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It’s true about sparkling water. It’s true about investing. And it’s likely true about investing in sparkling water.
That is, if you choose to buy the shares of National Beverage Co. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the owner of LaCroix sparkling water. LaCroix’s roll-out in Canada is an ongoing success apparently with the beverage appearing in more stores and more refrigerators. Consumers who have been told to “invest in what you know,” and love the sugar-free substitute for soft drinks, may be tempted to get in on LaCroix’s parent.
But the more you know about National Beverage (ticker FIZZ), the less you may want to partake in the shares.
Really, the company’s explosively fizzy news releases, littered with exclamation points and gassy hyperbole should be enough to scare most investors away. They are apparently written by 81-year-old chairman and chief executive Nick Caporella, the perfect CEO for the Donald Trump era.
The company said in its earnings release onWednesday, “today’s earnings announcement reflects the excellent performance of a company genuinely committed to its purpose.” The company’s “iconic brands are the genuine essence ... of America.”
In an October, 2017, news release, issued when Mr. Caporella was angered by short-sellers who sought to profit from his stock’s decline, he asked: “Where is the SEC watchdog? … If you have the opinion that I, Nick A. Caporella, am angrily exercised while extremely fortunate to be guiding FIZZ, your opinion is quite accurate!”
Alas, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was watching National Beverage, and it had a question. As reported by The Wall Street Journal this week, the SEC’s staff was curious about National Beverage’s news releases referencing “velocity per outlet,” and “velocity per capita” and “proven velocity predictors.” Perhaps, the SEC suggested, there is more to be said about these performance indicators?
As is often the case, the correspondence shows, the company tried at first to resist.
“This information is as secretive as the formulas of our beverages and should not be disclosed to our competition.”
Then it yielded. Velocity per outlet, the company subsequently admitted, is the number of units sold divided by the number of outlets stocking the product, and velocity per capita is the number of units sold in a given geographic area divided by the population of the area. We’re still not so sure about the “proven velocity predictors.”
This little kerfuffle, which seems to be settled, is just a small part of the overall tomfoolery, bad governance and other red flags at this enterprise, which investors have awarded a market valuation of nearly US$5-billion.
Since Mr. Caporella owns more than 70 per cent of the shares, the company is exempt from any number of governance requirements, and has taken full advantage.
Glass Lewis & Co., one of the major proxy-advisory firms, has given the company ratings of “poor” for executive-compensation structure and disclosure. The company didn’t place its auditor before the shareholders for approval, and its audit committee only met three times in the fiscal year that ended in April, 2017.
National Beverage recently amended its bylaws to change a host of voting matters. Since Mr. Caporella owns the bulk of the shares, the changes were a fait accompli.
“We are not asking you for a proxy and you are requested to not send us proxy,” the company helpfully told its shareholders, conveying the irrelevance of their vote.
Investors don’t care about all of this stuff, of course, if they’re in on a big trendy growth story, which LaCroix seems to be. After all, credit is due to Mr. Caporella for taking a company best known for owning the obscure cola Shasta, acquiring LaCroix, and being properly positioned for the anti-pop wave.
The reward? Some of the highest multiples in the soda space, with the shares trading at more than 20 times forward EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), and a conventional forward price-to-earnings ratio of nearly 30.
This brings us back to the company’s purple prose, however. In its news release on Wednesday, the company presented three-year growth numbers it said “reaffirm our leadership position as the #1 Sparkling Water in North America.”
“Our highly innovative business,” it continues, “ … should not be analyzed on the common three-month (quarterly) periods, traditionally found acceptable. Today, costly development projects, seasonal weather periods, plus promotional packaging, make quarter-to-quarter comparisons unworthy statistics, not truly beneficial for investors and shareholders alike.”
Perhaps the reason the company discourages investors from examining quarterly results is that National Beverage’s growth is actually slowing. By pulling the numbers from S&P Global Market Intelligence, we see that National Beverage’s fourth-quarter sales were up 15.2 per cent from the prior-year quarter. That rate is less than the year-over-year gain in the third quarter (16.9 per cent), as well as the change one year ago (18.5 per cent). It was the second consecutive quarter, in fact, that revenue growth slowed.
I foresee another pen-pal exchange between the SEC and National Beverage about its disclosure choices and who’s really benefiting when the company hides its results. In the meantime, enjoy the drink and avoid the stock.


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Ducati is quick to point out that the 2015 Scrambler, a reintroduction of the nameplate the company offered in the 1960s and ’70s, is not a retro bike. It is, the company said in a release on Tuesday, “intended to be just how the legendary motorcycle would be today if Ducati had never stopped building it.”
The new Scrambler is city-oriented, with a frame and suspension geared toward slaloming the “urban obstacle course.” The front fork and monoshock-damped aluminum rear swingarm allow 5.9 inches of wheel travel, which Ducati says will make the bike ridable on- and off-road.
The teardrop gas tank, a visual focal point in the bike’s “post-heritage” design, certainly hints at the new Scrambler’s roots, as does the fuel cap, which bears the inscription “Born in 1962.” But the rest of the bike is thoroughly modern. Gone is the air-cooled single-cylinder engine of the original Scrambler, in favor of a 75-horsepower fuel-injected 803cc 90-degree V-twin based on Ducati’s Monster 796 engine. The front and rear lights are modern LED units, and the underseat storage bin features a USB receptacle.
The Scrambler’s light-touch brake lever is tuned for stop-and-go city driving. An anti-hopping system senses torque and applies brake pressure as needed to prevent rear-wheel chatter; both wheels wear slightly knobby enduro-style tires.
Adding to the Scrambler’s minimalist, one-size-fits-all utility is its extended maintenance interval. Ducati says the bike was designed to be simple and serviceable, with maintenance required every 7,500 miles or so.
Ducati says the 2015 Scrambler – which will be offered in red and black or yellow and black — will be available in dealerships in North America beginning in late January. There will be four versions: the Icon, which starts at $8,495; and the Full Throttle, Urban Enduro and Classic models, which all start at $9,995.

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - A national credit card scam has hit some local businesses for tens of thousands of dollars.
The scam works by utilizing a fake authorization code.
A criminal will go into a business and make a purchase. The clerk will run the credit card for the sale. When the sale is declined, the scammer will say there must be a mistake and pretend to call his bank. The scammer will then provide a fake authorization code to the clerk or hand his cell phone to the clerk to speak to his alleged financial institution to provide a fake authorization code.
The retailer would then enter the code into the credit card terminal and the transaction would then go through.
Criminals exploit a relatively obscure loophole in retailers' debit and credit card authorization process.
Credit card terminals are set up so merchants can force a sale if there is a complication with the terminal.
"Scammers are utilizing that loophole in the process to fool merchants into running these transactions," said Brian Hill, Payment Systems Worldwide.
Hill says other local retailers have been hit by the same scam, being victimized for $20,000.
To force the sale, or override the decline, some criminals have found the key to authorize a declined transaction. The authorization code apparently can be any combination of numbers, as long as the code contains the correct number of digits that the computer accepts.
Recently Star Furniture became a victim of this fraud when a scammer used this method and got away with over $6,000 in merchandise. The retailer contacted 23ABC because they wanted to alert other retailers the scam is active locally.
"It was an elaborate scheme of false credit cards and false IDs that milked us out of merchandise." said Steven Kandel, Star Furniture owner.
Financial experts say the best way to avoid being taken by this scam is to avoid accepting authorization codes from anyone for declined cards.
"This was an unfortunate circumstance, I think most importantly, this really highlights the need all merchants to get a better understanding how to protect themselves, now that I've been unfortunately, part of those statistics," said Kandel.
3rd-grader raise $2k for destroyed playground
A fire at Endeavour Elementary School that destroyed the school's playground equipment sparked an outpouring of support from the community.
23ABC receives award at ceremony
For all those who helped with the Ready-Set Back 2 School Fair back in August, your donations haven't gone unappreciated.
Gas drops to lowest prices since 2011
People in Bakersfield are relieved over the low price of gas right now.
Woman sentenced to 4 yrs. in prison for mnslghtr
A woman accused of killing her passenger after hitting a tree while allegedly driving drunk in West Bakersfield was sentenced to four years…


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Rise and Shine of NFTs
When mentioning the blockchain world, NFT has always been a hot topic. Regarding “non-fungible token”, NFT has emerged as a dynamic and rapidly expanding sector in recent years, capturing the attention of artists, collectors, and investors alike.
According to DappRadar, the NFT market generated approximately $24.7 billion in organic trading volume across blockchain platforms and marketplaces in 2022. Projections suggest that the value of NFT sales could reach an incredible $125.6 billion by 2027. These impressive numbers highlight the significant impact and potential of NFTs in reshaping industries and transforming our perception and valuation of digital assets.
Though having a great upside, the NFT market has still witnessed the fluctuations and tension from the macroeconomic as well as the big players in the industry. After having a disappointing performance in the late 2022, NFT sector bounced back again in the early 2023, as the appearance of advanced trading tools with the mix of De-fi in the sector. The rise and shine of those digital assets, come up with this fluctuation led us to a question on the intrinsic value of NFT - which was previously considered as a promise to transform the economy of the internet.


