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Mar. 22, 2016 — Researchers and academics across the Isle are proposing the use of its own cryptocurrency, RSCoin.
The Vanbex Report is a periodic summary of the blockchain industry’s top news stories from the biggest companies, as well as the most promising newcomers.
RSCoin: The Next Big Permissioned Blockchain
The proposal, first presented by University College of London researchers, also comes at a time when communities across Britain are weighing whether or not to depart from the European Union (EU) knowing it will disrupt, among other items, trade agreements and potentially the UK’s position as a hub for FinTech innovation.
The “Brexit” referendum has been a subject of thought since 2013 when Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron pledged that a Tory re-election in 2015 would lead to a renegotiation of Britain’s membership and a vote on the ultimate decision to remain or leave the EU.
The Conservatives won the election by a majority, the first such majority since 1992. In late February, Cameron slated June 23 as the day Britain will decide in a simple in-out referendum.
Britain leaving the EU will of course have potential domestic ramifications. In particular, the FinTech industry, which Reuters reported were not keen to the idea of the UK exiting, citing concerns that Britain’s momentum in the space could dissipate or decrease, trading relationships would have to be renegotiated and consequently investors could be scared away.
The worries are speculative but there.
Reuters further reported, seven out of 10 FinTech companies they spoke to expressed their intentions to move their headquarters out of London to a more favorable destination like Dublin or Luxembourg if Britain exits.
All 10, according to Reuters, said a British exit from the EU was a serious concern for their businesses.
Meanwhile, as UK FinTechs mull over Brexit, UCL researchers, George Danezis and Sarah Meiklejohn, with the Bank of England, are seemingly steadfast in creating a digital currency supported by blockchain technology.
“RSCoin would be a closed, “permissioned” blockchain,” meaning only the central bank and vetted operators would be allowed to validate RSCoin transactions.
The objective is to offer the advantages of digital currency, something fast, cheap and where transactions are permanently recorded in a shared distributed ledger. On the Bitcoin network anyone can be an anonymous node; centrally banked cryptocurrency must be transparent and open.
To put things into perspective, the UK FinTech centre generated 6.6 billion pounds ($9.4 billion) in revenue and attracted £524 million (over $700 million) in investment in 2015 according to accounting firm Ernst & Young (EY) who was commissioned by the UK government to conduct a study into the pacy, cutting edge sector.
EY reported, the fast-growing sector employs 61,000 people (5% of the total financial services workforce) and more people are working in the UK FinTech scene than in New York, “or in the combined FinTech workforce of Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.”
The UK FinTech ecosystem is world-leading in many aspects, EY stating affirmatively that, “the UK has the strongest FinTech policy environment, with the most supportive regulatory regime.”
But competition is fierce globally, the U.S. (California and New York), Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia are all home to vibrant FinTech ecosystems.
And while the UK sits third largest by region in capital investment, the United States is a powerhouse in comparison with £3.6 billion (approximately $5.2 billion) raised in California and the c.£1.4b ($2 billion) raised in New York in 2015.
Furthermore, Singapore and Australia are also increasingly progressive in their policy-making.
So while the talent pool is strong in London, there is competition brewing globally and decisions must be made in full context, from both viewpoints.
The exit or erosion of the UK FinTech community could hinder advancement of the nation’s own digital movement, something that seems counterintuitive to the government’s current trajectory.
Furthermore, with the release of a digitized national currency, the proliferation of analytics tools, reporting services, and consumer applications built around a government-backed cryptocurrency could ensue, brightening an already bright spot for FinTech innovation.
Also Read: VC FinTech Funding Sets Record in 2015
“It’s absolutely ridiculous. Companies said they’d do this if we didn’t join the euro, and how many of them up and left when we didn’t?” Jordan Ryan, a spokesman for “Out” campaign group Leave.EU, said to Reuters. “Nobody’s going anywhere. It happens every single vote.”
London is a global financial capital.
As reported by EY, London provides supportive regulations, an accessible Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and “effective tax incentives and numerous government programmes designed to promote competition and innovation which indirectly support FinTechs (e.g., Open API and Mandatory Referrals).”
It’s for these reasons London is a hub for FinTech innovations.
The decry of FinTech companies that it’s no Brexit or their own exit is rash and they may be taking for granted the progressive environment the UK offers the emerging industry.
Startups that flocked to London stated they “are nervous about losing access to European customers, tech talent and funding,” according to Reuters.
The worry is a Brexit would mean isolation from Europe and those key segments of their industry. But such fear and worry is missing the global context.
The EU’s single market reduces costs by eliminating tariffs on goods and services between the union’s 28 member-states. It also removes the necessity of having to create two dozen or so products so as to fit to regulatory standards.
Amid the UK’s deteriorating trading position, however, it’s meaningless.
In the final quarter of 2015, “The shortfall between exports and imports widened from £8.6bn in the third quarter to £10.4bn,” as reported by The Guardian.
The dragging global economy and the strength of the sterling, especially against the euro, are hampering the UK’s ability to push its goods and services, whether within the EU or emerging markets.
A weak economy does nothing for growth and investment.
The FinTech industry is also still awaiting regulatory direction from government agencies and boards. Whether or not Britain exits the EU, regulation will be handed down and it isn’t between national or trading lines but between traditional and conventional structures.
Moreover, talent follows the money, in most respects.
With billions of dollars in capital investment flooding into the U.S.-based ecosystem, the UK should be concerned their domestic talent will flow there in lieu of the greater earning potential and opportunity as the sector advances.
The FinTech industry is global, and while London is a big fish in the EU pond, access and benefit within the single market does little toward establishing a competitive advantage over, or a link with, the U.S., Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.
Exiting the EU could be a benefit with smart negotiations centred on UK interests. It could open access to talent within the FinTech ecosystem and help ease immigration of non-EU citizens.
In addition, a demonstrable desire to seek stronger ties outside the union may spur greater incentive in venture capitalists to funnel the money entering other FinTech hubs, into London.
Distance to market, long-standing trade ties and ally nations, it would be economically unsavvy and frankly shocking if nations like Germany or France, countries that trade in hundreds of billions of pounds in goods and services with the UK, to abruptly shut the tap.
In fact, it’s ludicrous to think anything would drastically be altered to the point of halting the already meagre growth projected in Europe.
As the report in January 2014 by the Centre for European Reform stated, the “rich countries on Britain’s doorstep,” would likely be Britain’s largest trading partners even if the EU did not exist.
If Britain stays or exits, it will be business as usual.
The UK government will not pursue any action that it cannot foreseeably see a benefit in, especially if it could harm their greater economic good.
The adoption of RSCoin means the mainstreaming of FinTech innovation. It’s also a signal. It illustrates the UK government does not plan to rest on laurels or the traditional.
The investment and world leading progressive policy-making should be proof enough that Brexit or not, the government has designs on embracing the disruptive change the emerging FinTech community is producing.
Some news stories from this past week:
UK Financial Regulator Takes Progressive Stance on Robo-Advisors
Recognized gap in advice market points to automation as solution
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reported in its Financial Advice Market Review last Monday that it was in favour of “automated advice models” or, robo-advisors.
The financial authority believes a gap in the advice market could and should be filled by innovations in automated technology.
Last August, concerns were raised that “financial advice in the UK was not working well for all consumers.” The report stated that up to 16 million people in the UK could be trapped in a “financial advice gap.” Simply put, they require advice but can’t afford it. Robo-advice or robo-advisors can alleviate this issue.
Already automation is taking the place of human advisors in the UK banking world. The Royal Bank of Scotland recently announced it will be cutting 550 jobs in place of an automated system.
Also Read: RBS Cuts 550 Jobs for Robo-Advisors
Switzerland Seeks to Spark FinTech Innovation
First cohort will launch summer 2016
Switzerland’s top financial institutions, UBS and Credit Suisse, along with Switzerland’s leading ICT provider Swisscom, Swiss Life and global consultancy firm Ernst & Young came together to provide a FinTech accelerator program based out of Zurich.
The first cohort is set to launch this summer and is designed for start-ups worldwide that are still in an early stage of development.
The initiative is also supported by Swiss Finance Startups and Swiss Finance and Technology Association. The Swiss initiative will also exist under the Kickstart Accelerator program umbrella, itself an offshoot of DigitalZurich2025, an initiative aimed at promoting Switzerland as one of the leading locations for digital companies.
Also Read: Can Ottawa Become a FinTech Force
Vancouver FinTech Conference Sells Out in Record Time
The event takes place Apr. 14, with a preceding gala event to launch new association
The second annual Vancouver FinTech Conference sold out in weeks, a record time, showing the growing interest of the emerging field in Canada.
The event, set to take place Apr. 14, is organized by the Digital Finance Institute.
The conference will be preceded by a gala event on Apr.13 to launch the new FinTech Association of Canada. In addition, a FinTech Report analyzing the opportunities for British Columbia to lead in financial technology will also be released.
Visit FinTech2016.com for more information, including the list of international speakers attending the conference.
Some Upcoming Events …
Bitcoin And Blockchain Leadership Forum
The forum takes place on Mar. 23 in Central London. The Bitcoin and Blockchain Leadership Forum launched in May 2015. Go to bblf.info to register.
Smart Contracts, Blockchain & Data Standards
A free half-day FinTech forum hosted by XBRL US will be held on Apr. 4 in New York City. Speakers from Consensys, ItBit, Markit, Nasdaq, Safeguard Scientifics will be featured. For more information visit: http://goo.gl/kXe3jQ.
Money 20/20 Europe
Touted as an “experience for European innovators” and “catalyst for the growth and development of the payments and financial services ecosystem.” To register go to: money2020europe.com/register-2016.
World’s Largest Blockchain Trade Show
Debut in Toronto, Sept. 19-21. For more information visit http://goo.gl/wSzLmI
Email: [email protected]
PH: (604) 379-9032


