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Green Lighting Shanghai 2012, co-organized by the China Solid State Lighting Alliance and Reed Exhibitions, will take place between April 25-27, 2012 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. Spanning over 100 million sqm, the show is expected to attract more than 200 of the leading companies in the trade, together with 5,000 trade visitors. NEPCON China 2012, the largest event for Asia’s electronics manufacturing and SMT industry, will run concurrent to Green Lighting Shanghai.
Green Lighting Shanghai 2012, in the context of China’s groundbreaking, fast-growing, green lighting industry is one of the most important events in the semiconductor lighting trade. The event showcases the latest in advanced manufacturing equipment, materials and products for various applications from all over the world.
Numerous high-profile lighting companies, from China and from abroad, have already booked booths at the event. They include Nichia, Seoul Semiconductor, Epistar, APT, Hangzhou Zhongwei, Everfine photo-e-info, Sensing, Jiangsu Nata, ROHM Semiconductor, Stanley, Everlight, Hangke, Yantai Darbond and Wanban.
Green Lighting Shanghai 2012 will feature an IDEAL Lighting segment, which will highlight applications from China’s pioneers in LED light source design. Projected from a designer’s perspective, by reflecting the lighting environments in hotels, clubs and villas, IDEAL Lighting will illustrate the suitability of LED lights for various living spaces. This vivid display will transform a potentially rigid lighting demonstration into an artistic showcase, thus becoming as inspirational to the designers as it will be to the owners of hotels, clubs and villas. IDEAL Lighting is a unique platform for LED ODMs to demonstrate their strength and style, and also to boost sales.
NEPCON China 2012, Asia’s largest event for the electronics manufacturing and SMT industries, will be collocated with Green Lighting Shanghai. It will comprehensively feature new technologies, products and solutions for SMT technology and equipment, soldering equipment and materials, test and measurement devices, ESD, purifying devices, bar code equipment and materials, production equipment for components, electro-mechanical assembly equipment and electronics manufacturing services. More than 1,000 SMT and electronics manufacturing devices will be displayed onsite.
Michiel Kruse, Vice President of Reed Exhibitions East China, said, “Our brand’s new positioning and strategy upgrade is influenced by region and by industry. We want to satisfy the needs of all show participants via this specialized platform. Hence our relocation to the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in 2012. Thanks to the venue’s advanced facilities and convenient transport links, this new exhibition hall will enormously enhance the exhibition experience for local and international participants.”
For the latest updates and details on Green Lighting Shanghai 2012, please visit www.greenlightingchina.com.
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer, with over 460 events in 36 countries. In 2010 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world, generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events, organized by 34 fully staffed offices, are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Reed organizes a wide range of events, including trade and consumer exhibitions, conferences and meetings. Its portfolio of over 460 events serves 44 industry sectors. Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc., a publisher and information provider. In 2009, Reed Elsevier made an adjusted pre-tax profit of £1.28 billion on turnover of £6.07 billion.


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W.When the heat rises above 90 degrees, the artist Joan Marangoni stops painting on her new mural in Murphy’s Music Center in Leechburg by noon. She practically sprints to her new 30-foot circular, above-ground pool in her Washington Township home.
“Jumping into a pool to cool off and be in a safe space with your kids is wonderful,” she said. “It’s my reward every day.”
The Marangonis are one of the lucky ones who managed to buy a pool before many shops and builders ran out of them.
The surge in the pool market was predictably caused by the public rush for one of the few recreational activities sanctioned by the pandemic: swimming in your yard.
Aboveground swimming pools join the legions of other in-demand pandemic play items like bikes and kayaks, which are also nearly sold out.
Pool sales have increased nationally during the pandemic, according to the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance in Alexandria, Virginia, the largest national organization representing the pool industry.
While much of the growth in new pools is focused on the Sun Belt states, growth rates for all pools averaged nearly 35% this year during the pandemic, said Janay Rickwalder, vice president of marketing and communications at Allianz.
The first indication of impulse demand for pools came in May and was developing rapidly before Memorial Day, said Mark Cristallini, zone manager in Plum at Pool Corp., which describes itself as the world’s largest distributor of pools.
“It was like turning on a light switch,” said Cristallini.
In May there was a 200% increase in the Google search for “swimming pools” which, according to Rickwalder, was the third highest searched retail term for that month. Aboveground pools were the most popular searches in this category.
In fact, Marangoni, an art teacher at Fox Chapel Area High School, and her husband Vince always wanted a pool. In mid-May, they took the plunge to buy their first pool, knowing that with the pandemic, there was likely no beach vacation.
“We had a long summer and very little entertainment for our three daughters,” she said. The Marangonis went to Pine Run Pools and Spas and placed an order. They got their pool three weeks ago.
Above-ground pool purchases were overwhelming and sold out after Memorial Day, Cristallini said. Manufacturers had some issues and were not open during parts of the pandemic.
“They are unable to keep up with the high demand,” said Cristallini.
There are still bags of pool inventory, but it’s hard to find, he said.
“It’s an incredible boom that I’ve never seen in all of my years in business,” said Cristallini, who has been in the pool industry for 37 years. “Consumers already know that they won’t receive their pool until next spring.
“There is no slowdown in sight,” he continued. “Support gear, chemicals, toys and games – everything is in short supply because everything in a pool is so popular now.”
At Alpine Pools with locations in Jeannette, Hampton and elsewhere, longtime sales manager Tom Esser has another perspective on the popularity of pools.
In recent years, Esser said, backyard pools have seen competition as families spend more time and money on their children’s organized sports and activities. But pandemic restrictions have prevented all kinds of sports for the family.
“Covid-19 is a terrible, terrible thing and affects a lot of people,” he said. “The only good thing about it is that I see people walking the streets, riding bikes and neighbors sitting on porches and talking.”
Sales of Pine Run Pools and Spas in Washington Township are up at least 50% this year, said owner Ron Stiffler, whose family business has been in operation since 1975.
“I sold every pool I had and got more pools and they go fast,” he said.
Stiffler hadn’t been able to get his hands on a solar cover or ladders for a month. Filter systems and liners are hard to find. He knows at least one ladder manufacturer in New York who had to close its doors during the pandemic and is now busy with orders.
“There is the problem of the supply chain. The demand is high because everyone wants to swim, and now it’s almost 100 degrees, ”said Stiffler on Wednesday.
Commercial market is a different story
The hot residential pool market is affecting the commercial market, said Mike Bonavita, one of the owners of the family-run B&R Pools in East Liberty.
About 95% of B&R’s work is in commercial pools that are not open.
When Bonavita needs a pool heater or pump, it has to wait a long time. He said he waited nine weeks for heaters.
“I’ve never seen a year like this, probably never will – and I don’t want to,” said Bonavita. The demand for residential real estate is partly due to the closure of commercial pools.
Although there are still a few pools left in the backyard, Stiffler is taking orders for the next year.
Pools and parts manufacturers are lagging behind and won’t catch up until next year, said Cristallini.
“All indications this will continue until next summer,” he said.
Cristallini advises residents to buy their pools now as shortages and higher prices will continue to be an issue.
“If you can find it now, buy it now,” he said. “They may need to get bigger because inventory is still available and not all of it is being sold.”
Mary Ann Thomas is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Mary at 724-226-4691, [email protected], or on Twitter.

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Ford's European Sales Down 24.8 Percent
But even so, Ford proudly announced that it managed to increase its market share by 0.5 points to 8.8 percent, with United Kingdom achieving the highest market share (18.9 percent).
"We are proud that in such a difficult economic environment we could further increase our market share," said Ingvar Sviggum, vice president, marketing, sales and service, Ford of Europe. "And we are particularly pleased that through the year we have steadily reinforced our position as the number two brand in the main 19 European markets.
Ford says it delivered 117,000 vehicles across its 51 European markets, which represents a 24.8 percent decrease when compared to November 2007.
More importantly, the number of Ford's sold vehicles in 2008 in the main 19 European markets now totals 1,353,100 units, down 6.4 percent compared to the first 11 months of the last year. In addition, figures revealed that Ford delivered nearly 1,665,000 units so far this year in all 51 European markets, a 4.4 percent decrease when compared to the same period last year.
“Year-to-date, Ford's market share is 8.7 per cent, versus 8.6 per cent in the first 11 months of 2007,” Ford concluded, pointing out that its increasing market share is extremely important in the context of global economic crisis.


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Though China is the most populous country on the planet with 1.3 billion inhabitants, it's one market that's supposedly outside Microsoft's plans to launch Kinect, the Xbox 360's hands-free controller, according to a company vice president.
Since the turn of the century, no foreign companies or traders have been permitted to sell consoles or peripherals to China, and that means no Kinect - at least, not officially.
Chinese news portal Sina broke the news as Michel Van Der Bel, Microsoft International's VP for the Public Sector, confirmed corporate adherence with regard to the upcoming device.
That said, the government ruling hasn't dissuaded Chinese gamers too much in the past. Though the PC is the country's primary gaming platform, supported by 165,000 internet cafes, annual reports from Chinese market research specialists Niko Partners indicate that avid gamers are able to get hold of the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.
Interviewed by industry news website Gamasutra, the company also referred to Nintendo's previous partnerships with Chinese manufacturer iQue as another way to distribute Japanese and American consoles on the mainland.
For the moment, that sort of agreement doesn't appear to be entirely necessary, but there are problems in terms of game sales: genuine imports can cost as much as 40 to 50 times more than counterfeit titles.
Meanwhile, the state-supported PC games industry is flourishing, as online adventures such as Fantasy Westward Journey remain popular.
The Xbox 360 Kinect is confirmed for a November 4 launch in North America. Sony's PlayStation Move controllers for the PlayStation 3 are set for a European and North American retail debut in the third week of September, with Japan to follow in October.
Nintendo, meanwhile, is yet to announce details on the Nintendo 3DS's release date, though it is scheduled to arrive before March 2011, and more likely before the end of 2010.


