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The economy continued to downshift into the final quarter of last year. On a quarterly basis, real GDP growth eased further, slowing from 0.3 per cent in the September quarter 2023 to 0.2 per cent in the December quarter. On an annual basis, growth fell to just 1.5 per cent – the weakest outcome since the December quarter 2020. And in per capita terms, output fell over the quarter and over the year, further extending Australia’s ‘per capita’ recession as living standards once again went backwards. Indeed, the one per cent annual decline in GDP per capita last quarter was the steepest fall this century, outside the large drops associated with the pandemic in 2020.
Aggregate private sector domestic demand ended year the flat, with modest growth in overall activity driven by public spending and a positive contribution from net exports.
In large part, all this means the RBA’s efforts to tame inflation by squeezing the domestic economy remain broadly on track. In its latest forecasts, the central bank had predicted that annual GDP growth would end 2023 at 1.5 per cent, so this week’s outcome looks in line with Martin Place’s central scenario. And there were some encouraging signs of falling price pressures to be found in the data, along with a slight recovery in productivity (although developments in unit labour costs remain unhelpful). Seen from this perspective, the subdued level of activity is painful, but it is also the price of disinflation.
That said, the RBA has also consistently flagged uncertainties around the future path of household consumption as one key risk to the economic outlook. And here there were some indications that the chances of a downside scenario might have increased. In particular, the RBA had predicted household consumption growth of 0.4 per cent over the year for the December quarter. But the actual result turned out to be weaker, with growth running at just 0.1 per cent. Households are cutting back on discretionary spending as elevated debt service costs, the still high cost of living and a high tax take continue to compress disposable incomes.
The ongoing fall in living standards is also likely to be front of mind for the Treasurer as he considers this year’s budget choices. The reworking of the Stage 3 tax cuts is already scheduled to start to deliver some cost-of-living relief from mid-year. And the continuing fall in the inflation rate will also help. But unemployment is on its way up as the labour market weakens. So, the government will be thinking hard about how to balance demands for more fiscal support against the need to help the RBA stay on its narrow path. In the short term, macro policy for Australia’s fiscal and monetary authorities continues to require some delicate risk management.
More detail below.
Real GDP growth was just 0.2 per cent over December quarter 2023
The ABS published the latest set of National Accounts for the Australian economy this week, releasing GDP data for the December quarter 2023. According to the Bureau, real GDP growth eased to a seasonally adjusted 0.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter, down modestly from a (slightly upwardly revised) 0.3 per cent in the previous quarter. On an annual basis, growth slowed to 1.5 per cent from 2.1 per cent, delivering the lowest growth rate seen since the pandemic-hit final quarter of 2020. Set the pandemic aside, and this was the softest annual growth result since the final quarter of 2000.
Weak as it was, the December quarter outcome was in line with market consensus, which had expected 0.2 per cent quarterly and 1.5 per cent annual growth. It was also broadly in line with RBA’s forecast for 1.5 per cent year-on-year Q4:2023 real growth as presented in the February 2024 Statement on Monetary Policy.
Although the real economy has now expanded for nine consecutive quarters, the pace of quarterly growth has been slowing consistently since the final quarter of 2022.
Weak household consumption growth drives stagnant private sector domestic demand
By expenditure item, real growth over the quarter was driven by government consumption (including government benefits for households such as higher Medicare and pharmaceutical benefits expenditure) and a positive contribution from net exports that reflected a larger decline in imports of goods and services relative to the drop in exports.
Overall, final public demand rose 0.4 per cent over the quarter and contributed about 0.1 percentage points to overall quarterly growth. But private final demand was flat in quarterly terms, adding nothing to GDP growth.
Total investment fell 0.2 per cent over the quarter, with both total public and private gross fixed capital formation declining by the same amount.
In the case of private investment, a quarterly increase of 0.7 per cent in business investment (which translated into a robust 8.2 per cent annual rise) was largely driven by a rise in non-dwelling construction related to spending on new warehouses and data centres. There was also an increase in investment in IP products. Together, these outweighed a fall in machinery and equipment investment, reflecting lower levels of spending on agricultural equipment. A rise in ownership transfer costs was another positive contributor to private sector gross capital formation. But these developments were offset by a sharp decline in dwelling investment. The latter fell 3.8 per cent over the quarter to be down 3.1 per cent over the year.
Risks to the Australian economic outlook in recent times have been particularly focused on the household sector, and there the December numbers showed household consumption up just 0.1 per cent over the quarter, with a 0.7 per cent increase in spending on essentials (food, electricity, gas, and other fuels) largely offset by a 0.9 per cent drop in discretionary spending on items such as hotels, cafes and restaurants, cigarettes and tobacco, new car purchases and clothing and footwear. Looking at a different cut of the data, household spending on goods rose 0.9 per cent quarter-on-quarter, while spending on services was down 0.4 per cent.
Consumption was also in weak in annual terms, again up just 0.1 per cent relative to the December quarter 2022. And household spending contracted in per capita terms.
There was one piece of brighter news for households, as after eight consecutive quarterly falls, the household saving ratio rose to 3.2 per cent in the December quarter 2023. That was because income received by households exceeded income paid over the quarter. The ABS pointed to higher compensation of employees and government payments associated with increased benefit payments including JobSeeker and Commonwealth Rent assistance as driving the former, while the fall in income paid reflected lower income tax payments. That in turn was due to a partial retreat from the previous quarter’s sharp rise, with the Bureau highlighting changes across the past two quarters in terms of the timing of final tax return submissions.
The pace of inventory decline also accelerated last quarter with inventories falling $2.7 billion after declining by $0.6 billion in the September quarter 2023. The ABS noted that as imports of consumption goods had fallen, many wholesale and retail businesses had depleted their existing inventory stock to meet consumer demand. Mining inventories were also down as businesses met strong overseas demand for iron ore and coal. (Recall that for the change in GDP it is the change in net inventory investment that matters, where inventory investment is the change in the stock of inventory. That means that a larger decline in the current period than in the preceding period drives a decline in GDP.)
Living standards fall again as Australia’s ‘per capita recession’ continues
The final quarter of 2023 saw GDP per capita shrink for a third consecutive quarter (or for a fourth if one were to consider otherwise flat quarterly growth in the March quarter 2023 to three decimal places), dropping by 0.3 per cent relative to Q3:2023. Output per head also fell over the year, falling by one per cent. Australia remains stuck in a ‘per capita’ recession.
Real GDP per capita is often taken as a basic measure of the standard of living, so on this basis, living standards went backwards for pretty much the whole of last year. An alternative, broader measure of living standards is real net national disposable income per capita (Real NNDI) which also considers the impact of changes in the terms of trade, net income payable overseas and capital depreciation. Living standards on this basis also declined (again) last quarter.
Nominal developments consistent with easing price pressures
In nominal terms, GDP rose 1.4 per cent over the December quarter 2023 to be up 4.4 per cent over the year. The GDP implicit price deflator rose 1.2 per cent in quarterly terms, in part reflecting a 2.2 per cent rise in the terms of trade (although the latter were 3.9 per cent lower relative to the December quarter 2022).
In a sign of moderating domestic price pressures, the quarterly rate of growth in the domestic demand implicit price deflator eased to one per cent, down from consecutive 1.2 per cent increases in the previous two quarters. That was the lowest rate of increase since the December quarter 2021. In annual terms, the same deflator was still up a relatively strong 4.6 per cent, but again this was down from 5.2 per cent in the September quarter and a peak of 7.3 per cent in the final quarter of 2022.
Mixed news on productivity and unit labour costs
There was some positive news on labour productivity (measured as GDP per hour worked) which rose for a second consecutive quarter in the December quarter 2023 to be up 0.5 per cent over the September quarter. Even so, it was still down 0.4 per cent relative to the corresponding quarter in the year before.
On the other hand, the gap between wage growth and productivity growth remained significant, such that growth in unit labour costs stayed elevated.
The RBA has indicated that for inflation to sustainably return to target over time, growth in labour costs and productivity growth will need to come into much closer alignment with each other.
What else happened on the Australian data front this week?
The ABS reported that Australia ran a current account surplus of $11.8 billion in the December quarter 2023 (seasonally adjusted). That was up more than $10.5 billion from the September quarter’s $1.3 billion surplus (itself revised up from the original estimates of a very small deficit). The large increase in the surplus reflected a large rebound in the size of Australia’s trade surplus and a smaller but still significant decline in the net primary income deficit. The balance on goods and services trade strengthened by $8.2 billion to reach $32.4 billion, powered by a 3.1 per cent increase in exports that was led by coal and metal ores (up in price and volume terms). There was also some modest growth for services exports. Meanwhile, imports of goods and services fell 2.6 per cent. The Bureau noted that imports of travel services fell for the first time in 2023 as Australians spent less travelling overseas, while the fall in goods imports was driven by a drop in imports of passenger vehicles. At the same time, the primary income deficit narrowed by $1.9 billion, falling to its smallest gap since the September quarter 2021. According to the ABS, this was driven by reduced profits on foreign direct investment leading to a drop in primary income debits.