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By Oluwafemi Popoola
Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has condoled with the family and friends of his 28-year-old personal shoemaker and friend, Ojima Omale, popularly called OJBEST, who passed away on 27th February 2022.
The young entrepreneur and shoe designer went viral on social media after he made a post on Twitter tagging the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for patronage about his shoe products.
In response to the tweet, Professor Osinbajo being a staunch advocate of Made in Nigerian products sent his aides to visit the promising entrepreneur with the aim to help expand his business.
At the behest of the Vice President, the shoemaker went to Aso villa to take the measurement of the Prof Osinbajo and afterwards made some pairs of good shoes for him.
His story then became a revelation and inspiration to many small business owners across the country and on social media space due to the Vice President’s subtle validation of his craft.
But unfortunately, his death was announced via his Twitter page — a few hours after it was revealed that he suffered a “serious attack.”
The tweet read “Painful exit! Call to Glory. The CEO of OJ Best footwear is Dead.”
PAINFUL EXIT!! Call to Glory, the CEO of OJBest footwear is Dead. pic.twitter.com/FDUM53NxKc
— OJBEST👞👞🕑 (@Ojbest5) February 27, 2022
The announcement is believed to have come from a member of the family of the deceased.
Osinbajo, commenting on the unfortunate death of the young star expressed his sadness upon hearing the news, describing him as his friend, a talented and creative one, dedicated to his craft.
According to the Vice President, “I am deeply saddened by the news of the sudden death of Mr Ojima Omale, aka OJBEST, 28, my young enterprising shoemaker and friend.”
“Omale was CEO of O.J Best Footwears. He was talented, creative and dedicated to his craft. I never ceased to be impressed by his exertions for perfection in his products.
“I and many members of my team, for whom he also made shoes, will miss him, his services and unfailing good humour.
“Our thoughts are with his family as we pray that God will comfort them. May his memory remain blessed. Amen.
The Vice President, also posted his tributes to OJBEST in a thread personally signed via his verified Twitter handle.
I am deeply saddened by the news of the sudden death of Mr. Ojima Omale, aka OJBEST, 28, my young enterprising shoemaker and friend.
Omale was CEO of O.J Best Footwears. He was talented, creative and dedicated to his craft. pic.twitter.com/jrh3WLlKP6
— Prof Yemi Osinbajo (@ProfOsinbajo) February 28, 2022

domain: news


text: if silver drops much further will just forget about SLW and buy more bullion! Baltic dry index is breaking out to new highs ... there is no deflation ... oil rising - china still growing as is india and africa about to take off. Fed will do more easing! BUY BUY BUY gone to the grocery store lately? there is already huge inflation and its going to go up!


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Some of the other things said really rang true. For example, that despite the publishers (with Steve Jobs help) having run roughshod over Amazon to drive up e-book prices, customers are voting with pocketbooks:
We have definitely seen a shift. We have data for the last 15 years on books. And since some of the publishers have decided to price their e-book above $9.99, we’ve definitely seen a shift of customers going to e-books that are $9.99 or less. The good news for them is that the selection of those books is very dramatic. We have about 630,000 books that are not public domain titles and of those 510,000 are sold for $9.99 or less. Of The New York Times best-sellers, 80 of them are $9.99 or less. So customers are voting with their pocketbook…
That’s so true in our family. We wait for the books to come down in price and meanwhile plenty to choose from at lesser prices. It’s something of a pity Amazon’s recommendation engine doesn’t let me just tell it to leave out anything over $9.99.
Meanwhile, there was this great article about coffee shops and restaurants banning computers and eBooks. It’s bad enough to see that happening in an enlightened city like NY, but ridiculous in the heart of Silicon Valley. Yet, the prohibition against computers at lunch was very much in effect the last time I was at University Cafe in Palo Alto. No matter, customers will vote with pocketbooks there too. Shameful to do that in the Valley, though. Just embarassing.


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“I often skip one meal a day to save money to send to my family in Bajaur,” says labourer Mir Zaman, while looking at a restaurant menu where Koila Karhai costs Rs.900 per kilogramme.
At around 1:45pm, at the Fresco Chowk, near the Burns Road food street in Karachi, 47-year-old Zaman, who hails from the Bajaur Agency in Fata, was among the 15 or so labourers waiting to get a day’s work. In Karachi, he lives in a dera at Pakistan Chowk, I.I. Chundrigar Road, with fellow Pushtun labourers. “Sometimes, it’s difficult to get work for days, and in case of a strike in the city, my work cycle gets jammed,” he says.
Zaman’s is not a lone voice. The frequent strike calls by political and religious parties are frustrating some 20 million people of Karachi. “Every shutdown in the city incurs a loss of at least Rs.2.5 billion to national exchequer,” says Iftikhar Vohra, President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI).
“What is our sin?” asks Atiq Mir, Chairman of All Karachi Traders Alliance. Strikes called by the two major political parties in Karachi are devastating businesses. Shop owners are laying-off salesmen due to the shrinking economic activity, thus increasing the number of unemployed people living in the country’s metropolis. “In some extortion cases, it was unearthed that salesmen were directly or indirectly involved because they are facing monetary problems.”
Most representatives of business fraternity believe that lack of law and order and frequent strikes are discouraging investment — factory owners are more cautious about production while shopkeepers are uncertain about inventories. They say flourishing business entails opening prosperous avenues, ranging from increasing foreign reserves to generating employment.
Khalid Khan, President Goods Carrier Association, says, “80 per cent heavy transport operators and drivers park their vehicles during lockdowns due to fear of destruction. During strikes, only Port Qasim functions because it is far from the city centre”.
Likewise, 50 per cent people avoid travelling upcountry on buses on strike days. A day before the strike, petrol pumps and shopping centres are closed either due to threats or aerial firing.
Karachi Customs Agent Association estimates on average 2,350 import delivery containers reach three different port terminals of Karachi — Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT) and Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT). “When there is a strike, goods transporters refuse to load the containers. The authorities charge Rs.2,400 to Rs.4,400 demurrage [fine imposed on importer for his extra use of port vicinity] and container rent,” says Khurram Ijaz, General Secretary Karachi Customs Agent Association.
Also, 1,500 containers carrying export delivery goods arrive regularly on three container terminals. “On the days of lockdown, exporters do not dispatch their consignment from factories for security concerns. Due to such delays, the exporters fail to meet deadlines of international buyers because vessels have to sail according to their schedule,” says Ijaz.
Atiq Mir of All Karachi Traders Alliance discloses that fear factor is compelling many traders to close their businesses — “Certain traders receive phone calls and messages to support the strike”.
Mir Afzal, President Sindh Bus Owner Association, says, “Various outfits urge us to issue press statements in favour of the lockdown”.
According to statistics collected by the Private Schools Management Association, out of 365 days in a year, schoolchildren go to school for 170 days. Strikes and other emergency calls bring the number of school days further down. Khalid Shah, Chairman Private Schools Management Association says, “Children consider announcement of school closure as a happy moment. The are oblivious of the fact that their city is on fire.”
The Private Schools Management Association has never received phone calls from any quarter pressing for school closures. Khalid Shah says, “On days of strike, we rely on the report of our 18 coordinators” and when a lockdown is announced, “we usually close the schools — because parents avoid sending their children and van drivers refuse to pick and drop children to school due to apprehensions.”
The University of Karachi and its affiliated institutions regularly announce the cancellation of examinations on the days of strike.
Of late, political and religious parties have started to call off strikes by the afternoon, allowing people to kickstart their day. But, a majority of schools operate in the morning, so by the time the city gets normal, the school day is already wasted.
Also, “if a labourer arrives at work at 5pm, how will he, say, load a 40-feet container before the sun sets,” says Khalid Khan.
On average, 10,000 vehicles come to Karachi from all over Pakistan for loading and unloading purposes everyday. On December 27, 2007 when Chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Liaquat Bagh Rawalpindi, more than 1,500 trucks and trawlers carrying goods for Punjab and KP were destroyed. But only 10 per cent vehicles were compensated.
Similarly, more than 50,000 small and large commercial buses operate in Sindh. On the day of BB’s assassination, around 3,000 buses were damaged and the committee headed by former provincial secretary Transport, Rasheed Alam, settled only 978 compensation claims.
Mir Afzal, President of Sindh Bus Owners Association, says that they have written letters to PM, CM Sindh and other government officials, requesting that whenever a vehicle is set on fire, an FIR should be registered against the party head, and he should compensate for the loss.
Responding to a question on the provision of security during protest calls, Atiq Mir says, “The law enforcement agencies cannot provide security. We know their strength. Asking the Sindh government for protection is like asking a dead body…”
Khalid Khan adds, “Only a matchstick and fuel is needed to set a person’s lifetime earning ablaze. Police never arrest a culprit”.


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The Coronavirus pandemic has people all around the world changing how they live their lives. Now, as many Americans move to self-isolation in the coming weeks, the shipping industry expects an uptick of package volume. However, consumers find themselves with a new worry of whether or not they can be infected with Coronavirus from touching package surfaces.
According to the WHO, Consumers Can’t Get Coronavirus from Packages
If you worry you might pick up COVID-19 from an international package, you can rest easy. Epidemiologists maintain that Coronavirus spreads mostly through respiratory droplets. That means that people get the virus through coughs, sneezes, and breaths from other infected individuals.
According to the WHO, the virus also has poor survivability on surfaces. International packages move and travel through a variety of different temperatures and conditions, and this makes it even more difficult for coronaviruses to survive on their surfaces. Therefore, consumers are at very low risk for getting the virus when handling packages or any goods inside of them.
The following is an excerpt from the FAQ’s on the World Health Organization website:
“…there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. Currently there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods, and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods.”
So, consumers should feel safe receiving packages from anywhere in the world…even highly infected areas.
USPS is Still Maintaining Operations During the Pandemic
For anyone wondering if USPS plans on shutting down operations due to the pandemic, the answer is currently no. On March, USPS said the following:
“The Postal Service is continuing to monitor the circumstances around the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Currently, we are not experiencing operational impacts as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic and we are using this time to review/revise our contingency plans should they be needed.”
As it currently stands, USPS has yet to rescind or change their statement, and business is still fully operational.
Visit the USPS website if you’d like to read the Postal Service’s full statement on COVID-19.


