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Published 6 years ago.
About a 4 minute read.
While UK supermarket giant Tesco has focused the majority of its sustainability efforts on slashing food waste, the company is now setting its sights on reducing impacts across its F&F clothing line. The retailer has announced that it is joining Greenpeace’s DETOX campaign in an effort to phase out the use of toxic chemicals in its own-brand clothing label’s supply chain.
Tesco will work with Greenpeace and its complete supply chain to ensure zero discharge of hazardous chemicals into the environment by 2020.
As part of its commitment, Tesco has devised a seven-part action plan, which covers:
The company has pledged to implement the plan within six to 12 months of the publication of the commitment.
Truly sustainable businesses address the many interconnected social and environmental challenges that brands and their customers face — and strive for net-positive outcomes and impacts, in addition to growth. SB's latest guidebook can help your company navigate the path toward enhanced brand sustainability with key insights, actionable steps and a holistic framework that defines a roadmap for good growth.
Greenpeace launched its DETOX campaign in 2011 to encourage brands to eliminate toxic chemicals across the value chain. The initiative has been backed by 80 international brands and suppliers, including M&S, Aldi, H&M, Lidl and Levi Strauss. DETOX committed companies now represent 15 percent of worldwide textile production.
“The Detox standard is the new industry baseline — in only six years, forerunners of the textile sector went from total denial and opacity of their supply chain to transparency and the banning of all hazardous chemicals. Tesco’s commitment shows the rest of the industry that using hazardous chemicals is not an option anymore,” said Kirsten Brodde, Detox Campaign Project Lead for Greenpeace Germany.
The announcement builds on Tesco’s recent responsible sourcing commitments, which include a move to 100 percent sustainably sourced cotton. The retailer is already on track to ensure that 70 percent of its cotton is sourced from Better Cotton Initiative farmers by the end of 2017.
But Tesco’s Detox Commitment is only a sampling of the sustainability efforts the retail giant is rolling out. The company has also announced its involvement in the Innovation Gateway, an alliance of organizations working together to adopt innovative solutions that reduce the environmental impacts of their buildings.
By joining the group — of which Heathrow, Kingfisher, RBC and the University of Cambridge are members — Tesco aims to target efficiency improvements in energy, water and waste, particularly in the areas of lighting controls, air conditioning and heat reclamation.
“At Tesco, we want to continue to play our part in combating climate change. Our work includes deploying innovation to reduce energy use across our estate. Wherever appropriate, we will share our experience and learn from other companies and organizations through the Innovation Gateway. We hope this exchange can be a real benefit to each company and increase our impact in addressing climate change,” said Kené Umeasiegbu, Head of Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture at Tesco.
Following the Paris Climate Agreement, Tesco outlined new science-based targets, which have since been approved by the Science Based Target Initiative, that will enable it to meet its zero-carbon ambitions. The company aims to achieve absolute reductions based on 2015 levels of 35 percent by 2020, 60 percent by 2025 and 100 percent by 2050 and secure 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Since 2007, Tesco has invested more than £700 million in energy efficiency improvements, leading to a reduction of 41 percent per square foot and putting the company on track to achieve a 50 percent reduction per square foot of store by 2020.
“It’s fantastic that a company with Tesco’s depth of experience is taking a lead in sharing all the innovative work that it has done to reduce energy, waste and water across its portfolio,” said Henry Majed, Director of Partnerships at Innovation Gateway. “This partnership reflects how important it is to leading organizations internationally the need to reduce environmental impact and drive innovation to combat it. By working with Tesco, we can help drive cross industry improvements with tangible benefits to our environment.”
Published Jul 17, 2017 10am EDT / 7am PDT / 3pm BST / 4pm CEST


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Novatti’s half-yearly report commentary has stated,
“The Company continues to pursue opportunities with blockchain and capitalise on the strong interest in the leading digital asset technology, which it expects to drive future revenue growth opportunities.”
“In addition, the Company continues to review potential acquisitions of complementary businesses.”
Novatti is forging ahead with Blockchain research and development, signing an agreement with US-based Lightyear.io to integrate Novatti’s platform into open-source blockchain network, Stellar. The goal is to create a lucrative global blockchain payments solution.
Further extending the organisation’s Blockchain exposure, Novatti signed an MOU with Gingkoo Financial Technology, a Chinese blockchain technology company, to develop opportunities leveraging Gingkoo’s blockchain technology and expertise.
Commenting on the Gingkoo agreement, Novatti CEO Peter Cook said,
“We are extremely well placed to take advantage of the enormous opportunity that the Gingkoo blockchain technologies presents through our experience in emerging and developing markets combined with the increasing financial processing networks that we control or integrate with”
“Gingkoo is a partner with outstanding skills and intellectual property to help Novatti leverage their extensive blockchain capabilities into financial services and logistics markets.”
Novatti has the cash to advance its blockchain strategy.
Last month, Novatti completed a share placement with Chinese technology investors, raising AU$7m.
More about Novatti:
Novatti’s current core business is software technology and payment services. Novatti helps economies, corporations and consumers digitize cash transactions. Novatti’s software solutions include Digital Wallet, Branchless banking, Mobile Money, Bill Payments, Remittance Services, Voucher Management Systems and Utility billing. Novatti’s transaction processing services include Flexepin, an open loop cash voucher service, processing of Chinese payment methods including AliPay and WeChat Pay and remittance services.
Fanatics of the digital currency Dogecoin got a different kind of surprise on April 20,…
The Venmo mobile payment application owned by PayPal Holdings recently announced that it has started…
Behold the first-ever video play game certified by the FDA as a mental well-being therapy.…

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Play Sports Group – home of market-leading cycling channels GCN, GMBN and GTN – becomes a subsidiary of Discovery Sports, creating the first global direct-to-consumer proposition for cycling community and dedicated vertical for valuable global demo
8 January 2019 – Bath, UK: The Play Sports Group – the digital sports media company behind market-leading cycling brands including Global Cycling Network, Global Mountain Bike Network and Global Triathlon Network – has joined the Discovery family as Discovery Inc, the global leader in real life entertainment, today announced purchase of a 71% controlling stake in Play Sports Group.
Discovery Inc originally took a 20% stake in Play Sports Group in February 2017, investing in Play Sports Group’s expansion, and this additional investment sees Play Sports Group become a subsidiary of Discovery.
The deal combines Discovery’s position as a primary TV rights holder for cycling events in Europe, through its leading sports brand Eurosport – covering major UCI World Tour races including all three Grand Tours and all five Monuments, along with the UCI World Championships – and the Play Sports Group, the world’s foremost creator of cycling-orientated digital video, forming the first global vertical for cycling fans around the world.
Play Sports Group, founded in …read more


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Samsung is expected to reveal its first foldable Galaxy phone soon … for real this time. Samsung will give the phone a proper message this time, and it will reveal all the details it has withheld from the press during its developer conference in early November, including an actual release date and pricing. The Galaxy F, or whatever Samsung stops calling it, will be announced on February 20 under Samsung's San Francisco media event. Earlier reports have already said so much, but a Samsung exec confirmed it to Korean media and addressed the issue of pricing in the process.
An unnamed Samsung official speaking to a Korean publication said the "directory phone will be released at twice the price of a premium phone so a strong user case is needed" (via Phone Arena ). "Premium Phone" describes handsets like Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS, so we should definitely expect a sky high price.
Apparently, this strong user case means a unique form factor that allows the user to run three apps at the same time on a more prominent screen or turn it into a tablet-shaped device ready for entertainment and media consumption.
Earlier reports said the Galaxy F will sell for $ 1
Samsung believes that the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy F flagships will be different enough to generate interest from buyers, the reports note. Samsung probably expects technologies like the in-display fingerprint sensor to deliver in premium Galaxy S10 phones to be better than the competition. The phones are expected to make use of ultrasonic sensors, instead of the optical type used by other smartphone manufacturers. However, reports earlier in the week suggested that Samsung's sophisticated sensor may not work with screen protectors. Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone makers, including Oppo and Xiaomi, revealed a new in-display fingerprint solution that gives users a wider area for fingerprint scanning, as well as support for scanning two fingerprints at the same time.


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(23 Jun 2020) The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers, is delighted to announce the shortlist for the ALPSP Awards for Innovation in Publishing 2020, sponsored by Publishers’ Licensing Services.
Applications for the awards were open to any new development, product, service or project which is both innovative and of significant value to scholarly communication. The winners must demonstrate excellence in terms of originality, innovation, value to the community, utility and long-term viability.
The ALPSP Awards finalists for 2020 are:
- Charlesworth WeChat Gateway
- Jus Mundi
- Open Library of Humanities
- Rigor and Transparency Index powered by SciScore
- Select Crowd Review
David Sommer, Chair of the judging panel, commented:
“This year we saw a wide range of applications from across the industry which is heartening given the disruption caused by COVID-19. Integrity, access and reproducibility are key themes for many of the submissions and it is exciting to see new developments in these fields. It is never easy for the judging panel to select a shortlist given the breadth of innovation seen in the submissions, and we look forward to discussing each in more detail at the next stage of the judging process.”
Wayne Sime, Chief Executive of ALPSP, said:
“Despite a difficult few months for the industry worldwide, we are delighted to have received 34 submissions this year, demonstrating the range of innovation and development in scholarly communication. I look forward to seeing all the finalist organizations at the ALPSP Virtual Conference in September.”
All finalists will present their submission to the judges in July. They will be also invited to showcase their innovation to industry peers at the ALPSP Awards Lightning session to be held online on Tuesday 8 September. The winner(s) will be announced on Wednesday 16 September at the opening of the ALPSP Virtual Conference & Awards 2020.
The original announcement is here.