Australia’s seasonally adjusted trade balance on goods rose by $284 million in January 2024 to a surplus of just over $11 billion. The ABS said exports were up 1.6 per cent over the month, driven by non-monetary gold, while imports rose 1.3 per cent, due to purchases of non-industrial transport equipment.
The general government net operating balance rose $12 billion from the September quarter 2023 to $2.2 billion in the December quarter 2023 (original basis). The ABS said total general government revenue rose 8.7 per cent over the quarter, lifted by a 13.1 per cent increase in tax revenue. Total general government expenses rose by 3.1 per cent.
The ABS Monthly Household Spending Indicator showed household spending rose three per cent over the year in January 2024 (current price, calendar adjusted basis). Spending was up for both goods (1.1 per cent) and services (4.9 per cent) and for discretionary (0.2 per cent) and non-discretionary (5.6 per cent) items. That annual rise of three per cent was the largest increase since September 2023 and was powered by increased spending on essential items including transport, food, and health.
ANZ-Indeed Australian Job Ads fell 2.8 per cent over the month in February 2024. That followed a significant upwardly revised monthly growth rate in January 2024 of 3.4 per cent (up from 1.7 per cent previously). The Job Ads Index has now fallen nearly 17 per cent from its November 2022 peak, although the series is still almost 38 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels. ANZ noted that the fall in Job Ads follows January’s weaker-than-expected labour force results, which showed unemployment rising to 4.1 per cent and hours worked dropping 2.5 per cent over the month.
The ANZ-Roy Morgan Weekly Consumer Confidence Index fell 2.2 points to an index reading of 81 for the week ending 3 March 2024. That was the weakest reading of the year to date and the lowest since early December last year. All five subindices registered declines led by a 3.9 point drop in ‘Current financial conditions.’ ANZ reported that confidence among those paying off their homes continues to trend upwards, while confidence among renters and outright homeowners is down. At the same time, weekly inflation expectations fell 0.2 percentage points to 4.9 per cent. That’s the equal lowest inflation expectations reading since early February 2022 (along with readings in September last year and (twice) in February this year).
The ABS December quarter 2023 Business Indicators release shows company gross operating profits rose a strong 7.4 per cent over the quarter (seasonally adjusted) but were down 5.4 per cent in annual terms. In contrast, wages and salaries were almost flat over the quarter (up just 0.9 per cent) but rose eight per cent relative to the December quarter 2022.
In January this year, new loan commitments for housing fell 3.9 per cent over the month (seasonally adjusted) but were up 8.5 per cent year-on-year. The ABS said lending for owner occupiers was down 4.6 per cent month-on-month but up 3.4 per cent year-on-year, while lending to investors fell 2.6 per cent in monthly terms, while rising 18.5 per cent over the year. The number of refinanced owner-occupier home loans fell 7.6 per cent and was 30.8 per cent lower than in January 2023.
The ABS said total dwellings approved in January 2024 fell one per cent over the month (seasonally adjusted) to 12,850, although that was still 4.8 per cent higher than approvals in the same month last year. Approvals for private sector houses were down 9.9 per cent month-on-month and down 4.7 per cent year-on-year, while approvals for private sector dwellings excluding houses were up 19.5 per cent month-on-month and 22.6 per cent higher year-on-year, boosted by a rise in apartment approvals in Queensland. According to the Bureau, national approvals for private sector houses have now fallen for four consecutive quarters.
Last Friday, CoreLogic reported that its national Home Value Index (HVI) rose 0.6 per cent over the month in February 2024 to be 8.9 per cent higher over the year. The rate of monthly increase was up from 0.4 per cent in January and the strongest recorded since last October. All capital cities except for Hobart recorded increases in values, with the combined capitals index up 0.6 per cent over the month and 10 per cent over the year. The pickup in value growth also came alongside a bounce back in auction clearance rates. CoreLogic said the continued rise in home values ‘reflects a persistent imbalance between supply and demand which varies in magnitude across our cities and regions’. It also referenced a possible boost to housing confidence as inflation eases and expectations build for a rate cut(s) later this year. Pushing in the other direction, the data provider also highlighted affordability constraints, rising unemployment, a slowdown in the rate of household saving and a cautious lending environment. Growth in rental values has also re-accelerated, with the monthly growth rising to 0.9 per cent in February – the fastest rate of increase recorded since May 2023.
Other things to note . . .
- The ABS lists 11 things that happened in the Australian economy during the December quarter 2023.
- The Treasurer’s reaction to the December quarter 2023 National Accounts.
- Ahead of this week’s GDP numbers, Peter Martin argued Australia was already in an unofficial recession.
- Deloitte Access Economics reckons that although 2023 was the worst year for retail sales growth in a generation, Australia’s retail recession is finally over.
- From the Productivity Commission, the Annual Productivity Bulletin 2024. The Commission highlights that labour productivity for the whole economy fell by 3.7 per cent in 2022-23, as output growth failed to keep pace with a record increase in hours worked. The latter also led to an historical decline in the capital-labour ratio, which the Commission emphasised was a significant headwind for productivity. That economy-wide fall in productivity in 2022-23 returned the level of labour productivity to about the same as it was pre-pandemic, consistent with the ‘pandemic productivity bubble’ story we’ve highlighted before. In the market sector, labour productivity fell 2.9 per cent and multifactor productivity dropped 0.5 per cent. More than half the fall in market sector labour productivity was driven by the wholesale trade and accommodation and food services industries. The Bulletin also includes an update on wage decoupling (when growth in labour productivity exceeds growth in producer wages) which it finds increased over 2022-23 as real producer wages fell by more than productivity growth.
- The ACCC’s Issues Paper for its Supermarkets Inquiry 2024-25.
- The final report from the Senate Community Affairs References Committee on the extent and nature of poverty in Australia.
- Jobs and Skills Australia released its first Labour Market Update for 2024.
- The Grattan Institute defends the government’s ‘Help to Buy’ scheme and also offers supportive thoughts on the proposed New Vehicle Efficiency Standard, albeit with some qualifications around the nature of the targets set.
- The AFR’s Chanticleer column reckons China’s five per cent growth target for this year is unrealistic for six reasons: Unsustainable debt in China’s local government and property sectors; the onset of deflation raising the risk of a liquidity trap; adverse demographics; a loss of confidence in leadership; too much centralisation of power and the possibility of a Trump election win later this year leading to new tariffs on Chinese goods.
- The BIS March 2024 Quarterly Review includes a special feature on the natural rate of interest after the pandemic.
- Torsten Slok explains why he thinks the Fed won’t cut rates in 2024.
- An IMF Working Paper looks at the US banking sector in the aftermath of the March 2023 crises. (See also the Odd Lots podcast linked below.)
- Two interesting pieces from the WSJ. The first warns the world economy is facing another ‘China shock’, as Beijing is relying on exports of cars, machinery and consumer electronics to boost economic growth. But in a significant difference from the previous ‘China shock’ of the early 2000s, the piece argues, this time the disinflationary impact of cheap Chinese manufactured goods won’t be offset by soaring Chinese demand for commodities, given that overall Chinese economic growth is slowing. A second difference is that China is now competing more directly with advanced economies in sectors such as cars, computer chips and complex machinery, leading to rising trade tensions. The second piece reckons rich countries are becoming addicted to cheap labour as businesses rely more on migrant workers to offset domestic labour shortages. Immigration is now running at two-to-three times above pre-pandemic levels in a range of advanced economies, including the United States, Canada, Germany and the UK. But some economists argue that increased reliance on low skill imported labour can lead to weaker overall productivity growth, by discouraging the search for alternatives in the form of automation or by allowing low productivity businesses to continue to operate.
- Introducing a framework for geoeconomics.
- The Economist magazine considers Africa in a multipolar world.
- Attempting to assess the medium-term macroeconomic effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
- Bruegel analyses the state of the EU-Russia energy divorce.
- The OECD has opened accession negotiations with Indonesia.
- The FT’s Martin Sandbu on America’s productivity boom.
- Understanding hunter-gatherers.
- The Odd Lots podcast talks to Anat Admati on US banks and banking regulation after the collapse of Silicon Vally Bank in March 2023.
- The FT’s Unhedged podcast asks, is ESG over?
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Indianapolis Vegetarian Society Expands
May 04, 2015 07:52PM
The Indianapolis Vegetarian Society (IVS) has achieved 501(c)3 nonprofit status and is expanding their operations. IVS has updated and enhanced their online presence, including an extensive vegetarian restaurant directory on their website as visitors can now search the directory by keyword, price and type of food, plus find maps and information for each restaurant and submit reviews.
Join IVS on May 27 for a vegan buffet at Courses Restaurant at Ivy Tech, in Indianapolis. Food from Thailand, India and the Middle East will be prepared by Ivy Tech Culinary Students, including two appetizers, four entrees, two vegetables, two salads and two desserts, with gluten-free options available.
Also, save the date for Indy Veg Fest on September 19 and keep an eye out for their new vegan food truck event that will be scheduled some time between June and August. In the meantime, contact IVS to let them know about your favorite vegan food trucks in the Greater Indy area.