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Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Michael Davis offered help to a Mexican family in California whose food and grocery business had been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Associated with the PepsiCo company, Davis presented the Mexican entrepreneurs, the Rico family, with a check for 50,000 dollars so that the family can carry out a work with which they hope to boost their business.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, in addition to the money, Davis left a couple of tickets for the 2022 Super Bowl of the National Football League (NFL), which on Sunday, February 13, will be played by the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinatti Bengals at SoFI Stadium. , in Los Angeles. Those who buy five or more products at El Mercadito, the Rico family’s store, participate in the draw for tickets to the grand finale.
The market is located in Inglewood, in Los Angeles County. His clients are mostly the Latino community in the area. The Rico family accessed the premises in 2021. At first, sales went well. The explosion of the Delta and Ómicron variants of the coronavirus put the business in check from one month to the next.
The Rico family will build a restaurant
As already mentioned, the Rico family suffered the ravages of the last wave of the coronavirus. If necessary, the owners of El Mercadito consider it essential to add a restaurant to the grocery store. For this they needed capital that they did not have.
Soccer player Michael Davis found out about the situation these Mexican migrants were experiencing. He didn’t hesitate for a second. He moved his influences, contacted PepsiCo executives and got the financing: a check for 50 thousand dollars that he himself took care of delivering to them in his business.
“Our children have grown up here from when we were employees and now as owners of the business. We wanted to have an opportunity for our children, to be business owners, and now we are working together as a family. It has been a bit difficult, but we continue working together,” Silvia, one of the founders of the business, told the Los Angeles Times.
Davis’s Mexican Roots
As soon as he learned about the Rico story, Michael Davis told his mother, who is of Mexican nationality. It was his mother who encouraged him to carry out the project.
“My first thought was ‘wow, $50,000 for a business, for a Hispanic family, oh yeah, I’ll be there for them.’ I’m Hispanic, I’m Mexican and whatever Mexicans do, I have to be there to support them because they support me,” said the Chargers football player.
Johannes Evenblij, president of PepsiCo for the western region of the United States, vindicated solidarity moves like this: “Hispanic businesses were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. This help is part of the ‘Together We Grow’ program, which is a program that the company launched last year as a result of seeing this problem”.
READ MORE: These are the victims of the tragedy of the Astroworld Festival in Houston
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August 4, 2015
Have you ever heard of Moo Tubes? If you haven't, perhaps your dog has. Beaver Creek Products, LLC in York may be one of the newest businesses in the community, but the company is helping the beef industry in their own way by using beef byproducts to produce all natural pet treats. "We are using U.S.-sourced beef offal products and processing them for use as pet treats," says plant manager, Will Williamsen. "Right now we are using beef ears, trachea, steer pizzle and faceplate and oxtail rawhide products," he says. "We are adding value to a product that would normally go to rendering or the pharmaceutical industry."
ADDED VALUE: "We are adding value to a product that would normally go to rendering or the pharmaceutical industry," says Beaver Creek Products plant manager, Will Williamsen.
Nebraska Cattlemen members toured the plant during the organization's midyear convention in York in June, acknowledging how this growing business is adding value to the beef carcass. Keeping in line with the wishes of customers, the company processes and packages all natural products, so there are no added flavors or coloring. Some of their products include Moo Tubes, which are trachea, as well as Bully Sticks and just plain Beef Ears, Williamsen says. "Our products are currently found mostly online through marketers like Simply American Chews, Pet Box and Copper's Classics." These online marketers tout the fact that their products are sourced in the U.S. and are naturally processed.
Williamsen grew up in York. "I spent 21 years in active duty in the U.S. Air Force and retired in July 2011," he says. "I think my management and supervisory skills from the Air Force contribute to me being able to do this job," explains Williamsen. "The thing I like most about the company is the innovation."
Although the company just opened in 2014, business is growing. "We are planning a 12,000 square-foot expansion to our plant, which would double our work force," he says. "That would bring us up to about 40 employees."
You can learn more about Beaver Creek Products by calling Williamsen at 402-362-1975.
Editor, Nebraska Farmer
Curt Arens began writing about Nebraska’s farm families when he was in high school. Before joining Farm Progress as a field editor in April 2010, he had worked as a freelance farm writer for 27 years, first for newspapers and then for farm magazines, including Nebraska Farmer.
His real full-time career, however, during that same period was farming his family’s fourth generation land in northeast Nebraska. He also operated his Christmas tree farm and grew black oil sunflowers for wild birdseed. Curt continues to raise corn, soybeans and alfalfa and runs a cow-calf herd.
Curt and his wife Donna have four children, Lauren, Taylor, Zachary and Benjamin. They are active in their church and St. Rose School in Crofton, where Donna teaches and their children attend classes.
Previously, the 1986 University of Nebraska animal science graduate wrote a weekly rural life column, developed a farm radio program and wrote books about farm direct marketing and farmers markets. He received media honors from the Nebraska Forest Service, Center for Rural Affairs and Northeast Nebraska Experimental Farm Association.
He wrote about the spiritual side of farming in his 2008 book, “Down to Earth: Celebrating a Blessed Life on the Land,” garnering a Catholic Press Association award.
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Get ready for some fun, Orlando.
The theme park industry elite will gather in the City Beautiful on Nov. 14-18 for the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions expo, or IAAPA — the tourism industry’s premier convention.
The event, held at the Orange County Convention Center, showcases new amusement park products and innovations and generates $48 million-plus in annual economic impact.
It’s the place for many local companies to promote their theme park-related products and services, as well as the chance for others to provide the attendees with hotel rooms, meals, transportation, entertainment and more.
This is the event’s second time as part of its 10-year agreement to be hosted here.
Occupying nearly 1 million square feet of space, exhibitors show the latest food trends at attractions, next-generation roller coaster carts, new energy-efficient lighting options and advances in pyrotechnics.
Special events at the expo include a presentation by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment CEO Jim Atchison, who will speak about the changes and future strategies of his theme park. Participants also will hear from Thierry Coup, one of the minds behind The Wizarding World of Harry Potter; Jim Pattison Jr., president of Ripley Entertainment; and Pat Koch, director of values at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari.
Several exhibitors are sure to draw a lot of interest, including Logan, Utah-based Soaring Eagle Inc., a zip line maker that will have a zip line attraction set up at the event.
“IAAPA is a one-stop shop for the attractions industry,” said Colleen Mangone, spokeswoman with IAAPA. “It’s the place to learn what’s happening today and see the products of the future.”
Expo spells huge business for local vendors
David Peters will attend the annual IAAPA convention in Orlando, knowing it will attract more than 25,000 attendees looking for the latest upgrade to their attractions.
Peters’ Orlando-based entertainment products firm, PopNoggins LLC, is training employees to demo, sell and generate leads that can result in nearly $500,000 in business in those five days.
His company — which puts digital photos of customers’ heads on dancing bodies and turns the result into DVDs — is one of more than 1,100 exhibitors vying to showcase the latest products for attractions. “IAAPA has allowed us to do deals all over the world. This is the event.”
Lars Koch, president of EWorks Pro Inc., an Orlando-based amusement LED lighting firm, agreed. “About 60 percent of our yearly business is initiated there.”
The 2011 event will include at least 26 local businesses among thousands of others from Florida, the U.S. and internationally.
Event brings customers to hotels and attractions
Tourism and hospitality businesses will accommodate thousands of their own when the IAAPA expo comes to town Nov. 14-18.
This event’s 25,000 attendees will stay at local hotels and visit attractions in their free time.
That’s why locals such as Paul Proly, spokesman for Arabian Nights Dinner Attraction in Kissimmee, see the event not only as a place to see new things, but also as a chance to promote Arabian Nights to attendees.
The tourism industry has had a rough time during the economic downturn because consumers scaled back or skipped vacations for a while, but things are looking up.
Hotel occupancy in Orlando for September 2011 was 56.4 percent, up from 50.3 percent for the same month last year. Average daily room rates for the area increased 5.7 percent in September to $81.85 per room, up from $77.46 for the year-ago period.
Conventions such as IAAPA are a boon for the hotel industry and other businesses that rely on tourists and business travelers, said Alan Villaverde, managing director at The Peabody Orlando. “Conventions like IAAPA easily account for at least 40 percent of the business we get at our hotel.”