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Full automation envisioned by Carl’s Jr. CEO isn’t likely to appeal to socialized human patrons.
Read in 1 minute
Add Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s to the list of fast-food chains considering going fully automatic. Andy Puzder, the chief executive of both California-based companies, says robots have a number of advantages over human workers, which is why he wants to try automating his restaurants.
“They’re always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case,” he tells Business Insider.
Puzder’s comments come with equal side portions of logic and politics. On the hand, he points out that the rising cost of labour and the dropping cost of automation are pointing toward the inevitable. On the other hand, he also blames Democratic presidential candidates Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders for wanting to raise minimum wages.
“Does it really help if Sally makes $3 more an hour if Suzie has no job?” he says.
Puzder says he was inspired by a recent trip to Eatsa, a new fast-food chain that serves automation as its main course. Patrons of the San Francisco-based company’s outlets order at a touch screen kiosk, then pick up their food at automat-style windows. Throughout their visit, they never see a human:
Eatsa is perhaps not a good example, considering its restaurants aren’t actually fully automated. Humans still make the food and then place it in cubby holes for pickup, so they’re there – they’re just not visible.
For a fully automated restaurant, Puzder may want to look further afield. The Robot Restaurant in Harbin, China, for one, has robots that cook and serve food. It’s ironically the empty Eatsa outlets that look cold and inhuman in comparison.
Fully automated restaurants – at least in North America – are unlikely in the near term, mainly because human interaction is still an important and long-held social part of consuming meals. A more likely scenario is a hybrid model, where increasing automation is supplemented by good, old fashioned people skills.
McDonald’s is doing a bang-up job with this approach. Besides adding self-order kiosks, the chain now also has employees who chat up patrons as they order and while they eat. One job is being replaced by a more efficient machine, but another is being added that is solely based around the human touch.
Some patrons may not want to be bothered by other people while they eat, but others may be reassured by the efforts to maintain the social aspect of meals. After all, no one wants to eat in some cold, sterilized food factory.


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The giant coffee chain says it’s not profitable in UK
The company’s UK boss Mark Fox has claimed this week that its operations might not be profitable for another three years.
If all British businesses were doing as badly as Starbucks UK claims to be doing, we wouldn’t have an economy growing at three per cent a year. The Chancellor would have next to no tax revenue from business and the £100billion deficit would be exploding.
There is another interpretation: that Starbucks isn’t really doing badly; it is just being clever about using legal, if devious, tax arrangements to reduce its bill. How otherwise would a business have managed to keep going for 16 years in Britain, opening 650 outlets, when it claims to have been making a loss all that time?
Starbucks has changed its ways little since 2012 when a Reuters’ investigation revealed a fascinating divergence between its tax returns and the story that it was telling investors about its UK business.
Transcripts of conversations between the company’s executives and financial analysts revealed that Starbucks’ UK operations were claimed by the company to be one of the jewels in its crown.
In 2007 – a year in which it reported to the UK taxman a loss for the 10th year in a row – its chief operating officer had suggested that successful UK operations were helping to fund expansion overseas.
A year later little had improved in Starbucks’ health as far as its UK profits were concerned, yet its CEO was telling analysts that its UK subsidiary was an example of how the company should be running its business in the US.
The Chancellor's Autumn Statement will be delivered today
He barks at corporate tax avoiders in the Budget and conference speeches, only to do virtually nothing
How could the company be a roaring success and yet be making losses at the same time? It is all thanks to the ability of multinational companies like Starbucks to shift their profits around the globe.
There is no suggestion that Starbucks has done anything illegal, yet its accounting methods seem a little contrived. Starbucks UK pays six per cent of its income to its notional parent company in Amsterdam.
It imports its coffee beans via a subsidiary in Switzerland – not the world’s most noted coffee producer. Some of its UK income, in other words, is exported, transferring tax liability on the money to countries which – in the case of Switzerland – have a more favourable corporation tax regime.
The European Commission is investigating what arrangements the Dutch company has with the tax authorities there.
It is similar to the devices used by Amazon which channels its UK sales through Luxembourg – with the result that in 2011 it paid only £1.8million in tax, in spite of selling £3.35billion worth of books and other goods.
Google channels UK sales via Ireland, where corporation tax is 12.5 per cent, which helped it reduce UK tax in 2011 to £6million on sales of £395million.
It is a poor reflection on the EU that its business regulations, so petty in many respects, have allowed two member states to be used as tax havens.
It is especially galling that Ireland is effectively allowed to poach our tax revenues when it has been bailed out by other EU member states. As for Luxembourg, it says much that the prime minister when many of these arrangements were made, Jean-Claude Juncker, is now president of the European Commission.
Don’t expect too much action on tax avoidance from him. But George Osborne comes in for little credit, too. Every year he barks at corporate tax avoiders in the Budget and conference speeches – only to do virtually nothing.
Starbucks was allowed to deflect attention from its tax arrangements by offering to pay £20million to HMRC – money it insisted was a voluntary donation. How very kind of it. Sceptics, however, might wonder why the Chancellor does not tackle corporate tax avoidance head-on.
If multinationals are exporting profits by making huge brand name royalties to subsidiaries, why doesn’t he levy a retrospective tax on brand name royalty payments? Or why not a levy on coffee bean imports from Switzerland?
Alternatively he could change the way that multinational corporations pay their tax? Why not give HMRC the power, if tax avoidance is suspected, to levy a turnover tax rather than a corporation tax on profits?
Ministers have shown a craven attitude to big business. It only takes a vague threat from a big corporation to leave Britain for the Government to roll over and grant them their every wish. Yet the threat to leave Britain is always a ruse, such as when the banks claimed they would leave if they were not allowed to pay fat bonuses to staff.
They lost that battle yet they are still in London. The truth is that Starbucks needs us more than we need it. If it were to disappear from the High Street we would hardly notice: there are plenty of other coffee shops to go to.
Starbucks won’t find much of a market, though, if it were reduced to operating only in Switzerland and other tax havens. Last year David Cameron warned corporate tax avoiders to “wake up and smell the coffee”.
By this year’s Tory conference, though, it was him literally smelling the coffee, buying a cappuccino at Starbucks’ conference stand. Perhaps he or the Chancellor would now like to tell us what they are going to do about corporate tax avoidance


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Posted 7:43 PM 5/23/2013 by Connie Murphy
Blake Shelton has a date and location for his benefit and fellow Oklahoman Carrie Underwood is writing a large check to help benefit those affected by this week's storms in their home state.
Organizers say Shelton's "Healing in the Heartland" benefit concert will be held May 29 at (More)
Posted 6:56 PM 5/23/2013 by Connie Murphy
PHOENIX (AP) - The judge in the Jodi Arias murder trial in Phoenix has declared a mistrial in the penalty phase.
The jury reported for a second time that it was deadlocked on whether to sentence Arias to life in prison or death for killing her boyfriend in 2008.
The judge scheduled a retrial for July 18. A new panel likely will be seated to try again to reach a decision on a sentence unless the prosecutor takes death off the table and agrees to a life sentence.
Posted 6:38 PM 5/23/2013 by Connie Murphy
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Consumers will soon see labels on their meat telling them where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has required country of origin labels on seafood since 2005, and meat and other products since 2009. But the (More)
Posted 6:17 PM 5/23/2013 by Connie Murphy
NEW YORK (AP) -- Twitter is adding an extra security measure to users' accounts in an effort to prevent unauthorized logins.
Twitter said in a blog post Wednesday that users will be able to enroll in a login verification program. For those who sign up, Twitter will send a six-digit code (More)
Posted 6:01 PM 5/23/2013 by Connie Murphy
NEW YORK (AP) - For decades, people have been getting rid of cockroaches by setting out bait mixed with poison. But in the late 1980s, in an apartment test kitchen in Florida, something went very wrong.
A killer product stopped working. Cockroach populations there kept rising. Mystified (More)
Posted 4:20 PM 5/23/2013 by Patricia Collier
GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) - The Boy Scouts of America's National Council has voted to ease a long-standing ban and allow openly gay boys to be accepted as Scouts.Of the local Scout leaders voting at their annual meeting in Texas, more than 60 percent supported the proposal.Under the (More)
Posted 3:30 PM 5/23/2013 by Tony Spehar
NEW YORK (AP) - McDonald's once again faced criticism that it's a purveyor of junk food that markets to children at its annual shareholder meeting Thursday.The world's biggest hamburger chain has been looking to keep up with changing tastes as people increasingly opt for foods they (More)
Posted 2:39 PM 5/23/2013 by Jesse Cohen
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The eastern New Mexico peanut butter plant shuttered eight months ago after a salmonella outbreak is back in production, and company officials say their coveted natural and organic butters could be back on store shelves within a month. Sunland Inc. Vice (More)
Posted 2:34 PM 5/23/2013 by Jesse Cohen
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire soon could join 18 other states and the District of Columbia in allowing seriously ill people to use marijuana to treat their conditions. The state Senate voted 18-6 Thursday to pass a bill legalizing marijuana use and possession by patients with (More)
Posted 2:30 PM 5/23/2013 by Tony Spehar
DENVER (AP) - Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is challenging the part of the federal health care law that requires for-profit companies to offer employees health coverage that includes products the business owners find morally objectionable, such as certain types of contraception.The (More)


text: Nashville, Tenn. – Nashville Electric Service (NES) is warning customers to be on guard for scammers, presenting themselves as NES employees asking for personal information. Scammers are telling customers to make a payment or their service will be disconnected. The scammer then demands that customers pay by providing personal information, such as credit card and checking account numbers, over the phone. NES has received several reports from business and residential customers who have been targeted by this scam, said Teresa Corlew, NES VP & Chief Customer Care Officer. We urge our customers to be leery of anyone posing as an NES employee asking for personal information. The company reminds customers that NES employees always carry proper identification and never contact customers requesting personal information such as bank accounts or to collect payment. Also, field employees do not accept payments. Customers who have doubts about the legitimacy of any call should contact NES Customer Relations at (615) 736-6900. Nashville Electric Service is one of the 12 largest public electric utilities in the nation, distributing energy to more than 360,000 customers in Middle Tennessee. For more information about NES, visit www.nespower.com.