domain: news


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Aerodynamics present dynamic sales opportunity
Maximizing fuel economy is a major goal for fleets in today’s trucking environment.
Diesel prices have more than doubled in the last decade, and even with a subtle slide in the latter half of 2013, today’s diesel prices are still nearly a dollar higher than they were before the recent recession.
With current prices approaching $4 per gallon, fleets have recognized diesel fuel is simply too valuable to waste. As a result, fleets nationwide are aggressively searching the marketplace for products and strategies to help improve fuel economy and save money.
One area where this can be seen is the rise in popularity of aerodynamic trailer products.
Aerodynamics has been a significant factor in tractor body designs for decades. But maximizing the aerodynamic properties of a combination rig takes more than just front end improvements.
The trailer matters, too.
“The most aerodynamic shape is the teardrop, with a wide front end that becomes slender in the back, but with today’s trucks pretty much everything is reversed,” says Natalie Melomed, senior business analyst at VorBlade. “A lot of work has been done on the tractor but not the trailer.”
Recently that has started to change.
Today’s marketplace now includes a multitude of products designed to improve freight efficiency and fuel economy by eliminating trailer drag. For the aftermarket distributor focused on providing comprehensive solutions, these products are becoming must-have items.
One of the earliest aerodynamic products to debut in the commercial truck market was the trailer side fairing. Commonly known as side skirts, these products are long flat panels that attach to the underside of a box or reefer trailer, minimizing air movement under a trailer on the move.
Paul Hegdahl, business development manager Ridge Corporation, maker of both the Freight Wing and Green Wing side skirts, says his company’s products reduce drag under the trailer by minimizing the amount of air hitting the trailer’s rear axle when in use.
Melomed says her company’s VorBlade works as a small scale vortex generator strategically placed on the roof of tractor and trailer. As the tractor drives down the road, air is pulled into the VorBlade and shifted to create a stable vortex of air contrails. Melomed says this stabilizes the trailer against head winds and cross winds and minimizes drag.
At ATDynamics, CEO Andrew Smith says his company has zeroed in on minimizing the low-pressure center created behind a box trailer to improve fuel economy with its Trailer Trail product. Smith says ATDynamics’ product is affixed to a trailer door or frame, and opens automatically when a vehicle reaches a certain speed, creating an artificial tail similar to the back end of a teardrop.
Mitchell Greenberg, chief commercial officer at SmartTruck Systems, says his company’s under tray systems also are engineered to combat the low-pressure center behind a truck. By pulling from under the trailer into the area behind the trailer doors — bypassing the rear axle in the process — SmartTruck is able to increase the energy found behind the truck and reduce trailer drag.


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Can we say we told you so? As Airbnb matures and readies itself for an IPO, scaling up its traditional vacation rental market share will be crucial, and buying Wyndham's European business would give the company a big boost. On the other hand, don't count out AccorHotels. Then again, why is Wyndham selling this. Why not keep it to compete against Airbnb, HomeAway, and AccorHotels?
First-round bids are due this month for the travel company’s European home unit, which could fetch more than $1 billion, said the people, asking not to be identified as the details aren’t public. Airbnb is in the early stages of considering acquiring the business, which may also attract interest from private equity firms, the people said. The home-rental upstart could also team up with a buyout firm to make a bid, one of the people said.
Representatives for Airbnb and Wyndham declined to comment. Wyndham shares jumped 1.5 percent to $109 at 3:50 p.m. in New York.
Acquiring Wyndham’s European inventory, which boasts tens of thousands of properties in ritzy vacation towns like Dalmatia, Croatia, and Santorini, Greece, would help Airbnb expand its luxury supply and attract higher paying travelers as it battles Expedia Inc. and Priceline Group Inc.
In recent years, the three travel companies have increased their focus on vacation-home rentals, which are more lucrative than collecting a fee on transactions for small apartments and hotel rooms. In February, Airbnb acquired Montreal-based Luxury Retreats, which specializes in high-end villa rentals and concierge services in the Caribbean.
Wyndham, which owns the Ramada and Days Inn brands, said in August it plans to spin off its hotel unit, consolidate its timeshare business and explore alternatives for the European rental brands.
©2017 Bloomberg L.P. This article was written by Ed Hammond, Kiel Porter and Olivia Zaleski from Bloomberg and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
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Photo credit: A cottage listing available on one of Wyndham's European vacation rental units. Wyndham is looking to sell off its European vacation rental business as part of its upcoming spinoff. Wyndham Vacation Network/Hoseasons


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After rolling out Android Oreo updates, HMD Global has now started releasing a new update for the Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 in some markets which brings the latest March Android security patch.
According to the user report, the update is around 132MB in size and is being rolled out in batches. Interestingly, the update comes just a couple of days after Google started the rollout of the latest Android security patch for eligible Pixel and Nexus devices.
This new update brings a fix for a critical security vulnerability in Media framework that could enable a remote attacker using a specially crafted file to execute arbitrary code within the context of a privileged process.
The company has not provided any specific features in the update apart from the March Android security patch. Once the update is available for your device, you’ll be prompted to download this update. However, you can also check by going to Settings and searching system updates and then by checking for the update.
This just goes on showing how consistent HMD Global is when it comes to releasing software updates. The company has been quick in seeding update to its phones, be it monthly patches or the Android update. Both the phones — Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 were launched with Android Nougat out-of-the-box and received Android Oreo update in January.
Recently, HMD Global started rolling out Android Oreo beta for its Nokia 3 while the company rolled out the public update with Android Oreo for the Nokia 8.


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Food & Beverage:
Grimm Brothers Brewhouse
May 1, 2015, 11:54 am MDT
Founders Don Chapman and Aaron Heaton are resurrecting old German styles and taking a page from fairy tales in branding their high-growth brewery.
Left Hand Brewing Company
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Co-founder Eric Wallace says the brewery's independence is a big part of its culture and success as he looks to grow the brand in new markets.
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April 30, 2015, 11:42 am MDT
Misbehaving in Utah since 1986, brewing pioneer Greg Schirf has launched Polygamy Porter Nitro, the latest in a long line of his beer firsts for the Beehive State.
Top 10: Most popular CompanyWeek profiles from Q1 2015
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April 4, 2015, 07:54 pm MDT
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Sleeping Giant Brewing Company
April 3, 2015, 11:55 am MDT
Matthew Osterman's contract brewery could produce more than 30,000 barrels of craft beer in its first year of operation.
Upslope Brewing Company
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Founder Matt Cutter is steering the upstart regional brewery towards 40 percent growth for 2015. Production has jumped fivefold since 2011.
Jackson’s Honest Chips
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Co-founder Megan Reamer started making potato chips in her Crested Butte home to meet her ailing son's dietary needs. Today she battles Frito-Lay for shelf space and manages crisp growth.
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Ryan and Kristin Scott are canning sour beers at their distinctive Boulder County brewery, a Colorado first, and using fictional super-powered heroes and villains as pitchmen.
3 Hundred Days of Shine
March 22, 2015, 01:25 pm MDT
With an interest in distilling and an appreciation for history, founder Mike Girard replicates Colorado-style, Prohibition-era moonshine.
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President and co-founder Chris Bowler has brought artisan European meats to the Intermountain West with tantalizing results.
The Real Dill
March 6, 2015, 11:07 am MST
Co-founders Justin Park and Tyler DuBois are focused on craft pickles, but an unexpected byproduct of their brining process is driving dynamic growth.
Avery Brewing Company
March 1, 2015, 09:42 am MST
President and Brewmaster Adam Avery has moved his eponymous craft brewery into a state-of-the art new facility in northeast Boulder with double the capacity of his old digs.
Greenwood Village, Colorado
February 27, 2015, 09:43 am MST
CEO Michael Hranicka is helping craft breweries grow by relieving the headaches of keg distribution.
January 31, 2015, 01:26 pm MST
Quality raw materials are the prime ingredient for success in Erik and Shannon Duffy’s sizzling, small-scale food production business.
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Founder and CEO Keith "Herbie" Herbert is savoring success with his growing coffee empire.
Wild Goose Canning
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Co-founders Jeff Aldred and Alexis Foreman are taking the can-happy craft beer industry by storm. Sales more than doubled in 2015.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Odell Brewing Company
January 12, 2015, 12:00 pm MST
The Odell family are set to eclipse six figures in barrel production for 2015, with much more growth on tap for the future.
Big B’s Organic Juices and Hard Ciders
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On Brewing: Is the bigger GABF better?
Gov. Hickenlooper’s outdoor recreation outcomes a worthy start to an unfulfilled industry mission


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If New Zealand businesses were to use the internet more efficiently, they could add $34 billion to the economy, a new study has found.
The research, The Value of Internet Services to New Zealand Businesses, was funded by Innovation Partnership members Internet New Zealand and Google, and conducted by Sapere Research Group.
It shows that businesses that use Internet services extensively are 6% more productive than average businesses in their industry. And Compared to low-users, heavy Internet users are 73% more productive.
The paper concluded that getting all New Zealand businesses to make the most of the Internet could add $34 billion to the economy through increased productivity and efficiency.
Murray Sherwin, Chair of the Innovation Partnership, said the Internet could have been purpose-built for New Zealand, yet many businesses aren’t using it to its full potential.
“We talked to businesses across New Zealand, from the tourism and retail sectors, to dairy farmers and professional services businesses,” Mr Sherwin said.
“While we found that the Internet is having a positive impact on productivity, too many businesses aren’t using the tools available to unlock the Internet’s potential.”
To read more on this story, click here.


