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Anita McLeod: National monument is already good for business
My husband and I feel blessed as we wake up each morning and see the beautiful Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. Las Cruces is truly a wonderful place to live and own a business.
This week, as we begin celebrating the first anniversary of the monument, it's a perfect time to take stock of its impact on local businesses that rely on tourism and outdoor recreation.
My husband and I own DreamCatcher Inn Bed & Breakfast de Las Cruces. It is a completely wheelchair friendly B&B set on 10 acres at the base of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. For the past 11 years, we have had visitors from all over the world stay at our B&B and enjoy the amazing hiking and all of the outdoor activities that are right at our back door. All of our visitors are awed by the beauty of our area, especially our Organ Mountains.
Since the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks became a designated national monument one year ago, we have seen a significant increase in business. When we have an increase, all of the area is impacted as our guests enjoy not only the opportunities of the monument, but also the restaurants, shopping, the many opportunities for entertainment in Las Cruces, as well as exploring the possibilities of relocation to the Las Cruces area.
I know for a fact that our story is not an isolated example. Just a few weeks ago, a survey of Las Cruces-area tourism and recreation-based businesses conducted by the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce showed that 65 percent of businesses surveyed have fielded questions from customers about the Organ Mountains-Deserts Peak National Monument.
In addition, this survey also showed that 32 percent of businesses surveyed use the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in their promotional and marketing materials and 20 percent of businesses surveyed have introduced new products or services directly related to the monument.
Clearly, the benefits to be derived from the new national monument have just begun to positively impact our community.
As a Las Cruces business owner, I believe it is incumbent upon me and my fellow business owners to make the most of what the monument has to offer. We need to look upon the monument as a gift and selling point to be used as we continue to market our entire region to visitors and people looking to come and build a life here.
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks tells our story — from ancient petroglyphs to the Camino Real to the Wild West to lunar-landing training areas — and now we need to tell the story of the monument to all who come here.
I can think of no better touchstone upon which we can build a unified community tourism and relocation marketing effort.
As the recent survey shows, doing this has started to yield positive results and will only continue to boost our community and small businesses as we and our children and grandchildren celebrate the second, fifth, 10th and 100th anniversaries of the monument into the future.
Anita L. McLeod is co-owner of DreamCatcher Inn Bed & Breakfast de Las Cruces.


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The total number of bitcoin (BTC) and crypto ATMs installed globally has increased to 38,597 as of Dec.30, an over 7k rise from the 32,627 crypto ATM installations recorded last year, according to Coin ATM Radar.
Bitcoin ATMs increase amid crippling bear markets
Despite the ongoing crypto winter, unfavourable market conditions, and Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX debacle, which wiped out countless bitcoin-linked businesses this year, the bitcoin ATM sector has continued to see significant adoption globally.
Per data available on Coin ATM Radar, the number of bitcoin ATMs installed across various jurisdictions around the world has reached the 38,597 mark as of Dec.30, a significant increase from the 32,627 crypto ATM installations recorded during the same period last year.
While the United States is often criticised for lacking regulatory clarity in its Web3 sector, the region currently occupies the frontline of bitcoin ATM adoption. The total number of crypto ATMs in the US stands at 33,549 as of Dec. 30, up from 28,492 during the same period a year ago.
Similarly, Canada is home to 2,559 crypto ATMs, and Europe boasts 1,502. Other jurisdictions, including Spain, Poland, Australia and Switzerland, have 226, 150, 218, and 145 crypto ATMs, respectively.
“None of the cryptoasset firms registered with us have been approved to offer crypto ATM services, meaning that any of them operating in the UK are doing so illegally, and consumers should not be using them.”UK FCA.
Last March, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom released a statement mandating all crypto ATM operators in the region to shutter operations due to a lack of proper regulatory licenses or approval.

domain: news


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REEBOK | 201 MULBERRY
Reebok hosted its Fall/Winter Press Preview this week at 201 Mulberry. The brand transformed our white box space with custom branding and zen decor elements. This set the stage for Mndfll to lead attendees through a guided meditation session to kick off the day. Following came a day of appointments with the press to view Reebok’s soon to be launched collection. Crossfit Guru Kenny Santucci led an intense evening workout to wrap the event. Under the#bemorehuman campaign, which launched in 2015, Reebok continuously aims to inspire their clients to not only take care of the body but also the mind. Reebok’s new products this season challenge people to slow their mind and to reflect and refocus. A special thanks to our friends at Mixed Greens Event Design for transforming the space so beautifully.


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Qualcomm's Mirasol screen technology promises to blend the lower power consumption and sunlight-friendly characteristics of e-ink displays with the full color we enjoy with LCDs. When we first heard about the technology last year, it was due to arrive in devices in 2011. Now, it looks like we may have to wait until the second half of 2012 to see Mirasol displays in consumer products.
Technology Review has an update on the display tech, and it seems modifications were needed to make manufacturing commercially viable. Those modifications appear to be complete, because a facility is being constructed in Taiwan to handle mass production. Qualcomm is set to pour close to $1 billion into the factory, suggesting Mirasol still has a future, even if it's been delayed.
Initially, there was some concern about Mirasol being capable of delivering a high enough refresh rate for video playback. The 5.7" prototype seen by Technology Review is capable of updating the screen at 30 FPS, though. Under bright light, the colors are reportedly rich and "not unlike the pages of a magazine," which sounds very promising indeed. The most frustrating thing about tablets for me is the fact that their highly reflective screens are all but useless in the sort of weather that's conducive to outdoor surfing.
|Report: Comcast will abandon Time Warner acquisition||59|
|Friday Night Shortbread||72|
|Acer's Switch 10 is a svelte, Atom-powered convertible||19|
|Hardware makers want to standardize the stylus||46|
|Deal of the week: The M500 960GB for $290, Battlefield Hardline for $36, and lots more||23|
|Thermaltake's Pacific radiators come in all the sizes||12|
|Modders can now charge for their work on Steam Workshop||265|
|Samsung's new 840 EVO fix starts trickling out||27|
|Arkham Knight requires at least 2GB of graphics memory||116|


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Showing Results For "electric vehicles"
Isuzu biding their time before bringing EVs into the Philippines / News
Isuzu Philippines is on “wait and see” mode, for now, to see if the Philippines is ready for electric vehicles.
California to ban diesel-powered trucks by 2035 / News
Diesel-powered trucks won’t be on Californian roads and ports in a few years’ time. By 2035, no more diesel-powered rigs.
Fuso presents its 2023 eCanter tipper for construction in Europe / News
The new Fuso eCanter gets a tipper function from UNSINN for the European market.
Scania’s ditching combustion engines by 2040 / News
No more combustion engines by 2040 say Scania. The truck company will go on to make electric vehicles.
Isuzu, Hino, Toyota, and CJPT to join forces for hydrogen fuel cell light-duty trucks / News
FCEV, or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles could be the next wave of the future for trucks, and Isuzu, Hino, and Toyota are among the brands to commit.
Volvo heavy-duty electric trucks now on sale internationally / News
Volvo Trucks is the market leader in electric trucking in Europe, where it enjoyed a 42 percent market share in 2021.
Daimler, Volvo, and Traton to work on a charging network for EV trucks / News
This could mean the adoption of electric trucks could go faster than we originally anticipated.
Isuzu and Volvo seal the deal with a new strategic alliance / News
Both companies will be sharing their knowledge to make electric vehicles and new trucks in the future.
Toyota and Hino partner to develop fuel cell electric trucks for the US / News
Fuel cell electric vehicles could be the future for cargo transportation in the future.


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Square Enix has revealed the release date for Final Fantasy XVI, which will be the sixteenth game in the mainline Final Fantasy series. The upcoming action role-playing game was revealed in Sony’s PlayStation 5 showcase on September 16, 2020, and is set to be released in mid-2023. This article will discuss everything you need about Final Fantasy XVI, including its release date, platform availability, system requirements, pre-order details, and many more.
Square Enix has been working on the game since the end of the development of Final Fantasy XIV. The fans have waited a long time for updates regarding the game and major updates about the game were revealed recently.
Get revenge as Clive Rosfield and fight against powerful Eikons
Final Fantasy XVI will be set in the fantasy world of Valisthea, blessed by the mountains of crystals. The people live in peace and prosperity in the world of Valisthea, thanks to the Aether from the Mothercrystals that has blessed all the six realms around the mountain: The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, The Holy Empire of Sanbreque, The Kingdom of Waloed, The Dhalmekian Republic, The Iron Kingdom and The Crystalline Dominion.
The plot of the game revolves around the Eikons, a monster that can be summoned by humans living called Dominants in each real. Some realm treats the Dominants as royalty, while some are treated as weapons of war against other realms.
The main protagonist of Final Fantasy XVI will be Clive Rosfield, the firstborn child of the Archduke of Rosaria, who was expected to inherit the Eikon Phoenix, but his younger brother Joshua Rosfield was chosen as the Dominant of Phoenix. Clive was sworn to protect Joshua as the First Shield of Rosaria. But soon, his life changes after a tragic event that sweeps up his younger brother. The dark Eikon Ifrit was responsible for the tragedy, and now Clive seeks revenge against it.
The players will play as Clive at different ages, from his teens to his thirties and must engage in real-time combat as Clive uses different melee attacks and magical abilities. Final Fantasy XVI will reportedly have various other gameplay modes and many side quests for the players to complete.
Final Fantasy XVI platform availability
Final Fantasy XVI will be released as a PlayStation 5 exclusive, but will be eligible for release on other platforms in the future as the title will be a time-exclusive PlayStation game.
Final Fantasy XVI release date and pre-order details
Final Fantasy XVI is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2023 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. However, it will be a time-exclusive title, and a PC release is confirmed as the end of the trailer shows “Also available on PC’. PC fans might have to wait a year after it is released on PlayStation 5 to get the game on their platforms. However, no information has yet been revealed regarding the game’s release on other platforms except PlayStation 5.
No details have been revealed yet about the pre-order of Final Fantasy XVI. But the fans can add the game to their wishlist from the PlayStation Store. To know more about the game, feel free to check out their official website.
What do you think about the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI game? Let us know in the comments section.


