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Esato News Archive
WARNING: Mobile phone conversations are easily intercepted.
May 31, 2005SecureGSM is designed to combat eavesdropping and interception by providing Military Grade security for your confidential mobile phone conversations and messaging.
Candy Shop Hits Sweet Spot in Germany's New Ringtone Chart
May 31, 2005Candy Shop, originally recorded by 50 Cent, has become the bestselling ringtone in the first ever official German chart, launched today by the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF).
GODZILLA on Mobile
May 28, 2005Indiagames partners with Toho Co Ltd. to capture the monster’s mayhem on mobile phones globally excluding Japan.
MobiTV Expands to Europe with Orange UK Launch
May 28, 2005Today, for the first time UK consumers can view live broadcast and made-for-mobile TV on their mobile handsets.
Hollywood content to India’s 50+ Million mobile phone Subscribers
May 28, 2005Third Channel Communications LLC, a leading mobile marketing and media company, has made it as easy as one phone call. The company is currently negotiating with India’s premiere entertainment portals to provide Hollywood content to mobile phone subscribers in India and South East Asia.
Bluetooth enabled panic alarm
May 26, 2005An electronic design services company, today announced the successful delivery of a demonstrable Bluetooth solution to allow to bring to market a Bluetooth-enabled panic alarm that operates with both a Bluetooth-enabled GSM phone and a satellite handset.
Nokia launches new Linux based Internet Tablet product category
May 25, 2005Today Nokia introduced its first device in the new Internet Tablet category, the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, at the LinuxWorld Summit in New York. The Nokia 770 Internet Tablet enables easy broadband access to the Internet over Wi-Fi
Documents To Go for Sony Ericsson
May 24, 2005DataViz's Award-Winning Documents To Go Now Available for Sony Ericsson P800, P900 and P910 Smartphones.
Pantech launches revolutionary T-slide phones
May 24, 2005Pantech has just launched its “revolutionary" new T-slide, multimedia models,the PT-S110 and the PT-K1100.
Vodaphone Simply:a new easy to use mobile
May 24, 2005Vodafone UK today launches a new, stylish mobile with an emphasis on making using a phone easy.
Nokia 7270 by Versace
May 22, 2005Donatella Versace designed a Limited Edition of the Nokia 7270 for her charity Life Ball 2005 project and is limited to 727 pieces.
3 launches UK's first mobile blogging service
May 21, 20053, the UK's first video mobile network, today announced the first mobile blogging service. Over 3 million customers of 3 can now instantly share pictures or video clips captured on their video mobile via the web.
Navicore launches UK GPS kit for Symbian
May 20, 2005Navicore Personal is being launched today in the UK offering mobile phone users the next-generation navigation system that works directly on their handsets.
Orange UK Launches TV On Mobile Phones
May 20, 2005Orange today announced the launch of the UK’s first TV-on-the-mobile service Orange TV allowing customers to watch news, sport and entertainment programmes on their phone.
May 19, 2005Technojewelry incorporates emerging technologies into everyday attire.
Sony Ericsson photo competition
May 18, 2005Sony Ericsson is to encourage students to post embarrassing photos of themselves and their friends online as part of the launch campaign for the k300.
May 18, 2005doc-u is an interactive installation made up of visual self-documentation.The project exploits user-friendly technology (mobile phone cams and Macromedia Flash) to allow multiple images to be shown simultaneously.
Mobile phones answer credit card debt problem
May 18, 2005New survey reveals British public wants credit card payment authorisation by text message to control mounting debt
First two-megapixel camera phone in the United States
May 18, 2005Samsung today announced the first two-megapixel camera phone in the United States, the Sprint PCS VisionSM Multimedia Phone MM-A800 by Samsung.
Nokia Expanding N-Gage Experience Across Smartphones
May 18, 2005N-Gage At E3 Showcases Immersive Games And Next-Generation Mobile Gaming.
First worldwide radio receiver on mobile phones
May 17, 2005VirtualRadio is a software application for Symbian Series 60 mobile phones that will allow users to receive MP3 Internet radio stations via a data stream.
First Mobile Phone-Based Self-Service Software Products
May 17, 2005SNAPin,the first company to deliver self-service software for mobile phones, today announced worldwide availability of the SNAPin SelfService product suite.
World's first camera phone nutrition service launches
May 16, 2005There's some pretty cool new technology, just launched in New York, that's going to stand the diet industry on its head. You can now be in touch with your own personal nutrition coach at all times by using your camera phone.
O2 & ntl to trial multi-channel TV to mobiles
May 13, 2005First UK user trial of multi-channel TV to mobile phones.Ntl brings together industry players Sony, Nokia and O2, Trial to test business model and consumer preferences for mobile TV.
Launch of the Mobile Web Initiative
May 13, 2005Today,at the World Wide Web Consortium announced the launch of the Mobile Web Initiative an endeavor to make Web access from a mobile device as simple, easy,and convenient as Web access from a desktop device.
World's First Windows Mobile 5.0 Device
May 11, 2005HTC announced its plans to release the world's first 3G Windows Mobile 5.0-based device, the HTC Universal.
Microsoft Releases Windows Mobile 5.0
May 10, 2005Bill Gates chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft,announced the release to manufacturing of Windows Mobile 5.0.
The New Vertu Ascent Pink
May 10, 2005Vertu the world’s first and only manufacturer of handcrafted, luxury unveils a new exuberant colour variant: Vertu Ascent Pink.
Sony Ericsson Interactive Tennis Experience
May 09, 2005Join the ‘Girls on Tour’ with Sony Ericsson Interactive Tennis Experience.New online services connect fans with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.
Mobile penetration in Western Europe is forecast to reach 100% by 2007
May 05, 2005Active mobile penetration in Western Europe is expected to continue to grow strongly despite having reached 90% at the end of 2004, according to a new report.
3 Offers Hit Show 'Celebrity Wrestling' On Mobile Screen
May 05, 20053 the UK's first video mobile network, and Granada,are bringing the latest ITV hit show, Celebrity Wrestling, to video mobiles for the first time. Thanks to the new agreement, over 3 million customers on 3's network can watch the show's highlights, plus backstage outtakes only available on mobile.
Bluetooth To Include Ultra Wide Band In Future Specs
May 05, 2005The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced its intent to work with the developers of the wireless technology commonly known as Ultra-wideband (UWB) to combine strengths of both technologies.
Ericsson, 3 & Mobeon launch first mobile video mail
May 05, 20053, Ericsson, and Mobeon present Nordics’ first video mail messaging service, i.e:3 VoiceMail with video, a service that simplifies and upgrades current voicemail. Video mail makes 3 the first 3G operator in the Nordics that offers a total mobile answering service in the new mobile networks.
Mobiado Launched the Professional -SPEC A: Professional for North America
May 01, 2005Mobiado Professional Spec A encompasses all the luxurious and technological features of the Mobiado Professional but is designed to take advantage of the 850MHz networks for the North American market.
Travel service delivered directly to mobile
May 01, 2005Smart Global launches the all in one travel service delivered directly to mobile phones.