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An exclusively new cider will be launched at this year’s Jubilee Party in the Park in Peasedown St John.
After several months of meetings with Radstock-based Chris Lilley of Lilley’s Cider Barn, who approached the organisers of the festival to offer their support last year, the summer festival committee can finally reveal full details of the exciting project.
Jubilee Party in the Park Committee member, and Parish Councillor Jo Davis, is coordinating the initiative. She said: “We wanted to add that extra bit of excitement to this year’s event, and do something special for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we want to make sure that Peasedown takes a leading role in this historic occasion.”
Called ‘Peasedown Diamond’, the new cider will be available for purchase on Monday 4th June on Beacon Field from the festival’s beer tent – run by publican Simon Sandall from the Red Post Inn.
The name was chosen by local resident Melanie Oatley-Evans as part of a village-wide competition in the spring. As a result, Melanie will have the first taste of the new brew just after 12 noon at Jubilee Party in the Park.
Jo added: “Congratulations to Melanie who gave us the idea of calling it Peasedown Diamond. The name fits well with the flavour – which is a mix of other ciders produced by Chris Lilley that has given it a refreshing clear taste.”
The label design for the keg and bottles has been created by Craig Gill, the festival’s Web and Literature Designer. He said: “Peasedown Diamond’s label ensures this drink stays in touch with its roots. The design includes a view of Peasedown’s countryside, a crown and the year all within a beer mat style effect.”
If the new cider proves to be popular, organisers will look to make the drink available after the festival.
For more information visit www.peasedownpartyinthepark.org.uk
Sponsored by Somer Community Housing Trust, Quartest, Bluebird Care and B&NES Council, Jubilee Party in the Park 2012 will be held on Beacon Field and in Beacon Hall on Monday 4th June from 12 noon – 7 pm. For more details follow the event on Twitter: @peasedownpitp, keep an eye on the website, or go to the event’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com.


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Women wage war against liquor stores in Pink City
The protests against liquor shops in residential areas of Rajasthan capital have intensified, with the residents staging sit-ins outside the shops and demanding the alcohol stores shall be closed down.jaipur Updated: Apr 28, 2014 22:29 IST
The protests against liquor shops in residential areas of Rajasthan capital have intensified, with the residents staging sit-ins outside the shops and demanding the alcohol stores shall be closed down.
The protests are happening at more than a dozen locations across the city, but the government is yet to take concrete measures to contain the situation.
Majority of the protests are led by women who claim the location of shops is disturbing peace in their areas and leaving a wrong impression on children.
The residents of Jyoti Nagar, Gaurav Path, Lalkothi Scheme, Income Tax colony and a colony in Jhotwara continued their protest on Monday also.
In Jyoti Nagar, the residents are protesting shifting of a liquor shop from Imliwala Phatak to Jyoti Nagar locality. Secretary of Rajasthan Housing Board Lalkothi Scheme residents association Narendra Katara said a temple and a children’s park were close to spot where the liquor shop has been opened.
Katara said the women of the locality were reluctant to venture out, because the drunk pass lewd remarks at them.
“People buy liquor from the shop and consume it in the nearby park. In such a situation, the residents who want to sit or exercise in the park don’t venture out,” he said.
Earlier, following the protests by the residents of Imliwala Phatak against the opening of liquor shops, the excise department had shifted the shops to Jyoti Nagar side. But the shops had to face protests there also.
The residents of Jai Singh Khor, Jorawar Singh Gate, Nahari ka Naka, Sanjay Bazar, Nehru Bazar, Indira Bazar, Jayanti Bazar, MI Road, MD Road, Khirni Phatak, Kartarpura Phatak, and Pratapnagar are also protesting and demanding removal of liquor shops from their present locations.
Excise commissioner Om Prakash Yadav has directed the officials concerned to take appropriate action but the department is finding it tough to shift so many shops.


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Some YouTube users claim videos are blurrier or quality is low even after selecting higher resolution
YouTube has recently introduced a high bitrate 1080p video streaming option for its premium members. However, after the recent change, non-premium users claim that the video quality has dropped significantly.
YouTube videos are blurrier or quality is low
According to reports (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8), multiple YouTube users are experiencing an issue where videos appear blurry or low in quality.
This happens even when one has selected a higher playback resolution such as 1080p.
Apparently, watching a video on Full HD resolution appears as if someone is watching it on 480p and the for the 480p videos, they are reportedly unwatchable.
According to some this is happening because YouTube has been compressing the uploaded videos. Due to this, users even have to play the videos at 4K resolution to get a crisp image displayed on their 1080p/1440p screens.
The issue has been persistent for the past few months and affects users across multiple platforms.
Did Youtube intentionally lower the bitrate lately to make ‘good’ video quality (/higher bitrate) a premium feature?
It’s like im watching a 480p video on 1080p size and old 480p videos are basically unwatchable now.. Has anything changed recently?
On the other hand, users also complain that videos on YouTube keep defaulting to 360p or 480p resolution, despite all their attempts to have it fixed at 1080p.
Those affected have tried tinkering with their internet and YouTube video player settings, and using different accounts or VPN, but could not find a solution to the problem.
Some even speculate that YouTube might have done this in order to promote the higher bit-rate option that is currently offered as a part of its Premium subscription.
No official response
Unfortunately, YouTube has not yet officially responded to the issue with blurry or low-quality videos. But we hope it won’t be long before an official fix arrives.
We’ll let you know when it does, so stay tuned.
Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated YouTube section, so be sure to follow them as well.
Featured image source: YouTube.
PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.


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In this Tried & Tested, clothing specialist Sea Design conducts a review into the best yacht crew polo shirts on the market. Which garment comes out on top when put to the test? Find out the number one option...
The holding company of 91.5-metre (300-foot) motor yacht Equanimity, currently in the midst of a legal wrangle with the Malaysian government about a potential sale, has issued a further statement about the situation following an earlier attempt to “set the story straight”.
Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd. says that there has been no legally valid notice on the sale of the superyacht, and that the law requires that one must be received before a sale can progress. The company also say that ongoing action in U.S. courts regarding the rightful ownership of Equanimity means that the Malaysian authorities are acting contrary to a U.S. court order.
“For Malaysia to act unilaterally while there are pending court requests in the US would be an affront to the international rule of law,” reads the firm’s statement. “In fact, Malaysia’s seizure of the vessel is already contrary to a U.S. court order appointing the U.S. government as custodian of the yacht.
“The U.S. has previously stated that it had no advance knowledge of Malaysia’s seizure of the yacht, and presumably, the U.S. had no advance notice of this current Malaysian action either. It is important to note that, despite conflicting statements coming out of the Malaysian government, the U.S. has not proven its case regarding the Equanimity.”
In addition to the status of Equanimity’s ownership, the superyacht’s holding firm claims that the Malaysian government has docked her in “a hazardous environment in which toxins such as water pollution and nearby smoke are greatly damaging it.”
The statement explains that the Malaysian government’s treatment of the superyacht is potentially damaging her value, and that the authorities are “precipitous, ill-conceived and misguided” in their methods, which includes running Equanimity on generator power 24/7 and refusing to spend the necessary money to have the superyacht maintained to a suitable standard.
Equanimity (Cayman) Ltd. closes the statement with a warning about potential issues if a sale was to go ahead by the Malaysian government.
“To move for a sale in Malaysia immediately would be a remarkable violation of due process and international legal comity, and would call into question the actual ownership of the yacht for any potential buyer. These misguided actions would create a cloud on Equanimity’s ownership that could easily take years to resolve in several courts around the world.”
The Malaysian government has not yet responded to this latest development.
In March, it was reported that Equanimity was seized by Indonesian authorities as part of a U.S. investigation into the siphoning of assets from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) between 2009 and 2015.
The superyacht, allegedly bought with funds embezzled from 1MDB, is believed to belong to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho and was handed to the Malaysian authorities at the beginning of August. He has been identified as a key figure in the 1MDB scandal, but at this time his whereabouts are unknown.
In this Tried & Tested, yacht cleaning expert Marine 16 Ltd and cleaning expert Judith Shaw rate and review some of the best cleaning products available to buy. Find out which product was crowned the best following rigorous testing.
Verventia Co. has announced that the sixth edition of the government-initiated Thailand Yacht Show 2022 will be partneri...


