text:
Automakers are scheduled to report U.S. new car sales for January on Thursday, February 1. Unit sales are forecast to be 2.9% lower than January 2017 sales, and retail sales are forecast to slip 2.7% year over year.
The data were reported by J.D. Power and LMC Automotive, and the forecast is based on sales for the first 16 days of the month.
J.D. Power Senior Vice-President Thomas King said:
Coming off a strong sales period to close out 2017, a slower start to the year was anticipated. After the industry’s emphasis on the sell-down of old model-year vehicles in December, January is a transition month as manufacturers shift focus towards 2018 model-year vehicles.
While January is historically the poorest month for sales, the number of sales this year will be offset by the highest-ever January average transaction price: $32,169. When average transaction prices rise, incentives often follow and the industry set a record for incentive spending per vehicle in 2017.
Back in December, J.D. Power analysts estimated average 2017 incentives of $4,302 per vehicle. The average January incentive is $3,733, up by $94 year over year and well on the way to setting a new high for the month.
Light trucks have accounted for 67% of all sales for the month of January, the highest level ever for the month and the 19th consecutive month when truck sales topped 60% of all new vehicle sales.
J.D. Power and LMC Automotive have forecast the January seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of sales at 17.1 million units and a retail SAAR of 13.7 million units. In January of last year, the total SAAR was 17.4 million and the retail SAAR was 13.9 million. In December 2017, retail SAAR was 14.8 million and total SAAR was 17.9 million.


text:
Articles about Truecaller
Truecaller is a mobile app that can identify a particular caller, and also enables a user to block a certain number. Flash messaging, call recording and Chat & Voice are the other services offered by this platform. One can also identify the sender of SMS messages through Truemessenger, a SMS app launched by the company, exclusively in India. This was aimed at increasing its user base in the country. Boasting over 150mn daily active users globally, Truecaller is a Swedish company founded in 2009 by Nami Zarringhalam and Alan Mamedi. They have five offices in the world, with three in India: Bengaluru, Mumbai and Gurgaon. It can be used for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone.
30 Aug 2022iOS
Popular caller ID app Truecaller is rolling out a new update for iPhone users. The Truecaller 12 for iOS comes with several significant updates.
25 Nov 2021Science and Technology
Truecaller on Thursday launched version 12 of its popular caller ID app for Android users. This update brings several new features, including Video Caller ID that lets users set a short video preview to let the other person know who is calling.
17 Jun 2021Twitter
Twitter seems to have lost the dangerous game of chicken it has been playing with the Indian government.
16 Jun 2021Android
Popular caller identification service Truecaller announced that its latest update for Android users brings new features such as group voice calling for up to eight people simultaneously, Smart SMS, and an Inbox Cleaner.
29 Apr 2021Zomato
Even as Apple's new iOS 14.5 wreaks havoc on Facebook's and Google's advertising business model, its custom-designed processors have not only displaced Intel's offerings, but their performance and efficiency threatens the x86 rivals.
28 Apr 2021COVID-19
Popular caller identification app Truecaller is adding a directory of designated COVID-19 hospitals in India.
09 Dec 2020Gujarat
India was among the world's top 10 countries affected by spam calls, the caller ID and spam-blocking app Truecaller noted in its 2020 insights report.
09 Jul 2020Facebook
Amid growing security concerns, the Indian Army has directed its troops to delete 89 smartphone applications.
20 May 2020Android
Swedish caller identification platform Truecaller has announced a major revamp of its app for Android and iOS users.
04 Dec 2019South Korea
Truecaller has released its annual insights report, giving a glimpse at how spammers have been targeting India and other countries.
23 Nov 2019iOS
Popular caller-identity service Truecaller has fixed a major security loophole in its system.
03 Aug 2019Security
Swedish caller-ID giant Truecaller is facing major privacy-related debacles one after the other.
30 Jul 2019Android
Leading Caller ID company Truecaller is again in the middle of a crisis, this time due to a bug that started enrolling users automatically for its payments service.
22 May 2019India
In another case of lackluster security, personal information of several TrueCaller users has been spotted on sale.
22 May 2019OnePlus
OnePlus had earlier announced that its Android-based mobile operating system OxygenOS would get a few India-specific features.
16 May 2019India
Reliance Jio has been marred with sophisticated scams. Earlier, we had reported how Jio Mobile Tower Scam and Jio DTH connection fraud cheated many people in India.
25 Apr 2019Android
For years, junk messages have been marring our smartphone/feature phone experience.
02 Apr 2019WhatsApp
Just months after the Reliance Jio Tower scam, another sophisticated fraud under the name of "Jio DTH" has come to the fore.
13 Jan 2019India
A sophisticated fraud, under the name of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio Infocomm, is cheating people of millions of rupees in India.
05 Oct 2018iOS
Truecaller, the popular app for identifying unknown callers, is foraying into the messaging arena with a service called 'Truecaller Chat'.
24 Jul 2018India
Last year in March, popular caller identification app Truecaller, launched its UPI-based payment service - Truecaller Pay - for Android users in India.
23 Jan 2018India
WhatsApp Business has started rolling out in India for Android users, four days after its launch. The iOS version is expected to arrive soon.
29 Dec 2017Xiaomi
Xiaomi users are facing a strange issue with their contacts list. Many complained that contacts on the devices are being randomly mixed up or jumbled, resulting in mismatched data.
29 Nov 2017India
Amid reports about Chinese apps being used to steal user data, India has asked its troops along the 4,057km-long LAC to uninstall 42 apps including WeChat, Truecaller, UC News and UC Browser and format their smartphones.
06 Sep 2017India
Truecaller will now let you scan phone numbers, including from billboards and street signs, and quickly save it to your contacts' list.
15 Jul 2017India
The Truecaller blog has released a report offering insights into the incidence and frequency of spam calls across countries.
02 Jun 2017India
Leading communication app Truecaller beat Facebook and became the fourth most downloaded app in India on PlayStore.
23 May 2017Bharti Airtel
With its latest update, Truecaller now facilitates group messaging and MMS features on its app. This will allow users to share pictures etc when communicating with others.
14 Sep 2016India
According to sources, American venture capital firm, Sequoia Capital, is planning to sell $200 million worth of stakes in eight Indian "non-tech companies" via secondary transactions.

domain: news


text:
- Vivian Hendriksz |
US fashion retailers Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein are set to open stores in the 165 million pound Victoria Gate development in Leeds, marking both their debuts in the city.
Tommy Hilfiger will open a 253 square meter store on the ground floor, offering the brand’s menswear, womenswear and childrenswear as well as accessories and footwear ranges. Calvin Klein is set to open its debut dedicated Calvin Klein Underwear store in the development, which will span 131 square meters, offering both its womenswear and menswear collections.
“Attracting leading global retailers of the calibre of both Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein is testament to Victoria Gate and its potential to create the North’s best in class retail, leisure and dining destination when it launches later this year,” said Robin Dobson, Director Retail Development at Hammerson. Other retailers set to open in Victoria Gate include Gant, Anthropologie and Cos.
Photo: Victoria Gate, Facebook


text:
A leading supply chain expert has suggested businesses should only partner with suppliers that share their sustainability values following a Greenpeace investigation that found the production of chickens for fast food chains and supermarkets is destroying forests across South America.
According to the report there is a “total failure” by popular brands to monitor where animal feed comes from.
Vast swathes of forest and wildlife-rich savannah in South America are being destroyed to grow soya, which is exported around the world from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay to feed factory farmed animals.
The report said none of the companies surveyed could guarantee the soya they use for meat production was deforestation-free and named McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, Nando’s and Subway among those who refused to disclose their meat sales or soya use altogether.
John Perry, managing director of supply chain and logistics consultancy Scala, said the report shows that even though companies face a growing expectation to transparently disclose information related to their supply chain and the practices of their partners, it remains difficult to provide total traceability.
“While information technology is improving all the time, it’s still likely to be only major companies that are able to trace the practices of their partners to the degree required for total transparency. If a supplier’s practices relating to human rights, labour standards or – as in this case – environmental protection are found to be sub-standard, it is the customer company that will be held to account.
“Businesses should therefore only partner with suppliers that share the same sustainability values and goals as they do, wherever possible. Establishing and communicating expectations through a supplier code of conduct is one of the most effective ways for businesses to involve their supply chain partners in their sustainability efforts.”
Mr Perry said that by working towards achieving greater transparency and ethical standards throughout their supply chain, businesses can both improve their environmental credentials and satisfy public demand for greater ethical and environmental awareness, in turn boosting their reputation and overall profitability.


text:
Photo credit: Apple
Apple is launching a new music streaming service focused on classical music. Based on the 2021 acquisition of Amsterdam-based streamer Primephonic, the new Apple Music Classical app will give Apple Music subscribers access to over 5 million classical music tracks, including new releases in high-quality audio, as well as hundreds of curated playlists, thousands of exclusive albums and other features like composer biographies and deep dives on key works, Apple says.
The service was rumored to be nearing completion as it appears in the latest OS updates for developers, but the exact launch time was not known.
Although the app will be announced today, it is only available for pre-order on the App Store for now. The release date is later this month on March 28th. Additionally, upon launch, the app only supports iOS devices running iOS 15.4 or later.
The company’s decision to target classical music listeners with a standalone app is a differentiator for its Apple Music subscription service — though it’s markedly different from the features announced by rival Spotify this week, which has tech-advanced features like AI and video -based included discovery feeds.
Instead, Apple Music Classical will present a simple interface for engaging with classical works. Users can search by composer, work, conductor or even catalog number to find recordings. These can be streamed in high audio quality with up to 192 kHz/24 bit Hi-Res Lossless. And thousands of recordings will also be available in Apple’s immersive Spatial Audio.
The app also allows users to dive into the recordings to read editorial notes on the composers and descriptions of their key works. Famous composers will have their own high-resolution digital portraits commissioned from artists by Apple. These have been designed using color palettes and artistic references from the relevant classical period, Apple Notes, and more will be added over time. At launch, portraits of Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin and Johann Sebastian Bach will be available.
The service will continue to be updated with new music over time. Apple notes that it has partnered with classical music artists and music institutions to offer and launch exclusive content and recordings, and will continue to do so in the future. For now, users can follow news and updates about the app and music releases on the @appleclassical Twitter account.
There is no additional cost for Apple Music Classical as it comes as part of the Apple Music subscription. The app will be available to subscribers of all plans, including individual plans ($10.99/month), student plans ($5.99/month), family plans ($16.99/month), and in the Apple One bundles .
Though the service will only be available for iOS at launch, it will support Android “soon” much like Apple Music’s app.