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+44 (0)20 7404 0606
Digital Single Market Strategy
- AuthorPaul Herbert
In May 2015, the EU Commission announced its Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe, highlighting a number of initiatives which supported the Commission’s aim to create a connected digital single market and to encourage e-commerce throughout the EU. The EU Commission also announced that it was to investigate the restrictions that prevent the cross border provision of pay TV services, such as Netflix’s and Sky TV.
On 9 December 2015, the EU Commission announced its first new legislative initiatives to be adopted under the Digital Single Market Strategy, with the intention that these initiatives would address some of the barriers to e-commerce and the distribution of online content within the EU. One of the initiatives proposed is a new regulation on the cross-border portability of online content services to ensure the cross-border portability of online content (“Regulation”).
It has long been the case that Europeans travelling within the EU have been restricted from online services providing films, sports, music, e-books or games that they have paid for in their home country. For example, subscribers in the UK to Netflix are unable to view the content available if they are to temporarily visit another European country. In 2014 alone, 49% of European internet users accessed music, video and games online and this figure is expected to grow, especially with the increased use of tablets and smartphones. The dramatic increase in the use of online content services has meant that Europeans today expect to use online content services from wherever they are in the EU.
There is a strong belief that if a EU citizens pays for online services in their home country, they should then be entitled to receive the benefit of this service if there are to then temporarily visit another EU country. It is this belief which has led to the proposal under the Digital Single Market Strategy to remove the barriers to cross-border portability.
The proposed Regulation, one of the Commission’s first steps to create a digital single market, aims to broaden the access to online digital content abroad, allowing EU travellers to access digital content they have purchased in their home country. Whilst the Regulation has been proposed, the reality is that cross-border access to online content will not be fully available until 2017, coinciding with the removal of mobile phone roaming charges in the EU.
The new rules announced under the proposed Regulation outlines its vision of a modern EU copyright framework, which will be needed to achieve the Commission’s aim that European citizens will be able to access a wide range of legal online content. The Commission and proposed Regulation however does recognise that in achieving their objective, they still need to ensure that authors and rights holders are protected and reimbursed accordingly for their work. Additionally, there is the understanding that for the digital single market to be a success, film and music subscription providers and the owners of rights in online content will be required to change their subscription contracts to allow users to access the content outside the EU country they subscribed to the service in.
There is therefore a lot of work that needs to be undertaken before the proposals can be implemented , leading commentators to state that this is an ambitious reform. Allowing viewers to view online pay services whilst temporarily abroad is not something that can be achieved over night and further work and investigation is needed before we can be certain that this Regulation will happen. However, the progress made in December 2015 does demonstrate that steps are being taken towards the Digital Single Market and by 2017 there is a strong belief that cross border restrictions may be a thing of the past.
Content providers will hardly welcome these proposals with open arms, but may at least be comforted by the knowledge that it could have been a lot worse. When the subject was first raised it appeared to compel a move towards pan-European licensing of Audio Visual content by whatever platform or means of distribution. The initiative is now limited to online delivery systems. However a notable sting in the tail is the proposal that the Regulation would apply retrospectively, overriding contracts entered into (and rights acquired) prior to its implementation. For rights purposes, accessing of content services whilst “on the road” elsewhere in the EU would be deemed to occur in the subscriber’s member state of residence. That assumes of course that an adequate definition of “temporary presence” can be developed.
This guide is for general information and interest only and should not be relied upon as providing specific legal advice. If you require any further information about the issues raised in this article please contact the author or call 0207 404 0606 and ask to speak to your usual Goodman Derrick contact.


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Today’s announcement that British Gas will be hiking its prices by 18% or £121 for gas, and 16% or £71 for electricity from August 18th, is a real blow as it now looks like households are facing a second round of price hikes in a year.
Consumers last saw a year of double price hikes in 2008 when energy bills rocketed by £334 or 41% as a result of consecutive rounds of price increases.
For most of us though, today’s news tells us something really important – the days of cheap energy are over and it’s time that we all started to understand what this means for our bills and how we use energy.
Once these hikes kick in the average household energy bill will be an eye-watering £1,193 a year.
This is an all-time high and makes it imperative for customers to start thinking about how they can bring this cost down. More >>>


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ePHOTOzine brings you a daily round up of all the latest photography news including camera news, exhibitions, events, special offers, industry news, digital photography news, announcements and launches.
The Intuos3 A6 Wide pen tablet, aimed at wide-screen notebook users as well as professionals and enthusiasts from the digital imaging and photography markets.
Olympus launches the much-anticipated new 7.1 million pixel camera
Digital camera with super fast start up time
New 0.42x accessory lens designed exclusively for use with all Lensbaby lenses.
New wide-angle zoom lens design for digital SLR users
Packed with a 5x, f2.4-3.5 zoom lens.
This model has the same characteristic tough body of its predecessor, the Caplio 400G with superior water and dust resistance, a wide-angle optical 3x zoom, and support for linkage with Construction CALS and other business systems.
Photomart expanded it's established wide-format range this month by becoming an authorized reseller for Colourgen, a distributor of wide-format hardware and consumables.
Sigma has launched a new Art lens, a 19mm wide angle.
A joint venture between Rolleiflex and Horseman today announced one of the widest angle, digital compatible medium format cameras on the market.
HTC has announced a new smartphone with a camera designed for optimum image quality with an UltraPixel sensor.
Nikon today introduces Nikon 1, a revolutionary digital camera system built from scratch to offer still image and movie recording without compromise.
Following Jessops' plans to axe 81 of its shops as announced last Thursday, the photographic retail giant have unveiled exactly which stores it plans to close down.
Sony introduce a series of small cameras which they say will give a 'big performance'.
Corel add 75 new features to the latest version of their PaintShop Pro software.
Lee Filters holder for Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens
Red Digital Cinema turn their attentions to the photography market.
Hasselblad's 35mm XPan panoramic camera falls foul of new laws set out by the European Community
Hahnel have launched the first two in a range of stylish battery power grips for power hungry digital SLR cameras
The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers have announced the winners of their 'Springtime competition'.
As Fuji Hunt's expertise in all aspects of image handling and processing continues to develop both inkjet and analogue fields - as well as bridging the two in many instances - the company's Photokina 2006 exhibit promises to be a major attraction at the world fair of imaging.
Three top photography industry brands are running cashback offers this summer.
Administrators are called to Vivitar who owe creditors four million pounds.
Canon launch 12-colour, 24in. large-format printer for the photography, fine art and graphic arts sectors.
Enter ePHOTOzine's five photographic competitions now to be in with a chance of winning some amazing kit and a prize money can't buy.
Nokia has announced it's new flagship mobile phone, the Nokia N9, with Carl Zeiss Tessar lens.
Lomography announce a new 35mm film movie camera, the LomoKino Super 35.
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30th April 2013 - 31st May 2013This month, to celebrate the launch of Olympus' new micro site Olympus Image Space, Olympus are giving you the chance to win £1000 worth of Olympus gear!
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26 September 2017
Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino recorded its first-ever event where Apple launched new iPhones including an iPhone, which isn’t lesser than a revolution. Well, these were indeed the notable hardware and hence needed some special attention. However, the company did make some other announcements that weren't pronounced too loudly as iPhones but their presence did matter. For instance, the sneak peek of AirPower, which is Apple’s charging mat to charge wirelessly several products simultaneously, public release dates of iOS 11, watchOS 4, and macOS High Sierra, their features, and more.
In the league of such big announcements what got behind is an updated version of the urBeats earbuds in the form of the urBeats3. Priced at $99.95, these earbuds feature a 3.5mm headphone connection. It’s available in Black, Gray, White, and Blue colors beginning this fall. Apple says that they feature a “fine-tuned acoustic design.” You can learn more about it from Apple's official website.
Apple has, however, also released a new pair of urBeats3 that feature Lightning connector in order to become compatible with iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and iPhone X. These are also priced at $99.95 and available this fall.
Another quietly released product is a new model of its Lightning Dock in Gold to match the new color shade of the iPhone 8. It’s priced at $49.
Talking about the new Siri Remote, the “Menu” button is now encircled in white so that it could be easier to find it in the dark and figure out which side is up. It’ also $20 cheaper than its predecessor and costs $59. Currently, this product is unavailable but it’s been presumed that the stock will go live by the time Apple TV 4K ships on September 22.
Also, Apple unveiled a new line of Sport Loop bands, a new Nike Plus, and updated Hermes choices. The Sport Loop band is available in a variety of colors and costs $49. The new Nike+ band is the same Pure Platinum/Black color as we see last year and it’s now available separately for $49.
Also, the line of its leather and silicone cases with new “Fall” colors are updated as well. Furthermore, the Apple Pencil case is now available in Product (RED) as well. Talking about the wireless charging accessories, Apple has also listed the charging Mat option from Mophie for $60.
You can look for a full range of “Fall Colors” accessories can be viewed on its website.


