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Stack AV recently announced the launch of its autonomous trucking business, which utilizes its self-driving technology to improve efficiency and enhance safety in the trucking industry while also tackling supply chain challenges for its partners and their consumers. And Stack AV is focused on transforming the way businesses transport goods, designing solutions to alleviate long-standing issues that have plagued the trucking industry including driver shortages, lagging efficiency in uptime per vehicle, overarching safety concerns, high operating costs, and elevated emission levels.
In building safe and reliable autonomous trucking solutions, Stack AV can create better and smarter supply chains for its partners, improving business outcomes for its customers, delivering goods to end-users faster, while moving the trucking industry forward.
Stack AV is backed by SoftBank Group – who is supporting the company with capital, resources, and deep expertise in AI to help accelerate the company’s growth and technological developments. While the funding from SoftBank was undisclosed, Bloomberg reported that the investment amount from that firm alone was over $1 billion.
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stack AV is led by Chief Executive Officer Bryan Salesky, President Peter Rander, and Chief Technology Officer Brett Browning. And with over seven decades of combined experience, Stack AV’s executives are seasoned leaders in the development of autonomy-enabled systems and have deep experience in robotics and AI. Plus, Stack AV has 150 employees across its headquarters and in 15 states with an innovative remote-work/co-working collaboration model, and is growing rapidly.
“As consumer consumption patterns evolve, businesses increasingly need AI-driven, intelligent, and reliable supply chains. With our proprietary technology and expertise as well as the commitment from our long-term partner in SoftBank, we are confident we will revolutionize the trucking and freight industries by driving improvements in efficiency and safety and alleviating supply chain constraints for our customers, helping them reach their goals and advance their missions.”
– Bryan Salesky, Founder and CEO of Stack AV
“We could not be more thrilled to unveil our autonomous trucking business to the world. As global commerce continues to become increasingly interconnected, now more than ever businesses have a dire need for more reliable and efficient supply chains, especially in the trucking and freight industries. Leveraging our advanced AI-powered autonomous driving systems, we will improve supply chains for our customers and optimize transportation routes and energy efficiency.”
– Peter Rander, President of Stack AV
“The transformative power of AI is undeniable and will have a significant impact on our society. The next decade will be defined by AI, where all social systems will be linked by this technology to solve the most complex societal issues. By applying the strengths of AI-powered technology to the trucking industry, Stack AV will fundamentally change the transportation of goods and supply chains across the globe.”
– Kentaro Matsui, Head of the New Business Office at SoftBank Group and Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers
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UK car production fell by nearly half in April
Brexit is largely to blame for the production drop off.
With the uncertainty of Brexit looming large, British car manufacturing fell by nearly half in the month of April, new data shows.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), British car makers built just 70,971 vehicles in April, representing a 44.5 percent decline from the same month a year earlier. April also marked the 11th consecutive month of vehicle production decline in the UK.
The SMMT cites Brexit as a major factor in the sharp decline. The UK was set to exit the European Union on March 29, so most automakers bumped up plant shutdowns that typically occur during the summer months to ease the transition. Automakers used that downtime to train employees for new customs procedures and for the reworking of logistics.
Softening demand is also partially to blame. Sales of British-made cars have slowed in several key regions, including the United States and China. As a result, production of UK vehicles bound for other markets fell by 44.7 percent during April.
Unfortunately for British automakers, the uncertainty of Brexit remains. The deadline for the UK's exit from the EU has now been extended to October 31, meaning April's poor results could play out again this fall.
Year-to-date British car manufacturing has fallen by 22.4 percent. However, that figure is bleaker than reality since most automakers have already taken their summer shutdowns. Even still, UK car manufacturing is expected to be off by more than 10 percent this year.

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Timeliness of payments
Since the release of its Strategic Review of Innovation in the Payments System, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has been working with industry on developing a New Payments Platform (NPP) that enables consumers and businesses to make real-time payments around-the-clock.
“Total card transactions [grew] to around $480 billion in 2013,” the RBA said in its submission. “Direct entry payments are a key part of the Australian payments landscape.
"A DE payment is an instruction from a bank account holder to their bank to pay (or collect) an amount directly to (from) another bank account. These payments continue to account for the bulk of the value of non-cash retail payments (87 per cent in 2013).”
One of the objectives of the strategic review is to enable same-day settlement for all DE payments, which was achieved in November 2013.
Other objectives include the ability to make real-time retail payments, to make and receive low-value payments outside normal banking hours, and to send more complete remittance information with payments. These are expected to be achieved by the end of 2016.
“The bank [RBA] and Australian Payment Clearing Association have been consulting on the structure and scope of a new industry coordination body, to be known as the Australian Payments Council. “Accordingly, in conjunction with the establishment of the Payments Council, the [RBA] will also launch a new User Consultation Group," the RBA said.
"This will provide a more structured mechanism for users of the payments system to express views on payments system issues as an input to the bank's [RBA's] policy formulation process," it said.
"The RBA expects that both the Australian Payments Council and User Consultation Group will begin to meet this year and looks forward to working with both bodies.”
RBA said the NPP will be based on a hub infrastructure, which will be “more efficient and access-friendly than the existing bilateral payments architecture”.
“The hub will link ADIs [authorised deposit-taking institutions] and other approved entities and be capable of supporting the exchange of fast flexible payments messaging.
"It will be linked to a settlements service built by the bank [RBA] to provide real-time interbank settlement of each NPP payment. Both will be available on a 24/7 basis.
"This basic infrastructure will be accessible by commercial ‘overlay’ services that can be tailored to particular payment needs of customers,” the RBA said.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia said in its submission that non-traditional banking organisations can offer services without having the same kind of regulations imposed onto them as banks, creating an uneven playing field.


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Inspiring Millennials on Sustainability: It’s All in the Presentation
If you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, you’ve probably wrapped a lot of packages in the last few weeks. And you most likely spent some time choosing the right paper and ribbons to make the package look its best. If a gift is carefully wrapped, isn’t the recipient more excited to open it?
Packaging matters. Whether you’re giving a gift, selling a product, or trying to inspire a certain type of behavior, how the item is presented can greatly affect the way it’s received.
New research offers some insights into how people – specifically that most valuable of demographics, those aged 18-34 – respond to messages about sustainability. As this article in The Guardian explains, millennials care about the health of the planet, but they need to be shown how their choices will make a tangible difference.
One of the biggest hurdles in appealing to millennials is skepticism – they are wary of believing the claims businesses make in order to sell products. They also tend to respond better to direct calls of action than broad appeals about helping the environment. And they are heavily influenced by their peers, especially via social media.
Our new report, Connecting on Climate: A Guide to Effective Climate Change Communication, offers tips for dealing with skepticism and making behavior change easy. To help millennials (or anyone) see the value in sustainable actions, we can:
• Show them how they can make a difference by putting climate solutions and the benefits of action front and center
• Focus on what can and is already being done to fight climate change, both collectively and individually
• Help them imagine a future where climate solutions are making people’s lives better
• Show them how climate-friendly behavior is becoming the social norm
Our climate message is valuable, timely, and practical. We just need to make sure it’s packaged in a way that’s inspiring as well.
David Benady, contributor to The Guardian
The task of persuading the public to live more sustainably is getting a boost from the latest technology which is showing how we react to sustainability messages in the real world.
The rapid uptake of smartphones and tablets is helping spread the message about sustainable living with “circular economy” digital platforms such as Airbnb and car trip sharing scheme BlaBlaCar, making sustainability cool with the young. Meanwhile, social media has proved to be a powerful tool for promoting the benefits of sustainable living.
But businesses are struggling to find ways of coaxing consumers into choosing more environmentally friendly products and services and perhaps pay a little more for them. Recent research shows that the important younger audience of millennials aged 18 – 34 are eager to help save the planet, but they are unclear on how they can contribute. Millennials are often skeptical about the claims of businesses and they need to be inspired by brands to get involved with sustainable living.
Image credit: BT


