Research funded by the Economic and Social Research ...
Samsung launched its Galaxy S III smartphone in the United States Thursday after fending off a legal challenge from rival Apple, which claimed it infringed on iPhone technology.
Young and old residents of the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan were advised to stay indoors on Monday after a thick haze blanketed the city of nine million people, official media said.
SpaceX's Dragon cargo vessel smells like a new car, said astronauts at the International Space Station after opening the hatches Saturday following the spacecraft's landmark mission to the orbiting lab.
People respond to facial cues and this affects their level of trust, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research that looks at the way consumers react to morphed photo images.
Verizon has been rolling out its 4G coverage to 195 markets, and the company has given me two phones to review that take good advantage of 4G's much faster speeds.
Every two minutes on the bus ride through the ghost towns surrounding Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a company guide in a white protective suit holds up a display showing the radiation level. And it is rising.
Copper-iodide nanoparticles have long-lasting antiviral activity against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus, according to a paper in the February issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
The quality of captive breeding enclosures and time spent in them may be crucial to the success of marsupials once released back to the wild, new research suggests.
In the fast-food world of trees, lets say carbon dioxide is like French fries, and nitrogen is like catsup. Suppose those trees suddenly had extra servings of French fries, but the catsup ration stayed put.


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Sustainability may be the fashion world’s current term du jour, but British menswear designer Christopher Raeburn has been fighting the good fight for his entire career – which is saying something, given that he graduated from the Royal College Of Art some 14 years ago in 2006.
Today, as part of the first ever fully digital London Fashion Week – which can be accessed by way of the British Fashion Council’s website right now – Raeburn is taking his dedication to the cause one step further, by launching the first ever “Raefound” capsule collection.
A response in part to the pause on fashion production, marketing and retail which has occurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and in part to the burgeoning pressure being placed on designers to produce their collections in a way that no longer chokes the planet, Raeburn has, for this latest offering, chosen to make, well, nothing at all.
Consisting of a series of military dead-stock pieces, ranging from camouflage pants and fatigues to infantry boots and flak vests sourced from the European militaries of France, UK, Holland and Austria, every piece in the new capsule is available in a full range of sizes and the provenance of each item can be discovered with the quick scan of a QR code.
An intelligent way to combat waste by repurposing stuff that already exists, what Raeburn has achieved with this collection is to confront the widely believed but oft overlooked truism that newness doesn’t always equate to goodness.
“We need to stop making more stuff. Post Covid-19 we’ll be facing a bigger environmental and inventory crises than ever before; as people we overproduce, we over-consume and we waste too much,” says Raeburn of the new venture. “Raefound is part of the solution; an evolving non-seasonal range of original, unworn military apparel and accessories in full-size sets. Nothing new. Nothing wasted.”
The Raefound collection will be available to buy from today onwards exclusively from raeburndesign.co.uk as part of digital London Fashion Week. You can also learn more about the new collection by tuning into a conversation between Raeburn and this magazine’s Editor-In-Chief, Dylan Jones, at 6pm on Saturday 13 June, exclusively on London Fashion Week 2020’s digital platform.


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There is no one-size-fits-all diet to reduce people’s water and carbon footprints, details a new Johns Hopkins University-led study. Cutting down on meat and dairy makes sense for many eaters in high-income countries, while greater intake of meat, dairy and eggs in low-income countries is advisable on nutritional grounds.
The study notes:
These findings suggest populations could do far more to reduce their climate impact by eating mostly plants with a modest amount of low-impact meat than by eliminating meat entirely and replacing a large share of the meat’s protein and calories with dairy.
The robust study used nine different plant-centered diets to gauge the water and climate change impacts of each in 140 countries. In addition to the environmental measures, the authors reviewed how the shifts of the nine diets might impact nutrition.
Nutritional needs neutralize the single-bullet approach to diets, which co-author, Keeve Nachman, addresses by saying that,
“So many countries are dealing with under-nourishment. They’re going to have to increase food consumption, and accordingly their carbon footprints are going to have to go up. We have a responsibility as a global community to make sure they have enough food. What that means is that high-income countries that typically consume more animal products are going to have to more rapidly consider some of these plant-forward dietary shifts.”
Interestingly, dairy has a relatively high water footprint and carbon footprint because ruminants like cows and goats have large environmental impacts. The efficiency and sustainability of the food system in which food products are produced and consumed also makes a significant difference. For instance, beef produced in Paraguay accounts for nearly 17 times more greenhouse gases than beef produced in Denmark.


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Man tries to steal drugs from CVS in Franklin
Police this morning are investigating the attempted robbery of CVS on East Central Street -- the same store from which a man stole painkillers last week.
Officers were called to the store at about 1:30 a.m. after a man went behind the pharmacy counter. The robber ran off -- apparently empty-handed -- when a store employee spotted him, police said.
Police are comparing similarities in the the suspect's description to that of the man who stole painkillers from the same 24-hour store at 272 East Central St. last Wednesday.
That man, who was unarmed, jumped behind the counter and demanded narcotics from the safe, police said. Employees gave him the drugs and the suspect ran away. He was not caught.


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Nestle opens state-of-the-art corporate office
One hundred and ninety-five new employees are expected to benefit from what's being described as the Google of Jamaica at Nestle's new corporate office and distribution centre, opened on Monday at Ferry Pen in St Andrew.
The 84,000-square metre facility, which cost US$12.5m to construct, was officially opened under the watchful eyes of government officials and members of the business community.
"We consider ourselves the Google of Jamaica with our open-floor concept and free-flowing workspace. We took everything into consideration to ensure the comfort of our employees because we spend so much time here. This location is our home away from home," said Nestle Jamaica Country Manager Daniel Caron.
Caron added that the facility was in a location that was poised for growth and transformation and that the Ferry Pen Industrial Park would soon become the go-to business district.
"As one of the first collaborative workspaces locally, we not only work smarter to reduce our carbon footprint, but this workspace fosters creativity and productivity among our team members," said Caron. "The office has a 'no-fixed' workspace policy, and our productivity tools are portable to allow staff to work anywhere on the property. We are truly mobile," he added.
Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid, speaking at the opening, said that the Government was happy to support the new distribution centre, lauding Nestle for creating jobs and helping to strengthen the Jamaican economy.
"Nestle has been a household name in Jamaica over these many years, maintaining a high quality, both by standards of products and of service to the population. Nestle has long been committed to expanding its operation in Jamaica," said Reid.
Nestle's executive vice-president and chief executive officer for Zone Americas, Laurent Freixe, added that Nestle celebrated its 78th anniversary of operations in Jamaica last month - a reflection of his company's commitment to Jamaicans.
"Nestle has stayed here because we have always believed, and continue to believe, in the bright future of Jamaica. [We have] one simple purpose, and that is to enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities, and contribute to a healthier future," Freixe said.
The facility took one and a half years for completion and consists of five buildings. Nestle is the world's largest food and beverage company and is represented in 191 countries.


