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It has a bed so tired travellers can take a nap – but nodding off under all that glass might prove a struggle.
A driverless car made of stained-glass windows has been built for an exhibition looking at the future of mobility.
Designer Dominic Wilcox believes automated vehicles will render safety features such as airbags a thing of the past – and so decided to create his unusual sleeper car instead.
‘It’s inspired by the idea that in the future it will be safer to drive in a driverless car than it is to drive in a manual car,’ he said.
‘About a year ago, I was in Durham Cathedral and I was really struck by the stained glass windows. I thought: how come we don’t use that so much in contemporary design?’
Created with the help of staff and graduates from Middlesex University’s product design department, the car is part of a Dezeen and MINI Frontiers exhibition for London Design Week. Six designers will present their visions of how technology will shape transport.
‘My design is based on the future but also referencing the past,’ Mr Wilcox added. ‘The original Mini came out in 1959 and I’m looking at how we’ll be travelling around in 2059.’
The exhibition opens at Designjunction on Wednesday.


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If you’ve been following our Spotlight on Women series, we hope you’re enjoying reading the stories of the many influential women in the 3D printing industry. We’re certainly enjoying sharing those stories, and we have many more still to come. Last week, we interviewed Nora Touré, Business Development Director at Sculpteo and founder of Women in 3D Printing, an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting women working in the 3D printing field. One of the organization’s initiatives is #3DTalk, a series of events led by panels of women in 3D printing.
The first #3DTalk event was held in San Francisco in September 2016, and it has grown quickly into a series held in three separate locations. #3DTalk was developed and launched in partnership with Cyant, a woman-owned and -led company focused on bringing together technology and the arts to create learning tools. Cyant’s goal is to empower, support and connect a community of what they call “cyantists,” and while cyantists include people of all ages, genders and backgrounds, the company is especially committed to reaching women and girls.
While the first #3DTalk event was focused more generally on 3D modeling and 3D scanning, the topics have evolved into more application-driven themes, such as 3D printing in healthcare or education, for example. The next event will be held in less than two weeks. Taking place in New York City on May 18, this particular #3DTalk will be centered on 3D Printing and Design, and registration is still open if you’d like to attend. Tickets are only $15 in advance and $20 same day, and if you can’t make it to New York, you can still register to watch the live stream, which is free.
The two-and-a-half hour event will run from 6:00 to 8:30 PM EDT, with the panel itself followed by a networking session. It will be moderated by Touré and Cyant founder and CEO Barbara Hanna. Panelists include:
- Virginia Estrada, an artist and designer who began as a painter and sculptor and is now working with 3D printing as a tool
- Darlene Farris-LaBar, an environmental artist who uses 3D printing to draw attention to issues such as climate change and biodiversity. Her work includes a large collection of 3D printed flowers and plants, many of them threatened native species.
- Selin Olmsted, an eyewear designer who formerly worked for Warby Parker and now designs independently
Attendees will learn and participate in conversations about how 3D printing is creating new opportunities in the design field by offering greater design freedom, new materials and production methods. Topics will include environmental impact, research, business and more.
“#3DTalk events provide access to personal insights and experiences thanks to our panels, and are a opportunity to network and meet great contacts in an approachable setting,” Hanna tells 3DPrint.com. “3DTalk is also an interesting model as a collaboration between Nora/Wi3DP and myself/Cyant, both bringing complementary backgrounds and intersecting objectives to the table. As a result, we have been able to create a great format and a rich forum for discussion and connections between people and themes while featuring women in the industry.”
The upcoming #3DTalk is being co-hosted by Inside 3D Printing and Samsung Next, and 3DPrint.com is proud to be a media sponsor. If you can’t make it to this one, there are several others coming up soon. On June 22, #3DTalk will be in Paris for a panel on 3D printing and the Internet of Things, and in September there will be an event focused on 3D printing and fashion, followed later in the fall by one dedicated to 3D printing and robotics. Details for those two events will be announced soon.
#3DTalk panels, while women-led, are open to everyone, regardless of gender, age or experience level. If you’d like to join, sponsor, host or otherwise help organize an event, you can contact #3DTalk through their website. If you’re interested in attending the upcoming panel in New York, you can register here. Discuss in the #3DTalk forum at 3DPB.com.
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A brand new car, several food items and a ticket to travel to either Makka, Jerusalem or Dubai is now up for the grab all for the sum of N6, 400.
This is what people stand to gain when they register with a non-governmental organization, Happy World Meal Gate (HWMG).
HWMG is a passionate and dynamic multi level marketing (MLM) company of African extraction on a mission to empower people to continuously put food on their table, reduce feeding expenses and also increase savings.
At it launching in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State on Tuesday, the Anchor of the programme, Mrs Maria Adekumbi St. Marys explained that, “HWMG is a network and poverty alleviation programme which was started in Lagos and now being brought to Osun State.
“It is such a programme that you pay in N6, 400 and then bring six people. When you pay in N6, 400, you are entitled to get a park of Dano park and tin tomatoes, that is the starters park but the moment you have done that, you bring in six more people that will pay in N6, 400 each, once that is done, you will be entitled to half bag of rice and 4liters of Kings vegetable oil.”
She explained that the programme will go in line with most of the poverty alleviation programmes the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has embarked on.
She however, noted that the Initiative is known all over Nigeria and not a Ponzi scheme and that the organization which has over 10,000 members, has it branches in most States of the country.
Asked about the specific people who can register, Mrs Adekumbi said everybody is qualified as long as such person has his/her N6, 400.
The state Coordinator and women mobilizer, Alhaja Nike Oyewole also stressed the impacts of the organization.
Her words, “This Initiative is an empowerment, we started this initiative in order to ensure poverty is eradicated to the bearest minimum in order to make sure people has something to eat and the whole process is not stressful.”
Also another member, Kewe Olarinde, said, “The Initiative is to make sure families have food on their tables and not just food but also financial empowerment.
Happy World Meal Gate is here to stay, it is a food network with a deference, not a ponzi scheme, it is a multi level marketing.” she said.


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What you need to know
But in many ways, despite lockdowns being lifted and restrictions easing across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, this is exactly what’s happened.
Since the Covid-19 lockdowns began the Insolvency Service has been providing monthly figures on the number of businesses that have undergone an insolvency procedure such as administration, company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) or liquidations.
For retailers the figures are sobering.
Since May 2019, 1,316 retailers have entered insolvency. This is a rate of 110 a month or more than four a week.
This is with the restrictions on creditors’ recovery actions such as statutory demands and winding up petitions that are due to be lifted at the end of September at the same time that all other Covid-19 support ends including the furlough scheme.
Earlier this year we investigated how much bounce back loan borrowing had been done by businesses in each industrial sector and found that retail businesses had collectively borrowed the most.
216,718 loans were granted to retailers while the scheme was still running for a combined total of £7.7 billion which is an average of £35,530 per retail borrower.
This is the equivalent of building a new Wembley Stadium and still having £1.6 billion in change left over.
We also looked at the estimated rate of defaults and even under the best case scenarios we modeled – 15% of loans remaining unpaid – this would still be £1.16 billion missing from the public purse.
Against this backdrop, sales are beginning to rise with annual sales growth for July for the sector standing at 6.4% although this is steady rather than spectacular as the three-month average was 14.7%.
Any positive news in the sector should be cheered at the moment as it finds itself fighting to reestablish itself on many different fronts.
Another worrying statistic to illustrate this came this week with new research published by the British Retail Consortium and the Local Data Company (LDC).
It shows that more than one in seven shops are now vacant across the country – including high streets, retail parks and in shopping centres – the highest levels since 2015 and the highest ever recorded by the LDC.
Indoor shopping malls now have a vacancy rate of 20% too, underlining how the enforced change in shopping habits over the past 18 months along with high profile brands such as Debenhams and the Arcadia Group which owned Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, went into insolvency and liquidation after selling these brands to new operators where they became online-only.
Regionally, the North East of England had the highest overall proportion of empty shops at just over a fifth and saw the biggest increase in vacancies during the last 12 months.
Greater London proved the most resilient with a rate of 10%.
Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium said: “The retail vacancy rate is continuing to rise.
“Many shops and local communities have been battered by the pandemic, with many high streets in need of further investment. Unfortunately, the current broken business rates system continues to hold back retailers, hindering vital investment into retail innovation and the blended physical-digital offering.
“The Government must ensure the upcoming business rates review permanently reduces the cost burden to sustainable levels. Retailers want to play their part in building back a better future for local communities, and the government must give them tools to do so.
“The vacancy rate could rise further now the Covid-19 business rates holiday has come to an end. The longer the current system persists, the more job losses and vacant shops we will see.
“July continued to see strong sales, although growth has started to slow.
“The lifting of restrictions did not bring the anticipated in-store boost, with the wet weather leaving consumers reluctant to visit shopping destinations. Online sales remained strong, and with weddings and other social events back on for the summer calendar, formalwear and beauty all began to see notable improvement, so fashion outlets in particular saw a bounce back to pre-pandemic levels.
“As many people prepare to return to the workplace, purchase of home office equipment began to fall after months of high sales, meanwhile other homeware, such as furniture and household appliances continued to do well.”
The government is planning to publish a review of business rates in the Autumn after retailers were given a holiday from the tax throughout the pandemic. This tax break began to unwind last month and will end for all businesses in March 2022.
Lucy Stainton, Commercial Director for the Local Data Company added: “After an initial flurry of CVAs and closures due to consumer behaviour shifts and cost-cutting exercises, retailers are now starting to dust themselves off with cautious optimism, keeping an eye on the rapidly changing infection rate and the pace at which vaccinations are taking place; two measures that could seriously derail the recovery efforts should they not go in the right direction.”
How retailers can help themselves
Retailers expecting a fantastic sales surge will have been disappointed this summer season.
Several will have invested a lot into their businesses ahead of an expected grand reopening and if they metaphorically put their foot on the gas – they’ve got a whimper instead of a roar.
Sadly for them and every other firm struggling with their bottom lines right now – bills and debts continue to arrive even if the expected sales haven’t.
With the last of the Covid-19 support measures being withdrawn in the next few weeks and creditor actions being reinstated at the same time, it could be a sharp and uncomfortable Autumn for a lot of otherwise profitable businesses.
Because time is running out, we’ll get straight to the point – get in touch with us today.
We won’t waste your time with fancy theories or upselling you services you don’t need. We’ll use your free initial consultation to find out precisely what you’re up against, then come up with some timely and effective solutions you can start to put into practice straight away.
Things are going to get more uncomfortable for a lot of retailers before the year is out so by using the time you have now to arrange a restructuring and rescue strategy or other methods depending on your goals, you can spend it doing more important things – making more money.