text:
News by Topic
- Search Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Loyalty Marketing
- Mobile Marketing
- Social Marketing
- Viral Marketing
- Trends & Ideas
- Internet Marketing 101
Black Friday hot, Cyber Monday not?
The total online spend for Cyber Monday is out - and it's big. Billion dollar big, which many expected thanks to the strong ecommerce showing on Black Friday. But, whatever the spending total for online shoppers, one company finds Cyber Monday's days may be numbered.
Still, people shopped on both days. The top items shopped for Cyber Monday, according to eXelate, were Car/GPS (260% increase), Televisions (224% increase), Laptops (224% increase) and Movies (239% increase). The search for and purchase of eReaders increased 423%. comScore reports the Cyber Monday online spend hit $1.25 billion, making it the hottest online shopping day ever; Cyber Monday is now the second shopping day to top $1 billion in online spending. To date, the 2011 holidays have pulled in $15 billion for online merchants.
Data from eXelate notes that, throughout 2011, ecommerce has been stronger on Mondays than of Fridays, so it stands to reason that Cyber Monday would show as stronger than Black Friday. In fact, their data shows a 17% increase from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. But, taken in comparison to the rest of the year, the increases in online sales on Black Friday are more significant find their experts.
Meanwhile, from both shopping days, a warning. Compuware Gomez reports a 10% dip in customer satisfaction ratings (compared to October baselines) for the to 50 US retailer websites over the Thanksgiving weekend; much of that is likely from heavy traffic which slowed website performance.
Why is this an issue? Research from Forrester finds shoppers will click away from a website if they have to wait more than 3 seconds for a page to load, so it is important for sites to function well - especially during high shopping days. And there will likely be many more before the 2011 holidays have past.
- Study: Most believe personalization key to success
- Report: Most Amazon sellers looking for new marketplaces
- Study: Finance, saving important to Millenials
- Survey: More consumers want to be paperless
- Survey IDS when customers will share personal data
- Bing: Voice searches for hotels up 343% YoY
- Top 5 tips to take business paperless
- Snap Ads spend rises 593% QoQ
Featured White Papers
- Learn Why 83% of Advertisers Are Reporting Superior Outcomes With People-Based Ads
Traditional digital display advertising doesn't work. The information in this report is based on an online survey of 350 senior...
- 2016 Email Marketing Metrics Benchmark Study
To build a world-class marketing program, it's crucial to compare yourself to the best performers - but competitor data can...
- 10 Ways to Use Customer Lifetime Value to Reinvent Your Marketing Strategy
CLV insights can help you to attract high-margin customers, target clusters of customers with untapped value, and retain high-value customers...
- 16 Innovative Loyalty Programs of 2016
Engaging customers in a loyalty program is no easy feat. Read how 16 brands grabbed headlines in 2016 by launching...


text:
In Today's Globe and Mail
Posted: August 15, 2008 | 10:31 ET
Jennifer Wells profiles Sid Lee, the Montreal-based firm recently named lead agency for Diesel Jeans' Adidas Originals Denim.
Meanwhile, in Created, she commends a new Weston Bakeries ad that depicts winsome young Canadians preparing for the 2010 Games.
And, in Noted, Wells reports on the reunion of Harrod & Mirlin founders Brian Harrod and Ian Mirlin, who've assembled an A-list team for a new company, Ignyte.
Tags: Globe and Mail
< Next PostPrevious Post >


text:
TOKYO -- Telecommunications giants across the globe are scrambling to launch ultrafast 5G services and outpace competitors to dominate the market. In Japan, however, carriers continue to lag about a year behind the bandwagon.
U.S. telecoms giant Verizon Communications Inc. announced its launch of 5G services on April 3, while three major South Korean carriers, including SK Telecom Co., moved up their schedules to launch their own 5G services the same day. It is expected to take more time and investment before these services are available over a wider sphere.
In addition to ultrafast data rates, 5G mobile communications technology features reduced latency and massive device connectivity. Communication speeds range from several dozen to around 100 times faster than 4G technology.
Countries have been rushing to allocate frequency bands for 5G services to mobile carriers, regretting having conceded to the United States in the past in global competition over 4G services. The U.S. previously took the world by storm under the leadership of "platformer" giants such as Facebook and Google, as well as Apple with its iPhone craze.
In the preceding 3G era, Japan led the world by launching mobile phone internet connections, but lagged behind in music streaming and social networking services in the subsequent 4G age.
China, home to tech giant Huawei Technologies Co., is struggling for 5G supremacy against the United States. Chinese telecommunications firms have enjoyed strong state backing in developing cutting-edge technologies. Alarmed by this, the U.S. government is stepping up its pressure on other countries to exclude Huawei from their markets. A senior official with a Japanese telecommunications company, however, noted, "China has excellent services, such as cashless payment and ride sharing, which can provide a path to the next generation."
In Japan, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications allocated 5G frequency bands to NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp., SoftBank Corp. and Rakuten Inc. on April 10, but the full-scale launch of 5G services is not expected to come until next year.
5G is also expected to be applied in the automobile and manufacturing industries, where Japan excels the world.
Hideaki Yokota of MM Research Institute said, "Full-scale 5G services will hit the world in the future. I believe Japan will be able to boost its presence in the 5G era by belting out practical services speedily."
(Japanese original by Arimasa Mori, Business News Department)


text:
Businesses share their sentiments about the current business environment and where they think it is going.
The global economy appears to be bleak.
But there is hope in Asia Pacific. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) comes into effect at the end of 2015 and ASEAN is drawing much attention. Out of the ten countries in the AEC, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam make up 96% of the regional block's GDP. Here is how these six countries are expected to perform according to Dun & Bradstreet's Business Optimism Index (BOI) report for Q3 2015.
Indonesia - Government shifts gear to steer economy
The rupiah is weakening. There is a slowdown in fiscal spending and exports. Commodity prices have seen better days. The silver lining is that the transportation, finance, and services sectors seem optimistic. The government is relying on domestic consumption and investment to stimulate the economy. Fiscal incentives are being introduced. For example, several items will be exempt from luxury goods sales tax, and the government will be revising non-taxable income and the loan-to-value ratio. Bank Indonesia has projected lower growth at 5.0%-5.4%, down from its previous forecast of 5.4%-5.8%.
Malaysia - Confidence worsens and hits a new depth
In what seems like an almost perfect storm in recent days, Malaysia is experiencing oil price woes, a weak ringgit, external debt, political instability and natural disasters. The D&B report reveals that Malaysia is seeing unprecedented lows in business confidence. Most sectors are seeing a decline in optimism. But transportation, finance and construction remain relatively optimistic. The mining and wholesale sector will not see a smooth ride moving into the second half of the year. Exports will also suffer from a general slow recovery of the global economy. The report also shows an overall increase in selling price across the board. But this is a direct effect of the recently implemented goods and services tax (GST). As part of the 11th Malaysia Plan, the labour market and public infrastructure are still active. D&B expects growth to decelerate further in the coming quarter as domestic consumption slows down with GST. But D&B maintains its GDP growth forecast of 4.8% for the year of 2015.
Philippines - Slight deceleration before take-off again
Business confidence will dip before regaining momentum this year. But Philippines is set to be the fastest growing economy for 2015 in Asia. This should remain unchanged as private demand is still going strong. Public spending and credit expansion are positive. The agriculture, finance and services sectors are optimistic. The mining sector is seeing a decline, but it is common across the six ASEAN countries. A risk exposure to the slowdown in China will affect exports. However, D&B still forecasts a 6.5% growth for Philippines in 2015.
Singapore - Upbeat sentiment is firing on all cylinders
The economic powerhouse of ASEAN continues to show business confidence entering the second half of 2015. Growth continues to be optimistic with the services sector leading the economic activity. Services, alongside Construction, Finance, and Manufacturing are optimistic while Mining is on a downtrend. The current deflationary environment is temporary, but China's slowdown poses a risk to exports. The short-term outlook is that Singapore is well-positioned and expected to grow 2-4%.
Thailand - Silver lining on horizon despite exports dip
The global recovery is not helping Thailand's export-driven market. But it stands to benefit from a robust private investment environment due to the low interest rate climate. Finance and Construction sectors are riding high. Tourism, a major driving force, is back in full swing now that political stability has been restored. But Wholesale and Retail sectors, once popular, is not as optimistic. However, while the report shows that all six key indicators have decreased quarter-on-quarter, most have increased year-on-year and businesses are still optimistic on Sales, Selling Price, New Orders, and Employment. The market is expected to rebound in September with public sector expenditure as the main force behind it, alongside growing investment and tourism. The Bank of Thailand has revised its GDP growth for 2015 to 3.0% down from 3.8%.
Vietnam - Manufacturing revs up the growth engine
Vietnam takes the spotlight in ASEAN this quarter with business confidence soaring far above its counterparts. Its outlook on the six key indicators is mostly positive with the only downside being inventory levels. In fact, Vietnam is so positive about the second half of 2015 that its optimism index has risen sharply from 27% to 43%. Its positive outlook is led by the Construction and Manufacturing sectors, while Wholesale and Services sectors remain soft. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other Free Trade Agreements (FTA) will continue to provide a good support to its export market. With that, D&B forecasts a 6% growth for Vietnam.
To freely download our Asia Pacific newsletter just enter your registered email below


text:
Business Travel Takes Toll on Road Warriors
Many professionals wear their "road warrior" reputation as a badge of honor. (Think George Clooney's character in the film, Up in the Air, and his relentless drive to earn 10 million frequent flyer miles.) But too much business travel is taking its toll, according to a recent survey from ON24, a webcasting and virtual solutions company. The research, which was conducted by Harris Interactive, reveals that Americans think that constantly going out of town for client meetings and trade shows will lead to a host of problems, including stress, deterioration in physical health and damage to personal relationships. They also feel that trade shows, in particular, inspire a wealth of hedonistic and ultimately destructive behaviors. Overall, the survey participants are pleading for greater work-life balance, as organizations have gotten too demanding, in part due to lingering economic challenges. "These results illustrate that Americans believe their work-life balance is out of whack," says Denise Persson, chief marketing officer at ON24, "and that fuels their growing dislike for business travel, their resentment, and their desire for control of their own lives and how they spend their time." More than 2,100 Americans took part in the research.