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Google has released a Google Travel Trends Report which states that branded budget hotel search queries grew 179% year over year (YOY) in India, in comparison to 36% growth in generic budget hotel queries YOY on the basis of international search queries from January to September 2015. Overall queries for accommodations grew at 37% YOY. In its press statement, Vikas Agnihotri, Director Sales, Google India, said, “.. We expect this (travel) segment to continue to see massive growth with leisure travel expected to pick up in the coming summer holiday season.” Budget hotel queries accounted for 35% of total accommodation queries, and 47% for brands providing budget hotel inventory online. All numbers are for January to September 2015, unless stated otherwise. Top 10 searched destination packages traffic: Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai. Top destinations searched for accommodation in March to June 2015: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Delhi-NCR. Currently, out of the top 50 domestic destinations searched, only 30% of destinations represent leisure travel. International travel, stay and holiday queries: - 25% of search queries for international air tickets, growing at 43% YOY - 18% of search queries for international accommodation, growing at 25% YOY - 22% of search queries for international holidays growing, at 30% YOY Top 10 most searched for international destinations, of which the first three are growing at 35% YOY: UAE, United States, Thailand, United Kingdom, Singapore, France, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Italy. Top 50 searched international…
- Google Bard admits to attempting scraping of Twitter data: Here are the details straight from the horse’s mouth July 21, 2023
- Is Google coming up with an AI replacement for journalists? July 21, 2023
- Why curbing crypto-enabled cybercrime needs international cooperation: G20 cybersecurity summit July 20, 2023
- The Countless Ways the Fact-Check Amendment Violates Free Speech Rights, Limiting Political Speech July 20, 2023
- Is it legally permissible to create an OnlyFans-like platform in India? July 20, 2023
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Culture Shift Labs, a reputable New York consulting firm, has just compiled its first ever list of ‘20 People to Watch’ in 2015. The impressive line-up includes CEOs, entrepreneurs, and technologists driving innovation in the fields of art, science, music, and technology.
What makes the list so interesting is that it puts the spotlight on African American trailblazers, particularly women making remarkable strides in their respective fields. Among those who made the coveted list are Lisa Coca, managing director at GE Ventures; Cherae Robinson, founder & CEO of Tastemakers Africa; Lisa Skeete Tatum, founder and CEO of LandIt.com; and Guy Primus, co-founder and COO of The Virtual Reality Company.
“We published this list in an effort to shine a light on accomplished diverse leaders,” says Andrea Hoffman, founder and CEO of Culture Shift Labs.“We are committed to raising the profile of the vast number of innovators, inventors and influencers to paint a more accurate picture of the size, scope, social and economic clout of these individuals. Executives and entrepreneurs that I refer to as the ‘diverse elite’.”
Hoffman partnered with Candice Cook Simmons, Managing Member of the Cook Law Group, to curate the list. Co-editor Simmons, a well-respected attorney, says the inaugural list serves as a contribution to ongoing dialogue about diversity in a variety of spaces.
“This list is not exhaustive by any means, but does serve to shed light on extraordinary women and individuals of color doing incredible things within their industry which in time can assist in debunking the myth that people of color are not prepared, engaged, or achieving in certain industries — which is simply not the case,” says Simmons.
Kathey Porter, a sought-after expert on small business and entrepreneurship, is one of the handpicked influencers featured on the list. “I am honored to be a part of this esteemed group,” says Porter. “It is always exciting and humbling to have your work recognized by your peers.”
Lo Toney, a partner at Comcast Ventures Catalyst Fund that focuses on investing in early stage technology startups led by minority entrepreneurs, told UrbanGeekz he is honored to be included. “I am excited to be on the Culture Shift ‘20 to Watch’ for two reasons. Firstly, it is an honor to be on a list with a great group of leaders. Secondly, this list represents the type of diverse talent leading change in the key industries such as tech.”
“We chose a career with no clear path,” says Feven Yohannes, co-founder of I Heart Savvy, an online wedding platform. “Some days are incredibly trying but there are moments like this that keep us going. We are grateful to be honored alongside innovators who provide value to our world and our community. And we applaud those who stand beside us blazing trails so that those who follow after us have no ceiling to shatter.”
Culture Shift Labs is a pioneering advisory firm that introduces brands, corporations, and non-profits to a vast network of top-ranking minority and female talent.
To view the full list and profiles click here.
Follow Kunbi Tinuoye on Twitter@Kunbiti


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The number one earwear audio brand in India is boAt. Users can experience both spirit and energy at the same time.
boAt Lifestyle is a young firm that has only begun to go into the vast world of audio products. Despite the rivalry, though, the figures seem positive for them, as they continue to climb. Aman and Sameer began with a capital of around $3 million, which came from the two founders.In the market, the firm is consistently functioning well. Its domestic sales alone had exceeded Rs 100 crore. The firm has grown from two founders to a 35-member team with operations in the top two metro cities of Mumbai and Delhi.
boAt is an Indian firm that sells quality tough cables, earbuds, headphones, and wireless speakers. Wireless speakers, earbuds (Airdopes), wired headphones, home audio equipment, and a few types of mobile phone accessories are among the products designed by the firm.
Croma stores offer the company’s items, and it also sells them on Myntra, Amazon, Jabong, and Flipkart. Boat’s growth has been aided significantly by the product’s performance. According to the latest sources, boAt is planning to buy Tagg Digital, a consumer electronics company located in Delhi. Despite the fact that conversations on the subject have been ongoing for about two months, the deal’s details have lately been concluded. It was also revealed as part of the purchase that the company’s co-founders and the Tagg Digital team will join boAt when the transaction is completed.Early next year, boAt plans to go public. The business is now raising up to $500 million (Rs 3500 crores) at a valuation of $1.4 billion, with plans to IPO between March and June 2022.
What really is the origin of boAt?
It is a Delhi-based firm founded by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta in 2016. The business describes itself as a lifestyle brand that sells trendy consumer gadgets. boAt Lifestyle was founded with the express purpose of providing millennials with inexpensive, durable, and most importantly, “fashionable” audio devices and accessories.
It began as a cable producer and marketer, but has since extended its product line. It now sells a wide range of trendy electrical items, including portable chargers and luxury cables, as well as headphones, earphones, and speakers. The firm is quickly expanding, and its services are already available to millions of ‘boAtheads’ (A term the company uses for all its consumers and brand ambassadors). Despite the fact that the voyage took only four years, the firm now has over 800,000 satisfied consumers.
“We are like Zara of electronics, not highly-priced like luxury brands or cheap like Chinese products” – Sameer Mehta, boAt Co-Founder
Business strategy of boAt
The creators put their studies into practise and created items that were inexpensive, long-lasting, and trendy. It concentrated on the customer-brand relationship, treating purchasers as members of the Boat family. The owners also put a lot of emphasis on the brand Boat, portraying it as an Indian brand by recruiting cricketers and celebrities as brand ambassadors, as Indians are huge fans of cricket and Bollywood films. People would just buy the things after seeing their favourite celebrities wearing or utilising them on television.
With clever pricing and good appearance, the firm was able to build a large consumer base and become a billion-dollar corporation in India.
“We have tried to change the consumer mindset. We don’t sell our products as electronics only. We sell them as lifestyle accessories. We are trying to portray that our products can be a part of your everyday fashion.”
– Aman Gupta, boAt’s CEO and Co-Founder
Future plans of boAt
The business feels that buying earbuds together with new smartphones is always a trend. Boat believes that this notion will help them succeed. The big phone manufacturers, according to sources, are in the process of establishing new relationships with audio businesses. Samsung, for example, has JBL and Harman, whereas Apple has Beats, and so on. These companies are luring customers in with great offers so that they don’t have to buy earbuds or headphones individually.


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Philippines: Food Service - Hotel Restaurant Institutional
Link to report:
The Philippine food service sector will continue its steady growth over the next three to five years, propelled by consumers’ stronger purchasing power, a larger middle class, higher urbanization, and increasing dining options. FAS Manila projects food service sales will rise 8.6 percent in 2019 to nearly $15 billion, and reach a record $16.1 billion in 2020. Strong demand in the hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sector will provide greater opportunities for U.S. exports of food and beverage products to the Philippines.