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by Dheeraj Tagra
02-January-2019 | 9 mins read
Apparel Resources picks 14 such people from Indian textile and apparel industry who did something different or extraordinary in 2018, which inspires others to do something like them. Some of these 14 are established and well known in the entire industry, while few others, despite maintaining low profile, are worth to be called Movers and Shakers due to their initiatives. Interestingly, these Movers and Shakers cover most of the categories or segments in the textile and apparel industry.
India to Jordan
Gautam Nair, MD, Matrix Clothing, Gurgaon; EC member AEPC and Chairman – CII National Committee on Textiles and Apparel
Running a successful garmenting company in India, Matrix Clothing has strategic tie-ups in both Bangladesh and Vietnam, and also a reach in textile-related business (trims and leather). As a part of a major decision, Nair has invested in his first garment expansion, outside India to Jordan.
Deepak Seth, Chairman, Pearl Global Industries, Gurgaon
Among the truly global players in India, Deepak Seth has manufacturing and buying operations across the globe. But this is old news. What puts him among the Movers and Shakers of 2018 is his positive thinking and fresh views. In the middle of 2018, contrary to what a majority of the industry was saying, Seth was of the view, “There is now a barrier to entry into our industry, so it is difficult for new players to get in. This means that exporters who are fully compliant under international standards have a huge opportunity to grow, especially since China is slowly exiting the apparel space.”
Expansion, Expansion and Expansion
Sanjay Lalbhai, CMD, Arvind Ltd.
Arvind Ltd. is one of the few Indian corporates having a strong reach in every aspect of the textile value chain, be it fabric manufacturing, apparel brands, direct retailing, manufacturing and technical textiles. In 2018, the company expanded in a big way, especially in manufacturing, be it the launch of its largest garmenting hub in Bavla (Ahmedabad) or starting of operations in Ranchi. The company was always in news during 2018 and for all the good reasons.
Growing in India, in Indonesia too
Lalit Gulati, CMD, Modelama Exports, Gurgaon
In 2018, Modelama Exports expanded its operation in Indonesia where it had started its first overseas factory five years ago. The company is also doing well in India and focusing a lot on worker welfare. Managing factories in India and abroad with equal success is commendable.
Young and Visionary
Zahir Seth, Director, ITC, Tirupur
One must meet this young entrepreneur. With his innovative concept of a different kind of green factory and broader vision of what sustainability stands for, Zahir is among the few who doesn’t want to sell just apparels to his buyers. His focus is on selling the concept of an awesome factory which is not only green, but also has high productivity and good quality.
Strong Lobbyist for Textile Industry
Sanjay Jain, Chairman CITI; MD, TT Ltd; Past Chairman – NITRA/TSC/NITMA, Vice President – FOHMA /WBHA, Committee Member/Invitee – TEXPROCIL, NSDC, SIMA, ICC, CITI-CDRA, IAAI, MCCI & CAI
Sanjay is one of the strongest industry persons to lobby for the industry not only at various platforms, but also in the corridors of power. He was very much active in 2018, instrumental in celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of CITI on a grand scale. His company was also on a growth track, announcing expansion and thrust on garmenting.
Sudhir Dhingra, CMD, Orient Craft, Gurgaon
Sudhir Dhingra was among the first exporters to move beyond Delhi, shifting factories to Gurgaon and then towards Rajasthan but now he is aggressively focusing on expanding in Ranchi. His efforts are instrumental in bringing in more apparel manufacturers to Ranchi. He has also invested in an Apparel Park in the city and is very confident that the future of industry is in smaller towns.
Kishore Biyani, Founder and CEO of Future Group
Counted among the pioneers in giving the unorganised retail sector in India its current shape, just being a giant retailer is not enough for Kishore Biyani. His strength is foresight which is making him successful. His deal with Amazon in 2018 is really a bold step.
Strategic and Successful Planning
Neeraj Jain, JMD, Vardhman Textile Industries
Backed by an amazing company culture, with a perfect approach and balance between expansion and consolidation, Neeraj Jain has quietly come out from the shadows of the Chairman and has strategically propelled Vardhman to growth. The company regularly expands but takes at least two to three years in between for consolidation because it believes that this makes one financially better… and get support capacity to expand further.
Brand, Style, Sourcing: Completely Indian
Baba Ramdev, Yoga Guru and Founder of Patanjali Group
After many successful ventures in the FMCG segment, Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali started its own apparel store in 2018. It has already become a hit with the consumer and has proved successful like other Patanjali businesses and will definitely create strong challenges for established apparel brands and retailers.
Shining in Sustainability
Bimal Arora, Chairperson, Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) and Assistant Professor in Management, CSR and Sustainability at Aston Business School
Bimal may not have any direct link with the apparel industry but his continuous efforts for sustainability in apparel and textile industry make him worthy to be given space in AOI’s Movers and Shakers list of 2018. His organisation is continuously working for better working conditions, and he and his team are very vocal in support and criticism. He is among those few which keeps India in the sustainability picture on a global level.
Love with Ludhiana
Ajit Lakra, MD, Superfine Knitters, President, Ludhiana Knitters Association; Head, Textile Division, Federation of Industrial & Commercial Organization (FICO).
A true fighter, Ajit Lakra is the first-ever player of India doing almost Rs.100 crore business as a company which is both into fabric and jobworking for top Indian brands. He is aggressively active to support Ludhiana’s apparel and textile industry, always and anywhere. He is vocal on issues, ‘not just politically correct’ and keen for collective growth.
From Manufacturing to Retail
Roshan Baid, Founder, Paragon Apparels and Alcis Brand, Noida
Many exporters have tried to get into the domestic market and to establish their brand and few have succeeded too, but creating a niche brand for sportwear is something rare and Roshan has done it beautifully. His brand Alcis is giving the big names in the sportswear market good competition and its smooth transit from being a pure manufacturer to being a successful retailer is worthy of recognition.
Narinder Chugh, MD, Million Exports, Ludhiana
Narinder Chug took over the garment business three to four years ago, grew well into export and now is geared up with this Swiss Military (Switzerland) initiative. Unlike the big exporters/manufacturers, Million Exports does not have the requisite reach and resources, but has taken a bold step into the future with plans to launch 400 exclusive brand outlets all over India. The confidence he has on the initiative is reflected in the projected sales for the coming year of around Rs. 100 crore.

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DENVER — Best Buy is trying a new tactic to bring more customers into its stores.
The electronics retailer soon will let customers to try gadgets at home before committing to buying them.
Best Buy will allow customers to rent items such as cameras, wearables and audio devices through a button on the company’s website. Third-party site Lumoid will mange the rentals.
Customers will earn about 20 percent off the price in Lumoid credits, which can then be applied to the purchase of the rented item.
Most of the items available to rent will be open box returns instead of new items.
Drones are not among the products that will be available to rent.AlertMe


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In Hyde Park, fusion restaurant Zaz can now serve beer and wine. The small shop at 1238 River Street specializes in event catering but also offers an eclectic eat-in menu with things like fajita wontons, Creole-inspired small plates, wraps, and burgers. Universal Hub reports that Zaz, which opened in 2012, first applied for the license a year ago, but the city had no licenses to spare.
In Jamaica Plain, Ula Cafe earned a beer and wine license. The neighborhood bakery and cafe, located at 284 Armory Street in the Brewery Complex, hosts live music and other events, and owners told Jamaica Plain News the new license will help support those activities.
Another culinary and cultural JP spot, Tres Gatos, received a full liquor license approval from the board. Featuring an all-Spanish wine list, craft beer, and cordials since its inception in 2011, guests of the tapas bar-cum-bookstore and record shop helped drive the Tres Gatos team’s decision to expand its drink list.


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Bitshares price prediction March 17 uptrend due!
Bitshares price prediction March 17 uptrend due! Looking at the Bitshares chart below we see after a big downtrend coming off .00003 high vs Bitcoin Bitshares is finding support in the .000013 area. Bitshares should move higher if support stays strong and buying dips here should be profitable.
BitShares price jump follows Microsoft Azure additionBitShares is a cryptocurrency and financial blockchain smart contracts platform. The currency is currently ranked as the 8th largest by market cap, worth around US$23 million at the time of writing.
Founded by Daniel Larimer in the fall of 2013, BitShares has a three-second blocktime, which is as fast as you can send a transmission from the far side of the planet and still get included into the current block. There are also some unrivaled features; a decentralized exchange built into its wallet client, human-readable named addresses, the ability to issue your own crypto-assets to other wallet holders and trade them in the exchange, and an interesting governance model with user voting.
Despite the project’s interesting advantages, user adoption hasn’t taken off. The cryptocurrency’s price chart had been steadily headed downhill since trading started in July 2014. Today, however, that trend has taken a sharp turn upwards, with news of Microsoft’s Azure Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) platform adding a BitShares template package. The template deploys a BitShares node and a command-line wallet on Ubuntu Linux.
OpenLedger – host, wallet, exchange & vault
OBITS has been created as a token hosted on OpenLedger, a decentralised financial platform – in fact, the de facto BitShares 2.0 platform, run in cooperation with CCEDK and blockchain experts Cryptonomex, the developers of the Graphene toolkit upon which the platform is powered.
OpenLedger has been described as a revolutionary fintech platform, with high capacity and low latency suitable for the demands of modern-day trading. The idea is that OpenLedger gives users the complete control over their balances that blockchain technology allows, but also the super-fast experience necessary for closing a profitable trade.
As a key strand of what exchange owner Ronny Boesing hopes will prove a catalyst for a new kind of sharing economy, OBITS will allow holders to benefit from the fees garnered from trading and referrals on the OpenLedger platform.
More than this, though, it represents a share of revenues generated by future initiatives that will be added by CCEDK, including fiat gateways, Ripple, PayPal and NanoCard integration, and much more besides.
Buy OBITS and share in OpenLedger’s profits
Would you like to earn money from the volatile cryptocurrency market without having to become a highly-skilled trader? Imagine making a few pennies on every transaction made on an exchange… without having to deal with all the hassles of operating one!
That’s what OBITS is all about
With OBITS you can profit from all the transactions carried out on an up-and-coming cryptocurrency exchange. Buying OBITS is the equivalent of buying a stake in our exchange’s business. Not only will you share the profits but you will also have a say in the future development of OpenLedger via our exclusive voting features.
How are you going to profit and how does it work? OpenLedger is powered by an automatic referral system baked in the system. Just like every business we have revenue and expenses, here is the breakdown:
The Blockchain of Gold
Investing over the internet has always been a very risky business, this is because you have to trust someone else to actually deliver the product that you are paying for, and you never really know if they are legit or if they will just run off with your money and “turn off” their website.
Gold industry has been particularly affected by scam cases but blockchain technology can now eliminate the risk of fraud and make buying and selling Gold 100% secure.
In this post I will try to explain in basic terms how Bitshares platform has made buying Gold-Backed assets possible.
BTS is an alternative digital currency system which is used to create market pegged assets for various major global currencies and commodities. One of these market pegged assets is BitGOLD.
And what is BitGOLD?
BitGOLD is a digital asset which works like Bitcoin, secured by a peer-to-peer ledger called a blockchain, but the value is tracked by a price feed and backed by 200% collateral.
Where do I buy BitGOLD?
BitGold Assets can be bought from other users (no middle-man) on Bitshares decentralized exchange platform. You can either download their software for windows, linux and mac or use a web version like Open Ledger.
You can also transfer your gold to friends or sell it for other currencies like U.S Dollars, Chinese Yuan, Bitcoins and many more. You pay a small fee per transactions of less than 0,01 USD.
Why is BitGOLD safer than the rest?
In addition to the fact that you can invest in gold anonymously, you also do not have to trust your investment to anybody else to look after. Only you can access your funds using your secret key and you can store your digital wallet on your home computer to take full control of your investment.