text:
Byte Me: Crypto flying right?
Surprising exactly no one, big beast exchange ICE has joined its peers and entered the cryptocurrency market in earnest. More than eight months after competitors Cboe and CME launched cash-settled bitcoin futures contracts, this month ICE revealed Bakkt, a “global platform and ecosystem for digital assets”.
The company is working with Microsoft, Starbucks and other organisations to make the platform a reality. It promises easy conversion of bitcoin to fiat currencies and brand new physically-settled bitcoin futures, a first among the large US exchanges.
Cash-settled futures have acted as fun distraction for big investors looking to take advantage of the amusing price moves in the bitcoin market. Even if the eye watering margin demanded by some brokers may put a dampener on proceedings.
The new physically-settled contracts however, seem like good news for bitcoin miners, who commit computer power to helping verify transactions. They are rewarded with bitcoin for their efforts.
In the same way that the big futures exchanges in the US help farmers and actual miners hedge their positions and guarantee a certain income from an upcoming harvest or coal dig, these contracts could help bitcoin miners guarantee the profitability of their mining operations as the cryptocurrency's price shoots up or down.
A properly regulated conversion system for fiat to cryptocurrency could also be very useful for investors looking to swiftly exit their positions. It could prove an alternative to tether, a cryptocurrency that is supposed to be backed by the dollar. Tether has long acted as a quick safe haven for bitcoin investors. It's quicker to switch out from bitcoin into tether than into actual dollars, allowing investors to quickly lock in price moves.
And despite speculation that Starbucks could be willing to accept bitcoin at its stores, a spokesperson has reportedly confirmed since that this will not be the case. If such a payment system does eventually emerge, the best guess is that ICE’s conversion system will help users quickly convert their bitcoin into dollars for buying their tall, half-sweet non-fat caramel lattes on the fly.
What better way is there to convince your coffee buddies that central banks are dated, fat cat financial institutions at the root of all evil?
Perhaps the most significant part of the announcement is what is implied by the introduction of physically-settled futures of any sort. Just like with corn or coal, you need a warehouse of sorts to safekeep the cryptocurrency asset in question so that settlement can occur smoothly.
ICE is working on that, and is looking into the security and settlement requirements unique to digital currencies. David Wills, COO at institution-focused crypto trading platform Caspian, said that the entry of financial institutions like ICE, Goldman Sachs and Northern Trust into the market were the "building blocks for the institutionalisation of the cryptocurrency market".
"If you’re able to have these assets held by qualified custodians, that makes people much more comfortable to invest in the space, especially if there’s insurance attached to that as well," he added.
Furthermore, while it may not be immediately obvious, ICE seems to be entering the cryptocurrency space in a way that Cboe and CME haven't dared so far.
The company has highlighted that it will enable consumers and institutions to "buy, sell, store and spend digital assets on a seamless global network". This could mean that ICE will directly compete with unregulated exchanges that traditionally dominate the spot market. A cleaner spot market could also make a Bitcoin exchange traded fund an easier pill to swallow for the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Market moving or snoozing?
But an interesting element to the news is how little the cryptocurrency market has moved. Traditionally, especially during the euphoric rise of bitcoin between August and December, large financial players entering the crypto space would inspire a rally.
But the market capitalisation of cryptocurrenices has dropped from $278bn at the beginning of the month to $228bn on August 9. Bitcoin has also lost value, dropping from roughly $7,800 to $6,500. Perhaps, as suggested by two academics in June, the cryptocurrency market was previously manipulated upwards last year. Combined with the fear of missing out, markets were hyper responsive to moves.
Alternatively, perhaps bitcoin investors have begun to decouple institutional interest in cryptocurrenices from the success of the asset class itself.
A cryptocurrency investor and blogger at website TotalCrypto.io, Tom Alford, Tom Alford told Byte Me that market sentiment had become more negative, making it more difficult to attract new investors and inspire big bull runs. He added that while ICE's initiative could bring liquidity to the market, physically-settled futures and ETFs “both involve the middlemen that bitcoin was meant to cut out in the first place”.
Mati Greenspan, a senior market analyst at eToro, argued in a blog that ICE's new platform would be a good thing for the bitcoin network, resulting in more regulated cryptocurrency products and competition in the space.
Whatever is driving the price of bitcoin, as of late, it is Wall Street, Chicago and soon Atlanta that are having all the fun, not bitcoin ideologues.


text:
Psaki Says Surging Prices Are ‘A Good Thing’ When Cornered By Jake Tapper
White House press secretary Jen Psaki described the unprecedented inflation Friday as “a good thing,” arguing that it means “more people are buying goods … increasing the demand.”
Psaki appeared on CNN’s “The Lead,” where she was asked if White House chief of staff Ronald Klain’s retweet of a claim that inflation and supply chain snarls were “high class problems” was “tone-deaf.”
“[D]oesn’t it seem tone deaf to say that rising prices and empty grocery store shelves are high class problems? Isn’t that a bit dismissive?” CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked his guest.
“Well, that’s not exactly what the tweet said, nor the retweet of the original tweet, which is what we’re talking about here,” Psaki said in response.
The White House press secretary then went on to tout the decreasing unemployment rate, adding that gasoline prices were low during the pandemic “because nobody was driving.”
“Now, more people have jobs. More people are buying goods. That’s increasing the demand. That’s a good thing,” she said. (RELATED: Households Could Experience 54% Jump In Heating Bills, Says Biden Admin)
“At the same time, we also know that the supply is low, because we’re coming out of the pandemic and because a bunch of manufacturing sectors across the world have shut down because ports haven’t been functioning as they should be,” Psaki claimed. “These are all things we’re working through.”
Tapper then brought the discussion back to Klain’s retweet, recalling that Biden’s chief of staff had criticized former President Donald Trump’s administration for inflation that he claimed at the time “hurt the middle class.”
“Why did Ronald Klain think that rising prices was a serious concern under Trump and not under Biden?,” the CNN host inquired.
The U.S. economy is currently experiencing its highest inflation rate since January 1991. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Wednesday that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.4% in September, bringing the key inflation indicator’s year-over-year increase to 5.4%.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has blamed high gasoline prices on the sweeping green energy policies, such as carbon tax. The price of oil rose by 60% over the past year, reaching a seven-year-high.


text:
Hilton Manufacturing, a steel manufacturing subcontractor in Dandenong South, is expecting visitors this month from Taiwan and India to inspect the company’s new solar panel installation, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Dandenong Leader reports that Hilton’s installation’s 340 panels provide 25 per cent of the company’s power.
"We're hoping to inspire other people, especially (the owners of) empty factory roofs around us," project manager Jacques Esper told the Leader.
"There are millions of square meters of factory roofs out there which could be used for a good cause."
Less energy-hungry operations could reasonably expect to require only a quarter of the energy provided from a comparable set-up, and sell the rest back to the grid.
Hilton has gone through “ a period of rapid expansion” according to an article in August regarding the company, which employs 230 and is one of the country’s biggest manufacturing sub-contractors. It is the country’s leading manufacturer of dieselfuel tanks for trucks.


text:
The wallet is tied to a money laundering operation that transfers proceeds from fentanyl sales to Sinaloa cartel leaders in Mexico, officials said.
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned an Ethereum wallet tied to Jimenez Castro, a Mexican male with ties to the Sinaloa cartel.
Castro is one of 10 names listed on OFAC’s sanctions list as a part of a counter narcotics operation,
The wallet in question was first active in January or this year and received around $740,000 in deposits to Binance in a two month period, data from Arkham shows.
A U.S. Treasury press release states that Jimenez Castro “operates money laundering organization that uses virtual currency and wire transfers, among other methods, to transfer proceeds from illicit fentanyl sales in the United States to Sinaloa Cartel leaders in Mexico.”


text:
The rebrand of Thomas Blake Cosmetic Creams ‘Veil’ camouflage cream has been developed by Guerilla.
The Newcastle agency created a new brand look which it then applied to packaging, marketing materials and a new e-commerce website which launched last week.
Pharmaceutical markets will be targeted as well as the theatre and film industries with the newly rebranded product which has been available for over 50 years.
James Allen, Managing Director of Guerilla said “Veil is a fantastic product range and has real heritage, the challenge was to create a fresh image without losing the loyalty Veil customers have to the old brand. We are confident that the brand now reflects the status of a market leader”.