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After years in the brick business, Pamela Cook makes sure that no walls build up between her company and its customers over price issues.
That hasn't always been easy in recent years, as the traditionally stable price of brick has gone up as much as 20 percent. What previously were once-a-year price increases now often happen two or three times in the same year.
But Cook says she works hard to understand what her customers are going through and how to help them navigate higher product costs.
"I really feel bad for them, because they have to bid these jobs not knowing what prices are going to do," said Cook, who founded Cranberry-based PF Cook Brick Co. 11 years ago and serves as its president.
Her customer-friendly approach has helped PF Cook grow to roughly $5 million in annual revenue and eight employees.
"She's a client advocate," said Dan Cannon, a vice president for sales and marketing for Roswell, Ga.-based Boral Bricks Inc., Cook's largest supplier. "Every time I give her a price increase, her first question is how it's going to sit with her clients."
Cook helps her clients negotiate higher costs in a number of ways. Along with regular faxed updates, Cook helps clients plan and schedule the delivery and storage of new brick orders. She often offers to bring bricks to clients' job sites and allow their own staffs to unload them -- a simple tactic that can save roughly $25 to $40 per thousand bricks.
She also negotiates with suppliers on behalf of clients to get reduced prices for bricks that will be used for model homes. In exchange, the brick makers typically are given an opportunity to post marketing materials in the homes to better showcase their product.
Cook said she also sells bricks to clients at discounted prices, if they ordered the brick before a more recent price hike. It's a practice she's able to do because of the 3-million-brick capacity brickyard PF Cook moved to three years ago.
"When builders are doing a bid, often times it's a month or even a year before they actually build the house," said Cook. "They have to hold that bid for their customers no matter how much costs have increased."
Such measures send a clear message of loyalty to clients such as Angelo Spagnolo, a Wexford-based home builder and principal of Spagnolo Builders Inc.
Spagnolo said he didn't buy much brick from Cook until a few years ago, but he now buys close to 90 percent from her. For one, he knows PF Cook will hold orders at its brickyard until he needs it, making it easier to plan around price increases and control costs.
"Pam tells me she'd rather sit with the brick, rather than me waiting for them," Spagnolo said. He said Cook also will sometimes drive out-of-town customers around to show them houses built with bricks she supplies.
Strong demand has enabled Cook to manage her own growth, along with the growth of her clients, who have helped build such developments as The Waterfront and Summerset at Frick Park.
"We've established such a loyal network of customers that they've all had banner years themselves," she said.
PF Cook Brick Co.
Brick seller and distributor
Revenue: around $5 million
Contact (724) 538-8723


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GTA VI: Breaking New Ground
The Hype and Potential Success of GTA VI
The anticipation surrounding the release of GTA VI is unparalleled. Analysts predict that GTA VI could surpass the record-breaking launch of GTA 5, which sold over 185 million units across three platform generations. The game’s potential for success is underscored by the substantial financial goals set by Take-Two Interactive, with expectations of over $8 billion in net bookings and significant growth in fiscal 2025.
Insiders suggest that GTA VI will feature a Vice City-style Miami setting and a Latin female protagonist, indicating a fresh approach to the franchise while maintaining its signature crime game elements. Rockstar Games president Sam Houser’s confirmation of the trailer release, coupled with the hype surrounding the game, suggests that GTA VI is poised to become a monumental launch in gaming history.
GTA VI in the Current Gaming Landscape
The gaming landscape has evolved dramatically since the last GTA release. With the dominance of free-to-play (F2P) models and the prevalence of microtransactions, the industry has shifted towards a new monetization strategy. Microtransactions have become a significant revenue source, with recurrent consumer spending contributing up to 48% of Take-Two’s total yearly revenues.
GTA VI’s release amidst this landscape presents both opportunities and challenges. The game’s potential online mode, likely to feature microtransactions similar to GTA Online, could be crucial for its long-term financial success. This model has proven lucrative for Take-Two, with GTA Online raking in over $1 billion in microtransactions since its release. The integration of such a monetization strategy with GTA VI’s online mode could significantly impact how the game is received and how it competes with other big titles in the current gaming ecosystem.
Implications of GTA VI’s Release
The implications of GTA VI’s release extend beyond its financial success. It’s expected to influence future gaming trends and set new standards in the industry. The game’s development and marketing strategies could become benchmarks for other major releases. Additionally, its approach to integrating a robust online mode with a potentially evolving campaign map suggests a dynamic approach to game development that could shape future trends.
The transition of the player base from GTA V/Online to GTA VI will also be a critical factor to watch. The game’s ability to maintain its audience while introducing new elements and possibly shorter, more regularly updated content could redefine how blockbuster games are released and sustained over time.
Anyway.. ramble aside..
Grand Theft Auto VI stands at a unique intersection in gaming history. Its anticipated success, bolstered by immense hype and strategic development, could redefine the benchmarks for blockbuster game releases. At the same time, its integration within the current gaming landscape, characterized by microtransactions and evolving content, presents an opportunity for Rockstar Games to significantly influence future gaming trends. The implications of GTA VI’s release extend far beyond its financial success; it promises to be a watershed moment in the gaming industry, potentially shaping the development, marketing, and monetization strategies of future major titles.


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Inflation and rising bills mean UK households are spending 12% more on essentials than they were a year ago, with almost four in 10 people having to use credit cards to cover these costs, new data shows.
Two days after it emerged that the UK’s annual inflation rate unexpectedly jumped to 10.4% in February, Nationwide said its figures showed that consumers spent 34% more on utility bills and 17% more on mortgage payments last month than they did in February 2022.
The building society analysed 208m debit card, credit card and direct debit transactions made by its members in February, and said that despite the squeeze on finances, spending on some non-essential items such as holidays was continuing to grow, showing that people were looking to strike a balance between being careful and occasionally treating themselves.
However, the building society found that 38% of people had had to use credit cards to pay for essential items such as food, drink, public transport and childcare over the last six months to tide them over until their next payday or benefits payment.
The consumer prices index rose by 10.4% in the 12 months to February 2023, up from 10.1% in January, with prices driven higher by a rise in the cost of drinks, meals out and fresh food. That in turn contributed to the Bank of England’s decision on Thursday to lift interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.25%.
Nationwide’s analysis of its members’ finances showed that all but one essential spending category – car finance – had experienced annual growth.
Spending on utility bills, such as energy, was up by a third compared with a year earlier, while supermarket spending was up 14%. This mirrors a 14% rise in transactions, showing that despite food and drink prices rising, people are also making more trips. The amount spent on essential travel was 16% higher than a year ago.
The government last week announced a package of state help towards childcare costs faced by parents, and the Nationwide data showed that spending on childcare and education was up 6% year on year.
There was growth in most of the “non-essential” spending categories. Holiday and airline travel spending were significantly higher than in February last year – up 19% and 34% respectively – as people decided to prioritise taking trips now or booking a getaway for later in the year.
Many consumers have clearly also decided they are not going to give up on socialising with family and friends or treating themselves to an occasional meal out or pub visit. Both the amount spent on eating and drinking out and the number of these transactions were up 11% on last year.
Meanwhile, spending on subscriptions such as Netflix and Amazon Prime was down. The total amount that Nationwide customers handed over for these was down by 3% compared with 12 months earlier.
Mark Nalder, Nationwide’s payments strategy and performance director, said that “despite rising costs, households are clearly looking to strike the balance between being fiscally responsible and still being able to spend money on themselves”.


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The drive-thru coffee chain remains committed to its longer-term goal of reaching 1,000 US stores in the first half of 2025, despite rapid outlet growth hindering profitability
Dutch Bros now operates 800 outlets across 14 US states | Photo credit: Dutch Bros
Oregon-based Dutch Bros has reached 800 outlets across the US with a new store in Surprise, Arizona.
The drive-thru chain set a goal in 2018, when it had approximately 300 stores across seven states, to reach 800 outlets by the end of 2023. It now has sites across 14 US states.
Dutch Bros has longer-term ambitions to operate 4,000 stores, with plans to reach 1,000 stores by the first half of 2025.
While it continues to post strong revenues, with sales rising 34% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2023 to reach $250m, the coffee chain’s rapid expansion has inhibited profitability.
In September 2023, Dutch Bros announced a public offering of its stock to raise $300m, more than $200m of which it will use to repay outstanding debt. The remainder will go towards ‘working capital and general corporate purposes’, according to an SEC filing.
Dutch Bros forecasts full-year revenues reaching between $950m-$1bn — which, if achieved, would represent a 28%-35% increase on its full-year 2022 sales.
The drive-thru coffee chain’s outlet and sales growth will soon be overseen by President Christine Barone, who will assume the role of CEO from Joth Ricci from 1 January 2024.
Dutch Bros is the fourth largest branded coffee chain in the US, behind Starbucks, Dunkin’ and Panera Bread, which have 16,144, 9,434 and 2,151 stores respectively.
World Coffee Portal research shows the total branded US coffee shop market grew by 1,552 outlets in the last 12 months to reach more than 40,000 outlets.
Further outlet growth is forecast, with the market expected to surpass 41,300 outlets next year and exceed 45,200 outlets in 2028.