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Early warning system begins
A Philippine charity said yesterday it had launched a novel early warning system for disaster-prone areas using BlackBerry devices and laptops. The devices are hooked to a text message system that would immediately alert communities to typhoons, storm surges, tsunamis, landslides and earthquakes, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) said. The US$200,000 project was carried out with the World Bank and one of the country’s leading mobile phone operators, said PBSP, which is funded by the country’s top chief executives. The areas covered by the project are all in Leyte province in the central Visayas region, which lies along a fault line and is also often battered by powerful typhoons.
Mumbai home prices drop
Mumbai home prices have declined 20 percent from their peak this year as lower sales, higher land values and increased borrowing costs forced developers to reduce prices to woo buyers, according to Jones Lang LaSalle India. Home prices, which increased 30 to 60 percent last year, have returned to 2008 levels, Sanjay Dutt, chief executive officer of business at the Indian unit of Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle Inc said in a report yesterday. Dutt expects prices to remain at these levels until the monsoon season ends in September. The central bank’s eighth interest rate increase this year to curb inflation has led to tighter liquidity and higher borrowing costs for developers. Many property companies raised capital at interest rates of between 21 percent and 25 percent from finance companies, Dutt said, while sales volume dropped by about 50 percent.
New Boeing jet takes off
US aerospace giant Boeing’s newest and biggest jumbo jet, the 747-8 Intercontinental, made its maiden flight on Sunday, watched closely by aviation fans and European rival Airbus. The new version of the classic double-decker 747 took off into nearly cloudless skies at 9:58am from Paine Field Airport near Boeing’s Seattle headquarters. Boeing’s largest passenger plane, the 747-8, can carry 467 passengers in a three-class configuration and is designed for long-haul routes. The plane is a longer and more fuel-efficient update of Boeing’s double-decker 747 jumbo jet and it will compete with Airbus’ A380, the world’s biggest passenger plane.
Fuel subsidy policy delayed
Indonesia said yesterday it would hold off implementing a plan to exclude private cars from using subsidized fuel, amid concerns over a sharp rise in global oil prices. The policy, which was scheduled to be rolled out next month, has been pushed by the IMF and the World Bank as a means of unlocking funds for infrastructure development in the country. However, Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Darwin Zahedy Saleh told parliament: “The government considers it necessary to consider the appropriate timing for the implementation of subsidized fuel policy.” Oil prices have soared in the past two months as oil-rich countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been hit by protests, leading to supply fears.
Tesco halts Japan fish sales
Tesco PLC’s South Korean unit plans to halt sales of some fish imported from Japan because of consumer concern about radiation in Japanese fresh foods, it said in an e-mailed statement. The retailer will halt sales starting today, Homeplus Co, the unit, said in the statement.
NOTABLE SHIFT: By 2030, 50% of all laptops would be assembled in Southeast Asia, while Taiwan would still mostly focus on research and development, a report said Global laptop and desktop computer supply chains are expected to shift significantly away from China in the next 10 years, a Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC, 產業情報研究所) report said. By 2030, only 40 percent of global laptop production would remain in China, said the report, which was released on Thursday. “The reshuffling of the global supply chain will be one of the most important trends in the next 10 years,” the institute said in the report. “In the long run, key component makers will follow laptop assemblers in moving out of China.” The Taipei-based institute predicted most key component makers
NO VIRUS BLUES: A SEMI Taiwan official said that the virus does not slow down the global semiconductor industry’s investment in manufacturing equipment The production value of the nation’s semiconductor industry is expected to grow 16.7 percent this year from last year, outpacing the global industry’s 3.3 percent growth, industry association SEMI said yesterday. That would help Taiwan safeguard its second spot in the global semiconductor market with a production value of more than NT$3 trillion (US$102.73 billion), SEMI Taiwan president Terry Tsao (曹世綸) told a media briefing in Taipei for the Semicon Taiwan trade show beginning today. The global semiconductor industry’s production value is expected to increase to US$426 billion this year, SEMI said. In terms of semiconductor equipment investment, equipment billings from Taiwanese firms
Intel Corp has received licenses from US authorities to continue supplying certain products to Huawei Technologies Co (華為), a company spokesman said yesterday. Washington has been pushing governments around to world to squeeze out Huawei, saying that the telecom giant would hand data to Beijing for espionage. From Monday last week, new curbs have barred US companies from supplying or servicing Huawei. This week, the state-backed China Securities Journal reported that Intel had received permission to supply Huawei. China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC, 中芯國際), which uses US-origin equipment to make chips for Huawei and other companies, last week confirmed that it had sought
Merck Group Taiwan yesterday said that it plans to invest substantially on expanding its fab in Kaohsiung’s Lujhu District (路竹) to better serve its local customers, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電). The company said it plans to expand its production space by 50 percent in the next five years and its workforce by about 40 percent, Merck Group Taiwan managing director Dick Hsieh (謝志宏) told a media briefing in Taipei. Hsieh declined to disclose investment details, but said that the latest investment would exceed the total amount Merck has invested in Taiwan over the past few years. Those investments would be


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Deutsche Post DHL selling Postbus
Deutsche Post DHL Group has agreed to sell it Postbus business to FlixMobility. Deutsche Post DHL Group has agreed to sell its Postbus business to FlixMobility.
In a statement issued today (3 August) regarding its results for the second quarter (Q2) of 2016, the group commented: “The Post – eCommerce – Parcel (PeP) division entered the liberalized long-distance bus market in October 2013. Within a short period of time it was able to become the quality leader in the market with its Postbus service.
“However, the Postbus service has not met the company’s financial expectations sufficiently. Therefore, the company has decided to withdraw from the market and has agreed to a sale of its Postbus business to FlixMobility GmbH.”
The service started as joint venture between Deutsche Post DHL Group and ADAC, but ADAC withdrew from the operation in November 2014.
FlixMobility owns FlixBus, the market leader.
Postbus Chief Financial Officer Larry Rosen reportedly said that the company’s policy of offering more comfort had not worked in a market where “the main customer base was young people, where price was the most important factor”.


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CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- Pep Boys drove the retail sector's main measure south to finish the session lower Monday as decliners outpaced advancers 3-to-1 among the sector's key components.
The S&P Retail Index RLX, +0.00% ended down 0.8 percent to 371.34 -- its lowest close in more than seven months.
Pep Boys PBY, +0.00% dropped 5 percent, or $1.09, to $20.51 amid concerns that the auto-parts retailer's sales were slipping.
Whitaker Securities analyst Cid Wilson lowered the earnings-per-share projections by 2 cents, noting that Pep Boys' sales in installed parts have slowed, leading to a decline in service margins as well. Wilson now sees the retailer earning 37 cents a share in the second quarter.
The analyst also slashed the 12-month price target for Pep Boys to $33 from $40.
AutoZone AZO, -0.58% shares pulled back 0.5 percent, or 41 cents, to $75.96.
Wal-Mart WMT, +1.02% the world's biggest retailer, was off 51 cents, or 1 percent, at $52.65. Wal-Mart said earlier that July sales were tracking higher by 2 percent to 4 percent, in line with forecasts.
The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer said warm weather helped sales of summer merchandise, while back-to-school products also sold well. The company also opened 21 new stores, 17 of which were supercenters.
Longs Drug Stores LDG, -22.86% gave back 61 cents, or nearly 3 percent, to $20.74.
Federated FD added 25 cents to $46.75.


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By Martin Sinderman, Contributing Writer
While Atlanta’s array of new restaurants gets most of our attention, it’s the ones that date back a few decades (or more) that, in many ways, say the most about the city.
“Atlanta’s dining scene is a vibrant and exciting array of all types of restaurants, from fine-dining to fast casual, food trucks to quick-service,” said Karen Bremer, executive director of the Georgia Restaurant Association.
At the end of the day, many undefined but not all undefined of the restaurants regarded as Atlanta’s “classics” have strong connections to the city’s Southern heritage.
“Atlanta still stays true to its Southern roots,” Bremer said. “This city has a lot of great Southern restaurants with many different styles of Southern cuisine.”
Read the full article.