text:
Ghana-based agritech startup, AgroCenta has closed US$790,000 in pre-Series A funding round with participation from Shell Foundation, FCDO, AV Ventures, and Rabo Foundation.
AgroCenta is a mobile merchanting platform that provides market information, storage and delivery solutions, and financial services to smallholder farmers in Ghana.
Founded in 2015 by Francis Obirikorang and Michael Ocansey, the startup aims to address some of the main market inefficiencies and challenges to growth for smallholder farmers within the agriculture value chain in Ghana and West Africa.
Since its launch, registered farmers on CropChain, an app developed by AgroCenta, have rapidly increased from 3,000 to over 46,000, focusing on crops such as white and yellow maize, rice, soybean, cowpeas, and sorghum.
The agritech platform plans to deploy the funding in developing its smallholder farmer inclusion program as well as purchase crops at transparent and fair market prices to service offtake contracts.
Back in 2018, AgroCenta emerged winner of the Seedstars World competition and received seed funding in that same year. With this latest addition, the startup has raised a total amount of USD 1.9 million in disclosed funding.
Commenting on the significance of the investment, AgroCenta’s CEO, Francis Obirikorang, and co-founder Michael Ocansey said,
“This is a significant milestone for AgroCenta, having the support of leading institutions, particularly with the COVID-19 backdrop, underlining the strength of AgroCenta and the importance of its mission,” they said.
“The demand for agricultural raw materials from off-takers in the brewery, manufacturing, and consumer sector is increasing exponentially because of the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions that were put in place by the government of Ghana, hence this capital injection will help to secure purchases at fair and transparent prices from smallholders — a much-needed lifeline for many who are at the proverbial bottom of the pyramid.”
Don’t miss important articles during the week. Subscribe to techbuild weekly digest for updates.


text:
Everyone is raving about the lineup release of the Electric Blockaloo music festival. Electric Blockaloo is a digital music festival inside of the video game, Minecraft, and has called itself the “the biggest digital music festival in history.” We’re starting to believe that, after seeing the biggest lineup we have ever witnessed.
The digital festival will take place on June 25-28 on Minecraft. With a lineup this big, there is a price. Tickets are sold for $10, with VIP tickets available starting at $15. For full ticket details, you can click here. However, 5% of the festival revenue will go towards charities.
With 65 stages, some of our favorite performers include, Paris Hilton, Robin Schulz, Ekali, Claptone, Zhu, Nitti Gritti, Jauz, Doctor P, Gryffin, Steve Aoki, and 850 artists total. To see a full list of the lineup, grab a magnifying glass and check out the flyer below.
Recently, Twitch announced that DJ sets on their platform will be banned due to rights and royalty issues. With that, artists are trying to find ways to keep in touch with their fans until the live shows can happen again. Electric Blockaloo is the first huge event that announced they are working with Mixcloud to make sure artists are getting paid for their music in the stream while providing fans with a show they will never forget.
Is this the new normal? Admissions to the event plus artists getting paid seems like we are heading towards a semblance of normality. We have a feeling more collaborations will happen between online digital games and digital festivals. We already have a taste of the Marshmello and Fortnite show, so we are excited to see who’s up next.
Are you buying a ticket to Electric Blockaloo? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter!
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!


text:
Lakeshore Lioness and Walmart have partnered together again for the annual Stuff-a-Bus event.
This year, in an effort to support our students who lost their homes in the Clayton fire, relief donation as well as school supplies will be collected.
Donating is easy! Purchase any items you would to donate and the cashier at Walmart will place your items in the Stuff-A-Bus bin.
Examples of items to donate;
The Stuff-A-Bus campaign will run August 19th through Labor Day Weekend


text:
Game cancellations are an unfortunate reality of the industry, but these 10 cancelled titles looked especially promising, and we wish they were finished.
Bethesda didn’t say much about the cancellation of ‘Prey 2’, but an interview with the Human Head Studio developers shows just how far along the game got.
Bethesda is set to make a big splash with their first-ever pre-E3 press conference, and gamers are already guessing what they might reveal. Here are the games we’d like to see.
Bethesda Vice President Pete Hines confirms that ‘Prey 2’ is officially cancelled after years of troubled development.
The initial pitch for Arkane Studios’ ‘Prey 2’ has been leaked online, detailing possible gameplay mechanics, setting, characters and story.
Apparently the rumors were true: Arkane’s Austin studio is working on ‘Prey 2’, but they are headed in a complete direction with the IP and trying to make it a spiritual successor to ‘System Shock 2.’
Bethesda’s Pete Hines has confirmed rumors Arkane Studios has taken over ‘Prey 2’ development are not true, while also announcing ‘Wolfenstein: The New Order’ has been delayed.
VP of Marketing Pete Hines talks the ‘Prey 2’ radio silence, and says gamers shouldn’t be quick to judge Bethesda over a game that was ‘simply not good enough.’
With Bethesda reportedly moving ‘Prey 2’ from Human Head Studios to Arkane Studios, scrapping the current build in the process, one writer/designer of the shooter has spoken out.
We thought it was shelved indefinitely, but new reports claim ‘Prey 2’ is being handed to Arkane Studios, who will redesign the game from scratch.
Human Head Studios’ Nathan Cheever confirms that ‘Prey 2’ has not been ‘officially cancelled,’ and is currently in a state of ‘limbo.’
After a translation-gone-wrong in a recent interview, Bethesda executive Pete Hines reiterated that the troubled ‘Prey 2’ has not been cancelled. From our perspective, though, the picture still looks pretty bleak.
Things aren’t looking good for ‘Prey 2,’ as the game has been removed from Bethesda’s product lineup. After months of silence, we’re hoping the game hasn’t been cancelled.
Though a statement from Bethesda earlier today was meant to give ‘Prey 2’ fans hope, more news regarding the situation paints a conflict-filled picture.
The good news is that ‘Prey 2’ is not being canceled and is instead being delayed until sometime next year. The bad news is that development may not be going too well.
Despite looking promising, ‘Prey 2’ has reportedly been cancelled – with more information from Bethesda en route next week.
With so many high profile video games releasing this year, what should you look forward to seeing in 2012? Read on to find out our 25 most anticipated games of the year.


text:
Always Free To Place a Hit On Someone
Like the changing of the seasons (and the football seasons themselves), there’s an annually expected launch window for FIFA games.
For more than a decade, FIFA games have launched towards the end of September, and that’s now confirmed with the Buy FIFA 20 Coins Online release date being set for September 27.
If you’re an EA Access player however, you get a week’s early play, with the game launching on the subscription service on September 19.
The news was confirmed with a new teaser trailer, posted on Twitter. You can find it embedded below.
The previous two FIFA games landed on the final Friday in September (29 September, 2017 and 28 September, 2018) which, as we predicted, would align FIFA 2020’s release for Friday 27 September 2019. Note that FIFA games launch with a title suggesting the year ahead – FIFA 20 may come out in 2019, but its FIFA 20 / 2020 naming will reflect the coming season.Want to buy mut 19 coins from www.futcoin.com


text:
Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
4G costs carriers less to deliver than 3G, so why does it cost more?
Did you know that when you upgrade your phone to your wireless providers’ 4G network, you are actually helping your wireless provider financially? Wireless providers’ 4G networks are cheaper to deliver for cellular carriers. So, why do you end up paying more for using the 4G network than on the slower 3G service?
ReadWrite did a fantastic story detailing the way that wireless providers have blatantly lied (with help from the International Telecommunications Union) about what a 4G phone actually gets you as the “real” definition of 4G are download speeds of 1 gigabit per second in a fixed location and 100 megabits per second while in motion.
Although the story goes into great detail about the difference between 4G and 3G networks, the bottom line is that carriers are delivering significantly more speeds at half the cost/effort.
Foremost, the ability to slap “4G LTE” onto devices helps sell smartphones and make fun television commercials. Second, consumers want “4G,” even if they don’t actually know quite what that means. The carriers are delivering faster service with higher margins, and pocketing the rest of the money from users who think it’s a deal. After all, doesn’t it just make sense to you to pay as much or more for better service than you were getting? – ReadWrite.com
People in the United States pay considerably more for cellular plans with just 500MB of data than almost every other country.
Essentially, the U.S. carriers are able to gouge consumers even though the cost per bit on their networks is technically going down over time. The carriers will contend that they need to charge what they do because they investing in the infrastructure of the country. But once all the base stations are built, all the backhaul is optimized, will prices actually go down? – ReadWrite.com
The chances of consumers paying less for their services in the future are slim to none. Most, if not all, of the big players in the wireless industry have put millions into lobbying in Washington DC. Verizon and AT&T seem able to convince many that their manufactured spectrum crisis is about to pull down the economy unless they can merge with rivals companies.
So, while our wireless networks may not be the fastest or cheapest, they do make more money than any of their overseas counterparts. A report by analyst Chetan Sharma shows that in 2014 the United States will become the first nation to cross the $100 billion mark in annual mobile data revenues. The report also notes that 2013 was the first time data revenues exceeded voice revenues ($24.8 billion in the fourth quarter).