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Earlier we told you about a T shirt designed by Daniel J that costs $50,000 and was known to be world’s most expensive T-shirt. But, the record has been surpassed by the Justin and Christine Gignac designed T-shirt, which has now become the world’s most expensive T-shirt. The funky T-shirt is a result of collaboration between the UNICEF and the artist-designers to raise funds for charity.
Each t-shirt has an item painted on the front. The money donated to buy the tee will be spent on that item. For example a tee with community water pump imprinted on it denotes that the money raised from this tee will help the poor people to get clean drinking water. The designer duo (Cignacs) has joined hands with Threadless to design a line of t-shirts which is a part of Wants for Sale project along with UNICEF.
These designer T-shirts are specially made to provide relief to some countries of Africa like Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Dijbouti and the prices varies from $24.50 to $300,000. The tee depicting corn-soy meal blend costs $75,000 where as cargo flight is valued at $300,000 depending upon how costly the actual price of that product is. A t-shirt depicting mosquitoes that costs $24.50 would protect 81 children against measles, which kills more than 600 children each day.
The executive creative director at BBH NY, Ari Weiss, says:
“We believe people are generally altruistic, but giving people a badge for being altruistic certainly doesn’t hurt. We’re literally letting people wear their donation as a source of pride and as a means to spread the word. If friends get a little competitive over who’s being more altruistic, all the better.”


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From insect to robot, or rather ANT+ to Android, that’s the news that hit last week as Wahoo Fitness announced the release of the first ANT+ application program interface (API) that connects Google Android smartphones to Wahoo Fitness products as well as any ANT+ compatible equipment. This ain’t just for iPhone anymore, as Android API joins Wahoo Fitness’ line of products tailored for the iPhone, broadening the pool of users able to use their smartphones as a fitness training and tracking tool.
“Wahoo’s technology is a perfect complement for anyone interested in better understanding the true results of their workouts, whether they are a casual exerciser or an elite athlete,” said Chip Hawkins, CEO, Wahoo Fitness. ”The availability of our Android ANT+ API allows a new wave of fitness enthusiasts to benefit from Wahoo Fitness products by enabling them to them to monitor and manage their workout information on a device they use every day.”
The new Wahoo ANT+ API will allow Android app developers to tap into the native functionality of leading Android smartphones, allowing fitness-focused developers to rapidly integrate heart rate, speed/cadence and bicycle power into their Android and iPhone apps. To date Wahoo Fitness’s ANT+ API is already used by over 50 of the top fitness apps, with additional apps incorporating Wahoo Fitness’s API continually.
The ANT+ API allows select Google Android phones to communicate with any of Wahoo’s fitness monitoring products including its heart rate monitor, stride sensor, and bicycle speed and cadence sensor. Fitted with a sensor based on the fitness activity of choice, data is transmitted to the smartphone and read via the ANT+ wireless sensor embedded within certain Android-based phones, providing up-to-the-minute workout and activity data. As we’ve said before this ANT+ can rather than can’t do.


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Today, with an investment of USD 6 million, Danisco is opening up two new separate manufacturing units for functional systems and for enzymes to serve South-Asian customers.
The investment consists of manufacturing plants, laboratories and offices and will employ additional 20 people in India. The laboratories will provide dedicated and tailor-made support to our local customers and deliver products specific to the needs of the Indian industries.
‘The SAARC region has been showing sustainable double-digit growth in Danisco, and the new functional systems plant will give us an edge to become one of the first international functional systems plants in the region. This latest investment will strengthen our presence and commitment as a serious player in the region,’ says Anders Wilhjelm, Executive Vice President of Gums & Systems in Danisco.
India, being the largest milk producer in the world with an annual production of more than 100 million litres and a growth rate of 3.8%, has a huge potential for value-added dairy products; the functional systems plant will initially produce blends for the ice cream market and will then move on to other dairy products.
‘India is an important growth market to Gums & Systems. It’s exciting to witness a market of 1 billion consumers experiencing good economic growth. As an ingredient leader we want to be at the forefront of this development and assist the Indian food industry in this growth story,’ says Anders Wilhjelm.
The industrial enzymes segment, of an estimated worth of USD 75 million, is another quickly growing market in India. Danisco wants to seize this opportunity by opening an enzyme manufacturing plant, operated by its Genencor enzyme division.
The plant will primarily produce enzyme blends to service the markets of animal nutrition, food and beverages, fuel ethanol, grain processing, laundry detergents and textiles.
The India textiles industry is a major market for Genencor, and the country’s second largest employment generator after agriculture, contributing about 14% to the country’s industrial production.
In addition, the opportunities presented in the various other industrial enzymes market segments are a key driver for Danisco to strengthen its position in the Indian market and add local capabilities and production capacity through its Genencor division.
‘Genencor has continuously been increasing its presence in India and investing in this market to satisfy quickly growing opportunities for its enzymes business,’ says Tjerk de Ruiter, CEO of Genencor division. ‘We have ambitious plans to take the expansion further with this important step, as the new plant will provide even stronger and reliable support to our local customer base.
We also consider it a first step in a series of developments that will enhance our commitment to the various industries we serve in India – by adding more of our industrial biotechnology capabilities and enzyme manufacturing capacity, our goal is to expand significantly in this emerging market.’