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- Surveyed parents reported a 42% year-over-year increase in grocery e-commerce frequency, per a new report from FMI - The Food Industry Association (FMI).
- As a group, parents are twice as likely (24%) to always buy their groceries online than consumers as a whole (12%), the Back to School report found.
- The findings come at a time when the new school year is starting and grocery e-commerce faces headwinds after surging at the start of the pandemic — giving grocers insight into which consumer groups may find online grocery ordering more appealing.
Convenience with grocery e-commerce is a major attractor for parents, FMI’s report noted. People with kids are increasingly turning to online shopping to help save time in their busy schedules, the trade group said.
While primarily online stores are the store of choice for 5% of all grocery shoppers, FMI’s research found that preference jumps to 15% for shoppers with children at home.
The report, which also looked at other shopping habits among consumers, noted that parents are much more likely than other consumers to stock up on grocery staples if extreme weather could happen and that parents are also more likely to buy more bottled water and hydration drinks.
Coupled with the higher e-commerce usage, these findings indicate opportunities for grocers to make certain staples and pack sizes available online and then advertise those items to parents.
While grocers have made numerous investments in boosting their e-commerce capabilities, online grocery sales have slipped throughout 2023 as consumers returned to in-store shopping and high food prices have impacted their spending power. Grocery e-commerce sales dropped 7% year-over-year in July, to $7.2 billion, according to Brick Meets Click and Mercatus. That fall was driven by a sharp decline in order frequency across all fulfillment methods and also a shrinkage in the value of the average digital transaction.
In looking to cater to parents online, grocers may want to be mindful of FMI’s findings that food affordability and inflation are heightened concerns for parents compared to other consumers.
While overall shopper concern about inflation has mostly stabilized since June, households with kids are more worried about grocery store food prices, along with housing and clothing costs, the report found.
More than half (56%) of people with children are concerned about having enough money to buy food, compared to 42% of all shoppers, per the report. Among parents, 41% said they are more worried about this in 2023 while 30% said they are less worried, indicating a divide in affordability concerns.
While affordability concerns for parents exceed those of other consumers, FMI noted the research suggests parents have limited capacity to adjust their shopping tactics to address the pressure of high prices.
“Parents have not found shopping tactics to align with their higher level of concern, and therefore may need special attention, including ways to ensure they can use online options affordably (e.g., apply coupons, minimize delivery fees),” the report noted.
The Back to School report is the fourth in FMI’s five-part series on 2023 U.S. grocery shopping trends. The report used data from an online national sample of 1,969 grocery shoppers between July 28 and Aug. 2, in addition to trended data from the U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 studies.


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The economy is the system by which people interact and trade goods and services with each other. The economy of early societies was based on barter. In a barter system, a farmer might trade his cow’s milk to the baker for a loaf of bread. Today, our economy uses money to make trade easier. So, a farmer can sell his cow’s milk for money, and use that money to buy bread from the baker.
- The Conversation: Succession Is on the Minds of Family Businesses Everywhere
- Entrepreneurship in North Korea? Bringing Business Concepts to a Communist NationNo Facebook or Twitter? No access to the Internet? If it sounds too radical to believe, then consider this: It is the reality in North Korea. What’s more, young professionals in North Korea, which is under restrictive communist rule, know very little about basic business concepts like entrepreneurship and private equity. Geoffrey See, founder of Choson Exchange, is helping to bring business knowledge to the country, where young people are excited by new ideas and the potential for change.
- Mazes and Monsanto: Growing Prospects in the Ag BusinessAre you an “aggie?” Careers in agriculture are not all cows and plows these days. In fact, the ag business, a hot spot for employment in an otherwise challenging economy, involves everything from entrepreneurship, marketing and merchandising to animal science, software development and genomics. What’s your ag career choice?
- Behind the Wheel of Tesla’s Model S and Elon Musk’s Endless InnovationWhile President Barack Obama is talking about the salvation of the auto industry this week, other car enthusiasts have their eyes on innovators like Elon Musk, CEO and founder of Tesla Motors. This summer, Alexander Mason, 17, visited the electric car company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., and came away with key insights about entrepreneurial spirit and leadership.
- The Low-carbon Economy Is a High Global Priority


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The Memento Group has launched its new memorabilia platform, dedicated to the UFC brand.
The ambitious company has enjoyed a strong second half of 2021, welcoming Jonathan Baker,
Including Van Gogh Museum and Royal Talens partnering on a range of painting and draw
Including SEGA’s iconic Sonic the Hedgehog set to be given the LEGO treatment.
Deal between video games publisher and mixed martial arts brand renewed until 2030.
Including Superdrug and Primark coming on board for a new range of Men’s Health toile
Including The Point.1888 teaming with the British and Irish Lions for the tour to So
Including ZAK securing a multi property homewares deal with WBCP EMEA.
Mixed martial arts brand signs deal for first official meal delivery partner.


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President Trump has repeatedly denounced trade deficits. He treats them as national balance sheet losses and promises to eradicate them wherever he can, mostly through an aggressive trade policy. But what if this were an elaborate ruse? What if his true objective were to grow the trade deficit as much as he could?
Paradoxically, his current course of action seems bound to have that effect.
If there were a three-part plan to increase the trade deficit, the first part would attempt to boost investment in the United States while trimming national saving. The U.S. trade deficit (more accurately, current account deficit) is equal to the gap between national savings and investment. That relationship is an accounting identity, not a theory. To boost investment, the President could restructure the tax code to increase incentives for corporations to invest at home. Cutting saving would be even easier; national saving is household and corporate and government saving combined. The trick to expanding the trade deficit would be to make sure that federal budget deficits increase. Unless there is an offsetting move in other domestic saving, this should cut national saving. The combination of investment incentives and government dissaving would be a strong start toward growing the trade deficit.
The second part of the plan would be to undercut growth in major trading partner economies. When economies are growing strongly, citizens and businesses tend to consume more of everything – both domestically-produced goods and imported goods. The flip side of this is that, when economies falter, they cut back on everything, including their imports. Other things equal, a plunge in one’s own economy will shrink a trade deficit while a drop in a major trading partner’s economy will grow the deficit. We saw this in the global financial crisis a decade ago, when the U.S. trade deficit shrank impressively. Back to the plan – the trick would be to instill doubt and foster economic turmoil in partners such as the European Union and China. If the United States could effectively destabilize those economies, U.S. exports should fall. If you pair that with rapid U.S. growth, it should also grow the U.S. trade deficit.
The third and final element would be to try and stoke a currency crisis of some sort. Perhaps find an emerging market that is teetering and see if you can push it over the edge. Not only will this directly affect trade with the target country – as its currency falls, its goods look cheaper for the United States to import and U.S. goods look more expensive for export – but there is a chance of contagion, in which other emerging markets see their currencies fall as well. Frequently, amid international financial panics, investors seek haven in U.S. Treasury bonds, thereby bidding up the value of the dollar more generally. This would complement the other strategies to boost the trade deficit, as a strong dollar makes life more difficult for U.S. exporters.
In reality, there is (probably) no secret Trump plan to explode the trade deficit. The actions are more likely just a series of policy errors attributable to inexperience and the absence of a sensible strategy. But if there were a secret plan to blow up the trade deficit, it would look a lot like current U.S. policy.


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Good technology simplifies. It creates efficiencies in process and expands the possibilities of increased profitability, in the short term and long term. And as critical aspects of the automotive retail workflow evolve with technology, dealerships — and the lenders they do business with — are beginning to see these efficiencies come to life.
A perfect example is contract funding. Long the domain of the traditional sales and lending approach, today there’s strong evidence that the shift to eContracting is accelerating, as dealers and lenders discover its effectiveness. In fact, we have seen an 18 percent increase in eContracting activity this year, compared to activity in 2014. Dealers simply aren’t looking back: According to Dealertrack surveys, 98 percent of dealer personnel using electronic contracting plan to continue to use the software, and 93 percent would recommend eContracting to their peers. On the lender side, there’s been a healthy increase in electronic contracting adoption, with 20 lenders already on the program, and more planning to support the workflow in the near-term.
Indeed, we’re not alone: A recent article published by Automotive News estimates that 80 percent of all U.S. dealerships will have adopted eContracting within five years. It’s simple: The benefits of eContracting are game-changing:
- It speeds up the process of contracting from days to hours. According to the Automotive News article, eContracting makes funding possible within two to three hours. Dealertrack surveys also show that contract processing turnaround times ranked 4th in importance by dealers when choosing a lender partner.
- It improves accuracy. The process of eContracting enables dealerships to catch errors that would normally slow the contract process and sometimes even lead to recontracting.
Dealertrack’s new mobile review and signing functionality makes the eContracting process even more convenient. Now, contracting can take place when and where the dealer and buyer are most comfortable: in the showroom or on the lot. That’s crucial to the retail process, as it moves away from the time-consuming and “confining” days of old, and toward a technology-enabled, mobile and flexible process that brings added convenience to the dealership workflow and improves the buyer experience. That is, after all, the point of good technology: to simplify and evolve the act of buying and selling cars into an efficient, profitable and consumer-friendly experience. The emergence of eContracting as a vital tool in this process is another important step and another way Dealertrack is helping transform the automotive retail experience.