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TOKYO, Aug 31 – Sony on Wednesday unveiled what it calls the world’s first three-dimensional head mounted display, a device that enables its wearer to experience cinema-like virtual screen viewing.
The “Personal 3D Viewer (HMZ-T1)”, is a visor-like gadget weighing only 420 grammes (14.7 ounces) that wraps around the head and enables its wearer to view high definition 3D images using two panels mounted in front of each eye.
The device is tethered to a processor unit and boasts surround-sound via earphones, giving the viewer “a very realistic feeling of actually being there,” Sony said in a statement.
It said the display offered the experience of watching on a 750-inch virtual big screen 20 metres (65 feet) away.
Sony said children aged 15 and younger should refrain from using the display, while warning it could trigger travel sickness when used in unstable environment such as a vehicle.
The electronics giant, maker of Bravia flat screen televisions and PlayStation game consoles, has tried to incorporate 3D functions to a wide range of its products.
Sony plans to release the device in Japan on November 11, with initial pricing expected to be around 60,000 yen ($783).


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Source: Too late to revive Bulawayo textile industry – The Standard May 22, 2016
THE move by the government to declare Bulawayo a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for clothing and textiles is not going to help revive industry in that city because the sector has been overtaken by events, analysts have said.
BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
Last year, government declared Bulawayo a SEZ for textile, clothing and leather sectors in a bid to revive the once industrial hub of the nation.
The government is already crafting the SEZs Bill to enable its implementation.
However, economic analysts and industrialists say the move (specialisation in textile) is not going to help revive industry. They argue that the government should look at other sectors to revive the city’s industry. They have suggested information technology (IT), transport as well as leather, among other sectors.
Addressing delegates at the recently ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair business conference in Bulawayo, First Mutual Holdings Limited group chief executive officer, Douglas Hoto said the government and business community should think of other ways of reviving Bulawayo as the textile industry was no longer feasible.
“In here [Zimbabwe], we try to do textile and Bulawayo is a particular town. Bulawayo must be revived [but] conversation is around wrong issues of things — that Security Mills and Merlin are going to come back to be what they were. That has been overtaken by events,” he said.
“We have to find something else to do with Bulawayo; not thinking that we are going to have textiles again. That is not going to happen. So we better do something about certain developments. We have to build business models that are constructive across industry and very competitive.”
Hoto said there were things that were part of the city’s competitive advantage and textiles were not one of them.
Economic analyst Reginald Shoko said there were no economic fundamentals to support the textile industry and urged government to focus on the beef industry, among other sectors.
“It’s a good policy but for textile it might be a mismatch or it has come late. I believe there are no economic fundamentals to support it. We need to ask ourselves how many textile companies are still operational and how many closed shop and why? Are they not going to be importing cotton? For leather, yes, the value-chain is big in terms of leather,” Shoko said.
More than 20 000 workers have been left jobless in Bulawayo over the past few years after over 100 firms, mostly in the manufacturing, textile and clothing sectors, closed down.
Many large companies that formed the backbone of the city’s industry have either closed shop, liquidated or have been placed under judiciary management.
These include Merlin, David Whitehead Limited, Textile Mills, Belmore Manufacturers and Ascot Clothing. National Blankets and Security Mills are under judicial management, while Cold Storage Company, National Railways of Zimbabwe, United Refineries, Dunlop Zimbabwe and Archer Clothing have down-sized, leaving thousands jobless.
Economic and policy analyst Butler Tambo said the textile industry would find it hard to thrive as companies were operating obsolete technology and could, therefore, not compete with products from Asian countries such as China.
“There are also issues of labour costs, imports as well as power outages. The cost of producing textile products is going to be very high and that will affect competitiveness,” he said.
He said the value chain sectors that might work in Bulawayo were the transport and beef industries, among others.
However, Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Busisa Moyo said leather, clothing and textiles value chains would create jobs. He said the aim was not to revive old companies only, but to attract new investment into the sector.
“We must take on a value chain impact approach. This means cotton growing will start to happen around Bulawayo to supply cotton, we will attract ginners and linters into Bulawayo, weavers and spinners will also be required to support the cluster in the zone,” he said.
Moyo said oil pressing and soap manufacturing were also by-products of the value chain and would be covered to make the other parts of the cluster successful.
“I think those lobbying for the IT sector must do so without discrediting previous work done by others, they must think of selling their IT services in part to the industries mentioned above,” Moyo said.
“I am sure the people you refer to are not aware that we are exporting leather to France for luxury goods to the likes of Hermes, a $4 billion company.”
“The livestock, meat and leather value chain cluster has a huge potential to boost the economy with an export prospect given that at its peak, the beef sector alone used to earn Zimbabwe $40 million annually,” he said.


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AAPCC Issues Statement on Decision of Urban Outfitters to Stop Selling Prescription-Themed Products
June 14, 2013 | Download PDF
The American Association of Poison Control Centers and the experts at America’s 57 poison centers are pleased with Urban Outfitters’ decision to remove its line of products designed to look like prescription medicine bottles. Today, AAPCC President Marsha Ford, MD, FACMT, FACEP, issued the following statement:
“Today, we have learned that Urban Outfitters has decided to stop selling its line of prescription-themed products. The American Association of Poison Control Centers and America’s poison centers commend Urban Outfitters for its commitment to safeguarding the health of their customers.
“Poison centers work very hard to prevent poisonings. Unfortunately, the pint glasses, flasks and shot glasses designed to look like prescription pill bottles made light of a very serious issue – prescription drug abuse and misuse. We thank Urban Outfitters for removing these products from their stores and websites.”
For more information, contact Loreeta Canton, director of public relations and member services for the American Association of Poison Control Centers, at 703.894.1858 or email@example.com.


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The Federal Government will help to facilitate the exportation of products from the Cross River Garments Factory to international markets.
The Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Segun Awolowo, who spoke during a workshop for staff of the Cross River State Garment Factory in Calabar, said NEPC and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will collaborate in that direction.
The workshop exposed participants to the importance of good packaging to meet international standards for exports and building export capacity for the maximization of AGOA.
Represented by the Regional Co-ordinator, NEPC, South West, Mr Babatunde Faleke, Awolowo reaffirmed government’s commitment to support Cross River State Governor Prof. Ben Ayade’s developmental vision in promoting the factory among others.
A resource person at the training and AGOA representative, Mrs Bolanle Emmanuel, said AGOA sought to forge stronger commercial ties between Nigeria and other qualified African countries, and the United State, while it helped to integrate Nigeria into the global economy.


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The Federal Trade Commission has taken action against Financial Education Services and its owners, Parimal Naik, Michael Toloff, Christopher Toloff and Gerald Thompson, as well as a number of related companies, for defrauding consumers of more than $213 million .
In response to a lawsuit filed by the FTC, a federal court temporarily shut down the sprawling fake credit repair program. The FTC complaint alleges that the company preys on consumers with low credit scores by luring them with the false promise of an easy fix, then recruiting them to join a pyramid scheme selling the same credit repair services. worthless credit to others.
“These defendants collected millions in unwanted fees as part of a pyramid scheme that sold bogus credit repair products,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Consumer Protection Bureau. “We are pleased that the court has terminated this operation and frozen its assets, and we will continue to prosecute companies that address families’ economic hardship.”
According to the FTC’s complaint, Michigan-based Financial Education Services, also doing business as United Wealth Services, has operated its system since at least 2015. The company claims to offer consumers the ability to remove negative information from reports of credit and boost credit scores by hundreds of points, charging up to $89 per month for their services. Their techniques, according to the complaint, are rarely effective and, in many cases, hurt consumers’ credit scores.
The FTC investigation found that the company’s system combines charging consumers for these worthless credit repair services with a forced sale to join a pyramid scheme that sells the worthless services to more consumers. . The complaint alleges that the company’s practices violate the FTC Act, the Credit Repair Organizations Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule. Specifically, the agency alleges that the defendants:
- Consumers deceived on credit repair: Financial education services use social media, telemarketing, fake “testimonials” and a network of sales agents across the country to deceive consumers, falsely promising in English and Spanish that they can remove information negative credit reports and increase credit scores.The complaint alleges that the company often simply sent consumers form letters to send to the credit bureaus that did not result in the promised changes.
- Selling ineffective rent payment products: The company also sells an additional product that supposedly sends rent payment information to credit bureaus, but the complaint notes that this information is not generally part of consumers’ credit scores and that many credit bureaus do not accept this type of information directly from consumers.
- Consumers billed in advance for credit repair: The company charges consumers in advance for credit repair services, which is illegal. The complaint alleges that consumers are billed $99 upfront and then pay a recurring monthly fee of up to $89 for inefficient services. The company also routinely fails to provide consumers with important information required by law, including refund and cancellation policies.
- Exploitation of a pyramid scheme: The Company also encourages consumers to become “agents” of financial education services themselves, selling the Company’s services to other consumers. Agents make outlandish tax claims that consumers can earn more than $1,000 a week from the program and earn bonuses in the tens of thousands of dollars. The complaint also alleges that consumers have to pay hundreds of dollars to join the program and pay for the company’s bogus credit repair services every month, even though they don’t need them. The system’s compensation structure has the characteristics of a pyramid scheme, with increasing levels of compensation and titles based on the number of members recruited, and an emphasis on the importance of recruiting new members. Few, if any, consumers earn the promised income, and many consumers lose money as agents.
The complaint alleges that the company also unlawfully used false information in the process of selling its credit repair and investment opportunities to acquire banking and other financial information about consumers.
The Commission’s vote allowing staff to file the complaint and request for a temporary injunction was 4-0. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The FTC appreciates the assistance of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Division in presenting this case.
REMARK: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the named defendants are violating or are about to violate the law and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The case will be decided by the court.