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An exclusive look at how JimFielding is taking this upstart, multi-channel YouTube network and
its most popular content creators into the world of brand building, licensing and beyond.
The National Gallery Company has appointed licensee Danilo Promotions to produce calendars and diaries for the museum’s most famous paintings.
Sesame Workshop has appointed Mag Brands to produce a range of Sesame Street outerwear for the U.S.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products has teamed with its licensing partners to support the third and final film in The Hobbit trilogy.
The joint venture between 21st Century Fox's Shine Group and Apollo Global Management's Endemol and Core Media Group has launched.
Nickelodeon is celebrating the holidays with activations at shopping malls and recreation parks in Asia, South Africa and at Russia’s Domodedovo Airport.
Norman Bridwell, the author/illustrator of the Clifford the Big Red Dog children’s books died on Dec. 12 at the age of 86.
Lollipop brand Chupa Chups has signed a raft of new licensing deals in Italy.
The Light Fund, the U.K.'s charitable body for the licensing industry, has named 16 beneficiaries for the more than £90,000 it raised in 2014.
The University of California, Davis has partnered with alumni-owned business City Bicycle Company to create a branded bicycle.
Sprint is ending its title sponsorship for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after the 2016 season.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, with DC Entertainment, has extended nearly 15-year partnership with toy manufacturer, Mattel.
SmileyWorld has signed two new deals that will bring the brand to prepaid debit cards and the latest installment of Ubisoft’s “Just Dance” video game franchise.
Organic yogurt brand Stonyfield has appointed Brandgenuity as its exclusive licensing agency.
DreamWorks Animation is going back in time–way back–as it debuts its newest property, Dinotrux.
V&S Entertainment and its preschool brand Everything's Rosie will return to London’s “West End Live” collection of performances at Trafalgar Square.
New Taiwanese contemporary art brand GP Deva is making its move into the world of licensing this week at Licensing Expo.
DHX Media and FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment has appointed Jazwares the global master toy partner for the preschool property Ella the Elephant.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products EMEA has inked a deal with Allegre HKM to devlop a range of plush in Europe featuring its Looney Tunes NBA co-brand.
Hasbro showcased its roster of global franchise brands this week at Licensing Expo to underscore how it is revolutionizing play through immersive story telling platforms.
Kathy Ireland Worldwide is partnering with BBC Asia Group to launch the Kathy Ireland Life and Style sportswear brand later this year.
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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E3 2021: The French company has announced its roadmap for the fair, although it confirms that there will be some surprises. Ubisoft Forward returns, although in this case as part of E3 2021, which will take place between June 12 and 15. The Los Angeles fair will not be held in person, so all conferences and events will be held in digital format. Ubisoft has set the date of its show for next Saturday, June 12 at 9:00 p.m. (CEST). And what can we expect from the French company? Some things we already know, but others remain secret.
As we published on MeriStation, the event will have a preview before Ubisoft Forward begins. In addition, there will also be a Post-show with more content. During the preliminary phase. Ubisoft will take the opportunity to show news about titles such as For Honor, Trackmania, The Crew 2, Brawlhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion, among others. Instead, the main event will be reserved for highly anticipated products, such as Far Cry 6 and Rainbow Six Quarantine.
What will they present at Ubi Forward?
The sixth installment of the Far Cry saga uncovered its playability recently, but there are still some aspects of the playable systems that have not been detailed, such as the progression of the character. As for Rainbow Six Quarantine, beyond leaked videos, Ubisoft has kept it in the fridge after several delays. Because of the pandemic, everything seems to indicate that the French will opt for a new name. Riders Republic, announced during Ubisoft Forward last year, will be making an appearance again. It is an extreme sports game that will allow us to meet up with friends to enjoy adrenaline-filled experiences.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which recently released its first expansion, still has a second great story content, The Siege of Paris. It is confirmed that Ubisoft will announce something related to its video game. It does not seem, however, that any new delivery will be presented. On the other hand, an update for Rainbow Six Siege is also planned.
Prince of Persia Remake
Prince of Persia Remake was scheduled for early 2021, but the company chaired by Yves Guillemot decided to delay the product indefinitely. The decision was made because they needed more time, especially after the cold reception from the public.
Skull & Bones
Nor is anything known about Skull & Bones, a video game whose development has been restarted at least once. Judging from the most recent financial report, the creative process will still drag on in time.
Beyond Good & Evil 2
Another game to keep an eye on is Beyond Good & Evil 2, which has been silent for some time. And what about Rayman? Maybe Ubisoft Forward will give us the answer.


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Jim Bryant draws examples from Trajectory.com bookselling partners in China to argue that superior, localized metadata increases book sales — everywhere.
Ronald Schild of Germany’s MVB discusses how research shows simple metadata fixes, like putting the language of a book in your metadata, can double sales.
The second annual Self-Publishing Day in Münster, Germany, brought together authors, distributors and bestselling self-publishers like Poppy J. Anderson.
Using advanced language processing Trajectory adds nuanced detail to book metadata, offering analytics for intensity and sentiment, among other qualities.
In its energetic first outing, @CONTEC 2013 Conference looked at the challenges to publishing and educational services, bookselling, and social reading.
Data experts Sebastian Posth, Kristen McLean and Laura Dawson discuss how analytics are transforming publishing and what this new field demands of the industry.
In the Arab World a dearth of metadata poses unique challenges to retailers and publishers alike and is slowing the development of online marketplaces.
Google has killed off the print editions of Frommer’s guide books. And this makes sense, as Google never wanted to be a publisher and only bought Frommer’s for the metadata.
Can SEO be the missing link to better book discovery? Yes and no, says Nick Ruffilo. The magic formula calls for good SEO and great metadata to boost the discovery potential.
Renée Register, co-author of The Metadata Handbook, shares a checklist of tips, ideas and to-dos that publishers can use to plan effective metadata strategies.


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This happened at about 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 20 at a convenience store on Cullen Boulevard just north of Reed Road in southeast Houston.
Houston police said the 42-year-old victim told officers she pulled into the parking lot of the store and got out of her car. When she headed towards the front door of the store she was approached by a man who hit her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground.
Surveillance video of the incident shows the man punching and kicking her again before grabbing a $20 bill from her hand. He then took off in a silver Ford SUV.
He is described as Black, 30 to 40 years old, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, weighing about 180 to 210 pounds. He was wearing a gray hoodie with 1977 on the front and blue jeans.
One customer said he's not surprised but he hopes someone comes forward.
"I mean, it's a neighborhood store, all kinds of things happen over there," Emanuel Tolston said. "Somebody knows something."
Contact Crime Stoppers of Houston directly if you have any information related to this investigation. Information leading to the charging and/or arrest of any felony suspects may result in a cash payment up to $5,000.
Tipsters must contact Crime Stoppers directly to remain anonymous and to be considered for a cash payment by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitting an online tip at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app.