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Today I am taking a break from my recent run of recipe posts to give you a brief rundown on some of the recent food stories I have been following. Recipes will be back soon, I promise.
GMO Labeling is a very hot topic.
- Whole Foods recently announced that by 2018 all products in their U.S. and Canadian stores must be labeled to indicate whether they contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
- Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield paid a visit to Hartford, CT’s state capital, on Friday, March 15. According to GMO Free CT, Jerry was one of 200 supporters to offer testimony in support of CT HB 6519, a bill to require the labeling of genetically modified food sold in the state.
- Ben & Jerry’s recently committed to sourcing non-GMO ingredients for all their products by the end of 2013. Ben & Jerry’s is a strong advocate for the consumers' right to know what is in their food and was one of the early supporters of labeling of rBGH in dairy products. It is interesting to note that Ben & Jerry’s is owned by Unilever, one of the corporate giants who funneled money into the campaign to defeat California Proposition 37.
- California Proposition 37 was narrowly defeated in November, but other states are continuing the fight for the consumer’s right to know what is in their food. States with proposed GMO labeling legislation in their current sessions include: Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Dead Pigs, Contaminated Water in China
- On March 13 the BBC reported that according to a statement issued by the Chinese government, the number of pig carcasses found floating in the Huangpu River totals nearly 6,000. The government also claims that the water quality of the river “meets government-set standards.” The source of the dead pigs remains a mystery. According to information from the NGO Pacific Environment, “Nearly 1/4 of Chinese [people] lack access to clean drinking water, over 70 percent of lakes and rivers are polluted, and pollution accidents happen on a near daily basis.” In today’s South China Morning Post there is a story reporting that residents of the village of Changshou in Hunan province have long refused to drink tap water they have been told is “safe.” You might want to think twice before purchasing frozen produce from China.
Girl Scout Cookies
- After news service UPI reported in February that more than 13,000 boxes of unsold Girl Scout cookies were thrown away in Riverside, CA, the story went viral. A reporter for a CBS affiliate in Los Angeles shared a video of a tractor smashing the cookies before they headed to the landfill. You can watch it here. Apparently this practice has been going on for years. While one can debate whether or not Girl Scout Cookies are actually food, one cannot dispute that farmers grew the wheat and chickens laid the eggs, etc. This story helped make food waste in the US front page news.
Protected Waters in New England
- The Pew Charitable Trust just released a call for action to oppose the reopening of nearly 5,000 square miles of protected New England waters to commercial fishing. The short video “Cod: The Fish that Made New England” features a number of “old salts” reminiscing about how different fishing was just decades ago. Their compelling tales emphasize the importance of this issue. You can take action here.
In closing, here is a quick request for your vote from my chapter of Slow Food:
- Slow Food Shoreline in CT is a finalist in the Health Justice Challenge - a $10K grant to support Slow Cooking Education. Their entry is a proposal to teach busy families how to cook healthy food using a slow cooker. Watch the video here and show your support. Hurry! You are allowed to vote once a day which means you can vote once today, and once tomorrow. Voting ends on March 19 at 11:59 pm EST.
Have a great week.
I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”


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Wow! It's finally here!
And it looks like we were right! The duo did collaborate on an editorial for the latest issue!
Kimmy and Kara Cara pose for the cover with wet hair, eyebrows on fleek, and completely bare faces.
[Image via Instagram.]
Someone's gotta bring the fire to the red carpet!
The show's co-host showed up in a black sparkly and slinky Marc Jacobs dress that gave her all the shimmy and shimmer you need to walk down the red carpet. Although, with the itsy bitsy-ness, this look is just a little bit too much like lingerie, even paired with those Jimmy Choo shoes and Lorraine Schwartz jewels.
While her makeup is pure perfection, the simple ponytail she's sporting leaves something to be desired.
[Image via Getty Images.]


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On Tuesday night, Li Jiaqi reappeared on Alibaba’s Taobao Live, a live-streaming platform for the e-commerce giant.
His show immediately attracted thousands of viewers within the first few minutes, despite no prior notices on his social media accounts. By the end of the two-hour show, 63 million viewers had watched his live-stream, higher than most of his previous shows. But still lower than the traffic during major shopping festivals.
The 30-year-old livestreamer, also called Austin Li, was one of China’s biggest internet celebrities, with 64 million followers on Alibaba’s Taobao. He once sold 15,000 lipsticks within five minutes in a sales competition against Alibaba founder Jack Ma, winning himself the nickname “China’s lipstick king.”
But the superstar salesman had gone silent since early June after his popular show was abruptly cut off on the eve of this year’s anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Just before the abrupt ending, Li had shown his audience a…


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Hemp had to overcome a few challenges to enter existing and established markets
Cement is cheap, easy to work with, and has been the standard of modern construction for decades, but the global cement industry is also responsible for 8% of carbon emissions.
In an effort to mitigate its carbon footprint, various cement and concrete producers around the world recently announced a roadmap to achieve net zero concrete emissions by 2050, and to reduce emissions a quarter by 2030.
One way to do this is with hemp concrete, which locks in the carbon instead of releasing it, according to Tommy Gibbons, co-founder and director of Hempitecture.
His company, based in Ketchum, Idaho, manufactures hemp insulation and received a grant from the Department of Energy's Innovative Crossroads program for hemp insulation research and development.
“Many other materials of plant origin can have comparable qualities but in a less sustainable way and with higher carbon emissions compared to hemp. "
Hemp concrete is made by mixing hemp seed with lime. The mixture becomes a moldable substance which is shaped into a block, creating a lightweight material used for walls and insulation.
Despite its ability to fight against pests, molds, and even fires thanks to its thermal mass, hemp construction is still little used, but its market is waiting to break through. It's a nascent industry and there is still a long way to go, explains Roland Gyallay-Pap, one of the founders of the Boulder-based Roky Mountain Hemp Build association.
“All industries today are set to become more sustainable,” adds Gyallay-Pap. "
“The construction industry has set itself the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, and there is great interest in alternative construction methods. The problem is, in parts of the United States there is a stigma around hemp itself, which takes time to overcome. "
There is another problem. The United States legalized hemp production just three years ago, after passing the 2018 Farm Bill.
Persistent stigma aside, and limited education about the plant, cultivation of hemp in the United States since legalization has focused on its production to extract CBD and other non-intoxicating cannabinoids. While the CBD industry is in a glut, the undeveloped industrial hemp supply chain has remained confined to a niche market.
Yet interest in growing hemp for purposes other than the production of CBD and other cannabinoids continues to grow.
The manufacture of hemp for building materials has garnered considerable interest and expanded in countries like Canada and Europe, and some believe the United States will experience a similar trend.
“European countries are doing similar things for newer buildings, and the US government seems to be interested as well,” Gibbons said.
"There are signs that this could be the direction for the industry as a whole."
Compared to the United States, where there are around 200 million hemp houses, in France there are around 2 million, according to Gyallay-Pap.
The idea of using hemp as an alternative method of construction was born in France in the 1980s.
“The country was looking for materials to use to renovate centuries-old buildings that had been constructed with Portland cement,” explains Roland Gyallay-Pap.
French executives found hemp to be the best option because of its reliable, lightweight insulation and its ability to retain heat without the risk of mold or pests.
France has never banned the production of hemp, adds Mr. Gyallay-Pap. As the industry has grown and countries like Canada and other countries in Europe decriminalized hemp years ago, they have also taken the lead in the hemp construction market.
Last year, the Netherlands-based hemp maker and the largest independent hemp producer in Europe, HempFlax, acquired German producer of natural fiber insulation, Thermo Natur GmbH & Co.
Last August, the Canadian company Global Hemp Group signed a contract to purchase more than 800 acres of land in Hayden, Colo., To launch its HAIZ project, which aims to develop affordable housing made from materials. of hemp over the next two decades.
Respond to growing demand
Hemp has had to overcome a few challenges to enter existing and established markets.
But its potential is emerging, and Mr. Gyallay-Pap and his business partner Eamonn McNaughton, co-founder of Rocky Mountain Hemp Build, have seen an increase in the number of customers interested in incorporating hemp into their homes and their buildings.
Located in the country's oldest hemp-producing state, McNaughton and Gyallay-Pap work with several Colorado hemp growers, but access to lime is difficult due to the supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic. .
“Hemp is a big part of the material, but lime is the other big part,” McNaughton said.
Due to the cost of shipping limestone from overseas, he and Gyallay-Pap found a lucrative business strategy by incorporating a small amount of conventional Portland cement into their hemp concrete recipe.
While sustainability enthusiasts might scoff at the idea, the duo claim that the carbon footprint of shipping more limestone from overseas far exceeds the inclusion of a small amount of cement produced in such a way. conventional.
“The world of concrete is a big, big world,” Gyallay-Pap said. "We will be the little ax that cuts the big tree".https://hempindustrydaily.com/hemp-slowly-making-inroads-in-the-cement-and-construction-industries/


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Giving industry participants the insight they need to stay abreast of mobile payments trends, including mobile point-of-sale payments, mobile P2P and mobile commerce.
Driven by mobile app purchases, mobile P2P, and mobile bill payment, digital payments are increasingly mobile in nature. But while mobile purchases are speeding forward, in-store and remote payments trends tell different stories.
Hispanic household wealth is expected to grow by more than 90% from 2010 to 2019, and the number of Hispanic households with a net worth of $100,000 or more is expected to top 3.5 million in 2018.
U.S. Financial Services Focus: The Walmart Shopper shows how retailers can harness the power of financial services and products to drive customer traffic and increase margins.
The Financial Services Market: Targeting Gig Economy Workers helps solve that riddle by providing several ways to measure Gig Economy employment, which vary in scope, including the Non-Benefit Worker, The Side Gig Worker, Second Jobbers, and Microbusiness Employees
Buoyed by post-recession economic growth, African American household wealth is expected to grow by 70% from 2010 to 2019, and the number of African American households with a net worth of $100,000 or more is expected to top 4.7 million in 2018.
This report discusses US consumer financial service market trends in nominal US dollars between 2010 and 2019.
This report segments affluent and high-net worth consumers and households, drilling down into their household finances, banking relationships and financial products and services usage and attitudes.