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Ohio Lawmakers Meet With GM Over Plant ClosingThree Ohio congressmen met with the head of General Motors Wednesday in Washington in their bid to keep an assembly plant from closing.
Ohio Senators To Meet With GM Chief Over Plant ClosingOhio's two U.S. senators say they'll meet with the head of General Motors this week to discuss what can be done to stop its northeastern Ohio assembly plant from closing.
Trump Threatens To Cut All GM SubsidiesPresident Donald Trump threatened on Tuesday to cut all General Motors subsidies after the automaker announced thousands of jobs cuts.
Latest: GM Slashes Thousands Of Jobs In Tech ShiftEven though unemployment is low, the economy is growing and U.S. auto sales are near historic highs, General Motors is cutting thousands of jobs in a major restructuring aimed at generating cash to spend on innovation.
President Trump Has Harsh Remarks For GM Over LayoffsPresident Donald Trump says his administration and lawmakers are exerting "a lot of pressure" on General Motors in response to its decision to cut up to 14,000 workers in North America and possibly shutter up to five plants.
GM To Stop Production Of 6 Vehicles, Close 3 Michigan Plants And Eliminate Thousands Of JobsGeneral Motors on Monday announced a major restructuring of its global business.
GM To Slash Over 14,000 Jobs In North AmericaGeneral Motors will lay off 14,700 factory and white-collar workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it restructures to cut costs and focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles.
Report: At Least 3,000 GM Workers Face LayoffsNo date has been set yet, but wide layoffs are expected at the auto giant.
Government Probing Whether GM SUV Recall Included Enough VehiclesThe U.S. government is investigating whether General Motors should expand a 2016 windshield wiper recall to include 1.7 million more SUVs.
Honda Teams Up With GM On Self-Driving CarsHonda and General Motors are teaming up to create a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles.
GM Recalls Over 1M Pickups, SUVs For Power Steering ProblemGeneral Motors is recalling more than a million big pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S. because of power-assisted steering problems that have been cited in a number of accidents.
GM Recalls Over 240K Vehicles To Fix Rear Brake ProblemGeneral Motors is recalling more than 240,000 vehicles, mainly in the U.S. and Canada, to fix a problem that could hamper rear brake performance.


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A prominent Gambian economist Nyang Njie says the resurgence of COVID-19, has brought another uncertainty on Gambia’s distressed economy. Economist analyst Njie told this medium that the future of Gambia’s economy remains bleak. “As I speak to you, the Gambian economy is trying to kick start, but it has made false steps in kick starting because at some point the economy that we have contained; COVID-19 and in the past few days, the resurgence of COVID-19, has once again put a dark cloud which brings another uncertainty on the economic visibility of The Gambia,” Njie remarked.
Njie says Gambia’s economic decline is due to the collapse in tourism and declines in tax revenues and remittances from the diaspora as COVID-19 also hits the countries where Gambian natives live and work.
“Sectors such tourism has suffered significantly. Equally Gambia is endowed with a big population of disaporans, these diasporans contributes significantly to remittance inflows into The Gambia and we all know what is happening to countries like the US, Canada, UK and others Scandinavian countries, which are residents to many Gambian diasporans, so therefore, inflows of remittance have also gone down,” Njie remarked.
Njie says cutting government borrowings and enforcing economic discipline could help the economy. He also urged transparency and accountability.
“Gambia needs what you call a road to recovery, the road to recovery starts with a very buoyant and vibrant strategy to make sure that The Gambian economy once again kickstarts and right now the policymakers should be in a position to come up with a winning strategy that will usher in a new dawn by seeing The Gambian economy bounce back, but the bouncing back of The Gambian economy will not happen if fiscal discipline, that is budgetary expenditures, are not curtailed,” he added.
Businesses have reported low sales, while economic hardship and uncertainty grip poverty-stricken residents.
Meanwhile, Gambia’s president Adama Barrow, has announced a 21-day state of emergency to combat the COVID19 pandemic. The Gambia with population of about three million people, experienced its largest single daily increase in reported cases this week. The Vice President and other top government officials have been infected with the virus.
The new State of Emergency in The Gambia orders mosques, churches, and schools to close, and imposes a nighttime curfew. Essential businesses like food markets, banks, and pharmacies may remain open, but only in the daytime. The government also says markets and shopping areas would be closed on Sundays to enable cleaning or fumigation by Area and Municipal Councils.
There are also concerns about how people will get by financially in the next three weeks of emergency. “This has some serious economic implications especially on the transportation sector and retail businesses. Transporters basically taxi drivers, and others will be at loss of revenue because there will be less, if not no traffic on the road at that time. Supermarkets, convenient stores, and other markets, that opens late will also have a loss in revenue,” Economist Njie observed.
Tourism and agriculture account for the greater chunk of Gambia’s Gross Domestic Product. Both sectors have been hard hit because of the virus.
Farming work would be partially disrupted because of the hours associated with the curfew.
The country is also battling with massive youth unemployment.
Economist Njie added: “Equally, Gambians are asking who is going to pay for this economic loss or the opportunity cost that would be businesses would be incurred. While we all know, Gambia is an impoverished country, with a medium income of no more than $175 dollars per individual and also having a very large population of people living under one dollar a day. So, the social aspect of this all lockdown is a cause for concern.”
Njie fears that there would be hunger in the country. He says there might be eviction notices for tenants, who are unable to pay their rent. “People are calling for voucher systems whereby people will have vouchers to buy food. People are calling for the government to help in utilities and rent, but these are all things that are of luxury because the government of The Gambia is not endowed, but what we know as economists and what we know as observers of the way government does things is that we are in for a long haul and the long haul is the destructions that this economy is going to face,” he warned.


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The holidays are all about being generous! And Generous Coffee is in the holiday spirit. Founded by Colorado resident and former The Bachelor star Ben Higgins, Generous Coffee (701 12th St.) in Golden has partnered with Rudi’s Rocky Mountain Bakery to give back to the Colorado community this holiday season. (Rudi’s is a a small batch bakery offering an array of specialty-crafted bread, muffins, bagels, and more.)
To celebrate the partnership, on Tuesday, December 7, the coffee shop is generously (of course!) giving the first 100 customers a FREE breakfast sandwich — a delicious sausage, egg and cheddar sandwich on a Rudi’s English muffin. The sandwich is also topped with Generous Coffee’s specialty sauce.
Plus, Ben Higgins is expected to be at the café to greet customers — from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
The coffee shop is open:
Sunday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.


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Summary List Placement
A boat operated by the Evergreen Marine Corp., the company behind
the vessel currently
blocking the Suez Canal, once released 28,800 plastic toys
into the Pacific Ocean by accident in the 1990s — and they were
still washing up on shores around the world 15 years later.
The plastic toys included 7,200 red beavers, 7,200 green frogs,
7,200 blue turtles and 7,200 yellow ducks, according to
the journalist Donovan Hohn, who wrote a book about it.
The boat was eventually
confirmed to be the Ever Laurel, a boat operated by the
Evergreen Marine Corp.
But the origin of the plastic toys remained unknown for
years until Hohn
pieced it together. He later explained the phenomenon in
his book, titled “Moby-Duck: The true story of 28,800 bath
toys lost at sea.”
After the spillage, hundreds of the toys were found on shores
around the world, prompting a scientific investigation.
Two oceanographers, Jim Ingraham and Curtis Ebbesmeyer,
fed the coordinates of the plastic-toy sightings into their
ocean current surface simulator, and traced the drift patterns
back to the North Pacific.
They had been using the simulator to reconstruct drift routes for
200 Nike sneakers which had previously been lost to sea when a
shipment of 80,000 shoes went overboard.
Using these coordinates and cross-referencing it with records,
Hohn pieced together the history of the contamination back to the
Ever Laurel, a ship operated by the Evergreen Marine, which had
left Hong Kong on January 6, 1992 and arrived in Tacoma,
Washington, on January 16.
The toys continued to be spotted for years, with the most recent
sighting in the UK in 2007.
Evergreen Marine was back in the news this week for being the
company behind the Ever Given, the container ship that has
blocked the Suez Canal since Tuesday. The blockage is
estimated to be costing the global economy an
estimated $400 million per hour.
The ship’s owner, Japanese company Shoei Kisen, said Friday that
it was sorry for the disruption, and said it hoped to free the
vessel on Saturday, according to Nikkei


text:
SINGAPORE - The patient is the most important person in the medication use process and it is crucial they are educated on medication safety, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Saturday.
Speaking at the 24th Singapore Pharmacy Congress at Shangri-La Hotel, Mr Gan said patients and consumers "should be informed and involved in their health matters, and the treatment and medications they are receiving".
The two-day congress gathered pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to discuss medication safety and quality care.
At the opening of the congress, Mr Gan launched Pharmacy Week 2014, which aims to educate patients and consumers on using medication safely and appropriately. Over the week, participating hospitals and community pharmacies will conduct free medication reviews.
But medication use is a "continuum from drug development to prescribing, dispensing and administration," said Mr Gan.
The Health Ministry and healthcare practitioners have to play their part in ensuring that medication is used safely too, the Health Minister added.
The Ministry of Health had in 2010 set up a medication safety committee to promote medication safety awareness, standardise safe medication practices, and develop strategies to enhance medication delivery systems.
The committee has also published a national medication safety manual last year, organised two forums to share and discuss best practices among healthcare institutions, and conducted a consumer insight survey to understand the level of medication safety awareness among patients and consumers.
The results were then used to develop a set of recommendations for patient education, said Mr Gan.