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Cotton farmers in Teso North, Busia County are a happy lot. They are beneficiaries of a cotton farming initiative championed by Rivatex.
In Kakapel village, Mr Mathew Olamong and his wife Mary Akisa, shared with The Smart Harvest the highs and lows they have faced with cotton farming.
The two ventured into cotton farming in 1961, and have seen the good and bad times. Years of neglect and mismanagement saw the sector go in ruins dashing the hopes of many a farmers like Olamong.
In a bid to cope, many ditched the crop and embraced maize and wheat. But slowly, things are changing thanks to more promising varieties like genetically modified Bt cotton. More farmers are warming up to the idea of growing cotton on commercial basis.
“We have raised our children using proceeds from cotton. Things were bad at the beginning, but now they are looking up with Bt cotton. We are now at the forefront championing for increased acreage of the crop,” Olamong says.
Olamong says previously, they were focusing on the traditional varieties which were low yielding and prone to attacks by pests.
Now they are focusing on the more promising Bt cotton. Bt cotton variety was released by the government in 2020 in a bid to revive the cotton industry. This variety has been genetically improved to resist infestation by the African bollworm, the single most destructive cotton pest in Kenya. Statistics show that pest infestation accounts for 45 per cent of on-farm losses.
The introduction of Bt cotton has brough new fortunes for farmers.
“We started with conventional varieties, whose returns were not much, but the current Bt seeds have impressive yields. From the initial 400 kgs per acre, we now harvest 1,000 kilos, which is impressive,” Akisa says.
John Emisa, from Korsai location plants two acres of cotton which he says earns him over Sh100,000 per year.
Amisa says the introduction of Bt cotton has brought back smiles to the faces of many farmers. Many of them are now on the second planting season.
“This new cotton has many benefits. The cotton takes only three months to mature and is ready for harvest. We want our farmers to sell the produce through the cooperatives to boost their income,” Amisa says.
So far, more than 2,000 farmers in western have received Bt cotton seeds and pesticides from Rivatex East Africa.
Rivatex Managing Director Professor Thomas Kipkurgat says the company supports farmers because they have high potential of producing raw materials for the textile industry.
“We are now encouraging them to increase their acreage so that they can produce more because there is a ready market for their produce. The world is currently looking at Africa for production of lint for purposes of textile and processing of other products,” says Kipkurgat.
He says the company is supporting farmers drawn from 22 counties through its cotton programmes.
“We recognise that, for textile industries to continue having sustainable growth, they must have a reliable source of raw materials,” he says.
Agricultural Food Authority (AFA), Teso region official Chrispine Amuono says the region has the potential to produce more cotton if farmers embark on early planting and follow the best crop practices.
“Farmers are now embracing Bt cotton which has high yields. It is now up to the groups to work amicably within their cooperatives so that they can have double yields,” says Amuono.
He says the government has disbursed Sh60 million for the revival of Mulwanda ginnery which had stalled.
“My plea is for farmers to increase the yield from 150 metric tonnes in 2020 to more than 500 tonnes this year with Bt cotton.”
Before the decline of the sector Homa Bay, Elgeyo Marakwet, Makweni, Kirinyaga, Teso, Baringo, Meru, Tana-River were among the top cotton growing regions.
Rivatex East Africa started in its operation in 1976 before it was sold to Moi University in 2007.


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Despite the continued political and economic uncertainty, 2019 to date has seen strong returns for investments. The average return in the balanced risk sector (mixed investment 20%-60% shares) is 9.8% while in the higher risk global equities sector it is 18.6%.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports that global growth remains subdued, following a slowdown at the end of 2018. Their most recent forecast predicts growth of 3.0% in 2019, picking up to 3.4% in 2020. Momentum in manufacturing activity has weakened substantially, to levels not seen since the global financial crisis, but a generally resilient service sector has supported employment growth.
As expected, the US central bank implemented its second cut in interest rates since 2008 during September. Having previously reduced its key federal funds rate in July, the Federal Reserve (Fed) announced a cut of 0.25% to a range of 1.75% to 2%.
In their statement, Fed policymakers cited “uncertainties” about the outlook for economic growth against a backdrop of faltering global growth and trade disputes. Nevertheless, the Fed slightly upgraded its forecast for US economic growth in 2019 from 2.1% to 2.2%, unemployment in the US remains low and average earnings have risen.
Europe’s economic backdrop continued to deteriorate as Germany’s manufacturing sector carried on contracting. The German economy shrank by 0.1% in the second quarter and is assumed to now be in recession (two successive quarters of negative growth). The European Central Bank (ECB) revealed fresh quantitative easing measures from 1 November – as Christine Lagarde takes over as ECB President from Mario Draghi.
UK Inflation dipped sharply in August, driven down by weak clothing prices and a steep drop in prices for computer games. The UK’s annualised rate of consumer price inflation (CPI) fell to 1.7% in August and was unchanged for September. The UK’s retail sector has remained under pressure, with high-street retailer M&S losing its place in the FTSE 100 Index for the first time since the blue-chip index was launched in 1984.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirms there has been general slowdown in UK property price growth in the last three years, driven by a slowing market in London and SE England. Average house prices are still rising on an annual basis, but at their slowest rate since 2012. The housing market has an important influence on the UK economy. Rising house prices have historically tended to boost consumer confidence and hence consumer spending and economic growth, while lower house prices have had the opposite effects.
According to the Nationwide Building Society, Northern Ireland was the strongest region over the past year, with prices increasing by 3.4% and the average now standing at £144,053.
We are always available to discuss any queries or concerns, so just call or drop us an e-mail.
The value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back as much as you originally invested.


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July 1, 2015
Wireless Industry Delivers on Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment .
Today, CTIA-The Wireless Association® announced the wireless industry’s fulfillment of the Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment that gives U.S. consumers – at no cost – new protections in the event their smartphones are lost or stolen. Included are capabilities to remotely lock and wipe missing devices while still enabling 9-1-1 calls even when the phone is locked and providing the consumer a means to unlock the phone when it is recovered. The industry will also maintain its proactive consumer education and outreach campaign to deter theft. Participating companies are Apple Inc.; Assurant, Inc.; Asurion; AT&T; BlackBerry Limited; Google Inc.; HTC America, Inc.; Huawei Device USA; LG Electronics MobileComm USA, Inc; Motorola Mobility LLC; Microsoft Corporation; Samsung Telecommunications America, L.P.; Sprint Corporation; T-Mobile USA; U.S. Cellular; Verizon Wireless; and ZTE USA, Inc.
In recognition of this, I issued the following statement:
“Today’s fulfillment of the Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment is another example of the wireless industry proactively working together with policymakers and law enforcement to help protect consumers’ smartphones in the event they are ever lost or stolen. As media reports indicated from San Francisco to New York City, these efforts are significantly reducing device thefts across the country. We will continue to work with all interested parties to continue to deploy new technologies and tools to improve device theft deterrence tools. We remind consumers to take a few minutes to use PINs, passwords, apps and other device features – many of which we list on our website – to protect their mobile devices and personal information.”