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The cannabis industry is ripe for more mergers and acquisitions to take place. Valuations are low and there's plenty of competition, giving businesses lots of incentives to try to acquire their way to more market share. One company that has been aggressive of late in using acquisitions to strengthen its financials is pot producer Sundial Growers (SNDL -1.04%).
Sundial closed on a deal with alcohol retailer Alcanna just a few months ago. And management has made it clear that it likely won't be the last acquisition that the cannabis company takes on.
Another acquisition coming soon?
On March 31, Sundial announced the closing of its acquisition of Alcanna. The deal will not only give the company a presence in liquor retail, but it will also benefit from the growth in pot retailer Nova Cannabis, which is a majority-owned subsidiary of Alcanna's. It complements a deal that Sundial closed on last year to buy Inner Spirit, which at the time already had more than 100 pot shops across Canada.
But there's no indication that Sundial is done. On its latest earnings call, CEO Zach George said: "Don't think that the Alcanna transaction is necessarily the last acquisition that Sundial engages in." Earlier, George noted that potential acquirors should "welcome" a decline in stock prices. Although this doesn't mean a transaction is imminent, it does suggest that the CEO is looking at declining valuations and potentially eyeing some potential targets.
Sundial is plump with cash
A big reason why Sundial can afford to look at acquisition is that as of the end of March, the company reported having $1 billion Canadian dollars in cash, securities, and investments. At the same time, it also has no debt on its books. The only encumbrance on the business would be its need to fund day-to-day operating activities. And for the three-month period ending March 31, Sundial burned through just CA$26 million. That would put it at a run rate of a little more than CA$100 million. The one caveat is how that number might change once it includes Alcanna and as Sundial continues to integrate and grow the new businesses it has acquired.
But the company doesn't need a full CA$1 billion to make a big investment. Some of the larger players in the cannabis industry trade at modest valuations; OrganiGram Holdings has a market cap of less than CA$500 million, while Aurora Cannabis is at around CA$850 million. And a potential deal wouldn't have to be funded primarily with cash. Sundial's acquisition of Alcanna was a combination of cash and stock.
Would another acquisition make Sundial a better buy?
Acquisitions have diversified Sundial in a big way. The company now has pot shops in its portfolio, and it has a liquor business. These are things that weren't there a few years ago. Sundial has gotten more diverse, and its operations are certainly bigger.
However, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) falling into the negative last quarter (the company reported positive adjusted EBITDA of CA$3.3 million in the prior-year period), it's debatable just how much better a position Sundial is in with these acquisitions.
The short answer is that it's too early to tell. And that's why it would be equally difficult to predict if the company will be in better shape after another acquisition. It's not clear if the company would expand on its retail businesses or acquire an entirely different one altogether. That uncertainty, combined with Sundial's penchant for dilution, are sufficient enough reasons to avoid the stock right now.
Year to date, the stock is down 30%, which is slightly better than the 35% decline the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF has been on. But if Sundial can't show investors that its acquisitions are paying off in a big way, there could be more of a drop in the share price before the year is over.


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Happiest of Fridays, readers! As we approach the end of 2017, social channels are doing as much as they can to capture users’ attention and keep them engaged in the new year. Facebook is launching a messaging app for youngsters, YouTube is committing to fix its moderation problem, and Snapchat is trying out a new, high-end accessory.
Facebook’s Kid-Friendly App
This writer is old enough to remember the screech of her desktop’s modem, building Angelfire and Geocities websites, and receiving all those AOL CD-ROMs in the mail. Today’s kids have it easy. And Facebook is hoping its ad-free, kid-focused messaging app will make it even easier for children to communicate with friends and family online.
Parents can download the app after signing into their own Facebook accounts and set up the accounts their munchkins can reach. Messenger Kids allows users to play with Snapchattish face masks, emojis and PG-rated GIFs. It’s a smart tactic for keeping kids safe from the darker elements of the internet while getting them hooked early on Facebook’s platform. PC Mag reports that while the app is only available on iOS right now, Google Play and the Amazon App Store will get it soon.
YouTube Cleaning Up Its Act
The ancient proverb “Don’t Read The Comments” has applied to YouTube for years; but now, the video channel is committing to making comments safe again. TechCrunch reports that YouTube is prepping for a big hiring spree to moderate comments sections. The extra staffers will also weed out videos that game the channel’s algorithm and slip questionable content through the cracks.
It’s encouraging to see YouTube employ humans to review content; no matter how sophisticated machine learning becomes, there will always be a need for people to review, evaluate and moderate the results. There will almost certainly be cries of censorship, but it’s difficult to argue in favor of some of the content currently littering YouTube.
Fancy Snapcodes Come to Coach
Looking for an extra-special holiday gift for the social media-savvy millennial in your life? Coach is teaming up with Snapchat to offer stylish Snapcode pins, with Coach’s holiday mascots: a dinosaur, a unicorn and a shark. AdWeek reports that customers can win the pins either online or in-store by taking a quiz about their favorite mascot. The Snapcode goes to a Coach holiday-themed video game.
There’s a lot going on here. The co-branding of Coach and Snapchat, on its surface, seems to ignore Coach’s target market–which skews older. The holiday-themed mascots and the video game also seem to make the pins dated. And Snap hasn’t had the best luck with accessories. But because households that use Snapchat spend about 39 percent more at retail stores than the national average, it could be a bet that turns out well for both Snapchat and Coach.
What’s the social media news that has you chatting? Email me at email@example.com and let’s talk about it.


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Seety, SHOP.COM, and Worldline are the most recent businesses to accept digital assets as payment.
Seety, a Belgian digital parking startup, allowed app users to pay for parking sessions in Antwerp and Brussels using Bitcoin (BTC). Aside from the primary cryptocurrency, six other digital assets are available, including Ethereum (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE).
Separately, the e-commerce behemoth ShopCom has enabled its customers to make purchases using a variety of cryptocurrencies.
Park Your Vehicle and Pay in Cryptocurrency
Seety, a Belgian app, allowed customers to pay for parking tickets with cryptocurrency. For the time being, the offer is limited to the cities of Brussels and Antwerp.
Customers who want to use the new crypto option should buy Seety credits through the app. They can currently use seven different cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Dai (DAI), and USD Coin are among them (USDC).
Seety is a digital parking application founded by Hadrien Crespin and Nicolas Cognaux that operates not only in Belgium but also in France, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It has over 350,000 active members and expects to make 400,000 euros in revenue in 2021.
Seety, a member of the start-up accelerator Start it @ KBC, is a big fan of cryptocurrency. It expects digital assets to become more eco-friendly in the future. Having said that, Seety expressed optimism that global adoption of Bitcoin and altcoins would skyrocket.
BitPay and SHOP
SHOP(dot)com has partnered with BitPay, a bitcoin service provider, to enable customers to make cryptocurrency purchases.
Users will be able to pay with Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Litecoin (LTC), and 5 USD-pegged stablecoins at the checkout (GUSD, USDC, PAX, DAI, and BUSD).
Worldline, a multinational payment services company, has also jumped on the cryptocurrency bandwagon. Worldline and Bitcoin Suisse’s integrated service, WL Crypto Payments, has enabled 85,000 Swiss merchants to accept Bitcoin and Ether as payment options at the point-of-sale (POS) and in e-commerce.
To participate in the offer, traders must download the WL Crypto Payments mobile app, whereas customers paying with digital assets can do so through their usual mobile crypto wallet app. Marc Schluep, CEO of Worldline Switzerland, said:
“The acceptance of cryptocurrencies at the POS in Switzerland is a great proof of our ambition: Worldline wants to bring tangible value to merchants all over the world and to facilitate smooth and modern payments in all the markets we operate in.”
Furthermore, a Louisville coffee shop intends to accept Dogecoin as payment. The store even vowed to rename itself “Dogebean.” Customers can only order online for the time being because the shop is closed for rebranding.


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Kirtland Associates Work Together, Win Top Prize in Show Your Mocs Contest
A group of eight Kirtland AFB Exchange associates won the grand prize in the Exchange’s 2020 “Show Your Mocs” event, sponsored by the Nation’s Network special emphasis program.
The worldwide virtual event, which was held in November in honor of American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, encouraged associates to submit photos featuring moccasins that they own or had borrowed, which were shown being worn or displayed.
The Kirtland Exchange winners are Human Resources Recruiting Manager Melissa Oranday; Office Assistant April Henry; Food Court Manager Immacula Pierre; Express Shift Managers Priscilla McLean and Alicia McCray; Express Customer Experience Associate Lillian Vellner; Main Store Customer Experience Associate Alyssa Roanhorse; and Express Warehouse Worker Mary Funk.
A pair of runners-up was also selected: Dava Maestas, a Fort Gordon Exchange sales area manager; and Rose Grant, a customer experience associate at Shades of Green.
All winners received books written by bestselling author John Maxwell and an Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity & Inclusion Directorate backpack.
“The culture and creativity displayed in the entries we received were inspiring,” said Bee Persaud, diversity and inclusion specialist for the Exchange’s Office of Equal Opportunity. “Not only was the event fun, but it was also successful in celebrating the history of the Native American Nations and recognizing associates who demonstrate the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.”
For their winning photo, the Kirtland associates each donned a pair of moccasins. While adhering to safety protocols during the pandemic, they sat on the floor at the Kirtland Express gathered around a poster that read “Kirtland Exchange Rock Your Mocs.” The photo was snapped pointing down at the group from atop a ladder.
Oranday led efforts to coordinate the Kirtland associates who participated in the photo.
“We’re in New Mexico,” Oranday said. “We have such rich Native American history here.”
During the photo shoot, she sported for the first time a pair of moccasins that were given to her a year ago. “I wasn’t sure how to walk in them because they’re a little bit slick on the bottom,” Oranday said, “but they’re comfortable.”
Roanhorse, who is Navajo, was excited for an opportunity to wear again the moccasins that were custom made for her when she was a teenager.
“I haven’t brought them out since I graduated from high school, so it’s been about 10 years,” she said.
Roanhorse considers her moccasins to be more than just special-occasion footwear. “They mean a lot to me,” she said.