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Costco Announces New Policy That All Shoppers Must Wear Masks
Costco is the latest national retailer to take aggressive steps designed to protect the safety of shoppers and workers alike during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting Monday, May 4, all shoppers at Costco will be required to wear protective masks.
The new policy came in a statement published on a webpage dedicated to COVID-19 updates. It notes that "all Costco members and guests must wear a mask or face covering that covers the mouth and nose at all times while at Costco."
Although, this does not apply to children that are under the age of 2 or those who are unable to wear a mask due to a medical condition.
The statement adds: "The use of a mask or face covering should not be seen as a substitute for social distancing. Please continue to observe rules regarding appropriate distancing while on Costco premises. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation."
Finally, Costco mentions how nearly all of their warehouses in the U.S. will only allow two people to enter the warehouse using one membership card. And, in locations in El Paso, TX, Kentucky and Puerto Rico, only one person is allowed to enter per membership card.
Costco is just one of several retail giants that have gone to great lengths to protect and reward their brave essential staffers who do not have the luxury of working from home. Still, some workers at Target, Walmart, and Amazon have planned a coordinated walkout this Friday to protest unsafe and unhealthy working conditions during this pandemic.
Since COVID-19 became a concern in the states, trips to grocery stores have gone from a relaxing ritual of procuring groceries to a stressful trip to the front lines in a national battle against the deadly contagion. Grocery chains have been aggressively updating policies designed to protect shoppers and staffers alike. Dozens of grocery store staffers have died from the coronavirus, and even Walmart has faced a wrongful death lawsuit from the estate of a staffer who succumbed to the deadly contagion.
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How Young Is Too Young For A Mobile Phone?
from the why-not-give-them-one-with-their-birth-certificate? dept
It appears that the “how young is too young for a kid to have a mobile phone?” debate is starting up again. Of course, part of the reason for that is that the various mobile phone companies have been targeting their marketing dollars down into the pre-teen age range. AT&T Wireless is even teaching a class for kids about mobile phones at some museum. While they claim that it’s to focus on teaching kids about technology (and not marketing to kids), apparently the part that excites them the most (not surprisingly) is where they get to check out the cool new phones AT&T Wireless is offering. Meanwhile middle school and elementary school officials are saying that the problems of mobile phones in schools – which used to only effect high schools – has been creeping downwards. As for kids, it becomes a peer pressure sort of thing – where every kid wants one as soon as they find out someone else in their class has one. For parents who do decide to give their kids phones, they try to make sure that they put them on pre-paid plans, so they don’t end up running up huge bills. Still, there’s a point at which you have to wonder if that 8-year-old really needs his own mobile phone.


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For Immediate Release Industry Veteran, Rob Foss, Joins LibDib Leading Young’s Market Company executive named Vice President of Revenue for the growing start-up wholesale alcohol distributor San Jose, CA, May 18, 2020 — LibDib, the web-based wholesale alcohol distributor, today announced that wine and spirits industry veteran, Rob Foss, has joined the company as the […]
Online distributor LibDib has entered the Illinois market, expanding its footprint to six states, including four of the top five U.S. markets for alcohol consumption. The company currently operates as a licensed wholesaler in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Wisconsin. Aimed at providing distribution for smaller wine and spirits producers, LibDib is a […]
LibDib Launches in Illinois LibDib’s sixth state opens top U.S. market to all wine and spirits producers SAN JOSE, Calif. — May 12, 2020 LibDib, the web-based wholesale alcohol distributor, today announced that the company is now licensed to operate in the state of Illinois. Any licensed wine or spirits producer, from anywhere in the […]
LibDib Launches in Illinois LibDib’s sixth state opens top U.S. market to all wine and spirits producers San Jose, CA, May 12, 2020— LibDib, the web-based wholesale alcohol distributor, today announced that the company is now licensed to operate in the state of Illinois. Any licensed wine or spirits producer, from anywhere in the world, […]
RNDC has also been investing in technology, notably bringing ‘online distributor’ LibDib into its fold. April 14, 2020 – To say Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) has been in expansion mode lately is an understatement. Last year, the second-ranked U.S. wholesaler added 10 western states and more than $3 billion in revenues via a new […]
Wine Industry Advisor, 1/14/20 LibDib Enters Florida -? Wine and Spirits brands quickly expand distribution, giving Florida restaurants, bars and retailers unprecedented access to emerging brands.
The liquor, wine and spirits industries are full of promising opportunities, especially in large markets like New York and California. New York liquor distributors have been increasing their wholesale craft liquor sales quite drastically. For a craft liquor distributor in multiple states (like LibDib), emerging, small production brands are what allow us to expand our […]
To run a successful restaurant of any kind takes dedication, patience, and a master plan. As important as it is to never give up, it?s equally as essential to developing a blueprint targeting a specific audience. No matter how tasty your food is, an effective procedure is what will draw in customers. Most restaurants create […]
By Laura Ness, Wine Industry Advisor.?This article is part of the Bold Predictions series. Cheryl Durzy, CEO and founder of Liberation Distribution (LibDib), thinks the time for real consumer choice in the alcoholic beverage industry is about to dawn as consumer behavior, retailer services, and increased 3-tier access trends converge. For wineries this presents an […]
Vinexpo New York has created an advisory board ahead of its 2020 event to ?maximise the show?s value in North America?. The New York event has appointed 11 US-based wine and spirits industry leaders to the advisory board, including past exhibitors and attendees of Vinexpo New York.


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A major entertainment conglomerates in Japan, DMM, has announced to launch DMM Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency exchange of the entertainment giant, which will begin accepting applications from local traders and investors as early as January 11 this year, after the exchange is officially launched on January 10.
Being a financial institution regulated by Japan’s Financial Service Agency (FSA), DMM Bitcoin will be required to implement strict Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) policies and systems. In that case, DMM Bitcoin will likely carry out a rigorous verification process for traders, especially for large-scale and high profile individual investors just like other exchanges in the Japanese cryptocurrency market.
According to Bitcoin.com, the official statement released by DMM reads:
“DMM Bitcoin will launch a new service site for virtual currency trading on January 10, 2018, and we plan to start accepting account opening applications on January 11. There are 7 virtual currencies that can be traded, 3 currency pairs for spot trading and 14 currency pairs for leveraged transactions.”
When launched, DMM Bitcoin will only support seven hand-picked cryptocurrencies which include Bitcoin, Ethereum, NEM, Ripple, Litecoin, Ethereum Classic, and Bitcoin Cash. While the method the company utilized to come up with the list of the above mentioned seven cryptocurrencies remains unclear, DMM Bitcoin has only added cryptocurrencies with strong markets, large user bases, and daily trading volumes.
DMM Bitcoin would be competing against GMO and Huobi Japan/SBI. GMO Group, a multi-billion-dollar internet company based in Japan, launched a cryptocurrency exchange of its own last year, listing five digital assets, with a $90 million budget. But, over time, GMO Group expanded its cryptocurrency venture, launching a bitcoin mining center and mining equipment manufacturing factory to produce ASIC mining chips.
Given that GMO Group’s exchange targets high profile investors and institutional investors, DMM Bitcoin will directly compete against the GMO cryptocurrency exchange.
Based on the performance of GMM Bitcoin, the company may also pursue its previous plans to establish a “bitcoin mining farm,” an ambitious project to match the production volumes of major regions such as China.
“DMM Mining Farm” will operate a mass-scale, made-in-Japan quality mining farm whose operating size will be unmatched by any of the domestic operators…During the year 2018, DMM will be one of the 10 largest mining farms in the world,” said DMM.


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PureCycle Technologies LLC has named Formerra LLC its primary North American distributor for its PureFive recycled polypropylene.
"This is another key step in executing our global growth strategy. … We will rely on Formerra as a trusted distribution partner to help us reach new markets," PureCycle CEO Dustin Olson said in a March 6 news release. "Formerra's commitment to innovative approaches to complex end market applications and strong dedication to sustainable solution building is a perfect fit for our company."
"We are excited to bring PureCycle resin to our expansive materials lineup," Formerra CEO Cathy Dodd said in the release. "Our customers will now have a game-changing solution to help them meet their environmental sustainability goals.
"Our experienced technical team will be able to work with PureCycle to customize the material to meet specific customer needs," Dodd added. "Addressing the world's most pressing sustainability challenges is a responsibility we all share."
PureCycle's first purification line in Ironton, Ohio, is scheduled to be completed "shortly," Olson said. Its other two lines planned for Augusta, Ga., were "designed to produce more than 300 million pounds of [ultrapure post-consumer] resin," he added.