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The chain’s owner, Sun Capital Partners, closed all remaining doors on Sunday. The approximately 250 brick-and-mortar stores employed 4,000 workers.
According to Reuters, Sun Capital informed investors on Friday in a letter that read in part: “In an increasingly challenging environment for mall-based retail and women’s apparel, we are very disappointed that the company has had to make the difficult decision to close its retail locations.”
The company is exploring an e-tail pureplay option.
A post on the retailer’s web site reads: “This isn’t goodbye…We’re sad to say that all The Limited stores nationwide have officially closed their doors. But this isn’t goodbye. The styles you love are still available online—We’re just a quick click away 24 hours a day.”
The store closures follow a disturbing trend at retail, as physical stores continue to struggle to compete amid changing consumer shopping habits. Overall store traffic fell by 12.3% over the 2016 holiday period. Increased competition from e-commerce, a desire for more experienced-based expenditures and the allure of fast-fashion, which offers a continuous stream of newness, has made traditional stores less appealing. Facing similar woes, Sears is set to close 150 stores, while Macy’s has plans to shutter 65 by mid-year.
Questions surrounding The Limited’s future had been swirling for weeks. Sun Capital reportedly tried to sell the business earlier in the year. Then in early December, The Limited Stores indicated it would lay off up to 248 employees at its headquarters. This was followed by reports of individual locations quietly shuttering. And the turmoil went straight up the ranks with turnover at the executive level. CEO Diane Ellis left after three years in the position, and just two months later, acting CEO John Buell departed.
Sun Capital, which owned the chain for nine years, reportedly managed to provide investors with some positive news: The company reported it made 1.8 times its $50 million-dollar investment.
Credited with helping to bring the specialty retail model to malls, The Limited was founded in 1963 in Columbus, Ohio. Positioned as a go-to for sophisticated professionals, the store strove to offer private-label pieces that allowed shoppers to execute on their personal style.
Golf apparel is undergoing major transformation with the help of technology developments.Read more
This week the apparel industry grappled with political views, transformed New York Fashion Week with new technologies and promoted sustainable wardrobes among sports fans.Read more
Adidas changes up its executive fleet this week. Plus, Ralph Lauren created two new executive roles and Tom Ford appointed a new president.Read more
The sporting goods sector can’t seem to catch a break in this changing retail environment.Read more
In one year, retailers that are all in with personalization will outsell companies that aren’t by more than 30 percent.Read more
Forget hem lengths, activism was the single biggest trend at the Fall/Winter 2017 New York Fashion Week.Read more
U.S. apparel imports decreased in 2016 as retailers tightened inventory levels and prices trended downward.Read more


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Subaru's home nation will get the updated rear-wheel-drive BRZ with its new suspension and facelift first, followed by the rest of the world.
Subaru has unveiled its updated BRZ, which has been given a mild update after six years on sale. The manufacturer has tweaked the suspension of its Mazda MX-5 rival, with returning of the dampers aimed at making the car better to drive.
Fins at the rear of the car are claimed to improve aerodynamics and reduce wind noise by reducing turbulence.
Inside, the rear-drive BRZ remains the same, although the non-UK 'RA Racing' model has had a redesign of its seatbelts and roll cage.
The current BRZ was introduced in 2012 and achieved a five-star rating at the hands of our road testers. Subaru plans to sell 160 BRZs per month in Japan but hasn’t specified how many it will sell in the UK. Given the delay between cars going on sale in Japan and in the UK, it's expected that we won't see the facelifted BRZ on UK roads until the second quarter of 2019.
Subaru recently suspended orders of the Levorg four-wheel-drive estate in the UK due to greater demand than supply, although the brand only sold 1739 cars between 1 January of this year and the end of July. All Subaru diesels in the UK have also been axed recently.


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Gold, silver snap four-day rally; fall on profit-selling
Snapping a four-day rally, gold and silver prices declined in the national capital on emergence of profit-selling by stockists at existing higher levels amid a weak global trend.
While gold fell by Rs 100 to Rs 31,350 per 10 grams and silver by 455 to Rs 47,445 per kg on reduced offtake as recent upsurge advised stockists to book profits.
Traders said profit-selling by stockists and reduced offtake by retail customers at higher levels mainly kept pressure on gold and silver prices.
They said a weakening global trend where gold retreated from the highest level in more than three months on expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue slowing stimulus in the US and the metal's advance may deter physical purchases, also dampened the sentiment.
Gold in Singapore, which normally set price trend on the domestic front, dropped by 0.9 per cent to $1,316.39 an ounce and silver by one per cent to $21.47 an ounce.
(Source: Economic Times India)


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Tundra production to increase
Production cuts and the Cash for Clunkers program has depleted Toyota's inventory.
For the first time since Tundras started rolling off a San Antonio production line in 2006, the Toyota plant is scheduled to build trucks on Saturdays.
The world's largest automaker announced Monday that it will start Saturday production for the next two months at its San Antonio plant this weekend because of a shortage of Tundras at dealerships.
In an interview last month with the San Antonio Express-News, Toyota's head of North American sales and marketing said dealers on average had a 30- to 35-day supply of Tundras on hand. Toyota generally keeps dealers stocked with a 60-day supply of pickups and a 45- to 50-day supply of cars.
But that's currently not the case, as Toyota dealerships are operating with an average 18-day supply of inventory.
The shortage is because of Toyota's recent efforts to scale back production at its plants across the globe and the Cash for Clunkers sales bonanza. During that program, Toyota sales soared as an estimated 130,000 vehicles were driven off dealer lots in four weeks. As a result, production of many of Toyota's core vehicles has been increased to meet market demand.
"We're confident it won't be long until we return to optimal levels," Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said during a conference call last week, adding that dealerships will receive 43,000 more vehicles in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter.
Monday's announcement comes nearly one year after Toyota reopened the San Antonio plant after a three-month shutdown caused by too many Tundras at dealerships. A Toyota spokeswoman said the plant now is on pace to produce about 100,000 Tundras annually, up from the 80,000 the automaker had previously projected for the year.
The plant, which will start producing the Tacoma pickup alongside the Tundra next year, is capable of pumping out 200,000 trucks a year and can build more if needed.
"That would require working two shifts, working overtime and working on Saturdays," said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of Toyota Motor Sales USA.
For now, the plant will continue operating on one shift but has been offering daily overtime to workers since June, a move that's scheduled to continue through the end of the year. The Saturday shifts, in which workers will earn time-and-a-half, are scheduled for every other weekend this month and in November, and public tours will be available on those dates.
"We appreciate the loyalty our team members have shown us over the past year," said Craig Mullenbach, external affairs manager of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas. "We feel that through the efforts of the team members and the training we accomplished last year, it will allow us to make the changes necessary to meet the demands of the market."


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Image credit: (Photo by Louisville Slugger)
The Omaha Experience store will showcase the latest limited-edition products from Wilson, DeMarini, EvoShield and Louisville Slugger for those onsite at the College World Series. But one of the newest products to pop into the Omaha Experience store, which opens June 16, is also available online on Wednesday: the limited-edition 2022 Meta BBCOR from Louisville Slugger.
Using a fresh “Vegas gold and royal metallic” colorway, this is the first release of the new 2022 model. The scheduled release time for the ’22 Meta BBCOR is fall.
“We knew we wanted to do something really fun to celebrate being back at the College World Series,” says Jake Misener, Louisville Slugger brand manager, “while giving everyone a little taste of what’s to come in the new lineup.”
The 2022 Meta (-3) BBCOR is built for power, the brand says. The design features an EKO composite barrel with a fresh sound, “unlike anything in the game,” meant to strike a balance between performance and feel. The three-piece construction centers around the brand’s patented 3FX connection system designed to give hitters a stiff feel on contact that pairs with the bat’s sweet spot. The barrel length gets maximized with the Premium GT1 End Cap.
“The College World Series is all about celebrating the best in the game and what better way to do that than to offer players a chance to get their hands on a limited-edition BBCOR Meta?” asks Jim Early, global director of innovation for Louisville Slugger.
The Omaha store will have more than just the latest from Louisville Slugger, with a range of limited-edition products from the entire Wilson family meant to commemorate and celebrate the College World Series. The outside of the store features a new exterior mural meant to capture some of the game’s timeless jargon. Wilson hopes the mural not only draws attention to the product inside but becomes a popular spot for social media images during the Omaha event.
Tim Newcomb covers gear and business for Baseball America. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.


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What do we need to have happen first? Have more people buy electric vehicles, or provide charging stations for EV drivers to plug into? Two researchers believe the government could stimulate the electric-car market by building more chargers. It might be even more worthwhile than offering tax credits.
Dutch courts have granted Spyker's petition and overturned a previous bankruptcy ruling, paving the way for the exotic automaker to get back in business - with plans to produce the B6 Venator, merge with an electric aircraft manufacturer and produce its first electric vehicle.
The latest intel from Germany suggests that Porsche, already boasting the market's biggest range of plug-in models, will skip conventional engines with its long-rumored baby Panamera sedan and go straight for the EV... and Tesla's jugular.
Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen says his company is going to add electric powertrains "across the spectrum of our portfolio," starting with stop/start tech and then more plug-in vehicles, thanks to GM's EV leadership.
Even As Sales Slump In China, He Revises Forecasts Upward
Falling gas prices, production delays and weakened demand in a key market would send shudders through the CEOs of most automakers. None of those problems could dent the enthusiasm Tesla Motors CEO and co-founder Elon Musk has for a vision of an electric-car future.
A few weeks ago, the University of Minnesota released a study on the environmental costs of alternative fuels. Not really a big news kind of event, right? Well, the study made a splash and generated lots of "Oh, really?" kinds of headlines. Those weren't the most accurate ones possible.