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The house is optimistic on earnings growth in India for FY19 and FY20 and double overweight on pharma sector, said Mahesh Nandurkar, India Strategist, CLSA.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Nandurkar said the risk for the market going forward is more to the downside than upside, which was the view even few months back.
Moreover, over the next 12 months, we will also be faced with tightening global liquidity as a board trend, which could be negative for emerging markets and Indian equities, he said.
However, this does not mean we will see a global meltdown, but from a risk-reward perspective with valuation multiples being at an elevated levels, it does not make a good case for equity markets, said Nandurkar.
According to Nandurkar, the house expects the Nifty to remain flat by December-end and would be happy if it remained at current levels.
Sector specific, he said within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)
sector or consumer staples, they would look at pockets that offer value and tobacco is one such sector, where valuations are reasonable.
The house is a bit cautious on cement because volume growth is not the driver for them but it's prices, which are not expected to hike due to monsoon and upcoming elections, said Nadurkar.
However, from long-term perspective, the sector looks attractive, he added.


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Zydus Lifesciences Ltd
on Wednesday said it has received tentative approval from the US health regulator for its generic Palbociclib tablets used to treat a certain type of breast cancer. The tentative approval by the US Food and Drug Administration
) is for Palbociclib tablets of strengths 75 mg, 100 mg, and 125 mg, Zydus Lifesciences said in a regulatory filing.
The drug is used to treat a certain type of breast cancer. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.
The product will be manufactured at the group’s formulation manufacturing facility in SEZ, Ahmedabad, it added.
Palbociclib tablets, 75 mg, 100 mg, and 125 mg had annual sales of USD 3.3 billion in the US, the company said citing IQVIA MAT April 2023 data.


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Cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin’s derivatives platform, KuMEX, is going to launch bitcoin monthly futures contracts in a “few weeks.”
Michael Gan, founder and CEO of KuCoin, announced the news at the Blockchain Life 2019 Forum in Moscow, Russia, according to a press release shared with The Block on Wednesday.
IDG Capital-backed KuCoin launched KuMEX in July, and already offers a bitcoin perpetual contract (XBTUSDM), which is quoted in U.S. dollars and offers up to 20 times leverage.
Gan said at the forum that the current low penetration rate of derivatives in the cryptocurrency space is because major exchanges such as OKEx and Huobi often set certain investment thresholds. For instance, the two exchanges’ minimum bitcoin contract value is $100. However, to increase retail participation, the limit has to be reduced and that’s why KuMEX’s XBTUSDM contract value is $1, he said.
KuMEX platform currently supports English, simplified Chinese and Russian languages. Gan further said that the platform will support more languages, such as Vietnamese and Turkish, later this year.


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Winona Ryder Is the Face of the Netflix Price Hike (Video)
"Stranger Things" is the perfect show for "someone who doesn't like to spend that much time on the internet," like Winona Ryder, points out Jimmy Kimmel.
"I said, 'please call Winona Ryder and ask if she will be on our show,'" Kimmel told the actress, who is still overwhelmed with the popularity of the Netflix show, first released July 15. The webseries is set in 1983 and is an homage to the era.
But one of the stranger things that came with Ryder's comeback was an email that was also sent to every Netflix subscriber.
"The day that the show was coming out, I got an email from them saying that the price was going up to $12.99, and so there was an ad with my face, and it was like, 'but you have to get from $7.99 to...." Ryder told Kimmel when he asked if she watches Netflix.
"So you, in a way, are the face of the Netflix price hike," Kimmel told Ryder.
And maybe the next one as well. According to Forbes, "A new survey conducted by TiVo’s Digitalsmiths unit discovered that 21 percent of Netflix customers would be willing to pay at least $16 per month for the streaming service. According to Variety, the survey polled 3,114 adults in the United States and Canada. As of now, Netflix is the No. 1 streaming service in the world with upwards of 70 million total subscribers (a number that could grow significantly thanks to millennials)."


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Android.Slicer effective only on devices running Android 4.3.
Dr. Web, a Russian security firm researcher has discovered a hidden Android Trojan called Android.Slicer inside a phone memory cleaning and boosting application. A flashing signal for all Android users, using free phone optimization apps are now proving to be more costly.
Such applications ask for user’s permission on installation and on each update, which us users very blindly confirm. The application is capable of controlling the host device’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and by accessing the quick shortcuts on the device’s home screen or pull down menu.
How is Android.Slicer trojan harmful?
The core purpose of this Trojan is to deliver adware to the all infected devices.
The Android.Slicer, is capable of self installing and purchasing applications hosted on Google Play store and creating customizing shortcuts on the infected device’s homescreen.
The trojan can end up on a user’s device by either some malware or by some other application that the user has installed himself. Android.Slicer is capable of collecting the host device’s sensitive information like the IMEI number, device owner’s information, Mac Address, the OS information and device manufacturer details and sending it to it’s C&C server.
The C&C server then interacts with the active Trojan on the said device and somewhat controls the device’s operations such as displaying ads, exposing it to other malicious content, open some page in the user’s web browser or a designated application’s page or even install it.
It has been found that Android 4.3 users, the Android.Slicer will download a rootkit called Android.Rootkit.40 that will give the Trojan, heightened access of the device’s OS
The Trojan uses it’s advanced powers to gain tapping access to buttons on homepage and press buttons on playstore like install, buy or continue. This can harm users personally and financially.
However there is some silver lining, Google has found a way to prevent all devices from the rootkit using Android 4.4 or higher versions.


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While HTC‘s presence in the smartphone market hasn’t technically diminished, it’s not a secret that the company needed its latest flagship device, the U11, to be a successful one. And if recent comments by HTC’s smartphone division head Chia-lin Chang are any indicator, it looks like the U11 has indeed fit the bill for HTC.
Chang has said the U11 is selling so well that it is actually outperforming HTC’s last two flagship smartphones, the HTC 10 and the M9. Chang went on to say that there should be even more demand for the device in July, which means even more sales of the flagship. That’s good news for HTC, who have felt the squeeze over the last several years.
What’s more, Chang made it clear that the U11 outselling the M9 is worth noting all on its own because of the limited carrier availability for the U11, especially in the United States.
Still, HTC isn’t resting on its laurels. The company is looking ahead, especially to 5G network speeds, and it plans on reducing the number of individual phone models it launches on a yearly basis. Chang wants HTC to trim the number down to just three or four devices in a year.
It sounds like the U11 is doing well for HTC, which hopefully means we’ll see even more exciting devices from the company in the future.