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The poll of executives responsible for over $10 million each in annual travel budgets asked participants to describe sustainability in their own words, and found that only two percent of those surveyed mentioned the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating.
In a later, multiple-choice question, executives were asked to choose which hotel sustainability measures are most important. On this measure LEED got 33 percent of votes, the same proportion as chose “ratings and certifications validating the sustainability of products”. But 37 percent voted for customer satisfaction.
“LEED certification is an important and highly valuable contribution to the building and operating performance of hotels. However, the average guest has no idea what LEED is or what benefit it has on their hotel experience,” said MindClick SGM chief executive officer JoAnna Abrams.
“With significant growth in hotel renovations anticipated for 2011, hotels have an opportunity to achieve industry leadership, improve the guest experience, and gain share through sustainable furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) purchasing,” Abrams added.
The majority of those polled, 65 percent, said they are implementing sustainable travel guidelines for their companies. They represent a range of industries including technology, manufacturing, finance and business services, MindClick said.
The study also found that no single hotel brand emerged as a leader in sustainability.
A recent study conducted by MindClick SGM for UL Environment found that 90 percent of architects and designers have researched, specified or purchased green products in the past year.
UL Environment is launching its own Environmental Product Declaration program to evaluate the environmental claims of products. The program will provide documentation of audited life cycle assessments, in accordance with ISO 14025 guidelines.
Initial product categories that have expressed interest in this type of program include building products, lighting and textiles, according to UL Environment.
Hotelier Marriott International increased its number of LEED-certified properties, including its Bethesda, Md., headquarters, from 18 to 67 by the end of 2009. It has set a target to increase the number of LEED-certified or registered new build and operating hotels to 300 by 2015.
To achieve this goal, Marriott has developed and launched a green hotel prototype design, pre-certified by the USGBC, for the Courtyard by Marriott brand. The prototype was awarded LEED Silver status.
Other hotel chains prefer the voluntary Green Key Eco-Rating system. Accor North America, parent company of Motel 6, Sofitel and Studio 6, has said it will test the Green Key system at 20 of its 1,000 U.S. hotels.
Pictured: the Courtyard Portland City Center, Marriott’s LEED Gold hotel.
Correction: This article has been amended to reflect clarifications made by MindClick after publication. These changes relate to the types of questions asked of participants and the proportions giving each reply.


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Karbonn Yuva 2 has been spotted on the official website of the company in blue, black and champagne color variants. Touted as a 4G-enabled smartphone, the Karbonn Yuva 2 is expected to be priced below Rs. 6000 and will be suitable for budget-friendly customers. As the name indicates, the smartphone is manufactured to target youth and students.
The Karbonn Yuva 2 is equipped with a 5-inch HD IPS display, quad-core processor, 2GB RAM coupled with 16GB expandable (up to 128GB) internal storage. The chipset runs at a clock speed of 1.25GHz. The smartphone is designed using a brushed metal finish to provide a premium look. In addition to Wi-Fi, the handset also includes support for Bluetooth and a micro USB port.
The camera part is disappointing with the addition of the 5MP sensor on the rear and a feeble 0.3MP on the front for selfies. You can only expect moderate quality images. We wonder why Karbonn has integrated a low capacity battery when competitors are playing with a minimum of 5MP sensor. The camera also offers support for panorama, face beauty, night mode, self-timer, watermark, HDR including a wide range of image filters and the ability to detect face automatically.
The 2250mAh battery integrated with the Karbonn Yuva 2 is capable of delivering a standby time of up to 180 hours and talk time of over eight hours. According to the company sources, the smartphone will take three hours to charge completely, which is a long time. It seems that Karbonn is going back 10 years with the launch of the Yuva 2. The market is competitive and hence companies need to manufacture new smartphones with latest trending technologies.
The thickness of the Karbonn Yuva 2 is very high at 9.6mm, which is comparatively higher than other competing smartphones. To recall, the company had launched Karbonn A40 Indian in partnership with Airtel.
To purchase the smartphone, you need to pay Rs. 2899 initially and the company will grant a refund of Rs. 1500 after three years. The catch is that you need to recharge with Rs. 169 plan every month for 36 months to be eligible for a refund.
The Karbonn Yuva 2 will be useful for students and senior citizens who would like to work with a budget smartphone. The 5-inch display will be sufficient for senior people to play with phone calls and messaging services such as WhatsApp.
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Blog: Turkish delights at Istanbul Fashion Week
Leonie Barrie | 31 August 2010
New York, London, Paris, Milan...Istanbul? While it might still be premature to add this Turkish city to the list of the world's fashion capitals, the organisers of the latest Istanbul Fashion Week, believe they are already making important steps in getting noticed on the global stage.
The event, which took place over four days last week and was visited for the first time by just-style, is part of the industry's effort to build itself into a complete fashion hub, with its own designs, brands and collections to complement the country's long-standing manufacturing base.
Indeed, with apparel shipments worth US$12.9bn, Turkey already has a reputation as the world's fourth largest clothing exporter, and the second-largest supplier to the EU. But it also boasts one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it has a young and dynamic population, and is heading towards a per capita income of $25,000 - all of which make it an appealing destination for fashion firms vying to break into new markets.
These facts are not lost either on German trade show organiser Igedo Company, which teamed with Istanbul Fashion Week to stage the first Collection Premiere Istanbul (CPI) alongside the catwalk events. This extra fair meant that a number of Turkish, European and international fashion brands - including the likes of Basler, Gerry Weber, G-Star Raw and Triumph - also got exposure to this vibrant market, and provided an e lure for visitors to the week-long fashion fest.
And it's fair to say they weren't disappointed. Istanbul is a magical city at the best of times, straddling the Bosphorus with its trendy bars, nightclubs and modern art venues sitting alongside a 1500-year history that includes the world's first Christian capital and the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Against such a backdrop, the fashion events lived up to expectations in the Tas¸kis¸la Technical University, a beautiful old stone building with lofty high ceilings, huge arched windows, marble floors and a huge courtyard decked out with sofas.
While some of Turkey's biggest design names were notable by their absence (Turkey's most talked about fashion export Hakaan Yildirim shows his collection in London), other names to watch include Bora Aksu, Bahar Korcan, Arzu Kaprol, Ozlem Suer, Hatice Gokce, Mehtap Elaidi, Gamze Saracoglu, Deniz Mercan, Atil Kutoglu, Ozgur Masur, Simay Bulbul, Ozlem Kaya, and Gunseli Turkay.
Also spotted was fashion eccentric (or should that be icon?) Anna Piaggi, the writer and creative consultant to Italian Vogue, models Alek Wek and Alessandra Ambrosio, DJ Alexandra Richards, and tennis star Anna Kournikova. 'Sex and the City' stylist Patricia Field is a fixture too, with a remit to "introduce Turkish brands and designers to the world and to turn Istanbul into an effective fashion centre." First, though, the moment seems to be about discovering all that Istanbul has to offer.
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After years of debate, the drug market in Israel is about to undergo a fundamental change. As of May 10 it will be legal to sell non-prescription drugs not only at pharmacies, but also at supermarkets and convenience stores. This development is expected to boost the OTC (over-the-counter) drug market - estimated at $100 million and accounting for 14 percent of the entire drug market - by some 30 percent over the next few years.
Still, consumers will have to wait a while before actually being able to buy medications at supermarkets, gas stations and even specialty stores, such as book stores or camping gear outlets. Opening of this market to competition, though expected to eventually lead to lower prices, is not necessarily in the interest of the major players in the sector. Drug manufacturers, distributors and supermarket chains - each for their own reasons - are downplaying the importance of the reform and are asking consumers to be patient.
"In general," says Omri Ofer, marketing vice president for sales and trade at Chemipal, the marketing, sales and distribution company that represents Dexxon, Novartis, Rafa, Trima, Dr. Fischer and others, "the media coverage is overstated. The activity in the field and the facts indicate a very limited number of approved drugs and a small number of approved sales points."
CEO of the New-Pharm drugstore chain, Yaron Dor, thinks there is more talk than action. "We will be ready toward the end of May," says Dor. "Our stores do not need any change that requires Health Ministry approval. We are ready with new display shelves."
Dor says that at Clubmarket, New-Pharm's sister supermarket chain, the preparations for selling drugs are a bit slower because, "they need Health Ministry permits and the distribution networks currently serve only the pharmacies and drugstores, and not the new players entering the market."
This means that in practice, the only change next week will be the display of non-prescription drugs on drugstores shelves rather than behind the pharmacy department's counter.
Eyal Donsky, head of the OTC drug and consumer products division at Teva Pharmaceuticals says that even the stores that have set aside shelf space may not have stock to put on them. This, he explains, is because the drugs will be packaged in small quantities and the drug companies need Health Ministry approval for each and every redesigned product package.
It's all propaganda
Amir Bibi, head of the pharmacy at Supersol, says that the changes announced for May 10 are propaganda, and that Supersol is in no hurry to make the alterations required to compete in the OTC drug category.
"We still don't know how the market will respond," says Bibi. "We will not allocate shelf space just because reforms have been declared. In the meantime we are being cautious and will proceed slowly. At first [OTC drugs] will be available only at stores in which we have pharmacies and we will proceed in keeping with the market's reactions."
Bibi also rejects the notion of price drops due to wild competition between the pharmacies and the new players in the market.
"There are price ceilings that we won't exceed and we will follow the dictates of the market," he says.
The retailers are not the only ones holding back. Some of the manufacturers are also not hastening to adapt their products for marketing outside of pharmacies. The Health Ministry's directives require small packages and costly changes to production lines. Some manufacturers have decided that the investment is not worthwhile, and cite their experience from European countries, which shows no significant increase in sales.
Still, most manufacturers are not forgoing the open shelves altogether, but are simply delaying the release of suitably packaged products until late 2005 or early 2006.
The manufacturers also have to consider their biggest clients - Superpharm and the health maintenance organizations - which are reason enough to refrain from selling directly to consumers.
"We have been working with these clients for many years," says one manufacturer, "and they provide us with good service. If we create competition against them in other places, this could endanger our status with them."
Ofer does not anticipate a significant increase in OTC sales in the short term, but rather only after four or five years, with the growth rate of sales dependent on the activity of the new sales points. Others believe the market will change sooner, toward the end of this year, as drug companies aim their marketing directly at consumers, rather than at pharmacists.
Gadi Klarsfeld, the OTC drug marketing consultant for Paz Oil and Yellow convenience stores, says the big players have not entered the market yet and that it will take time, although some Yellow outlets have already obtained the necessary permits. He estimates that it will be two or three years before mini-markets and convenience stores become a significant market force.
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Last update: 15:04 | 07/07/2018
Vietnam’s total revenue from retail sales and services in the first half of this year has maintained high growth since the beginning of the year, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).
Local people shop for vegetables
Retail goods and services posted a revenue of nearly 2.12 quadrillion VND (94 billion USD) in the first six months of 2018, a year-on-year rise of 10.7 percent. If inflation was excluded, the increase would be 8.3 percent, higher than the 7.9 percent growth seen in the first five months of 2017, the GSO said.
An abundant supply of essential goods and stable prices had spurred local trade and lifted purchasing power during the period, Vu Manh Ha, a GSO statistician, said.
Retail sales of goods, which accounted for 75.3 percent of the total revenue, reached an estimated 1.59 quadrillion VND (70.9 billion USD) with several products recording strong increases, including food and foodstuffs (12.4 percent), garments (12.3 percent), home appliances (12 percent) and transport services (8.8 percent).
Meanwhile, retail sales in accommodation, restaurants and catering services saw a yearly increase of 9.6 percent to 260.9 trillion VND (11.5 billion USD), with the central coastal provinces of Khanh Hoa, Binh Dinh and Da Nang, the Central Highlands city of Da Lat and the northern province of Quang Ninh leading the way.
From January to June, revenue from tourism services also recorded significant on-year growth of 19.5 percent to 19.6 trillion VND (860 million USD) thanks to a rising numbers of local tourists and those traveling abroad.
Vietnam’s visa exemption policy for several Western European countries and the country’s domestic and overseas tourism promotion campaigns had also prompted tourism service revenue to grow, the GSO said, outlining some provinces and cities that recorded encouraging growth, such as Ca Mau (29 percent), HCM City (24.3 percent), Quang Ninh (18 percent) and Hanoi (14 percent).
Sales of other services during the six months hit 243 trillion VND (over 11 billion USD), a jump of 7.3 percent compared to a year ago.- VNS/VNA