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Mercedes confirms all-electric 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class [video]
The all-new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has just been launched, but the new-generation 2025 luxury sedan is already planned and it’s going to be fully electric. It may seem a bit early to be talking about the 2025 Mercedes S-Class, but the Stuttgart automaker already has the luxury saloon planned out 11 years ahead of time. The 2025 Mercedes-Benz F125! is more than just a dream, this luxury coupe has already made its appearance at the Frankfurt International Auto Show in 2011. Mercedes calls it a research vehicle, but it shows what the German automaker has planned for the all-new 2025 S-Class.
This future luxury saloon will be fully electrically powered and emission free by the year 2025. The 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will see the same innovations that the F125 Concept car has now. It will feature new futuristic lightweight materials, experimental operating concepts, innovative drive technology and a new design idiom. While it may seem too far out in the future to even talk about, Mercedes is planning well ahead and knows what the 2025 S-Class will feature.
Mercedes tells us all the materials and technology exists for this luxury saloon today. Prof. Herbert Kohler, responsible for Group Research and New Drive Technologies at Daimler confirmed the existence of the 2025 S-Class technology and plans. He said, "All of the material, drive and operating concepts exist already."
The 2025 S-Class will be fully electrically powered and emission free by the year 2025. Kohler went on to say, "They are being tested today so that they can be implemented on our roads tomorrow. In the next-but-one generation of the S-Class, whose characteristics can already be seen in the F125! today. The research vehicle combines safe and enduring motoring, precisely how we have come to appreciate it over the decades, with uncompromising sustainability. That's because it does not consume any fossil fuels, and does not emit any harmful exhaust emissions."
Mercedes will use this new technology to power the 2025 S-Class. The F125! uses a unique radiator grille that features six air vents integrated into the body. They provide sufficient airflow, “as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class will also be entirely electrically powered in 2025.”
Mercedes says there will be no heavy batteries, lengthy recharging times and limited operating ranges for the 2025 S-Class. It will be powered by an on-board hydrogen fuel cell which drives the car and recharges the newly designed, slim-line lithium-sulphur battery located behind the rear seats. And it will be a “100 percent improvement” on today's lithium-ion batteries.
The operating range of the new 2025 S-Class will be 1000 kilometers, about as far as a current Mercedes diesel saloon is capable of achieving today. It will use just 7.5 kg of hydrogen to achieve this. How will Mercedes pull this off? The 23-inch wheels are each driven by four, axle-mounted electric motors. They accelerate the F125! by generating up to 50 kW of power and 75 Nm of torque at the front, and up to 100 kW and 200 Nm at the rear.
Mercedes says it will feature the first adaptive air suspension system to be used on an electric vehicle. And the F125! is a true performance car with a top speed of 220 km/h and acceleration from 0-100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. So for those concerned about EV performance, the new-generation 2025 S-Class will be a true luxury sports sedan. The all-new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class just arrived and it may be the finest car in the world. Plans are underway to keep the luxury saloon at the forefront with the latest EV technology. Stay tuned to Torque News for the latest Mercedes Benz 2025 S-Class news.
Watch Mercedes-Benz: The F 125! video.


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The five most popular Deliveroo dishes in Inverness revealed as company celebrates four years in the city
Get a digital copy of the Inverness Courier delivered straight to your mobile or tablet every week
A DELIVERY service unveiled a list of the most popular dishes ordered in Inverness, where the company has been operating for four years.
New data from the on-demand food delivery service Deliveroo showed that Inverness locals prefer to order on a Saturday at 8pm, with Boneless Banquet Box Meal from KFC being the most popular dish in the town.
According to the published data, locals appear to love Mexican food the most, followed by Scottish and American.
This year's most popular dishes were:
- Boneless Banquet Box Meal from KFC
- Tattie Scone from Red Pepper
- Bacon Double Cheese XL Meal from Burger King
- Classic Dough Balls from PizzaExpress
- Carbonara from Bella Italia
Harison Foster, Regional Director for the UK said: “Our whole team here at Deliveroo are delighted that our rapid growth in Inverness over the past four years means that customers have more choice, restaurants are able to increase their revenue, and riders have the opportunity to choose well-paid, flexible work.”
Since its launch in the town four years ago, more than 40 restaurants have signed up to the platform.
Deliveroo said it has created work for more than 30 people, with the majority of these being Deliveroo riders.
Customers can schedule orders via the Deliveroo app up to one day in advance or receive food as soon as possible between noon and 11pm, and from noon on the weekends, from a variety of local restaurants, 60 per cent of which are said to be independent businesses.


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Brex Hires Elenitsa Staykova as Head of Marketing
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Brex, the first corporate card for startups, today announced it has hired Elenitsa Staykova, the company’s first female executive, as Head of Marketing. A Bulgarian immigrant who most recently ran growth for Cloudflare, Staykova will help shape the marketing department and continue to build a powerful company as Brex expands and moves upmarket.
“We’re thrilled Elenitsa is joining us to lead our growing marketing team,” said Henrique Dubugras, CEO and co-founder of Brex. “Her experience as a marketing leader scaling an organization through enterprise and international expansion, plus her unique background makes her a welcome addition to the Brex executive team as we continue to build our brand."
As Brazilian natives, Brex co-founders Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi are passionate about the diversity of opinions from different cultures, which reflect the varying backgrounds of the startup founders that Brex serves. Staykova’s addition to the Brex team brings the percentage of first generation immigrant employees at the company to over 42%.
Prior to joining Brex, Staykova was Head of Growth at cybersecurity company Cloudflare. She helped scale the company from 50 to 1,000 employees and built the demand generation and growth function. She also led the international expansion of the marketing teams outside of San Francisco to London and Singapore. Staykova first developed her passion for financial services with positions at The World Bank and UBS Investment Bank. Additionally, as a Startup Advisor and Mentor for First Round Capital, Staykova has a strong foundation in the startup ecosystem.
“I’ve always been passionate about working for companies who are solving major pain points for businesses. Brex is facilitating access to capital and financial services in a way that has never been done before, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best - building their business. Their first product, corporate card for startups, gained an impressive traction.” said Staykova. “I’m excited to lead the marketing team and to join the stellar leadership team that has already helped Brex become one of the hottest startups in the world.
Brex empowers the next generation of businesses with integrated corporate cards and spend management software. We make it easy for our customers to manage every aspect of spending and empower their employees to make better financial decisions from anywhere they live or work. Brex proudly serves tens of thousands of growing businesses, from early-stage startups to enterprise leaders.
Karen Tillman, Chief Communications Officer


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ROLI RELEASES FREE, EXPRESSIVE APP FOR iPHONE 6S
London-based music creation startup ROLI has announced NOISE — a free app for iPhones.
NOISE was designed to make full use of Apple’s 3D Touch technology implemented in the iPhone 6s. The surface of the phone lets music makers shape sound through strike, press, glide, slide and lift — the ‘five dimensions of touch’ that made customers and critics praise ROLI’s Seaboard RISE which was released in September.
Roland Lamb, founder and CEO of ROLI, said: “On September 9 we launched the Seaboard RISE, the world’s first truly accessible multidimensional controller. At the very same time Apple launched the iPhone 6s featuring 3D Touch. For the past 12 weeks we’ve applied our years of research into multidimensional touch and sound to produce NOISE, an app that transforms the iPhone into a bonafide musical instrument.”
As an instrument, NOISE features 25 keywaves, includes 25 sounds, and has five faders for fine-tuning the touch-responsiveness of the surface. It is now available for music-makers of any skill level who want to explore a multidimensionally expressive instrument that fits in their pockets.
While it works with all models of iPhone from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6s, NOISE has been optimised to take full advantage of 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s.
Check out this video to see NOISE in action.


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Boden toasts global gains after a tough time at home
Boden, Middle England's favourite online clothing retailer, has revealed that its international sales have surged past those in the UK for the first time.
Founder and chairman Johnnie Boden also said the mail order business remained committed to distributing 50 million catalogues a year, as its customers "love to browse" them before ordering products online.
Boden, which counts the Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha as fans, said its overseas sales has overtaken UK revenue in the last three months.
Mr Boden, who owns 60 per cent of the company, said: "We are still growing in England but the international markets are growing faster. The US is now a $200m business. We are one of the most successful British clothing retailers in the US."
Boden launched in America in 2002 and also delivers to scores of countries, including Germany, Japan and India.
In the UK, Mr Boden said trading in the first few months of this year had been "very difficult", partly because of the extended near-Artic weather. But he added it enjoyed "strong" sales in April.
Ideally, Mr Boden said the company would like to scale back the volume of catalogues it sends out each year to reduce costs.
However, he explained that while 90 per cent of its orders are made online, the catalogue still drives a lot of this traffic.
"Whenever we do a web-only product it does not work so well," said Mr Boden.
The founder declared that it was "highly unlikely" he would seek to float the business but refused to rule it out in the long-term.
He said: "We are fortunate at the moment that we do not need to raise any money. There is no real reason [to float] unless we wanted to use equity to buy another company but we have quite a lot on our plate at the moment.
"It is a possibility if there is an amazing corporate deal that falls into our lap with something that we felt was unmissable."
Boden delivered pre-tax profits of £17.9m over the year to 31 December 2011, on turnover of £245.9m, according to its latest accounts.
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On Wednesday morning, Facebook shares finally hit $38 apiece. That's the same price the billion-dollar company launched them at when it entered the public-trading arena last May. Things have gone swiftly downhill from there, and for the last year Facebook's been plagued with plummeting stocks, trading glitches, and widespread backlash.
TIME called on Mark Zuckerberg to resign, and the Wall Street Journal described Facebook's first year as a publicly traded company as a 'fiasco.' Investors fretted about the company's poor mobile revenue, and its flagging potential as a platform for advertising.
As of now, Zuckerberg's officially turned things around. Last week, the company revealed earnings way above estimates, and between April and June this year, Facebook re-established itself as a strong advertising platform for investors. With over 40 percent of its revenue now coming from mobile ads, Zuck, hoodie and all, is making it clear that Facebook's back in the cross-platform advertising game.
This year, Facebook's profits from mobile ads are expected to grow fourfold , and start taking a serious chunk of ad revenue away from Google. It's planning television-style ads for its users — think of it like those YouTube ads that play before songs — and selling them for a sweet $2.5 million apiece. They're also developing games of their own, having split with Zynga (parent of FarmVille, CityVille, and a bunch of other games that won't stop popping up on your feed) last year.
And here's the cherry on Zuck's cake: Facebook is now officially drawing more prime-time viewers than any television network.
Late Wednesday, the company also announced embedded posts, which "let people add public posts from Facebook to their blog or web site. When embedded, posts can include pictures, videos, hashtags and other content. People can also like and share the post directly from the embed."
They basically look like an embedded tweet:


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Yasar Doan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TÜMSİAD), said that they expect the upward trend of economic growth to continue this year.
Dogan added that with the change in the global supply chain after controlling the epidemic, Turkey’s share of global demand will increase, which will have positive effects on its economy.
The Turkish economy was affected by the negative effects of the outbreak of the epidemic on the global economy as a whole, and the decline in consumption demand, which resulted in a decline in exports.
In statements to Anadolu Agency, Doan said that companies and small and medium enterprises constitute the largest part of the economy and industry in Turkey, “These institutions are the first to be affected by the turmoil that can occur in the economy.”
Turkey implemented an economic stimulus package to save small and micro companies in the Turkish market, during the months of the pandemic, which caused the private sector to lose large percentages of profits.
“Expectations for global economic growth have retreated and the volume of global trade has decreased in 2019 in light of the climate left by the trade war between the United States and China, but the Turkish economy has started to grow again as of the third quarter of 2019.”
With the emergence of a contraction in GDP, Turkey has taken steps to reduce the economic damage caused by the Corona virus, through the timely economic measures and the aid that it has implemented.
Doan indicated that the economy returned to growth in the third quarter of 2020, after contracting in the first and second quarters due to the repercussions of the virus.
“The export figures for the fourth quarter of 2020 were the highest export figures for a quarter of a year ever, and the industrial production index rose in two months by more than 10 percent.”
** Retail trade
Doan pointed out that in the post-epidemic phase, new prospects for the development of the Turkish economy will open up. He indicated that they expect continued growth in the Turkish economy during 2021:
“With the change in the global supply chain after controlling the epidemic, Turkey’s share of global demand will increase, which will have positive effects on the country’s economy.”
He added, “With the increase in digital transformation, we expect that Turkey’s share of the e-commerce market will also increase … We also expect an increase in the volume of foreign retail trade that begins with export.”
In the context, Dugan explained that small and medium-sized companies are the most affected by any disruptions that may occur to the economy, “Small and micro enterprises are the ones who suffer the most from economic crises.”
He added, “During the epidemic phase, the goal of the state’s aid was to minimize potential damage to the economy, and to support companies that suffer greatly from its effects.”
** Electronic trade
Doan said that small and medium-sized companies constitute the vast majority of the members of the Tomsiad Association, whose board of directors is chaired, adding that these companies have been severely affected by the economic repercussions of the epidemic.
He pointed out that since the beginning of the epidemic, they have made great efforts to develop strategies regarding the necessary steps to be taken and to provide recommendations to members and relevant institutions regarding the current stage.
Doan added that they began working 1.5 years ago on digital transformation and its impact on the economy, developing transformation strategies, and began providing training courses in e-commerce.


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A new charity shop specialising in furniture sales has opened its doors.
The Hartlepool and District Hospice charity shop in Park Road, Hartlepool, is the charity's seventh store.
It was opened after volunteers noticed demand for furniture was outstripping interest in all other items, including clothing.
Hartlepool and District Hospice shops play a vital role in funding the care offered by the charity to local people with cancer and other serious illnesses. Last year the hospice shops raised £300,000 towards the £2m needed.
The furniture shop is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Residents wanting to donate furniture or to volunteer in any of the shops should call 01429 855555.


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When Microsoft announced their intentions to jump into the hardware space with the unveiling of their new Surface tablet, the next logical question seemed to be whether or not the folks at Redmond would do the same for smartphones.
After all, the model seemed to be doing well enough for Apple — was Microsoft considering adopting a similar approach to help give their Windows Phones a new leg up?
The answer, it would seem, is no. Information Week spoke with Windows Phone senior marketing manager Greg Sullivan, and when he was posed the question, he was quick to confirm that the company had no such plans.
“We have a strong ecosystem of partners that we are very satisfied with,” Sullivan went on to say.
It goes without saying that Microsoft has quite an ecosystem of hardware partners churning out Windows-powered PCs too, but it seems as though their focus on cracking the smartphone space has put their relationships with companies like Nokia, HTC, Samsung, and Huawei on another level entirely.
After all, PC players like Dell, HP, Toshiba, and the like don’t have much of a choice — if they value their stake in the traditional computing business, they’re going to continue to push out laptops and towers that run on Windows. What else are they going to do, switch to shipping Ubuntu on their products?
Things are much hairier in the mobile realm, with multiple platforms continually duking it out for dominance (though some clearly have an edge over others), and Microsoft knows they have plenty of lost ground to make up when compared to rivals Apple and Google. As such, Microsoft can’t really afford to alienate their mobile hardware partners, and revealing that they would create their own Windows Phone device to compete alongside those of their partners would certainly ruffle some feathers.
That’s not to say that Microsoft will never do it. They managed to keep the Surface wrapped up very tightly prior to its launch, so it’s clear that they still have the ability to pull off some surprising stunts. If they do venture into creating their own branded mobile hardware though, it’s going to be way, way down the line, after they and their hardware partners have established Windows Phone as a viable player in the smartphone space. Though some analysts see that as a matter of when and not if, Windows Phone isn’t quite there yet.
And that’s assuming they get to that point — for now, one of Microsoft’s big jobs going forward is to help build market momentum around their platform, and ensuring that their buddies push out timely, solid hardware is going to be a crucial part of that.


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CTSI issues warning ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is warning consumers ahead of the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events on Friday, 26 November and Monday, 29 November, respectively.
Last year, total online retail sales in the UK soared from £89bn to a record £130.6bn, according to a United Nations report, fuelled in part by the pandemic lockdowns. Despite the end of the lockdown period, it is expected that online spending will remain high in 2021, in particular during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday events, which sees major retailers slash prices on select items.
CTSI is warning the public to be conscious of scams during sales events and that sometimes a deal may not be what it’s all cracked up to be. Meanwhile, trading standards services across the country are working hard to make sure the public is protected this festive season.
CTSI Lead Officer, Katherine Hart, said: “It seems that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events get bigger every year, and many bargains can be found; however, we all must remain vigilant and practice shopping safety.
“Sometimes sellers raise their prices before a sales period to make it look like a great deal is on offer during the sale. Fortunately, there are websites, such as Camel Camel Camel, which tracks the price history of products on Amazon so you can check if you’re getting a good deal.
“Most seriously, the prospect of scams rears its ugly head, and the COVID-19 pandemic saw an array of different scams target the public while misusing big shopping brands such as Amazon, along with delivery companies like Royal Mail and DPD to cloak their intent.
“The public should also be aware that some scammers clone legitimate websites in attempts to steal banking details, while other websites may sell counterfeit or unsafe goods. Contact trading standards through the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline if you have concerns about a business, product, or website. If you believe you have uncovered a scam, contact Action Fraud.
“Trading standards services are working to keep consumer confidence high through effective protection, and the cooperation of the public maximises that protection. We must warn others and report every instance of bad business practices and scams so that enforcement authorities get a complete picture of the scale of this problem.
“Above all, take advantage of the deals, but be alert and don’t let websites pressure you into purchasing until you’ve done all the due diligence about the platform, the product, and the deal itself.”
For consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133
To report scams, contact Action Fraud, or if in Scotland, contact Police Scotland.
The public is encouraged to join Friends Against Scams, an initiative aiming to protect and prevent people from becoming scam victims by empowering them to take a stand against scams.