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“Stop writing about politics. I signed up for a business newsletter.” I get that message, sometimes a lot of them, when this space’s eyes wander toward Washington, D.C.
Why it matters: Years ago, it might have been a valid critique. Today, though, the line between business and politics has all but vanished.
First and foremost: The reconciliation debate is really about restructuring the entire American economy, and about funding those changes. It could be a massive externality for how investments perform, what investments are available and how investors get paid.
- Within this, the status quo on carried interest taxation is facing its most serious challenge in over a decade.
Antitrust: The Biden administration is painting with a very wide brush, arguing that corporate consolidation drives up consumer prices and drives down wages.
- Within Big Tech, which has received the bulk of media attention on antitrust, the FTC is now taking a harder…


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Gone are the days of launching iTunes to back up an iPhone. Since the release of macOS Catalina, the Music app has taken its place. iOS device owners looking to back up their data locally must look elsewhere for a solution. Turns out Apple has moved the iPhone backup process to the Finder in macOS.
Apple will deliver its latest media event from Apple Park in Cupertino, CA on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 10 AM PDT (1 PM EDT). This year Apple has planned for a completely virtual event, with no general public attendees present in the audience of the Steve Jobs theater. Instead, the company plans to live stream all of the announcements to anyone wishing to tune in around the globe.
Apple continues to add new features to its stock audio recorder Voice Memos. Recordings can be organized into folders thanks to the iOS 14 update. The latest release also includes an Enhance Recording button that automatically improves sound quality. Creating folders to help organize your voice memos only takes a few steps.
Getting the perfect selfie on iPhone starts with engaging the front camera. Unlike taking a photo with the back camera, the viewfinder simulates looking in the mirror. This means text and logos appear backwards. Move your hand to the right, and it moves to the right on the screen. Once the image is captured, it's stored in the Photos app under Recents.
Full resolution 4K video is available for YouTube on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14. Even the Apple TV 4K has finally received 2160p YouTube support with the launch of tvOS 14. Not all videos on the streaming service offer the maximum resolution, with many topping out at HD quality.


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Microsoft released its new and revamped Maps app (v5) to Windows Insiders in what seems like an eternity ago.
But good news everyone! The new Windows Map app is now available as an update through the Windows Store (via an update) for non-Insider Windows 10 Mobile devices.
The update isn't yet available on Windows 10 PCs (non-insiders that is)
There's one feature I love about the new Maps app
In the screenshot below I searched for Microsoft Stores near my location...
So what if you wanted to search for Microsoft stores else, like in another state, like Nevada for instance, then you would probably have to type "Microsoft Store, NV" right? Yea, that's one way to do, you can also just move the view finder to the location you want to search in search and the map app is smart enough to search in that area you are currently looking at.
In the screenshot below, I just moved the maps viewfinder to show the state of Florida, then I searched for Microsoft Store and it automatically shows search results in the area I am currently looking at...


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HEXO (TSX:HEXO)(NYSE:HEXO) was looking like a stock to buy on weakness Thursday morning after a management reshuffle — and then the situation got a whole lot worse. Is the cannabis company now a falling knife after not just a big shakeup in its management but also the shock withdrawal of its earnings outlook? Having ditched 33.76% over the last five days, it’s starting to look that way.
Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF is down 14% for the week in a clear indication of a cannabis bear market, while Canopy Growth (TSX:WEED)(NYSE:CGC) is down 12%, as the sector seems to be re-evaluating itself ahead of Cannabis 2.0. The cause of the mass dump of Canopy shares was fairly self-explanatory: The company had announced that it had named as its new chairman the CFO of Constellation Brands, David Klein.
Investors may be seeing this move as something of a corporate clampdown in a sector where profitability is king. Indeed, it’s been quite the week for corporate maneuvers, with HEXO causing its own sell-off by withdrawing its earnings outlook along with a grim summation of the cannabis market that makes for sober reading.
HEXO’s statement was decidedly bearish on the industry: “Slower-than-expected store rollouts, a delay in government approval for cannabis derivative products, and early signs of pricing pressure are being felt nationally.” It added that “The delay in retail store openings in our major markets has meant that the access to a majority of the target customers has been limited.”
Is the cannabis sector a contrarian wonderland?
One way to play the cannabis space when it’s tanking is to back up the truck and hold onto affected stocks until they eventually recover. While this has its risks, if an investor can identify which companies exhibit the healthiest balance sheets, the canniest business models, and the clearest and most stable paths to profitability, then the sector could be a contrarian’s candy store right now full of cheap, quality stocks.
Indeed, quality plays on weakness can still make cannabis a key part of a Canadian stock portfolio built around capital appreciation. As the old saying goes, the bleeding has to stop eventually. However, investors may also want to consider low-exposure routes to the cannabis space, such as Shopify — a potentially gravity-defying growth stock with in-built diversification across retail sectors, especially if its financial horizons are broad.
Compare cannabis with precision farming, renewable energy, and the nearly infinite potential of space commerce. Legal cannabis, by comparison with these industries that will likely dominate the future of the TSX, is perhaps no more a long-range play for growth than investing in alcohol, tobacco, or non-novel pharma stocks might be. While marijuana is a strong momentum play for the near future, it’s arguably not an extreme long play.
The bottom line
HEXO’s vulnerability to an uncertain market has offered a stark reminder that cannabis upside, while substantial, may be limited. Since consumer demand in any new industry is limited by eventual saturation, the overcrowded cannabis space is perhaps not stable enough in its current state for the long-range growth investor.
This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.
Fool contributor Victoria Hetherington has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Tom Gardner owns shares of Shopify. The Motley Fool owns shares of Shopify and Shopify. Shopify is a recommendation of Stock Advisor Canada.


text: President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) Nael Kabariti and the JCC’s First President Issa Murad on Saturday discussed with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Jordan Sergiy Pasko, means of forging closer trade cooperation between the two countries as well as holding specialized trade exhibition to promote products of the two countries. The two sides highlighted opportunities available to increase trade exchange which stood at JD147 million in 2011. They urged companies from both countries to boost cooperation, economic interaction and exchange data and visits among businessmen from both countries. Kabariti stressed the importance of the ACC’s role in strengthening economic and trade with various world countries. Murad called for activating the Joint Jordanian-Ukrainian Business Council, which was launched during the visit of the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to Jordan early this year. The ambassador for his part, hailed the JCC’s role in bolstering trade and economic ties between Jordan and Ukraine.


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Washington – XM Satellite Radio Holdings nearly doubled its number of subscribers in the second quarter, adding 60,476 for a total of 136,718, a 79 percent increase, compared with the first quarter of 2002.
XM reported consolidated revenue of $3.8 million in the second quarter and $5.6 million for the six months, compared to no consolidated revenue in the second quarter of 2001 and in the six months.
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) in the second quarter, ended June 30, climbed to a loss of $79.3 million, up from $36.1 million in the year-ago period. Net loss reached $117.2 million in the second quarter, compared with $38.5 million in the same three months last year.
The variance between the financial results for the second three months in 2002 and the same period last year primarily reflect XM’s transition from building out its infrastructure to commercial operations, including sales and marketing activities.
For the six months, EBITDA expanded to a negative $155.2 million, compared with $76.1 million in the same period in 2001. The net loss climbed to $229.5 million in the six months, up from $75.4 million in the same six months last year.
XM debuted a new second-generation radio, called SkyFi. The multi-use plug and play product, which will be available in the fourth quarter, can adapt to any car or home stereo to receive XM programming.
At the same time, XM said it would add significant programming enhancements to its 100-channel lineup, including audio books, drama and classics channels and its first premium channel – Playboy Radio, offered to subscribers at $2.99 per months beginning Sept. 3.
- XM Doubles Revenue, Adds 569K Subs - May 8, 2006
- Electrolux N.A. Majap Sales Rise 16% - May 8, 2006
- Whirlpool N.A. Sales Increase 12% - May 8, 2006