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Google’s Project Ara may be the highest-profile attempt to build a modular smartphone and an ecosystem of modules and software that will let you swap out displays, batteries, processors, and just about everything else. But Google isn’t the only company working on modular designs for mobile devices.
Click ARM and PuzzlePhone have their own ideas, and Chinese phone maker ZTE showed off a modular smartphone concept over a year ago.
Now there’s a new modular smartphone project called Fonkraft. The developers are hoping to raise $50,000 for the project through crowfunding site Indiegogo… but proceed with caution. While the developers hope to ship the first Fonkraft models this fall, I’m a little skeptical that Fonkraft hardware will ever see the light of day.
Update: Indiegogo has cancelled the campaign and promised to refund any contributions.
The Fonkraft team has some pretty nice looking designs… but it doesn’t look like there’s actually a working prototype at this point and $50,000 I’m skeptical that $50,000 will be enough money to actually turn this concept into a real, working product.
Note that the crowdfunding campaign also uses “flexible funding” which means the team gets to keep any money that’s pledged, whether it reaches it goal or not.
So while I’m not sure I’d recommend donating money to the project in hopes of receiving an actual device, the Fonkraft concept certainly looks pretty interesting.
The idea is to build a modular phone that includes a removable display section as well as connectors on the back of the device for batteries, cameras, processors, storage, and memory, among other things.
Fonkraft also wants to sell several different configurations that come with a series of modules. For $99 you would get a Fonkraft Pilot with basic specs including a 5 inch, 720p display, Android Lollipop, a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of storage. There’d be two batteries in this model, totalling 4100 mAh of capacity.
There are two proposed $199 models, the Fonkraft resolution and the Fonkraft HiFi. Both have quad-core processors, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage as well as 5 inch, 1080p displays. But one model has a 20MP rear camera, while the other has a high-end audio module for 192 kHz sound.
Or for $299 you can request a Fonkraft Elements which comes with all available modules, allowing you to swap out components depending on whether you want more battery life, a better camera, or other features.
Sounds pretty great… but the low prices are another thing that makes me kind of suspicious.
While companies including Xiaomi and OnePlus have shown that you can offer high-end hardware at affordable prices if you’re willing to sell smartphones at or near the price it costs to manufacture them, Fonkraft is proposing creating a series of unique modules designed for a unique system. I can’t imaging how the company could create any of those things just by raising $50,000 in crowdfunding unless the company already has a lot of cash in the bank and is using the Indiegogo campaign to raise awareness rather than money.
Note that Indiegogo, unlike Kickstarter, doesn’t require campaigns to list “risks and challenges.”
All told, Fonkraft might be little more than a series of pretty pictures. But they are pretty… and they give us something to look at while waiting for Google’s Project Ara pilot to launch in Puerto Rico later this year.
Already done… But on kickstarter..
Again, a quick money-grab. Just like Neptune Hub. Besides, even if they manage to do it, is it really good, if we have two different, incompatible modular platforms (Ara and this) instead of one open platform?
Just give me a removable battery and SD card slot.
It’s not a lot to ask, is it? But seems to be contrary to some notion of “progress” prevalent in the industry.
I’m trying to remember how many millions Canonical wanted to raise to build a phone. This seems extremely unlikely.
There was a project to manufacture a replacement motherboard to the Nokia N900 (Neo900 or something). Nothing fancy, just more RAM and a newer CPU. That was about $500 / motherboard. Not indiegogo or anything, a real project that originated from the Maemotalk forums. As far as I know, they haven’t even finished that one in 2 years. It’s not simple, and you definitely can’t do that from $50 000 of even $500 000.
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Asian Development Bank Meets the Smiley Curve
Three years ago in "China Makes, the World Takes," I discussed the Irish-born China-based entrepreneur Liam Casey and his concept of the "smiley curve." This was the graph that traced the evolution of a modern product -- from corporate brand and product concept at one end of the "smile," through components and assembly at the bottom of the curve, and on to shipment, retail, and services on the other end. The big profits, he said, were on the two ends of the curve, which were the fields American, European, Japanese, and other rich-country companies dominated. The Apple brand, the Intel chips, Japanese and Korean components or display screens, plus the final retailers. The skimpiest rewards were at the bottom part of the curve -- simply assembling the product, which was done in China. That is why, he concluded, American customers might pay $1000 for a "made in China" laptop computer, but less than $100 of that would end up in any Chinese person's hands.
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal had a story, by Andrew Batson, about a new study from the Asian Development Bank Institute that dramatized this issue. In normal US-China trade statistics, Yuqing Xing and Neal Detert of the ADBI said, the entire cost of the "made in China" product is counted as a Chinese "export" to America. This grossly distorts our picture of the trade relationships, they say -- making China's surplus look bigger than it "really" is, and disguising exports from Japan, Korea, and elsewhere, plus what is really "US" content.
The ADB study is here, and while it's not very long and doesn't pretend to be comprehensive, it suggests the increasing complications of international production chains. In a "nation-vs-nation" sense, these new figures make America (and, especially, Japan) look "stronger" and China "weaker" than we normally think. But the flow of money to Apple, Intel, Amazon, etc, with the shift of assembly jobs to China, may intensify rather than reduce the steady polarization of American economic life.
And on that point, a few other references: a powerful Reuters special report that starts with yet another deindustrialized Michigan town and goes on to ask, "Is America the Sick Man of the Globe"?; a column from Michael Sekora, who worked on a "re-industrialization" effort called the Socrates Project under the first President Bush; and a very powerful op-ed by Alan Blinder, in the Wall Street Journal, on the emergence of a Dickensian economy -- in the grim, brutal sense. Eg:
>>Wages. When it comes to wages, the basic story of recent decades is redolent of Scrooge. Real average hourly earnings (excluding fringe benefits) now stand roughly at 1974 levels. Yes, that's right, no real increase in over 35 years. That is an astounding, dismaying and profoundly ahistorical development. The American story for two centuries was one of real wages advancing more or less in line with productivity. But not lately. Since 1978, productivity in the nonfarm business sector is up 86%, but real compensation per hour (which includes fringe benefits) is up just 37%. Does that seem fair?<<
It is hard to me to read any of this data and, at the same time, consider the latest changes in the estate tax or other benefits at the top end. Some time some leader will succeed in making most Americans see that a more polarized, more Gilded Age social-economy is worse all around. I think most people sense that, but the sense has been given no effective political voice. Here's Bill Moyers, making an attempt in a speech about the new plutocracy.
UPDATE: My Atlantic colleague Derek Thompson reads this report in a different way. Here's where our interpretations diverge: We both see the ADB report as saying that high-tech wonders like the iPhone don't necessarily improve the US overall trade situation, since so many of the components and value come from overseas. But when it comes to the bilateral US-Chinese trade imbalance, the role of "made in China" products is grossly exaggerated -- again, since so much of what is counted as a "Chinese" export (including by Derek in his item) is actually from Japan, Germany, etc. Indeed, if we're thinking only of the US-China balance, the study shows that the iPhone creates a surplus for America.
So, we agree in seeing the report as talking about a chronic trade problem for the United States -- but with the world as a whole, not specifically with China. This is all part of the Atlantic's big-tent philosophy.


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Linkedin’s co-founder Reid Hoffman and Google’s Deepmind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman have launched a ChatGPT-like AI chatbot named “Pi” which is powered by generative AI technology to perform day-to-day tasks and have conversations with users in a human-like way along with emotional intelligence to provide supportive and kind outputs.
- Inflection has launched a ChatGPT-like chatbot named Pi which is powered by generative AI technology.
- The chatbot has been developed by in-house technology to prioritize human conversation along with emotional intelligence.
Inflection’s ChatGPT-like AI chatbot Pi
On Tuesday, the company stated, Inflection AI, a startup founded by the co-founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman, and Google’s Deepmind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman have recently announced the launch of their first AI chatbot named “Pi”.
Similar to OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, the Pi chatbot developed by Inflection uses generative AI technology to interact with users via conversations, through which users can ask questions on a variety of topics and chat with the AI chatbot.
It was stated by Inflection AI, the Pi chatbot was developed with in-house technology and built the chatbot by prioritizing human conversations including a high level of emotional intelligence, so the chatbot can understand users’ queries better and ensure it behaves appropriately in all situations with accurate and reliable outputs.
According to Suleyman, the Pi chatbot has been trained to strike a perfect balance between the chatbot being politically correct and also maintaining creativity and humor to provide users human-like conversational experience.
Co-founder and Chief Executive of Inflection, Mustafa Suleyman stated, “We look at Pi chatbot as a digital companion on hand which can be used by users when they want to look for something new when users need a talk to a sounding board, or when you just to do something find and pass the time with a curious and thoughtful counterpart.”
How can users interact with the Pi chatbot?
Users can interact with Inflection’s AI chatbot through several platforms such as the website, the official app, and even social media platforms like Instagram.
Pi is ideal for performing various day-to-day tasks. However, the company has stated the AI chatbot isn’t intended for creating codes or essays. Instead, Pi has been trained to utilize users’ data including the conversational content which is stated in the terms of service. It was said by Inflection their database has been last updated in November 2022 and for now is not connected to the internet.
The service is currently free, but the startup has indicated a hint they might introduce a premium subscription plan for Pi in the future.
Artificial Intelligence chatbot powered by generative AI technology has taken the world by storm ever since OpenAI launched ChatGPT back in November 2022. Utilization of large language models which mine a wide range of data and texts to perform various tasks such as summarization of content, developing information, and more. AI chatbots such as Character.AI and Google’s Bard enable users to have in-depth conversations for both personal and professional needs.
Hoffman was a partner in the VC firm Greylock which had incubated inflection and led an investment in the firm of $250 million.
Hoffman who is the co-founder of Linkedin and founder of AI startup Inflection was also on board of Microsoft. In March, Huffman resigned from the board of OpenAI, citing potential conflicts with the AI startup he was working with.


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With the upcoming WWE brand split Kurt Angle has been a hot topic on the Internet over the past few weeks. It’s been rumored that WWE is interested in bringing Kurt Angle back, and Kurt confirmed that he spoke to Triple H a few weeks ago. However, Kurt did say that he talked to Triple H before the brand split was announced and that no one has contacted him about returning.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter it doesn’t look like Kurt Angle will be returning to the company in the near future. It’s being reported that WWE confirmed on Thursday they will not be bringing Kurt Angle back.
WWE pay-per-views are also a hot topic thanks to the upcoming brand extension and it’s been rumored that each brand will be getting their own exclusive pay-per-views. Earlier this week a revised PPV schedule “leaked” on the Internet and it seemed to suggest that not only will Raw and SmackDown be getting separate pay-per-views, but events such as Backlash and Clash of the Champions will be returning.
The schedule showed Clash of the Champions as a Raw exclusive pay-per-view in September. The month of September is usually when Night of Champions takes place but it looks like WWE may be retiring the Night of Champions name this year.
Under the listing for Night of Champions on Ticketmaster it’s not being advertised os Clash of the Champions. The picture still shows the Night of Champions logo, but the text on the listing is now referring to the event as Clash of the Champions.