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The Topline: European lawmakers could force Apple to drop its Lightning connector cable for iPhones in favor of one single charger for all devices.
- European lawmakers this week renewed appeals for tech giants to use a universal charger for all the mobile devices and gadgets sold within the trading bloc .
- The European Parliament hasn’t scheduled a vote on the matter, but Apple has already hit back with claims that it would disrupt customers and stifle the firm’s innovation.
- If the proposal passes the European Parliament then Apple could be forced to change its iPhone cable, for the second time since it dropped the 30-pin dock connector in 2012.
- It’s not just about convenience for consumers: According to European Commission estimates, obsolete cables generate more than 51,000 tons of waste per year.
- Apple has already ditched the Lightning cable on their 2019 iPads for a USB-C; it’s a likely option if the company is ever forced to abandon the Lightning connector altogether.
Crucial quote: “We are drowning in an ocean of electronic waste,” said Roza Thun, a Polish European Parliament member. “Demand grows and with it waste and exploitation of natural resources.”
Key background: For the past ten years, the European Commission has pressed tech companies for a single charging method. In just ten years, the number of widely used chargers on the market has been reduced from more than 30 to just three.
In 2009, tech giants like Apple, Samsung and Nokia signed a memorandum of understanding that they would all make their products compatible with micro-USB chargers. However, Apple worked its way around the pledge by offering customers an adapter.
Five years later, when the EU released a directive for companies to continue to strive for a common charger, Apple claimed it would cost $2 billion to comply with their wishes.
Tangent: Some experts say that this fight over charging cables is a waste of time— because we’ll all be using wireless charging soon.
Surprising fact: Apple’s move to switch charging cables for the iPhone twice, and three times for the MacBook, in the last decade has created a convertor and adaptor market worth billions. According to Business Insider, buying all 23 dongles available on Apple’s online store would cost a shopper $857, pretax.


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Urban Outfitters, Ann Taylor and Foot Locker all report quarterly earnings this week, and key reports on inflation and housing starts come out on Tuesday.
Coca-Cola buys part of Monster Beverage, and Cisco announces layoffs, for the fourth summer in a row. An inhaled insulin is up, and healthier fries are out.
There are plenty of stocks going up -- and down -- in any week. The gainers inspire us to keep investing. The decliners keep our greed in check.
Michael Kors posted strong quarterly results, and the stock fell. Coach results fell, and the stock rose. What's going on with the luxury handbag makers?
El Pollo Loco soars after its IPO. Horizon Pharmaceuticals falls when two benefits managers say they will remove its biggest drugs from their formularies.
Rent-a-Center and GameStop are doubling down on smartphones. What do they see in a business that a revamped RadioShack is struggling in?
Goldman Sachs is now suggesting that investors buy Netflix stock because of the huge potential it has to mint cash and outside of America.
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U.S. municipal bonds fall sharply, after Detroit filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in history, adding to investors' woes in the $3.7 trillion market.


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TAIPEI - The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will soon request the WTO to adjudicate on anti-dumping measures imposed by Canada on imports of carbon steel welded pipe from Taiwan.
Taiwan first notified the WTO in June 2014 of a request for consultations over the issue. Taipei believes the measures imposed by Canada violate the GATT 1994 and the Anti-Dumping Agreement.
The consultation between Taiwan and Canada failed to reach consensus. Taipei therefore decided to move forward with litigation and requested the WTO set up a panel to adjudicate the case.
Jack Hsiao, a negotiator from the MOEA's Office of Trade Negotiations, said the anti-dumping controversy has a direct impact of US$14 million (S$18.71 million) worth of trade. If Taiwan wins the dispute, it may have even broader ramifications, Hsian said.
For instance, Canada has imposed anti-dumping measures against Taiwan's screw and nut business for the past decade. In addition, an oil pipe investigation launched by the Canadian government has put US$5 million on the line. These cases add up to tens of millions of US dollars in worth, Hsian said.
The litigation against Canada marks the first time Taipei has single-handedly initiated a lawsuit at the WTO.
Taiwan filed a similar lawsuit against India before. However, the two countries reached agreement during the consultation stage. India backed down and compromised as it knew it was in the wrong, Hsian said.
Process May Take One and a Half to Two Years
After Taiwan requests a panel be set up to adjudicate the case, two routine discussions will have to be held. As such, a trial will be opened between March and April.
In addition, there is a jury selection that will take at least half a year. As such, the verdict is not expected to be out until the end of the year or early next year.
Hsian predicts the first trial to last between nine months and one year. An ensuing appeal may take place afterwards. Therefore, the whole process may take another one and a half year to two years.
The very fact that the government is willing to invest the time and effort into the dispute testifies its determination to uphold local industry's interest, Hsian said.
Taiwan's export products have become less competitive as Taipei's free trade negotiation with other nations met multiple setbacks in recent years.
Furthermore, after the Great Recession, countries around the world have implemented protectionism policies such as tariffs and anti-dumping measures to protect domestic businesses.