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Mission Accomplished with Mission Control
For a change, this brand LISTENS not TALKS to the consumer
Have you watched PepsiCo’s new campaign for Gatorade, the energy drink brand?
It talks about a Mission Control Centre – not virtual but real – that processes realms of information from conversations about the brand teased out from all major social networking platforms. Mission Control staff then packs it into nuggets of consumer intelligence that the world’s biggest cola company can use to improve its offering; engage audience and inform subsequent campaigns – thus managing to position itself as a responsive brand that LISTENS — not TALKS to its youth audience.
Launched in April, Gatorade’s Mission Control team, under Robb O’Hagan has till date held 2,000 one-on-ones with consumers waylaid at random spots and managed 1.2 million likes on Facebook, five months ahead of schedule.
If the goal of this project, as the company proclaimed was to “take the largest sports brand in the world and turn it into the largest participatory brand in the world,” – statistically that mission appears to have been achieved.
The last couple of years have undoubtedly been really challenging for Gatorade. Sales plummeted with increasing competition from rival brands and reports about health risks associated with the drink brand. Thus even after picking up the tab for 12 of Team USA’s finest athletes, Brand G got unceremoniously knocked out from the 2012 Olympics.
One year down the line, G managers are ready to breathe new life into the uber cool brand and how!
Enter Mission Control
Mission Control monitors social-media posts about G Brand, round-the-clock. For instance, if someone happens to mention it on Twitter or Facebook, the message pops up on a giant screen at Mission Control. If it’s a negative comment – say, someone draws attention to the drink’s fructose overload – Mission Control will attempt to diffuse that crisis by posting a message with evidence to the contrary.
In addition, the team tracks all customer behaviour – who clicks ads on the G site, how long they choose to stay there and do what – and within 24 hours, produce their report for G Brand managers. Best of all, the brand managers don’t sleep on those Mission Control reports. They use those insights to revise the next banner ad and re-visit the whole content strategy.
PepsiCo claims that with this new initiative, Gatorade has been able to increase consumer engagement on social media 250% and reduce exit rate from 25% to 9%. The Mission Control strategy was also used with the campaign featuring rap singer David Banner and created a huge buzz! This was followed by another effort during the Super Bowl series for the new Gatorade G Series Pro.
In just two weeks, the G campaign has generated over 11 million social impressions, 1,400 photo submissions, 15,000 uses of #WinFromWithin, 38,000 interactions within brand channels, 81,365 new Facebook fans, 4,015 new Twitter followers and 5,050 new Instagram followers.
Down the road
Here is a market communication that doesn’t show case sexy attributes of a brand. But talks about their investment in a new technology that LISTENS, not TALKS down to the youth customer.
That’s a huge leap ahead for consumer empowerment.


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Opinion | Apple’s C.E.O. Is Making Very Different Choices From Mark Zuckerberg
Produced by ‘Sway’
It’s a dismal world when two tech giants are embroiled in a combat over your privateness. Yet right here we’re as updates from Apple that give customers extra energy over their knowledge and make third-party monitoring extra clear have despatched Facebook right into a fury. The social media large took out a full-page advert final 12 months claiming it was “standing as much as Apple.” Or maybe Facebook was standing up for its backside line, as monitoring is a crucial element of the corporate’s focused advert enterprise.
Apple’s chief government, Tim Cook, tells Kara Swisher that he’s “not centered on Facebook” and that privateness evolution is “not aimed toward an organization, it’s aimed toward a precept.”
In this episode of “Sway,” Ms. Swisher presses Mr. Cook on the motivations behind Apple’s privateness push, the facility the corporate has over app builders, and potential future Apple improvements, from augmented-reality headsets to autonomous automobiles. They additionally talk about the choice to take away Parler from the App Store after the Capitol assaults — and why Mr. Cook hopes that the right-leaning social media firm will “come again.”
Credit…Illustration by The New York Times; Photograph by Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Thoughts? Email us at [email protected] Transcripts of every episode can be found noon.
Special due to Jamie Collazo, Shannon Busta and Liriel Higa.
“Sway” is hosted by Kara Swisher, produced by Nayeema Raza, Blakeney Schick, Heba Elorbany, Matt Kwong and Daphne Chen, and edited by Nayeema Raza and Paula Szuchman; fact-checking by Kate Sinclair; music and sound design by Isaac Jones; mixing by Erick Gomez.


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Adult use cannabis sales started in Vermont on October 1st at three dispensaries. Since then, marijuana stores have grown in number, and so has the tax revenue collected by the state. Data for first the month of sales released by Vermont’s Department of Taxes indicate that $2.6 million dollars of cannabis was sold to consumers. The report disclosed that $329,231 was collected from the 14% excise tax on cannabis purchases. This puts Vermont on track to hit their projection to collect $2 million dollars in excise tax by July 1, 2023.
Officials hope to see the numbers increase as more cannabis establishments are given authorization to open their doors. Another report should be available in January that will outline the cannabis tax revenue collected during the month of November. Vermont was the third New England state to launch adult-use cannabis sales.
Find the full story from Seven Days VT on their website here: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/vermont-cannabis-sales-totaled-26-million-during-first-month/
Additional information on this story from Heady Vermont is available here: https://headyvermont.com/2022/12/21/vermont-cannabis-retail-sales-totaled-2-6-million-in-october/


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Dozens of naked animal rights protesters covered their bodies in fake blood on Sunday (local time) in Barcelona as part of a protest against the fur industry.
The protest, organised by animal rights organisation AnimaNaturalis, took place in the central Catalunya square.
Organisers say more than 32 million animals are "sacrificed and skinned" in the EU every year to provide fur to the clothing industry.
Spain is hosting a two-week global climate summit in Madrid where world leaders will be under pressure to forge ahead with attempts to curb temperature rises.
AnimaNaturalis on Sunday pointed at the meat industry for their role in climate change while calling for the adaptation of a vegan diet to help decrease carbon dioxide levels.
"More than 70 brave activists put themselves in the shoes of the animal victims of the fur and leather industry," the organisation said on Twitter. "Cruelty is not elegant!
"How many lives do you need to make a single fur coat?"
New Zealand vegan activist Dr Michael Morris last week told The AM Show "we don't need to eat animals.
"We cause immense suffering in New Zealand alone," he said. "We kill more animals than we've killed in all the wars in the 20th century," said Morris, a spokesperson for vegan activist group Gummy Bears.
Gummy Bears has been leading an Auckland-wide initiative to place stickers on stop signs so they read "STOP eating animals".
Vegans have upped their activism in New Zealand this year. Last weekend, dozens of activists protested as part of a coordinated, nationwide effort - including a brief disruption of the annual Christmas parade.


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Or you could just buy them because the price is great and you like monster energy drinks. Us energy drink death case prompts calls for australian.
They have to be seen looking at id on security cams (now that is only on products that have a legal age limit.
Do you have to be 18 to buy monster energy drinks. Orange and strawberry are the most popular flavors for energy drinks. Some people have even died from energy drinks. The sweeping ban, to cover higher caffeine drinks like red bull and monster, will apply to all.
Some stores will sell any age an energy drink. For teenagers with unholy metabolisms who need energy to deal with puberty, perhaps that's a reasonable amount. Red bull makes approximately $1.32 billion every year, which makes them the top player with 35% of total sales.
Java monster swiss chocolate, 15 fl oz can, 12 ct. Energy drink is a beverage that contains high concentration of stimulants, majorly caffeine, taurine, ginseng, guarana, and others. Healthy adults can still have energy drinks regularly, as long as they don’t overdo it.
Nearly 70% of uk children aged 10 to 17 years old consume energy drinks, according to the government’s childhood obesity plan. But, most of the problems with energy drinks come from the amount that you’re drinking and the speed you drink it. Uk government to ban the sale of energy drinks to minors.
Amazon also has ready player two preorders marked down 34% today, and. In an unprecedented move by the uk government, energy drinks like red bull and monster will be banned from sale to children under the age. Jan 23, 2019 8:40am est.
The sports drink lucozade is also being flagged along with drinks like red bull and monster, and. Some stores require id no matter how old one appears to be. There's really no wrong answer here.
People who have heart disease or high blood pressure are also at additional risk. Some uk supermarket chains have now introduced age restrictions on energy drinks, which means customers must be 16 or older to buy any drink containing 150mg of caffeine per litre, the mirror reports. Sun 18 nov 2018 19.01 est.
Energy drinks can be harmful to kids and adolescents, and should not be sold or marketed to children under 18, according to a new study by a consumer advocacy group. These concerns were given new urgency last month, when it was learned that five people may have died over the past three years after consuming monster energy drinks, a popular energy drink that is high in caffeine. During the competition period, you need to buy in one transaction, any 2 x 500ml monster energy® drink cans, 1 x multipack (4x500ml) monster energy® drink cans or 2 x 550ml superfuel monster energy® drink bottles (all variants, excluding vending machine purchases) (qualifying purchase) from a participating store and retain your receipt as.
Theresa may is set to ban the sale of energy drinks to kids in a sugary beverages crackdown. 77 mg per 8 fl oz serving (179 mg per can). I dont think every one is aware that there is an age limit on energy drinks.
It takes 12 hours for the body to remove the caffeine in your system after drinking an energy drink. During the promotion period, you need to buy any 2 x 500ml monster energy® drink cans, 1 x multipack (4x500ml) monster energy® drink cans or 2 x 550ml superfuel monster energy® drink bottles (all variants) in one transaction (excluding online and vending machine purchases) (qualifying purchase) from a participating coles express store and. Men between the ages of 18 and 34 consume the most energy drinks.
The global energy drinks market size was valued at $53.01 billion in 2018, and is expected to grow at a cagr of 7.20% to reach $86.01 billion by 2026. And those who do so are drinking on average 50% more than the eu. Depending on your monster of choice, the sugar content will fluctuate.
We all know that chugging down can after can of monster, red bull, or rock star ain't exactly healthy, yet some of us chug down multiple doses of energy drinks every day.an adult endangering his. Shoppers across the country have been left confused after being asked for id to buy energy drinks. Childrens’ health campaigners and teachers have joined forces to urge the government to set its proposed ban in england on the sale of energy drinks to youngsters at.
T he monster beverage corporation mnst stock witnessed a comeback on the back of solid momentum in the energy drinks business amid a challenging industry backdrop.