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“Whether you have ten pounds to lose or 100, the first thing you should do is create an environment for success,” says Chris Powell, the trainer who has helped hundreds of overweight people lose up to half their body weight on ABC’s reality series Extreme Weight Loss. These are the 40 things you need to do to up your odds of weight loss success:
1. HIDE YOUR VICES
Out of sight, out of mouth? Simply reorganizing your pantry’s “top hits” could translate into serious calorie savings, according to researchers at Google. A study, conducted at the search engine’s New York office dubbed “Project M&M” found that placing chocolate candies in opaque containers as opposed to glass ones, and giving healthier snacks more prominent shelf space, curbed M&M consumption by 3.1 million calories in just seven weeks. A similar study published in the Journal of Marketing found that people are more likely to overeat small treats from transparent packages than from opaque ones. Better yet, chow down on these 50 Snacks With 50 Calories or Less!
2. LET IN COLD AIR
Simply blasting the air conditioner or turning down the heat in winter may help attack belly fat while we sleep, according to a study published in the journal Diabetes. As it turns out, colder temperatures subtly enhance the effectiveness of our stores of brown fat—fat keeps you warm by helping you burn through the fat stored in your belly. Participants spent a few weeks sleeping in bedrooms with varying temperatures: a neutral 75 degrees, a cool 66 degrees, and a balmy 81 degrees. After four weeks of sleeping at 66 degrees, the subjects had almost doubled their volumes of brown fat. (And yes, that means they lost belly fat.)
3. BUY SOME CANDLES
Certain scents can make your mouth water, and others can actually suppress your appetite. One study published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopaedic Medicine found that people who sniffed peppermint every two hours lost an average of 5 pounds a month! Banana, green apple, and vanilla had similar effects. Consider burning a minty candle until you head to bed to fill the room with slimming smells. If you don’t want to bother with blowing out candles before you turn down the covers, try adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your pillow
4. DITCH YOUR NIGHT LIGHT
Exposure to light at night doesn’t just interrupt your chances of a great night’s sleep, it may also result in weight gain, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Study subjects who slept in the darkest rooms were 21 percent less likely to be obese than those sleeping in the lightest rooms.
5. CLEAN OFF YOUR COUNTER
A new study by Eat This, Not That! magazine advisor Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, found that a woman’s weight can be estimated simply by taking a photo of her kitchen counter. After analyzing photos of 200 kitchens, he found that women who have soda sitting on their countertops weigh an average of 26 pounds more, while those who have cookies on their counters weigh about 8 pounds more. The biggest surprise: Keeping cereal on your counter leads to an additional 20 pounds of body weight. The lesson here is clear. Clean empty calories off your countertops to start losing weight.
6. KEEP PRODUCE IN PLAIN SIGHT
And after you remove the junk, replace it with a fruit bowl. You’re more likely to grab fruits and veggies over less healthy options if they’re readily available and right in front of you, expert say. Katie Cavuto MS, RD, the dietitian for the Philadelphia Phillies and Flyers, suggests keeping washed and prepared family-friendly veggies like cucumbers, peppers, sugar snap peas and carrots in the front of the fridge so they aren’t overlooked. Bananas, apples, pears and oranges fare well as sweet snacks and should be kept on the counter where you can see them
7. TOSS YOUR DINNER PLATES
According to Carolyn Brown, MS RD of Foodtrainers, “The bigger your plate, the bigger your meal.” Why? While smaller plates make food servings appear significantly larger, larger plates make food appear smaller, which can lead to overeating. In one study, campers who were given larger bowls served themselves and consumed 16 percent more cereal than those given smaller bowls. Swapping dinner for salad plates will help you eat more reasonable portions, which can help the pounds fly off your frame!
8. TAKE OUT YOUR SCALE
Just months after hitting your goal weight, your skinny jeans are starting to feel a tad tight. The reason? If you’re like the majority of dieters, you’re probably still eating well and exercising, but you stopped stepping on the scale—a major no-no. Although the number on the scale isn’t the only way to judge your continued success, research shows that those who avoid the ritual tend to pack on more weight than those who don’t. But there’s no need to be a slave to your scale. Checking in once a week should do the trick. Since weight naturally fluctuates throughout the week, researchers say that Wednesday weigh-ins are the most accurate.
9. DITCH THE MARGARINE
You know that light yellow color that makes margarine look almost indistinguishable from butter when laid side by side? Well, it’s far from natural. In fact, without all the additives, margarine is actually an appetite-crushing shade of grey—yuck! As if that weren’t bad enough, many brands add propylene glycol, the antifreeze compound, to their recipe to pile on the grease without adding calories. Research has shown that the spread may expand your waistline, increase dangerous cholesterol levels and up your heart disease risk
10. BUY BEANS & FIBER-RICH CARBS
You have 80 trillion microbes in your belly, and most of them are angry. Healthy fiber is what we call “prebiotic,” meaning it feeds the healthy bacteria and helps them fight inflammation and fat gain. Healthy, fiber rich sources of carbs like BPA-free canned black and garbanzo beans, peas, peanuts, peanut butter, old-fashioned oats, quinoa and brown rice.


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Orem, Utah—Web analytics company Omniture Inc. announced Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire Touch Clarity, a London-based behavioral targeting company, for $51.5 million and about $8.5 million in assumed vested stock options.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter.
The deal gives Omniture on-demand behavioral targeting technology. "It delivers technology that will instantly provide revenue lift for our customers," said Christopher Parkin, senior director-product marketing for Omniture.
Separately, Omniture announced Thursday the debut of its latest version of on-demand customer analytics software Discover 2, designed to give all levels of business users an integrated view of customer data. The previous version targeted so-called "power users."—Carol Krol


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Home Retail Group, recognised through the Argos and Homebase brands, has said that it is currently on target to reduce packaging on a fifth of its product range.
In the last five years, the group has reduced the amount of waste sent to landfill by 74,000 tonnes, a reduction of 80%. In the next 12 months the group has set itself a further target of another 25% reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill.
The group has said that initiatives such as the ‘sofa bag’, launched earlier this year, have been key to reducing packaging. The sofa bag, which acts as a replacement for traditional sofa packaging at no extra cost to the customer, is set to reduce around 1800 tonnes of packaging in its first year.
Other initiatives such as the opportunity to return bulky packaging to store are also helping to reduce waste. A statement from the group said: “Of the [packaging] waste generated, 78% is recycled.”
Home Retail Group commercial director Maria Thompson said: “We’ve demonstrated that there are clear benefits to the environment, the business and our customers by making use of reusable and recyclable packaging and from reducing the amount of packaging associated with the products we sell. We have already implemented many changes to our packaging and we hope these will help us reduce our overall waste footprint.”
In another move designed to drive up recycling the new Argos catalogue now includes information to help customers recycle waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), batteries and old furniture.
The group also state: “Argos continues to encourage customers to recycle their catalogues using either local kerbside collection schemes or by returning them to their local Argos store.”


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Considering local streaming service Stan only launched at the start of the year, the venture has already had a fairly big impact on the local market.
And 2016 is set to be even bigger, with the company announcing that it plans to more than double local production over the coming year.
While the previously announced production of Wolf Creek will make its debut in 2016, the company has also confirmed a second season of its successful comedy, No Activity.
Lots of Activity
No Activity has been well received by both critics and subscribers, so it's not a huge surprise that the show is getting picked up for a second season.
While Stan has named both No Activity and Wolf Creek in its 2016 lineup, it's also promised new programs for the new year.
- These are the best shows on Stan right now


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Since the popular restaurant the Tortilla Factory closed in February 2012, the space has remained vacant at Herndon Pines Shopping Center. The aging Herndon shopping center has numerous vacant storefronts, along with graffiti and a parking lot in need of repavement. The center has nearly as many vacancies as it does tenants. In January, Canine Carousel, a family owned and operated business, moved from the location in Pines Shopping Center to the Herndon K-Mart Shopping Center.
“I would like to see new life in this piece of real estate,” said Herndon Vice Mayor Jennifer Baker, who resides about two blocks from Pines Shopping Center. Located near the heart of downtown Herndon, the area could be a prime location for visitors seeking attractions such as the popular summer Friday Night Live concert series, downtown farmers market or art gallery ArtSpace Herndon. “The Pines Shopping Center has tremendous potential, but it has deteriorated over the years,” said Ran Farmer, founder and owner of the neighboring Monroe Street Studio in Herndon.
Owned by Maryland-based and privately held Richmond Corp., established in 1959 according to state records, the shopping center is almost the same age. Richmond Corp. spokesman Skip Kriss has said the center is not up for sale. In the meantime, the few remaining businesses cope with an aging shopping center. “Customers have said improvements could be done with the parking, and the place could use a facelift,” said Jason Krupinski, store manager of the Sherwin-Williams Paint Store located at Pines Shopping Center.
The Herndon Town Council has held redevelopment talks on the Pines Shopping Center for more than a decade. Described as a 71,113-square-foot grocery store anchored neighborhood shopping center, Pines Shopping Center includes an adjacent one-story vacant building which was once a bank.
In July, Pines Shopping Center obtained a new leasing manager, Vienna-based Renaud Consulting, “It (Pines Shopping Center) has a lot of vacancies, so now they have hired a firm to help them recruit new businesses for the plaza. We look forward to working with them,” said Dennis Holste Jr., economic development manager for the Town of Herndon. Holste works with new and existing town businesses as they navigate town processes. Henry Renaud, owner of Renaud Consulting declined to comment on possible developments.
In 2012, while campaigning for the position of mayor, Lisa Merkel expressed hope that the Pines Shopping Center would take advantage of its location. Merkel still hopes the Pines Shopping Center will take action to gain more clientele. “We are excited about the opportunities for the shopping center because it is a prime location. I have talked with Skip Kriss many times, and I have encouraged him to spruce up the shopping center. A facelift is overdue, and we hope the long range plans are in line with what has been proposed with the Herndon Master Plan,” said Merkel.
A contrast to the Pines Shopping Center is the Herndon Worldgate Centre on Centreville Road which offers a movie theatre, a mix of restaurants, and a health club. The Town of Herndon invested under $5 million, $2.87 million of which was obtained through federal and state grants, in infrastructure to move utility lines underground and is upgrading streetscapes throughout downtown. The largest of three towns within the county of Fairfax, Herndon is located two miles east of Washington Dulles International Airport and 22 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The second phase of the Metro Silver Line is expected to be complete by 2020, stretching up to Dulles Airport with a stop in Herndon.