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Acting Deputy U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank visited Savannah, Ga. yesterday, where she received a briefing on the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) and toured the Port of Savannah with U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson and representatives from the Georgia Ports Authority. Following the tour, Blank delivered remarks on the importance of projects like SHEP, an efficient, high-tech export engine that will help U.S. businesses compete globally, as part of President Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI).
Expanding America’s ports means expanding America’s exports. And more exports mean more jobs. Exports already support nearly 10 million U.S. jobs, including one in three manufacturing jobs, and positions supported by exports pay about 15 percent more on average.
The president launched the NEI in 2009 with the goal of doubling exports by the end of 2014, supporting several million jobs. U.S. exports increased 14.5 percent in 2011 to a record $2.1 trillion. That’s the second year of double-digit growth, ahead of schedule to achieve the goal of NEI.
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Photo credit: The Economist
- The old saying is coming to life – “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”
The coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, outbreak in China has slowly but steadily rattled the global economy, disrupting virtually every major industry, from food, fashion, pharmaceuticals, entertainment to automobiles and technology.
The first casualty was obviously the travel and tourism sector. Over the last couple of weeks, a series of major airlines have cancelled flights to China, the impact of which is now seen across the globe. The slowdown of the travel sector including cruise shipping alone has impacted many supply chains – even movie and entertainment industries such as Disney World, within three weeks. One may not yet see the supply chain impact on the travel sector, but it has indeed disrupted many businesses over the last two weeks.
As Covid-19 spreads, although not deadly as SARS of 2003, its effect on business is amplified and the global economy is once again threatened with a downturn; oil prices have dropped by nearly 20% from a month which will give rise to other market disturbances in the coming weeks if the situation does not stabilise.
The closure of factories for two weeks due to the annual Chinese New Year was planned for by global supply chains and logistics operators, but now it is now being extended to nearly four weeks, and everything is being disrupted due this factor alone. The backlog on supply chains is gradually building. Excluding Wuhan, much of China was supposed to have reopened by now, but the country’s idling factories and workers suggest that weeks or months may pass before the second largest economy of the world returns to full speed. This is going to reflect most on exporters and importers around the world, sooner than later.
China’s economy: SARS vs. COVID 19
The SARS virus of 2002-2003 is still fresh in the minds of many affected from its impact during that period, but dynamics have changed as China has shifted gears compared to 2002-2003. China is known as the “factory of the world”, but more importantly it is now transforming into a global market, as the consumer spending in China itself has increased manifold. Not only imports from but also exports to China are going to be hit as demand reduces in its own domestic market and its growth slows down with the extended shutdown and restriction in the movement of goods, people and services.
In 2002 China’s economy was valued at $1.7 trillion; today its $14 trillion. From having 5% of the global market share in 2002 it has grown to 15% today, and migrated from a low value production centre to a high value one, which interestingly connects 40% of the global supply chains. Experts expect that the impact to the global economy will rise above the $350 billion mark compared to the $50 billion during the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003, and there is no sign that the economic impact is about to ease up. Its effects could carry forward up to two years if not contained within the next 30 days.
As of the writing of this article, vehicle production has been suspended in many countries due to shortage of parts. Demand shocks are emerging for products such as semi-conductors, pharmaceuticals etc.
The importance of supply chain security
When one studies the subject of logistics, one always looks at supply chain security. This may be in preparation for geographic and natural reasons, infrastructure restrictions, political developments or man-made conflicts such as wars. But rarely do companies plan for this type of disruption, and if logistics managers are not geared for the multiplier effects the COVID-19, they may be at its receiving end soon as the real ramifications of the crisis have yet to properly hit the global supply chains.
There is no better time than now to understand the value of inventory management in the supply chain. Many companies take this subject lightly when doing global business whilst sourcing from foreign destinations. Most of them don’t have a Plan B and no proper scientific management of inventory based on forecast and time management. The bigger companies might have IT-based stock management systems but most others supplying bigger companies and customers have little management experience of inventory control. An efficient logistics manger should always have a rolling stock of essentials in transit apart from physical stock holdings. Depending on production cycles, most companies tend to have an inventory cycle of 30 to 60 days, going up to 90.
30-day shutdown vs. 60-day shut down
The current situation may change this pattern soon and companies see a drastic change in demand and supply of products over the next 30 days. Simple economics says supply will be low, demand will increase, logistics space will be limited and an increase in logistics and inventory costs are on the cards as the situation develops. The shipping capacity by both air and sea are being cut down, blank sailings are increasing, and big money is lost by shipping companies. This going to hit the shippers sooner or later. Already it is reported that shipping lines are losing up to $350 million revenue per week due to trade slowing down.
If the crisis extends to 60 days, it will have serious impact on the global supply chains of raw material and semi-finished products and lead into shortages of products as well as other multiplier effects as time passes by.
Hope is not a strategy
The lesson for companies that don’t have solid logistics and supply chain plans is to first understand that logistics is a science that can help reduce cost and increase market access. Hoping that the crisis will be over tomorrow or day after is not a strategy. COVID 19 will be an eye-opener for many around the world to restructure supply chains as the dark side of dependency on single source supply chains are proven beyond doubt with this outbreak. It is indeed time to draw up Plan B of supply chains, using the diversification of sourcing as a supply chain security tool. Indeed, as the old saying goes – “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”.
The writer is an economist, currently working as the CEO of the Shippers’ Academy Colombo and the Chairman of the Logistics Advisory Committee of the Export Development Board.


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Inflation Concerns Pull S&P 500 Into Bear Market, Consumers Expect Tighter Credit Access, Hourly Wag
Inflation Concerns Pull S&P 500 Into Bear Market
The S&P 500 entered bear-market territory Monday, down 22% from its January peak, as concern over inflation and fears of a looming recession intensified.
It was the first full-day response by investors to government data released Friday showing annual inflation hit a 40-year high of 8.6%, sparking concerns the Federal Reserve will begin to aggressively raise its key borrowing rate to curb inflation at its upcoming meeting this Wednesday. A significant increase to interest rates will further raise long-term rates for building and investing in commercial real estate.
Results of a widely watched consumer survey, released late last week by the University of Michigan, showed Americans’ expectation for overall inflation over the next year rose to 5.4% in June, up from 3.3% in May. Over the next five years, consumers expect prices to rise 3.3%, up from a predicted 3% in the survey last month.
Well before last week’s government inflation report, consumers were nervous that fast-rising prices would be sticking around for a while. May consumer survey data from the New York Federal Reserve, reporting median responses, shows respondents nationwide think inflation will still be at 6.6% as of May 2023, remaining far above the sub-2% rates the U.S. has seen for most of the past decade.
That survey figure is the highest since the New York Fed began tracking year-ahead consumer inflation expectations in June 2013. The New York Fed said Monday that respondents in May expected their household income to rise 3% in the coming year, down 0.1 percentage points from the prior month but still above the average 2021 prediction of 2.9% growth.
There was a sharper increase in expected household spending growth, with respondents anticipating that figure to rise 9% in the next year, compared to the 8% prediction in the April survey. This is the fifth consecutive monthly increase in that figure and a new high since tracking began, the New York Fed said. Consumers expect soaring gas prices to rise another 5.5% in the coming year.
Consumers Expect Tighter Credit Access
Along with some real estate analysts, consumers are expecting credit access to tighten in the coming year and beyond, with a slight uptick in perceived probability of missing a minimum debt payment, according to the New York Federal Reserve’s nationwide consumer survey.
“Perceptions of credit access compared to a year ago deteriorated sharply in May, with more respondents saying it is harder to obtain credit than a year ago,” said a New York Fed statement. “Expectations about future credit availability also deteriorated, with more respondents expecting it will be harder to obtain credit in the year ahead.”
Consumers put the probability of missing a debt payment over the next three months at a median of 11.1% in May, up 0.4% from the previous month. The increase was most pronounced for respondents between the age of 40 and 60.
Respondents in May put a median probability of 35% on savings account interest rates rising in the coming year, the highest reading since January 2019. But well before Monday’s rout, consumers were less bullish on U.S. stock prices, putting the probability of higher prices as of May 2023 at 36.2%, down 1.7 percentage points from the month-earlier projection.
Hourly Wages Decline
Another measure of inflation’s impact comes from what’s happening with workers’ spending power. Real average hourly earnings for U.S. workers — measuring wage increases against price hikes for daily living expenses — declined 0.6% from April to May, the Labor Department reported.
The figure is calculated from an increase of 0.3% in actual hourly earnings, weighed against a monthly increase of 1% in the consumer price index. Real average hourly earnings dropped 3% from May 2021 to May 2022, due largely to inflation.
The latest monthly consumer survey from the New York Federal Reserve showed respondents in May expected their work earnings to grow by a median of 3% in the coming year, unchanged for the fifth consecutive month. Respondents put the probability at 38.6% — up from 36.3% in April — that the U.S. unemployment rate will be up in a year from its current 3.6%.