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Where Are The Trillions Of Dollars Going?
It's going to take trillions of dollars for China to take over the World and it appears they have found their useful idiots for this task. The United States.
It all starts with the trade deficit. Most of you know how the deficit works. The United States consumes a lot but doesn't produce much.
An example to illustrate the trade deficit would be something like Walmart buying all of their goods from a factory in China.
Walmart pays China in dollars, and China accumulates those dollars.
Over time, China ends up in a trade surplus with the United States.
In the old days, China would take the greenbacks we'd give them, and they would turn right around and give them back in exchange for US Treasuries (US debt).
The US would then take those dollars, and spend them into the economy.
This relationship is no longer happening. China is no longer selling us their junk for our debt. Or at least, not as much as they used to. Why is that?
China spends Trillions Of US Dollars On Belt and Road Initiative Instead of US Treasuries
This map shows exactly what China is doing with the majority of the dollars they receive from the United States.
What Is The Belt and Road Initiative?
The belt and road initiative is China's huge infrastructure project that aims to connect China, Europe, India, the Middle East, and Africa. The project is set to be completed in 2047 and will cost between $4 and $8 trillion.
Again, most of those dollars they're using to fund this project is coming from the United States.
When I say huge, I am not exaggerating. It comprises six proposed economic corridors, including highways, freeway systems, new and existing railways, connecting not only people but probably more important, goods.
This is all through China, Russia, and Africa, the majority of the world's population lives in that area.
It's also energy, gas pipelines, oil pipelines, and seaports where China has an extensive presence up and down the coast of Africa, Egypt, Europe, India, and Myanmar.
I want to point out another interesting city that's part of The Belt And Road Initiative, Vladivostok. If you remember my interview with Jim Rogers, his two favorite cities are Medellin, Colombia, and Vladivostok, Russia.
He's wildly bullish on the future of Vladivostok because it is the main gateway to all the goods and products going to the West from China and Russia.
Through our trade deficit, consumption, and China's production, we are paying for an entire infrastructure project that could place China as the number one superpower in the world.
I know you are probably shocked by this information. So, I went ahead and backed it up with the data. The first chart is the trade deficit with China.
It goes from 2004 to 2018. On the left, it goes from $50 billion up to $350 billion.
In 2004, the trade deficit was under $100 billion.
In 2018, the trade deficit was $323 billion. The number of dollars going to China from the United States has increased significantly following 2004.
The second graphic represents how many treasuries China owns. It goes from 2013 to 2019. On the left, it goes from $1 trillion up to $1.4 trillion.
The number of treasuries China owns had been increasing, but in the middle of 2013, it started to go down dramatically.
In 2016, treasury holdings fell off a cliff, falling to $3 trillion.
I know $3 trillion sounds like a lot, but in terms of percentage, the number of treasuries China-owned in 2017 was 30% less than four years earlier. That's a big, big deal.
Later on in the year, holdings did move back up, but the overall trend is down.
China's Timeline For The Belt and Road Initiative
Pay close attention to 2013, when China announced their project. That same year, China became a net seller of US Treasuries to begin funding their scheme.
If China pulls off the Belt And Road Initiative, it will potentially make them the number one superpower in the world.
The Global Reserve Currency Network
The Belt And Road Initiative includes 68 countries, 65% of the world's population, and as of 2017, 40% of global GDP.
Of course, I believe this number will be increasing dramatically over the decades to come.
The Petrodollar and Eurodollar system as a network
The system got its start back in 1944, in Bretton Woods when the dollar was still pegged to gold.
The United States had to run significant trade deficits to get dollars outside of the domestic economy, so economies of scale could function. But it wasn't working.
There weren’t enough dollars outside of the United States (there still isn't), so the international commercial banking system started creating dollar-denominated loans to satisfy demand.
This is how we got the Eurodollar system.
In the 1970s, the US took it a step further, and increased the power of the dollar network, by cutting a deal with Saudi Arabia, where they would price their oil in dollars.
As a result, Saudi oil was now priced in dollars (petrodollar) as the global economy grew as it now had easy access to dollars through the Eurodollar system.
Dollar-denominated loans and dollar-denominated oil makes for an incredibly powerful monetary network with zero competition, and it's the primary driver for the success of the US.
But it does have its problems and countries like China would prefer to avoid the dollar altogether if they could.
Could a better system/network come along and potentially compete with the petrodollar system?
Someday a new system will come along and replace the petrodollar system. But it's going to take some serious effort to get there.
In the meantime, try to imagine the global monetary system from a different perspective, where the United States is no longer the center, but China is.
It's clear that China is quietly working towards a new reserve currency that they hope will replace the US Dollar someday.
Network Effects Are Mandatory
One big reason for the success of the dollar is its powerful network effect. The world is hooked on USD. Nations that trade with other nations have no choice but to use dollars. If there wasn't economic activity requiring dollars, there wouldn't be any demand.
Whether it's the dollar, bitcoin, or the digital yuan, it doesn't matter. The more people you have relying upon a given currency, the greater the network effect and the increased probability that the currency proves useful and sticks around.
China's Digital Yuan will connect 65% of the Entire World's population
If China succeeds, it will have joined together 68 countries by 2047. That's 65% of the entire World's population and one heck of a network.
Coincidently, China happens to be giving away free digital Yuan, its new Central Bank digital currency, to beta testers in select regions throughout the country.
We could be looking at an economic area that makes up 65% of the global population, and runs on the digital Yuan, China's Central Bank digital currency, in the future.
China is interacting with India. India is interacting with Iran, and with Egypt. Egypt is interacting with Spain and Italy, and then China is interacting with Russia, which going back and forth with Iran, with Turkey, India.
Remember this is 65% of the entire world's population, 68 countries. One of the things that made the Eurodollar strong overtime was smaller countries trying to grow their GDP.
China is hinting at the digital Yuan as the currency of choice for the Belt And Road Initiative.
Countries like India, Iran, Turkey, Russia. And most importantly, I would argue Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and this whole area surrounding Myanmar and Eastern Southern Asia.
As these developing economies grow, their corporations are going to need capital. The banks are going to have to provide them loans.
Is it going to be the commercial banking system, or is it going to be one bank?
The PBOC, People's Bank of China.
The Eurodollar system was set up because the original Bretton Woods system turned out to be very inefficient due to Triffin's dilemma.
Key takeaways from Triffin's dilemma, according to Investopedia:
- Robert Triffin believed the dollar could not survive as the world's reserve currency without requiring the United States to run ever-growing deficits.
- A popular reserve currency lifts its exchange rate, which hurts the currency-issuing country's exports, leading to a trade deficit.
- A country that issues a reserve currency must balance its interests with the responsibility to make monetary decisions that benefit other countries.
- Another reserve currency replacing the dollar would increase borrowing costs, which could impact the United States' ability to repay debt.
- A new international monetary system could potentially help countries maintain a reserve currency status.
If you had just one bank, The Central Bank providing all these loans, you wouldn't have the dollar lending bottlenecks that Bretton Woods created, which the Eurodollar tried to fix.
As a result, more developing countries could grow faster if the global dollar system was more efficient.
If you give a third-world country easy access to cheap money, and great terms, then they will grow faster. It's a no-brainer.
If you think about the clumsy inefficiencies of the current legacy petrodollar system verse the efficient blockchain-friendly digital Yuan, who do you think those third-world countries will want to transact with?
Does China Have A Chance To Take Over The World?
What we know so far is that China is at the center of the largest infrastructure project in the history of the world.
It includes 68 countries, 65% of the world's total population, and represents 40% of global GDP.
China has also already rolled out its Central Bank digital currency, the digital Yuan. This is at the center of their Belt and Road Initiative Project.
The more goods and services traded in that region, the more economic activity done in digital Yuan, the stronger their network becomes. The network could grow so significantly in size that it might dethrone the dollar for the world reserve currency network.
This is all being funded by the United States and our trade deficits. That's where China is getting the dollars they need to fund projects like the Belt And Road Initiative.
It’s vital to understand what is happening with the trade deficit today and what it did in the past, to determine what it may look like in the future.
To do so I checked out a recent podcast episode Peter Schiff that walks us through the trade deficit in 2008, the GFC, and what the trade deficit numbers are today.
“Our merchandise trade deficits have never been higher than they are right now.
Well, the total trade deficit, which was supposed to come out at 66.8 billion came out at 68.1 billion. So, that's a big jump above what was estimated and a big jump from the prior month, which was 63.1 billion, but it's still not a record high.
The largest unified trade deficit that we ever had on record was set in the first half of 2008, right before the financial crisis, when everything came falling apart.
That massive deficit was a by-product of the housing bubble, of the imbalances of the housing bubble that allowed Americans to live beyond their means by borrowing money, extracting equity from their homes, and then using it to buy all sorts of stuff that was imported. (Sound familiar, 2021?)
That was part of the manifestation of that bubble. And that was an unsustainable imbalance that blew up.
Well, the bubble that we are experiencing today, dwarfs anything that we experienced back then. And so I'm sure that the trade deficits that this bubble is going to produce are going to eclipse that record.
We've already set new records for goods.
Within another month or two, I think we're going to take out that record from '08. And in fact, we're going to shatter it and we're going to keep making new records until ultimately the dollar completely implodes. And we don't just have a financial crisis, but something far worse, a U.S. Dollar crisis.
The following is a chart of the United States trade deficit. It starts in 2000 and goes to 2020. On the left, it goes from a negative 80 billion up to zero.
During the late 1990s, our trade deficit wasn't that bad, almost at zero, but then it went down to an all-time high in 2008 because we were producing very little but consuming a lot.
It went up with the GFC, went down again and up a little bit, maybe because of the trade tariffs with China.
When Covid-19 hit, the trade deficit got worse, almost as bad as in 2008.
Although the trade deficit is bad, I think it's happening as a result of many different dynamics in the market.
Just before the 2008 crash, our consumption was high, and our production was low because we were using our homes as ATM machines to buy more and more Chinese goods.
During the GFC, the production domestically in the United States pretty much stayed the same, but our consumption went down.
That's why during the recession, the trade deficit got less extreme.
But in 2020, the consumption stayed pretty much the same, even though we've been in a much bigger recession if not great depression 2.0.
I would argue a great depression if it wasn't for the Fed and the government coming in and printing more money. So, the consumption has stayed relatively the same because of all the Stimmys and the stimulus checks.
What has happened to US Production Of Goods And Services?
Covid-19 lockdowns and taxpayers funded “stimmy's” that keep people home instead of working, happened.
In the future, China will have more dollars than they need to execute their plan for The One Belt, One Road Initiative and nobody is stopping them.
Sadly, if they get their way, D.C. Buerocrats and corporate special interests will likely continue cooperating with China until the US is a shadow of its former self.
The closer the largest infrastructure project in the history of the world comes to completion, the more economic activity will occur between those 68 countries.
This means more demand for the digital Yuan network, and the dethroning of the United States greatest asset, the dollar.


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Kimberly-Clark Corporation today announced that Sandi Karrmann will join the company as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective October 26, 2020.
Karrmann will have global responsibilities for the human resources function including talent recruiting, development and performance management, labor relations, compensation and employee benefits. Karrmann will report to Mike Hsu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kimberly-Clark, and serve on the company’s executive leadership team.
“Sandi is a great addition to our team, with significant global human resources leadership within the consumer products goods industry,” said Hsu. “As we look to the future, I am confident that Sandi’s experience will accelerate our leadership capabilities and create a winning culture where the world’s best talent thrives.”
Karrmann’s skills and capabilities span several key senior leadership roles at PepsiCo, YUM!, Pizza Hut and most recently with Tenet Health. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in Finance from the University of Southern California.
Kimberly-Clark and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people’s most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what’s important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Viva and WypAll, hold the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build stronger communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company’s 148-year history of innovation, visit Kimberly-Clark.com