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Low-voltage market projected to have short-term decline
IHS Markit projects that revenues for the low-voltage motor market will decline in 2017, but there are signs that it will rebound over the next several years thanks to technology developments such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) being used in the market.
Since the third quarter of 2014, the low-voltage motor market (i.e., integral horsepower motors rated at or below 690 V) has struggled amid the numerous economic and political headwinds. The global low-voltage motor market will decline nearly 13%, from $11.8 billion in sales in 2015 to $10.3 billion in 2017, according to IHS Markit’s projections.
Despite this challenging environment, there are opportunities for motor suppliers that can adapt to the impending technological trends suppliers require. For example, motor end-users are increasingly interested in energy-efficient motors that will live longer and reduce full lifecycle costs. As the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) continues to grow in customer recognition and adoption, motor manufacturers are also starting to find ways to leverage this trend to offset weak sales.
While there are reasons to be optimistic, the current political turmoil certainly harms growth prospects for the entire industrial automation equipment market throughout the next two-to-three years. As the global economy adjusts and recovers from shocking events, such as the British exit of the European Union and stalling oil prices, the low-voltage motor market revenue will decline very slightly, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of negative 0.2% from 2015 to 2020. However, a strong recovery is expected to begin in 2018.
While heavy industries exposed to oil and gas investment levels are not currently good areas for motor growth, there are still several industry sectors that have outperformed—or that will outperform—the market average in the short-term. For example, the U.S. housing market is expected to experience strong growth, as is non-residential construction spending, which bodes well for motors sold into construction, infrastructure, and HVAC applications.
A fast-growing population and rapid urbanization is also expected to cause motor shipments for food and beverage, water and wastewater, and power sectors to outperform the market average. In general the discrete manufacturing (machine builder) sectors are forecast to perform better than the process manufacturing (end-user) sectors.
Figures 1 and 2 demonstrate the growth rates for key industries.
After accounting for more than 26% of revenues in 2015, IE1 (standard efficiency) motors are forecast to comprise 25% of global low-voltage motor market revenue in 2016, and 16% by 2020. These products are sold mainly in the emerging markets that have yet to adopt any type of efficiency regulations; however, many leading suppliers are still successfully selling these motors in the United States, Germany and other developed countries.
As emerging and developed regions continue to push for more efficient motors, IE2 (high efficiency), IE3 (premium efficiency), and IE4 (super-premium efficiency) motors will continue to experience growth with revenue CAGRs of 1.6%, 4.8%, and 11.3%, respectively. It is worth noting, however, that IE4 motors accounted for slightly more than 1% of total motor market revenues. Therefore, it will take a long time for this technology to be considered a dominant customer trend.
Figure 3 highlights the growth trends of all products considered in the most recent IHS Markit research conducted for these products.
Despite the ominous forecast for low-voltage motors through 2020, there are still ample opportunities for manufacturers to maintain-and even grow-their existing client base, through the adoption of the technological advancements end-users are beginning to require more frequently. Acquisitions and strategic partnerships, in conjunction with increased research and development investments, have allowed the leading motor manufacturers to better position themselves for the future. Even though the low-voltage motor market is not currently thriving, today’s technological developments could be the norm for motor users in the near future—but only the companies that can adapt will be prepared for such rapid changes.
– See additional stories linked below.
See additional stories from IHS linked below.


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Domestic companies submitted over 90,000 applications to register trademarks in 2022, the president said at SPIEF
Foreign companies that left Russia due to Western sanctions are swiftly being replaced by local ones, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday while addressing the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
He noted that while Russia never asked anyone to leave, the exit of multinationals turned out to be beneficiary, as it encouraged domestic businesses to grow and expand.
“A notable event and a powerful impetus for our business was the replacement of transnational corporations that left the Russian market,” Putin stated.
“Unfortunately, [Western firms] buckled under the powerful pressure from foreign political elites. We have never kicked anyone out of our market and economy. On the contrary, we even offered to weigh the pros and cons, to think carefully about their Russian partners and the possible consequences of such a step. Each of these companies had the right to choose.”
Putin noted that many foreign companies manufactured their products in Russia prior to their exit, and their withdrawal from the market did not affect the supply of goods.
“Many foreign brands have long been selling products that are fully produced at our facilities. In fact, these are Russian goods, only with foreign logos. So their production with the departure of the brand owners will not stop. Only the logo changes. The profits from this business remain in our country,” he stated.
According to the head of state, Russian producers submitted over 90,000 applications to register trademarks in 2022. New brands sprung up in a variety of sectors, from clothing and footwear, to software, chemicals, cosmetics, among others.
Putin noted that Russian producers are calling on the government not to let foreign companies that left come back to the Russian market, but said that the country will not be shutting out these firms because it welcomes competition. He added, however, that Russia will make decisions regarding those wishing to return on a case-by-case basis and will always “put the interests of our domestic manufacturers first.”
For more stories on economy & finance visit RT’s business section
RT Business News Read More


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Not too long ago, Google announced a major design update for its smartwatch platform: Wear OS. The company is now releasing what seems to be the first ever major update since the significant redesign introduced back in August.
The update, which is simply called the “H Update”, introduces a number of power-related improvements, as first reported by Droid Life. Smartwatches tend to have really bad battery life, and Google is tweaking Wear OS to give you as much battery life as possible.
The battery saver mode on Wear OS, for example, will now switch to a time-only mode where the watch only displays the time when your battery falls below 10%. And after 30 minutes of inactivity, Wear OS will automatically put your watch into a deep sleep mode that should help your watch last longer.
Along with the above battery-focused features, Google is introducing a new feature called Smart App Resume. Although it’s unclear exactly how this feature works, Google says you can now easily switch between all your apps and continue where you left off. The updated system also introduces a two-step power off feature that lets you turn off your watch simply by holding the power button until you see the power off and restart options.
Interestingly enough, the update isn’t going to be available for all Wear OS devices instantly, and Google suggests the rollout could take the “next few months.”


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Vietnam jumps ten places in Roland Berger's digital inclusion rankings
|Users could soon use 5G with iPhone 12 in Vietnam|
|Vietnam's 5G services race heats up as major mobile carriers launch trials|
|Vietnam’s digital development among fastest in the world|
|In Southeast Asia, Vietnam was behind Singapore (1st), Malaysia (21st), and Thailand (38th). (Photo: Vietnam Investment Review)|
Vietnam is the world’s second-biggest improver after Myanmar. The country gained an overall score of 64 points out of 100 in the index published by global consultancy Roland Berger, which said it measured and analyzed digital inclusion levels of 82 emerging and developed economies based on accessibility, affordability, ability, and attitude. Both Myanmar and Vietnam have achieved significant infrastructure improvements in mobile data availability and coverage, the consultancy said.
In Southeast Asia, Vietnam was behind Singapore (1st), Malaysia (21st), and Thailand (38th).
In terms of individual digital access, Vietnam scored 61, up 16 points in the previous ranking. The country also improved significantly in terms of affordability, which considers financial capability to pay for digital access, scoring 64, up eight points, said VN Express.
|Roland Berger's index measures digital inclusiveness by scoring countries in four categories: accessibility, affordability, ability (or digital literacy), and attitude (trust and enthusiasm) towards ICT. (Photo: Consultancy Asia)|
In the attitude factor, which considers an individual’s trust and enthusiasm in harnessing digital tools, Vietnam scored 76, up 12 points. Along with on its digital transformation journey, Vietnam meanwhile made gains thanks to its government's plans for Industry 4.0, foreign investments, and upgrade of state-of-the-art 4G and 5G infrastructure, it added. Vietnamese telecoms started piloting 4G, fourth-generation broadband cellular network technology, succeeding 3G, in December 2015.
An order requiring phones sold in Vietnam to support 4G and 5G in accordance with new national standards is set to take effect in July this year. Vietnamese telecom providers have been trialing 5G since 2019, and are expected to roll it out commercially in June. As of September last year, there were 88 million smartphone users in Vietnam, up 14 percent year-on-year; 83 million of them 4G capable.
A government program to turn Vietnam into a digital nation approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last year wants 80 percent of the population to carry out transactions digitally and aims to provide broadband Internet and 5G connections nationwide in the next five years.
|Vietnam is the world’s second-biggest improver after Myanmar. (Photo: Consultancy Asia)|
The report defines digital inclusion as the empowerment of individuals and societies to effectively use information and communication technologies (ICT), enabling them to contribute to and benefit from today's digitalized economies and societies. According to the report, a growing "digital divide" exists between the "haves" and the "have-nots" in South-east Asia.
Roland Berger's index measures digital inclusiveness by scoring countries in four categories: accessibility, affordability, ability (or digital literacy), and attitude (trust and enthusiasm) towards ICT. Accessibility is the most important requirement, with a weightage of 40 percent in the scores. This is followed by affordability (30 percent); ability (20 percent) and attitude (10 percent).
Data were compiled for the index from sources such as government publications, global databases, and international surveys said Business Times.
Singapore took the top spot among the 82 countries ranked, followed by Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, and the United States. As a region, however, South-east Asia ranked only fifth of seven global regions included in the index, and below the global average.
|Vietnam 5G subscriptions forecasted to reach 6.3 million by 2025 |
The number of 5G subscriptions in Viet Nam is forecasted to reach 6.3 million by 2025, according to a report on 5G development in Southeast ...
|VinSmart 5G smartphones to be exported to US |
VinSmart, a subsidiary of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, has planned to sell its first 5G smartphones in the U.S. next year, said Nguyen Thi Hong, CEO ...
|Viettel caught international attention as the first 5G provider in VN |
Viettel, Vietnam’s leading telecommunications operator, has become the first in the country to launch 5G for customers.