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In episode 139 of our podcast, Miki, Micha, and Matze talk about how the Japanese government is upsetting liquor retailers that kids should watch the Olympics, even older nuclear reactors, and destructive dog pee.
The Japanese government continues to look to liquor retailers in its corona measures. The call to suspend trade caused a lot of criticism and put the government in distress. Furthermore, tax-free shops should now report quarantine breakers.
Click the button to load the podcast player.
This episode is sponsored by Anime Planet with the anime “Akudama Drive”, of which the first volume is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. Anime Planet also offers various merchandise for the series.
Children as spectators for the Olympic Games
People in Japan are now tired of the corona measures. It is therefore hardly surprising that the ruling party and its coalition partner are becoming increasingly unpopular. At the same time, the number of infections in Tokyo is rising, reaching a new 6-month high.
The Olympic Games are scheduled to begin on Friday and the reports of problems are not taking off. Now the first infected person has already been reported in the Olympic Village. Nevertheless, students should be allowed to watch an Olympic football match, which causes protests.
Hotels, in the meantime, try to prepare for foreign guests. One caused outrage after they refused to allow foreign people to use an elevator.
Destructive power of dog urine
Japan’s nuclear reactors, which are now to run for more than 60 years, are causing further discussions. In the face of climate change, Japan will have to prepare for a hot summer this year, again.
Trouble makes the franchise “Super Cub” in Hokuto. In the city, rows of free posters as well as booklets with motifs from the series are bunkered and sold online for expensive money. Laugh of the week, on the other hand, is a traffic light master who has fallen over because too many dogs have used it as their toilet.
On our own behalf: We are deeply affected by the flood disaster in NRW and Rhineland-Palatinate and our thoughts are with the people in the disaster areas. At the moment, every help is needed and every euro can already make a difference. You can donate, among other things, via aktion Deutschland Hilfe or directly to the donation accounts of the affected communities.
As always, you can also listen to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Deezer and Google Podcast. For Alexa, you’ll find a skill that you can activate. You can subscribe to the XML feed here.
The topics at a glance
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Nissan has unveiled plans for a massive new extension to its Sunderland plant.
The firm has submitted a planning application to Sunderland City Council for a new paint shop for Line 1.
The success of Nissan’s UK operations is reflected in the financial statements recently filed for the year ending March 31st 2015Nissan spokesman
The move comes as the company reveals its UK operation saw profits jump by more than £31million in the last financial year.
Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd’s latest report to Companies House shows the firm – which includes the Sunderland plant, Cranford engineering centre and Paddington design studio – made a profit of £81,570,000 in the financial year to the end of March, up from £50,568,000 in the previous 12 months.
“The success of Nissan’s UK operations is reflected in the financial statements recently filed for the year ending March 31st 2015,” said a company spokesman.
“Production in our Sunderland plant remained at a historical high due to the success of Nissan’s industry-leading crossover and electric vehicles, with further investments made in plant extensions and new facilities ahead of the recent Infiniti Q30 launch.
“These financial statements also include our UK-based design and technical centres, which continue to play a key role in developing Nissan’s innovative and exciting model range for the European market.”
He confirmed the company was planning to extend the Sunderland plant.
“Nissan has applied for planning permission for a new paint facility at our manufacturing facility in Sunderland,” he said.
“This new building would replace existing paint facilities for the plant’s Line 1, where the Nissan Qashqai and all-electric Nissan LEAF are manufactured, reducing emissions and supporting Nissan’s continued leadership in both crossovers and electric vehicles.
The proposal is to develop a new paint shop building to the north of the current body and paint shop, on the north west corner of the overall site.
The proposed new section will comprise of a new painting process facility plus amenity and plant covering almost 28,000m2.
The paint shop will be a 216m long and 49.5m wide, three-story 3 storey building, linked to the existing paint shop via a bridge link at first floor level.
The multi-million pound development will require the loss of 237 car parking spaces will be lost, which will be replaced by 237 new spaces at the north western edge of the site.
Nissan has been developing the Sunderland site since 1984 and the factory now covers more than 356,000m2 of production space for its two production lines.
The plant recently started production of the new Q30, its first model for the firm’s exclusive Infiniti line.


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Fitbit remains the leading global wearables manufacturer, but its financial struggles continue. The company’s shares plunged more than 10% today on news that Q4 revenues will fall around $150bn short of expectations to around $580bn.
Essential reading: Choosing the right Fitbit tracker
The San Francisco outfit also revealed it is cutting 110 jobs or 6% of its global workforce, This is part of reorganisation that will cost the company about $4 million in the first quarter of 2017. For the full-year 2016, Fitbit expects annual revenue growth to be around 17%, down from the previous forecast of around 25%.
“Fourth quarter results are expected to be below our prior guidance range; however, we are confident this performance is not reflective of the value of our brand, market-leading platform, and company’s long-term potential,” said co-founder and chief executive James Park.
“While we have experienced softer-than-expected holiday demand for trackers in our most mature markets, especially during Black Friday, we have continued to grow rapidly in select markets like EMEA, where revenue grew 58% during the fourth quarter.”
Fitbit expects 2017 to be another tough year, and is forecasting some $1.5-$1.7bn in revenue. This is signficantly below analysts’ average expectations of $2.38bn.
The company will not have the new products that helped it start 2016 off with such a bang, instead opting to release software updates. More than a half of the revenue in the first half of last year was accounted by the fashion-conscious fitness Blaze and Alta fitness trackers, illustrating the importance of keeping the product line fresh. Nevertheless, Fitbit is confident business will stabilise in the second half of the year.
“We believe we are uniquely positioned to succeed in delivering what consumers are looking for in a smartwatch: stylish, well-designed devices that combine the right general purpose functionality with a focus on health and fitness,” added Park.
“With the recent acquisition of assets from Pebble, Vector Watch and Coin, we are taking action to position the company for long-term success.”
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A new index that debuted Thursday measures the confidence of company executives in a way that, according to the index’s originators, “provides the view projected through a boardroom lens for the first time.” The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Board Confidence Index, presented by Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., in conjunction with Pearl Meyer & Partners, indicates that the 155 directors of public companies who responded to the survey came in at a confidence level of 56.6, just above the midpoint.
According to Heidrick & Struggles, Theodore Dysart, managing partner, believes that a view of how public company board directors are feeling is essential in order to track trends that could indicate future economic activity. "At the end of the day, even the CEO has to go to the board to deploy capital and make an investment," Dysart said in a statement. "Over time, the Board Confidence Index should become a leading indicator of what's to come in other economic indicators. The decisions on where and how companies allocate capital begin in the boardroom."


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Poison Pill Strategy: Twitter Inc adopts ‘poison pill’ to thwart Elon Musk’s offer to buy the company
1 year ago
Two days after Elon Musk made a bid to buy 100% of Twitter Inc.’s stock in order to make the firm private and a strong platform of free expression, Twitter Inc.’s board has devised a new strategy called Poison Pill Strategy to ensure that no one gains control of the company through open market stock accumulation.
Twitter Inc. devised a ‘poison pill’ strategy on Friday to block billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s $43 billion cash acquisition attempt.
The rights will become exercisable under the ‘poison pill’ method if someone acquires 15% or more of Twitter’s outstanding common shares in a transaction not approved by the Board. To shield itself against billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s $43 billion cash acquisition offer, the microblogging tech company devised a limited-duration shareholder rights plan. According to Twitter, the rights plan will expire on April 14, 2023.
Musk made the offer in a letter to Twitter’s board of directors on April 13, and his $54.20 per share offer price was revealed in a regulatory filing. It’s a 38 percent premium over Twitter’s April 1 closing price. The last trading day before Musk’s over 9% ownership in the company made public was April 1.
Tesla’s head Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter
On Thursday, the Tesla Inc. chief executive officer Elon Musk offered to buy Twitter at $54.20 a share in cash, valuing the social media company at $43 billion.


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HP has ended its 2020 financial year with a 3.6 per cent fall in revenue to US$56 billion after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a “substantial curtailment of [its] business activities”.
For the year ended 31 October 2020, the hardware giant saw a notable revenue uplift for notebooks, rising by 12 per cent year-on-year to US$25.7 billion.
However, other segments relating to corporate office environments were hit badly by the global shift to homeworking. In particular, workstation revenue fell by almost a quarter to US$1.8 billion, while desktop revenue fell by a softer nine per cent to US$9.8 billion.
HP’s printing business also took a big hit over the year, falling by 12 per cent to US$17.6 billion.
Geographically, revenue from the United States decreased by 1.8 per cent to US$20.2 billion and net revenue from outside of the United States decreased by 4.6 per cent to US$36.4 billion.
Meanwhile, its cost of sales also hit a steep US$53.2 billion. In its statement to shareholders, HP said it had experienced major supply chain disruptions during the pandemic when a number of factories in China and South East Asia were closed. It also cited “weakened economic conditions, significant economic uncertainty and volatility in the financial markets, both in the United States and abroad” as key factors.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is adversely impacting, and is expected to continue to adversely impact, our operations and financial performance,” the company said. "Related restrictions impacted the demand for certain products and services as a result of temporary closures of offices and businesses and as people moved to spending more time at home, which negatively impacted sales for commercial products in both personal systems and print.”
HP said while work-from-home remained the normal practice, its sales of in-office hardware would continue to decrease. The vendor also said channel partners have experienced disruptions in their operations due to restrictions implemented which has caused reduced and cancelled orders.
“This has further adversely impacted our results of operations and we expect it to continue to have a negative impact on our results of operations,” it added.
HP warned its business could be further affected should the financial success of channel partners were to weaken.
“Our results of operations may be adversely affected by any conflicts that might arise between our various distribution channels or the loss or deterioration of any alliance or distribution arrangement or reduced assortments of our products,” the vendor said. “Moreover, some of our distributors may have insufficient financial resources and may not be able to withstand changes in business conditions, including economic weakness, industry consolidation, and market trends.”
HP also expressed frustration with channel partners selling products to unauthorised resellers, claiming it prevents consistent pricing and negatively impacts gross margins.