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Coca-Cola contract renewal allows exception for Dr Pepper on campus
Following a 10-year exclusive contract with Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper products are now available for purchase at the University.
After the initial contract expired in April, the University decided to renew its campus pouring rights with Coca-Cola, however, it created an exception for Dr Pepper products after popular demand for them.
“Based on feedback from the University community and specifically the Food Service Advisory Committee, there was a desire for the availability of Dr Pepper,” said program director of UH Auxiliary Services Matt Prasifka in an email.
“There were no complications on this exception, but there are limitations on marketing and quantities available,” he added.
Despite some requests for Dr Pepper products to be sold, other students don’t have strong feelings about having the beverage on campus.
“Personally, I’m not much of a Dr Pepper fan,” said pre-business freshman Ronak Agarwal. “I’ve heard that people, especially from Texas, enjoy this drink.”
When deciding who to grant pouring rights to, the University went through a detailed process, considering companies other than Coca-Cola, which ultimately decided was the best fit.
“The University of Houston System went through a competitive bid process where interested companies responded to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Beverage Pouring Rights,” Prasifka said.
“The respondents’ proposals and presentations were reviewed and evaluated by a committee, and it was determined that Coca-Cola provided the best proposal.”
The decision to keep Coca-Cola as the campus beverage provider considered multiple different campus demographics, including students. In the past, the University has partnered with Coca-Cola to serve students through the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship.
“Coca-Cola was selected by a committee consisting of representatives from UH athletics, students, faculty, staff and administrators,” Prasifka said.
“The decision was based upon multiple factors including sustainability initiatives, in-kind product donations and scholarship contributions.”
There are a limited amount of beverages not owned by Coca-Cola sold on campus, including Starbucks coffee and Chick-fil-A brand lemonade.
UH community members are allowed to have and drink non-Coca-Cola products as long as they don’t sell or share them with others.
“There are very limited exceptions to non-Coke products permitted on campus and are related to retail locations that carry specialty beverage products,” Prasifka said. “In addition, individuals may choose to consume non-Coke products for their personal use provided that they do not sell or distribute to the campus community.”
"Coca-Cola contract renewal allows exception for Dr Pepper on campus" was originally posted on The Cougar


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by Patricia Sellers
Joanne Bradford, the hard-charging SVP who oversaw North American revenue and market development at Yahoo
, quit to join Demand Media in March. Now other Yahoo executives are following her to the high-flying start-up.
This week, New York City-based Yahoo VP Erika Nardini walked out the door with a story in tow–and a boon for her mother, who bet on the circumstances surrounding her departure. “When I told my mom I was resigning from Yahoo, she was semi-interested in where I was going,” Nardini explains. “What really interested her was the gamesmanship.”
Nardini’s mom, who lives in Stowe, Vermont, used to teach business law (hence her interest in corporate machinations) and today spends her time “playing copious amounts of Mahjong,” says Erika, 35. The Mahjong ladies typically bet 25 cents a round. But they were so intrigued by Erika’s decision to leave Yahoo that they raised the stakes on this question: Would Erika, when she quit, be escorted out of Yahoo?
“I don’t think they do that here,” Nardini told her mother.
Well, on Tuesday, at Yahoo’s mid-town Manhattan offices, Nardini was indeed officially escorted out as she toted a Whole Foods paper bag stuffed with her extra shoes, a blazer and a raincoat.
“I sent my mother a text at 4:55 p.m. as I was walking out,” Nardini recalls.
Her mom’s reply: “‘Yes! I’m in the money!” She won $25.
What’s luring Nardini and other Yahoos, including former sales VP David Oliveira and former senior director of ad sales Pete Hagerty, to Demand Media? “It’s a very nimble company that’s poised for growth,” says Nardini, who will be SVP of sales and marketing at Demand. She was VP of packaging at Yahoo and before that, she worked with Bradford at Microsoft
. Bradford is now Demand’s chief revenue officer.
Demand is the creation of Rich Rosenblatt, who sold MySpace’s parent, Intermix Media, to News Corp.
in 2005. An online content factory that churns out articles and videos cheap and fast, Demand leaves consumers clueless about how its media is manufactured.
How will Nardini market a company that has, so far at least, thrived by flying under the radar? “That is the question, quite honestly,” she admits. Something to challenge her, come Monday.


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April 16, 2021 | 20:55
Fast-food restaurant chain Lotteria – a subsidiary of South Korean Lotte Group – could close its Vietnamese franchise due to tepid performance.
August 24, 2018 | 14:00
As fast food giants Lotteria and KFC report losses despite dominating the domestic market, their attractiveness to customers shows no signs of abating.
October 31, 2012 | 10:48
Vietnamese youth’s taste for fast-food is creating many business opportunities for international food makers, writes VIR’s Phan Hien.
October 31, 2012 | 08:54
Lotte Group’s Vietnam-based members are helping train a generation of young, highly skilled footballers, laying a foundation for Vietnamese football industry to stretch regionally and globally.
December 06, 2011 | 20:28
South Korea’s fast food giant Lotteria is eager for franchising deals in Vietnam.


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The immediate future of steel trading is bright, and will be lit up by China, says Dick Sands, managing director for distribution at Stemcor.
Three major factors are shaping the ongoing ascending price trend in Europe, in particular into 2021: EU protectionist policies, Covid-19 and China, Sands said at the Kallanish Europe Steel Markets 2020 virtual conference this week.
After a two-year descent on the back of Section 232 measures restricting imports into the US, the strength of the rebound has taken many by surprise. European flat products prices are rising, but slower than in the US because the latter does not have enough internal capacity to meet demand. The EU has sufficient internal capacity while still allowing some imports, unlike the US. The bloc’s steel output is set to increase significantly as idled blast furnaces are being brought back on line after Covid-19 restrictions curbed output.
Covid-19 has acted as a major trigger by reversing China’s external trade pattern to imports. China’s appetite for semis has enabled an 80 million tonnes/year swing from exports to imports. The country imported around 35mt of semis and another 4mt of pig iron, and is preparing to start importing scrap – another major factor why prices will continue rising.
China consumes an estimated 40m t/y of scrap, meaning a potential major squeeze for raw materials, thereby escalating the price rise and making blast furnace production relatively cheaper and more productive, Sands said.
He cautioned European steel producers to continue to heed the harsh lessons of the 2008-2009 economic crisis and be more disciplined in their pricing, instead of competing with each other by lowering prices. Armed with strong protectionist measures, amid growing demand supported by government stimulus, European mill prices will continue rising, as long as China continues buying, Sands concluded.


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Shadow-Caster Lighting, a leading manufacturer of next-generation NMEA 2000-compatible lighting control solutions and LED fixtures, has signed Coast Marine Marketing as its newest sales representative group. Brian Rogers, Shadow-Caster president, made the announcement.
In business for over 30 years, Coast Marine Marketing works extensively with manufacturers of advanced marine electronics and has close ties to the NMEA. The company serves commercial and recreational marine OEMs and custom boatbuilders, as well as distributors and retailers. Its territory includes Alaska, the western US states, the Canadian and US Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii. Its website is www.coastmarinemarketing.com.
“Shadow-Caster makes a quality product,” said Rick Waedekin, Coast Marine Marketing president. “The Light Commander PLUS really drew our attention; it has many opportunities in our market.” Shadow-Caster’s signature controller provides plug-and-play lighting management through an NMEA 2000® networked multifunction display and/or Ethernet-connected device or system. A video is at bit.ly/LightCommanderPLUS.
“The Coast Marine Marketing team’s extensive backgrounds in marine electronics, including NMEA protocols, will be invaluable in supporting our business,” said Rogers. Shadow-Caster was an integral part of the NMEA Lighting Working Group that developed the current industry standards. It manufactures in the USA a wide array of state-of-the-art marine lighting solutions.


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Factory built from Westbury
A NATIONWIDE shortage of plumbers, electricians and bricklayers has led housebuilder Westbury to invest £30m in a new factory that can produce up to 40 pre-fabricated homes a week using unskilled labour.
Based in West Bromwich, the Space4 factory produced and assembled 130 homes in the six months to August with 600 planned for the second half of the year. Eventually the current single-shift production at Space4 will be replaced by a three-shift pattern that will take the factory to its capacity production of 5,000 units a year.
Interest has been shown in Space4 by other housebuilders and finance director John Bennett says negotiations are continuing with two other groups to buy its products.
The average price of a Westbury home rose 14% to £132,400 helping to increase six month pre-tax profits 10% to £31.9m. The interim dividend is lifted 11% to 3.5p while Westbury shares added 5 1/2p to 237 1/2p.
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Glen Ridge looking at laws in response to vape shop
A proposed new "vape shop" has a number of residents blowing smoke out their ears.
The Arcade building on Bloomfield Avenue has a vacant section that is slated to become the home of a vape shop.
In response, residents have started a petition asking the borough to revise its zoning laws in order to prohibit similar shops from opening in a commercial district in the future.
"Quite frankly, this isn't what the community wants," said resident Kimberly Curtis, who along with her husband Craig began circulating the petition this month.
As of March 14, the petition had gathered more than 270 signatures.
What has several parents worried is that the new store is going to be in the Arcade, which is within walking distance of Glen Ridge High School, Ridgewood Avenue School and two of the borough's athletic fields.
"We're not all naïve. Our kids are going to be exposed to things, but we don't think it should be so blatant," Curtis said.
During the most recent borough council meeting, Borough Attorney John Malyska said that there wasn't anything the borough could do to keep the business from opening, since all of its paperwork was in order.
The Bittan Group, the Englewood-based owners of the Arcade, could not be reached for comment by phone Monday afternoon.
"Vaping" is a slang term for the use of electronic cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems. The devices do not contain tobacco, but generally contain other chemicals, including nicotine and various flavorings.
Because the devices are relatively new, the health issues associated with electronic cigarettes are uncertain. There have been some claims that the devices may be used to help tobacco smokers quit. However, both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics have raised concerns about e-cigarettes and similar devices, especially their use among children and teens.
Glen Ridge's commercial zoning requirements do not permit certain businesses, including:
* Tattoo parlors and body-piercing establishments
* Manufacturing, wholesale trade, warehouse establishments and bus and truck depots
* Storage establishments and mini-storage warehouses
* Pawn shops
* Check-cashing shops
The ordinance determining the prohibited businesses has been on the borough's books since 1963; the ordinance has been revised several times since then, the last time being in 2006.
Borough Administrator Michael Rohal said that there was no indication on the permit application what kind of business was being considered for the space; the borough found out about the proposed use as a vape shop at the same time residents did, he said.
He said that Glen Ridge would have a discussion of its zoning laws at the next planning board meeting on April 20.
The borough of Highland Park in Middlesex County is considering an ordinance that would require vape shops and similar shops to pay a licensing fee. Rohal said that Glen Ridge had asked Highland Park for a copy of the ordinance.