text:
With support from the likes of chefs Tom Kerridge, Simon Rimmer and several other Michelin star chefs, the campaign reached the goal with 45 hours to go, from the support of 1,441 backers and counting.
The record-breaking £200k crowdfunding campaign is the largest ever amount raised in the UK by Kickstarter for a restaurant.
Gary Usher, who owns Heswall-based Burnt Truffle , Chester-based Sticky Walnut, and Hispi in Manchester, said: "This is proof that absolutely anything is possible. The banks refused to support me in 2015 when I wanted to open Burnt Truffle and despite three successful restaurants, they struggled to back me again with the amount we need to open a restaurant such as Wreckfish.
"This business can be extremely tough, but opening a restaurant knowing that the local community and people from all over the UK are already behind it is a fantastic feeling."
A huge £35,000 was raised just 24 hours into the campaign, with the total now topping £203,000 26 days in.
Gary added: “From a pop up in the derelict building in February to raising a record breaking £200k in May.
"I honestly can't believe we've done this and I can't thank those who have spread the word, backed and offered their time and services to the campaign enough. I absolutely cannot wait to open Wreckfish's doors in September.”
The campaign has also seen the likes of support from top chefs, such as Duck & Waffle's, Dan Doherty, who will be hosting Wreckfish’s first ever brunch service on November 5 to a sold-out crowd, as well as Michelin star chef, Tom Kerridge, who will be hosting another sell-out six-course menu in October.
Additional support has come Sunday Brunch’s Simon Rimmer, who offered the highest bidder the chance to watch the programme being filmed. Usher auctioned this unique opportunity via Twitter, raising a massive £2,000 for the Kickstarter fund.
Wreckfish Bistro is set to launch on Slater Street in Liverpool's Ropewalks in September 2017.
For more information, visit www.wreckfish.co


text:
In 2018, Rikolto initiated its Food Smart Cities programme to build bridges for sustainable and fair food in cities. In Africa, we kicked off the work in Arusha, a booming city at the foot of Mount Meru, the smaller brother of Mount Kilimanjaro. The city has almost half a million inhabitants.
The two biggest chunks of work we have been doing in Arusha, together with our partners, are improving the food safety of fresh fruits and vegetables with the Arusha Food Safety Initiative on the one hand, and strengthening Farmer Business Organisations and improving the sustainability of their farming practices on the other hand.
As to the work of the Arusha Food Safety Initiative, it is too early to measure the impact of the activities. There are however already some noteworthy milestones. In 2019, the Tropical Pesticides Research Institute (TPRI) conducted a food risk assessment of fruit and vegetables in Arusha. They found that 63.2% of fresh fruits and vegetables are biologically contaminated. Furthermore, according to this study, 47.5% of fruits and vegetables have detectable levels of pesticide residues. Nearly three-quarters of these 47.5% exceed safety levels, posing a serious threat to public health. Kapelaka Jones, who conducted the TPRI study, went to see farmers to find out what the most common problems are. Excessive use of pesticides is one of the biggest problems. Kapelaka Jones explains that “Specific products work against specific pests, but farmers sometimes mix two or three products randomly. The mixture may be more toxic and may equally no longer be effective.”
Contamination of fresh fruits and vegetables in Arusha
This study forms the basis of the work of the Arusha Food Safety Initiative, which supports farmers in the production of safe food, guides sellers on safety and hygiene standards, informs consumers about health risks, and engages with the national and local government to develop food safety policies. As a next step, we will measure the impact and positive changes that these activities have leveraged.
The Food Smart Cities programme has already made an impact despite only having been set up in Arusha two years ago. We will zoom into three concrete examples where the programme has had an impact.
Firstly, we have seen an increase in the membership of Farmer Business Organisations. This means that a higher number of farmers can reap the benefits and services provided by these organisations. In Arusha, the farmer organisation Muvikiho coached farmers on good agriculture practices to improve sustainability and reduce post-harvest losses.
Secondly, the coaching on good agricultural practices had a huge impact on the share of the income that is derived from quality food sales. According to Walter Seleman, monitoring and evaluation officer at Rikolto in Tanzania, “Quality food is food that is produced in line with procedures that ensure the safety and quality for eating. Examples are quality storage and proper handling to avoid chemical and toxic contamination.” By 2021, we would like to see 90% of the income come from quality produce. As shown in the graph, by 2019, we had already reached a share of 66%, greatly surpassing the mid-term target of 45%.
These positive outcomes are tangible for farmers as they improve their lifestyles. More and more farmers are now being sensitised about food safety. Farmers adopt good agricultural practices in their farming techniques and ensure the production of safe food by having minimal residual levels of pesticides. Together with the increased diversity of crops grown by the farmers (from 1.5 to 2.2 crops per farmer on average), this shows the strength of farmer organisations in making smallholder farmers and whole communities more resilient against challenges like food shortages and climate change.
Monica Ombeni, a member of the Muvikiho farmer organisation, shares her story: “After the training from Muvikiho and Rikolto, I learnt how to prepare my farm as per expert advice which led to better production. I can now farm throughout the year and with the oncoming green bean harvest, I am expecting one and a half tonnes of beans from the farm with each kilo of beans fetching approximately 1,000 Tanzania shilling on the local market. I have been able to buy my own piece of land for farming and send my children to school for better-quality education.”
The year 2019 has proven the success and impact of the Food Smart Cities programme in Arusha. However, there are still many challenges along the road. Consumers for instance don’t have sufficient information about the importance of food safety, and as a result they lack incentives to pay a higher price for safe fresh fruits and vegetables. Awareness campaigns are therefore crucial but changing the behaviour of consumers is never an easy task. Transforming the food system is after all a complex step by step process that involves many actions and actors.
Building on the positive results in Arusha, we are now expanding this programme to other cities in Africa. Inspired by Arusha, we plan to kick off activities in Ougadougou and Bobo Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, Dakar and Rufisque in Senegal, Kampala and Mbale in Uganda, and Mbeya in Tanzania. We are meeting with their mayors and city councils, visiting markets and farmer organisation, conducting research on urban and peri-urban agriculture, and consulting with partners and other stakeholders to prepare these cities for the Food Smart City adventure! For the Democratic Republic of Congo, the food systems context study will provide guidance for the programme. This study will soon be launched, and three cities are involved: Bunia (in Ituri), Bukavu (in South Kivu) and Kalemie (in Tanganyika).
Now only one question remains: Which city will be the next Food Smart City?


text:
“The news millions of Halo fans have waited for: Halo 4 is on the way. But that’s not all…” reads the Xbox.com E3 page. Don’t expect it to stay up for long.
Kinect Star Wars
Feel the Force like never before as Kinect brings you into the Star Wars universe
“The news millions of Halo fans have waited for: Halo 4 is on the way”
Dance Central 2
New songs and new moves in the sequel to the best-selling Kinect dance game
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
The epic game that launched a universe, remastered for a new generation
Kinect Sports Season 2
Kinect puts you in the game for baseball, golf, skiing, tennis, and more
Apart from the games, there are new features coming to Xbox LIVE as well such new Voice capabilities.
Kinect Fun Labs with Build a Buddy, Googly Eyes, Kinect Me, Bobblehead and Kinect Sparklers.
Stay tuned for more news.


text:
The Xiaomi Mi Play should be focussed on gamers and is confirmed to have a waterdrop notch.
The Sony phone has a 6-inch display with a 1,080 x 1,920 full-HD resolution which shows that the phone will not be having an 18:9 aspect ratio.
The Xiaomi Mi 5X Special Edition is powered by 64-bit Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 along with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage.
Nokia's latest flagship Android phone, the Nokia 8 is most likely to be unveiled on 16 August at an event in London.
Xiaomi India Vice President and Managing Director Manu Kumar Jain tweeted about a dual camera phone to be launched in India around the month of September.
The company pointed that it wanted to achieve two main goals with the camera in the Essential PH-1.
Moto Z2 Force has been tipped to come out with the latest Snapdragon 835 processor, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB internal storage and 3,000 mAh of battery life.
New renders obtained by Forbes, sheds some light on how the next generation of Apple's iPhone is going to look on it's 10-year anniversary.
Chinese mobile manufacturer Xiaomi, is purported to be working on a new smartphone dubbed as ‘Riva’. The Redmi Pro 2 may feature dual cameras.
Moto M2 with 6 GB RAM, tipped to be launching in October, Moto X4 leaks surface showing dual camera setup
The specs of Moto M2 have now been leaked on the Internet alongside the Moto X4.
As with all their launches, OnePlus will be having an official live streaming on YouTube after the event kicks-off at 2 PM IST.
The Portugese player recently posted a picture from his photo shoot with the upcoming Nubia Z17 Mini smartphone.
Huawei has announced that it will launch Honor 6X in India by the end of January as part of the global launch announced at CES 2017


text:
The National Cyber Security Centre has just this week issued fresh warnings about the security risks of using Russian anti-virus software. Officials say the decision to warn people is based on a risk analysis, rather than evidence that espionage has taken place. However, these warnings have directly affected the likes of Kaspersky Labs, as Barclays stop offering free Kaspersky anti-virus products to its new customers, as a precaution.
Officials have stressed that members of the public and businesses should not stop using Kaspersky products. Kaspersky has a well established reputation with approximately 400 million users across the globe.
At CPiO, we are advising our customers who use Kaspersky products that they do not need to take any action. We will not be withdrawing the software from our product line and we will continue to support the Kaspersky range. If you have any questions about this topic and would like to talk to one of our expert team, please email us at email@example.com or call 0344 880 6140


text:
Forsaken World Mobile Officially Launching on July 23
Combatants, we are on the brink of a truly epic battle! Fedeen Games today announced that Forsaken World Mobile, successor to the acclaimed PC series, will be released on July 23! A soft launch is currently under way in Canada. Fedeen will be publishing the game in 92 countries all over the world.
Players who are eagerly awaiting the release of Forsaken World Mobile can take a short character class quiz right now for a chance to win rare in-game items for use when the game is released on July 23.
Take the Forsaken World Mobile character class quiz at www.fedeen.com/games/forsaken-world/quiz/ and prepare for the trials ahead!
Fedeen Games will be hosting two live Q&A sessions on Twitter using the hashtag “#ASKFWM.” The first session will take place on Sunday, July 19 at 7PM (PST), and the second session will take place on Wednesday, July 22 at 11AM (CET). Each session will last for 30 minutes. More information can be found at www.fedeen.com/forsaken-world-mobile-live-twitter-qa/.
Articles You May Enjoy
- Grand Ages: Medieval is Out Now on Mac
- Mac users – the time has come for epic battles, cunning diplomacy and relentless conquest.
- 4Story Reveals Third Kingdom - Broa
- On November 25, 2010 Zemi Interactive released a major update for their free to play fantasy MMORPG 4Story. The patch added the kingdom of Bro...
- ESL and Wargaming Partner To Run World of Tanks North American League
- ESL and Wargaming.net announce that the World of Tanks Wargaming.net League will be shown and hosted through ESL TV in Los Angeles.