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Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in its recently released “2030 Asia advanced technology,” the report Control Engineering Copyright , based on 30 important technologies for future worldwide research available, select experts from China, Japan, Singapore, India and other Asian countries, 10 major investigation and data analysis, given in 2030 for Asia’s 10 most critical advanced technology, and are from the influence of technology penetration and investment priority perspectives were analyzed and compared, providing advice and guidance for future national policy planning and business development.
Figure: 2030 the world’s advanced technology: Asia’s top 10 advanced technology (Source Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute report)
The report also will be available with 10 in the world is frequently mentioned technology In contrast, we found in Asia and the world for the next key technical concerns are quite different. The report notes that the “most countries have focused on different technical breakthrough, Asian countries pay more attention to daily life related technologies.” But whether it is a global or Asian countries surveyed, it is generally considered artificial intelligence (AI) and service robots is very important to the future of advanced technology.
Figure: 2030 key technology in Asia and around the world (Source: Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute report)
Application of global concern due to AI artificial intelligence development can benefit almost all economic, industrial and service areas, it is considered since the invention of the steam engine in the history of human science and technology biggest breakthrough innovation, attention around the world. Currently in the field of basic research AI, the United States, China, Britain, Germany is quite advanced, but in practical application and commercialization of AI technology, it is mainly the United States and China have emerged a number of new, global success large innovative companies. At present, the AI industry professionals worldwide field of about 20 million people, mainly in the United States, China and other countries in start-ups and technology giants. Business practitioners on the distribution and abundance of talent, as of June 2017, total global startups 2617 , the United States accounted for 1078’s first home, a total of about 78,700 employees; China to 592 home ranked second, a total of 39,200 employees, only 50% of the United States. China AI industry is mainly concentrated in the application layer, while the United StatesMainly in the foundation and technology layers. AI industry in the United States in the base layer, layer technology, the number of practitioners of the application layer are 14 times that of China, 2.3 times, 1.3 times; China’s reserve talent base layer AI is weak, especially in the processor / chip and AI technology platform lack of senior personnel to support the education system and high-end industrial development life. This also confirms the view ITRI report on Asian countries to focus on advanced technology research and development applications. Turning to China’s comprehensive strength and AI industry are relatively strong development momentum, there have been more applications in the field of consumption, but the real AI application in industrial production processes, is still in the exploratory stage. 2017, China announced to seek in 2030 to become the world leader in the field of AI, and the introduction of appropriate policies and guidance documents to further concentrate business, research and policy in the field of AI focus basic scientific issues, the creation of their own data sovereignty, and thus exploit the economic potential of key technologies, and strive to achieve by 2019 a breakthrough application in the production site. AI service robots broad space for development in the rapidly growing consumer industry, directly boosting the research and development of service robots, which is the service robotics technology as an important reason for the second worldwide and Asia of common concern. Service robots is one of the most abundant hardware integration of new technologies, mainly be engaged in maintenance, repair, transportation, cleaning, security, rescue, monitoring, etc., wide range of applications, the degree of the current market is still in its infancy, but growing faster than fast, very broad space for development. Accompanied by a worldwide shortage of labor and simple aging such as rigid drive, as well as expanding health care spending needs of the industry, service robots is one of the strong pillars of the future economic development of countries. Among 48 countries around the world nowadays robot development Control Engineering Copyright , there have been 25 involved in the development of service robots. In the more developed countries among the highest in the Control Engineering Copyright , the Western countries to the United States, Germany and France as the representative of Asia to Japan and South Korea as the representative. China’s “national long-term Science and Technology Development Plan (2006-2020)” intelligent service robots as the cutting-edge technology focus on the development of the next 15 years, and developed a “service robot technology development” in 2012 second five “special planning “to support development of the industry. Our R & D in the field of service robots in Japan,The United States and other countries started late compared to the large absolute gap in developed countries, but in relation to the industrial robot, the gap is small, and because the services are generally in conjunction with specific market development, thus our local service robot industry in the future will face a relatively large opportunities and development space. 6G 6G leader in mobile network technology mobile network technology ranked second in the top ten of the technical report mentioned, we think mainly due to the impact of China Huawei world’s leading companies in the field of state 5G technology and equipment produced and triggered investment heat. China was the end of 2017 began to develop the concept 6G Control Engineering Copyright , Huawei’s engineers have now also begun to 6G standards development. In addition to China CONTROL ENGINEERING China Copyright , 6G ongoing conceptual design and development work related countries and regions as well as the United States, Russia, the European Union. China and Huawei continued huge investment in scientific research for the development of our country can lead in the global 5G, 6G provided a guarantee. According to statistics, China’s communications construction spending has surpassed the United States about $ 24 billion, and is expected to add another $ 400 billion. Since 2015, China has established a nationwide 35 million new mobile phone base stations, by contrast, the United States fewer than 30,000. In the European Union issued the “2018 EU Industrial R & D investment ranking” in the Control Engineering Copyright , Huawei to 11.3 billion euros (equivalent to approximately 88.399 billion yuan) of the R & D investment in China ranked first, fifth in the world, these R & D investment accounted for total revenues of Huawei’s annual share of 14.7%. Autopilot and bring new energy vehicles as well as autopilot technology and new energy vehicle technology has changed the landscape of the auto industry opportunities arranged in front of the report, we believe that the future of our country also needs to focus on the development of related industries in this area. In fact, around the field, in response to industry of technological change, the world auto industry giants are increasing the pace of technological innovation, is intended to consolidate and develop their industry position. But both the BMW or Toyota and other companies, at the same time pursue new technologies do not give up the conventional internal combustion engine technology and other R & D and production, the reason behind thought-provoking. The past 20 years, with the rapid development of China’s automobile industry, car production scale year after the first, has become the world’s largest auto market CONTROL ENGINEERING China Copyright , the overall technological level of China’s own brand car companies have been greatly improved, it is still difficult to catch up with the world’s leading automobile companies in the short term in the traditional technical areas, while based on energy, environment , transportation and other constraints, the future of China’s auto industry should be based on new energy vehicles and autonomous vehicles production as the main breakthrough. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that China’s auto industry to seize the strategic opportunities, focusing on research and development and restructuring and upgrading energy power system and autopilot technology, the automobile industry to promote low-carbon, intelligent, through the “corner overtaking” to achieve auto power. Block chain technology to enhance confidence and security in addition, block chain technology cryptography way to ensure data can not be tampered with and can not be forged, mainly to solve the problem of trust and security transactions, future technology integration through the intersection and artificial intelligence, virtual reality, will have a greater potential applications in smart contract, supply chain finance, credit, product traceability and other fields. Summary In summary, the report of our market-oriented and consumer demand in 2030, the layout of the current R & D and industrial development to provide a reference with a convincing force. From the national strategic level, it suggested that China should get rid of Asian thinking, the world, for many advanced technologies listed in the report, especially the top ten technology, industry, academia, research a systematic study of all walks of life together.


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Cargill has launched the initial phase of its new grain terminal in Ukraine’s Yuzhny port, in partnership with local company MV Cargo. The terminal, which is one of the biggest investments the country has seen in a while, should be handling 1 million mt of grains by this autumn. Techagro also announced a plan to build three grain terminals at the same port that would handle 4.5 million mt by 2021.
In Argentina, Cargill hiked its stake in Glucovil Argentina to 70% by buying 40% of Ledesma’s holdings. The family now holds a 30% stake which Cargill can buy until 2023.
Bunge announced it opened a new wheat mill in Mexico. Located near the port, from where the wheat is imported, the mill will process and re-export the wheat to the rest of Latin America. In Brazil, meanwhile, Bunge announced it had completed the sale of its 49.9% share in the algae business SB Renewable Oils to joint venture partner Corbion.
Wilmar is planning to release the Indonesian version of an online system designed to help its palm oil suppliers become more sustainable. It already launched one in Malaysia ahead of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil national certification becoming compulsory next year. The questionnaire, which results in a score, will give Wilmar an idea of which areas need to be addressed and develop further training or workshops accordingly. The company has also designed a similar system for Latin America.
Danone’s dairy arm, Centrale Danone, is facing losses in Morocco after a boycott from consumers caused its sales to fall by over 50%. To cope, the company has reduced by 30% the amount of milk it buys from farmers and has had to lay people off. The boycott, which also affected fuel stations, was started to protest high prices from foreign brands.
Coca-Cola aims to recycle all of its packaging by 2030. In Zimbabwe, the company is now collecting over 15% of the PET produced, up from just over 7% in 2017. Similarly, in Uganda it invested in Plastics Recycling Initiative which recycles 14mt of plastic every day while providing an income for plastic collectors.
A report from the UN showed that some 50 countries are actively working to fight plastic pollution. Additional taxes and outright bans have been, in some cases, effective, such as in Eritrea, Morocco, China and Ireland but have failed in other areas mainly because of the lack of enforcement. The head of the UN environment argued that plastic in itself was not bad, the problem was what we did with it. As such, the report suggested businesses and plastic producers needed to incentivise recycling more.
In a bid to capture more of the value chain and to control prices, Ivory Coast and Ghana are planning to work together on cocoa production and marketing. Both countries, which represent two-thirds of the global cocoa production but where very little processing happens, want to build warehouses, coordinate production and encourage local consumption. Many analysts are sceptical this will work, however, arguing that previous attempts to coordinate efforts have failed.
Ghana did send a delegation to China to try to convince consumers of the benefits of cocoa and look for a market for its premium cocoa beans, semi-finished and finished cocoa products.
Meanwhile, chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has partnered with growers in Ghana and Ivory Coast to replant trees infected with the swollen-shoot virus disease as part of a wider sustainable farming initiative.
Qatar has become a self-sufficient milk producer just a year after its neighbouring countries cut off diplomatic and trade ties and soon expects to start exporting. Before the blockade, the country imported all its milk from Saudi Arabia and had no dairy herd. The cows were flown in from the US and could reach 20,000 head-count by 2019.
Neighbouring Dubai, meanwhile, could soon be growing paddy in its desert on a commercial scale. A group of Chinese scientists have successfully grown rice in diluted sea-water in a test project which yielded 7,500kg/ha, over twice the world average. Ultimately, the aim would be to cover 10% of the UAE, although some question whether the region has enough fresh water to dilute into the seawater.
Oxford University and Agroscope researchers published a huge database of the environmental impact of 40 food products across the world, using data from 40,000 farms and 1,600 processors. Have a look at the impact of 9 animal and 6 vegetable products here.
This summary was produced by ECRUU