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Uber seemed to have left one product out of the all-in - one trial program. The ride-hailing company will launch a new app called Uber Works on Friday, which will bind companies to temp workers, according to Financial Times and Crain's Chicago Business.
It will be available first in Chicago where it has been in development for a year, while FT says Uber is exploring the possibility of a larger rollout.
Uber built the platform to connect blue collar workers such as chefs to companies that need temporary staff to fill their roster holes.
It seems, though, that the company is being very vigilant not to be seen as the source of temp workers— after all, the battle to accept Uber drivers as employees also gives the company a major headache.
According to the Financial Times, it is teaming up with staffing agencies for this campaign and will sign up with their W2 jobs. Those departments will be responsible for job training, testing, payroll and taxation.
Andrey Liscovich, director of Uber Works, told Crain's Chicago Business that it would also extend the service to its users, and independent contractors could use it as well.
As you can see from the above examples, it seems that staff can clearly see the calendar, hours, wages, skill specifications and even dress code of a future job.
Uber said the platform will "eliminate job-finding bottlenecks" and will help workers sign up for new positions without having to type in their data every time.


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Big news on the AP front! The College Board is allowing students to take this year’s AP exams online at home. Please feel free to reach out to your tutor for help navigating this new testing landscape!
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s AP tests:
- AP tests will be shortened versions consisting of only a 45 minute free-response exam, taken online at home.
- Tests will be available on computers, tablets and cell phones; photos of hand-written responses will be acceptable.
- There will be two testing dates to accommodate a) students who want to take tests when material is still fresh, and b) students who want more time to review.
- The tests will only cover material presented through early March (for example, APUSH will only cover units 1-7, not 8 and 9). Check here for specific course information.
- Free live and on-demand AP review courses will be offered online starting March 25. Check here for schedules (they’re not yet available as of this morning).
- There will be robust digital security tools to help prevent cheating and plagiarism.
- Colleges have indicated that they will accept AP scores from these online tests.
If you have more questions, please reach out to Pete or your tutor.


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Analysts have chalked out a grizzly end to RIM's BlackBerry after the Canadian smarphone maker informed that new BlackBerrys with the BlackBerry 10 OS will be launched by the end of 2012, months after their original tentative launch dates.
RIM has been plagued by delays and poor performance in its share prices due to its never ending fall in terms of smartphone market share.
RIM, which once dominated the global smartphone scene with its email and BBM touting enterprise ready smartphones, has not been able to keep up with the changing smartphone landscape. The likes of Apple and Google have managed to erode its market share at a faster rate than anticipated.
The company's only chance to revive its bed ridden fate was to roll out a range of new smartphone with a competitive operating system but even that plan has been riddled with delays.
RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis informed that the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones would require new chipsets to run and those would be shipped in the middle of 2012, which means that the company would be launching the devices by the end of 2012.
"We see a high risk that this is too late to turn around RIM's position and believe the risk of further delays is meaningful. Even in the best case, however, it seems unlikely RIM will have large volumes of its BB10 devices on sale within 15 months." Nomura analyst Stuart Jeffrey said in a research note, according to a Reuters report.


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It must be difficult trying to struggle through a discussion of a story without having the basic intellectual tools to understand how the story works. Which is the pickle that John Naughton finds himself in here in The Observer. Facebook gets fined $5 billion over data breaches and the share price goes up? Clearly, something is wrong with something, somewhere!
If you want a measure of the problem society will have in controlling the tech giants, then ponder this: as it has become clear that the US Federal Trade Commission is about to impose a fine of $5bn (£4bn) on Facebook for violating a decree governing privacy breaches, the company’s share price went up!
This is a landmark moment. It’s the biggest ever fine imposed by the FTC, the body set up to police American capitalism. And $5bn is a lot of money in anybody’s language. Anybody’s but Facebook’s. It represents just a month of revenues and the stock market knew it. Facebook’s capitalisation went up $6bn with the news. This was a fine that actually increased Mark Zuckerberg’s personal wealth.
The bit that’s gone wrong is Naughton - and to be fair, many others - not grasping that the Efficient Markets Hypothesis is actually correct. At least that semi-strong version, which says that all publicly available information will already be in market prices.
So, what has happened here? We’ve long known that Facebook is going to get fined over the Cambridge Analytica stuff. Facebook even told us that it had $3 billion stashed away in its accounts to pay such a fine. Market participants knew all of this. It was all already in the share price.
So, what happens when the fine is actually announced? That there’s going to be a fine of billions is something already in the price. That the fine isn’t the maximum that it could be removes some uncertainty. Thus the price moves up.
For, recall what the basic message of that EMH is. Only new information moves markets. Old information is already included in those prices. We think it’s fairly important that if you want to write about how markets work then you have a grasp of how markets work. Sadly, not all agree with what we regard as an entirely uncontentious insistence.


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The next version of Apple’s iPad tablet line may not be called the iPad 3.
That is the word from analyst Craig Berger and FBR Capital Markets. In a research note, Berger wrote, “There are some indications from the supply chain that Apple may look to introduce an ‘iPad 2 Plus’ device as they put out request for quotes from various component suppliers for this marginally different device.”
“We now hear that component makers have received request-for-quotes (RFQs) from Apple for an ‘iPad 2 Plus’, though no production schedule has yet been confirmed with suppliers,” he continued, though he said there is reason to believe it may be slated for a late 2011 launch. That would be just about a half year after the launch of the iPad 2.
It is perhaps that tight window that is preventing Apple from calling it the iPad 3, to prevent any considerable backlash from making its current tablet obsolete.
The naming confusion isn’t an issue isolated to Apple’s tablet products. The company also caused some head-scratching when instead of launching the iPhone 4, it launched a new version of the iPhone 3G – the iPhone 3GS.
There’s also speculation that the next iPhone will be some variation on the name ‘iPhone 4’ instead of the iPhone 5.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter that much. Each new release will make the current product fall off the store shelves. Releasing a new iPad in time for the holiday season would make great business sense, and could give Apple a huge boost against other tablet manufacturers who were hoping to capitalize on that time frame later this year.


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Heineken offers advice on making the most of post-lockdown Christmas
With demand for pubs likely to be high when the second lockdown is set to finish in the run-up to Christmas, beer company Heineken has offered insights to help operators maximise sales in the last month of 2020.
Last year six of the top 10 trading days for wet sales were in December, and the first weekend of December 2019 saw sales higher than the previous three years. 'Mad Friday' (the Friday before Christmas Day) had the biggest single day sales in 2019.
Heineken says that operators should use lockdown to advertise their festive offers via social channels. Heineken's insights suggest that over half of consumers who tried new drinks last Christmas were influenced to do so because of promotions and advertisements
Table arrangements can be re-organised in line with the latest guidelines to maximise capacity and revenue, and extra revenue can be gained through dynamic pricing strategies, such as splitting Sunday-Wednesday and Thursday-Saturday, or incentives for off-peak bookings to fill quieter periods.
When they return customers will be looking for reassurances around safety and hygiene, so contactless payment, table service, pre-ordering and pre-booking systems are essential. Heineken's findings show that a fifth of consumers are more likely to pre-book for festive occasions this year than last, and 13% would pay more for a pre-ordered meal over the Christmas period.
Consumers are willing to pay more and try new drinks at Christmas too: 40% expect a wider range of drinks and 32% are more likely to pay for better quality. Spirits prove popular over the weekend, while continental premium and premium 4% lagers enjoy an increase in sales during the festive season., as well as no- and low-alcohol options.
And finally, Heineken suggests taking advantage of your pub garden or outdoor space to create your own Christmas market, with heaters and fairy lights.