text:
Protecting pollination: Smurfit Kappa designs bee transportation packaging for Biobest
26 Jan 2024 — Smurfit Kappa has launched a packaging solution to transport bees for Biobest, a global biological crop protection and pollination company.
Biobest says it approached Smurfit Kappa to design an insulated and weather-resistant box to replace the expanded polystyrene pack it was using to transport live bumble bees. The packaging needed to be robust enough to withstand long periods outdoors as the boxes are used for outdoor pollination of fruit and vegetables.
Smurfit Kappa used its Better Planet Packaging portfolio to create a solution made from water-resistant AquaStop paper and included hexacomb fitments inside to protect and insulate the insects. Tests were conducted to see if the new pack could survive outside for six to eight weeks. The tests succeeded and kept the bees safe and ready to pollinate.
Peter van Leent, Sustainability Manager at Biobest, says: “as providers of organic pest control, sustainability is a core value for us. It was clear throughout our collaboration that Smurfit Kappa has the same deep commitment to sustainability and fully understood the brief.
“We wanted to get a fully recyclable solution to replace the Styrofoam box we were previously using but needed to ensure that it would perform on several fronts. We’re looking forward to rolling this out for use with other live insects and mites.”
AquaStop for regulatory challenges
In 2022, Smurfit Kappa launched AquaStop, a water-resistant paper solution, part of the company’s TechniPaper portfolio — high-performance papers designed for complex supply chains.
Arco Berkenbosch, chief innovation officer at Smurfit Kappa, says: “we’re very aware of the crucial role that bees play in global food production and, indeed, have got beehives at many of our plants. We needed to come up with a pack that would protect this precious cargo both throughout the supply chain and when it reached its final destination.”
“Our AquaStop paper has performed very well across many sectors, and one of its biggest selling points is the fact that the coating that makes it water-resistant doesn’t compromise its recyclability. At Smurfit Kappa, we have a broad range of 100% paper-based and recyclable solutions such as this pack, which are the answer to the regulatory challenges that many of our customers are facing.”
Biobest began in 1987 when veterinarian Roland De Jonghe began breeding bumble bees in his garage to pollinate tomatoes organically. Tomato growers were quick to see the advantage of using bumble bees over chemical pesticides, and the company grew.
Edited by Louis Gore-Langton
To contact our editorial team please email us at
If you found this article valuable, you may wish to receive our newsletters.
Subscribe now to receive the latest news directly into your inbox.
# Good Human Club


text:
Anyone with a child knows that first day of school is usually a hard one. There are sometimes tears and a few parent's desperately try to pry their children off their pant legs. This is what happened to one East Quogue couple, who say they have a solution or at least something that has the potential to help make the day a little easier for children. It's called .
Pocket Frenz is a clothing line that Jason and Marni Hefter created with their own children in mind.
Marni says her son, Luke, has suffered from separation anxiety and to help ease him into the school environment, she sent him to school with his comforting washcloth stuffed inside his pocket.
That's when the idea of a clothing line based on characters came to the couple.
"We were sitting around the table talking, said Jason. "And we thought what about a character that stays in the pocket and can give children a tactile experience."
They scoured the Internet to see if there was anything already like it, but there wasn't. They patented their idea and sat down to create their new clothing line with a slogan, "A kid is never alone with a friend."
The pair spoke to parents, teachers and child psychologists to get ideas and also used their respective backgrounds to bring the design together — Marni has a ten-year history in women's fashion design and Jason, a Riverhead native, has a background in screenwriting and character creation.
"I draw the characters and Marni puts them into unique clothing designs," said Jason.
The design of the clothing allows the characters to stay in a child's pocket with velcro. And the characters can not only serve as a tactile experience, said Jason, but also as a puppet.
Characters include a Surf Shark, King Cobra and a girl from outer space.
"If a child is feeling intimidated, the puppet can speak for them," said Jason. "Sometimes kids would rather talk as a pupet than as themselves"
The clothing line, which is made in America, was released last week and so far, Jason says he and his wife have heard positive reviews from parents and from children and says his son Luke has even come out of his shell, acting in a YouTube video for the new line and posing for a photo shoot,.
Pocket Frenz hoodies are currently available for $68 on the Pocket Frenz website or at local shops including and in Westhampton Beach and Bean in Southampton Village for $60 each.
Elyse Richman, owner of Shock, said she is thrilled to be able to feature the line in her shop.
"Having been in the children's retail business as well as being a mother for the past 12 years, I am in tune to what some kids are sensitive to and the concern of the fabrics that they choose to buy or not buy. At Shock Kids we like to have new and unique lines and Pocket Frenz is going to be a fun line that we will be launching this summer," she said.
Jason says he and his wife has plans to expand the line with t-shirts, shorts, bags and accessories and they are thinking of a book as well as television show on Nickelodeon that focuses on the importance of friendship.


text:
From the pages of XboxWireAaron Greenberg officially opened the dances of theE3 2021announcing the date and time of Microsoft’s conference Xbox.
Rumors confirmed, exactly as we expected: Bethesda will also take part in the Xbox conference. The company, a few weeks ago, was officially acquired by the Redmond company, which will surely have its repercussions on the company’s highly anticipated future titles. In fact, it has been rumored for some time that the highly anticipated Starfield could be an Xbox exclusive, to push players to focus above all on the Game Pass.
In the meantime, write down the information on the calendar: the Xbox Bethesda conference will be held on Sunday June 13th, at 7:00 pm Italian time.
The showcase will run for around 90 minutes, and Microsoft will focus on upcoming summer releases with an eye, of course, on what awaits Xbox players in the future.
It goes without saying that the show will have an undisputed protagonist already clearly revealed on the cover of the event. Xbox’s E3 2021 conference will mark Halo Infinite’s big comeback after last year’s decidedly opaque test, and fans of 343 Industries’ shooter series can’t wait to find out more.
Of course we at Uagna.it will bring you news in real time and insights on what will be shown at E3 2021, which, we remind you, will be an entirely digital edition of the fair due to the still uncertain health situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. .
Thanks for reading!


text:
It’s been a strong year to date for British online supermarket Ocado, which revealed strong profit growth, a new deal to sell its proprietary software platform overseas, and the launch of a fresh funding drive to expand its capacity and further develop its technology.
Artificial Intelligence: the new game changer in retail…what every retailer needs to know AI isn’t a next generation technology: it’s a profit-driving opportunity that needs to be on your business agenda today. Join leading experts for an informative discussion on AI in retail, where you will discover: Why AI needs to be a priority investment […]
Anusha Couttigane, senior analyst at Kantar Retail, insists AI isn’t simply the latest tech gimmick.
AI must enhance human emotion says Katharina Wittgens, Insights Director at Innovationbubble.
for exclusive content, networking events and more
Get the latest industry views and exclusive member offers sent direct to your mailbox.


text:
The jury’s still out on what effect the firing in August of some key players at Hipstamatic will have on the app itself â€” but the toy-camera simulator is still pumping out the FreePaks, those cute virtual lens-and-film pairings that often tie in with some pop-culture reference. This time it’s based off the star-stuffed Gangster Squad flick, set to be released early next year. Oh, and they’re giving away a Canon 5D [Read More...]
Will Apple regret saying goodbye to Scott Forstall?
After being stripped of his position as senior vice president of iOS software, Scott Forstall will now server as an advisor to Tim Cook until he leaves Apple in 2013. While we can’t be certain why he’s really leaving the Cupertino company, rumor has it he’s been axed for refusing to apologize for the half-baked Maps app in iOS 6, and his fiery personality [Read More...]
It may seem that getting rid of Scott Forstall is a bad thing. He was, after all, the major architect of Apple’s most successful software: iOS, the software that runs the iPhone and iPad.
It’s actually a very good thing, and it means your iPhone is about to get a whole lot better.
Over the last 12 months Tim Cook has been molding Apple into his own company. He’s already changed the [Read More...]


text:
Three trends make me wonder if there’s money to be found in U.S. Postal Service real estate.
First, the Postal Service continues to bleed, despite higher revenue—no thanks to Congress for its inability to pass meaningful, fixable reforms.
Second, network consolidation continues apace—with 141 facilities consolidated to date in the Postal Service’s plan for Network Rationalization—and another 82 slated for 2015
Third, commercial real estate is booming—in the market for e-commerce warehouses—as online shopping now accounts for 6.2 percent of U.S. total sales. Industrial space is growing at an annual rate of 14.5 million square meters per year, while retail is rising at just 6 million square meters.
Is there an opportunity for some matchmaking here? The Postal Service does have a lot of commercial property for sale—43 buildings as of today’s writing—but what if some property could be reconfigured for e-commerce fulfillment? As the USPS expands its parcels business, it may make sense to reassess USPS assets—particularly as facilities are made vacant—and to determine some opportunities for expanding its parcel business, assessing suitability for e-commerce—including leasing to private firms—and taking advantage of USPS’s huge inventory and infrastructure advantages—particularly in and near population centers.
Same-day fulfillment is really a sparkler being tested and implemented in several cities. Tomorrow, it’s bound to be a fulfillment staple.


text:
A luxury holiday lodge maker is booming thanks to the increase in UK staycations with a record £38m order book for 2017.
Cambrian Park and Leisure Homes in Porthmadog is celebrating 10 years in business and now supplies some of the most luxurious holiday sites around the UK with lodges that can cost up to £500,000.
This year will see them build 190 homes with staff numbers now at 166 - more than double the figure that were there when the business started back in 2006.
The value of the homes due to the built over the year is around £38m.
Helen Scott, director at Cambrian Park and Leisure Homes, said: “We’re delighted to reach this milestone and are proud of the high quality products that we continue to produce for our customers and park owners.
“We put our success down to the hard work of our experienced team as well as our commitment to deliver affordable dream homes.
“Our ethos of providing luxury, high-quality products to our customers has been the same since day one and it is a philosophy that we will carry with us into the future.
“We have a number of exciting projects on the horizon and will continue to focus on our design innovation and support services.”
The high-end lodge manufacturer was established in 2006 to design and build bespoke lodges for holiday and residential villages across the UK.
Following a multi-million-pound buyout in 2014, the company has continued to go from strength to strength and is now producing 11 signature models.
Production at the North Wales premises has increased by 75% over the last 10 years while the work force has more than doubled, with 166 highly skilled staff and craftsman employed at flagship premises in Porthmadog.
The company is currently supplying to over 300 holiday villages across the UK.