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The chief executive officer discusses the brand's turnaround since he took over two years ago.
Apparel was a surprising standout performer in an otherwise difficult year.
The restaurant, modeled after El Morocco and Copacabana, is about to become one of the more entertaining places to live it up.
Gray, the emblematic color of Christian Dior, is also the theme of the next Marion Cotillard-fronted campaign.
On Saturday, Phillip Lim held his first fashion show in Asia.


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Baja Inc. and its corporate affiliate, One World Technologies Inc., have agreed to pay a $4.3 million civil penalty and to develop an internal compliance system after company failed to report defective minibikes and go-carts to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Federal law requires defects manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to immediately report to CPSC after being notified of a product being defective that could create a substantial product hazard or risk of serious injury or death. A full report was filed by Baja in June 2010 with the CPSC after the company had already received four fire reports of leaking gas caps and burn injuries to consumers. The company also received approximately two dozen reports of stuck throttles. A recall of 308,000 minibikes and go-carts was issued by Baja and CPSC in July 2010.


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“Millennial travellers are always looking for their next big adventure where they want to see, feel and taste their destination, explore every aspect of the culture, and, of course, give back to the communities they visit."
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Tanzania is Africa's best safari destination, according to SafariBookings.com. Tanzania's famed wild spaces made it the best country overall for wildlife too...
19 Jul 2017
HerdTracker has been updated to include crowd-sourced data from anyone sharing sightings of the migratory herds using #HerdTracker and the location of the herds at the time of the sighting...
27 Jun 2017
While millennials are optimistic about the future, they believe in living for today. Therefore, they are willing to spend more on material items they feel are special to them, or dig deep for an experience of a lifetime...
Cari Coetzee 31 May 2017
Through the development of two new camps at Kalagala, Tourvest East Africa is increasing its presence and extending its offering along the river Nile in Uganda...
30 May 2017
"Reunion Island offers the perfect retreat away from the mundane and allows for the curious traveller to venture into the unknown, with a promise of adventure on the horizon."
Cari Coetzee 16 May 2017
The ICCA has ranked Cape Town as the number one city in Africa for business tourism...
10 May 2017
With buyers from 45 countries, over 8,000 pre-scheduled appointments confirmed and an increase in exhibitors from 2016, WTM Africa 2017 closed its doors on a high-note...
21 Apr 2017
The finalists for the 2017 African Responsible Tourism Awards, sponsored by Wesgro and organised by Better Tourism Africa, has been announced, but who will take the top spot?
10 Apr 2017
Indaba will return to the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre sporting a more streamlined programme and improved floor layout to make it easier for the world to come and sample Africa's tourism treasures...
6 Apr 2017
African countries account for 16 of the 20 biggest fallers on the annual Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index over the last decade, with the continent as a whole suffering the most dramatic decline in travel freedom...
22 Mar 2017
Jumia Travel has unveiled new destinations with new properties in South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia, as well as outbound destinations including Dubai, London, New York, Paris, and Mecca...
9 Mar 2017
Pam Golding Property has been appointed to market the luxury apartments and villas of mega-development Zanzibar Amber Resort, set to be the largest premium hospitality investment and resort in East Africa. The apartments and villas are to be completed as part of the first seven phases of the development.
8 Aug 2017
Jay L. Zagorsky 4 Aug 2017
A study conducted by Brandseye on behalf of the Aerospace division of the Toulouse MBA programme found that Qatar Airways is the leading Middle East airline according to consumer sentiment on social media. The study, with the aim to understand global public sentiment towards the leading airlines in the region and the factors driving it, analysed the social media universe of the four biggest Middle Eastern airlines according to social media conversation - Qatar Airways, Etihad, Emirates and Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) - with over half a million online mentions in both English and Arabic captured between March and May 2017.
4 Aug 2017
When travelling overseas for business, you will encounter laws that may seem strange to you. While your company will try to prepare you for every eventuality because it's their Duty of Care responsibility, you could land in hot water if you're not aware of certain rules says Corporate Traveller's Oz Desai.
1 Aug 2017
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: TP Connects, one of the first International Air Transport Association (IATA) certified travel aggregators and IT providers, working with British Airways as a new distribution capability (NDC) service provider, has integrated directly to the airline's NDC APIs with a B2B reseller platform and internet booking engine for online travel agencies.
28 Jul 2017


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China raises minimum wheat purchase prices
Updated: 2011-09-29 06:37
BEIJING - China's top economic planner announced Wednesday that it will raise the minimum purchase prices for wheat from farmers in 2012 to boost grain output.
The move "aims to protect farmers' enthusiasm to grow grains and further stimulate grain production," the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.
The minimum purchase price for white wheat in the country's major wheat-producing areas will be increased to 102 yuan ($16) per 50 kg, up 7 yuan from the 2011 price, said the NDRC.
It said the minimum purchase prices for red and mixed wheat will both rise 9 yuan to 102 yuan per 50 kg next year.
Wheat is one of China's major grains, which feeds its population of 1.3 billion people mainly with domestically-produced grains.
A stable food supply is crucial to China's efforts to check inflation, as food prices account for about a third of the weighting in its consumer price index (CPI) calculation, a main gauge of inflation.
China's CPI rose to a 27-month year-on-year high of 6.5 percent in July and weakened slightly to 6.2 percent in August.
The country's grain output rose 2.9 percent last year to 546.41 million tonnes, marking the seventh consecutive year of output growth.
The Ministry of Agriculture expects the output to reach a record high of 550 million tonnes this year.


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CMA CGM’s acquisition of Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) will not affect its subsidiary APL’s membership of the G6 Alliance during 2016, NOL said today.
APL is a member of the G6 Alliance alongside container lines Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui OSK Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line.
“Until there is further development, the G6 Alliance assures that its current service structure will remain stable, and expects to operate as aligned through 2016,” NOL said in a statement.
CMA CGM has agreed to acquire Singapore-based NOL for around $2.4bn from majority shareholders Temasek and its affiliates, subject to regulatory approvals.
Rodolphe Saadé, vice-chairman of CMA CGM, said previously that his company would push to shift APL out of the G6 Alliance and into CMA CGM’s Ocean3 Alliance with UASC and China Shipping.
Saadé added CMA CGM would shift its container traffic from other regional transshipment hubs to Singapore. CMA CGM currently uses Malaysia’s Port Klang, operated by Westports, as its main hub in southeast Asia.


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In its annual banking report McKinsey & Co. said there is the potential for 40 percent of revenues that could be at risk by 2025 from firms like Amazon entering the space; Asheet Mehta, one of the authors of the McKinsey report, said in an interview reported by American Banker “E-commerce and tech giants are under pressure to keep increasing revenue, and financial services is a large pool they can go after. We’re starting to see that.” Source.
Todd is the host of PitchIt: the fintech startups podcast, a weekly interview show featuring emerging fintech founders and leading venture capitalists. He is responsible for leading the content team which covers fintech through daily & weekly email newsletters, editorial, virtual events, and in-person conferences. He has been covering fintech, banking, and venture capital for more than 15 years, including speaking regularly at industry events.


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Also in this playlist...
This transcript is automatically generated
I'm Robert -- -- you're Fox Business brings shares of Marathon Oil are shooting up Reuters reported the oil giant is looking to.
Acres of undeveloped.
Oil and gas properties and eagle Ford basin in south Texas.
Marathon currently -- 125000.
Acres in that area.
Starbucks says its partnership with its Mexican franchisee may be a bright spot for the coffee chain giant.
Chief executive Howard Shultz says the local franchise operator is on track to open more than fifty new locations.
Just a year in that nation.
And -- -- General Mills are joining the fight against obesity the company's plan to cut by as much as 30%.
You know sugar and salt content and the children's cereals -- -- together overseas.
More than five billion portions of cereal maybe affected by the switch.
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Savills has helped JD Sports secure retail premises at 75 Davies Street / 375-381 Oxford Street for a major new store.
The retailer has agreed to take a new 10-year lease for the 23,000 sq ft (2,137 sq m) property owned by Norges Bank Investment Management. It will pay an annual rent of £3.1 million.
In 2014, Savills also acquired a 34,500 sq ft (3,205 sq m) store east of Oxford Circus for JD Sports at 201-203 Oxford Street. The new deal means the retailer, which exited a smaller second unit on the street earlier this year due to the future redevelopment of the building, now has a major store on both east and west Oxford Street.
Sam Foyle, Oxford Street specialist at Savills, comments: “This property is ideally positioned to complement our client’s existing store on east Oxford Street and ensure JD Sports can maximise the benefits of future footfall increases linked to Crossrail and other infrastructure improvements.”
The landlord represented by Nash Bond.
Source: Savills savills.co.uk


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Down the microscope, they looked like tiny, sperm-like things, hatching out of their hidey-holes. A few minutes later, I was swallowing dozens of larval-stage parasites, washed down in one gulp of milk. An hour later, these egg-like organisms were probably hatching out as worms in my gut.
“You swallow the egg-like sac and in the small intestine bile triggers the larvae to come out,” explains Judy Chinitz, co-founder of Biome Restoration, a company in Lancaster, UK, that sells vials of larval-stage rat tapeworms, Hymenolepis diminuta. “They eat microscopic bits of food, but die in 10 days.”
The company is shipping these to around 2000 customers worldwide. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has cleared them for sale, provided the company makes no specific health claims. “We can say they ‘maintain good health’, and that’s it,” says Marc Dellerba, another co-founder.
Biome Restoration was set up in response to growing online demand for live parasite products, and to provide a cheaper alternative to the pig whipworms other firms sell. The company doesn’t know what reasons its customers have for taking the worms, because of MHRA regulations. “We can’t ask, and we don’t, and we can’t collect clinical data, although it would be wonderful if we could,” says Dellerba.
To mimic the tapeworm’s natural life cycle, Dellerba shows me how the team feeds infected rat faeces to mealworm beetles. When the beetles consume the eggs, these develop into the juvenile, egg-like stage that is extracted from dead beetles and sold to customers following sterilisation.
After swallowing some of these, I was warned that I might experience a feeling of bliss called a “helminth high” the day after. I did feel slightly more upbeat when I woke up the next day, but this may just have been a placebo effect prompted by what I had been told.
Other than that, the only difference I noticed over the following 10 days was my stools turning green for three or four days – although this could have been caused by something else. My family and colleagues were a little disgusted by what I had done, but were fine as long as there was no risk I could pass the parasite on to them.
The team at Biome Restoration say they are pleased to see that a rival product, involving pig whipworms, is being considered for approval as a food ingredient in Germany. “I hope it achieves official food status,” says Chinitz. “It will mean there’s finally recognition from regulators that biome enrichment with benign helminths is akin to simply taking another form of probiotic.”