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The SLIM VAT project is currently a proposed amendment to the VAT Act. According to the announcement issued by the Ministry of Finance, the relevant legislative changes should be adopted later this year, with the expected date of entry into force in the first months of 2021.
Unlike the recent anti-crisis amendments introducing specific and temporal changes, the new regulations are to be set as permanent law. Taxpayers can expect simplifications aimed mainly at small and medium-sized enterprises.
The acronym SLIM was created from the words: simple, local, and modern. According to the Ministry of Finance, a new approach to VAT tax that is easy to handle and adjusted to the local specificity. It is also a “modern” tax, which means the implementation of new technological solutions and e-administration services will lead to a reduction in taxpayer responsibilities.
SLIM VAT introduces two new regulations regarding corrective invoicing. According to Art. 106j of the VAT Act, such invoices are issued by taxpayers when:
When the said provisions come into force, VAT payers will be able to issue a simplified in-minus and in-plus corrective invoices.
In-minus corrective invoices. The changes concern resignation from the confirmation of the reception of corrective invoices. In other words, the agreement of the terms of transactions between contractors will be a sufficient basis for lowering the tax base, and an amount due. It will continue to be the buyer’s responsibility to correct the agreed input tax. According to the legislators, the said omission should have a positive impact on the timeframe of the transaction and will optimize the circulation of documents between the buyer and supplier.
In-plus corrective invoices. Following the new regulations, adjustments to increase the tax base can be made on an ongoing basis, in the period of issuing the correcting invoice, when there is already a premise for increasing the amount. Currently, no provision in the VAT Act regulates the method of settling in-plus corrective invoices. The SLIM VAT proposal will introduce a legislative framework on which the practice of making corrections can be based.
SLIM VAT will extend the time limit for the export of goods to six months (the current limit is two months). However, the change concerns only the 0% rate on the advance payment for the export of goods.
The ministerial proposal also focuses on the problematic situation that affects many entrepreneurs that operate within the VAT and PIT/CIT regulations. In practice, when settling and invoicing a given transaction, the entrepreneur was forced to use two separate exchange rates. For VAT, the time of issuing an invoice was a definitive factor, while for income tax, it is the time before the service is fulfilled.
The new regulations will give a possibility to choose the rate for VAT, so an entrepreneur can establish a common exchange rate for the settlement of VAT and PIT/CIT.
The SLIM VAT concept also proposes two additional, relatively small changes that are worth mentioning:


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China state media says gaming time limit loopholes should be closed
Chinese state media said loopholes allowing minors to bypass new rules aimed at curbing gaming play time to three hours per week should be removed to “prevent addiction.”
China introduced new rules in August limiting the amount of time under-18s can spend on video games to three hours a week, a move it said was necessary to combat gaming addiction, but causing young Chinese gamers to express outrage at the rules.
“On some online trading platforms, there are game account rental and sales businesses, users can bypass the supervision by renting and buying accounts and play online games without restrictions. This means that there are still loopholes for teenagers to enter online gaming, which is worthy of attention,” a commentary in the Communist Party’s official People’s Daily newspaper said on Monday.
The commentary also said that some game trading platforms have said that strict measures have been taken to prohibit minors from buying, selling and renting accounts. Gaming enterprises must “actively fulfill social responsibilities,” “be responsible for the healthy growth of the next generation” and “promote the healthy development of the industry.”
Families and schools are also urged to create a conducive environment “for the healthy growth of minors,” according to the commentary, especially parents, as some minors use their identities to register for a gaming account, making the gaming time limit ineffective.
Authorities in China, the world’s largest video games market, have worried for years about addiction to gaming and the internet among young people, setting up clinics which combine therapy and military drills for those with so-called “gaming disorders.”
Authors: Emily Chow, Wang Jing, Reuters


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Sayonara To 'Super-Size Me'? Food Companies Cut Calories, So Do We
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Patting yourself on the back for cutting down on calories? Well, a group of the nation's biggest food and beverage makers are doing the same. The companies claim that they've removed a total of 6.4 trillion calories from snack packs, sodas and other treats. The calorie cuts are part of a nationwide effort to tackle the obesity epidemic.
NPR's Allison Aubrey reports on a new study that looks at whether these efforts are making a difference.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: If you want to know whether 16 food companies including Kraft and General Mills have the power to change Americans' eating habits, you've got to track what we're buying and eating. That's what researcher Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina has tried to do. He compared to the number of calories families buy now compared to 2007.
BARRY POPKIN: We've found that families with children cut 101 calories per day in their purchases.
AUBREY: The cuts come from items such as sugary cereals, which have been made a little less sweet and salty snacks that are sold in those smaller 100 calorie packs. Now, changes like this may sound trivial, but Popkin argues, they add up.
POPKIN: This is where Americans are. Americans are buying 60 to 80 percent of their food from these packaged processed foods.
AUBREY: And when people cut 100 calories day after day, the effect is cumulative.
POPKIN: It's not enough to make us all healthy. However, the science says that 100 calories will probably be enough to lead to the leveling off that we've seen, the plateauing, of the obesity epidemic.
AUBREY: Popkin's analysis is published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and researchers have also looked at how the calorie initiatives impact company's bottom lines. Turns out, trimming calories can boost profits.
HANK CARDELLO: Yeah - doing well by doing good perhaps is a great way to describe it.
AUBREY: That's Hank Cardello of the Hudson Institute, an independent research group. His study shows that the companies selling more lower-calorie, better-for-you products are growing faster than companies that have been slow to change.
CARDELLO: I mean, this is perfect alignment with the public health need where we do need to cut the calories and at the same time, it is absolutely necessary for these companies to grow.
AUBREY: And just this week of beverage giants Coke and Pepsi both new made pledges to cut calories. But not everyone is so convinced that simply shaving calories from processed foods and sugary drinks is worth celebrating.
MICHEL NISCHAN: I applaud any change that reduces calories, but I'm doubtful that it's going to lead to any meaningful change.
AUBREY: That's Michel Nischan, founder of the group Wholesome Wave. He's a food advocate who's been pushing the idea of prescription fruits and vegetables, since most Americans eat fewer than two a day. His view - if these huge companies want to really make a difference, they should get Americans to completely rethink what we put on our plates.
NISCHAN: Yes, enjoy your Diet Pepsi - I mean, God bless America, but, just use your marketing expertise to convince Americans that, actually, vegetables are really cool and whole grains are really cool. And there are ways that you can combine them with some of your favorite processed foods and have a better outcome.
AUBREY: And some companies say they are trying. We reached out to Nestle, which owns brands such as DiGiorno pizza and Stouffer's lasagna. Here's Nestle's Chavanne Hanson.
CHAVANNE HANSON: We don't sell fruit and vegetable commodities but we certainly encourage them. We've developed a program called Balance Your Plate.
AUBREY: Which basically encourages families to add a side salad and some vegetables to their frozen meals. Not exactly revolutionary, but experts like Barry Popkin say when you're pushing for change, you've got to meet Americans where they are.
Allison Aubrey, NPR News.
CORNISH: It's NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Trust Machines, a Web3.0 firm co-founded by Stacks Co-Creator Muneeb Ali and Princeton computer science professor JP Singh, announced the launch of a new wallet dubbed Leather.
The flagship wallet is a new Bitcoin (BTC) wallet brand designed to drive the global transition to a digital economy built on Bitcoin. The launch of Leather was achieved through the acquisition of assets from Hiro Systems PBC.
This acquisition and rebranding now makes Leather Wallet LLC a subsidiary of Trust Machines.
Trust Machines Set to Offer High Quality User Experience
Markedly, Trust Machines plans to deliver the highest quality user experience possible while providing unparalleled developer resources for app integration at the same time. The newly launched wallet will play a crucial part in achieving this result by pioneering a higher standard of accessibility. According to a Trust Machines blog post,
“Even non-technical users worldwide should feel empowered to tap into the Bitcoin economy with innovative use cases that provide long-term, reliable value.”
Bridging the Gap Between BTC And L2s
Before the acquisition and rebrand of Hiro Wallet, the protocol supported Stacks L2 functionality and Bitcoin Ordinals.
With the revamp, however, Trust Machines is looking to bridge the gap between the BTC network and other emerging Layer-2 solutions It supports the performance of several activities including the deposit, view, creation, trade and transfer of Ordinals, Stack Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Bitcoin Stamps.
Amongst many other things, the wallet is self-custody, open-sourced, and audited. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-founder of the project Muneeb Ali reiterated that the connection between Bitcoin and L2s is necessary for the token to reach billion users. Per a statement from Ali, “Instilling trust and security through decentralization is a key factor of our Bitcoin wallet.”
Crypto Wallets Suffers Attack
Ali’s talk about instilling security cones amidst a prevalence of wallet attacks in the crypto space. Many Web3.0 wallets have suffered severe losses from the exploits perpetrated by bad actors who sometimes leave them empty.
Cryptocurrency wallet, Trust wallet suffered an exploit that led to the loss of $170,000 in two separate transactions. The affected wallets were promised a reimbursement from the company. Atomic Wallet was equally attacked and many of its users claimed to have lost their entire crypto holdings.