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The organization is hoping that cryptocurrency donations and blockchain technology can help their cause.
A South African town is going crazy for a new investment company, but some expect it to be a house of cards about to fall apart.
Uganda’s central bank continues to warn against cryptos, while a survey shows Africans are getting confused by digital currencies.
An ad claimed the crown price was offering to give back to the people, but really it was an attempt to scam them.
Continuing its plans of global domination, Huobi has started on its expansion into the Turkish market.
Founding President of the Bitcoin Association Jimmy Nguyen brings the latest updates on the developments in the Bitcoin SV ecosystem, this time from Bogota, Colombia.


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Hockey Canada and Nike are officially unveiling the Olympic hockey jerseys that will be worn by Canada’s men’s, women’s and sledge hockey teams as they skate for Gold in Sochi next year.
Canada's Olympic hockey jerseys unveiled
Team Canada's hockey jerseys for the Sochi Olympics were unveiled on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013. (Hockey Canada)
, Last Updated: 4:01 PM ET


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Fans will surely be looking for Mut 23 coins Early Access once again, and here's what we know so far about the things they will see in Madden 23.
While we're still waiting on new information regarding Madden 23 in the coming year, going forward, there are things we expect to see back from last year.
The big one for some players will be the 10 hour EA Play Trial, which might allow players to play for many days prior to launch.
We've got more information here on what Early Access could work for Madden 23.
At the moment as of right now, the expected Madden 23 release date is August 19, 2022.
Though it's not confirmed yet but this could be in cheap madden nfl 23 coins line perfectly with the timeframe that was decided upon for the release of Madden 22.


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Food drive set to honor graduating Girl Scouts
RIDGEFIELD - The Ridgefield Girl Scouts are asking for help in collecting 47 boxes of canned goods to honor the town's 47 graduating high school senior Girl Scouts.
The goal is to collect at least one box of food in honor of each of the girls. The food will be distributed to the Ridgefield Food Bank and to ROAR, or Ridgefield Operation Animal Rescue, and DAWS, or Danbury Animal Welfare Society.
The drive is underway now and will continue through May, culminating in and end-of-year ceremony on June 3 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Ridgefield High School's auditorium. At that time, 435 older Girl Scouts in grades 5 though 12 will be recognized.
"This is an excellent time for the food drive," said Mary Ann Baldwin, director of Social Services. "We had a spike in the number of families with children using our food pantry. We're grateful for the huge infusion of food we are expecting from the Girl Scouts' efforts."
Baldwin said there is a cycle to food donations coming in to Social Service's pantry. It starts in September or October with the Jewish High Holy Days, when Temple Searith Israel has a huge food drive. Then comes the holidays, starting with Thanksgiving and ending with New Years. Come spring the cycle begins to wain. The Girl Scouts food drive, accompanied by a recent drive by Temple Shearith Israel, will provide the food for the pantry to get through summer, Baldwin said.
Scout leader Eloise Barron noted that each year, small gifts are given to Girl Scouts graduating from high school. The gift of honoring the 47 graduating Ridgefield High School Girl Scouts by collecting food for those in need in their name is the best gift they could be given.
"Their gift is knowing that a family has a warm meal or a kitten has food because of their service," Barron said. "These girls have given years of service to their community with many of them having joined Girl Scouts in kindergarten."
Beth Jones, 18, is one of the graduating seniors who has been in scouts since kindergarten.
"I would never ask to get a reward for the things I did in Girl Scouts," Jones said. "The biggest reward was the experience I had and the person I've become through Girl Scouts. But I think this is a great idea. It's what Girl Scouts is really about."


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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 13 (ANI): State-wide restrictions that were put in place by the Maharashtra government to curb the spread of the COVID-19 infection will continue till June 1.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had first announced lockdown-like restrictions on May 1, amid a huge surge of coronavirus cases in the state.
As per the order, any person entering the state will have to carry a negative RT-PCR report issued up to 48 hours prior to their entry.
Milk collection, transport and processing may be allowed without restrictions though its retail sale will only be allowed subject to restrictions imposed on shops dealing with essential items or through home delivery.
The order further stated that personnel engaged in airport and port services and needed for the movement of cargo-related to medicines or equipment needed for COVID-19 management will be allowed to travel in local and metro services.
Maharashtra remains the worst COVID-affected state in the country. The lockdown has, however, brought down cases.
A total of 46,781 new COVID-19 cases, 58,805 discharges and 816 deaths were reported in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours.
The total positive cases stands at 52,26,710, including 78,007 deaths, 46,00,196 recoveries and 5,46,129 active cases. (ANI)


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The apparent widespread lack of available workers at retail threatens to turn shoppers even more towards online commerce; this at a time when the supply chain can barely handle existing orders. Extreme measures taken by the most congested ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are yielding some results, but progress remains slow as the backlog was many months in building to such levels. Shipping companies now face fines that grow exponentially for each day empty containers sit at the port.
Operations at both ports are, in theory, running round the clock, though drivers still report issues gaining access at their assigned loading/unloading times. Some produce quality issues are being seen due to the long wait times at various points along the supply chain. Other measures are being used, such as allowing for containers to be stacked higher than normal, lessening the footprint as they are stored. Everyone involved in the logistics knows they are racing the clock, not only for the holiday season, but more immediately for the fresh fruits and vegetables passing through the ports.
Mexican avocado crossings through Texas expected to remain about the same. Trading was moderate as little harvest took place early in the week due to a holiday in Mexico. A wide range in prices was reported though overall prices remained generally unchanged. Demand fairly light on smaller sizes as volumes remain relatively heavy.
Peruvian imports of blueberries arriving through the Philadelphia and New York City areas movement via boat is expected to decrease as the season is past peak. Trading was moderate at lower prices. Quality reported as mostly good, although the product arriving is beginning to show effects of the end of the season. Mexican blueberry crossings through Arizona, California, and Texas movement expected about the same. Trading was very slow at lower prices.
Quality is reported as variable. Peruvian imports arriving through Southern California movement via boat is expected to decrease seasonally. Trading was slow with prices lower.
Cucumber movement from Mexico crossing through Nogales, Arizona is expected to increase seasonally. Trading was active early and fairly slow later, as heavy volumes and lower prices than other growing areas continue. Prices were much lower than last week and expected to continue to drop even further. Movement of Mexican cucumber crossings through Texas is expected about the same, with moderate trading on light available supplies. Prices on most sizes were
generally unchanged, with large slightly higher and most available supplies still reserved for contracts or previous commitments.
Mexican cucumber crossings through Otay Mesa are expected to decrease seasonally. Trading was moderate with prices on medium much lower and others lower. Shippers continue to drop their prices to compete with Nogales product. Cucumbers out of South Georgia movement expected to remain about the same. Trading was moderate at lower prices. Demand remains good and shippers are able to move product quickly. Cucumbers out of Central and South Florida movement is expected to increase. Trading was fairly slow and demand moderate as the first F.O.B. price report for waxed cucumbers has been issued.
Click here for the full report