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One of the industry’s leading manufacturers of pump motors and heating equipment just got larger.
In July, A.O. Smith Corp. agreed to purchase Lochinvar Corp., a Lebanon, Tenn., manufacturer of high-efficiency boilers and heaters for a variety of residential and commercial applications.
“The addition of Lochinvar expands our product offerings and gives us access to proven technology,” said Ajita G. Rajendra, president of A.O. Smith Water Products Co. “We expect high-efficiency boiler products to continue to grow at an accelerated rate for the foreseeable future.”
A.O. Smith agreed to pay $418 million for Lochinvar in a transaction expected to close in the third quarter of this year. While the deal is an asset-only purchase, the company will continue to honor Lochinvar’s existing warranties, according to Mark Petrarca, senior vice president of human resources and public affairs at A.O. Smith Corp. in Milwaukee, Wis.
Leadership at Lochinvar is expected to remain in place as well.
“The Vallet brothers, who are currently running [Lochinvar], are outstanding businessmen,” Petrarca said. “We’re pleased that they’re going to stick with us after the close.”
Manufacturing arrangements are set to remain equally unchanged. Currently, Lochinvar has a 100,000-square-foot warehouse in Lebanon, along with sites in Orlando, Dallas, Phoenix and several other markets.
Petrarca also notes that Lochinvar’s heating advancements could provide an ideal complement to A.O. Smith’s latest heat pump developments. “There may potentially be opportunities to couple our heat pump technology with their pool heater technology, to make a more efficient pool heater,” he said.
In December 2010, A.O. Smith had announced it was being sold to Regal Beloit Corp. That process is still under review by the Department of Justice, but is not expected to have any direct impact on the acquisition of Lochinvar.


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The game, which was released on May 15, has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide so far, and these figures don't include the Japanese market, since the game is launching there today. When the final installment of the film's trilogy coming out this Fall, Bonnell believes the game's sales will get another jolt.
North America has accounted for 60 percent of the game's sales, with Europe accounting for the remainder. In the US, the 50% of its sales came from the PS2, 25% from XBox, 10% from GameCube and 15% from PCs.
Bonnell also confirmed the company's target for revenue of 880 million euros for the current fiscal year, and said that the company has decided to delay the release of other games to space out their release schedules and balance the company's revenue over the remainder of the fiscal year.


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FootJoy has a long history of being on the feet of the champion at many an iconic golfing moment and 2013 is certainly proving to be a major success for many of its brand ambassadors. With the most expansive product-line on the market, FJ has already experienced wins across five footwear categories on the PGA and European Tours this season. Highlighting the excellence and breadth of its offering and spearheaded by Adam Scott’s emotional first Major victory at The Masters® in FJ Sport™, FootJoy remains the overriding footwear brand of choice amongst the highest echelons of the game.
In the wake of Billy Horschel’s maiden tour win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, wearing his wingtip FJ ICON™ MyJoys, the market-leading brand can now lay claim to being on top of the winner’s rostrum an impressive seven occasions so far on the PGA Tour. The undoubted highlight being Adam Scott’s playoff victory
over fellow FJ ambassador Angel Cabrera
(FJ ICON) to capture the famed Green Jacket wearing his favourite FJ Sport shoes. Of the seven winners, FJ ICON has amassed five victories through Brian Gay at the Humana Challenge, John Merrick at the Northern Trust Open, Michael Thompson at the Honda
Classic, Kevin Streelman at the Tampa Bay Championship
and Horschel in New Orleans. Other winners include, D.A. Points relying on the unrivalled traction and platform stability of his XPS-1 shoe to capture his second tour title at the Shell Huston Open. The brand’s new M:PROJECT™ model, delivering Minimal Construction and Maximum feel, also claimed a first win at the Web.com Tour’s Chitimacha Louisiana Open.
On the European Tour, FJ loyalists have combined to walk away with nine footwear wins so far on the Race to Dubai calendar. In early January Louis Oosthuizen
(DryJoys Tour) kick-started a three-week run at the top the podium for three different FJ models. Jamie Donaldson (FJ ICON) outwitted one of the strongest fields of the season in Abu Dhabi the claim the famed Falcon trophy and Englishman, Chris Wood secured both his first victory on tour as well as a maiden win for the newly launched FJ Sport™ Spikeless golf shoes at the Qatar Masters. Inspired by their fellow FJ brand ambassadors and benefitting from the outstanding comfort, fit and performance that is present in all golf shoes that carry the famed FJ logo, others would follow in the footsteps of the early season triumphs. In addition to Donaldson, FJ ICON has propelled Thomas Aitken, the winner of the Trophée Hassan II and most recently, Brett Rumford to their respective titles.
“Having launched our most expansive footwear collection to date I am delighted to see that our tour ambassadors are using the superior comfort, fit and stability of our market-leading innovations as a springboard to success,” commented Russell Lawes, European Marketing Manager – FootJoy. “We firmly believe we have a shoe to suit the varying styles and swings of golfers of all abilities and this has been clearly demonstrated on the PGA and European Tour this season. To have five different product categories play a part in the 16 victories we have had this year shows the breadth of the FJ offering and cements our position as the #1 shoe of choice amongst professionals around the globe.”
The 2013 season, has also seen FootJoy continue to dominate the weekly usage counts across the worldwide tours. On the PGA Tour the company has experienced a 60% footwear presence amongst the field, whilst the shoe count amounts to 65.2% on the European Tour. Together these statistics reinforce the trust the game’s best players have in the Mark of a Player moto that FJ lives and breathes by.
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Tesla (TSLA) is currently seeing exceptionally strong demand for its vehicles as it is already sold out for the quarter, according to sources familiar with the matter.
During Tesla’s Q1 2021 earnings conference call, CEO Elon Musk commented on strong demand for the automaker:
“We’ve seen a real shift in customer perception of electric vehicles and our demand is the best we’ve ever seen. We’re used to seeing a reduction in demand in the first quarter and we saw an increase in demand that exceeded the normal seasonal reduction in demand in in Q1.”
This shift in demand is apparently extending into the second quarter.
Sources familiar with the matter told Electrek that Tesla communicated to employees that production capacity for the second quarter is already sold out with still almost two months left in the quarter.
That was to be expected for Model S and Model X with the new versions of these vehicles having production delays that are going to limit deliveries this quarter, but Model 3 and Model Y are still ramping up, and yet, they are sold out.
Now it’s about producing and delivering those vehicles to customers by the end of the quarter and building the backlog into Q3.
Tesla is expected to have a slightly higher production capacity this quarter versus the record production of 180,338 vehicles last quarter.
The restart of Model S production and an increase in Model Y production in Shanghai and Fremont are expected to be the biggest contributors.
It looks like Elon wasn’t kidding when he said that Tesla is seeing a “real shift in customer perception.”
Selling out the planned production capacity for the quarter, which is going to reach a new record, while not even being halfway through the quarter, is quite impressive.
However, Tesla didn’t share with employees the planned production capacity, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s over 200,000 vehicles this quarter, especially with the Model Y ramp-up in Shanghai that we have seen in March and a few new Model S vehicles in Fremont.
The strong demand also likely explain why Tesla is slowing down its referral program as we reported yesterday.
Tesla doesn’t have much incentive to promote sales at this time.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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BEIJING — China will continue to expand the broadband network, and increase Internet speed and coverage, giving more people access to fast and convenient connections, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on May 8.
According to a guideline on the special action of promoting broadband in China, issued by MIIT, over 600,000 new 4G network base stations will be built to give access to more townships and villages. More than 40 million households will have access to optical-fiber broadband Internet, and over 200 million mobile phone holders will become 4G network users by the end of this year.
About 60 million more people signed up to 4G accounts in the first quarter, meaning there are now 162 million people that use the service in China, according to government statistics.
The “Broadband China” strategy was first floated in August 2013, in an effort to boost information consumption, expand broadband coverage across the country, and the aim of offering broadband speeds of 4 megabytes per second (Mbps) to those in rural areas and 20 Mbps in urban areas by 2020.


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Uni Hill Taking on Public Safety
by: Australian Bollards on
After a brazen ram raid at the Uni Hill shopping centre late last year, Uni Hill have taken precautionary measures to prevent such instances from reoccurring.
Australian Bollards has provided and installed their high impact, energy absorbing bollards solution at Uni Hill in Bundoora to prevent any further incidents such as ram-raids or accidents.
The recent ram-raid at Uni Hill meant that the thieves were able to get away from the scene with over $30,000 worth of jewellery and dished out even more in damages to the centre.
What Purpose do bollards serve?
The high impact energy absorbing bollards are fitted with proprietary security interests which makes them extremely durable and resistant to hard knocks.
The high durability of the bollard means that it will act as a barrier against any hostile vehicle attacks.
Uni Hill shopping centre is a high foot traffic area with many shoppers and workers circling the premises. Therefore, Uni Hill have taken the initiative of protecting these patrons and keeping them safe in their retail journey.
When should bollards be installed?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to know when and if an incident is going to occur. Many times, they are completely accidental and have no planning behind them.
However, the installation of bollards is a fantastic precautionary measure to ensuring safety when and if an incident occurs.
How should you install bollards?
The team at Australian Bollards is proud to provide a full service to their clients. We can supply and install bollards, making it a simple and easy process; all you must do is wait for our trusted team to install the bollards and you’re done.
If you are interested in our safety measures, feel free to contact us on 9459 3488 or look at our website.