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Al Gore Joins Apple's Board
Apple announced that Al Gore (former Vice President) will be joining Apple's Board of Directors:
- "Al brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to Apple from having helped run the largest organization in the world -- the United States government -- as a Congressman, Senator and our 45th Vice President. Al is also an avid Mac user and does his own video editing in Final Cut Pro," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Al is going to be a terrific Director and we're excited and honored that he has chosen Apple as his first private sector board to serve on."


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JAMESTOWN – National Grid is alerting customers about recent reports of scams where the imposters are promising refunds or discounts over the phone.
Below is a list of how National Grid says scammers are trying to prey on customers:
- Customers may notice their caller ID displays an incoming call is from a phone number in a
nearby town or even the neighborhood where they live.
- When customers answer the phone, a recorded message explains that due to being
overbilled, they are owed refunds or discounts on their utility bills.
- The customer is instructed to press ‘1’ to learn more about the refund or discount.
- The customer is transferred to someone who explains that the customer is eligible for a
refund or discount.
- The customer is then asked for personal information, which may include their utility bill
- The scammer also may ask for the customer’s bank account number or other personal or
financial information. Divulging this level of information can lead to identity theft or
customers having their bank accounts accessed.
Officials say scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in replicating National Grid’s recorded messaging and directions for phone prompts. They say it makes it more difficult to differentiate an actual National Grid phone call from an imposter’s call.
Customers who’ve fallen victim to the scam should contact National Grid immediately. The company asks customers to use the toll-free number on their billing statements.
The company is offering these warning signs to identify this recent scam:
- Do not cave to pressure. Never – under any circumstances – offer personal or financial
information to someone who you cannot identify.
- Scammers will not have access to your account information, and you should never
provide that information if you are asked.
- National Grid representatives who call you will know your account number.
- Verify that you are speaking with a National Grid representative. Ask the caller to
provide the last five digits of your National Grid account number.
- If the caller does not know your account number, hang up the phone.


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Trademark Company returns; US counterfeit seizures; Colombia fake hotspots; regional e-commerce platforms; colour marks; plus much more
Everything we covered on WTR over the last seven days – and all you need to know from the world of trademarks to set yourself up for the start of another busy week.
MONDAY 19th August
The Trademark Company, which ceased offering trademark registration services in 2017 after founder Matthew Swyers resigned from practising before the USPTO, has relaunched as a legal services provider. In an exclusive interview, Swyers explained the new business model and why traditional law firms need not be concerned. Read more here.
Our series highlighting markets that reportedly engage in the trade of counterfeit goods continued with Colombia. We looked at why the Latin American country is a challenge for rights holders tackling fake goods and identified the key locations to police. Read more here.
TUESDAY 20th August
New data has revealed that the suggested retail price of fake goods seized by US authorities last year increased to nearly $1.4 billion and has identified the industries that have been most affected. We took a deep dive into the statistics. Read more here.
North Korea establishing an IP institute, Amazon’s intangibles tax win, the retail companies leading a ‘brand health’ survey and the New York Times delving into the world of counterfeit books all featured in our Tuesday news digest. Read more here.
We investigated what qualities those at the top of the IP profession feel make for an elite-level trademark professional. Read more here.
WEDNESDAY 21st August
New e-commerce marketplaces are springing up at an increasing rate. As these regional platforms develop, infringers have swarmed to them in response to the growing anti-counterfeiting efforts of global platforms. We explored how rights holders can fight back. Read more here.
IP owners are increasingly turning to non-conventional colour marks to protect the colours associated with their brands against use by competitors. Although colour marks remain difficult to obtain, brand owners can take certain steps to enhance their chances of success. Read more here.
An IP expert in Canada reveals six locations in the Great White North that rights holders should have on their counterfeit enforcement radar. Read more here.
We revealed the stellar speaking faculty for WTR’s upcoming Brand Protection Online Europe event, taking place in London on 14 October 2019. Amongst the latest names revealed are experts from Daniel Wellington, Dyson, PayPal, Thomas Cook and Tommy Hilfiger. Read more here.
FRIDAY 23rd August
IP Key Latin America seeks to bridge an IP knowledge gap between the European Union and the host of diverse countries in Latin America. WTR spoke to Pedro Duarte, head of IP Key Latin America, for insight into the project’s successes. Read more here.
In our Friday round-up of news, we looked at what could be the world’s largest trademark application, the Office of the US Trade Representative opening up comments for the next Notorious Markets List, Hasbro acquiring the owner of Peppa Pig, and much more. Read more here.
In our latest exclusive data analysis, we find that Chinese technology giant Tencent’s brand is critical to building partnerships with foreign companies and its trademark portfolio shows that it is rapidly expanding around the world. Read more here.
Plus, we published 10 Legal Update articles, examining key trademark decisions from across the globe:
- New Zealand v Australia: battle over rights to the name of the modern Olympic Games’ founder, Pierre de Coubertin (International). Read more here.
- Delhi High Court: vacancies at Intellectual Property Appellate Board should not affect its functioning (India). Read more here.
- When parody misses the mark (Canada). Read more here.
- 1st AMERICAN mark deemed distinctive as a whole (EU). Read more here.
- Federal Administrative Court confirms that MERCI lacks distinctiveness (Switzerland). Read more here.
- UDRP complainants take note: trademark reputation must be evidenced (international). Read more here.
- General Court partially annuls Board of Appeal’s decision in TROPICAL case. Read more here.
- Encouraging news for owners of products with famous shapes. Read more here.
- Federal Court of Justice: all representations of a design must show the same embodiment of the product. Read more here.
- Lego has been successful in invalidating a competitor’s EU design registration for a toy figurine. Read more here.


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Texas Instruments recently announced that it has produced its first single-chip wireless power receiver.
This technology is integrated into a battery charger with a “free-position” transmitter circuit, which extends the charge area by 400 percent. The bqTESLA receiver is the industry’s first Wireless Power Consortium 1.1 Qi (pronounced chee)-compliant wireless power receiver with integrated direct battery charger.
This could definitely make a difference in how precisely mobile devices have to be put on their charging pads. With this technology, the charging surface area of mobile devices will jump from a tiny 18 mm by 18 mm to a relatively spacious 70 mm by 20 mm.
Gone will be the days of when users thought their phone was charging on a pad, but actually wasn’t charging because of its imprecise placement. The charger’s expanded range also opens up more possibilities for wireless charging in vehicles, furniture and other settings, the company said. TI expects that this new chip assembly will show up in mobile devices as early as the end of the year.
TI’s charger may be the first WPC 1.1-compliant charger of its kind, but it’s not the first wireless charger. Other companies have produced wireless charging products and some others are planning to release products in 2013. The idea of wireless power has been around since Nicola Tesla but appears ready to finally catch on.


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The former-food-truck-turned-restaurant at 1200 Brown St. near the University of Dayton told fans on its Facebook page that it has:
• added several salad options to the menu. Side salads or entree dinner-sized salads are available with mixed greens, toppings and house-made dressings. Customers can add any of the restaurant's proteins to their salads. "We've tried rolling them out before on our food truck, and as usual, space was always a problem," owners David and Lee VanArtsdalen said. "But now that we have the restaurant, I think they're a better fit."
>> DAYTONIANS OF THE WEEK: Meet the duo whose love for craft beer brought them to popular downtown beer bar
• With the help of Cake, Hope, & Love, the Beavercreek bakery that has supplied Zombie Dogz with cupcakes, Zombie Dogz is now offering "Cake Push Pops." "Not only is the packaging cute, but they're neater when you eat them … and the best stinking part is if you want to save it for later, all you do is snap the cap back on," the restaurant's owners wrote.
Daytonians of the Week: David and Lee VanArtsdalen, owners of Zombie Dogz
• Added more hotdogs to its menu. "We will have a permanent menu of 12 hot dogs to choose from, always — (and) we will have a weekly special," the VanArtsdalens wrote.
TODAY: 3 local BBQ purveyors capture national acclaim, snag two ‘No. 1’ awards
• unveiled a charitable initiative that will benefit victims of the Flint, Michigan water crisis, and will help pay for health and medical research, bottles/gallons of clean water, mental and psychological assistance for those in distress, and other programs, the restaurant's owners said.
RELATED: Zombie Dogz fans lose their brains after bombshell announcement
Announcement of these menu additions comes the week after the restaurant’s owners re-applied for a beer license to serve craft beers in Zombie Dogz. There is no timetable for that to happen until the necessary state license is secured.
Your guide to Dayton-area food truck events this spring
Zombie Dogz started the transition from food truck to bricks-and-mortar restaurant in 2016, opening its restaurant in November 2016. A year later, the VanArtsdalens announced they would retire their food truck, which they said was “on its last legs” in need of expensive repairs.
Hunger Paynes gearing up to open beer & wine garden inside the Dayton Mall
The Zombie Dogz food truck was winner of the “Best Food Truck in Ohio” designation in Ohio Magazine’s 2016 Best of Ohio Readers’ Ballot. Zombie Dogz also finished second in Mobile Cuisine’s 2016 Hot Dog Vendor of the Year poll — a national poll.
RELATED: Zombie Dogz restaurant draws big crowd on opening day