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The following is a small recap of the “VC investment Opportunities in the Bitcoin space” panel that tay took place during day 1 of CoinSummit London 2014.
Panel : Barend van den Brande, Hummingbird Ventures, Jan Hammer, Index Ventures, Geoff Lewis Founders Fund, Steve Waterhouse, Pantera Capital
Moderated by Stephanie Baker, Bloomberg
Is Bitcoin trending?
Venture capitalists are more bullish on Bitcoin in the United States, so it is trending in that regard. With Bitcoin now being accepted for political donations, it will play out in different positive ways. The foundation has been laid to attract more investors.
“We are going to need something mobile and social for the next 10 million people entering the Bitcoin ecosystem. “
What kind of pitches are you seeing, and what would you like to see?
Emerging markets are some of the best-use cases. Take BitPesa for example , allowing people to send Bitcoin to other people in Kenya via SMS.
(We will do an article on BitPesa later this week)
Is it getting more competitive to get good deals?
There is definitely a greater awareness. We see a lot of catch-up going on, but we would like to see more emphasis from entrepreneurs on smart, easy-to-use consumer applications.
The merchant side has advanced ahead of the consumer side, which is a noteworthy trend.
Most of the VC community, especially in Europe, is in listening mode and not actively investing.
“The spectrum is very polarised : love it or hate it.”
What is the goal of VCs when it comes to Bitcoin?
Bitcoin could become of the most important technological advancements in the world. Therefor, venture capitalists are backing great entrepreneurs who are building great projects. A lot of us are looking at great franchises that could become billion dollar companies.
Will we see major retailers accepting Bitcoin?
NewEgg and Zynga announced adoption of Bitcoin, as progress is incremental. Every brand name added to the list validates the opportunity for this payment method. Besides, time works in favor of Bitcoin
“A lot of companies are trying to figure out the strategy, and companies who have the infrastructure are pushing hard to increase adoption. We need widespread merchant acceptance.”
“Crowdfunding could play an important role in getting more investment funds flowing to Bitcoin companies.“
Is regulation influencing the decisions and actions of VC investors?
On the macro level, Bitcoin encourages the existing fiat-currency banking system to interface with virtual currency.
On the micro level : when it comes to Bitcoin, companies hold a high standard in regards to procedures as if they were regulated under legislation of being a financial institution
“The whole system will benefit in the long term.”
“The US Marshal Bitcoin sell-off was a huge positive signal . I think we are all pleasantly surprised on how fast things have moved.”
Are there emerging areas where governments are more accommodating towards Bitcoin, and will this lead to more start-up companies?
We are definitely looking at Europe for investing possibilities. However, it is still a bit of challenge for new companies. The relations with the banking systems are a key focal point, but there are definitely banks willing to work with Bitcoin companies. (e.g. Fidor Bank – article later this week)
Is Bitcoin more ripe for crowdfunding compared to other tech investing?
Not necessarily no, however, getting customers together with the investment could be a benefit for Bitcoin.
Any investment opportunities in the altcoin space?
Where do you see the Bitcoin price going?
All numbers (adoption, services, merchants, wallets, transactions,…) are rising, so the price will go up in correlation with that
“People need to stop looking at short-term price changes, but zoom out to get a better perspective.”


text: Unilever has announced that Michael Treschow will succeed Antony Burgmans as chairman of Unilever NV and Unilever PLC. Treschow is currently the chairman of Ericsson and Electrolux and the director of ABB Group. He will take the place of Burgmans, who is retiring from Unilever after 35 years of service. Burgmans joined the board in 1991 and was appointed as executive chairman in 1999. He was then appointed the first non-executive chairman of both parent companies in 2005. Treschow will step into his new role in May 2007.


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Google released the Android 14 developer beta earlier this year, but since Samsung has its own beta program, and the One UI 6.0 beta launch date around the third week of July. The reports from the reliable source SamMobile, the update will also be made available ‘soon thereafter’ to further compatible devices and tablets. One UI 5.1, which is based on Android 13, is now used by the S23 series, and One UI 6, which is anticipated, will be based on Android 14. Samsung, having its own beta program, will begin its program later this year.
Samsung One UI 6.0 Beta Launch Date
After Android 14 reached the platform stability milestone with the release of the third Android 14 beta earlier this month, as was previously reported, Samsung was expected to release the first One UI 6.0 beta Android 14 has reached platform stability; in fact, the company has already started updating apps with One UI 6.0 support a few weeks ago.
The stable One UI 6.0 upgrade may begin going out before the end of the year if all goes as planned. While many mid-range handsets and previous flagships should also get the new upgrade over the coming months, the Galaxy S23 series is anticipated to get it first.
Before the One UI 6 launch, Samsung upgraded most of its native apps to include compatibility with the new operating system. The company’s calculator app was the first one to support One UI 6, and as part of the upgrade, it also gained the ability to convert data units like KB to MB. More customization choices and improved data synchronization with tablets, Galaxy smartwatches, and other Samsung IoT devices, such as TVs, are two major upgrades that One UI 6 is about to deliver.
An upgrade worth waiting for, especially if you use a Galaxy Fold or Galaxy Flip, it should also deliver Android 14’s enhanced UI for large-screen smartphones and be foldable. Several news outlets state that Samsung already started updating its apps with One UI support a few weeks ago. It is also said that One UI 6 beta will first reach the Galaxy S23 family, and gradually it will spread across other devices.
Don’t miss our latest news on Samsung technology. Follow SamLover.com on your favorite social media platforms for instant notifications.


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As BlackBerry prepares for a possible $4.7 billion buyout, the company is getting itself into shape for both the sale and a shift in focus to its enterprise solutions offerings. In addition to the possible sale of some of its Ontario real estate, part of this process involves another round of huge layoffs that will see as much as 40% of the company’s already-reduced workforce depart.
The layoffs are set to take place in batches over the next few months, and the first round of those cuts has now begun. The Globe and Mail this week reported that BlackBerry on Monday began laying off off around 300 employees from its Waterloo, Ontario facilities.
A BlackBerry spokesperson was quoted by the publication as saying the company is “in a period of transition” and that the cuts will help “enhance” its financial results to better compete in the mobile space. The company also stated that it recognizes the “difficulty of this news.”
BlackBerry is expected to release a total of at least 4,500 employees in this latest round of layoffs. This will put the company’s estimated workforce at fewer than 8,000 total employees. In the Spring of 2012, BlackBerry had announced its total workforce as more than 16,000 employees.
The layoffs had been announced even before the BlackBerry buyout deal was made public. The deal would put BlackBerry in control of a group of investors led by FairFax Financial Holdings. The group’s due diligence period is expected to end on November 4, with BlackBerry open to other offers until that time. Late last month BlackBerry released a dismal quarterly report, detailing nearly $1 billion in losses.


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New canna bumps product receives huge backlash from cannabis industry
Many in the cannabis industry were on fire – and not in a good way – when news broke that a California cannabis brand was launching a new product in the area of unnecessary recreation of cannabis inhalation products. Canna Bumps, the idea of THC Living, packs 600 milligrams of THC in a packet of white powder that is intended to be snorted.
Leafly’s senior editor Bruce Barcott, in his column, “The Haymaker,” led the indictment of finding out what was wrong with the stuff that seems to have been taken off sale as suddenly as it seemed. THC Life’s attorney responded to his questions and declined to comment further:
“A few months ago, our customer was approached by a third party who was trying to use our customer’s proprietary formulations in developing the Canna Bumps product. Once our customer learned more about the product, their customers’ and industry temperatures were measured to assess how they felt about canna bumps. Based on its own concerns, consumer concerns, and industry concerns, our customer made the decision to terminate a license that was being given to a third party who would use their proprietary information to manufacture or market a product like canna bumps. ”
Of course, there might be some cannabis users who want nothing more than to repeat the railroad experience with a good quality dollar bill. To those of you reading this we say: Yuck. But do your thing too.
Or Zane Bader, co-founder of the Georgia Cannabis Trade Association, more eloquently addressed the Canna Bumps controversy on Twitter: “I’ve seen a lot of posts dealing with pharmacochauvinism … There is nothing wrong with people using powdered drugs and insufflation there is nothing wrong with the route of administration. Please do not demonize or stigmatize other drug users. “
There is nothing wrong with people consuming powdered drugs, and there is nothing wrong with insufflation as a route of administration. Please do not demonize or stigmatize other drug users.
– Zane Bader (@BaderZane) April 30, 2021
He argues that while there is little information about how THC snuff could affect our health, there is a lot of information about the harmful effects of socially accepted drugs like tobacco and alcohol on our bodies.
However, it is questionable whether canna bumps was legal from the start. How did it get past the cannabis control bureau? There are no regulations regarding the consumption of cannabis via the nasal cavity. So is this product illegal? Furthermore, the product description (which has since been removed from Weedmaps) stated that each 10 mg bump contains 2 mg of THC. What the heck is in the other 6mgs? Seems suspicious.
(Screenshot by Mary Carreon)
For Barcott, the problem with the ephemeral pouches was not the impact they could have on fully consenting adults, but the image such products could give to the cannabis legalization movement.
“Stupid products like this live on forever in the Prohibitionists’ propaganda deck,” he writes, comparing Canna Bumps with dangerously childishly tempting products such as cannabis-infused versions of Sour Patch Kids.
“Canna Bumps isn’t just a marketing pitch that went wrong,” continued Barcott. “It actively eases the risk and harm that millions of Americans face every day [from the War on Drugs.]”