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Award winning business moves to new premises
East Yorkshire business Pure Renewables today announced expansion plans with the purchase of new premises with funding from Barclays.
Established in 2007 by husband and wife entrepreneurs Chris and Janie Whitelock, Pure Renewables is located at the iPark, Innovation Drive, Hull. The business is one of the longest established renewable energy installers in the UK and specialises in renewable energy heating installations for homeowners and businesses across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Cumbria. Products available are ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, solar PV, solar thermal, space heating and, together with a design service, it enables customers to generate their own energy and reduce their carbon footprint.
Chris Whitelock, Managing Director, Pure Renewables, said: “Purchasing the new premises has been a major step forward in our growth plans and will enable us to increase capacity with more office and workshop space. We can now work more efficiently, delivering more heating systems across the UK. The extra space will also allow us to have a showroom to be able to demonstrate the products to customers. Barclays support has been brilliant – it’s great to have a bank that truly understands your business.”
Pure Renewables now employs ten people locally and is currently on a recruitment drive to expand its team.
Danny Scarr, Barclays Business Relationship Manager put together the funding package for the deal and said: “It’s great to be able to support a local business that is thriving and expanding for the future. Chris and Janie have won many awards for their achievements and the new premises will secure the future of the business. We look forward to seeing the business grow with the new capacity the premises have created.”


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To commemorate the beginning of Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW), the American Gaming Association (AGA) today activated the enforcement process associated with its Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering. The self-regulated, industry-wide program will be overseen by a Code Compliance Review Board, consisting of two independent co-chairs and five AGA member representatives:
- Joe Bertolone, Executive Director, UNLV International Center for Gaming Regulation (co-chair)
- Becky Harris, Distinguished Fellow in Gaming, UNLV International Gaming Institute (co-chair)
- Laura McAllister Cox, Vice President of Regulatory Compliance & Legal Counsel, Rush Street Gaming
- Stephen Martino, Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, MGM Resorts International
- Sharon Otterman, Chief Marketing Officer, William Hill
- Paul Pellizzari, Vice President, Global Social Responsibility, Hard Rock
- Chris Soriano, Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, Penn National Gaming
The Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering includes self-imposed restrictions on target audiences, outlets, and materials branding, while mandating responsible gaming inclusion. The tenets of the code apply to traditional and digital media marketing activity for AGA members and non-members. Through the process launched today, industry stakeholders and consumers can flag perceived non-compliance with the code via AmericanGaming.org.
“Responsible Gaming Education Week provides a perfect opportunity to launch this important initiative, holding everyone accountable to a standard set by responsible operators,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “By adhering to this code, U.S. sports betting operators are putting consumers first, and I’m thankful to the distinguished industry representatives on the compliance review board who will help raise the bar for the marketing of sports betting activity in the United States.”
AGA’s Responsible Marketing Code for Sports Wagering supplements individual companies’ existing responsible marketing activities and those adhered to by all AGA members through the Responsible Gaming Code of Conduct, which includes limitations on frequency of advertisements.
Held annually, RGEW (Sept. 13-19, 2020) provides an opportunity to showcase the industry’s year-round commitment to responsible gaming by refreshing employee training, promoting gaming literacy to customers, and working with community partners on advancing RG initiatives. This year, the AGA is highlighting Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly., its public service campaign to educate new and seasoned sports bettors on responsible sports betting amidst the rapid expansion of legal sports betting.


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Our chemical-saturated environment is poisoning us
Everywhere you turn in modern society, you’re surrounded by chemicals.
You can’t escape them. They’re in the air we breathe because we dump chemicals on our precious lawns and incinerate our chemical-laden garbage. They’re in our food and drink because farmers spray chemicals on our food as it grows, and we line our cans and bottles with chemicals. They’re also in our water, thanks to the dumping of unused chemicals and medicines that leach into our water supply.
Gulf of Mexico sea life has been assaulted — and will for years continue being assaulted by — both BP’s initial release of massive quantities of petrochemicals and its subsequent release of massive quantities of toxic chemicals it hoped would hide the petrochemicals from TV cameras. And human health is at risk from this double-barreled chemical attack.
We’ve now uncovered a new threat: cash register receipts. CBS News reports:
Extraordinarily high levels of BPA were found on two-fifths of the paper receipts tested recently by the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.
In some cases, the amount of BPA on a given receipt was 1,000 times the levels found in a can of food.
Receipts were collected from ATM’s, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, gas stations and the like. “Wipe tests” showed that the coating of BPA of paper receipts would likely stick to the skin of anyone who handled them.
The chemical can be absorbed into the skin and transferred to the digestive tract by touching the mouth.
Animal tests have linked BPA exposure to a range of health problems, including cancer, obesity, diabetes, and early puberty.
Posted by James on Wednesday, July 28, 2010


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Huawei's Hongmeng OS has been talked over and over for a long time, and some models are being tested internally and publicly. So when can ordinary consumers use it?
Wang Chenglu, President of Huawei's consumer business software department and head of AI and wisdom full scene business department, said recently:
In other words, in another month, the first batch of consumer terminals will officially push Hongmeng OS. It is estimated that there will be flagship models such as mate 40 series, P40 series, mate 30 series and mate x2.
Of course, according to the current situation, it is impossible to push Hongmeng OS for all models in June, which will take a long time. However, it can be predicted that once the first batch starts, other models will keep up.
Wang Chenglu previously proposed that,By the end of this year, there will be more than 300 million mobile phones, tablets and IOT devices equipped with Hongmeng OS.
Hu houkun, vice chairman and rotating chairman of Huawei, also revealed that Hongmeng OS has attracted more than 20 hardware manufacturers and 280 application manufacturers to participate in the ecological construction.
Just at the end of April, some Huawei mobile phone users had received the beta beta push from Hongmeng OS 2.0 developers. However, compared with emui 11, it seems that the change is not too much.
- THE END -
Reprint please indicate the source: fast technology


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'That '70s Show' has left Netflix and fans are bummed to the max: 'Why does this hurt so much?'
"That '70s Show" has been a beloved staple on Netflix since 2011. Until this weekend. Now it's gone.
Fans noticed that the Fox comedy — that launched the careers of Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Wilmer Valderrama — has been pulled from the streaming giant.
Then the fans were like, such a bummer!
Netflix did not renew the licensing deal for the show that originally ran from 1998 to 2006 — the same fate as other Netflix faves like "The Office" (going in 2021) and "Friends" (went to HBO Max in January) in the ongoing streaming battles.
USA TODAY has reached out to Netflix for comment.
But Britain's "The Observer" writes that Netflix said later days to signing "That '70s Show" as the company "repositions its strategy and enormous content budget to focus on in-house originals."
So, as of Sept. 7, the show has left the building, leaving fans lamenting on social media. Here's a clever sampling:
'The Office' is leaving Netflix:Heading to NBC streaming service
"OH NO THEY TOOK #that70sshow OFF OF NETFLIX!!! I haven’t finished it!!!!" tweeted Diana Gonzalez, adding a GIF of Kitty Forman (Debra Jo Rupp) pouring a monster margarita.
In a poetic, short video, Twitter user Cristal showed a video of falling leaves in front of a Netflix announcement that the show was no longer available on the site, asking "Why does this hurt so much?"
Comedian and actor Matt Rife tweeted his pathos on Sept. 2. "BRO are they taking ‘That 70s Show’ off @netflix next week?!?! BLASPHEMY!! It’s better than The Office and Friends! Fight me. It’s my comfort show," he wrote.
"Netflix is removing That 70s Show???? Ok 2020 you won, I give up," wrote Twitter user @maddy_keyes
"Mood this morning after finding out that Netflix removed That 70s Show," wrote Twitter user Hank Jr. showing a dreary Eric Forman (Grace).
Twitter user jocelyn featured a photo of Ashton Kutcher's Michael Kelso crying, writing, "And just like that it’s gone :’( #that70sshow,"
"SO WHERE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO WATCH THIS NOW #that70sshow ?" asked Twitter user evelyn.
Good question. "That '70s Show" is available is on Amazon Prime ($2.99 per episode).