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G-III Apparel Group Ltd. (GIII) reported better-than-expected earnings for the third quarter of 2019 but revenues came in shy of estimates. Shares plunged 13.7% in morning trade on Thursday.
Net sales grew 4.7% to $1.07 billion from the same period last year. Net income improved to $94 million, or $1.86 per share, from $81.6 million, or $1.65 per share, in the prior-year period. Adjusted EPS totaled $1.88 in the quarter.
G-III’s Chairman and CEO Morris Goldfarb said, “In our largest shipping quarter, the continued momentum in our wholesale business enabled us to surpass our third quarter earnings guidance. We again demonstrated great ability to successfully leverage our five global power brands. Our products are set up well across our channels of distribution for the important holiday season and we believe we will have a strong finish to the year.”
The company raised its guidance for the full year of 2019 and now expects net sales of around $3.08 billion versus the previous figure of around $3.06 billion. Net income is expected to come in the range of $132 million to $137 million, or $2.59 to $2.69 per share, versus the prior outlook of $125 million to $130 million, or $2.45 to $2.55 per share.
Adjusted net income is expected to come between $136 million and $141 million, or $2.67 and $2.77 per share for the full year. This compares to the previous range of $129 million to $134 million, or $2.52 to $2.62 per share.
Last month, the IPO market was in a full swing. IPOs of Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) and JFROG (NASDAQ: FROG) had an impressive opening day in September, the former creating a
PepsiCo Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) beat market expectations on both revenue and earnings for the third quarter of 2020. The company saw the momentum continue in its snacks business while the
With more and more people turning to virtual entertainment sources, amid the virus-related movement restrictions, video game publishers like Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) are witnessing unusually high demand. Not surprisingly,


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Mirror thieves arrested
The Delhi Police have arrested two members of "Kaan Todu" gang, who used to steal rear view mirrors of high-end cars such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Toyota and Skoda.delhi Updated: Mar 27, 2012 00:43 IST
The Delhi Police have arrested two members of "Kaan Todu" gang, who used to steal rear view mirrors of high-end cars such as Mercedes Benz, BMW, Toyota and Skoda.
Irshad, 22, and Faiyaz Ali, 32, were arrested and 31 rear views of different cars were recovered from their possession. A Maruti Alto car, which the gang used in commission of the crime, was also seized by the police.
Chhaya Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), said, "The duo was arrested following investigation into complaints received at police stations in south Delhi regarding theft of costly rear view mirrors of expensive cars."
"A team was constituted to bust the gang and on Saturday, the accused was arrested. During interrogation they revealed that they used to target two or three posh localities in the early hours of the day," said Sharma.
"They used to steal rear view mirrors of high-end sedans and delivered them to two-three receivers, including women, living in Seelampur and Brahampuri areas who would further sell them to dealers based in Jama Masjid and Meerut. They also disclosed that after receiving these mirrors, the dealers would repair and polish them for further sale in the market,” the police said.
First Published: Mar 27, 2012 00:41 IST


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Tibbits recently teamed up with researchers from Brazil, the US and Israel to create a new 3D printing method called Hyperform. Taking a cue from Tibbit’s 4D printing method, the idea behind Hyperform is to compress a large design through folding so that it can be printed on a desktop printer.
Using Hyperform and Formlabs’ Form 1 3D printer, Tibbits and his team created a 50 foot long chain in a build space that’s only 5 inches across. In essence, his team had created the world’s largest 3D print on a small desktop 3D printer. Here’s a video of the achievement:
If you want to know how they did it, check out this video featuring interviews with Tibbits and the other team members that helped this monumental achievement in 3D printing possible:
So, does the existence of Hyperform threaten large form 3D printers like the Objet1000? Not at all. In fact, Hyperform is still fairly limited in its applications. They were able to make a chain because the links can be compressed and layered on top of each other. For larger, more complex objects, you’re still going to need 3D printers that are built for manufacturing.


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CT Interactive will present exciting portfolio at BEGE 2023
CT Interactive will present its latest, diverse and innovative products at stand 3.11 during Balkan Entertainment and Gaming Expo (BEGE). The exhibition is scheduled to take place between 22nd and 23rd of November 2023 in Inter Expo Center in Sofia, Bulgaria.
In the course of the exhibition, CT Interactive will present its newest slot games with intriguing mechanics and innovative features like The Big Chili and TransilWinia. The brand has also prepared a special suite of fruit-themed slot games with games like 5 Fruitata Wins, 20 Fruitata Wins and 40 Fruitata Wins that allow players to witness classic casino experience. The company will showcase its two exclusive jackpots that are designed to bring maximum glee to the players – Hot Luck and CT Interactive Mystery Jackpot. Hot Luck is a 3-level Mystery Interactive Jackpot and gives additional awards.
“Our company’s goal has always been to offer up-to-date content to our clients. That is why we have created games that appeal to all types of players. We consider BEGE a great opportunity to meet new clients and to increase our brand’s visibility. All visitors are welcome to come and experience our product at stand 3.11”, said Lachezar Petrov, CEO of CT Interactive.
The team of experts representing CT Interactive at the prestigious event includes Lachezar Petrov, CEO at CT Interactive; Milena Tsankarska, Head of Business Development EMEA; Antonio Donov, Business Development Manager EMEA; Silvia Hristova, Head of CRM; Kiril Kirilov, CRM and Smilena Ilieva, CRM.
BEGE is an annual gathering of manufacturers, online operators, affiliates, payment service providers, media people, associations, and suppliers. Every year the exhibition features more than 80 companies from all sectors of the gaming industry as they showcase their newest cutting-edge products, services and solutions.


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Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest Continues to Sell Grayscale Bitcoin Trust Holdings, Buys Block’s Shares
Cathie Wood, the CEO of Ark Invest, a leading equity research and investment firm, recently continued to sell its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust holdings as part of an active effort to rebalance the company’s portfolio.
At the same time, Ark Invest also acquired significant amounts of shares of Block.one, a crypto company with a focus on developments on the EOS.IO blockchain.
Ark Invest’s holdings of Grayscale Bitcoin Trust have been on a downward trajectory for the past few months. The company sold 373,652 shares of GBTC last month for total proceeds of $162,911 , before selling another 295,971 shares for total proceeds of $129,345, so far in March.
In addition, according to recent reports, the company purchased 260,805 shares of Block.one worth a total of $6,785,243 in January 2021. It is not clear why the company purchased this stake in Block.one but it could be related to its focus on developments on the EOS.IO blockchain.
Blockchain technology holds immense potential in terms of its ability to make secure and efficient digital transactions. Companies like Block.one have been Commonwealths leaders in blockchain related development and have adopted major blockchain technologies such as EOS.IO.
It appears that Cathie Wood is investing in companies that are focused on developments related to blockchain technology, most likely to benefit from innovations in this space. While she is selling her Grayscale holdings, she is reinvesting the proceeds into companies that are actively developing the technology.


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Someone was very excited to join Jeff and Mark Bezos on board Blue Origin’s first sightseeing flight July 20, it seems. The private space flight company has sold a seat aboard New Shepherd’s first manned space flight for $ 28 million through auction. Blue Origin will only name the winner in the coming weeks, but noted that nearly 7,600 people around the world have signed up for the bidding process.
All donation proceeds will go to the Blue Origin Future Club fund, which supports STEM.
There was no doubt that the seat would fetch a hefty price tag given both the ability to fly into space on a reasonably firm date with one of the world’s most influential tech leaders. There are no vague deadlines or additional rounds of tests.
However, the auction and the launch itself also represent a symbolic victory for Blue Origin. As late as the company has been on human spaceflight, it is beating both SpaceX and Galactic Virgo on space tourism – these rivals will not be carrying tourists until 2022 at the earliest. The question, of course, is whether or not Blue Origin can regularly carry revenue passengers after that first trip is over. This consistency can be a considerably greater challenge.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through any of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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We all know that the DS is only rivalled in popularity by lollipops and puppies, but perhaps we underestimated its appeal until Nintendo announced it's sold over ten million units in the UK alone, making it the most-bought console these Sceptred Isles have ever seen.
Considering the population of the UK is estimated at 61 million that's a startlingly high purchase rate, and means it's outsold the previous record holder, Sony's PlayStation 2, in less than five years, another good achievement when you consider PS2 is getting on for ten years old now.
One final eye-opening statistic before the congratulatory press release: the DS console sells for around £100. It's sold over ten million units. You don't have to break out the calculators to realise that Nintendo is absolutely swimming in moolah. Here's the full press release from the Big N itself:
NINTENDO DS PASSES 10 MILLION SALES TO BECOME BEST EVER SELLING CONSOLE IN UK HISTORY
Unique and intuitive video game console helps to broaden appeal to new non-traditional audiences
10th December 2009: Figures released today courtesy of GfK Chart-Track, the UK’s leading music, video and software performance and sales tracking company, reveal Nintendo’s market leading handheld console, Nintendo DS, has now sold over ten million units in the UK, making it the best selling console of any kind in the territory’s history.*
Since its launch in the UK on 11th March 2005, almost one in six people now own a Nintendo DS system. It has now outsold the previous record holder, which has been on sale in the UK for over nine years in less than five!
Nintendo's Touch Generations range of software, which has been expanding the definition of video game, has resonated strongly with people of all ages, extending its appeal to a non-traditional gaming audience, which now sees people aged between five and 95 picking up and playing Nintendo DS consoles. The achievements of titles such as Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is You Brain? and More Brain Training alongside recent launches including 100 Classic Book Collection and 42 All-Time Classics, has seen the Nintendo DS system significantly expand the audience traditionally associated with videogames. As well as sons and daughters, mums, dads and even grandmas and granddads across the UK can be seen getting to grips with their Nintendo DS systems.
Top hole, Nintendo.