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Santa Clarita, Calif., February 6, 2020 — They are the third most popular pets in the U.S., and approximately 12.5 million households own them, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and have proven health benefits. Freshwater and saltwater fish ownership continues to increase in popularity. And more households and businesses are seeking the assistance of aquarium maintenance companies to care for their tanks. In fact, since 2016, the percentage of owners who hire aquarium maintenance providers has increased from 8 percent to 21 percent. To meet this demand, Animal Behavior College has introduced a core certification Aquarium Maintenance Program (AMP) and is kicking off a new campaign to announce it.
“There are more than 139 million freshwater fish and 18 million saltwater fish kept as pets in the U.S.,” said Steven Appelbaum, president and CEO of Animal Behavior College. “This program is designed for new and existing hobbyists who want to start a maintenance business.”
The Aquarium Maintenance Program teaches aquarists everything they need to know about fishkeeping and starting an aquarium maintenance business. Students learn everything from setting up and maintaining freshwater and saltwater aquariums and creating aquascapes to aquatic-plant and pond-care basics and how to identify common diseases and their treatments. In addition to business building, the curriculum also includes information on fish anatomy, species differentiation and breeding, as well as understanding compatibility and husbandry requirements. The distance learning-program will take students, on average, between 10 to 12 months to complete.
Upon completing the program, graduates will be certified by ABC as Animal Behavior College Aquarium Maintenance Professionals (ABCAMP).
“One of the many benefits of establishing an aquarium maintenance business are its reasonable start-up costs,” said Mr. Appelbaum. “With basic supplies, such as buckets and tubing for water changes, testing kits, a siphon vacuum and specimen containers along with other specialized equipment and liability insurance, program graduates can begin maintaining aquariums for clients. They could also expand their business by offering maintenance services to pet stores and other businesses, as well as breeding fish, fragging corals and growing plants for sale.”
Many businesses, including dentists and doctors’ offices, restaurants and hotels have display aquariums in their offices and lobbies. Aquariums compliment décor and watching fish—even for a short period—can have positive physiological effects. In fact, people who viewed tanks during visits to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, England, experienced reduced stress and anxiety, improved mood and lower blood pressure, according to research published on July 28, 2015, in the journal of Environment & Behavior https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0013916515597512.
The Aquarium Maintenance Program campaign will feature a fish-face photo contest, an essay contest, as well as information about fishkeeping and aquarium maintenance and reasons why it is a viable career. In fact, the APPA estimates that in 2019 pet owners in the U.S. spent an estimated $75.38 billion on their pets. And pet owners are expected to spend $1.97 billion on live animal purchases, $16.44 billion on supplies and over-the-counter medicine and $6.31 million on other services. There is a market for aquarium maintenance providers, which makes this an excellent opportunity for fishkeeping enthusiasts and career changes to start a business.
ABC also offers four other professional certifications in dog trainer training, cat training, pet grooming and veterinary assisting. Specialized certificates of completion in seven short-term programs are also available on subjects, including doggie daycare, pet fostering, pet nutrition and training shelter dogs.
For more information, call 800-795-3294 or visit https://www.animalbehaviourcollege.ca. For contest rules, visit https://www.animalbehaviourcollege.ca/contest-rules/.
About Animal Behavior College
Founded in 1998, Animal Behavior College is a vocational school that trains professional dog trainers, cat trainers, veterinary assistants, pet groomers and aquarium maintenance providers nationwide and in the 10 provinces of Canada. ABC has graduated more than 29,100 students from four of its five core programs combined. Students obtain practical hands-on experience applying what they learn by working side-by-side with a member of ABC’s expert mentors group. These mentors include thousands of professional dog trainers, veterinary hospitals and clinics and grooming salons from across the U.S. and Canada who are dedicated to helping students succeed in the pet services industry.


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This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Toys "R" Us has recalled 27,000 crayon and paint sets made in China because of excessive levels of lead in watercolor paints and in the printed ink on the packaging.
No injuries have been reported from use of the Imaginarium Wooden Coloring Cases, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The paint set was distributed nationwide by Toys "R" Us from October 2006 through this month for about $20, said Nychelle Fleming, spokeswoman for the commission.
Consumers are asked to take the products away from children and return them to the nearest Toys "R" Us outlet for a store credit.
The 213-piece kit includes crayons, pastels, colored pencils, fiber pens, watercolors, a paintbrush, pencil, palette, white paint, ruler and pencil sharpener in a tan wooden case.
The printed ink on the outer packaging of the wood case contains lead. Also, some of the black watercolor paints contain excessive levels of lead, the company said in a statement.
The recall follows Mattel Inc.'s August recall of 9 million Chinese-made toys, including Poly Pockets and Barbie dolls, cars and action figures. Some items were contaminated with lead paint and others had tiny magnets that children might swallow.
Mattel, the nation's largest toy maker, also recalled 1.5 million Fisher-Price infant toys also made in China because of possible lead-paint hazards. And that was on top of a June recall of some Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys and other products.
For more information on the latest recall, contact Toys "R" Us at 800-869-7787 or visit the company's Web site at http://www.toysrus.com.
- Tribune Staff and Wire Services


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AD TECH AND MARTECH
Teikametrics | August 05, 2022
Teikametrics, the leading optimization platform for sellers on Amazon and Walmart, today announced that its flagship product, Flywheel 2.0, now automatically optimizes keyword targets across multiple marketplaces.
The top online marketplaces in the world sold $3.23 trillion in goods in 2021, and the competition to get on the coveted first page of results in those marketplaces is increasing. Brands can run ads across multiple marketplaces (Amazon, Walmart, Target and more) to gain a competitive advantage, but managing effective keywords and bids simultaneously can quickly become overwhelming.
Flywheel 2.0 delivers the only AI targeting algorithm that automatically harvests top-performing keywords across a seller’s marketplaces then applies them everywhere the seller’s products appear. The automation solution dramatically increases the volume of performing keyword targets, which is especially important when launching a new marketplace, and continues to optimize performance holistically across sellers’ marketplaces dynamically.
“Sellers are looking to diversify across multiple marketplaces, but optimizing advertising on more than one marketplace at the same time adds complexity,” said Alasdair McLean-Foreman, CEO and founder of Teikametrics.
“Sellers are looking to diversify across multiple marketplaces, but optimizing advertising on more than one marketplace at the same time adds complexity,” said Alasdair McLean-Foreman, CEO and founder of Teikametrics. “Our new AI-powered algorithm in Flywheel 2.0 solves for this by dynamically using the sellers’ best-performing keywords across multiple marketplaces. As a result, we’re giving multi-channel sellers a big competitive advantage, especially for those launching on new channels like Walmart.”
Flywheel 2.0 is available to try risk-free via a free trial (no credit card required). Sellers with less than $10,000 per month in sales can use Flywheel 2.0 completely free.
Multi-Channel Marketplace Acceleration via Walmart With Flywheel 2.0
Teikametrics is the leading AI-optimization platform for Walmart, the fastest-growing marketplace in North America. Thousands of Amazon sellers have diversified by adding their products to Walmart, and Flywheel 2.0 helps accelerate their business on this new channel.
Leading organic foods brand BetterBody Foods worked with Teikametrics and improved total sales on Walmart.com by 38x by increasing advertising by 5x while increasing return on ad spend (ROAS) by 6x.
Along with cross-marketplace insights, Flywheel 2.0 offers detailed metrics, including product-level sales, advertising, and profitability, allowing sellers to visualize data that can diagnose inefficiencies and uncover growth opportunities.
To learn more about how Flywheel 2.0 saves sellers time and removes complexity by completely automating product-first, full-funnel advertising, visit teikametrics.com/flywheel.
Teikametrics’ AI-powered Marketplace Optimization Platform helps sellers and brand owners maximize their potential on the world’s most valuable marketplaces. Founded in 2015, Teikametrics uses proprietary AI technology to maximize profitability in a simple SaaS interface. Teikametrics optimizes more than $8 billion in GMV across thousands of sellers around the world, with brands including Munchkin, mDesign, Clarks, Nutribullet, Conair, Nutrafol, and Solo Stove trusting Teikametrics to unlock the full potential of their selling and advertising on Amazon, Walmart, and other marketplaces.
Kevel, Everli | July 08, 2022
Kevel (https://kevel.com), a leading API infrastructure platform used to build custom ad platforms, announces a new partnership with Everli, Europe's leading marketplace for online grocery shopping. Kevel’s ad-serving APIs will enable Everli to launch sponsored product offerings before rolling out additional ad placements in the future.
After securing €85.2 million in Series C investment last year, Everli committed to building out their retail media strategy. By integrating with Kevel, Everli launched this ad platform quickly, and Everli’s partners can now promote their products in search results using keyword targeting.
The sponsored ad units can be found across Everli’s four regional websites, as well as its app. Through Kevel’s UI, Everli has full control over its ad management, targeting, and reporting. Everli partners and the end consumer all benefit from this ad product, as it opens up a new revenue stream for Everli, while giving vendors more visibility and helping customers discover new products.
“In the past, advertising hasn’t been a focus within the grocery sector, but after seeing the success of retail ad platforms from Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, and others, we knew this was an important step for our growth,” says Francesco Carnielli, Head of Engineering at Everli. “Kevel helped minimize the time it took to integrate ads and allowed us to start earning revenue almost immediately. The sponsored ad units have already shown great success for merchants, and we plan on adding more ad units in the near future with Kevel.”
“A retail media ad platform offers huge benefits, especially when the retailer already has relationships with its merchants. Everli is already a leading online grocery marketplace, and an ad platform gives them the revenue to grow even faster,” says James Avery, Founder and CEO of Kevel.
“A retail media ad platform offers huge benefits, especially when the retailer already has relationships with its merchants. Everli is already a leading online grocery marketplace, and an ad platform gives them the revenue to grow even faster,” says James Avery, Founder and CEO of Kevel. “Targeted sponsored products are just the beginning, and we look forward to helping Everli build out its ad platform even further.”
Kevel offers the infrastructure APIs needed to quickly build custom ad platforms for sponsored listings, internal promotions, native ads, and more -- allowing brands to drive new revenue in a user-first way. Kevel is committed to the vision that every online retailer and publisher should be able to add privacy-focused ad revenue streams and take back the Internet from Google, Amazon, Facebook, and other digital monopolies. Customers like Bed Bath and Beyond, Ticketmaster, Yelp, Strava, Klarna, and many more have already launched successful ad platforms on Kevel. The company has received many accolades, most recently winning the 2021 Digiday Technology Award for Best Monetization Platform for Publishers and recognized by Insider as one of the hottest adtech companies of 2021. Learn more at www.kevel.com.
Everli is on a mission to help people achieve peace of mind, by simplifying their life when shopping for groceries. No more queuing, no more parking, no more carrying heavy weights: Everli's dream is to bring just the best parts of grocery shopping, directly to your home.
Founded in 2014, Everli is now the main European e-grocery marketplace. Headquartered in Milan, with offices also in Verona and Warsaw, Everli's team has grown to more than 250 people, and has created more than 100 partnerships with retailers and CPG companies, providing flexible employment for over 3,000 shoppers. Everli serves more than 80 cities around Europe, and has delivered groceries more than 3 million times.
AD NETWORKS,BRAND MARKETING
Netflix | June 24, 2022
Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos was honored as the Cannes Lions 2022 Entertainment Person of the Year award. He took the main stage on June 23 in Netflix’s festival debut. He talked about questions about Netflix’s stock decline and more-is-more content approach while carefully sidestepping ad deal rumors and platform competitors.
Sarandos brushed off the specifics on any rumored ad deals and said that Netflix was talking to all potential ad partners. However, he did add that an ideal ad partner had to make it easy for Netflix to enter the ad market.
He talked about how Netflix’s initial ad integration is not what he envisaged for the company and that the platform would look at ad operations internally to give it more control. Ultimately, Netflix wants to offer creative ad products ‘better than TV’. He referenced his past life in merchandising for the physical media company West Coast Video, specifically the original release for Top Gun.
“If you really love ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel, Disney’s probably the service for you. Our key is, can we have the engagement with consumers such that they will complement it with other subscriptions" -Ted Sarandos co-CEO Netflix
Besides the ad deals, Sarandos talked about content and how Netflix looks at it. According to him, Netflix’s advantage is in not just providing content for one person but every subscriber. “If you really love ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel, Disney’s probably the service for you. Our key is, can we have the engagement with consumers such that they will complement it with other subscriptions,,” he said.
“People's tastes are so diverse,” he said. “So, every time people say, ‘That's a lot of content,’ I say, ‘It's not all for you.’ And we’re really trying to make your favorite show, my favorite show—they probably don't line up. We do well at that, and then the UI is used to kind of personalize so I find my favorite show. That scales infinitely.”
He dispelled the rumor that Netflix was trying to buy out Roku to cover device integration and data capabilities. He stated that Netflix is already ubiquitously distributed on internet-enabled devices and that “we would be better off getting Netflix embedded in every device than we will be competing in the device world.”
He discussed Netflix’s support for Dave Chappelle. “We're programming to people with a real variety of tastes and sensibilities and how they were brought up and what they think is offensive, or what they think is damaging to themselves, or their children,” he said. “So the variety of how you can plan the same thing for everybody—it's an impossible feat.”
Sarandos said that Netflix’s queer content receives the same support. “I do think supporting expression is really important,” Sarandos said. “I think it's almost impossible for me to censor Dave in the U.S. and then I've got people from all over the world who are super offended by our LGBTQ+ content—they want to take it down and they think it's super harmful; they think it's destroying their society—And not only do we fight for it, we fight it all the way to the Supreme Court and have never take it down anywhere in the world.”