text:
Adding this to my holiday movie list...
"Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers – and their very freedom – to help bring long-buried truths to light."
Of course it's not the first time Meryl Streep has played a strong woman in media - who could forget her flawless performance in The Devil Wears Prada?
The much anticipated magazine and coffee retail concept Kioskafe has opened its doors in London's Paddington. The mission: "the creation of the perfect newsstand" served with a side of Allpress coffee. Window decals invite print lovers to "come in for a flick" of their extensive, yet well-curated range not to mention the print on demand global newspaper service. Monocle is no stranger to retail ventures with concept stores and even cafe's in London, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York and Toronto.
Starting 2014 off with a bang, News Corp's NewsLifeMedia have announced the launch of their 10 week online health and fitness program - body+soul revolution. Supported by a $1.5M marketing budget, for $99 (or $149 for 2), members can leverage the support of a range of experts across; personal training, yoga, general medicine, naturopathy, nutrition, psychology, parenting, astrology to help achieve health and fitness goals.
Curious, I put together a quick comparison tool (below) and while not perfect, it does show body+soul revolution as being a serious contender in the market by leveraging a ready-made audience. Body+soul revolution is clearly the most well-priced option for members with the highest gross reach of the programs compared. The gross audience estimate is the total of known social media stats (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest) as well as magazine audience. Web traffic has not been included due to lack of data availability on the non-media brands.
Membership Program Comparison Tool
Earlier this month Australia's two biggest newspaper publishers; News Limited and Fairfax Media unveiled their digital paid subscription models. Both publishers offer a $1 for the first month for full digital access and between $15 (Fairfax) and $16 (News+) thereafter. Fairfax offer everyone access to 30 free articles per month before being asked to upgrade - they also send you an alert once you've read 25 free articles which is also handy. Newspaper subscribers will also automatically receive full digital access if they have home delivery on two or more days a week. News+ offer limited (approx. 3) free access articles before being asked to upgrade. News+ also offer Fox Sports content as part of their subscription package.
Fairfax Media Subscription Offers
Sydney Morning Herald Subscription Offers
Watch Fairfax Media's consumer commercial below
News+ (News Limited) Subscription Offers
News+ Subscription Offers
Fox Sports News live 24/7 live streaming
Fox Sports match news videos
Unlimited Taste, Body + Soul, Escape, Confidential, Best Weekend.
Watch News Australia's News+ product video below
images and videos via: smh.com.au and news limited respectively.
Will you gaze into the future with me a minute? With the myriad of opportunities technology has afforded publishers, do you wonder where else it could go? I found this fascinating video from IDEO - a global design consultancy ranked one of the most innovative companies in the world by the Boston Consulting Group (IDEO also worked with Zinio back in 2001).
The video, entitled The Future of the Book is a "design exploration of digital reading" which tours three product prototypes (named Nelson, Coupland and Alice) which re-imagine the digital book. The video originally created in 2010, could mean the future is not too far away. The idea won a number of awards and the technology could equally be applied to magazines.
1. NELSON - a reading experience that offers different perspectives and ongoing discussions as well as fact checking. Giving readers what they need to form their own opinions on topics.
2. COUPLAND - determines the key reading materials based on your professional network, organisation or university. Keeping you up to date with what's going on in your field.
If you've just watched the video, you'll see the potential opportunities for publishers, advertisers and audiences - particularly extending reader engagement and gamification of content.
The burning question is - are we there yet?
Images and video via IDEO.com
Produced by InkGlobal and written and produced by The Garden Studios.
A South-East Queensland pilot, five year contracts and super territories of 10,000 newspapers per day featured in today's announcement from New Australia. In the long awaited announcement, News reconfirmed their commitment to print and a collaborative, phased approach though the pilot which will see 56 territories merge to 3 with sub-agent rights also transferred to new territory incumbents.
Key Features of the new model as outlined by News Australia;
- Separating distribution and retail
- New consolidated territories
- New remuneration structure for distribution
- Bringing subscriber administration in-house
- Standard retail commission continuing at 12.5% seven days per week
For News Limited's full document outlining the changes in more detail you can download the FAQ sheet here.
The Guardian's Chief Marketing Officer, Daivd Pemsel said of the open journalism campaign "We have seen heightened interest and engagement on all of our platforms - page views, interactions and comments, video views, subscriptions and sales of the newspaper have all increased."
View the ad-free version below.
Musings about magazines.
I'm a Sales and Marketing Consultant from Sydney, Australia.


text:
Chicago is the epicenter of ecommerce right now with the Internet Retailer Conference (IRCE 2010) in full force. VeriSign is adding to the buzz too. We just announced a new partnership with Cart32.
Cart 32 now offers the VeriSign Trust Seal to the thousands of merchants who use their comprehensive e-commerce solution. So now online retailers can go to one place for shopping cart software, store management tools, merchant services and now the trust-building solutions from VeriSign.
This partnership is special for online stores that outsource their shopping cart or merchant services. For the first time, these merchants can show the VeriSign seal before their customers start the transaction. That is important because consumers want to feel a site is trustworthy before they click from a search engine or immediately when they land on the site. Too many merchants are losing customers before they even get all the way to the purchase.
We are talking to a lot of online retailers here at Internet Retailer that face this challenge. It is exciting that VeriSign now offers a solution as a one-stop shop through Cart32.


text:
FireSky is pioneering the development and publishing of games for Social Networks At Playâ„¢ (SNAPs), a unified theory of online gaming that combines social interaction, economies and game play across a variety of titles. The FireSky team calls this evolution “Project: Ascension.â€ This project – currently under wraps – will bring gamers together in new and unprecedented ways.
“We don’t intend to be another garden-variety games publisher,â€ said FireSky CEO Tim Jenson. “We are focused on publishing high quality social gaming experiences online. As the industry moves online, more and more people will be turning to games as a way to spend time with friends. With a few notable exceptions, game developers and publishers haven’t done a great job of marrying quality games with social experiences. Project: Ascension and SNAP games will change that dynamic forever.â€
FireSky Senior Vice President of Product Development, Rod Nakamoto, has launched more than 80 titles over his 25-year career in game development. Mr. Nakamoto leads FireSky’s four internal development studios and oversees the progress on Project: Ascension.
“There is a degree of pressure to play a title after the fun factor has gone, simply because the investment is too great,â€ explained Mr. Nakamoto. “Gamers who invest time building characters, making friends and gathering resources typically have no ability to transfer this investment to a new experience. We’re working on a new set of ideals that will push online gaming past these barriers and into an era of portability.â€
Senior Vice President of Strategic Operations Joe Ybarra, a 25-year veteran of the video game industry and one of the founding members of Electronic Arts, is heading up FireSky’s publishing operations. Mr. Ybarra has extensive experience publishing products worldwide, handling licensed material and managing business development with third-party developers.
“From a business perspective, publishing is the logical next step for FireSky,â€ said Mr. Ybarra. “We’ve got the chops to do it and we’re assembling a great team here in the desert. I can’t wait to get our flagship up and running to show off our operation.â€


text:
KOLKATA: Usha International is integrating modern trade and e-commerce sales channels with its existing network for a significant increase in its retail footprint, tying up with regional retailers and plans to sell exclusive products through e-commerce.
Kapil Kohli, vice president - retail head at Usha International said with a shift in consumer behaviour and increasing focus on superior buying experiences, Usha is investing significantly to expand its retail presence.
"Leveraging our already high brand recall, we are ensuring presence across channels and the last mile connectivity for maximum outreach for all our products across categories. USHA is aiming for a 30 per cent growth in retail business by ensuring product display management, focus on sell-out and experiential marketing," said Kohli.
The company is also transforming its existing 60-plus company showrooms and integrating experiential zones for enhanced customer experience. It also plans to open 50 new exclusive stores by March 2017 which would be company designed, franchisee owned and operated brand stores.
Usha operates in categories such as fans, appliances, sewing machines, water coolers and dispenser, agricultural and domestic pumps and diesel engines. It has recently launched newer products like halogen oven, tower fans and humidifiers.
"Following the transaction, majority Indian ownership will create the regulatory space to even convert the operations into a B2C entity. It will provide a better shopping and pricing experience. But it's a call that has to be taken," said a source familiar with the transaction.


text:
GHANA – Ecobank Ghana has launched a new banking solution for small businesses known as ‘The Ecobank Digi Banking Pack’ aimed at providing convenient banking services to SMEs by leveraging the bank’s digital offerings.
The bank said that the move was informed by its quest to address some of the key challenges confronting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) size businesses in the country.
The Ecobank Digi Banking Pack comprises of: the Digi Current Account, Digi Savings Account, and a bouquet of collection and payment solutions.
The Digi Current Account is a special account with no initial deposit, no monthly service charges and automatic access to the bank’s array of collection and payment solutions.
The Digi Savings Account, is a quasi-hybrid account which allows cheque deposit and has no monthly service fees. The account also offers customers with tiered interest rates.
EcobankPay, Ecobank Xpress and OMNILite make up the collection and payment solutions offered by Ecobank.
Ecobank Pay facilitates payments to merchants via MVisa and MasterPass QR codes while Ecobank Xpress Points will serve as agents for basic banking services such as cash pay-ins and withdrawals, Bank Card.
The Ecobank OMNILite will enable merchants to perform a wide range of finance functions including account viewing, reporting, payments and liquidity management
Speaking at the launch in Accra the Managing Director of Ecobank Ghana, Mr. Daniel Sackey, said that this new initiative was part of the Banks commitment to “enabling business operators to enjoy faster targeted solutions.”
On the benefits of the Digi Banking Pack, the Head of SMEs at Ecobank Mr. Kingsley Adorfo-Addo, said that the package provides flexibility of a saver whiles running a business account.
“It is a convenient, smarter, and safer access to internet banking. It enhances working capital, increased access to new markets and offers financial advisory services,” said Adorfo-Addo.
Ecobank Ghana is the second largest Bank in Ghana with an estimated total asset base of US$1.91 billion (10.45 billion Ghana Cedes) and was ranked as the third most credible bank in Ghana by the Credmap Technology Ghana Banking Credibility Index in 2019.
The bank currently operates about 77 branches in the country and employs over 1,600 employees.