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COVID lockdowns apparently are good for at least one thing: all that extra time to spend flipping through a magazine — a down-and-out corner of the media industry that got an unexpected boost last year.
The second year of the pandemic brought a surprisingly sharp rebound in new print magazines, fueled by special interest, niche glossies. And — perhaps not so surprisingly — sex mags.
New magazine launches totaled 122, up from 60 that launched in 2020. The data comes from Samir Husni, a recently retired professor and founder of University of Mississippi’s Magazine Innovation Center at the School of Journalism and New Media, who bills himself as “Mr. Magazine.”
“If there’s one word that sums up the recent crop of magazines it’s individualism,” said Husni, who has been tracking new US magazine launches since 1978. “More individuals are finding an escape in print and sort of a validation of what they’re doing.”
The new launches are overwhelmingly niche-oriented, with low frequencies — quarterly or bimonthly, and although they more than doubled from the prior year, they are far from the industry’s last golden era when the internet was in its early days of growth.
For instance, in 2000, there were 333 new launches, and in 2003, there were 454, a year later, in 2004 Husni recorded a record number of new launches, with 473. (Even as recently as 2019 there were 139 new launches.)
Somewhat ironically, Husni said the pandemic is “helping” grow niche magazines that cover topics ranging from cannabis, cryptocurrencies and sex to women in business, African-American culture, life in the mountains and fashion.
In 2021, the most launches came from the special interest category with 17 new glossies, followed closely by sex magazines with 14.
Husni said that the resurgence in adult magazines like “Jugs” – not to be confused with the ’90s nudie mag “Juggs” – is due in part to the fact that consumers prefer “privacy.” He explained that adult magazines declined with the rise of online porn, but now, more than ever, consumers are opting to buy print magazines because they are wary of being “tracked” online.
Husni also called out “Bitcoin Magazine,” which covers the world of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as an example of the power of print. He explained that the magazine, which initially launched in 2012, made its return in print after a five-year hiatus in order to give “validity” to a currency that isn’t tangible.
“If it’s not in print it’s not really real,” he surmised.
He also noted that some launches are coming from familiar faces. Alan Katz, the former publisher of mags like New York, Interview, Vanity Fair and the defunct Cargo, launched “The Mountains,” an upscale lifestyle glossy targeting people who live in the Catskills and the Berkshires.
The retired professor also gave a nod to the Grazia’s US debut, which was launched by Dylan Howard, the controversial National Enquirer editor turned CEO of Grazia US-parent Pantheon Media, as well as Empire Media and Radar Media Group.
The quarterly fashion magazine stood out to Husni because it launched in the US in September with 356 pages, three separate covers and carrying roughly 80 advertising pages.
Grazia, which carries a $14.99 cover price, uses a closed circulation model, meaning it is distributed directly to 200,000 high-net worth individuals who are responsible for 50 percent of the nation’s wealth and luxury spending, the company said. That offers a potential high return-on-investment to luxury advertisers, according to Tanya Amini, Grazia US Vice President & General Manager.
“It’s unheard of. It’s the exception,” Husni said of the Italian fashion magazine’s US launch. “The other magazines that launched this year barely have advertising. They are circulation-driven.”
But one thing Grazia has in common with those smaller publications is that it is released four times a year, which is a sign of the times, he said.
“It’s an economic issue. Magazines are no longer an impulse buy,” Husni explained. “Nobody is going to buy a $14 magazine on impulse.”
The decline of magazines has been a constant over the years as the internet has exploded and consumers are reading publications digitally or streaming content instead.
According to Alliance for Audited Media, print circulations across the top 50 US magazines have fallen by 7 percent over the past two years to 116 million, while newsstand sales declined 11 percent to 2.8 million in the first half of this year.
“We are so bombarded by information,” Husni added. “There’s no more room for general interest magazines. Magazine editors now have to be more curators than creators. I tell them, if I can find the answer on Google, it doesn’t need to be in a magazine.”


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The day before their wedding the pair ate brunch at the French residence of designer Valentino – Chateau de Wideville:
Later that evening Kimye had their pre-wedding dinner at the Palace of Versailles. Lana Del Rey serenaded the couple at the event which ended with fireworks lighting up the night:
For the wedding the couple hopped on an airplane and said their “I dos” in a private ceremony at Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy. After the nuptials, the new bride and groom were treated to a personal performance of “All of Me” by John Legend.
According to a source with Us, the couple plan on renewing their vows in celebration of their one year anniversary. Taking all of this over-the-top celebrating down a notch the pair are said to be merely renting out the Eiffel Tower for this occasion.
In addition to renting out one of the most notable structures man has ever constructed, the insider noted they’ve also booked the lavish 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant for a private event.


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This file photo, taken on April 29, shows Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S20 smartphones displayed at a store in Seoul. (Yonhap)
Samsung Electronics Co. was the top vendor in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) smartphone market in the third quarter of the year, a report showed Wednesday, despite sales decline.
Samsung shipped 29.6 million smartphones in the EMEA market in the July-September period for a 31.8 percent market share, according to industry researcher International Data Corp. (IDC).
The figures were slightly down from a year ago when the company shipped 31.6 million smartphones for a 34.7 percent market share.
However, the South Korean tech giant was able to defend its top spot with solid performance in Europe.
"Samsung had a strong quarter across Europe, and its share rose above a third of the market to 37.1 percent in the third quarter," IDC said. "It was clearly one of the brands that benefitted from Huawei's retrenchment."
Samsung was followed by Xiaomi Corp., which moved up three spots to take second place with robust sales increase in Europe.
The Chinese electronics giant shipped 13.4 million smartphones in the EMEA market, up 121.9 percent from a year ago, for a 14.4 percent share.
Its Chinese compatriot Transsion moved up to the No. 3 spot with a 13.4 percent market share after shipping 12.4 million smartphones in third quarter, up 43.9 percent from a year ago.
Apple Inc. dropped to fourth place with a 12.7 percent share, with its iPhone shipments declining 0.2 percent on-year to 11.8 million units.
China's Huawei Technologies dived from the runner-up position to the fifth spot after its smartphone shipments plunged 37.8 percent on-year to 10.8 million units in the third quarter.
The overall EMEA smartphone market grew 2.1 percent on-year to 93.1 million units in the third quarter for a value of $27.7 billion, according to IDC. In Europe alone, smartphone shipments stood at 53.2 million, with the average sales price reaching $392.
IDC said it expects the EMEA smartphone market in the fourth quarter to be "relatively subdued" and not to be bigger than a year ago. (Yonhap)


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World's largest gold consumer India reiterated it's commitment to cut gold imports by planning it to make expensive.
NEW DELHI(BullionStreet): World's largest gold consumer India reiterated it’s commitment to cut gold imports by planning it to make expensive.
Country's finance minister P Chidambaram said “demand for gold must be moderated... We may be left with no choice but to make it more expensive to import gold.
The matter is under government consideration," Gold import is a major constituent of India's rising Current Account Deficit (CAD).
The CAD, which represents the difference between exports and imports after considering cash remittances and payment, widened to a record high of 5.4 percent.
The government is considering more steps to reduce gold import by making it more expensive, he said.
In value terms, gold imports stood at $20.2 billion in the April-September period of the current fiscal, a decline of 30.3 per cent over the corresponding period a year ago.
For the entire 2011-12 fiscal, gold imports stood at $56.2 billion. The decline was mainly on account of increase in customs duty on gold imports by government in January and March 2012.
India doubled the basic customs duty on standard gold bars to four per cent and on non-standard gold to 10 per cent.
The country also imposed one per cent excise duty on unbranded jewellery, which was subsequently rolled back after protest from jewellers across the country.
Currently, the government is also making efforts to channelise investor money into equities and other financial instruments to reduce demand for the yellow metal.
The CAD had risen to 4.2 per cent of GDP in the 2011-12 fiscal on account of high gold import and increasing prices of crude oil in international markets India's gold imports showed some moderation in July-September, with bullion's share of total imports declining to 8.9 percent compared to 11.6 percent in same quarter in previous year.
However, analysts said gold imports may have risen in the October-December quarter which included the Diwali and marriage season, and imports may remain high as real returns from domestic deposits remain low.