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The recession is clearly not over but for the fiscal year that ended on June 30. Liquor Commission sales passed the half billion dollar mark for the first time and profits hit a record $120 million, or about 10 percent, over the prior year. In rough numbers, the commission report last week suggests a net profit margin of around 24 percent. Most business people would be very happy with margins like that in their own businesses.
In July, the first month of the new fiscal year, the commission transferred $10.7 million against a goal of $10.8 million … short by just $100,000 that easily can be made up over the next 11 months.
The issues surrounding the removal of commission chair, Mark Bodi, will get a lot attention in the next couple of months. Meanwhile, the study committee looking for some state assets to "monetize" to raise $60 million in the current fiscal year, will be looking at selling or leasing the state liquor business.
Grocery stores are looking to expand the number of agency stores. There are three agency stores today … two in the north country and one in a rural area on the Massachusetts border … that are privately owned stores that sell hard liquor. The argument is that grocery stores today sell beer and wine successfully from which the state profits and adding liquor would be a convenience for customers because grocery stores are open more hours each day including Sundays. Only a few state stores are open on Sunday.
There is also a legislative study committee looking into whether or not the liquor enforcement powers and personnel should be moved to the Department of Safety. The idea was included in a budget bill but my sense is that the legislature would be happy to leave the enforcement of liquor laws where it is now, at the Liquor Commission.
Joe Mollica, from Sunapee, a member of the commission said in the department’s press release, "As the economy continues to rebound, the Liquor Commission is, and will remain, a significant contributor to the state’s general fund."
A word on Joe Mollica. He became a liquor commissioner late last year. He has watched as Commission Chair Bodi has been on paid leave since February and another commissioner resigned a couple of months ago. For a short time, he was the only member of the three member commission on the job. He has been joined by an interim commissioner, Earl Sweeney, who has moved temporarily to the liquor commission from the Department of Safety.
* * *
Another revenue stream that may have turned the corner is the real estate transfer tax which many look at as an indicator of the economic health of an important segment of the state economy. The tax produced $9.6 million in July against a budget goal of $9.1 or almost 5 percent over budget. July was the fifth straight month in which the real estate tax took in more money than budgeted. The daily revenue tracking sheet I receive as Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee suggests the tax will exceed its goal for this month, too.
* * *
As I marched in the Lempster Old Home Day parade, I was reminded of the plaque on the wall of the State House recognizing Governor Frank Rollins for developing the idea of Old Home Week. His portrait along with other Governors is on the second floor of the State House where the Governor’s office is located. The special plaque recognizing him for creating Old Home Week is on the first floor.
The post Civil War period saw many New Hampshire residents head west for cheap land and new opportunities. Many communities saw precipitous declines in population and Governor Rollins saw the problems this caused the state. In the late 1890’s he came up with the idea of having former residents come back for old home day celebrations in their former hometowns and with hopes they would decide to return permanently. An estimated 10,000 visitors returned, as about 100 towns participated in the first year.
Today’s Old Home Day events help keep a century-old tradition of annual celebrations alive. The smaller the town it seems the more enthusiasm and commitment. The parades could not be compared to other celebratory parades in cities like Nashua or Manchester. Our parades are much more home grown. We enjoy seeing a neighbor riding his prized antique tractor, a hay wagon carrying some bales with local folks sitting and waving, and of course, a volunteer group selling hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken dinners.
I cannot get to all the Old Home Days celebrations in the area. But I do enjoy those I get to. They’re just too much fun to miss.
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Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
According to an article in this morning's Women's Wear Daily, Daffy's is knee-deep in financial woes, and if recent rumors are true, then things are looking kind of bleak. Allegedly, buyers were told to "go on vacation," and recent orders for merchandise have been cancelled. In addition to that, WWD hears that Daffy's told its vendors that they won't be able to pay their outstanding May invoices.
Because of this, Daffy's Chairman and CEO Marcia Wilson might be forced to sell the company. A few years ago, she considered selling part of it to a private equity group, but ended up getting cold feet. Now, she might be rethinking that. According to the article, "Wilson might be forced to go to her fall-back plan, which is to find a buyer for the $150 million, 19-unit chain. Sources said she is already considering her options in that regard."
WWD outlines a few reasons why Daffy's is struggling, which include competition from flash sale sites and an outdated business model that focuses on buying merchandise that's mostly one season old. Meaning, most of the merchandise isn't "wear-now," it's "wear sometime later." You know who else had that strategy? Filene's Basement, and look what happened to them.
The article adds that "hipper fashion chains" like H&M, Forever21, and Topshop are considerably changing the retail game by offering current, on-trend pieces for just as cheap. If worst comes to worst and Daffy's doesn't find a buyer, we may soon have to imagine a world where Times Square virtual peep shows and runway cakes no longer exist.
· Struggling Daffy’s May Be Seeking Buyer [WWD]
· Daffy's in Times Square Will Include a Virtual Peep Show [Racked NY]
· Last Night, Daffy's Used a Cake for a Runway in Greeley Square [Racked NY]


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Libelium enables over the air programming with 802.15.4 and ZigBee Product News 5/12/2011 Post a comment Libelium has launched Libelium OTA, a solution that lays the foundation for over the air programming (OTAP) for wireless sensor networks and the Internet of Things, bringing OTA capabilities for the first time to unlicensed frequency bands (2.4GHz, 868MHz, 900MHz) and to low-power communication using protocols such as 802.15.4 and ZigBee.
NXP: No-big-chip-in-the-middle strategy Blog 5/11/2011 16 comments Mike Noonen, NXP's senior vice president for global marketing and sales, describes his company's strategy as "no big chip in the middle"--a handset or media tablet without that big fat SoC hogging all the real estate.
MOST150 optimizes data bus efficiency Design How-To 5/9/2011 Post a comment The MOST150 infotainment bus system is about to take the place of earlier MOST systems. With its high bandwidth which can be utilized up to nearly 100%, MOST150 is a viable platform for advanced next-gen infotainment systems. Daimler already has gathered experience with the new bus.
Drones are, in essence, flying autonomous vehicles. Pros and cons surrounding drones today might well foreshadow the debate over the development of self-driving cars. In the context of a strongly regulated aviation industry, "self-flying" drones pose a fresh challenge. How safe is it to fly drones in different environments? Should drones be required for visual line of sight – as are piloted airplanes? Join EE Times' Junko Yoshida as she moderates a panel of drone experts.


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All over the country are food deserts – generally urban, impoverished or isolated communities that are devoid of grocery stores and farmers markets, and thus lack access to fresh food.
is a Los Angeles-based urban agriculture company that is seeking to fill this void. Through a little bit of creativity and a whole lot of technology, the team has developed a solution to this growing problem.
“We see Local Roots as pioneering the way for making urban agriculture a real solution to the problem of food access in this country,” says Allison Towle, Director of Corporate Communication.
Local Roots designs, builds and operates indoor growing centers – called TerraFarms – that are made from shipping containers. Each pod contains five acres of farmland. Let that sink in; five acres of fresh food is grown within the footprint of a 40-foot metal box. Read more…


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- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Spansion files for Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection
One week after laying off 35 percent of its workers, computer chipmaker Spansion Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Sunnyvale-based Spansion (NASDAQ: SPSN) listed about $3.8 billion in assets and nearly $2.4 billion in debts in its filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
The company said it plans to restructure its debt and refocus on more profitable markets. Each of Spansion’s U.S. subsidiaries also filed Chapter 11 petitions, company officials said.
Spansion’s Japanese subsidiary, Spansion Japan Ltd., filed for reorganization protection in early February. The company plans to target its products and segments in the embedded, Internet protocol solutions and wireless markets, officials said.
Last week, Spansion revealed that it was laying off 3,000 employees, including about 600 in the Bay Area. Officials said the job cuts would save the company $225 million a year and help it better weather the recession.
On the same day, however, Spansion said that it was rescinding a six-month 10-percent pay cut it had imposed on some executives and other key personnel in October.
Former CEO Bertrand Cambou then said on Friday that he is returning $403,000 in severance money he got, saying "my heart is broken" to see others laid off without severance.
In December, the company shut down plants for three weeks, citing a weak holiday season and a sluggish economy. In November, Spansion said its fourth quarter sales would be about 20 percent lower than the $631 million reported in the third quarter.
On Jan. 15, Spansion announced it was exploring strategic alternatives for a sale or merger. The company also announced plans to restructure its balance sheet.
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This week has been somewhat unusual, though that may be an understatement.
Media outlets and articles are being written on a relatively obscure company called Gamestop (NYSE: GME).
The gaming retailer’s share price has skyrocketed more than ten-fold over the past month , with most of the sharp rise coming in just the last couple of days.
This whole saga started when the retail masses, represented by anonymous individuals posting on a forum called Reddit, started to unite and call for a concerted effort to artificially inflate the share price of Gamestop.
What happened next is probably going to go down in history books.
Due to frenzied buying, the share price of this unprofitable company staged a massive surge, thereby frustrating short-sellers who aimed to profit from the decline in its stock price.
In a nutshell, the whole fiasco may very well reveal itself to be a well-orchestrated “pump and dump” scheme designed to suck in gullible retail investors.
When speculation hits fever-pitch, it’s time to take a step back and focus on what’s important in investing.
Buying pieces of great businesses that you can happily own over the long-term.
Unfortunately, at some point, this whole “game” is going to end very badly, and we advise readers to exercise extreme caution and to stick with fundamentally-strong companies.
Here’s a list of our top articles for the week.
Here are three blue-chip companies that are evolving to adapt to a changing business landscape caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Singapore may be known as more of a dividend paradise, but these three companies have what it takes to be classified as businesses with rapid growth.
As the reporting season kicks off for REITs, we showcase five of them that reported a higher distribution per unit.
It may surprise you to learn that asset sales are a key aspect of REITs’ growth strategies. Here are three reasons why this is so.
If you want to participate in Asia’s future growth, here are three businesses you can consider owning.
Dividend-paying companies should not be limited to just Singapore alone. Here’s how income-seeking investors can search out dividend stocks in other regions as well.
Two blue-chip real estate giants just announced profit warnings just days apart. Are these warnings a big red flag that investors should take note of?
CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (SGX: C38U) has reported its maiden set of full-year earnings after the merger of CapitaLand Limited’s (SGX: C31) retail and commercial REITs. Here are five things that investors may find interesting.
Keppel DC REIT (SGX: AJBU) just released its full-year 2020 earnings. Here are three things you should know about its numbers and prospects.
Singapore’s sole stock exchange operator, Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX: S68), released its fiscal 2021 first-half earnings recently. We highlight three takeaways for investors.
Paper is being disrupted by technology, and this company is doing it on a massive scale. Read on to find out more about how it’s achieving this.
Conglomerates are to be found in almost every country and are usually massive behemoths with a disparate set of businesses. Here’s why they remain reliable investments even as the world suffers a sharp crisis.
Start the year off right, and make 2021 a more profitable year for your investments. Download your FREE report: 3 Stocks I will buy in 2021! It comes with a bonus 3 trends for 2021, so you will be well equipped to ride the stock market recovery in 2021. Click HERE to download now!
Please refer to the individual articles for stock ownership disclosures.