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TiVo's co-founders launched their Qplay service in hopes of becoming the central hub for all your online video viewing. Unfortunately, it looks like that media utopia wasn't meant to be. Just three months after its official debut, Qplay has revealed that it's shutting down; it's "not possible" to run the service any longer, the team says. You'll have until July 25th to get your fill of content, and you can get a refund for the TV adapter if you make a request before that cut-off date. The company isn't commenting on the exact reasons behind the closure, but this is certainly going to catch some internet video aficionados off-guard. If you're one of them, you'll have to turn to discovery services like Showyou to get a similar fix.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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Record sales for McLaren Automotive in 2015
McLaren Automotive reports record-breaking 1,654 vehicles sold in 2015. The performance is remarkable considering McLaren has ventured into road cars only 5 years ago. In 2014, McLaren sold 1,649 vehicles.
The record was barely established – the British automotive company scrapped past last year’s record of 1,649 vehicles with only a mere difference of five cars. What’s remarkable though, is the rate at which McLaren has established itself as one of the most prized marques despite only venturing into road cars five years ago. Of course, given the turbulent times we live in, any uptick in sales is impressive.
Chief Executive Officer, Mike Flewitt, said: “2015 was a critical year in the development of McLaren Automotive. The launch of the Sports Series opens McLaren up to an entirely new audience and will be pivotal in developing our sales volumes from the 2015 levels of 1,600 to nearly triple that number by 2020.”
Fans of McLaren’s supercars can look forward to up to 15 new cars by 2022, in keeping with its promise to continue innovating and intriguing the market with unprecedented technological advancements. “We need to remain profitable but also continue to invest in our future product portfolio,” said Flewitt. “In 2015, this amounted to £124million, nearly 30% of revenues. This level of commitment to investing in future products is core to our business strategy.”
The most exciting offering, perhaps, would be a new flagship inspired by the original McLaren F1, which could potentially be unveiled at Geneva next year. Dubbed a “Hyper GT”, it will be an exhilarating blend of power and luxury, just like the recently-launched S570GT. In the meantime, we’ll be waiting with bated breaths.


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The freezing weather in northern India is likely to continue, and people should get used to more and more extreme weather phenomena.
Researchers are turning to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to study the consumer habits and health effects of e-cigarettes.
The study found that each time a seller just expands to a new app category, it bumps up that seller's presence on the top-grossing charts by about 15%.
Barely two-and-a-half months on the campus since joining the programme, the AMU doctoral student has emerged as a very popular figure on the campus.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this iconic American roadster, Shelby American has built 50 special edition models with the famed 427 Ford big-block engine.
The move in Arizona to deny licences was a reaction to Obama administration's steps in June 2012 to shield thousands of immigrants from deportation.
Over last 20 years cheap fashion at one end of the market and affordable luxury at the other has left M&S struggling to recapture its universal appeal.
Russia believes NATO is destabilising northern Europe by holding military exercises and "transferring aircraft capable of carrying nuclear arms".


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Sony to develop only flagship smartphones for Indian markets
Sony has finally decided to focus on the flagship market and cut off every connection it has to the mid range and entry level markets in some countries and most recently, they have added India to that list of market. This is believed to be because major players such as Xiaomi, Lenovo and OnePlus are going all out in their bid to claim these markets and the competition is nearly cut-throat.
This move would mean that Sony would only focus on the production and launch of the high end, undoubtedly expensive and flagship device for Indians and not cater to the low and mid income earners anymore.
While it is true that the big market provides the greatest profits and return on investment, it should also be noted that this market is usually the smallest and that even at this, Sony would still have competition from the aforementioned brands to deal with. With India being a market where flagships are not very appreciated due to unwillingness of many to splash big bucks on a device, Sony would have to face the uphill task of convincing the locals to love their devices else, they run the risk of controlling an even smaller part of the market.
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Even if you're not American, you certainly know what Black Friday is. These days, around the world and online, it's the busiest shopping day of the year. You can find huge discounts on everything from the big-screen TVs to essential home appliances. But what can gamers find on this day?
The Black Friday tradition began in the United States as a way for brands to start their holiday shopping the day after Thanksgiving. But today it is known in countries that do not celebrate Thanksgiving—many retailers are starting to offer deals weeks in advance. There are many opportunities to save some money — if you can hunt for Black Friday game deals.
What exactly is Black Friday?
Black Friday allows you to save a significant amount of money before the holiday rush. In the United States, Thanksgiving is always celebrated on Thursday—and often many Americans have taken the Friday off to shop for Christmas gifts. In brick and mortar stores there’s been massive lines, huge deals—even 50% off a TV set to clear the warehouse before Christmas.
Some say that on this day, store owners began to be “in the black,” meaning that they started to make money—others that it was Black Friday, because many people died during this shopping rush. Either way, this is an opportunity to find many great deals.
When is Black Friday 2022?
When is Thanksgiving celebrated? In the US, it's the day before Black Friday, or the fourth Thursday in November (in Canada, it's the second Monday in October).
This year's Black Friday 2022 will take place on November 25. However, for most brands and retailers, the sales usually run from Friday until Cyber Monday, the following Monday.
Americans go back to work on that day—and in the 1990s many people were only able to shop online on Monday, when the Internet at home was not as readily available.
However, many brands and locations will start several weeks in advance. Amazon's 2021 Black Friday sale, for example, started a month early - and allowed cheap subscription for Amazon Prime. If you are looking for Black Friday PC game deals, you can start looking for them in October!
Black Friday 2021 deals
Last year, gamers—especially PC gamers—could find great sales, up to 90%. If you want to build a gaming PC or find some great titles, you should wait for the Black Friday. We don't yet know what Black Friday gaming deals will be available in 2022, but perhaps some of these offers will be repeated this year.
Ubisoft invited people to subscribe to Ubisoft Plus which cost 20% less, and new subscribers were also offered access to Far Cry 6 with all add-ons, and discounts on Riders Republic and Watch Dogs: Legion games up to 50% off. Will there be a massive discount on Assassin's Creed this year? We don't know.
Polish store GOG, on the other hand, offered Black Friday 2021 games like Divinity: Original Sin 2: Definitive Edition and The Witcher 3: Wild Gone: Game of the Year Edition at 90% off. These games will not disappoint. What's more, it offered 50% off Cyberpunk 2077. This discount has been repeated a couple of times in 2022, and will probably appear again on Black Friday 2022.
Black Friday at the Epic Games Store pointed to Hitman 3, Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Crisis Remastered Trilogy remastering the single-player campaigns of Crisis, Crysis 2 and Crysis 3. Games at this store are often available for free, so perhaps some of these titles will be free—and discounts on hits like Spider-Man have already been announced.
On Origin or the EA store, Electronic Arts games were even 87% off—including FIFA 22, Mass Effect Legendary Edition including all DLC and extra features, or the adventure Lost in Random.
The Microsoft store, on the other hand, offered XboX game passes at a lower price, as well as blockbusters like Gears 5 and the Master Chef Collection. Many gamers opted for Yakuza: Like a Dragon, an action-packed fighting game, set in contemporary Japan. It’s also worth checking out Microsoft physical offer if you’re looking for a PC gaming mouse, wireless gadgets and other useful software. Office and professional stores also offer huge discounts.
Also check out the Humble Bundle. Last year, it provided 80% off and a 12-month subscription to Humble Choice for $99. Subscribers receive a “carefully selected assortment of fantastic games” each month. It's also worth remembering that Humble Bundle and other Bundles are not just about games—you can buy cheaper e-books or software in collections on Black Friday.
Black Friday gaming deals for hardware
Even if you're not an American, Black Friday is a great time to upgrade your PC hardware or replace broken peripherals. Online stores will offer discounts on games, SSDs, peripherals and other PC building blocks. If you are thinking of buying a gaming keyboard, Black Friday might be the perfect time.
2022—Graphics cards for PC and VR headsets
In 2022, many hope that graphics cards will become cheaper. For the past few years, their price has been very high because they were used to mine Bitcoin. Now, however, that bubble is starting to burst and in 2022 graphics cards have started to get cheaper, and are often included in improved builds of Gaming PCs. Black Friday can be an opportunity to upgrade your hardware after many years of stagnation.
In addition to graphics cards, it's also worth considering the purchase of a VR headset—last year discounts reached up to 25%, this year this technology has become more common and models like the Meta Quest 2 (formerly Oculus) have appeared.
A new Nintendo Switch deal
What's more, the Nintendo Switch is also a potential candidate for huge price cuts. Many hope that in 2023 Nintendo will announce either the Nintendo Switch 2 or at least a revised edition with a more durable screen. There's a good chance that either the Nintendo Switch Lite or the Switch version with an OLED screen will receive a sizable discount, perhaps as much as $150 for the Lite version and $250 for the OLED.
How to shop on Black Friday
Black Friday sales are taking place everywhere, and there are sure to be plenty of promotions. If you're looking for specific deals, you can always create a wishlist on Steam or Amazon, or bookmark multiple product pages to easily find them during the event. Subscribe to the r/gamedeals subreddit if you want to be kept informed about sales and Black Friday gaming discounts.
Prepare a budget—for example, if you're thinking of buying a AAA game in the fall, set aside its price +10%. You may find that you can buy 5 great games for that amount.
Also remember to keep an eye on prices in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. It's common for companies to raise prices in early November, so they can lower them that weekend. Be wary and keep hunting for good offers!