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It’s only a month or so since tissue processing and medical device company Cryolife coughed up $22M to acquire Cardiogenesis Corporation. Now the Atlanta based company has announced that it is to acquire Hemosphere Inc., manufacturer of the HeRO® Graft, considered to be Standard of Care in establishing permanent access for catheter dependent haemodialysis patients. The deal, which is worth $17M with a further $4.5M in potential milestone payments is expected to be finalised in May.
Steven G. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of CryoLife, said, “The acquisition of Hemosphere significantly advances our strategic initiative to reposition CryoLife’s product portfolio with higher growth, higher margin medical devices for cardiac and vascular surgery. We believe there is a significant opportunity for our sales team to leverage their strong relationships with vascular surgeons, many of whom already use our preserved human veins and arteries to provide arteriovenous (AV) access for ESRD patients, to introduce and to expand utilization of the HeRO Graft in the U.S. In addition, we believe that potential product enhancements and international sales represent incremental HeRO Graft growth opportunities.”
Source: Cryolife Inc


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Time Out Market's First Canadian Location Will Be Officially Open Next Month
It's a food lovers dream!
Foodies rejoice! Starting in November an all-new dining experience is opening in Montreal. The Time Out Market Montreal is the first of its kind in Canada. This market is the culinary experience you've been waiting for.
The massive food hall opening in Montreal is 40,000 square feet of top quality eateries with food from some of the best chefs in the city, open dining space and a retail area.
With locations all over the world, it's no surprise that this curated food hall concept is coming to Canada. Time Out Montreal will officially open its doors on November 14 at 8 a.m. in the city's downtown.
The market is taking a casual approach to dining so there will be no reservations and there will be only communal seating so anybody can sit anywhere they like.
"Time Out Market Montreal will bring a unique experience to the city—we can’t wait to open our doors on November 14 and welcome our guests. We came to this city with a mission to bring the best of the city under one roof," said Didier Souillat, Time Out Market CEO, in a news release.
The market will be on the second floor of the Eaton Centre mall and will feature 16 different restaurant spaces that will be occupied by some of Montreal's most acclaimed chefs. The 16 eateries will serve up amazing food options from pineapple-and-rum ribs to fried-pork-tenderloin sandwiches to Neapolitan-style pizza to ramen bowls to artisanal ice cream.
Time Out Market Montreal has you covered for every meal of the day and even late-night snacks on weekends. The market is open for breakfast every day though not every restaurant serves breakfast. You can get your early morning foodie fix at Olive et Gourmando and Hof SuCrée but all the other restaurants in the market open at 11 a.m.
Not only will you be able to buy great food from top restaurants at the market, but there will also be culinary classes, a demonstration kitchen, cultural experiences and a retail area.
Plus there will be three bars that serve wine, local beer and craft cocktails like a Sage Martini, an MN Mai Tai and La Nostalgie which is topped with kombucha foam.
"This will be a place where you get a true taste of the city. Every day of the week from morning to night you can choose from more than 100 fantastic dishes—each representing some of the best food Montreal has to offer. There really is something for everyone," said Souillat.
Along with being casual when it comes to seating, the prices will be affordable so you can have a great food experience that doesn't stress you out because of how much it cost.
The market will be open seven days a week. Mondays to Wednesdays, the hours are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and while the market also opens at 8 a.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, it's open late until midnight on both days. On Saturdays, the hours are 9 a.m. to midnight and on Sundays its 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The first Time Out Market opened in Lisbon in 2014 and more markets keep opening around the world. In May 2019, locations were opened in Miami and New York and a month later another one was opened in Boston.
After the Montreal location opens in November, it will be followed by markets in Chicago, London, Dubai and Prague.
Let's all hope that the Montreal location means that more Time Out Markets will open across Canada in the coming years.
Time Out Market Montreal
Address: 705 Saint-Catherine St W, Montréal QC H3B 4G5
Why You Need To Go: To enjoy curated meals from top chefs in the city at an affordable price


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Caitlyn Jenner Stocks Up on Groceries for the Week
Caitlyn Jenner brings her groceries to her car after shopping at Vintage Grocers on Sunday (November 6) in Malibu, Calif.
The 67-year-old reality star posted a sweet birthday message for her daughter Kendall Jenner over the weekend! Kendall turned 21 years old on November 3.
“School, track practice, cheerleading practice, all that carpool! Now my little girl is 21! Wow, so proud of you, happy birthday,” Caitlyn wrote on her Instagram account. Aw!
10+ pictures inside of Caitlyn Jenner doing some grocery shopping…


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Samsung has reportedly lowered its smartphone production for this year by 30 million, in the latest sign that wider economic issues are affecting the mobile industry.
A report by Korean publication Maeil Business News claims the company has reduced its orders from 280 million to 310 million, with the cutbacks affecting its entire portfolio.
This includes low-end models like the A series and its flagship handsets like the Galaxy S, Flip, and Fold ranges.
Samsung has been contacted by TechRadar Pro for comment.
If confirmed, the move to cut production at Samsung would provide the latest evidence of a potential slowdown.
Sales of smartphones slumped by 12.5% during 2020 as retailers closed their doors and consumers delayed purchases, while the reopening of marketplaces and the availability of 5G handsets at more price points contributed to a 6% increase in 2021.
> Global smartphone sales fall as component shortage bites (opens in new tab)
> Xiaomi phone sales trump Apple once again (opens in new tab)
> EU reveals billion-euro plan to help it tackle global chip shortage (opens in new tab)
However, ongoing challenges concerning component shortages, supply chain disruption and lockdowns in China have conspired to threaten any further growth.
These issues have been compounded by wider macroeconomic and geopolitical factors affected the global economy, with the mobile industry fearing that consumers might postpone or abandon smartphone purchases.
Last week, Qualcomm said it believed that the premium segment would be more immune to the challenges than the lower end of the market given typical buyers demand the latest technology. However, Apple, which only makes premium devices, has reportedly kept production flat at around 220 million for 2022.
There is some good news on the horizon, though. Industry observers believe the second half of 2022 will offer more favourable conditions to all manufacturers as the challenging conditions ease.
Via Maiel Business News (opens in new tab)


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LANDOWNERS have been asked to delay this years’ burnoff period to help protect the state’s valuable wine industry.
Tasmanians are being urged to speak to their vineyard neighbours ahead of any planned burn offs this year. The cooler seasonal conditions have delayed the ripening of this year’s vintage with harvests planned for two weeks later than normal.
This has come close to the traditional burn off period which sees the risk of smoke-tainted grapes. Wines that are made from grapes that have been exposed to smoke are at risk of being unpalatable and unsalable.
Primary Industries and Water Minister Jo Palmer says to protect the wine industry it is important for landowners to communicate with surrounding vineyards to eliminate risks.
“If we can just see that good neighbourly behaviour, where we are just letting them know this is what’s happening around you, that can make all the difference to them in a year.”
The wine industry contributes to the Tasmanian economy with more than $200 million worth of investment each year.
The owner of Marion’s Vineyard in the Tamar Valley and member of Wine Tasmania’s Technical Committee, Cynthea Semmens, is asking locals to use social media to find out when vineyards are still picking, and to hold off until the nets are off before they start burning.
“What is so beautiful about Tasmania is a slow ripening period giving great, intense flavour and the last thing we want is to have those beautiful varietal characters contaminated by smoke.”
Ms Semmens says that after Easter is a great time to get in touch with vineyards to make sure that all of their grapes are picked.
Ms Palmer says that through the Agricultural Innovation Fund, Wine Tasmania was given more than $217 000 last year to investigate the production of sparkling wine from smoke-affected grapes.
“Last year we also announced $100,000 in funding to support emergency smoke testing of wine grapes by producers to aid decision making.” This funding provides rebates of up to $1000 to cover the costs of rapid testing for smoke taint of wine grapes.
“The State Government will continue to work with winemakers and stakeholders to keep growing this Tasmanian success story.”
Landowners can learn more about how they can reduce the potential impacts of smoke taint by going to Wine Tasmania’s website and downloading the TasVine resource.


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Time Warner's Turner networks — including TNT and TBS — will be available in live streaming form on Hulu in early 2017, thanks to a $583 million deal between the two companies.
The deal gives Time Warner a 10 percent stake in Hulu, valuing the streaming service at about $5.8 billion. Though Hulu is mostly known as a home for on-demand content, the new deal will bring TNT, TBS, CNN, Turner Classic Movies, TruTV, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, and Boomerang live streams to the service.
Already stakeholders in Hulu are a number of major media companies: Disney, Fox, and Comcast. The addition of Turner networks will come alongside an "intuitive and personalized interface" that will offer both live and on-demand content across a range of devices — Â Hulu is available on both iOS and Apple TV.
"Our investment in Hulu underscores Time Warner's commitment to supporting and developing new platforms for the delivery of high-quality content and great consumer experiences to audiences around the globe," said Time Warner Chairman and Chief Executive Jeff Bewekes.
Pricing for the new live streaming channels remains unknown. Hulu currently charges $7.99 a month for content with limited commercials, or commercial-free access at $11.99 per month.
Hulu first confirmed back in May that it planned to launch a live TV streaming service in early 2017. With Wednesday's announcement, Time Warner's Turner networks are the first to sign on for that new service.
Rumors have suggested that both Disney and Fox could be on board as well, but no such announcements have been made.
Apple, meanwhile, has been working behind the scenes to create its own live TV subscription service, but it has failed to forge deals with content owners. Even Apple's closest media partner, Disney, is said to have balked when the company pitched an offer seen as lowballing.
This week, Time Warner's CEO also talked about rumors of a potential takeover by Apple, but dismissed those claims as not "serious." Bewkes said that talks between Time Warner and Apple were mostly about technology and user interface improvements.