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Gizmore one of India’s leading smart accessories, fitness gear, and home audio brands, unveiled a brand-new campaign yesterday for its smartwatch segment. The campaign will be featured by the brand ambassador Dinesh Karthik, who has been well-known regards to his stellar performances in international cricket. Being passionate about fitness, Gizmore’s new campaign has a motivational message, which urges people to focus on the end goals, saying, “Finisher ban ke dikha.”
The new campaign shoots up on Gizmore’s official Instagram handle page, where this one-minute brand film says, “Be more than your smartwatch”, featuring Dinesh Karthik. The video which has been conceptualised by August Communications, also mentions technologically advanced features of Gizmore smartwatches, which include always-on AMOLED display, Bluetooth calling, and exceptional sunlight visibility, along with the health and fitness features, which are used as a part of the storytelling.
Speaking more on the creative framework of this new campaign, Mr. Suman Roy, CEO of August Communications says, “In advertising and life, truth is the best strategy, and we followed this insight while developing the creative strategy. We need not be biased and think only about the brand while developing communication. Our role is to shape society and convey a meaningful and relevant message to our youth.”
Along with its new campaign, Gizmore has recently launched a Bluetooth-calling gaming smartwatch, GIZFIT Ultra, that has garnered a phenomenal response. It is now gearing up to launch a smartwatch with an Always AMOLED display at an affordable price point. Whereas wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik is also preparing to take the new challenges as he is gearing up for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
Headquartered in New Delhi, Gizmore has a vast gamut of lifestyle accessories in the Home, Mobile, Laptop, IOT, Audio and Fitness categories. The company has gained a PAN-India presence within a short period. Today Gizmore range of accessories is available at more than 10,000 general trade counters, 500 modern trade retail outlets and all leading online portals.
About Gizmore: –
Gizmore is a premium affordable smart accessories brand that offers premium products with innovative features and quality excellence and is in sync with the aspirations and demands of the consumer of new India. It is a one-stop shop for consumers looking for mobile accessories, home audio, and wearables. The company has completely redefined the home audio space by offering products that are cutting-edge, eye-catching, and value for money. From tech enthusiasts to music aficionados, Gizmore has something to offer for everyone. Gizmore has set up a countrywide network of over 20,000+ dealers across 225+ distributors and is also available in 500+ modern retail outlets.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.


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The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) has unveiled details of this year's Filmart (September 24-26), which looks set to be the biggest yet, despite being postponed for three months due to the SARS outbreak.
According to the TDC, the number of exhibitors registered to attend has increased by 26% to 240 companies from 25 countries, while the number of buyers is set to outstrip last year's 1,612. The TDC has doubled the market's floor space at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in response to the demand.
The TDC believes that one factor driving attendance is the recent announcement of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) - a trade agreement between Hong Kong and mainland China which has wide-ranging consequences for the film industry.
"With the signing of CEPA, tremendous new co-operation and co-investment opportunities will open up for Hong Kong as an intermediary between China and the rest of the world," said Golden Harvest chairman Raymond Chow who heads the TDC's Entertainment Industry Advisory Committee.
This year's market will offer new services including a consultancy service, a video screening room and an online trailer screening and appointment scheduling platform. The seminar programme includes discussions on tripartite co-production (between Hong Kong, China and overseas companies), cross-media synergies and successful marketing.
The TDC is also injecting some sparkle into the event with an opening cocktail party, to be attended by local stars including market ambassador Jackie Chan, and a closing night premiere expected to be Infernal Affairs 2.


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Tesla (D.S.L.A) announced over the weekend that it will raise US Model Y prices on April 1. Meanwhile, the Model Y will go on sale in Europe on March 22. Meanwhile, the global EV giant is also currently offering new inventory discounts on Model Y trims in China. Tesla shares rebounded early Monday.
The company will raise the price of all Model Y trims in the U.S. by $1,000 next month, while Model Y prices in Europe will rise by about $2,100 on Friday. In China, Tesla is offering discounts of $1,000 to $1,500 on stock Model Y vehicles.
The price cuts come after more than a year of Tesla slashing vehicle prices and offering discounts to keep pace with sales. As a result, car gross margins have fallen below 20%, which peaked at 30% in Q4 2021 amid an industry chip shortage.
Analysts argue that this strategy is not helping demand and is hurting the company. Tesla watchers report that inventory is currently too high and that the EV company's price hikes do not indicate an increase in demand.
Troy Teslike, a valuable source of delivery estimates and Tesla data tracking among retail Tesla investors, wrote on X, earlier on Twitter, Saturday that the U.S. price increase was “not due to excess demand.”
“Based on recent data, inventory is currently high,” Tesla posted. “Buy Now Before Tesla's News Increases.”
Tesla is falling, but it's not cheap. Here's why.
With the first quarter just two weeks away, Tesla appears to be missing deliveries. According to FactSet, the Wall Street consensus currently has Q1 deliveries of 487,000 units. However, many analysts have cut forecasts in recent days.
Tesla is expected to announce Q1 deliveries in early April.
Tesla stock performance
Shares of TSLA rose 2.7% to 167.81 during market action on Monday. Last week, Tesla shares fell 6.7% to 163.57. On Thursday, Tesla shares fell 4.1% to 162.50, hitting new 2024 lows and levels not seen since May 2023. TSLA fell 19% in March.
Wells Fargo cut Tesla from equal weight to underweight last week, with a price target of 125 from 200. The company's underweight rating is equal to a sell rating and its price cut represents a 23% downside risk to current TSLA levels.
Meanwhile, UBS cut its Tesla stock price target to 165 from 225 and maintained a neutral rating on the stock last week. UBS cut its Q1 delivery forecast to 432,000 units from its previous view of 466,000. The company reduced full-year deliveries to 1.96 million from 2.02 million.
With 2023 in the rearview mirror, analyst consensus now has 2024 Tesla earnings below 2023 levels, signaling another year of negative growth for this growth stock. Wall Street expects Tesla to earn just $2.97 per share in 2024, according to FactSet. That would be about a 5% decline versus last year's $3.12.
The latest analyst FactSet “sharp consensus” pegs call for 2024 EPS of just $2.62.
Morgan Stanley Tesla bull Adam Jonas recently issued an investor note in which he cut his Tesla 2024 revenue forecasts by 25%, saying the EV giant could “potentially” lose money this year.
Jonas cut his Tesla price target to 320 from 345, but maintained an overweight rating on the stock. Jonas cut his Tesla 2024 EPS forecast to $1.51, down from his previous view of $2.04 per share, as auto gross profit, excluding regulatory credits, fell 11.4%, as analysts continue to expect demand problems for EVs.
The EV company is ranked eighth in the 35-member IBD Automobile Manufacturers Industry Group. The stock has a composite rating of 28 out of a possible 99. Tesla stock also has a Relative Strength Rating of 9 and an EPS Estimate of 68.
BLease, formerly known as Twitter, follows Kit Norton. @kidnorton For added security.
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Market rally paused ahead of Fed, two big AI events


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There are currently three e-cigarette stores in Daly City. At least one of them is located near a church and a school.
City leaders are worried e-cigarettes will end up in the hands of young people and not just adults looking for a way to quit smoking. The Mayor thinks the stores are actually marketing e-cigarettes to kids and wants them banned entirely.
He thinks e-cigarette stores are looking to relocate from San Francisco, which is also considering a ban on e-cigarettes.


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The Mi 10 Pro 5G could be the second smartphone after the Oppo Reno Ace to offer 65W fast charging.
Image credits: Weibo
Xiaomi seems to be preparing its new flagship range, the Mi 10. A recent leak suggests that the top of the line variant of the handset, which is expected to be the Mi 10 Pro 5G, will come with 65W fast charging. The information comes from a Weibo tipster who has uploaded alleged photos of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro 5G.
The photos show the device as well as the packaging of the handset, both of which seem legitemate. One of the photos show the power adapter for the phone which mentions 65W. Of this turns out to be true, then the Mi 10 Pro 5G will be the second device after the Oppo Reno Ace to offer such fast charging speeds.
The photos also confirm some key features of the upcoming device including a dual-curved display with a punch-hole cut on the top left corner. There is also a quad rear camera setup with a 108-megapixel primary sensor, a speaker grille at the top and bottom and support for Hi Res Audio,
Xiaomi had earlier confirmed that the Mi 10 will come with the latest Snapdragon 865 chipset during the Snapdragon Tech Summit last month. So it is safe to assume that handset will come with the new flagship chipset, unless Xiaomi plans to treat the Mi 10 Pro 5G as a separate device from the Mi 10 series.