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Rapidly expanding car-on-demand service Uber told CNBC that Hong Kong is its fastest growing market outside of the U.S.
The San Francisco-headquartered firm has seen exponential growth since launching in 2009; it now operates in 150 cities worldwide, up from 100 in April. It set up shop in Hong Kong in mid-July and Thursday launched its taxi app UberTaxi in the city.
"The business here in Hong Kong has been absolutely taking off. It's the fastest growing that Uber's ever had outside of the U.S.," Sam Gellman, general manager for Hong Kong at Uber told CNBC Asia's "Squawk Box" on Thursday.
Read MoreAccusations Fly Between Uber and Lyft
Uber is a mobile application that connects passengers with both professional and non-professional drivers of vehicles for hire. Customers request a ride from their smartphone, and the fare is automatically deducted from their credit card, making the service cash-free. The firm also offers a carpooling service which lets riders share and split the cost.
Hong Kong was expected to be a difficult market for Uber, considering average taxi fares are less than half of those in New York and a third of London fares, Deutsche Bank research showed.
The firm told the FT last month that an average ride with an Uber car will be 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than a regular Hong Kong cab, making the service a premium alternative taxi service.
Uber will compete against EasyTaxi - the largest taxi app in Asia - in Hong Kong.


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We’ve already written about some of the technologies unveiled at the IAA Mobility show in Munich. But we cannot forget about the bad boy VW has been talking about. In today’s article, we’ll touch on a VW ID Life electric car concept that the german automaker presented.
Since the massive success of sedans and SUV sales, big companies are targeting a new market: affordable electric cars. Tesla revealed its visions earlier for a new, cheaper tesla. Now Volkswagen is following up, with their own vision of a small BEV. The cost, before taxes, will be in a range between $19,000 and $21,000, and below you can find some renders of the vehicle. The power and range have also been discussed, albeit mildly. The car is currently designed to have a front-wheel-drive 172kWh motor with a 57kWh battery. Per WLTP, this battery should be enough to give this car a range of up to 400km. This is partly due to its lightness.
“In creating the ID. LIFE, we have consistently focused on the needs of younger customers. We believe that, even more so than today, the car of the future will be about lifestyle and personal expression. The customer of tomorrow won’t simply want to get from A to B; they will be much more interested in the experiences that a car can offer. The ID. LIFE is our answer to this.”
– Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand
VW ID Life looks plastic-like in both the interior and exterior. That is primarily due to the recyclable materials that this car is made from. Also, Volkswagen is going for that minimalistic look, something that Tesla has been doing for some time.
Volkswagen also announced that the car will come with a video game console and projector, as well as a projection screen that extends from the dash panel (with their official image below).
Is this feature something that the carmakers should go for, or is it overkill?


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Welcome to yet another installment in the Miller NAFEM blog series! In this addition, we’ll be talking about the coffee and tea equipment manufacturer that knows just what you need to perk up in the morning, Grindmaster-Cecilware.
At this year’s NAFEM convention, GMCW was showcasing a new line of frozen machines called SPM. These machines can dispense up to three different kinds of slushie as well as machines for a variety of ice cream that I got to try personally. Needless to say, I now have a bias towards these machines and GMCW. The new SPM slushie and ice cream machines are energy efficient and double wall constructed. Also new from GMCW, be on the lookout for a new line of coffee equipment with a new, long three-hour hold time.
GMCW will be a force to reckon with this year, and the Miller team stopped by their booth at NAFEM to ask their Director of Sales Reza McDaniel what new markets they see themselves breaking into with their new products.
“I think with the new coffee equipment, that’ll be groundbreaking with the technology we have,” McDaniel said. “Nobody has the technology we’re introducing. With the incapsulated air, the hold time on the coffee will be three hours plus. It’s been tested and proven that it’ll last that long without…deteriorating the flavor profile. With our new SPM line on the frozen and the ice cream that’ll be a nice segment to segue into for small coffee shops and restaurants with the ice cream. I think with the c-stores, the new coffee equipment and we have a new lineup also of cappuccino machine, semi-automatic cappuccino machines, with the Uniq line. That’s going to help us out with the c-store segment and coffee shop segment.”
NAFEM is a great venue to show these new and innovative products to not only the rep community, but to the consultant, dealer, and end user communities as well. GMCW is dedicated to quality products and will continue to innovate. We at Miller & Associates look forward to all the wonderful new things GMCW has in store.
You can check out our other article on GMCW here:


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China Market Bucks the Downward Trend, Prius Trouble Drags Toyota Lower
Industrial & Commercial Bank of China surged 2.5%, China Construction Bank and China Merchant's bank both rose 2.3% and Bank of China added 2.2%. Insurers also rose with Ping An Insurance climbing 5% and China Life Insurance gaining 3.1%.
Among commodity producers, Datong Coal Industry surged 8.5%, Jiangxi Copper leaped 6%, Maanshan Iron & Steel rose 2.6% and Baoshan Iron & Steel gained 2.1%. Chinese energy companies also surged today with China Coal Energy rising 5.4% and China Shenhua Energy gaining 4.6%. Yunnan Luoping Zinc & Electricity, which mines zinc and provides electricity, rose 3.3%.
In Hong Kong, clothing manufacturer Esprit Holdings jumped 7.9% after a 9.4% surge in retail sales that sent earnings over and above estimates. Esprit is reportedly expanding Asian operations after suffering a slump in sales in Germany, which Bloomberg reports earns the company about 45% of its sales. Esprit has agreed to purchase a large stake in China Resources Enterprise, through which they will presumably expand their Asian operations. Esprit is already popular in Hong Kong where it has numerous large stores located in popular upscale malls like Pacific Place. It is particularly popular with expats as it is known to carry shapes and sizes that fit western body types.
Cnooc, the Hong Kong-listed Chinese oil exploration company, rocketed up 9.4% in today's trading after announcing plans to boost output and the amount they hold in reserve by acquiring companies and joining forces with overseas ventures, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In Tokyo, Toyota Motors plunged 3.8% on continued concern over its major recall of cars with faulty accelerator mechanisms. This more than ate up yesterday's modest gains. The company's woes were compounded by new reports that it is investigating complaints coming out of both the U.S. and Japan that its popular Prius hybrid could be having brake problems according to the Associated Press. Could this be another huge blow to the one-time industry darling's PR troubles?
Meanwhile, Honda rose 2.3%, lapping up business in the wake of Toyota's crisis. Mazda Motors climbed 2.5%, Isuzu Motors advanced 2.4% and Nissan Motors gained 1.2%. Where there are losers, there are also winners.


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Bassetlaw Council has revealed the figures, which is equal to its team clearing up eight fly-tipping incidents a day in a bid to encourage people to dispose of their waste in a legal way rather than dumping it illegally.
The local authority encourages people to take their waste to a nearby tip, book a bulky waste collection through the council or pay privately to have it taken away.
Starbucks opens new cafe in Worksop Sainsbury’s
Worksop’s summer beach to make a return to Old Market Square
Line-up revealed for fundraiser music event in memory of popular Worksop teacher
Vintage phone box turns into Bassetlaw village library and book exchange
Dinnington and Clowne among first towns to benefit from ‘new-generation’ super fast broadband


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Having a non-alcoholic concoction is becoming more or less the norm as consumers continue to establish preferences in a more understanding culture. The concept of mocktails has been part of the scene, but Mocktails™ Uniquely Crafted is taking this trend to the next level. Recently, the international award-winning alcohol-free cocktails brand added to its medal cabinet a Double Gold and three Silvers at the prestigious 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
“We at Mocktails Uniquely Crafted take an uncompromising small-batch mixology approach to create our adult drink solutions using the finest ethically and sustainably sourced non-GMO ingredients in the world to deliver on flavor, quality, and the versatility customers are asking for. We have redefined what a ‘mocktail’ can and should be for consumers around the world,” said Bill Gamelli, Chief Executive Officer. “Clearly, the market is demanding better quality experiences, and everyone from the public, to the Hospitality industry, to spirits experts, can taste the difference. Our awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition are a confirmation from the two years of awards we received in London, and a further testament to the hard work of our Head Mixologist, Ezra Star, and our entire Mocktails team.”
Earning top Double Gold honors is the company’s Karma Sucra Mockapolitan. Following close behind are the La Vida Loca Mockarita, Scottish Lemonade Mockscow Mule, and Red Sevilla Sansgria, all earning Silver in the Non-Alcoholic Cocktails category.
According to the release, there were only 18 medals awarded in the category, with Mocktails taking home four, including one of only two brands to take home the top honors.
Launched in the U.K. in 2018 by former investment bank executive Bill Gamelli, Mocktails produces a range of premium alcohol-free cocktails developed using proprietary innovations by Gamelli and Head Mixologist, and industry Hall of Famer, Ezra Star.
Founded in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is one of the oldest in North America and allegedly the largest competition of its kind in the world.
For more information about these award-winning drinks, click here.
Find out what consumers are craving for next with Deli Market News.