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Veriff will offer its biometric identity verification (IDV) services to Twisto, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) business. The partnership will enable Twisto to expedite the IDV process for its customers, while also ensuring compliance with know your customer (KYC) regulations.
Following the start of the collaboration, Veriff’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered biometric identity verification technology will be available directly through Twisto’s platform.
“The BNPL payments market is highly regulated, and as a business, in this space, we need to ensure that we comply with KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations which require us to verify the identity of our customers,” said Twisto Head of Product, Pavel Prucek.
Since integrating Veriff’s selfie-powered technology, Twisto has reportedly experienced a customer conversion rate increase of almost 15 percentage points.
“The biggest challenge we faced was balancing the tradeoff between the customer friction and the reliability of data we gather in the IDV process. Veriff enables a seamless and quick IDV flow that also provides the customer data and information we need to ensure compliance.”
Twisto also said its BNPL platform has also almost fully eliminated verification application returns due to Veriff’s streamlined IDV process and ability to flag low-quality or incomplete pictures submitted during the verification process.
‘Buy now, pay later’ fraud on the rise
The partnership between Veriff and Twisto comes at a time of increased fraud attempts against BNPL infrastructures.
An analysis published on TotalRetail suggests that while BNPL tools are an efficient way to shop and pay for services, they also create an avenue for fraudsters to explore new types of scams.
“Fraudsters are now trying to exploit the fact that they can walk away with goods at either a fraction of the retail price or in some cases at zero cost,” wrote Maanas Godugunur, director of fraud and identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions in the TotalRetail article.
According to the identity expert, the best way for businesses to protect themselves from such scams is to deploy efficient KYC tools.
“Businesses prioritizing identity trust tend to experience less fraud. A dynamic, multilayered fraud defense creates a significant deterrent for cybercriminals,” Godugunur wrote.
Still, the identity expert says there’s no such thing as zero risk in terms of fraud, and that the new BNPL trend is one of the many examples of how quickly criminals can adapt to new technologies.
“The businesses that succeed and thrive in the midst of this uncertainty and risk surrounding BNPL will be those that shore up their fraud defenses without unnecessarily impacting customer experience,” Godugunur said.
“This means having the ability to track current and evolving consumer behavior across the online customer journey and using intelligence from every interaction to better identify, model, and predict future trust and risk.”
BNPL becomes more common in Nigeria
A new investigation by Rest Of World is suggesting many BNPL startups in Nigeria are investing substantially in solving problems connected with weak ID verification and limited consumer credit records.
CDcare and M-Kopa are only two of the companies operating in the country that offer short-term lending to consumers, particularly for consumer technology products such as smartphones, laptops, and household appliances.
According to Rest Of World, only 2 percent of the 106 million adult population in Nigeria have access to bank credit, so BNPL is a rising and very real alternative.
“However, many remain skeptical about the prospects of the market, particularly with regard to loan recovery,” reads the research article.
“And others doubt local companies will be able to replicate the scale and success of international firms like Affirm and Klarna without enduring some serious credit risks in a low-income country with limited credit information.”
The new payment trend comes amid a wave of digitalization of national infrastructure in Nigeria. Weeks ago, Nigeria’s Minister of Communication and Digital Economy confirmed the country’s digital ID registry should be complete by 2025.
More recently, a Federal High Court in the country announced biometric voter registration is continuing beyond the originally proposed deadline of 30 June.


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Samsung Electronics is expected to partner with Tesla to use the company’s 7-nanometer chips in the automaker’s HW 4.0 self-driving system and next generation of self-driving cars.
Tesla and Samsung’s foundry division have been working together on the design and samples of the chip since the start of this year. While Tesla has an in-house chip design team, it has decided to outsource the HW 4.0 self-driving chip to Samsung, in a win for the Korean chip manufacturer.
Tesla has been reported to be in earlier discussions with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry, on the chip for the HW 4.0 self-driving system.
According to the Korea Economic Daily, negotiations between Samsung and Tesla are now close to completion and Samsung is expected to beat TSMC to win the project.
Samsung plans to mass produce the HW 4.0 chip at its Hwasung plant at the end of this year.
In the first half of 2021, Samsung is currently second in the global semiconductor contract manufacturing market with 17.3% market share, behind TSMC which has 52.9%.
FSD Computer is safer than humans, claims Tesla
Tesla is purported to produce 1.3 million self-driving cars by next year. The automaker had faced delays and had to upgrade the hardware suite twice. The company recently added its latest hardware version, the FSD Computer, consisting of a homegrown chip design also produced by Samsung.
Tesla’s Cybertruck is expected to be launched in 2022
HW 4.0, dubbed the FSD Computer 2, is a successor to the HW 3.0 chip currently used in Tesla’s vehicles.
Tesla's Hardware 4 computer is expected to be released in about a year, CEO Elon Musk said to the public during the company's recent AI Day in August. The new chip is linked to the much anticipated launch of Tesla’s Cybertruck.
Tesla expects this hardware version to reach full self-driving capabilities.
Musk said he was confident the FSD Computer can enable drivers to achieve full self-driving “at a safety level much greater than a human, probably at least 200-300% better than a human.”


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Kindred’s Trannel subsidiary says it will appeal the decision.
Norway.- Kindred Group’s Trannel subsidiary has lost its lawsuit against Norway. The operator had lodged the case after losing an appeal against a cease and desist order issued by Norway’s gambling regulator. Oslo District Court has ruled against Trannel, but the operator says it will appeal.
Trannel, which runs Unibet, does not have a licence to offer gambling in Norway due to the country’s state monopoly on gaming. However, it argues that the Norwegian model is contrary to international laws.
The Norwegian regulator Lotteritilsynet had ordered Trannel to stop offering gaming to Norwegian players back in April 2019. It said the operator would be fined NOK 1.2m (€118,700) per day if it disobeyed the order. After Trannel’s appeal failed, it lodged a legal case against the Norwegian state. That’s now also failed, but Kindred plans to appeal.
It said: “We take note that the Oslo District Court has not accepted our arguments that there is a lack of legal basis for the cease and desist order. We continue to dispute and will appeal as we seek to deliver a free, open, competitive and safe gambling environment in Norway.
“We continue to believe that a transparent and objective licensing regime is the only way to obtain a well-functioning gambling market that balances consumer entertainment and consumer protection. We will continue to work towards this goal.”
Atle Hamar, director general of Lotteritilsynet, said: “The verdict confirms that the authority’s decision to stop the illegal gambling offer was correct. We now expect Trannel to withdraw from the Norwegian market.”
Kindred takes “difficult decision” to leave German igaming market
Kindred Group has announced that it will withdraw its Unibet brand from the German market due to slow progress with licensing and the tight restrictions in the regulated market. It has withdrawn its sportsbook and online slots licence applications and will halt operations in the country from July 1.
New players can no longer register on Unibet’s German site and deposits have been blocked. The site will remain open for existing players to bet and withdraw funds until June 30.
Meanwhile, Unibet has sealed a sponsorship arrangement with AFC Ajax after gaining a Dutch online gambling licence. The multi-year deal will see Unibet become an official partner of Ajax for a range of joint marketing and promotional initiatives.


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Accorhotels has signed an agreement to acquire Movenpick Hotels and Resorts, adding the Swiss company’s 84 hotels to its portfolio.
The French hotel group announced the acquisition today, for a cash amount of 560 million Swiss francs (US$567 million). Along with Movenpick’s existing properties, the acquisition also includes its pipeline of 42 new properties – many of which are located in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa – that it plans to open by 2021.
“With the acquisition of Movenpick, we are consolidating our leadership in the European market and are further accelerating our growth in emerging markets, in particular in Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific,” said Sebastien Bazin, Accorhotels CEO.
“By joining the Group, it will benefit from Accorhotels’ power, particularly in terms of distribution, loyalty-building and development. This transaction illustrates the strategy we intend to pursue with the opening up of Accorinvest’s capital: to seize tactical opportunities to strengthen our positions and consolidate our leaderships, as well as leverage our growth.”
Details of these benefits, such as integration with Accorhotels’ loyalty scheme, have yet to be announced, though the company has stated the transaction should be completed during the second half of 2018, subject to regulatory approvals.
Accorhotels has been significantly expanding its portfolio through acquisitions over the past few years, notable with the addition of Australian-based Mantra Group last year and FRHI Hotels and Resorts – which includes the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissotel brands – in 2016.
But the French company is not alone in this regard. Last month, Marriott International announced plans for its new integrated loyalty programme following its merger with Starwood Hotels and Resorts in 2016.


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The retail group has appointed 3sixteen to create a national TV campaign that will communicate its “Making a Difference Locally” message to consumers. It also wants to encourage other independent retailers to join the Nisa retail group.
John Heagney, Nisa Today’s group symbol director, says that by entering the convenience market, the multiples have forced the sector to raise its game by improving standards and the shopping experience.
“This is a massive increase in marketing investment. It’s the biggest thing we’ve ever done and it’s the start of something that we’ll build on. We want to continue the 20% annual growth we’ve reported for the past five years,” says Heagney.
The TV campaign launches on 27 December to build brand awareness and communicate its “aggressive promotional activity” positioning Nisa as “a haven for top-up shoppers over the festive period”.
The group relaunched its corporate brand identity last year and is in the process of rolling out the new look to its stores.
Nisa is also rolling out a fleet of 500 trucks with new branding on the livery, which Heagney says will act as “portable billboards” communicating the brand around the country.
The group plans to add 300 stores to its portfolio by 2012.


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"The new mPOS Cashier System's direct payment with Bank integration solution implemented by Karma Technology and OMA
Emirates is based on our distinct needs to continuously bring innovation within our stores and have met all the aspects of integration, battery life, device portability, security and aesthetics.
Samsung included a fix addressing this phishing flow in their Security Maintenance Release for May (SVE-2019-14073), LG released their fix in July (LVE-SMP-190006), and Huawei is planning to include UI fixes for OMA
CP in the next generation of Mate series or P series smartphones.
's new ad program with CCA will achieve a goal of providing an aesthetically pleasing environment that reflects contemporary advertising and optimizes space for marketing effectiveness and revenue generation.
Brief scores: Atlas Foundation beat OMA
Emirates by 4 wickets.
Niranj Sangal, group CEO, OMA
Emirates, says, "Tapping into the market opportunities and identifying the potential, we have consolidated our business into a single unit.
Living was conceptualized with the ambition of bringing refined living to discerning Indian customers who deeply desire and aspire to bring timeless beauty to their homes.
has delivered more than 200 technical specifications since 2002, enabling interoperability across geographies and network technologies in the mobile wireless and IoT markets.
Comment: Deal forms OMA
SpecWorks, a joint organisation to focus on development of mobile and IoT standards
The association with OMA
Emirates now as a business investor provides us greater prospects to larger markets as well as financial backing to continue our efforts in our RnD department," said, El Habib Alouah, Managing Director, North Africa
He also said that the OMA
seeks to achieve its goals in cooperation with government health institutions and achieving various cooperation aspects among government health sectors in all fields.
Lauzier has been a valued member of the OMA
, making a significant contribution as chair of the Mine Managers' Committee.
Emirates, a solution provider of technology for the payment industry has announced the company's launch of end-to-end OMA
Managed Services for banks.