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The idea of using data to identify customers across different channels and inform how we message those customers is not a new one. Frankly, the technology isn’t that new either.
So why is it that the conversation about “Identity” is reaching a boiling point now, as opposed to 5 years ago? What’s changed? What hasn’t?
That’s why this week, we’re talking with Richard Foster of LiveRamp about the shift in focus from reach to relevancy in the industry, how that’s being fueled by “Identity”, and why no one likes giving out their phone number.
LiveInterview: Liam Doyle, Salesforce Marketing Cloud – LiveIntent
LiveInterview: Jon Pipas, Capital One – LiveIntent
The LiveIntent Integration with LiveRamp – LiveIntent


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Astral Media’s unsightly, advertising-overloaded info pillars got a touch-up this weekend courtesy of guerrilla art group cARTographyTO.
Increasingly, Torontonians find themselves dodging Astral Media’s efforts to plaster the city with billboards. But, this past weekend, a group of Toronto artists—operating as cARTographyTO—gave us over two dozen good reasons to seek out the company’s latest street-furniture travesty known as the “info pillar.”
Chances are you’ve already crossed paths with said pillar, Astral’s most recent, and most feeble, attempt to hawk ad space. Masquerading as a public-service post, these imposing billboards are simply two big ads sandwiching—like the fine print of a shady contract—a sliver of useful tourist information.
Working through Saturday, cARTographyTO (technically, illegally) opened the billboards, removed ads, and installed donated works ranging from tongue-in-cheek commentaries on advertising, bike parking, or sight lines, to a real bicycle designed to fit inside a box and light up at night.
One billboard even got the velvet-rope treatment when it morphed into Sidewalk 54, a spontaneous “private pavement” street party “for diamond members only.” A security guard bearing an incredible resemblance to performance artist and former mayoral candidate Keith Cole kept the line long and the dress code enforced.
Artist Sean Martindale, who contributed several works, did so because he feels increasingly ashamed of what’s being done to this city by firms like Astral and Pattison. “[The signs] are making our city look like shit, they’re a pedestrian obstacle, and they’re a line-of-sight hazard,” he explained before adding, “privatization of public space is one of the biggest issues we’re facing in the world, because it’s part of the larger, unsustainable consumer culture.”
As for the goal of the takeover, a cARTography organizer (who asked not to be named) said they hope people will make an effort to boycott the products pushed by these ads—or, at least, stop to consider the range of possibilities for these spaces outside the advertising realm and “put pressure on the City and companies to do something about it.”
Well, somebody was certainly doing something about it within 24 hours: A crew was spotted removing the art and reinstalling ads at the King and Portland Sidewalk 54 location.
That said, some of the works are still up and, if you’re lucky, you might be able to see them by following this map before workers turn them back into, say, Corona ads. If you’re more into online-viewing, click on the photo above to view a gallery of the soon-to-be destroyed art.


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Quikr's 3rd Bazaar store launched in Andhra Pradesh
Online classified platform Quikr has opened its third Bazaar store in Andhra Pradesh at Nidadavole.
The company is aiming to have more than 100 such stores across India by the end of 2019. QuikrBazaar’s store has products in categories like furniture, electronics and appliances.
Sarath Chandra Gudlavalleti, VP, QuikrBazaar, said, “There is a huge demand for quality tested new, unboxed and refurbished products across India. With the launch of these stores, QuikrBazaar aims to reach Tier 2 and 3 cities.”
“Customers even till date prefer to check the product personally before making a purchase. Besides, the products available at Bazaar stores are checked for quality and come with warranty and replacement guarantee from Quikr,” he added.


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French luxury group LVMH on Tuesday posted flat underlying profit growth on the back of a 3 percent rise in first-half sales, broadly in line with forecasts.
The luxury goods industry leader, which controls 70 brands including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Moet & Chandon champagne and Hennessy cognac, said it saw no growth in like-for-like sales at its all-important fashion and leather goods division during the first half.
Earlier this week, the luxury retailer revealed it was selling Donna Karan International (parent of the DKNY label) to U.S. company G-III Apparel Group. LVMH acquired Donna Karan International in 2001.
Andrea Gerst, portfolio manager at GAM, said the deal did not signal further asset disposals.
"They still need to find a solution for some brands," she told CNBC Tuesday.
"(The disposal of Donna Karan) was a good opportunity selling it to G-III, which is better maybe at managing U.S. department stores. I think it was more a single transaction."
The luxury sector is facing similar headwinds as the airline industry, as terrorism in Europe has weakened demand by reducing tourism and footfall.
"It has an impact, especially in Europe," explained Gerst. "If the market is down, we expect maybe 1 to 2 percent organic growth hit for the full year. It is an impact, but it is manageable."
Despite these uncertainties, Gerst felt LVMH was a solid investment holding.
"We really like the company, it's very well managed in our view," she said. "It's much more defensive than people think: One third of the EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) is coming from spirits and from cosmetics and also their watch business is outperforming the industry."
Meanwhile in the U.K., the vote for Brexit may affect the luxury sector as consumers are becoming weary of brands which market themselves on heritage and artisanship, according to Peter Maxwell, senior researcher at consultancy The Future Laboratory.
"Native luxury brands that trade specifically on their British heritage will absorb some of the damage done to 'Brand Britain' by the vitriol of the referendum and the global perception that the U.K. is now a less open, tolerant and stable nation," he told CNBC via email.
"Patriotism has never been less in vogue and championing the local now has the potential, rightly or wrongly, to be interpreted as jingoism by certain pro-EU demographics."
According to Maxwell, Europe is traditionally seen as the home of luxury manufacturing and severing ties with the continent may have a negative effect on the image of British brands among tourists.
Disclosure: GAM holds LVMH shares in its portfolio.


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New Material Paves the Way for 3D Printing of Personal Electronic Devices
November 27, 2012 9:47 AM
comment(s) - last by
3D printing of personal electronics may be in our future
Researchers, led by Doctor Simon Leigh at the University of Warwick, have announced the creation of a simple and inexpensive conductive plastic composite that can be used in 3D printers. The researchers believe that the material, called carbomorph, could give hobbyists the ability to 3D print low-cost consumer electronics devices at home.
Carbomorph allows users to create electronic tracks and sensors as part of the 3D printed structure. That means that the 3D printer can print touch sensitive areas that can be connected to a simple electronic circuit board to operate.
The team of researchers has used the new material to print objects on embedded flex sensors and to create devices with touch sensitive buttons such as game controllers. In addition, the printed sensors they have created can be monitored using open-source electronics and free programming libraries.
"Designers could also use it to understand better how people tactilely interact with products by monitoring sensors embedded into objects,” said Leigh.
"However, in the short term I can see this technology having a major impact in the educational sector for example, allowing the next generation of young engineers to get hands-on experience of using advanced manufacturing technology to design fairly high-tech devices and products right there in the classroom."
According to the researchers, the next step for the project is to work on printing more complex structures and electronic components including wires and cables needed to connect the devices to the computer.
We reported earlier this week that researchers have developed a
3D printer that is capable of making implantable cartilage
that could someday help patients suffering from arthritis.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
11/27/2012 2:08:29 PM
I think this could be used by engineers in many fields to quickly prototype new technologies and products. It might even fit well into manufacturing of devices. This sounds like a very promising innovation.
"There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere." -- Isaac Asimov
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