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S&P 500 companies are expected to post lower earnings for the fourth straight quarter
by Ciara Linnane
If you thought the fourth-quarter earnings season that just ended was miserable, brace yourself: the next one will be a real doozy.
S&P 500 companies are expected to post their fourth straight quarter of earnings declines and fifth straight quarter of sales declines, according to FactSet. The last time earnings fell for such a long stretch was the period between the fourth quarter of 2008 and the third quarter of 2009, right after the financial crisis.
And stop blaming energy. This time, the pain is more evenly spread across sectors.
“While much of the softness is attributable to the energy sector, it is worth noting only three of the S&P’s 10 macro sectors are expected to show an increase in earnings,” said Jeffrey Saut, chief investment strategist at Wells Fargo. “ Those are consumer discretionary, telecoms and health care.”


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Apple has topped Google as the most valuable brand in the world, according to a study released over the weekend by brand consultancy Millward Brown.
Although Research in Motion made its name by delivering secure corporate email, it has had to move quickly to adapt to the ever-shifting world of social networking.
The possibility of Facebook entering China has started to draw political scrutiny, with U.S. senator Dick Durbin questioning whether a rumored tie-up between the U.S. social networking site and Chinese search engine Baidu would affect users' free spe...
It's been called the Facebook of China. And to 24-year-old Kuang Yaqiong, it pretty much is.
If Twitter really is buying TweetDeck, the best thing that can mean for users is nothing.
Julian Assange claims that Facebook is complacent in providing the U.S. government with a way to spy on its citizens, calling it "the most appalling spying machine ever invented."
President Obama's late-night announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden by Navy SEALs triggered a massive amount of real-time comments, searches, social networking and video streaming. The traffic explosion bogged down news pages and for a while ev...
Malware makers and scammers have quickly latched onto the news that U.S. military forces killed Osama Bin Laden, security researchers said today.
OpenDNS, one of the Internet's most popular free DNS services, is now offering production-grade support for IPv6, an upgrade to the Internet's main communications protocol known as IPv4.
Before President Barack Obama officially informed the country and the world that terrorist leader Osama bin Laden had been killed, Facebook and Twitter were lit with news and celebratory postings.
Facebook earnings are growing faster than previously expected, and are on track to exceed US$2 billion this year, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
A graduation announcement. A page torn from a calendar, noting a father's birthday. Tattered pictures of children. An ultrasound image of an unborn baby.
An anonymous coder is messing with the heads of jailbreakers – the folks who develop and run code that lets your Apple iOS device load applications without having to rely solely on the company’s iTunes service. The twist: this code, by design, fails...
Facebook is looking to hire 9,400 more employees in the next six years, according to reports.
Facebook's "Groups" feature was first announced in October 2010, to reduce the need for Facebook users to share everything with everyone, when they really only want to share something with select "Friends," according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
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The payment system landscape witnessed significant changes on account of the growing role of financial technology firms. The development is attributed to conscious efforts by Government and Bank of Ghana to promote digital payments as alternative to cash; and customers demand for fast, convenient and efficient payments.
A survey conducted by the department revealed that there are currently seventy-one (71) FinTechs providing both front and back end services to the banking sector.
The other main developments during the year were legal and regulatory reforms, airtime use for payment of insurance premium, agent registry, mobile money interoperability, migration of magnetic strip cards to EMV standard and support for National Identification Authority.
The Bank also through the Payment Systems Department obtained assistance from FSD Africa, United Kingdom DFID funded institution that aims at reducing poverty across sub Saharan Africa by building financial markets that are efficient, inclusive and robust.


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Produce Investments swings to loss as frost hampers harvests
Potato and Daffodil farmer Produce Investments swung to an annual loss after unusually poor Winter and Spring weather limited harvests and the company wrote down the value of its assets.
Through the year ended 30 June, pretax losses reached £9.5m, down from a profit of £5.5m achieved the year before, as the company faced unfavourable weather and the pressure of comparison to "exceptionally large" UK potato crop margins and seed volumes from 2017.
Meanwhile, operating profit before exceptional items dropped to £6.1m, down from last year’s £7.8m, which the AIM traded company said was in line with recently downgraded expectations.
Decisions concerning any final dividend have been delayed until the outcome of an impending purchase by Promethean Investments is known, with Promethean having announced its intention to take the company private on 11 September.
Angus Armstrong, chief executive, said: "In a difficult year impacted by the adverse spring weather we have seen business gains and improved operational efficiencies in our core fresh segment helping sustain our performance in a tough retail environment and I am pleased to say that we have delivered operating profit in line with the board's revised expectations."
Net debt stood at £25.8m at the year end, down from £28m the year before, while cash and cash equivalents dropped from £7.7m to £6.4m over the course of the year.
"Looking forward, we will be increasing our presence in the daffodil market, continuing our growth with Restrain through a healthy demand for its tomato ripening and potato storage solutions and we will continue to expanding the Linwood Crops business," said Armstrong.
Linwood Crops, a joint venture established in 2016, delivered a performance ahead of expectations and has started the new year with strong sales and margins according to Produce Investments.
The chief executive added that whilst the board were disappointed to announce a three-year wind down of one key customer contract, they remained confident in their ability to pick up new opportunities in the market.
Produce Investments’ shares were down 2.20% at 177.50p at 0930 BST.