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Chinese EV startup Byton has signed a manufacturing deal with iPhone-maker Foxconn, which according to Bloomberg could be worth around $200 million. In exchange, Foxconn — which has been eager to get into electric vehicles — will provide Byton with “advanced manufacturing technology, operation management expertise and supply chain resources.” The two will apparently work together to get Byton’s M-Byte electric SUV across the finish line into production for the Chinese market in 2022.
The deal comes at a time when Byton is truly struggling. The startup suspended operations last year amid a cash crunch that was exacerbated by the pandemic and is now extending that suspension until June 2021, according to Bloomberg and local Chinese media reports. It has also largely abandoned Silicon Valley, laying off hundreds of employees there who had been working on R&D and marketing. Byton is now ostensibly being folded into the larger corporate structure at First Auto Works (FAW), China’s original state-owned automaker and a major backer of the startup — something co-founder and former CEO Carsten Breitfeld once warned would happen.
Foxconn has tried for a while to break into electric vehicles
Foxconn’s involvement could be part of that restructuring effort, though the Taiwanese electronics supplier has been interested in Byton for a while. Foxconn in fact helped Byton get off the ground in 2016 when it worked with Tencent to create a company called Future Mobility Corporation that was intended to make electric vehicles, and Future Mobility Corporation eventually turned into Byton. But despite reports that the two tech giants invested in the startup, they never actually put money into the venture and instead left it to find its own funding.
That said, Foxconn has been trying to find a way into the budding electric vehicle space. The electronics giant announced its own electric vehicle platform in October. Foxconn also said in January 2020 that it was working with Fiat Chrysler on electric vehicles, though neither company has issued any update on that project in the intervening year. A spokesperson for Fiat Chrysler, which is currently merging with France’s PSA Group, has repeatedly declined to comment on the status of the partnership over the last year, and Foxconn has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Foxconn could also presumably be interested in working on the tech inside Byton’s vehicles, like supplying components for the massive 48-inch screen that spans the M-Byte’s dashboard.
Byton first revealed a concept of its electric SUV at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. It announced the deal with FAW the following year and finished construction of a factory in Nanjing, China — something many of its peers have yet to achieve. But Byton simultaneously burned through the hundreds of millions of dollars it had raised along the way. It returned to CES in 2020 with a production-ready prototype and was still looking for new funding as the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Byton came out of CES having generated “very strong momentum” with investors, ranging from pension funds to major automakers, according to one former employee with knowledge of the company’s funding. But when the global economy stalled in response to the pandemic, “things started deteriorating pretty quickly.”
The startup had not built up the kind of cash reserves to withstand such an event, this person said, opting instead to plow pretty much all of its roughly $820 million of investments into developing the factory and getting the SUV ready for production while it looked for more funding. (This person said Byton made 200 pre-production prototypes by the time it shut down last June). Byton also took on a lot of debt, including to FAW, that ultimately put it in even greater peril. But lacking the funding to move forward, Byton’s factory — once seen as an asset — ultimately became “an albatross,” Michael Dunne, the head of Chinese automotive consulting group ZoZo Go, told The Verge last month.
Byton’s struggles hit a fever pitch just before a rush of new interest — and more importantly, cash — entered the electric vehicle space, lifting up startups with far less developed products. As as result, Byton’s dire financial situation seems to have inspired it to basically pull up its North American roots, letting hundreds of employees go across 2020. As The Verge first reported last month, Byton has even stopped paying its lawyers in a lawsuit against the company’s former CEO.


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First National Bank has launched its transactional banking application on Windows Phone 8-based smartphones. FNB customers with Windows Phone 8 smartphones and Windows 8 tablets can now make full use of banking services via the app, it said on Thursday.
“The FNB Banking App is now available across all the major operating systems, meaning that users of iPhones, iPads, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry smartphones and now Windows 8 smartphones and tablets now also have access to the FNB Banking App,” the bank said in a statement.
Earlier this week, FNB announced the addition of share investing with full trading functionality to the app, available in the latest version of the app for smartphones and tablets.
Rewards programme eBucks also became available in the app this week, allowing users to locate their nearest eBucks partner, view reward levels and account balances as well as discount levels.
The additional functionality also applies to RMB’s banking app, which is developed by the same team. — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media
- Screenshots and more on windowsphone.com


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American Chamber of Commerce in India
Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India
Interactive Panel Discussion on Digital Transformation– 13 January 2017
On 13th January AmCham Eeastern Region organized a panel discussion on digital transformation at the Hyatt Regency Kolkata. Ms. Amada Kidwai, Regional Director – Eastern Region, AmCham introduced the panelists. Mr. K.P. Sengupta, Chairman AmCham ER, gave the welcome address. Mr. Amit Malik, AmCham Executive Committee (EC) member gave the key note address and moderated the session. Mr. Joydeep Datta Gupta, AmCham EC member gave the concluding remarks and vote of thanks. The panelist were Dr. Prithwis Mukerjee, Ph. D Program Director of the Business Analytics Program at the Praxis Business School, Kolkata, Mr. VV Rajasekhar, Chief Information Officer ITC, Mr. Arindam Guha, Partner, Deloitte. Mr. Jonathan Ward, Principal Commercial Officer, Department of Commerce, U.S. Consulate, Kolkata, was a special invitee.
Mr. K.P. Sengupta, in his welcome remarks, said that being a chartered accountant by profession he had spent his life with digits rather than digitization. He said today when we send messages on WhatsApp or speak on Skype and post photos on Facebook, it is digitization at work. He said he was informed that between 1930 and 1950 some breakthrough innovations in mathematics and allied sciences had set the stage for digitization, as we know it today. In India, the Aadhar card and the move towards “less cash society” has opened a huge potential for digitization. He said that the days are not far when the real and virtual worlds will blend seamlessly and we will be able to speak on skype with the holographic presence of the person we are speaking with.
The keynote address was given by Mr. Amit Malik. He said that the future is here and the future is digital. The future is already disrupting the present and anything and everything today is digital. From the clothes we wear to the shoes and even a tennis racquet today comes with a sensor. Digitization is fundamentally transforming businesses in every industry. Digital advances are often causing new creative product and service opportunities and more efficient ways of doing business, the likes of which have never been seen before.
But what really is digital transformation? There are numerous definitions but ideally digital transformation is about outcomes and should essentially lead to the following:
Building personalized and new customer experiences
Transforming existing process through innovative business models
Empowering workforce for innovation
It is imperative for organizations to embrace the digital journey or get disrupted. To achieve this transformation:
Lead from the top down: To capture the full return on investment in digital transformation, organizational changes must be driven by the executive leadership team and board.
Create the workforce of the future: Critical foundational elements of digital business transformation, including analytics and security, will require a next-generation workforce that is digitally savvy, creative, and accustomed to constant change.
Merge business processes and technology: By knocking down silos and bringing together IT and OT, organizations can drive real-time agility and deliver new levels of business and operational opportunities
Ideate and innovate fast: Agile IT, automated business processes, enhanced collaboration and decision-making, real-time insight — all of these factors combine to create fast innovation
Cultivate the partner ecosystem: In the hyper connected world no single organization will thrive by itself. Organizations will need to rethink their partner ecosystems as they seek unique value that will create new disruption.
Digital transformation is not a luxury; it is a necessity. With its rapid evolution, the next wave of the internet is changing everything. All organizations must evolve and innovate at that same blistering pace. That is, if they want to survive and thrive in an environment of near-constant change and disruption — as they capture the abundant opportunities available to the fast movers of the digital economy.
Dr. Prithwas Mukherjee, spoke about digital transformation in terms of e-commerce, e-wallets or even robots. He said the internet of things could be a little dated, if not actually naive! What awaits is a tidal wave, a veritable tsunami, of artificial intelligence — forged on the anvil of machine learning algorithms and then polished by training on terrabytes, actually zetta and yottabytes, of digital data – this he said will propel society through a technological singularity where biological intelligence will become secondary to the non-biological, or digital variety. This will result in situations that mankind has never encountered before, for example, where there is enough money in the economy but no need for employees because all jobs can be done better and cheaper by robots. The first outlines of such a society are already emerging — as facts from fiction — in a few countries where social security systems are morphing into a new avatar called universal basic income.
Mr. Arindam Guha said that India has taken significant strides in digital transformation in the recent past. Currently, over 900 million Indians have an Aadhar based digital identification number and the mobile phone penetration in the country is over 75%. The government has also taken up a number of initiatives like providing broadband connectivity to over 2 lakh panchayats in the country, online delivery of key public services etc., under its flagship Digital India program. He said however, significant ground still needs to be covered as far as digital transformation is concerned. India was ranked 138th out of 175 countries in the 2016 International Telecommunications Unit (ITU) ranking. The number of internet subscribers in China is double that of India as is the percentage of households owing a computer – internet bandwidth costs are also significantly lower. Out of the top 20 internet companies in the world, only a couple are from India, with the maximum number being from the U.S., followed by China and Japan. All this despite having an information technology (IT) services sector which is significantly larger than each of these countries.
Mr. VV Rajasekhar Chief Information Officer ITC, covered the corporate aspect of digitization and its impact on industry. Mr. Jonathan Ward Principal Commercial Officer, Department of Commerce, U.S. Consulate Kolkata updated members on the new U.S. Department of Commerce digital trade initiative.
The concluding remarks, and vote of thanks was given by Mr. Joydeep Datta Gupta. In his remarks, he said that from ancient times, mankind has kept inventing technology that leads to efficiency. Typically, there have been waves of automation followed by waves of addressing the consequent human displacement. Digital is no different. As robotics continue to develop, human beings will continue to re-focus on more intellectual activity and on different industries such as entertainment. He pointed out that the present wave of digital has led to a far greater focus on customer insights and customer engagement. For Digital India to succeed, policy and skill development would be critical.
By joining AMCHAM India, you become part of an active and dynamic Apex Chamber of U.S. Industry in India with a membership base of more than 400 American companies in India. AMCHAM is an important voice for policy advocacy, a critical source for business intelligence, a vibrant platform for networking and expanding your business.