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(BBC) — Google has been hit with a €1.49bn (£1.28bn) from the EU for blocking rival online search advertisers.
It is the third EU fine for the search and advertising giant in two years.
The case accuses Google of abusing its market dominance by restricting third party rivals from displaying search ads between 2006 and 2016.
In response, Google changed its AdSense contracts with large third parties, giving them more leeway to display competing search ads.
Google owner Alphabet makes large amounts of money from advertising – pre-tax profits reached $30.7bn (£23bn) in 2018, up from $12.66bn in 2017.
“Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites.
“This is illegal under EU antitrust rules,” said EC commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
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- Anal cancer on the rise in the US November 20, 2019
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- New York sues e-cigarette firm Juul for targeting youngsters November 20, 2019


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Bank of England assesses risks of state-backed digital currencies
On May 18, the Bank of England published a working paper on the possible risks and financial stability of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The paper constructs three models, each with a different set of sectors that have access to the CBDC.
Brian Kelly: BCH could go up due to development fund
Bitcoin cash miners met to discuss funding for a bitcoin cash development fund on Saturday, crypto trader Brian Kelly told CNBC’s “Fast Money”. In his opinion, this action could give the digital currency more value. According to Kelly, miners are "going to take some of the rewards they get from mining and put it in a fund to build stuff on top of bitcoin cash."
"That's how blockchains gain value," Kelly continued. "You're going to be getting more use cases to the extent that usefulness translates into value. That could be a positive for bitcoin cash."
BCT terminal to bring digital currencies to Wall Street
“The whole scope of the project is to build an industrial, institutional grade cryptocurrency terminal similar to what marketplaces are using today, providing a consolidated view of a very decentralized market”, Demetrios Skalkotos, a Consultant at BTC Inc., told Techcrunch.
According to the report, the tool is a double-screened PC with a great deal of proprietary software installed. The terminal will analyse multiple exchanges at once, enabling the user to read news, prices and market dynamics in one easy-to-understand package.Compared with the Bloomberg and Reuters terminals, BCT’s product provides institutional traders with the “a view of the marketplace of the depth and breadth that they would want to have”, Skalkotos said.
Monacoin hit by selfish mining attack
The Japanese cryptocurrency suffered from a “selfish mining attack” between May 13 and 15. This type of attack meant that the attacker successfully mined one block on the blockchain but didn’t broadcast it to other miners. It appears that the hacker had been trying to exploit a weakness in Monacoin’s difficulty adjustment mechanism for the better part of 6 months. While the developer tweeted that they had “grasped the attack” on May 18th, proposed solutions have not yet been outlined, and no new information about the incident has yet been released.
攻撃については把握しました。— monacoinproject (@tcejorpniocanom) May 17, 2018
Robert Shiller: The cryptocurrency revolution is an attempt to reinvent money
Robert Shiller, Nobel-prize winning economist and professor at Yale University, believes that cryptocurrencies are nothing but the latest iteration of century-old attempts to reinvent money.Shiller compared the cryptocurrency boom - almost 2000 digital currencies have been created since 2009 - to the rise of “time money” in the 1800s.
“No one, outside of computer science departments, can explain how cryptocurrencies work,” Shiller wrote in a blog post. “That mystery creates an aura of exclusivity, gives the new money glamour, and fills devotees with revolutionary zeal. None of this is new, and, as with past monetary innovations, a compelling story may not be enough.”
Walmart intends to use the blockchain for retail sales
According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, retail giant Walmart recently filed a patent application for a blockchain platform enabling the tracking and resale of purchased goods. The document, released last Thursday, describes a service that allows a client to register an item after its initial purchase, then stating a price for its resale, with the system essentially acting as a digital marketplace.
Total cryptocurrency market capitalization stands at $374 998 265 722
By Ekaterina Ulyanova


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NEW YORK – Technical challenges have forced the European Commission to move the launch of the European database on medical devices, or Eudamed, until May 2022, a delay of roughly two years.
The Eudamed database is an integral part of the new Medical Device and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulations, with which manufacturers are supposed to be compliant by May 2020 and May 2022, respectively. It supports the gathering of data about devices on the market, their conformity assessments by notified bodies, performance study data, and post-market surveillance information.
The upgraded database was supposed to go live no later than March 2020, but according to a statement published online, that is no longer the case.
According to the statement, the Commission continues to work on implementing the database, but concluded recently that it will "only be possible to make Eudamed operational once the entire system and its different modules have achieved full functionality and have been subject to an independent audit."
Because of this, it decided to launch the database when the new IVD Regulation comes into force in May 2022. The date of application of the MDR, the Commission noted, remains May 2020, and medical device manufacturers are expected to collect the data necessary that can be entered into Eudamed once it becomes available.
Questions around the availability of Eudamed have worried test makers for months. In July, Oliver Bisazza, director of regulations and industry policy at MedTech Europe, a Brussels-based European trade association that represents IVD and medical device manufacturers, said that the community was concerned about the approaching March 2020 deadline.
"In general, and ideally, manufacturers need at least 18 months of lead time between the finalization of Eudamed specifications and the date at which they legally must start interacting with the database," Bisazza said. "This is leading to widespread concerns of a crunch time."


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Rents on Lincoln Road Plummet, Thanks to the Pandemic
Brokerage sources say rents have plunged by more than half from a peak of $350 per square foot
When LIK Fine Art moved into a new 2,800-square-foot space at 655 Lincoln Road in early March, just a few doors from its old space at 701 Lincoln Road, the tenant looked forward to a more expansive space with high ceilings and more visibility from the street, the better to show off its larger-than-life landscape photography.
Although the rents on the new space weren’t disclosed, chances are that LIK got a good deal, given the high vacancies on Lincoln Road today, according to local brokerage sources.
The pandemic has taken its toll on the high-flying street, where rents in the last three to five years, pre-pandemic, had been as high as $350 per square foot, the brokers said.
Rents on the street are now closer to $150 per square foot, or even $100 per square foot, although it is hard to pin down actual rents, said Larry Soroka, director of investment sales at Koniver Stern Group, a brokerage specializing in retail real estate with offices around the corner from Lincoln Road.
Recent research from CBRE (CBRE) backs that up. Asking rents in the first quarter of 2021 on Lincoln Road, a nearly 1.3 million-square-foot submarket, were an average of $109 per square foot, on a triple-net basis. The vacancy rate was 17.2 percent and the availability rate was 21.2 percent.
The street has a storied past. Built in the 1920s, within 10 years, it boasted such high-flying names as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bonwit Teller. But, by the late 1980s, Lincoln Road was often more populated by pigeons than people, and the storefronts were full of T-shirt shops.
Some landlords “gave away” their spaces for $100 per month to local artists, just to get bodies in them, said Soroka.
“I’ve been leasing on the street since rents were $6 per square foot, in the early 1990s,” he said. “That is when Lincoln Road was full of art galleries with local artists.”
By the mid-1990s, the street started to improve, and, by the early 2000s, the national chains trickled in. Names like Banana Republic and The News Café, known for its Monday night jazz sessions and models hanging out, set the tone.
The street was cool again, and retail rents began to soar.
In the last five or 10 years, the sale prices for buildings went up to $1,000 to $2,000 per square foot, while rents were priced from $200 to $300 per square foot, said one local broker.
Today, as Lincoln Road is still feeling the effects of the pandemic, it is hard to know what tenants are paying, Soroka said. Some landlords are settling for much lower rents to keep their spaces filled, while others are leaving their spaces empty rather than settle for lower rents.
Some landlords are staying with existing tenants and giving them better deals, Soroka said. They are making rents “livable,” he said.


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Over 9 million subscribers of digital cable services may not be able to watch TV from today (June 26) for failing to submit the mandatory consumer application form (CAF) ordered by the sector regulator. The deadline for submission of forms ends on Tuesday. You must seen adds regarding this on TV.
As per the regulations, digital cable consumers need to submit CAF, specifying their choice of channels/services/packages to their respective multi-service operators (MSO) or local cable operators (LCO). MSOs and LCOs have not been able to get their customers to submit the forms in the short time that has been alloted for the process. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said the full benefit of digitisation cannot be extended to all the stakeholders, including subscribers till CAF are submitted.
Sources within the cable operator federation of India (COFI) and the MSO Alliance have indicated to Financial Express that only 40-50% subscriber forms were filled and submitted till Sunday and an additional three to six months of time might be required for the exercise to be complete. The disconnected cable services to be resumed only after the subscribers have submitted the forms.
Previously, TRAI had made it compulsory for digital cable consumers to get set-top-box in order to watch TV. Reportedly around 24 million cable homes across 42 towns, including the metros, were converted to digital connection. Coming back to consumer application forms, there is news that TRAI has already ruled against giving any further extension.
"Let the regulator order disconnection of digital connections and face the public anger. It is a slow process. It can not happen in a hurry. I hope the government extends the deadline else there can be a political fallout too, specially in Delhi which is going to polls," Roop Sharma, president, COFI said.