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Driver crashes into Christmas shoppers near Rundle Mall
by: Australian Bollards on
A man crashed his car into four women near Rundle Mall as he tried to turn right into Rundle Street in Adelaide’s CBD just after 4pm on Saturday.
The man is known to the police and has recently finished serving time in jail. He has been charged with two counts of causing serious harm by dangerous driving. More driving charges are expected to follow.
Police said they are not treating the crash as a deliberate act but that reckless driving played a factor.
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The iPhone maker, which did not immediately respond to a request from Agence France-Presse (AFP), has never publicly admitted to working on the development of an autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel, despite various leaks in the press for several years.
According to The Information, which claims to have spoken to around 20 people who were part of the project, the tech giant has experienced several hiccups, particularly with regard to the autonomous driving software, which is supposed to detect potential obstacles and adjust the driving accordingly. .
Unlike Tesla, which is testing and gradually adding autonomous functions to the software of its vehicles, or Waymo (Google) and Cruise, which have started testing their robotaxis fleets with people on board, Apple intends to market cars that are already fully autonomous. This bet is financially and technically more risky, according to the article.
He details how the project, dubbed Titan, suffered from overambition, such as trying to build a completely new car. This is in addition to numerous departures of experienced executives, in particular because of the lack of support from top management.
engineers have wasted valuable time staging demonstrations on specific routes using technology that works there, but hardly anywhere elseassures the journalist.
Apple is testing its prototypes with a person behind the wheel in Los Angeles, San Diego and around Lake Tahoe in the United States. However, earlier this year, one of them almost ran over a pedestrian at 25 km/h, and an internal investigation determined that the incident would have taken place had it not been for the intervention in extremis of the employee behind the wheel.
A post-Steve Jobs era without a smoking gun
The rare leaks in the press about a potential Apple car are closely followed in the world of technology, where the Apple brand has earned a reputation for producing sophisticated, high-performance, intuitive and innovative electronic devices.
However, since the departure and death in 2011 of Steve Jobs, the emblematic co-founder of the Californian group, the company has not made a notable breakthrough – as the iPods and iPhones had been – beyond its watch. connected, the Apple Watch, and the diversification of its services.
With each new product presentation, the market eagerly awaits an autonomous car or a virtual reality headset, also in development.
According to The Information, 1,000 people are currently working on Project Titan, which costs more than $1 billion a year, out of the $22 billion Apple spends on research and development.


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Soma was introduced to the team from investment firm Atomico – which includes Niklas Zennström of Skype fame – at a business event in December and completed the VC deal last week. “I wasn’t actively looking for funding," says 32-year-old Soma, who launched Chemistdirect.co.uk from his garden shed in 2007. "But it was too good a deal to turn down.”
Soma’s £5m-turnover business sells health and beauty products over the internet, undercutting high-street chemists and supermarkets. It recently launched a spin-off service, offering discounted pet medicines.
“I hope this puts the word on the street that VCs are still willing to invest in companies that show promise,” says Soma.
So, what’s the first thing he’s going to do with the £3m pot of money” “Buy a Bentley,” he jokes.
“Actually, I’ll be using the money to strengthen the management team, move to new premises and increase marketing activity.”
He also plans to recruit more staff. And with unemployment set to surge past the politically sensitive two million mark this week, Soma will have his pick of new recruits. “The fact that other companies are making redundancies means there’s an opportunity for us to attract great talent,” he says. “There aren’t many successful dotcoms in Birmingham – so I hope Chemistdirect.co.uk will be a real draw.”
Related articles:Online chemist branches out into babycare


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NEW YORK — Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services on Oct. 6 raised the corporate credit rating of Dunkin’ Brands Inc. to B+ from B. Dunkin’s outlook is stable.
S.&P. also raised the issue-level rating on Dunkin’s senior secured bank credit facilities to B+ from B. The ratings agency left Dunkin’s recovery rating at 3, which means it would be expected a creditor would recover the high end of 50% to 70% in the event of a payment default.
The upgrade follows a late July initial public offering of more than 25 million Dunkin’ shares.
“The B+ rating on Dunkin’ Brands reflects the meaningful improvement in the company’s credit production measures following the completion of its I.P.O. and subsequent repayment of debt,” said Andy Sookram, credit analyst at S.&P. “We expect that company’s leverage ratio to strengthen over the next year, as new store openings and menu offerings augment earnings and Dunkin’ uses excess cash flows to reduce debt.”
Mr. Sookram said the Dunkin’ credit profile improved because of the offering “but in our view remains highs leveraged.”
S.&P. said the resiliency of Dunkin’ operation prompted the stable outlook.


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The IDC Wearable Device Tracker forecasts shipments of 124.9 million wearables by the end of 2018, up 8.2% over 2017. In four years this will be 199.8 million per year.
In the past basic lower-cost wearables – fitness bands – have enjoyed growth. But advances in smartwatch functionality, IP ratings, a huge range of devices and costs have made fitness bands less desirable.
Ramon Llamas, research director for IDC Wearable Device Tracker team, said, “The smartwatches of 2022, even 2020, will make today’s smartwatches seem quaint.”
“Health and fitness is a strong start. But when you include cellular connectivity; integration with other Internet of Things (IoT) devices and systems; and how smartwatches can enable greater efficiencies, the smartwatch market is heading for steady growth in the years to come,” he added.
Jitesh Ubrani senior research analyst for IDC Wearable Device Tracker, said, “We expect the shift in consumer preferences towards smartwatches to continue. Apple will undoubtedly lead in this category. But Google and its partners deserve watching too.”
Ubrani was referring to Google’s WearOS (replacing Android Wear)
It is a real contender for Apple’s watchOS as it can act standalone or paired to a smartphone.
The rapid development of this new open source OS
Tight integration with Google Assistant, Phone, Messaging Calendar, Gmail, Pay
Apps from Uber to Maps
Lifestyle and fitness apps and integrated heart rate, GPS and third-party sensors
Play Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio
Works on Android and iOS
Partners include Asus, Broadcom, Casio, Diesel, Fossil, Gc, Hugo Boss, HTC, Huawei , Intel, Imagination Technologies, Kate Spade, LG, Louis Vuitton, Misfit, Michael Kors, MediaTek, Montblanc, Mobvoi, Motorola, Nixon, New Balance, Polar , Qualcomm, Samsung, Skagen, Swatch, TAG Heuer, Tommy Hilfiger, Xiamoi, and ZTE
The release of dedicated new silicon from Qualcomm
Works equally well on iOS or Android
Interestingly open-source Android-based watches will be WearOS’ closest competitor. Vendors can highly customise it, and it gets over the lack of Google services in China.
Llamas continued, “Keep an eye on the other smartwatch platforms, including Fitbit’s Fitbit OS, Garmin’s Connected IQ, and Samsung’s Tizen. Fitbit’s Versa has had a warm reception in the market. Garmin’s devices have had a steady presence for many quarters. Expect both companies to dive deeper into health and fitness while exploring new areas as well. Samsung continues to make strides in the commercial space, including health care and wearable workflows.”
IDC Wearable Device Tracker 2018-2022
Smartwatches will account for 44.6% of all wearables shipped by the end of 2022.
Apple’s latest watch has cellular connectivity. It has drawn attention from Telcos. More importantly, it has helped with consumer acceptance. Other vendors will follow. In short, there is an increasing use case for a smartwatch.
Basic watches comprise sports watches, kids’ watches, and hybrid watches. They offer many advantages such as long battery life, simplified interfaces, and highly fashion-forward designs. But this category declines from 23.7% in 2018 to 19.7% in 2022. That decline is due to vendors focusing on transitioning their user base to smartwatches in hopes of increasing revenue.
The market for wristbands will decline by 6.6% in 2018 – demand for these simple devices has cooled. Leaders here include Fitbit and Garmin that continue to pursue smartwatch growth instead. Average selling prices are expected to drop below $50 by 2022.
Worldwide Wearables Forecast, Product Shipments, Market Share and CAGR, 2018 and 2022 (shipments in millions)
2018 Market Share
2022 Market Share
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, June 18, 2018
Q1, 2018 shipments
Top 5 Wearable Companies by Shipment Volume, Market Share, and Year-Over-Year Growth, Q1 2018 (shipments in millions)Top 5 Wearable Companies by Shipment Volume, Market Share, and Year-Over-Year Growth, Q1 2018 (shipments in millions)
1Q18 Shipment Volume
1Q18 Market Share
1Q17 Shipment Volume
1Q17 Market Share
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearables Tracker, June 4, 2018
IDC Wearable Device Tracker commentary on Q1
Apple Watch grew 13.5% over the previous year with the launch of a cellular-connected Watch. Telcos have embraced another revenue stream.
Xiaomi at the second position had a 14.8% share. It had the lowest average selling price (ASP). It has been able to successfully flood the primarily Chinese market with its devices. But has been far less successful at capturing a share of wallet.
Despite a decline of 28.1%, Fitbit ranked third during the quarter. The launch of the company’s smartwatch, Versa, was met with initial success with its appealing design and even more appealing price. Recently, the company has also launched new features on its platform, such as female health tracking. This has been well received as over 2 million users have already used this feature. The company remains focused on the health and wellness market by working with slow to move government agencies and medical institutions.
Utilizing the Honor brand to cater to a younger audience, and the Huawei brand to cater to a more demanding audience has worked well. It has a wide product portfolio of smartwatches, kids’ watches, fitness trackers, and even ear-worn devices. its presence is still limited to Asia.
Garmin has a 5% share, up slightly from its 4.6% share a year ago. In the past, Garmin has been relatively slow to adopt certain new features. The recent rollout of music playback and further expansion of Garmin Pay and the Connect IQ platform has worked. Garmin has also been able to slowly expand its global reach as nearly three-quarters of its wearable shipments were outside the U.S. in 1Q18, compared to roughly two-thirds in the previous year.
GadgetGuy’s take – a smartwatch was a market waiting to happen.
Back in April 2015, Apple released the series 1 watch. I admit then to being naysayer suggesting it was an answer to a question that had not yet been asked. Apple does not release watch sales, so analysts were right to question its impact.
Fast forward to today. Projected sales figures of 43.5 million smartwatches and 74.7 million dumb watches. This is proof that the wearables market has become a reality.
IDC says the smartwatch category will grow 89.1 million in four years. This is at the expense of dumb watches moderate growth to 85.2 million. Smart clothing and earware (smart buds) are also two growth areas.