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The CEO of games giant Ubisoft has revealed an interesting parallel in the company’s business models. Speaking at Gamescom this week, Yves Guillemot said that around 95% of players of the company’s boxed PC games are pirates. Equally, of all players of the company’s free-to-play games who can voluntarily part with cash to obtain a better experience, 95% choose not to pay a dime. Nevertheless, the latter model can be a great opportunity to beat piracy.
keyboard shortcuts: V vote up article J next comment K previous comment


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Nate SwannerFormer Reporter, TNW
TNW's former West Coast writer in the PNW (Portland, Oregon). Nate loves amplifying developers, and codes in Swift when he's not writing. If TNW's former West Coast writer in the PNW (Portland, Oregon). Nate loves amplifying developers, and codes in Swift when he's not writing. If you need to get in touch, Twitter is your best bet.
Late last week, a report indicated Google had scrapped a plan to create its own standalone VR headset. Now Engadget has thrown cold water on that, saying Google is indeed still working on its headset project.
Recode claimed Google’s X Lab was working on the headset at one point, but has moved away from working on that project. That report detailed a headset with an entirely new operating system, which could have been why the project ended.
With Daydream, Google has created a foundation for any OEM to get involved with VR, so a standalone OS and companion hardware — even if it’s open source — is counterintuitive to Daydream’s goal. Currently, any smartphone can end up as a VR device, or companies can create their own standalone hardware and enjoy Daydream compatible games.
Google has another device coming
With X Labs apparently losing steam on VR, the latest report notes that Google is still focused on a standalone VR headset — it’s just not married to a proprietary or different operating system.
Daydream is billed as a stepping stone toward this alleged headset, with the company “actively assigning” various Googlers to work on it.
The hardware sounds a lot like something we’d previously reported on — which all dances around the possibility that it could be a Tango tablet strapped to your face. It’s ‘high end,’ has a screen and a forward-facing camera and mixes ‘augmented reality and virtual reality.’ This device was also rumored to debut ahead of I/O, though that never happened.
The long game is still being played
There’s also reason to believe Google’s flashy purchase of Magic Leap has a heavy hand in all of this. We’ve consistently been promised big things from the company, and have been teased by various images and video snippets, but have yet to experience anything notable.
Like Apple appears to be doing, Google could just be stacking its deck in preparation for a huge VR unveiling for next year or beyond. VR is here, but it’s not part of everyday life — not by a long shot.
But once the big players get involved, it will be.
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- LG Chem Ltd. will spend $8.7 billion through 2025 to accelerate sustainable growth in its battery materials operations and other business lines.
- European stocks headed lower as consumer price data from the U.K. added more fuel to the raging debate over inflation concerns.
- Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said that #crypto currencies are unlikely to become a mainstream part of the U.S. payments system but stablecoins might be, adding that more regulations are needed.
15 يوليو 2021
European stocks head lower as more price data adds fuel to inflation fears.


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Singapore – On Mar 29 (Fri), Singapore got its first whiff of lab-grown shrimp dumplings which tasted like real “siew mai”.
Shiok Meats, Singapore’s first cell-based seafood company that works on lab-growing seafood and meats using cellular agriculture, launched its lab-produced shrimp dumplings at the second annual Disruption in Food and Sustainability Summit (DFSS) held at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.
The eight siew mai dumplings took months and S$5,000 to create.
The three judges who had the honour of taste-testing this innovative dish were Elaine Siu, managing director of Good Food Institute APAC Elaine Siu, CEO of Monde Nissin Henry Soesanto and Director of Innovate360 John Cheng.
“The taste was really good, very promising,” said Mr Soesanto.
“It tastes like siew mai!” exclaimed Ms. Siu
The Shiok Shrimp Dumpling is the first product of the food tech start-up and from the looks of it, the dish has a bright future in store.
“Really “shiok”! Amazing taste opening new possibilities in sustainable meat in Singapore and the world,” said Mr Cheng.
Shiok Meats was established last August by two stem cell biologists Dr Sandhya Sriram and Dr Ling Ka Yi, and is the first cell-based seafood venture in Southeast Asia.
It is the goal of Shiok Meats to lab-grow seafood such as shrimp, lobster and crab meat instead of focusing on beef, pork, and chicken, because Sandhya shares that in Asia, “we eat a lot of seafood, and not many (competitor) companies were doing seafood.”
The company CEO adds, “And, Ka Yi and I were very fascinated about saving the ocean as individuals.”
The production process was a long and difficult one as the company had to research, and make the shrimp meat from scratch.
“There is no academic research out there so even figuring out which part of the animal is a good source for stem cells (was a challenge),” said Dr Sriram.
Furthermore, they had to choose shrimp that had been bred without antibiotics or hormones. This was difficult to find because, as Dr Sriram explains, “shrimp are grown in farms in dirty water and being injected with antibiotics and hormones to keep them clean and make them bigger.”
Shiok Meats aims to lower its cost of production by 100 times and replace farm-grown shrimp in supermarkets, hawker centres, and restaurants.


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Algonquin Books is launching a young reader program, focusing on YA and middle grade fiction. The Chapel Hill, N.C.-based publisher has hired Elise Howard to oversee the line. Howard arrives from HarperCollins where she spent the last 12 years, working on both the HarperTeen and Harper imprints as senior v-p and associate publisher of books for young readers at HarperCollins Children's Books.
Algonquin's new imprint is expected to launch by the end of 2012 with as many as six titles and Howard, who will be working out of the publisher's New York office, will start for the company in mid-November. At HarperCollins Howard worked on, among other titles, books by Chris Lynch, Rachel Vail and Neil Gaiman.


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Blog: US lacks bottle for craft soda revolution
Andy Morton | 17 October 2014
PepsiCo created a stir last week with the news it is testing a product called Caleb's Kola, with some in the media claiming it was the beginning of a new “craft soda” category.
An article in Business Week asked if products such as Caleb's, which is made from cane sugar and kola nut extract, could do for soft drinks what craft beer has down for the US brewing sector.
It's a nice thought. But, as the article points out, so much wishful thinking. The US's glittering craft beer reputation was built on the backs of hundreds of small-scale, quality-obsessed hobbyists who liked beer so much they wanted to make their own. Caleb's Kola is the pet project of an international conglomerate with a presence in almost every country in the world, and with enough money to buy all US craft brewers out a few times over.
So unless America's soda fans start turning their garages and laundry rooms into ad-hoc bottling plants, we are unlikely to witness a craft soda revolution any time soon.
For those people looking to the Red Planet as shining utopia away from all things earth, look away now....
Recent research by Euromonitor International into the health & wellness trend in soft drinks shows that the description of 'natural' is very much a self-governed practice: There is not yet any conclus...
Bacardi's 42 Below vodka brand has found a novel way to use the lemons left over from cocktail-making: Turn them into liquid soap....
Philadelphia’s soda tax came into force on Sunday, and is reportedly causing a stir in the city's check-out aisles....
Earlier this month, I was most-kindly invited by Accolade Wines to visit the Royal Albert Hall in London. The reason? They wanted to see a tennis great in action, and then give them a guided tour thro...
- Drinks industry's gender failure - Consumer Trends
- Has the politics of M&A changed? - Analysis
- Fruit-flavoured beer? Think of the kids - Comment
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- Gallo's vineyard footprint in California - The map
- Anheuser-Busch readies US executive switches
- Brexit paperwork offers alcohol smuggling opp's
- Asahi’s Peroni Ambra - NPD
- Irish whiskey hails bid to relax distillery sales
- Heineken snaps up Stellenbrau craft brewery
- Central and East Europe Report Package
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- Global vodka insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- The Next Seven Big Beverage Markets
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J.Crew presented their Fall 2012 Collection yesterday at the
Lincoln Center sending a slew of fashion industry insiders
crazy over the collection. Not only were the clothes beautiful,
but a shoe collaboration with Manolo Blahnik! I can’t wait to
get my hands on a pair of those classic suede pointed-toe
Fall 2012 marks J.Crew’s second season on the New York calendar — but the buzz surrounding the brand’s Fashion Week presentation is already on par with that of some of the city’s highest-end designers. This morning’s Lincoln Center presentation was not only elbows-in packed, it was also attended by some of the industry’s most-loved tastemakers. In the space of just a few minutes, we spotted Anna Dello Russo, Giovanna Battaglia, Joe Zee, and Derek Blasberg all making the rounds.
The fashion cred is well-deserved, especially this season. Newly-appointed head of women’s design Tom Mora has delved deep into the J.Crew archives and come back with some refreshing — and modern — takes on the classics. There were pencil skirts in high-gloss satin and python, crew necks in bold intarsia knits, and cropped trousers in patterned jacquard. A lovely botanical print added charm to silk pants and tops, while a tonal, colorblocked coat is sure to be a hit.
As if that weren’t enough, the brand has also collaborated with Manolo Blahnik on a series of BB pumps. The shoes will be sold online in several J.Crew-exclusive colors and patterns this Fall.