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Coffee Pioneer To Source Beans From 90% More Countries
PSFK talks to founder of brand La Colombe about his new TV show Dangerous Grounds.
In the new show Dangerous Grounds that airs on the Travel Channel on Tuesdays at 9pm EST, Todd Carmichael explores an emerging world of coffee as he tries to find new sources to sell through his company. PSFK caught up with the founder of La Colombe Torrefaction to discuss the show:
So, what’s the show about?
It follows a guy in the 3rd world and exposes new areas where coffee is growing. Did you know that 80 countries are capable of growing coffee and we tend to only source from about 5 coffee countries? 75 other countries need a shot at making the market.
Why do you think it’s so important to look at the markets?
There’s so much labor involved in coffee, it’s insane. Hundreds of millions of people are living off coffee – it’s an extraordinarily important part of life.
Why is La Colombe Torrefaction so interested?
We will be buying coffee from these locations. We want to spend money where it has the biggest impact. We’re going in and making serious investments especially with coffee from Colombia and Ethiopia.
We also want to inspire other coffee companies and importers; the problem is that there’s a bit of group-thought going on out there in the coffee community. People believe that certain countries have the beset coffee and then they compete in those territories and a status quo sets in. But did you know that theres amazing coffee grown in Nepal??
And when it comes to coffee being bought by the big guys… well, you don’t even need a passport if you work at Starbuicks and buy coffee.
Make sure to check out this video of Todd’s talk from PSFK CONFERENCE NYC last year:


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Arun Sudhaman 01 Nov 2011 // 7:40PM GMT
ICCO’s quarterly trends barometer is a useful pulse-check for the global PR industry and its Q4 2011 edition is no different, even if the most interesting finding is buried towards the end of the release. When asked to forecast growth for next year, 66 percent of respondents said that fee income would either remain stable or shrink in the final quarter of this year. Even allowing for the fact that most respondents, presumably, are based in Europe, this is a pretty intriguing finding. The forecast is less optimistic than for previous quarters of 2011, and growth predictions have progressively declined over the course of this year. In April, for example, 71 percent expected short-term growth in fees; in July, 62 percent said the same thing. Now, just 34 percent are predicting growth. What are we to make of this? One factor is cultural. Our own research consistently demonstrates that European PR types are a more gloomy bunch than their peers in North America and Asia-Pacific. Curiously, however, our study revealed that optimism levels in Asia-Pacific had dipped compared to 2010, despite this particular region’s well-known fondness for the future. As always, we have talked to agencies big and small all over the world over the course of this year, and some broad trends are emerging. While there appears to have been some softening in the market since the summer, business is humming along quite nicely for most. As of yet, there is no firm indication that 2012 budgets are being radically affected by the global economic uncertainty triggered by the Greece crisis, and continued political stalemate in the US. This is, of course, that most beloved period in the PR calendar - budget time - when agency heads are furiously scrutinising spreadsheets and figuring out how the world will look next year. They have our sympathy, because 2012 is turning into a particularly difficult year to forecast. The CEO of one the biggest PR firms in the world told me that they are planning for a ‘decent’ 2012. He also said that, so far at least, he has yet to see any parallels with 2008. That was reassuring, until he recollected that 2008’s descent into recession took pretty much everyone in the market by surprise. At the very least, the market is considerably more cautious now, and that is likely to be reflected in a sober assessment of the year ahead. Ultimately, divining the future is a notoriously unreliable business. Will we see a painfully slow but steady recovery, or another crisis? I’m not convinced that anyone has the answer. Visibility is bad, but the PR industry will be hoping that a more cautious approach will help it avoid any nasty pitfalls in 2012.


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|Shanghai Electric has expressed |
interest in buying Manroland sheetfed
Manroland filed for insolvency last month in one of the largest business failures in Germany for the past two years. While bankruptcy differs from insolvency (click here for explanation), the two are sometimes used synonymously to mean one thing: the company cannot pay its bills and is in desperate need of bailout. Since the filing, Manroland has desperately been seeking revenue and government support to keep operations up and running and has had some success.
Many analysts believe that Shanghai Electric is looking to be the largest press manufacturer in the world. To achieve this, it is following a pattern that has played out a number of times for the Chinese giant. Not long ago, the company purchased Goss International, a chief competitor of Manroland. Goss had itself spent time in bankruptcy protection before being bought out by Shanghai Electric. Sheetfed printer Akiyama was also in a similar situation and was bought out by the Chinese giant. Acquiring even part of Manroland would give Shanghai Electric a real competitive advantage.
|German press manufacturer KBA is in a |
good position to profit from such an acquisition
Cash Is King
In these tough economic times, cash will likely be the winner as more credit is an unlikely solution. Will it be Chinese Shanhai Electric Company or German KBA? Will it be someone else? Stand by as the drama unfolds.
UPDATE: See Possehl To Buy Manroland Web Division


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Some incredibly very good news could be coming to Android followers afterwards today with Qualcomm holding its Snapdragon Summit on the island of Maui in Hawaii. This annually party is when the US technologies company unleashes its upgraded smartphone chips and it appears to be just about certain that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be provided its grand unveiling.
Particulars about this new processor keep on being scarce but, if record repeats alone, we can expect all the regular bumps in efficiency with far more energy and improved AI coming to the upcoming phones that element it.
Along with more rapidly speeds, Qualcomm usually delivers much better capabilities to digicam technological know-how as section of its Snapdragon upgrades and it is really just about selected that the Gen 2 will be more successful which must support lengthen the battery life of units.
Gaming could also get a raise with smoother animations and decrease latency additionally we may well see faster 5G down load speeds making factors greater when away from set-line broadband.
We will obtain out full aspects late on Tuesday evening, November 15, but there is one thing that appears very definite.
It appears that this new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will be the picked processor for the new Galaxy S23 from Samsung.
Not only that, but it appears to be the Korean technological know-how giant will use the Gen 2 across the entire world alternatively than prior S gadgets that had been split concerning Qualcomm and its have Exynos chip.
Despite the fact that Samsung is yet to formally affirm this news Qualcomm has made some big hints about the year in advance.
Speaking throughout a current buyers contact, Qualcomm boss Christiano Amon reported: “I imagine we are going to announce our upcoming-generation Snapdragon at our Tech Summit in a couple of months. I believe what we see ideal now is, structurally, we are quite perfectly positioned.
“In handsets, we entered into a new multiyear arrangement with Samsung, increasing the use of Snapdragon platforms for upcoming premium Samsung Galaxy merchandise globally.
“We be expecting in the March quarter also to see the benefit of our greater share of Samsung.”
Those comments have been backed up by Qualcomm’s Chief Monetary Officer, Akash Palkhiwala, who added that the firm’s share of chips from Samsung’s Galaxy S22 will rise from 75 p.c to 100 per cent with the launch of the S23.
Express.co.uk has asked Qualcomm for a assertion on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy launch but the US organization claimed it can be not earning any formal remark at this time.
Some companies usually confirm that their phones are finding the new chip for the duration of the Summit so with any luck , Samsung will make some official announcements later this week.
Want to know much more about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor? Specific.co.uk will be bringing you all the news live from the Snapdragon summit so check out this place.


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Bitly is entering the data licensing business, announcing today that it will partner with SEO marketer Moz to provide insight into social marketing data. Bitly CEO Mark Josephson told Betabeat today that this is the first deal of its kind for Bitly, who will now start providing Moz “limited” access to their Read More
David Wehner is out at Zynga and David Ko is up, as the social gaming company shook up its C-suite in an announcement after stock markets closed.
Mr. Wehner, who’s served as the company’s chief financial officer since coming over from investment bank Allen & Co. in 2010, may have lost Wall Street’s confidence after Zynga’s share price plummeted nearly 80 percent since the FarmVille maker’s IPO at $10 last December.
He’s not the first high-level employee to leave Zynga in recent months, nor have the departures been limited to the top executives: Zynga laid off about 150 employees last month, and it said it would shut down 13 games. Read More
All the tech world loves a demo, so we couldn’t leave yesterday’s Daily Deal Summit without catching the Tech Showcase. Four CEOs–slowly losing their audience to lunch–were each assigned eight minutes to sell us on new solutions. Billed as having the potential to ”dramatically improve” attendees’ businesses, how did they stack up? Read More


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Nintendo has announced its holiday hardware plans for 2023, which include the return of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle and the release of two new Nintendo Switch Lite bundles featuring Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Nintendo reportedly gave private demonstrations of the alleged Switch 2 hardware to developers, indicating that a refresh of the popular gaming console is imminent, potentially featuring advanced graphics options like ray tracing and Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling tech, although no official release date has been announced.
The upcoming September 2023 Nintendo Direct event is expected to feature remakes of a DS game and a Wii game, as well as an update on the recently announced Princess Peach game, but fans should not expect the reveal of the Switch successor console.
A rating by the ESRB suggests that the action role-playing spin-off Gotham Knights might be coming to the Nintendo Switch, alongside the release of the Batman Arkham Trilogy next month.
The latest rumors suggest that Nintendo may announce and release the Nintendo Switch 2 in March 2024, but details are still uncertain.
Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Direct for September 14, which will focus on games arriving this winter but may also include tidbits about future titles such as a new version of Luigi's Mansion and a game starring Princess Peach scheduled for 2024, as well as the possibility of surprises like Metroid Prime 4 or a Hollow Knight: Silksong release date.
The first three Tomb Raider games are being remastered for Nintendo Switch with updated visuals, expansions, and secret levels, set to release on February 14, 2024.
The final wave of DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will introduce Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, Pauline, Peachette, and Daisy Circuit from Mario Kart Wii, and will be released this holiday season.
Nintendo has announced that Luigi's Mansion 2 HD will be launching on Nintendo Switch in the summer of 2024 with new features such as four-player online multiplayer and a remastered version of the 2013 game Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon.
Nintendo reveals new trailers for Super Mario RPG, WarioWare Move It!, Detective Pikachu Returns, and more games during its Nintendo Direct livestream.
Super Mario RPG's upcoming remake for the Nintendo Switch was showcased in a gameplay trailer, revealing new features such as timed button presses, character combos, and post-game boss rematches.
Pre-orders for Mario vs Donkey Kong are now available in the US and UK, with the game set to launch on February 16th, 2024.
Nintendo Direct featured a range of exciting announcements, including the return of Paper Mario and a Tomb Raider trilogy remaster.
Fans of the classic Paper Mario games are excited about the upcoming Thousand-Year Door remake, which is set to launch on the Nintendo Switch in 2024 and will feature enhanced graphics and gameplay reminiscent of the original.
Activision executives were briefed on a next-generation Nintendo Switch in December 2022, with the document suggesting that the performance of the new console will be closer to that of the PS4 and Xbox One.
Nintendo has discussed the successor to its Nintendo Switch console with Activision-Blizzard executives, aiming to attract third-party titles and upgrade technical capabilities to match PlayStation and Xbox.