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Editing by Nathaniel Cajuday
Entertainment giant Walt Disney Company has recently posted a job opening for a legal expert on emerging technology, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), decentralized finance (DeFi), and the metaverse. This could reaffirm that the company is stepping into its Web3 journey.
Based on the job posting for Principal Counsel for Corporate Transactions, Emerging Technologies, and NFTs, some of their roles are to:
- Provide full product life cycle legal advice and support for global NFT products, working in close collaboration with other Disney attorneys and business stakeholders, including Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution and Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products. Ensure NFT product compliance with applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations.
- Assist in performing due diligence for NFT, blockchain, third-party marketplace, and cloud provider projects, and negotiating and drafting complex agreements for those projects.
- Provide day-to-day legal advice to Disney legal and business teams on NFT and cryptocurrency-related matters and issues, including reviewing marketing and advertising disclosures and evaluating securities law issues in connection with the promotion and sale of NFTs.
This posting may align with the company’s plans to advance the use of Web3 technology in terms of cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology and metaverse ecosystems. Ironically, the entertainment company is not keen on using the word “Metaverse” openly. It would rather describe its version of the Metaverse as “next generation storytelling,” during a backstage interview during the D23 Expo.
“We call it next-gen storytelling. We tend not to use the M[etaverse] word too often because it has a lot of hair on it,” said Bob Chapek, Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
According to Chapek, Disney’s coming into Web3 and Metaverse spaces will need the use of information from the physical and digital worlds to enforce its Metaverse policy. It is also considering using information from theme park visits and consumer online streaming habits for its Metaverse strategy.
Disney gave a sneak peek of its possible journey into the Web3 space when it dropped the Walt and Mickey “Partners” NFT on the VeVe app last year. It also launched the “Golden Moments” NFT series on VeVe, including Spiderman, Mickey Mouse, Marvel, and Pixar collections.
Apparently, Disney is not the first entertainment firm to adopt these technologies. Back in 2021, studios like Warner Bros, Sony, and Lionsgate minted their own NFTs collected related to their movies.
This article is published on BitPinas: Disney Hires Blockchain Lawyer and Experts
Disclaimer: BitPinas articles and its external content are not financial advice. The team serves to deliver independent, unbiased news to provide information for Philippine-crypto and beyond.


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The prices of food, medicines, utilities, and consumer products are continued to rise. The government has simply lost the control over prices. The people are suffering as the result of this failure. The government ministers and economic managers are still blaming the previous governments for the high inflation in the country even after completing two years in the government.
The government is not ready to accept the simple fact that the price hike is the result of government policies. The PTI government is implementing the IMF dictated neoliberal economic policies and has been increasing the prices of electricity, gas, petrol and cut the subsidies on food and agriculture products.
As the result of neoliberal economic policies imposed in last 40 years, the government has lost control over the economy. The private sector now dominates the production and trade. The public sector industries and enterprises were mostly privatised since 1990s.
The competition between public and private sector ended with wholesale privatization in last 30 years. There is hardly any industry left with public sector in sugar, cement, fertiliser, pharmaceuticals, textiles, engineering and consumer producing sector of industries. The private sector has almost complete control in these industries.
They manipulate the market and prices because they have formed cartels and create artificial crisis through reducing the supply. The government watches all that helplessly and most of the times oblige the interests and wishes of the big players of these industries.
When the prices of electricity, gas and petroleum products go up, then the cost of production rise and make products expensive. These three items are used in commercial and industrial activity. The strange thing is that first government allows the increase in prices and then blames the mafias for creating artificial crisis and price rise due to hoarding profit taking.
Now take the recent example of three decisions made by PTI government to increase the prices of nearly 100 medicines, food items at utility stores and electricity. These decisions will increase burden on already struggling people of Pakistan.
The increase in the price of electricity will have wider impact on the prices of products. It will increase the cost of business and production. The PTI government came into power with the promise to fix the economy and to reform the system. Instead of taking action against so-called mafias and cartels, the government succumbed to pressure and increases the prices of 100 medicines.
The federal government has approved a hike as high as 262% in the prices of nearly 100 local and imported medicines in Pakistan. Among these are 68 local medicines and 26 imported ones. The justification to increase the prices of medicines is very interesting.
The government is arguing that it allows the increase in the prices of medicines because government feared that the medicines might disappear from the market. So it means that the government increased prices under pressure from pharmaceutical industry.
After failing to contain the prices and making sure the availability of flour, sugar and petrol, the government decided to give rise to medicine prices to keep them available in the market. That shows that how little control our government new has over production and prices. That is the real reason of the price hike. But government is not ready to accept this fact.
Drugs that became costlier included those used to treat fever, headache, heart diseases, malaria, diabetes, sore throat, flu, abdominal and stomach pains, skin diseases, postpartum issues, and eye, ear, tooth, mouth, and blood infections, as well as certain antibiotics.
The matter of fact is that this increase has made medicines so expensive that vast majority of people cannot afford it. The government policy and decision makers must understand that nearly 60% of Pakistani population lives below or around the poverty line. They are not in the position to buy medicines and even food items.
Nepra has approved a raise of Rs1.62 per unit in power tariff on account of fuel adjustment cost for the second and third quarters of Financial Year 2019-20. This places an additional cost of Rs168 billion or a little more on consumers.
The decision to increase the prices of some food items at utility stores will increase the burden on already impoverished masses. Mostly poor and lower middle class people use the subsidised products like cooking oil, sugar and pulses from utility stores. Now there is hardly any difference left between the prices at utility stores and markets.
There are serious repercussions to these decisions. The burdens of households already stretched to the very limit, will be stretched further, some may break leaving very little for families in terms of buying food items, or sending children to school.
There has also been an increase in the cost of cooking oil by Rs 17 per litre, as well as of ghee and an extra Rs5 per litre will be added to the price of milk. This is a tremendous burden on most households throughout the country. There is no real explanation from the federal government or any other source on quite how people are to manage. They are barely managing at this point already, with an exorbitant increase also in the price of life-saving drugs. Once again, it is the people who will suffer.
The reality is that more and more families are already struggling to even send their children to school. This is an unacceptable situation. It is also obviously essential for every family to buy oil, or ghee with which to cook – or medicines to save their lives.
These are not items that can be left off the list. The solutions for these households simply do not seem to be there at all. Everything costs more now. Sugar has gone up from Rs 50 per kilogram to Rs 100; flour was Rs 35 per kilo two years ago now selling at Rs 75 now. The prices of milk have gone over Rs 100 per liter while prices of vegetables and lentils have also one up considerably.
These are just flour, lentils and rice that we are unable to afford. Having mutton at Rs1, 100 per kg, beef at Rs 680/kg and chicken at Rs 200/kg is simply unthinkable. It is just the common people who are being punished for the failures of rulers. The people are being crushed. The life is getting more and more difficult and miserable.
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INDONESIA: Twenty new outlets boost PT Fastfood Indonesia's sector domination
Restaurant operator PT Fastfood Indonesia , which already controls 40% of the domestic fastfood market, has announced plans to strengthen sector domination with the opening of a further 20 new outlets through an investment plan worth Rp2.5bn (US$250,000). Last year, the company, which operates domestic outlets of US giant
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Digital TV News: Glashart Media
Telfort Fiber TV and Glashart Media choose Stoneroos OTT NOW!
Apr 30, 2018 – Telfort Fiber TV and Glashart Media, both sub-brands of KPN, are using the white-labeled OTT NOW! platform from Hilversum-based Stoneroos for their OTT services. The new Telfort Fiberglass TV and Glashart Media iPad apps were developed by the company.
News categories: Stoneroos, Telfort, Glashart Media, Apps, Digital TV, Netherlands, Streaming
Glashart Media selects ActiveVideo CloudTV H5 platform
Sep 12, 2013 – ActiveVideo has announced that Glashart Media, a Dutch IPTV service provider, has executed a system-wide upgrade of its interactive services to the ActiveVideo CloudTV™ H5 software platform.
News categories: ActiveVideo, Glashart Media, Niels Jonkman, Ronald Brockmann, Cable TV, Content Distribution, Digital TV, IPTV, Middleware, Netherlands
Amino passes milestone of four million set-top boxes sold and shipped globally
Dec 5, 2011 – Amino Communications (AIM: AMO) has sold and shipped its four millionth set-top box (STB). Amino's best-selling Aminet range has been installed in more than 85 countries around the world.
News categories: Amino, Glashart Media, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Set Top Box
- Atmosic SoC approved for Google Android TV remote controls
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- Thales and Netskrt Systems collaborate on inflight VOD streaming
- Samsung chip to power Hyundai in-vehicle infotainment
- Radio Television Hong Kong selects Irdeto multi-DRM solution
- Spectrum Reach taps Beachfront for programmatic monetization of convergent TV
- Netgem enables multiscreen TV for ZEOP with new UI on Android TV
- KCGM deploys Amagi SaaS offering to distribute anime channel in India
- Leading industry players join IAB Tech Lab advertising standards group
- DingoTV streaming service adds gamification with Edge Video
- Foxxum partners with OTTera to expand app portfolio
- Taiwan Mobile selects Broadpeak for live video streaming to mobiles
- TV Globo affiliate EPTV turns to MediaKind for IP video edge upgrade
- tvOS 17 brings FaceTime and video conferencing to Apple TV 4K
- VIDAA to bring Paramount+ to viewers in Canada and Latin America
- AR/VR headset shipments slowed in Q1 2023
- Introducing Apple Vision Pro: Apple’s first spatial computer
- 49% of U.S. adults watch video via a CTV device daily
- FAST revenues in Eastern Europe set to reach $42m by 2028