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* Q2 sales 11.93 bln eur vs consensus 11.8 bln eur
* Q2 French hypermarket sales improve from Q1
* Casino “comfortable” with consensus for 2014 EBIT - CFO (recasts, adds CFO comments, shares)
By Dominique Vidalon
PARIS, July 15 (Reuters) - Casino predicted its operating profit would rise this year after posting forecast-beating sales in the second quarter led by its top market of Brazil.
France, where Casino earns about 40 percent of revenue, also saw a marked improvement in hypermarkets sales compared with last quarter because of price cuts at such Geant Casino stores.
Nevertheless Finance Director Antoine Giscard d‘Estaing said he did not expect a much improvement in France’s economy and that cash-strapped shoppers would continue to watch prices.
Sales at LeaderPrice discount stores however fell 8.6 percent in the quarter because they were still in early in the process of lowering prices. The sales are expected to begin growing again in early 2015.
“At this stage for 2014 EBIT we are comfortable with market consensus of around 2.4 billion euros,” said Giscard d‘Estaing on a conference call, referring to core operating profit.
Such a target would imply a 1.7 percent rise from last year’s operating profit of 2.36 billion euros.
Casino - which makes 60 percent of its sales in emerging markets and controls Brazil’s top retailer, Grupo Pao de Acucar - said second-quarter group sales reached 11.93 billion euros ($16.19 billion).
Analysts expected 11.8 billion euros in sales, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Stripping out acquisitions, currency effects and excluding petrol, sales rose 6.5 percent on a comparable basis, roughly similar to the 6.6 percent growth seen in the first quarter.
Casino has been expanding for some years in the fast-growing emerging markets of Thailand, Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia, away from weaker growth in Europe, although Asia has slowed recently.
In Brazil, like-for-like sales growth excluding petrol and calendar effects, was 9.8 percent, an acceleration from 8.7 percent growth in the first quarter.
Asked about the outlook for Brazil’s economy, Giscard‘Estaing said: “One cannot say there is no risk” of a slowdown.
“We have to prepare the business units to face a tougher environment,” he added, referring to the Brazilian operation and other emerging markets.
Retailers across Europe such as Carrefour and Tesco have struggled as shoppers’ disposable income is squeezed by subdued wage growth and austerity measures. Most have responded with price cuts.
In the last quarter of 2012, Casino ditched confusing promotions in favour of permanent price cuts, a move that initially cost it some customers at its Geant hypermarkets.
These price cuts have only started to help attract customers in recent months, helping Casino’s French hypermarket sales.
Same-store sales at the group’s French hypermarkets rose 1.1 percent in the quarter, excluding fuel and calendar effects, accelerating from 0.1 percent growth in the first quarter.
Food sales at Geant Casino grew by 3 percent boosted by a 6.3 percent rise in volume and a 2.1 percent rise in customer traffic.
Casino shares closed 0.45 percent lower on Monday at 94.32 euros. The stock has gained 13.1 percent so far this year, outperforming Carrefour’s 4.9 percent loss.
$1 = 0.7369 Euros Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Leila Abboud


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Thread app’s shine ‘faded’, More than half of the users left the platform
It hasn’t even been a month since the Threads app was launched. There has been a decline in its userbase, about which Mark Zuckerberg is worried. He has indicated to bring new features to bring back the users. The faster Meta’s Twitter rival app Threads became popular, the faster its popularity is decreasing. The platform’s traffic was down within a few weeks after its launch. Now more than half of the users have left this app. The company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg is very worried about this situation.
New features will be added soon
According to a report in Reuters, Mark Zuckerberg told his employees during a town hall meeting that the userbase of the Threads app has declined. This is not right. In such a situation, we have to be more focused to increase the userbase of the application.
He further said that 1000 million users are connected to the app, so it is great, but if all or half of it stays here, then we are not even there yet. We need to add features like search functionality in desktop version and mobile app to increase userbase.
At the same time, the company’s Chief Product Officer Chris Cox also said that new features will be added to reconnect the users to the platform. In such a situation, it can now be assumed that new features will be seen in the threads in the coming days. However, the company has not yet given any update regarding the launch of the features to be launched for threads.
Work will be done on virtual reality technology
Mark Zuckerberg said that the company will soon work on Augmented and Virtual Reality technology, which will improve the metaverse. This will give tough competition to Microsoft, Apple and Google.
Recently added feature
Meta added the Following and For You and Translations features to the Threads app a few days ago. In the For You feed, users will see posts from all the profiles they follow and those they don’t follow. Now coming to the translation feature, users can translate text through it. The company believes that with this, users will be able to easily read posts in different languages present on the platform. This facility will be of great use to them.
App launched in early July
For your information, let us tell you that Instagram launched the Threads app in the beginning of July. Text, photos, links and videos can be shared as posts in this application.


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Sky Deutschland in Germany has announced a deal with Samsung Germany to offer and push exclusive live Sky Sports content on the Samsung Galaxy smartphone and Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet PC from Q1 2011.
The move signals the launch of the Sky Sport App, already available for the iPad, onto Android devices. The Sky Sport App for Samsung Galaxy devices will received Sky Sport 1, Sky Sport 2 and Sky Sport Austria content via Wi-Fi and 3G.
In addition, all consumers buying a new CI Plus-enabled Samsung TV from December will benefit from an introductory offer for the new Sky CI Plus module: Samsung customers will be able to get a Sky World basic subscription, two additional premium packages and respective HD channels for EUR 29.90 per month for 12 months.
Sky Deutschland has had a tough time breaking into the German market with their pay TV offering, but since focussing on sports, has managed to gain more traction, according to German industry experts at www.apps-world.net this week.


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2020 is officially in full swing, which means your resolutions are likely still fresh in your mind. If one of them happened to be focused on helping combat climate change, thredUP’s Fashion Footprint Calculator is here to help. The new tool from the online thrifting retailer breaks down how your habits could be contributing to your carbon footprint and outlines the steps you can take to reduce fashion waste and be more sustainable in 2020.
According to thredUP, the calculator is a result of its Fashion Waste Awareness study which polled 1,000 women across the United States regarding their perspective on how much impact the fashion industry has on the environment. The study found 92% of women polled wanted to lower their carbon footprint (the total amount of greenhouse gases produced by an individual) in the fashion space. However, two in three women didn’t know where to begin when it come to doing so.
ThredUP Brand Director Erin Wallace spoke with Bustle regarding the findings and the new tool and explained that the results made education a key element of thredUP’s mission in 2020. “We found that there was a lot of education that needed to take place to help consumers do better.” she says. “Not just when it comes to buying, but also how you care for your clothing, dispose of your clothing, the world around your wardrobe. That’s where the calculator came in.”
To create the calculator, thredUP paired with independent environmental research firm Green Story Inc. The firm aggregated peer-reviewed research, analyzed data regarding clothing chain supply cycles, and conducted an independent lifecycle analysis to quantify the carbon footprint of customers everyday actions.
For users, the new tool works like a quiz, asking questions about their everyday habits when it comes to clothing. From the frequency at which they buy used clothes to how they do laundry to clothing disposal, the calculator tallies care and shopping habits then give you a measure of your carbon footprint. Once done, thredUP transitions into providing users with an entire range of ways to decrease their own fashion waste.Among these suggestions are actions like air drying your clothing instead of using a traditional dryer, sticking to mostly standard shipping for online purchases, and renting for special occasions.


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Kona Grill reports big jump in sales
Kona Grill Inc. reported Tuesday that fourth-quarter restaurant sales jumped 29.1 percent over the same period a year earlier.
The Scottsdale-based sushi bar and American grill said revenue in the quarter ended Dec. 31 was $31.1 million, up from $24.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2013.
The restaurant chain, which had the expense of opening three new locations in Sarasota, Fla., Alpharetta, Ga., and Columbus, Ohio, during the quarter, reported a net loss of $916,000, or a loss of 8 cents per share. Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2013 was $509,000, or a loss of 6 cents per share.
Berke Bakay, Kona Grill's president and CEO, said that fourth-quarter results exceeded expectations and that sales momentum has carried over into 2015. Seven additional restaurants are planned for this year.


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BEIJING: Samsung Electronics will make an additional US$8bil investment in its memory plant in Xian, China, in a preemptive response to the projected growth of memory chip demand, according to news reports Saturday (Dec 14).
Apple Inc avoided 15% tariffs on its most important products, the iPhone, iPad and MacBooks, after US President Donald Trump signed off on a trade deal with China.
The latest generation of Qualcomm chips, will have the power to manage enormous image files of up to 200-megapixels.
KUALA LUMPUR: Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) manager Luciano Figueroa believes his men will head into the AFC Champions League (ACL) wiser in their second year.
For the first time since 1992, Apple will be officially present at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show.
Shenzhen-based DJI, the global leader in drone technology, is confronted with several US efforts to prohibit the sale and use of its products.
Bitmain Technologies Ltd’s billionaire CEO Wu Jihan is back in the driver’s seat following the ouster of his co-founder.
The 5G rollout should quicken next year as more countries install base stations and networking equipment
In 2020, will the wow factor return to consumer hardware? Will blockchain and 5G punch into the mainstream? Or will the world unify against Big Tech's privacy-busting, tax-avoiding practices?
Everything is going digital, from paying for Ramly burgers to eSports at the SEA games.
The successor to the Xbox One, currently known as Project Scarlett, will launch in two versions, one the more powerful console, the other a disc-less machine around the PS4 Pro's level, per Kotaku.