text:
Nefarious search engine optimisers be warned. Google is coming for you — again.
Following previous changes to Google’s ranking and page layout algorithms, the search giant is pushing yet another update to its algorithm this week with the hopes of curbing
black hat webspam from creeping into search results.
The change will go live for all languages at the same time within the next few days, said engineer Matt Cutts in a blog post yesterday, and will affect roughly 3.1 percent of queries in English
to a degree that a regular user might notice — via redwolf.newsvine.com


text:
IDC Research says New Zealand smartwatch adoption rates are less than half the worldwide average.
Just three New Zealanders in a hundred own a smartwatch. The number hasn’t changed in the last year. It is the same percentage as Japan.
In a survey of consumers in 26 countries, IDC found the average smartwatch adoption rate was eight percent.
When it comes to fitness wearables, sporty New Zealand bats a little above average. In 2016 the adoption rate climbed from nine percent to 11 percent.
The numbers are unlikely to get better. IDC says only 13 percent of New Zealand consumers expect to buy a wearable in the future. This is already having an effect on the number of devices shipped here. There’s less selection on sale and that in turn suppresses interest and demand.
As IDC notes, the figures show New Zealanders are pragmatic about buying technology. We didn’t get caught up in the hype behind wearable devices.
Fitness yes, smartwatch no
This makes sense. Fitness wearables have clear benefits and tend to be inexpensive. Smart watches are often costly and, fitness applications aside, don’t do much to make people more productive or to increase the quality of life.
When Apple first sold its Watch, the emphasis was on its style and an ability to communicate. Fitness was an afterthought.
Almost no-one in New Zealand picked the Apple Watch as a fashion statement. Geeks and technology types were the main buyers. Most say they value the notifications they get from the Watch more than anything else.
But fitness comes a close second. It became the main justification to buy an Apple Watch.
Smartwatch sales have disappointed the companies making them. In July IDC reported year-on-year sales were down 32 percent.
Apple is the top brand. It sold 1.6 million Watches in the year, but it saw a 55 percent fall in sales.


text:
Shipbuilder Austal Limited announced it has delivered Cape Wessel, the seventh of eight Cape Class patrol boats being supplied to Australian Border Force under a $330 million design,
Shipbuilder Fincantieri has received an order to build a new luxury cruise ship for client Silversea Cruises due for delivery in April 2017.
At 40,700 grt and accommodating 596 guests,
Littoral Combat Ship 6 (LCS 6), the future USS Jackson, has completed U.S. Navy acceptance trials, shipbuilder Austal Limited announced.
The trials, the final milestone before delivery,


text:
Tuesday, January 30, 2018 10:15 PM ET
Rapid7 (RPD) Insiders Make Significant Share Sales Extending the Trend of Last Quarter
Two insiders — Alan Matthews, Director, and Corey E Thomas, Director and Officer — sold 450,000 shares of Rapid7 having a market value of approximately $9,454,500, today, as revealed in form 4 documents filed with the SEC. There have been 5 insiders with buy/sell transactions in the past 90 days prior to these filings. All of these trades have been sales resulting in the sale of 1,895,414 company shares. Adding the most recent activity to this 90-day history indicates insider trades have seen net sales of 2,345,414 shares and have averaged 335,059 shares per transaction over this time period.
Relative to its peers over the last 90 days, insider buy/sell trading at Rapid7 is higher than the 99-company peer group average. Software peer group saw 160 buy/sell trades during this period for an average of 1.6 transactions per company. The number of shares per buy/sell trade for Rapid7 insiders was also higher. Within the peer group there were 144,400 shares purchased and 12,441,753 shares sold with company insiders selling 76,858 shares on average.
In order to focus on significant insider buying and selling activity, all trading activity reported to the SEC that involves awards, options, exercise of derivative securities, company buy-backs, taxes, gifts, shares acquired via inheritance and tenders or exchange offers has been eliminated data sourced to compose and write this story.
Today’s Insider Activity
* Alan Matthews, Director, sold 200,000 shares
* Corey E Thomas, Director and Officer, sold 250,000 shares
Using proprietary Natural Language Generation (NLG) technology, UpTick evaluates corporate insider filings reported to the SEC and creates real-time news and analysis to report the most significant insider transactions based on transaction type, size and historical trends.
For more information, contact UpTick at firstname.lastname@example.org. Copyright 2018 UpTick Data Technologies. All rights reserved.


text:
04 August 2008
Donald Duck model sheet, created for the Disney cartoon 'The Wise Little Hen' in 1934, sold for a record-breaking $75,000 at Hakes recently. ...
Geppi’s Entertainment Publishing & Auctions has announced that its Hake’s Americana & Collectibles unit has sold the first Donald Duck model sheet, created for the Disney cartoon The Wise Little Hen in 1934, for a record-breaking $75,000.
• The 9.5” x 12” sheet of animation paper was completed in pencil in advance of Donald’s first appearance.
• The model sheet is the first known drawings of the character.
• The Wise Little Hen was released on 6th June 1934 as a part of the Silly Symphony series of short cartoons.
The sale continues a pattern of sustained record prices for Disneyana, both in terms of art and collectables. ‘The record-breaking price paid for this rare Disney art demonstrates the continued vitality of the Disneyana market,’ said John K. Snyder Jr, President of Geppi’s Entertainment.
This model sheet art finalised Donald’s look for his first appearance on screen and contains eight different, full-body images of Donald as well as a preliminary body shape sketch and seven head shots, showing different views and emotions. The bottom right margin has ‘The Wise Little Hen’ text and cartoon serial number ‘U.S. 20’ (United Artists Silly Symphony No 20).
‘This model sheet is the most significant Donald Duck offering in the 41-year history of Hake’s Americana & Collectibles,’ Snyder said, ‘but I believe strongly that this is just a precursor of even more high-end activity in the realm of vintage Disneyana.’
* This was published in the August 2008 issue. For more news from the auction world why not subscribe to Collectors Gazette.


text:
The adoption of common specifications will help drive industry adoption of notebooks and push cost down, according to a senior executive from Intel.
During his keynote address at Intel Developer Forum in Taipei on Tuesday, Bill Siu, vice-president and general manager of Intel's channels platform group, said, unlike desktops, there are no component standards for mobile PCs. This often leads to uncompetitive pricing and higher support costs, he noted.
To solve what Siu described as "infrastructure pain points", Intel in 2004 introduced its Common Building Blocks (CBB) programme for three specifications in hard-disk drive, optical-disk drive and LCD panel. The initiative aims to establish consistency in components used in notebooks, regardless of who manufactures them, so that assembly cost and time-to-market can be reduced.
Four more components were added to the CBB programme this year, which now includes specifications for battery pack, power adaptor, keyboard and customisable notebook panel.
According to Siu, the first set of notebooks carrying components that adhere to all the seven common specifications will begin shipping within the next two weeks. These 11 laptop models will be offered by three of the biggest laptop designers in Taiwan: Asus, Compal and Quanta Computer. These design models can then be adopted and manufactured by hardware makers such as HP and Dell.
The CBB programme not only ensures components are built to deliver optimised performance on Intel machines, Siu said, manufacturers are also able to go to more than one supplier for their components.
Matt Haller, Intel's director of system ingredient enabling, in its mobile platform group, said the specifications are designed for multiple generations of technologies. For example, a CBB-based battery pack can cater to high or low cell capacities depending on the prevailing configurations.
According to Siu, there are currently more than 25 component suppliers involved in the CBB programme, the majority of which are based in Taiwan.
He added that there will be "a gradual build-up of an ecosystem of products over the next several months" and a substantial number by mid-year.
Intel is also likely to provide direct service support to customers who buy from smaller manufacturers through its Verified by Intel programme, which has yet to be officially launched.


text:
Journalists from the public TV station France 2 went undercover at the Zhengzhou iPhone 5 Foxconn factory.
The programme, which is sort of a French Panorama, found many of the same problems the Chinese manufacturer and Apple promised to fix earlier this year.
According to Engadget, the report uncovers a nightmare of working conditions. Workers were forced to stay in partly built dorm rooms that had no elevators, electricity or running water.
A Foxconn manager was filmed warning workers not to plug devices into dorms that did have electricity, saying that eight workers were killed in a fire after overloading circuits.
Hacks interviewed lower-paid student employees who were of legal age to work there but were essentially slave labour. Corrupt school administrators told them they’d lose their diplomas if they didn’t take a job at the plant.
Regular workers also claimed that much of their upgraded $290 monthly salary was still being absorbed by the company through housing, insurance and food charges.
Envoyé Spécial found that Foxconn had methods of clawing back wages from employees. These included a $7 for a psychological test supposed to weed out suicidal candidates. Foxconn does not pay, but workers did.
Foxconn is under pressure from Apple to turn out shedloads of the shiny toys to keep the wealthy and clueless of the world happy.
One employee said it is so difficult to meet the quota, the company has to recruit all the time to stem the turnover of frustrated workers.
Foxconn didn’t discuss the above findings with French reporters on camera but has since admitted that it was not perfect. It said that the company was making progress and was a market leader in meeting the needs of the new generation of workers in China.
Apple told Envoyé Spécial that its subcontractors were required to provide safe working conditions, dignity and respect to employees.
Apple said that it insisted all of its suppliers provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes wherever its products are made.
However, neither Apple nor Foxconn seemed keen to have another round of investigations at the new plant.