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Main Street Kitchens on Main Street in Hanover NH has been sold. After almost 22 years, owners Marv and Mary Schouten are retiring.
The new owners are Dave and Kait Barrette. Both grew up in the Upper Valley and have recently returned to raise their infant daughter here. They plan to continue to operate the business as a kitchenware and supplies store. Dave Barrette is an accomplished chef who will bring that expertise to this new venture.
Customers who are holding gift cards for the current Main Street Kitchens are urged to redeem them by May 20.


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Hermès will make its Arizona debut at Scottsdale Fashion Square
A new Hermès store is just one of many exciting announcements from Scottsdale Fashion Square.
An 11,000 square feet Hermes store – the very first in Arizona – arrives at Scottsdale Fashion Square in 2024. This was just one of many exciting changes to come to the shopping destination, with several announcements made recently by macerichowner, operator and developer of Scottsdale Fashion Square.
“Macerich is committed to constantly reinvesting and elevating our best regional downtowns, and Scottsdale Fashion Square is one of the most productive in our portfolio,” said Tom O’Hern, Managing Director of Macerich. “Scottsdale Fashion Square is already the undisputed leader in luxury in the region, and the tremendous success of our luxury wing demonstrates the strong appetite of retailers and buyers for even more upscale experiences at this high-performing property.
“We see a great opportunity to further expand our luxury presentation in the South Wing to accommodate more of the world’s best brands and experiences, in line with the exceptional demographics and growth of the Scottsdale-Phoenix market,” he said. he adds.
Interior and exterior renovation projects Scottsdale Fashion Square the south wing includes an extension of the mall’s luxury presence beyond the existing luxury wing itself, complete with luxury valet parking. In keeping with the existing luxury wing, the south wing will be renovated with high-end finishes, natural stone floors and bespoke light fixtures.
The south wing’s luxury renovation plans also include two-story storefronts with exterior-facing retail at the entrance and up to five restaurants.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: SCOTTSDALE FASHION SQUARE LEADER IN LUXURY WITH ICONIC FASHION BRANDS AND HIGH CUSTOMER SERVICE
“Scottsdale Fashion Square is the very definition of luxury retail in the South West, with nearly 50 of the finest luxury and contemporary brands, including cartier, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin, Bulgari and Pradaalongside our best Neiman Marcus and Nordström department stores,” said Michael Guerin, executive vice president of Macerich.
“The continued curation of our merchandise lineup with dynamic new experiences, including additional new restaurants and stunning design elements, in other parts of the property beyond the luxury wing enhances the value proposition. of Scottsdale Fashion Square as a whole for retailers and brands, while optimizing the customer journey of our customers.
“Scottsdale Fashion Square is the very definition of luxury retail in the South West, with nearly 50 of the finest luxury and contemporary brands including Cartier, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin, Bulgari and Prada, alongside our top performers Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom department stores,” said Michael Guerin, executive vice president of Macerich.
In addition to new Hermès boutiques and luxury renovation announcements, Scottsdale Fashion Square shared that they would be in partnership with NFL Wives Association Off the Field for their annual charity fashion show event during the “Big Game” week in February 2023.
The fashion show will take place at Scottsdale Fashion Square and is the mall’s third event hosted in partnership with Off the Field. The charities benefiting from the fashion show will be announced this Friday and tickets will be available for purchase later this year.
“This longstanding partnership with Macerich and Scottsdale Fashion Square allows us to celebrate the pinnacle of the football season with a fun, fashionable event that ultimately supports Off The Field’s mission of supporting the community through cause initiatives,” Ericka Lassiter, Past President and Co-Chair of Off The Field of the Charity Fashion Show, says. “We have been organizing this event for 22 years and it is an opportunity for us to give back to causes that improve the quality of life of families.


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OCALA, Fla. (WFLA) – A man is in custody in the Marion County Jail after offering a person money to plant explosive devices in Target stores down the east coast.
According to an affidavit, Mark Barnett, 48, a previously convicted felon, of Ocala, offered a source $10,000 to place improvised explosive bombs in stores.
Barnett created at least 10 explosive devices, disguised as food-item packaging, and delivered them to the source on February 9.
He then asked the person to place them on store shelves from New York to Florida. He also provided the person with a bag of gloves, a mask, and a license plate cover to disguise the person’s identity.
Barnett theorized the company’s stock value would plunge following the explosions, allowing him to buy shares before an eventual rebound in prices.
The source surrendered the explosives to authorities rather than putting them into stores.
An explosives expert determined they were capable of causing property damage, serious injury or death to nearby people upon detonation.
A search of Barnett’s apartment found components consistent with those used to create explosive devices.
He is currently in custody at the Marion County Jail on state charges for violating his terms of probation. He is charged with possession of a firearm (destructive device) affecting commerce by a previously convicted felon.
Keep checking WDTN.com for the latest news. To get alerts for breaking news, grab the FREE WDTN News App for iPhone or Android. You can also sign up for email alerts here.
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It’s National Nug Week this week.
But because we’re moving ever closer to a post-meat age, that doesn’t just mean that the meat-eaters get to have all the fun.
Increasingly, there’s a vegan option for all these ridiculous marketing things, as companies cotton on to the fact that the green pound is only going to get stronger.
Vegans have been doing bits – and the real proof is in recent estimations of just how much the plant-based industry is worth (clue: it’s in the billions).
So without any further delay, here’s what has been going down this week in vegan news:
Frankie & Benny’s launched vegan chicken nuggets
Everyone’s favourite retail-park-on-the-outskirts-of-town-family-restaurant Frankie & Benny’s has just added vegan nugs to its menu – just in time for National Nug Week (13-18 Nov).
It announced the news via Instagram on Monday, saying: ‘Vegan Nuggets are landing at Frankie & Benny’s just in time for National Nugget Day!’
It’s yet to say exactly what the nugs are made from.
They’re just the latest plant-based edition to the Italian-American chain, who increased its vegan options sixfold back in September to include a vegan beet burger, bruschetta, garlic bread, sorbets and pasta.
The nugs are £5.99 for unlimited amounts of nugs and come with vegan mayo.
I’m A Celeb bosses face a ‘crisis’ after signing up three vegans
In what is possibly the most 2018 thing to happen ever, I’m A Celeb is reported in The Sun to be in CRISIS because the programme signed up a load of vegans who don’t want to eat goat testicles or fish eyeballs as part of the Bushtucker trial.
Fleur East, James McVey and Sair Khan have all openly talked about their vegan commitments, with Fleur apparently having told ITV bosses that she doesn’t go near any kind of animal products.
Previous years have seen celebs having to eat kangaroo penis, roasted spiders, and various animals’ anuses.
Bleeding burgers hit Tesco
Probably the biggest consumer news of the week is that Tesco is finally stocking the infamous bleeding burgers, which dribble with beet blood when cooked.
Costing £5.50 for a pack of two, they were due to launch back in August, but people went so crazy for them in the US that Beyond Burger (the company that makes them) couldn’t keep up.
The ultra-realistic patties are made 100% from veg, containing 20% pea protein, coconut oil, potato starch and beetroot juice.
And they’ve been pretty controversial in both vegan and omnivorous circles. On the one hand, people don’t seem to get why you’d want to eat something reminiscent of bleeding flesh when you’ve chosen plant-life, and on the other, people just want to eat a juicy burger.
The Beyond Burger is designed to look, cook and taste like beef and is sold at more than 10,000 grocery stores across the US, and is on the menu at more than 10,000 restaurants.
‘We see the growing global demand for delicious, plant-based proteins and are excited to serve that demand in the UK with the revolutionary Beyond Burger,’ said Seth Goldman, Beyond Meat’s executive chair.
‘Bringing our innovative approach to merchandising to the UK, Tesco will sell the Beyond Burger in the chilled meat aisle alongside animal-based proteins.’
Eating a plant-based diet is found to potentially help boost the quality of life of type II diabetics
According to a new study, vegan diets might help alleviate issues associated with type II diabetes, including depression, weight gain and nerve damage.
A team of scientists looked at 11 clinical trials published between 1999 and 2017, comparing the impact of following a plant-based diet with other diets which included animal products.
They found that those who adopted the plant-based one saw an improvement in the quality of their life.
As well as a lift in depression, the vegan option was also found to reduce nerve pain, which the scientists put down to the progressive nerve damage associated with diabetes being slowed down.
Fasted blood sugar levels also dropped.
The sample sizes were pretty small, and different diets do different things to different people but there’s no doubt that eating a tonne of fruit, veg, whole grains and cutting down on fat, salt and sugar only do good things.
Vegan snack market set to be worth $73 billion (£56b) by 2028
With a new plant-based snack coming out seemingly every day, perhaps it’s not surprising that the vegan snack market is set to reach over £56billion in the next decade.
A new report by market researchers Future Market Insights say that the industry is set to grow by 8.7%
The fastest growing products, the firm says, are plant-based meat snacks.
‘The growing trend for veganism and vegetarianism is further leading to the increasing demand for plant-based snacks and products,’ says the report.
‘Increasing concerns regarding animal welfare and treatment is considered to be another driver for the growth of plant-based snacks and products in developed economies.’
A separate report by Fact.MR has predicted a significant increase in products containing nutritional yeast, while other findings have set the tempeh industry to reach $5.8b (£4.5b) by 2026, and the tofu industry at $24b (£18.5b) by 2022.
How about wearing some trainers made from coffee grounds?
German sneaker brand nat-2 has just dropped a line of animal-free leather shoes made from coffee grounds.
Sounds totally bonkers but bear with.
These 100% vegan bad boys come in two styles, one high and one low top. And they’re covered in up to 50% recycled coffee, which gives them a smooth, fine texture.
They’re handmade in Italy in a family-run facility which promises fair conditions.
As well as coffee beans, the shoes are also made from rubber, waterbased glue and a soft anti-bacterial cork insole. Oh, and the bits that look like suede? Yeah, they’re made from recycled PET bottles.
Could there be a greener shoe?