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Gold is considered ‘God’s Money’ in India and has been a store of value for over 3000 years. For many investors, allocation to Gold has always been seen as a secure investment option as it may work as an inflation hedge, bears significantly less risk than Indian Stock, diversifies a portfolio, and has high intrinsic value.
Amidst the pandemic when people are hesitant to visit jewellery shops, gold dealers and deal with the downsides of buying gold physically like storage, checking purity, acquiring the gold digitally and online has come as a perfect solution for investors. Digital gold allows the investors to hold physical gold while taking advantage of cutting-edge technology that avoids the hassles of inspecting physical gold for purity and then figuring out a safe storage.
Why are Fintechs tapping it?
As a result of the pandemic, people have learned the value of investing. Gold has traditionally been an important part of every Indian's investment portfolio. Over the last few years, customers have been increasingly opting for digital gold purchases.
Ashraf Rizvi, Founder & CEO, Digital Swiss Gold & Gilded said, “Gold has and will continue to be part of an Indian investor’s portfolio, and given that gold buying continues throughout the year, digital gold provides convenience that benefits both the customer as well as the provider. Further, the guarantee of purity, safety, and easy reselling of digital gold is driving its demand among customers. As a result, many fintechs are including digital gold in their product portfolio to engage with a new-class of digitally savvy investors.”
Tier 2 & 3 Cities Driving Growth
There has been an uptick in digital gold demand over the last few months, Terence says, the weight of gold sold by PhonePe in the first few months of 2021 is over 250% of the gold sold during the same period in 2020. He adds “Our customers for Gold belong to various income segments ranging from those who save and accumulate gold by buying small amounts to those with large purchases worth INR 1 lakh per month. Customers now regularly buy gold throughout the year and increase their purchases, during festivals or special occasions such as birthdays, marriages, anniversaries etc. We have seen significant and broad-based adoption of Gold since our launch. Almost 60% of customers who buy Gold on our platform come from Tier 3 cities and beyond.”
Upstox has also witnessed similar trends, Ravi adds, “We have seen 14X growth between December 2020 and May 2021. More than 75% of orders for digital gold are from Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns.”
Ashraf Rizvi believes that when it comes to digital gold offerings, trust is an important factor, both for the buyer and the provider. Digital Gold providers can partner financial marketplaces and personal finance advisors to offer digital gold as an investment option to their existing client base. FinTech Super Apps is another way for digital gold companies to promote their services.
Ravi from Upstox says while onboarding partners we consider attributes like 24*7 access, transparency, purity of gold and security.
PhonePe has partnered with SafeGold and MMTC-PAMP. Both SafeGold & MMTC-PAMP products (gold coins/bars) are certified for purity by assay certifying agencies. Terence said, “Customers can continue to buy more gold and expand their gold portfolio/savings to fulfil their financial goals, sell it at any time and have their money put into their bank account, and request delivery of gold coins and bars to their doorstep.”
As a commodity gold appeals to both serious investors and traditional buyers. The yellow metal holds sentimental value and is considered to be a lucrative asset in the long run. Terence said, “PhonePe believes that millions of Indians will prefer buying gold digitally due to the high level of trust, convenience, and affordability.”
With respect to partnership trends, Ashraf believes with the overall banking and financial services industry in India undergoing digitisation, personal finance, including gold investment platforms, will also pick-up pace to meet the demands of the new age customer.
Ravi adds that technology has played a significant role in increasing the adoption of this emerging investment instrument and the investment in digital gold will be on an upward trajectory in the coming years.


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Unilever owned Ben & Jerry’s, which has been luring people for decades with its frozen yoghurt, ice cream, and sorbet preparations, is now set to debut its new line of non-dairy frozen treats for pets. These ice cream like concoctions, called “Doggie Desserts”, will be available in pet stores and supermarkets in two flavors, named after two real dogs in Ben & Jerry’s office.
The “Rosie’s Batch” flavor features a combination of mini cookies and pumpkin, whereas the “Pontch’s Mix” flavor comes with pretzel swirls and peanut butter.
Reliable sources highlight that the treats are made using dog-friendly ingredients that comprise a sunflower-butter base along with other ‘high quality ingredients’ including wheat flour, sugar, and coconut oil, that are found in Ben & Jerry’s conventional ice cream. These concoctions are available at the price of $4.99 for a pack of four or $2.99 for a 4-ounce cup.
As per Ben & Jerry’s Global Marketing Specialist, Lindsay Bumps, the company is aware that it’s fans love their dogs and look upon them as family and has, therefore, created this product line so that dogs could enjoy something that is much better than belly rubs. Bumps has further emphasized that “Doggie Desserts” are the sweetest treat that pets would ever put their paws on.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Ben & Jerry’s is entering into a growing space sparked by a surge in pet adoptions given that people stuck at home are looking of companionship. The year 2020 registered a rally of 8 per cent to $4.6 billion in terms of sales of dog treats, suggesting that the pet industry is resilient to recession, if is not recession-proof.
Studies over the Great Recession have recorded that there was an increase in consumer expenditure on pet essentials, despite a decline in the total spending.
As explained by Ryan Cohen, the Founder of Chewy, pets do not consume less during recessions and pet products are last thing that people typically pull back on.


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Masterflex Wants to Sell Activities in Electric Mobility
On 10 November the Executive Board of the German public company Masterflex AG announced its decision to sell its (electric) Mobility Group, the last remaining non-core business activity of the Masterflex Group. The sale of
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany – On 10 November the Executive Board of the German public company Masterflex AG announced its decision to sell its (electric) Mobility Group, the last remaining non-core business activity of the Masterflex Group.
The sale of the (electric) Mobility Group will complete the restructuring of the Group initiated in 2008 as part of the Group’s long-term strategy to focus its activities on the core business High-Tech Hose Systems. The Group is now actively seeking a buyer for the Electric Mobility group(as a whole or parts of it) and is already holding initial discussions for this purpose.
The company’s mobility activities – since 2008 under the Masterflex Mobility GmbH roof – are focusing on fuel cell technology equipped cargo bike and velo taxis, e-Bikes and electric drivetrains. In the field of fuel cell technology bikes and e-Bikes Masterflex is the joint venture partner of Berlin-based Clean Air Bike GmbH. GM of Clean Air Bike is Lorenz Hoser, GM of joint-venture partner Hawk Bikes E&M GmbH (brands Hawk, Hawk Classic and Nox Cycles). In drivetrain systems Masterflex is the joint venture partner of Herten-based Velodrive GmbH, a system supplier for electric motorcycles and bicycles as well as drivetrains for scooters for handicapped people.
According to a press release the Executive Board of Masterflex AG will now “press ahead quickly with the sale process and will actively examine separate sales of individual Mobility equity investments and/or cooperations with partners as well as a complete sale of the Group”.
The reason for the sale is rooted in the high growth and diversification strategy of the years following the IPO that led to a high level of debt and considerable distortions of the balance sheet. In the 2008 financial year, the absolutely essential restructuring measures to refocus Masterflex AG’s activities on the core business High-Tech Hose Systems started, as the debt burden in particular had by then grown to an overwhelming extent, even threatening the company’s survival.