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Android mobile users might be glad to know that the crew behind Google’s mobile security has taken the opportunity to roll out an Android update that should fix a couple of security flaws that could potentially put Android handsets at risk if cybercriminals had taken advantage of them. As told by Google to Ars Technica, the first was only designed for the purpose of doing some research, but would have been harmful if modified, plus it was easy to detect and use for malicious purposes. As for the other security flaw, its behavior was akin to the Stagefright malware, which hit some headlines in July of last year. Basically, it allows a hacker to send a modified JPEG file by way of Gmail or Google Talk and then proceed to gain unauthorized access to a user’s mobile device.
Meanwhile, security firm Check Point has announced that Google Play had been hosting mobile apps that came with two forms of malware -- CallJam and DressCode. What the CallJam malware does is direct mobile devices to websites that made non-legitimate ad revenue. And if users granted CallJam permission, it would make a call to paid phone numbers. While the DressCode malware could also funnel handsets to suspicious websites that serve as ad sources, it could also inflict harm to local networks. And even though Google made a wise decision in taking out the compromised mobile apps from Google Play, there is no knowing for sure who many users have been infected, considering that the malware may have been downloaded hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of times already.
Malware is nothing new, especially in Android, the most widely used mobile operating system in the world right now. But taking care of them is often challenging because Android’s security updates often take time to get to users’ handsets. Only the owners of Nexus devices receive timely security updates, while the rest of the pack often have to wait. Adding to the headache is that even though Google is working to deploy security updates regularly (monthly, especially for Nexus devices and handsets made by Samsung), users may not be able to take advantage of the fixes because either the manufacturer of their device has not approved those updates yet or using a version of Android that does not support those new updates (as of June of this year, only a tenth of all Android devices have updated to Android 6.0 Marshmallow).
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Chevrolet introduced the Classic Advantage special series, which focuses on a generous equipment list and will be sold for R $ 34,170. The same issue has already been posted for other models of the brand - Celtic, Colbalt and Spin - last year.
The Chinese carmaker Qoros used the Geneva Motor Show to reveal the 3 Hatch to the public for the first time. Based on 3 Sedan, even keeping the same space wheelbase, the model will hit the European market in late 2014.
With the approach of the Geneva Motor Show, held in March, the manufacturers begin to submit your news, Aston Martin has released special editions that will take the Vantage and DB9 for the event in Switzerland.


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By TTI Comments are Off 2019, Celestia Technologies Group, CTG, SATELLITE, Satellite 2019, Whasington
For another year, TTI will be exhibiting at SATELLITE 2019 (www.satshow.com) on stand # 2042. SATELLITE 2019 will take place from 6-9 May at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
TTI signs University of Cantabria agreement for new Electronic Warfare Postgraduate Programme
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Earlier this week, Assassin's Creed fans equipped with Eagle Vision spotted a Game Pass logo on the Microsoft Store page for Viking adventure Valhalla.
Microsoft typically confirms its latest Xbox Game Pass additions via fortnightly blog posts, but does sometimes like to spring surprises on fans. Alas, this is not one of them.
Speaking to Eurogamer today following press reports that suggested Valhalla was due to arrive on Game Pass in the near future, Ubisoft confirmed this was not the case.
"This was an error and has been corrected," an Ubisoft spokesperson told me.
A Game Pass release for Valhalla now, two years on from release, certainly wouldn't sound out of the question - especially as it is soon set to receive its final update.
In December, a free epilogue for Valhalla will be released, wrapping up the game's final dangling plot threads before Ubisoft looks to Baghdad as its setting for Assassin's Creed Mirage in 2023.
A release on Game Pass would also act as a handy platform through which Ubisoft could widen the game's audience that has so far notched up $1bn in revenue from the game - including the sale of its three expansions as well as countless cosmetic extras.
But other leaks - ones Ubisoft is yet to publicly acknowledge - suggest Valhalla is still a way off going into Game Pass... at least on PC. Why? Because it looks very much like Valhalla and other Ubisoft titles will instead soon be getting versions sold through Steam.


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The grocery store agency pleaded responsible to 2 well being and security offences at Studying Magistrates Courtroom earlier this week after the incident in 2017 at their retailer in Warfield, Berkshire.
The boy was reaching right into a freezer when he was electrocuted by a wire uncovered by a free rail which left him with a burn and ache in his chest and leg.
The native Public Safety Partnership stated procedures “weren’t adopted correctly” after employees had been instructed what occurred and the freezer was nonetheless getting used the subsequent day till it was ultimately switched off.
Retailer information confirmed the rail was recognized to be free and had been patched up with glue and tape earlier than the accident.
A Tesco spokeswoman stated: “This incident at our retailer in Bracknell in July 2017 mustn’t have occurred – as we acknowledged in courtroom, on this event we didn’t meet our excessive requirements with regards to well being and security.
“We instantly refreshed colleague coaching on our well being and security and upkeep escalation procedures at this retailer after the incident passed off.”
The £536,000 wonderful additionally included prices and a sufferer’s surcharge.
Councillor John Harrison, Government Member for Tradition, Supply and Public Safety at Bracknell Forest Council, stated: “This investigation which adopted an incident the place a baby was electrocuted within the retailer revealed important breaches of well being and security laws and that is clearly mirrored within the sentencing.
“The council will at all times observe up issues about well being and security issues in premises the place it’s chargeable for enforcement and if anybody has issues they need to contact our environmental well being workforce.”


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- Fixing Australia’s “backward” national cybersecurity posture requires “fresh thinking” on skills, resources: ACSC
- Deal in the works? BlackBerry delays Pakistan retreat by one month
- Flaws in Huawei WiMax routers won't be fixed, researcher says
- Data breach of toy maker VTech leaked photos of children, parents
- The week in security: Root-certificate stuff-ups send Dell, device makers scrambling
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- Google accused of tracking school kids after it promised not to
- HP exits low-cost tablet market in product shakeup
- Can computers write hit musicals? At this London theater, we'll soon find out
- Consumer SSDs and hard drive prices are nearing parity
- Cortana now gets business data from Microsoft's Power BI service


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BEAUTY targets to maintain gross margin of 69%. It plans to introduce a new product in 3Q15. 2H15 is expected to be good thanks to seasonality. The plan to set up a distributor in Indonesia is expected to be finalized in 3Q15. It expects Bt1.7bn revenue from abroad this year. (Thun Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: Since templeton bought in, share price hasn’t gone anywhere, a sign of a peak perhaps?
CGS is dealing with Neo & Partners Global, a Singapore partner to introduce a new innovation, DMA for investors who trade stocks and derivatives via the Internet. (Thun Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: Zzzz no impact on earnings.
FPI expects 2Q15 earnings to grow, backed by numerous orders and the baht depreciation. It targets 10% revenue growth in 2015. It plans to increase production utilization to 85% after warehouse is finished. (Khao Hoon, 23/06/15)
GFPT is confident 2Q15 earnings will beat forecasts. It expects 5-10% export growth and 7-8% revenue growth this year. It plans to expand poultry farms in the second half of the year. (Khao Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: Still the best chicken co in town.
MATCH is considering revising down 2015 revenue target because the economic slowdown is leading to postponement of movie production and a drop in ads. (Khao Hoon, 23/06/15)
MC will conduct a roadshow in UK at the end of June. It expects 2Q15 revenue to be better than 1Q15’s Bt910mn, benefitting from demand growth. It is dealing with a partner to launch a new product, expected to be concluded this year. (Thun Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: Well…I still don’t care much for this company. I understand the potential idea here 1) Consumer co therefore should have a high PE 2) Fashion co therefore it should have a high PE 3) Will be expanding throughout the region therefore it should have a high PE but 1) It’s not performing well anymore 2) Multi brand multi product biz model will have them competing against the international majors and I don’t see MC winning that game.
MK will ask its board for approval to raise capital by 131.62mn shares on Aug 26. The objective of this capital increase to buy Prospect Development for Bt1.2bn. MK expects this purchase will add business opportunities. (Khao Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: So it looks like the new shareholders of MK are going to do a backdoor listing of Prospect Development
PCA has introduced a new digital set-top box, Smart remote 4 HD. Management believes the new product will have a good response. NBTC has postponed the expiration date of the digital coupon for two months. (ASTV, 23/06/15)
PPP is dealing with a partner to invest in a 20-30MW solar farm and a 20-30MW biomass power plant. These are expected to be built this year and start contributing revenue next year. It targets 10-20% revenue from solar roof business. (Thun Hoon, 23/06/15)
PRIN expects to revise down 2015 sales target from Bt3bn and plans to launch three new projects rather than five. (Khao Hoon, 23/06/15)
ROJNA expects 2015 revenue to beat Bt17.83bn with net profit of Bt1.04bn (+41%) backed by TICON and booking revenue from selling electricity. (Khao Hoon, 23/06/15)
RS plans to hold a roadshow for foreign investors. It believes Channel 8 will be primary to support its revenue and net profit. (Thun Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: Once the bloodshed has finished in the industry I still think RS could be a winner
SAM expects a net profit in 3Q15 and a lower loss in 2Q15 thanks to recovery of steel price and new orders. It targets 2015 sales of 60,000-70,000 tons. It plans to produce high-quality steel for PTT group. (Khao Hoon, 23/06/15)
SPA announced progress in acquiring a spa abroad, China is the first. It plans to open a shop to sell spa products which it expects to generate 70% gross margin. 2015 revenue is expected to grow 50%. (Thun Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: A listed Spa company, high margins, asset light, high ROE, has china, not a bad idea? Now if only the stock was cheaper.
TIPCO expects robust earnings in 2Q15 with 10% revenue growth. It plans to broaden its market. 2015 net profit is expects to mark a record high aided by booking Bt772mn profit sharing from TASCO. (Thun Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: The only value in TIPCO is it’s holding in TASCO, because otherwise its core business has been performing poorly, they are spending a small fortune on marketing just to maintain its high market share, but aren’t able to make a profit
TTA will issue a Bt2bn three-year debenture in July 2015 with 2.4% coupon rate (BBB rating from TRIS). Management says the objective is to refinance, increasing liquidity and to fund possible investment in new business. (Bangkok Bisnews, 23/06/15)
Comment: I think the news is incorrect here, the coupon is 4.2% which isn’t that bad with all things considered
UPA’s 6-20MW power plant in Myanmar has started and it expects to book revenue soon. UPA is ready to invest in another 150-200MW power plant next year. It is confident 2015 performance will turn around. (Khao Hoon, 23/06/15)
Comment: Who is this company? I think its worth a look now.