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The family-owned Whataburger chain was sold to to a Chicago company on Friday, upsetting Texans and sparking fears that their beloved burger chain will change.
Whataburger, boasting $2 billion in sales per year, was sold to investment holdings firm BDT Capital Partners which owns stakes in companies such as Einstein Bros. Bagels and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.
The chain, which has been family-owned for 69 years, currently has 828 restaurants across 10 states, but “will begin exploring expansion plans” as part of the BDT acquisition. Whataburger’s headquarters will remain in San Antonio, according to a statement.
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt proposed that the chain, known in-part for its “fancy” and “spicy” ketchup, be bought back by citizens of the Lone Star State.
“OK, I say we all chip in and buy Whataburger back," Watt wrote on Twitter. "Make honey butter biscuits available all day, add kolaches to the menu and change nothing else. Especially not the ketchup.”
Like Watt, other loyal customers didn’t take the news too well — and here are a few tweets to prove it.
Whataburger issued a statement on Friday afternoon in an attempt to calm customers’ fears about the sale.
“Texas, we don’t want you to be upset. We will always be Texan and represent you in a way that makes you proud. #believethat”


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No lesser luminary than Sir Martin Sorrell has backed artificial intelligence to breathe new life into creativity – rather than kill it off – on the back of a new report which shows $11bn (£8.6bn) has been invested in marketing related AI since 2014.
Of course, the former WPP boss, who now heads up S4 Capital, has always been a big data advocate and the report – by technology advisory and investment firm GP Bullhound – shows the market is suddenly taking off.
In the whole of 2018 there was $2.5bn (£1.95bn) worth of investment in emerging marketing AI companies, but $1bn (£780m) invested in Q2 of 2019 alone.
The report confirms what many in the data-driven marketing industry have predicted for years, that data is the defining feature of the global digital economy and is reshaping the marketing sector.
Advances in computing power mean that AI is evolving into a viable and affordable technology that enables marketers to collate, sort, and analyse vast quantities of data. AI also adds another layer of application, allowing the data to be employed in predicting and influencing future consumer actions.
Sorrell said: “Having data first and foremost improves the output, but it doesn’t replace output. Access to vast amounts of data will therefore make our job more effective, not less effective. The traditional argument, that data destroys creativity, is nonsense – AI will aid creativity. Better input in the form of data leads to better output.”
GP Bullhound executive director Oliver Schweitzer added: “AI heralds the beginning of a new marketing era, driven by the need to connect vast amounts of disparate data, uncover patterns and make predictions, which only AI can accomplish.
“[The technology] will become increasingly integrated into digital services and marketing processes; however, human intelligence and intuition will remain critical to interpret its findings and implement strategic and creative plans accordingly.”
The free report is available for download at the GP Bullhound website>
Martech spend tops $120bn but marketers crave more
AI comes to the rescue of gibberish advertising copy
Why artificial intelligence will not be taking your job
Marketers claim data deluge is wrecking the day job
Only 2% of firms trust the customer data they hold
Filthy data hampers efforts to slash customer churn


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Finally The Creative Giant Apple Takes A Clue From Its Competitor Samsung [VIDEO]
Apple and Samsung are two big rivals. They always improve their smartphones according to the latest trend. Now, it is being heard that Apple will launch new iPhone with a curved screen as Samsung's curved screen phones are hit.
As written in Nikkei Asian Review, "Apple Inc. has come up with three new iPhone models for next year, including a premium handset that will sport a curved display like the one Samsung Electronics has adopted for its top-of-the-range smartphones."
According to Wall Street Journal, "Apple's iPhone with a curved screen will be on shelves as soon as next year". Apple is considering to make a new model with a curved display similar to award-winning Samsung Galaxy edge.
There is a possibility that the new iPhone range might contain an OLED screen. This introduction will comparatively come at a very high price tag because these displays are generally very expensive (more than $50) for production.
iPhone would mark its 10th anniversary in upcoming year i.e. 2017, because of which there is an increased pressure of launching a hit phone next year. This time it has slowed its smartphone sales.
Apple has instructed its suppliers to increase the output of the thinner organic LEDs and it also should submit these prototypes with better resolution than that if competitor South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. to differentiate the models of US companies.
This step can come with several risks such as technology can become mainstream, no extraordinary image quality, flexible screens haven't yet be perfected by the display makers, and it may take a longer time to be accepted and used by users. Touch sensor and lens cover components would restrict panel's flexibility.
This newly redesigned model of iPhone is expected to be unveiled by Apple in September 2017. According to Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, "iPhone 8 is expected to be launched in three different models".
The smartphone market has been now innovating its technology by transforming its LCDs to OLED screens because of its benefits of sleeker and lighter features. This step has already been adopted by Samsung, Google division of U.S. based Alphabet Inc. and China's Xiaomi Corp.


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The United Kingdom will grant temporary visas to more than 10,000 foreigners to work as truck drivers and in the food industry, in an attempt to ease a supply-chain crisis and pre-empt a Christmas logjam.
The move is a major departure for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government. Britain overhauled its immigration system after leaving the European Union in January 2020 to end what it called “an over-reliance on cheap, low-skilled foreign labor”. However, in a significant course reversal this weekend, UK offered thousands of visas to foreign truckers to combat a driver shortage that has left some supermarket shelves empty and caused long lines at gas stations. There has even been speculation that military personnel could be called to drive trucks.
Britain’s business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said on Sunday he was temporarily exempting fuel companies from “the Competition Act 1998 for the purpose of sharing information and optimising supply”.
After Britain completed the final stage of Brexit in January, employers have not been able to freely recruit European workers, as was previously the case. The pandemic has further exacerbated the problem that stems from a long-term shortage of truck drivers in UK.
The British Department for Transport said in a statement that “5,000 HGV drivers will be able to come to the UK for 3 months in the run-up to Christmas, providing short-term relief for the haulage industry. A further 5,500 visas for poultry workers will also be made available for the same short period, to avoid any potential further pressures on the food industry during this exceptional period”.
Britain has been grappling with a string of shortages. Many supermarket chains have experienced panic-buying and are running out of goods. Restaurant chains such as Nando’s, McDonald’s and KFC have cut items from their menus. The crisis has reached Britain’s gas stations, resulting in long lines at the pumps.


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The moment that every fan of Lime Crime has been waiting for has come. They have recently announced that they are releasing a line of thirteen bold colored hair dyes called Unicorn Hair. Unicorn Hair has been a highly anticipated concept that fans of the company’s brightly colored makeup products have been hoping for.
Lime Crime has yet to release the new hair dyes but it seems as though it will be in the near future. Their website already has announced the products and has descriptions of each. The color is bold and bright. They are designed to last approximately six weeks each and there are two different types of colors. There is a highly pigmented hair dye for bolder and brighter color and then there is a glaze that is suited for creating pastel colors. The new hair dyes are vegan and cruelty-free just like all of the other Lime Crime cosmetics.
Doe Deere the colorful creator and CEO of Lime Crime modeled this hair dye after her own brightly colored locks. She has been coloring her hair every shade of the rainbow for many years and wanted to give Lime Crime fans the opportunity to follow suit. Ther is no doubt that the products will fly off of the shelves once they are released so fans hoping to purchase some when it is released will have to be poised and ready to snag it. For now, it seems that it will only be available on the website. Lime Crime has always taken pride in being able to help people express themselves with color so releasing a line of hair dye only seems to make sense.


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This is not a drill. The world really is running out of rice.
So here’s the problem. 60% of all the rice the world eats comes from Asia.
But currently, the climate is not in good terms with rice. The latest rice shortage is due to the El Nino system. In English, this is when the the water and winds are weirder than usual.
The grain stocks are forecast to plummet like the naira, to around 19 million tons by the end of this year. In 2013, the stocks were 43 million tons high.
It means since the supply is lesser and the demand is still high, the prices will go like this.
You know what that means for as a Nigerians, as people, it means no more Party Jollof.
Photos like these will be found only in museums.
What stories shall we tell our children? Where will we find happiness and communion in the future? Is this a secret plan by Amala to take over the world?
But there’s a way to avert this disaster.
The Federal Government is saying they are taking action. Research suggests that Nigeria consumes an estimated 5.3 million metric tons of milled rice annually. Because the local supply cannot meet demand, we need to import around 2 million metric tons. This makes us the second largest importer of rice worldwide.
But the new Minister for Agriculture is not playing.
He says they are taking steps for us to become completely self-sufficient by the end of this year. And who knows, by next year, we can start exporting and saving the world, one bag of rice at a time.
Fellow Nigerians, it is time to take action and secure the happiness of our children. We must rise up and demand that the government make it happen, by any means necessary.


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Under ‘House of Bira 91’, the brand plans to experiment with fast growing premium beverage categories in India
The ‘Hill Station Hard Cider Ale’ portfolio includes three variants and will be available across the country, starting with Bengaluru.
Just in time for the new year celebrations, Bira
Double Bonanza! Wildcraft Beverage has been in the market for about two years and has faced challenges that no young brand could ever imagine. For the first three months, Wildcraft has received overwhelming response from the folks at events & retail; which had reassured them.
UK is currently going bonkers over a certain desi brew. It’s an Indian lager, inspired by the rich essence and tropical vibrancy of none other than “God’s own country” – Kerala. To outsiders, this slender coastal strip of land may seem unimpressive when viewed on the