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(YorkPedia Editorial):- Sydney, New South Wales Dec 13, 2021 (Issuewire.com) – The multi-chain based metaverse project Utopia has released and opened its whitelist competition recently. Those who manage to secure a top spot in the whitelist competition will be able to acquire one of the first 1000 BNB and Utopia non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, not only for artistic value but also to participate in many play-to-earn crypto games such as trading card game and NFT blind box, which are under development and will be launching soon. The public competition will end soon.
To apply for the whitelist pre IDO, click here. For more information on whitelisting, please join the Telegram group and check the Twitter pages. This is a once-in-a-life opportunity to get an early ticket to dive into Utopia metaverse than others, so don’t miss out!
More on YorkPedia:
- Bringing the Authentic Music of R&B the Recertified Teenager Releases New Track ‘The Groove’
- The North Carolina Music Band Apollo Craven Is Spreading Its Charm with Their Soundtracks
- Learn How to Measure Press Release Success in 11 Simple Ways
- Stay Updated about the International Music Industry with Daily Music Roll’s Music News
- Get Nostalgic with the Album ‘To Love Somebody…’ by O’Neill Fernandes
High-quality design and technological expertise make Utopia a special metaverse project. So far they have amassed more than 4,100 followers on Twitter while running an active Telegram channel with more than 2,800 users. Their community is growing at a steep rate and as it is said in the industry, the “hype is boiling” before the release since everyone wants to secure a Utopia Coin before it’s too late.
Driving a wave of innovation in the Utopia Metaverse
Utopia is built upon an arresting storyline and narrative that revolves around an imaginative place with the same name. It is a utopia that glorifies power, glamour and influence. Theoretically located somewhere on multi-blockchains in the Metaverse, this utopian place harvests the most intriguing characters you will ever see: producers, protectors, adventurers, utopians and voters.
This first upcoming drop consists of 1,000 elite Utopians who will be entitled to participate in the presale and will be offered a significant amount of discount compared to later participants. In addition to this, the top 100 winners will receive a limited-edition NFT and a coveted Utopian badge as an honor.
The winner tier can be broken down as follows:
Top 100 winners: subscription limit of 1BNB
Top 100-300 winners: subscription limit of 0.5BNB
Top 300-1000 winners: subscription limit of 0.25BNB
After the competition, users can look forward to enjoying the immersive metaverse experience through weekly activities, seasonal drops, exclusive NFT cards and contributing to the whole Utopia metaverse ecosystem.
Expanding the metaverse with a focus on Users
Many companies have surged with the NFT and play-to-earn craze, but most of them launch NFT and crypto products for the sake of it without considering user experience, value proposition, and demonstrating unique selling points. In Utopia, the development and marketing teams take time to create a truly unique aesthetic masterpiece along with a unique experience for every utopian.
The team behind Utopia arrived at the project with vast experience in the crypto and blockchain industry. Utopia’s developers specialized in smart contracts and had worked in world-class tech companies like Google and Amazon. They are the cornerstone to build this industry-disrupting product with cutting-edge technologies and an extra touch to customer service.
Thousands of hours have been invested into carefully crafting the Utopia metaverse in many different aspects to build the entire ecosystem. The rewarding system and token rarity can offer various benefits to its holder, and thanks to the way it was designed, once all the tokens are minted, the scarcity will push the price to a new high and stabilize the whole system.
The product is backed by an extremely professional and thorough business mindset. Utopia’s teams have already planned out their growth path throughout 2022 in detail. After the pre IDO, Utopia will focus on the launch of blockchain-based games to make sure the play-to-earn games will be a huge hit in the next few months.
Utopia is a metaverse project that transforms everything into blockchain. It is the first-ever project that utilizes stablecoins as its ecosystem token.
Enjoy GameFi, DEX, decentralized lending, NFT marketplace, and more DeFi apps all in one in Utopia universe.
Stay tuned by visiting the following official channels.
Email: [email protected]


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The fund will back startups through early-stage investments, focusing on four industries: digital media, cloud services, security and healthcare technology and services. The goal is to make between four and seven investments each year, arming companies with about $3 million each.
"Our family is committed to honoring my father's legacy by investing in the development of exceptional technologies that have the potential to generate significant social impact," David Dolby said in a press release. "Our direct investment approach focuses on highly defensible intellectual property, and our long time horizon provides ongoing support for entrepreneurs to build great companies."
Dolby Family Ventures has already invested in several companies: health-tracker developer Basis Science; video marketing and commerce platform LittleCast; audio networking company Beep; anti-counterfeiting security software maker Authentic Vision; medical diagnostics company Cytovale; and virtual reality software company AltSpaceVR.
Click here to subscribe to TechFlash Silicon Valley, the free daily email newsletter about founders and funders in the region.
(Edited by: Van Susteren, Taaffe)


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China first half total trade with N Korea slumps 56 % year-on-year in dollar terms
BEIJING (Reuters) – The value of China’s trade with North Korea in the first half of 2018 tumbled 56.1 percent from a year earlier to $1.1 billion, customs data showed on Monday.
In the same period, imports from North Korea dropped sharply by 87.9 percent on-year to $107.3 million, while exports were down 38.8 percent to $997.3 million.
China’s June total trade with North Korea was valued at $217.16 million, down from $230.87 million in the previous month.
China’s exports to North Korea were $204.19 million in June while imports from North Korea were $12.97 million, the data showed.


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More than half of UK workers LIE about pre-booked trips to secure the best holiday dates ahead of colleagues
- The study of 1,000 employees in the UK explored the integrity of workers
- 59 per cent say they have lied to their line manager about holiday dates
- 42 per cent take a sick day for a long weekend break instead of allowance
More than half of UK workers admit to lying about holiday dates to secure the optimum slot for time off, a survey has revealed.
The study of 1,000 employees in the UK explored the integrity of workers when it comes to booking holiday time at work.
Based on a standard January to January booking procedure, 59 per cent admitted that they have been dishonestly insistent with their line manager that they must have certain dates approved to avoid losing money on pre-booked holiday packages.
More than half of UK workers admit to lying about holiday dates to secure the best time off work, a survey has revealed (stock image)
Forty two per cent owned up to pulling a sickie instead of using holiday allowance for a long weekend break, the survey by office brokerage service Londonoffices.com showed.
As soon as January comes, 31 per cent revealed that they cleverly book the days consecutive to the Bank Holidays before their colleagues can so they can make the most of their annual allowance.
Workers in the south east and particularly London tend to enjoy better holiday allowances and benefits packages, research showed.
Chris Meredith, CEO of Londonoffices.com, said: 'It's shocking that employees lie about losing money just to secure dates before their colleagues. It's unfair to those employees that need to balance childcare with peak holiday times.
'Employers need to think about ways to make the system fairer and maybe ask for proof of booking if there is a conflict between staff over dates.
As soon as January comes, 31 per cent revealed that they cleverly book the days consecutive to the bank holidays before their colleagues can so they can make the most of their annual allowance (stock image)
'As a boss I'm always deluged with holiday forms on the first week back after Christmas so this year I'll be looking to make sure my staff are not up to tricks without a doubt.'
The minimum legal holiday allowance for full time employees in the UK is 20 days plus eight days for bank holidays.
In practice for most workers this amounts to four full weeks off but most employers restrict the amount of holiday time allowed during peak times such as July and August during school holidays to avoid a deserted office.
Some companies will also restrict holiday bookings around Christmas time.
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As 2013 draws to a close, Tim Cook has to be smiling.
Earlier this year it seemed that Apple would take a fall. Samsung and rest of the Android players were gaining momentum and share as Apple was slow to update its product portfolio and was seeing its profit margins decline. The stock went from from above $700 in September 2012 to below $400 in July 2013. Following the fall introduction of new products and good sales numbers for the holiday shopping season, however, the stock has climbed back above $560.
Perhaps Cook has been smiling all year, knowing that … Read more