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Moretto will demonstrate a working example of its ‘Moisture Meter’ system at K 2016, as it announces global availability of the resin moisture analyser.
At Moretto’s stand there will be a working display of the system installed on a running injection moulding machine producing a standard medical device. With this instrument it is possible to certify the production of plastic parts, and, when installed directly on the processing machine, it measures the actual moisture content of the plastic granules.
No calibration is required, says Moretto, with the operator needing only to select the polymer to be treated before the Moisture Meter works to establish how much water remains in the process resin.
In addition, Moretto will present several exclusive solutions at K 2016, including ‘XD 10’, a high performance mini-dryer; ‘DGM’, a continuous batch gravimetric dosing unit; and ‘EXA’, a conveying system for up to six stations.
Find them - Hall 11, Stand H57


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The time of year when Apple releases its new flagship iPhone series is rapidly approaching.
By Hemaja Burud
The iPhone 14 lineup is anticipated to have four new models: the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max, as we've covered in great detail.
The iPhone 14 small won't be released this year. As an alternative, Apple is preparing two 6.1-inch variants and two 6.7-inch models.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max are anticipated to have a similar design to the iPhone 13, while Apple has more significant alterations planned for the iPhone 14 Pro models.
Numerous sources claim that the pill hole will replace the notch on both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
This suggests that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will have pill-shaped and hole-punched cutouts in place of the notch display cutout design, which originally appeared with the iPhone X.
The rear-facing and selfie cameras on the iPhone 14 series are also anticipated to receive significant advancements.
While the iPhone 14 Pro will employ the new A16 chip, the iPhone 14 will use the same A15 chip as the iPhone 13. A new always-on display will also be available in the iPhone 14 Pro variants.
You would be much better off waiting for the iPhone 14 than purchasing one right away, and this isn't simply because it would be the "latest and greatest"
The fact that other models will become less expensive as a result of the arrival of the iPhone 14 is one of the main arguments for delaying purchase till that model is available.
You will be able to order an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 for less money when the iPhone 14 becomes available. Whether you purchase from Apple directly or a third party, this is true.


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These Are The Five Best-Paying Job Roles In Cannabis, WEEDAR Reveals
Finding stable clerical positions in the cannabis space will only become easier as the industry matures. While nearly every industry has been impacted by economic uncertainty and AI-induced job losses, few are as resilient as cannabis.
The team behind WEEDAR, a loyalty and distribution platform for cannabis brands, wanted to find out which jobs in the cannabis industry are well paid, in high demand and don’t require any special skills.
To do this, they examined 2,000 job postings on LinkedIn to find the five highest-paying white-collar jobs in the cannabis industry with salaries of up to $115,000. This means that the data in the report is based on the current job pool and not on estimates. Management and sales experience seem to lead to higher pay in many cases.
The five highest paying jobs in the cannabis industry include:
- Cannabis Sales Managers with an average salary of $113,660.
- Cannabis Marketing Managers with an average salary of $73,360.
- Cannabis Business Operations Managers averaging $73,360.
- Cannabis consultants with an average salary of $67,716.
- Cannabis delivery drivers with an average salary of $39,877.
“Cannabis can provide fairly reliable jobs for the United States markets for a number of reasons: The first reason is that it’s an essential business,” explains Jonathan Bohun, Founder and CEO of WEEDAR, meaning “essential.” “It doesn’t matter if the country gets worse or better. You still need to relax. People still need their medicine.”
“The second reason is that the cannabis industry is pretty young nationwide,” says Bohun. “And it’s still growing, so anyone who has now found a job in the cannabis market can rest assured that things are only going up. So yes, I would say cannabis jobs are pretty stable and more and more companies are coming from a venture capital background and there is a lot of funding coming into the market.”
The full report can be found here.
The cannabis market continues to grow and thrive, having grown fivefold in size in five years. It already employs nearly 430,000 Americans, according to the most recent annual Leafly Jobs Report, prepared in partnership with Whitney Economics. At this rate, the industry will add 108,000 new jobs in 2023, making it one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S., CannabizTeam estimates.
The maturing market creates new requirements. This is where WEEDAR comes in, combining augmented reality (AR) powered shopping experiences and gamified loyalty programs for cannabis brands.
This means people can buy their favorite brands in 3D, have them rotate and so on, using AR-enabled product delivery and future technologies to enhance the experience.
“WEEDAR is a customer engagement and loyalty platform for brands,” says Bohun. “Currently, there is no one-stop solution on the market for brands to reach their customers. Currently the way it works is that most programs are attached via a license to a site user or to a supply or retail license. For example, if you go to certain shops, you can collect coins there. And it doesn’t usually really work for brands because different stores use different points of sale and different software,” he explains of how they handle things differently.
“At WEEDAR we have developed and provided a tool that allows brands to design and implement their own loyalty program without being restricted to specific locations,” he says.
Last January, WEEDAR announced that it had raised $1.5 million in a seed funding round led by an anonymous private investor, bringing the company’s total fundraising to $2.3 million.
Bohun explained what the company plans to do next.
“It doesn’t matter where you buy a branded product,” says Bohun. “We bring them on board with WEEDAR and we can reach the customer directly and build strong relationships, no matter where the customer wants a product. That’s the main idea behind it and we’re building the collectibles marketplace where we’re connecting the artist-influencer-actress with cannabis brands and we’re producing Limit the Drops for example.”
Weedar says its NFT offering is the first-ever NFT-based loyalty scheme that pays users to engage with the platform, encourages users to stay, and gives them money back. Offering free NFTs with purchases that users can trade or resell makes WEEDAR “the first and only platform where consumers can make money buying weed,” according to the company.
“Right now we have a few drops for April 20th where we have a couple of artists showcasing the biggest cannabis brands out there,” says Bohun. “They do limited drops of 1000 to 5000 units, a drop that will never be repeated. And there is also added value when you receive not only flowers or cannabis products, but also collectibles […]. And so the customer gets a free NFT with each of these collectibles and can collect various perks from those NFTs.”
The company plans to expand to Washington, New York, Florida and Michigan in 2023. Download the top-rated WEEDAR app from the Apple App Store.
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Black Friday Sales Brisk in 1st Hour
The eMag logisitcs warehouse in Hungary in the days before the 2023 Black Friday sale.
Photo by eMag
Retailer eMag kicked off its Black Friday sales at 7:10 a.m. today (Friday, Nov. 17), during the first hour of which the average shopper spent 7% more than last year, typically browsing offers on their smartphone and requesting an easybox pick-up. The first-hour figures show a significant increase in sales of everyday consumer goods ordered this year, but demand for clothing and home furnishings has also risen.
The sale was launched with 1.5 million products on offer, 1.2 million of which were said to be available at this year's best prices. Emag will be delivering Black Friday orders from its 117,000 square meter Hungarian logistics center, which opened earlier this year and includes a number of automation solutions, by Dec. 1 at the latest.
Based on first-hour figures, the average basket value of Black Friday is 7% higher than last year, with everyday consumer goods (washing and cleaning products, durable food, and drinks) generating as many sales in the first hour as in the first half of Black Friday 2022.
Clothing and fashion items at eMag saw a significant increase of more than 200% in value at the start of Black Friday, with customers ordering around twice as many home furnishings and home accessories as this time last year, and beauty sales in the first hour were one and a half times higher than in 2022.
As was the case last year, traditional toys (such as Lego and board games), but also game consoles and accessories are popular this year, with many people saying they are likely to buy children's Christmas gifts in the Black Friday sale.
The most popular product categories in the first hour of Black Friday:
1. MDA (large home appliances)
2. Mobile Phones
4. House Cleaning
6. SDA (small home appliances)
7. Gaming Consoles
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