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VANKLEEK HILL, ON – Beau’s All Natural Brewing has announced the launch of a new project to assist the development of a new craft brewery in Rwanda.
Beau’s will be providing “financing, expertise, and hands-on employee training” to the brewery, which is being founded by Josephine “Fina” Uwineza (pictured left, with Beau’s CFO Tanya Beimers), an entrepreneur who has previously opened two restaurants in Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali.
Beau’s is also managing a Kickstarter campaign to raise $95,000 to purchase a bottling line, and has arranged the donation of a brewhouse from BC-based Newlands Systems. Newlands COO Christian Riemerschmid von der Heide has brewed in Africa, and will be working with Beau’s brewmaster Matthew O’Hara to help develop beer recipes suited for the Rwandan market.
While full plans for the new brewery are still to be finalized, Uwineza is intending on it being a brewpub in downtown Kigali that will also sell packaged product to take away, with beers made using as many local ingredients as possible.
For more details, see the Rwanda Craft Brewery Project page on the Beau’s website.
[Photo of Josephine “Fina” Uwineza and Tanya Beimers by Brendan Coutts]


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Which Costs More? Plant-Based Burgers or Meat? You’d Be Surprised!
Bring on the price wars: In a move intended to make vegan meat alternatives cheaper and more enticing, Plant Power Fast Food is taking on America’s major fast-food chains by lowering its prices. Most fast food corporations including Burger King and McDonald’s retain their hold on the American wallet by providing cheaper options than vegan alternatives. Now, Plant Power is working to reduce its prices and make inroads as it begins a major national expansion. By teaming up with Alpha Foods, Plant Power, based in San Diego, just announced a new affordable pea-protein burger that will significantly reduce its price.
The California fast-food burger chain is attempting to appeal to customers that desire cheap meal options when visiting fast-food restaurants. While 55 percent of consumers feel motivated by sustainability, inflation rates have spiked to the highest point since 1981 (8.6 percent), causing more Americans to search out cheaper food options. Plant Power aims to reconcile the price gap between conventional and plant-based meat.
“One of the core criticisms of plant-based food is that it is expensive, our goal is to remove that barrier and make plant-based fast food an easy choice,” Plant Power co-founder and COO Zach Vouga said.“We have spent nearly two years collaborating with Alpha Foods’ R&D to painstakingly perfect the new juicy, smoky, and wildly delicious burger patty and we are thrilled with the results."
Plant Power’s proprietary pea protein burger will be available in hamburger and cheeseburger variations for $4.95 and $5.95, respectively. The affordable menu will now be priced within $1 to $2 of major fast-food chains’ conventional beef burgers. More notably, Plant Power’s vegan burger will be cheaper than the vegan or vegetarian burgers offered by the major chains. Currently, Burger King’s Impossible Whopper is priced at $7.99, making Plant Power a cheaper option for vegan customers.
“The launch of these new hamburgers and cheeseburgers at $4.95 and $5.95 respectively is a tremendous step towards achieving this goal,” co-founder and CEO Jeffrey Harris said. “These new price points allow us to expand our demographic and to share the Plant Power experience with a much larger customer base than before. And more people eating delicious, sustainable, plant-based food goes to the very core of our mission”.
Currently, Plant Power operates 11 locations in the West Coast area and a food truck. Last October, the chain opened its 10th location in Las Vegas, marking the first time the company launched a storefront outside of California. The company recently partnered with Scale X 3 Management to accelerate its national expansion. The company intends to have 15 restaurants by the beginning of 2023.
Vegan Meat is Reaching Price Parity
Vegan meat is currently on track to reach price parity with conventional beef by 2023, according to a report released this February. This prediction is also occurring much faster as major meat companies continue to price gouge as inflation rates spike. The price gap is closing, at $5.57 for a pound of beef and $7.57 for a pound of Impossible Meat. Shoppers may soon see vegan meat fall below the price of beef.
Despite the price gap for vegan meat, shoppers typically save 30 percent on food when switching to a plant-based diet. American shoppers feel discouraged by the myth that plant-based or healthy eating will cost them more money. But shopping for plant-based foods will actually save people approximately $1,260 on groceries per year and in some instances, far more.
Plant-Based Fast-Food on the Rise
Plant Power Fast Food is paving the way for other vegan fast-food restaurants to storm the national stage. Plant-based meat is appearing on restaurants' menus 1,320 percent more than before the pandemic, and vegan fast food is helping increase that number. The vegan fast food market is currently expected to reach $40 billion by 2028.
This week, another California-based vegan burger company, Nomoo, just announced that it plans to expand nationwide. Partnering with Fansmart, the vegan fast-food restaurant intends to bring its plant-based menus to customers across the United States. Fansmart is known for taking local one-off restaurants into large-scale national chains. Similar to Plant Power, the soon-to-be chain will help bring down the price of vegan meat to make plant-based eating more accessible for all consumers.


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Check out which companies are making headlines after the bell Thursday:
Gap - The apparel company posted fourth-quarter earnings per share of 68 cents on $4.58 billion in revenue. Analysts had estimated EPS of 66 cents on $4.6 billion in sales. But the company said it expects unfavorable currency exchange rates will dent its 2014 profit. Its shares were off 1.1 percent in extended-hours trading.
Ross Stores - The off-price apparel chain reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of $1.02 on $2.74 billion in revenue, compared with estimates for EPS of $1.02 on $2.745 billion in sales. It offered guidance below Wall Street expectations. Its shares fell 0.4 percent in after-hours trading.
Mylan - The pharmaceutical company posted fourth-quarter earnings per share of 78 cents, excluding items, on $1.81 billion in revenue, versus estimates for EPS of 75 cents on $1.807 billion in revenue. Its shares rose 0.2 percent in extended-hours trading.
Splunk - The data-analytics software company reported a wider fourth-quarter loss as expenses nearly doubled, with its shares declining 1.6 percent after the bell on Thursday.
Salesforce.com - The cloud-computing company reported fourth-quarter earnings per share of 7 cents, excluding items, on revenue of $1.15 billion, versus expectations for EPS of 6 cents on $1.13 billion in sales. It projected first-quarter EPS of 9 cents to 10 cents versus a 10-cent estimate. Its shares were down 0.7 percent in after-hours trading.
Deckers Outdoor - The maker of UGG footwear's shares were hit in extended-hours trading after it issued weak first-quarter guidance.
—By CNBC's Kate Gibson.
Questions? Comments? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Firearm sales are surging this summer, continuing an uptrend that begun earlier this year when COVID-19 paralyzed the nation. Thankfully, mass civil unrest was not a feature of the pandemic. However, some rioting and small-scale skirmishes with police and federal law enforcement has spawned out of the larger-scale peaceful protests around the nation in support of various social justice causes. All of this has been wrapped up into a Presidential election year, a period when firearm sales, as well as the share prices of gun manufacturers have had a tendency to spike over the last couple of decades. What investors need to know now is, “how long can this boom last”?
Related Stocks: Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (SWBI), Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (RGR), Vista Outdoor Inc. (VSTO)
In early June, MRP highlighted firearm sales’ sharp uptick this year. In the report, we noted that, although many have speculated breakout May sales numbers could have been chalked up to nationwide unrest following the police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, for which 4 officers have now been charged with murder or accessory to murder, any uptick caused by riots and looting that happened separate from large-scale peaceful protests had not actually appeared in the data yet.
FBI data went on to show that more than 3.9 million background checks would be conducted in June, the most ever in the 14-year history of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Following the record month, the FBI on Monday said that July checks totaled 3.6 million the third-highest monthly total ever. March saw the second-highest ever at 3.7 million. MoM, July’s numbers represent a 79% increase over July 2019.
Year to date, the FBI has conducted 22.8 million background checks this year, nearly 44% over last year, when checks through July totaled close to 15.9 million.
Background checks are a proxy for firearms demand, but don’t serve as direct measure of gun sales, since some states run checks on gun permit-holders. According to Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) estimates, gun stores sold 2 million firearms in July, a YoY increase of 134.6%, and 300,000 more than in May. SAAF data indicates that the bulk of sales over the last several months were handgun purchases, an accelerating trend.
According to gun dealers surveyed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), about 40% of their sales during the surge have come from first-time gun buyers. Typically, this group represents about one quarter of guns sold. Additionally, more people are acquiring firepower online. Major online firearms site Brownells reports that weapons sales are up 90%, led by handguns. Ammo sales are up…


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Samsung’s Exciting Offer for the Olympics!
Samsung is offering a chance for 10 lucky individuals to win a trip to Paris for the Olympics. To qualify, participants need to spend a minimum of $100 using the Samsung Pay app. The promotion runs until August 8th, giving users plenty of time to make their purchases and enter for a chance to win this amazing opportunity. Winners will be selected through a lucky draw and will get to experience the thrill of the Olympics in person. This promotion is a great way for Samsung users to not only enjoy the convenience of mobile payments but also have a chance to win an unforgettable trip to one of the most exciting sporting events in the world. For more exciting tech news and updates, be sure to visit Tech News Empire.