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Section 510(k) of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act requires device manufacturers who must register, to notify FDA of their intent to market a medical device at least 90 days in advance. This is known as Premarket Notification - also called PMN or 510(k).The 23andMe submission was then converted to a de novo application, signalling the lack of a predicate test for comparison (but now potentially serving as a benchmark for future evaluations). Now, the FDA has announced its approval for 23andMe to market its DTC Bloom syndrome test, taking notice of any potential risk while also identifying the benefit of this type of test:
FDA believes that in many circumstances it is not necessary for consumers to go through a licensed practitioner to have direct access to their personal genetic information. Today’s authorization and accompanying classification, along with FDA’s intent to exempt these devices from FDA premarket review, supports innovation and will ultimately benefit consumers.In a sign that an overarching regulatory scheme is slowly emerging, the FDA further announced a classification of this subset of genetic tests:
Along with this authorization, the FDA is also classifying carrier screening tests as class II. In addition, the FDA intends to exempt these devices from FDA premarket review. The agency plans to issue a notice that announces the intent to exempt these tests and that provides a 30-day period for public comment. This action creates the least burdensome regulatory path for autosomal recessive carrier screening tests with similar uses to enter the market.It’s important to note that the Bloom syndrome test is not a test that provides either diagnostic or therapeutic information on which a patient may be making decisions regarding medical care; it is a report on Bloom syndrome carrier status and it will be used in reproductive decisions. The FDA’s concern with 23andMe’s (or other companies) offerings of health-related genetic information was largely focused on the likelihood that consumers would receive their genetic information accompanied by the companies’ assessment of risk or susceptibility, leading them to structure medical decisions (surgery, medications) on shaky or dubious representations. Because the approved test can be sold directly to consumers over the counter, the FDA did attach requirements for 23andMe to make consumers aware of genetic counseling options.
In parallel, the FDA is also building out oversight of foundational technologies that underlie genetic testing and analysis, most directly in its efforts to develop a regulatory program for next-generation sequencing (NGS) (see here). The FDA held its first public hearing on NGS oversight last week.


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Don’t be surprised if you see fewer steaks on the backyard barbecue this summer.
Economists are expecting grocery prices to rise modestly in 2014, following a year in which grocery bills barely budged. That could lead to sticker shock – especially in the meat aisle, where beef prices have reached record highs – and cause shoppers to trade out pricier foods for other, less expensive ones.
Economists are already starting to see signs of those tradeoffs, especially when it comes to red meat.
“It does seem like consumers are making the choice to get the ground turkey instead of ground beef, or the filet of salmon instead of the filet of beef,” said Richard Volpe, a research economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
That’s exactly what Alice Korey started doing recently, when she realized that her favorite, high-end beef was getting too pricey and another favorite protein, buffalo, was also too expensive at her local grocery story.
“Now what I’m doing is buying turkey, because turkey is cheaper than beef,” said Korey, a stay-at-home mom with three kids who lives in Katy, Texas.
Korey said steaks also will be a treat this summer, because of higher prices. In general, she said she’s taken to using coupons, looking for sales and finding little ways to cut back on the family grocery bill.
The Department of Agriculture predicts that the overall prices for food we eat at home will rise by between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent this year. That compares to a less than 1 percent increase in 2013 and a 2.5 percent increase in 2012.
Already, shoppers are probably seeing some of those price increases, particularly when it comes to their favorite proteins. The price of beef and veal was up 5.4 percent in February, compared to a year earlier, and fish and seafood prices rose by 7.2 percent year over year, according to the USDA. Egg prices also were up sharply, the USDA reported.
The price of beef is up following droughts that have hurt ranchers, leading to less beef supply. That, in turn, appears to be one factor in causing prices for other proteins to go up, increasing grocery bills.
Economists say that when beef prices rise, it tends to have a more immediate impact on a person's grocery bill because it's basically a single-ingredient product. By contrast, when a bad crop year leads to increase in the price of a commodity like wheat, it may not immediately lead to such a big spike in the price of your cereal or bread, because so many other things go into making those foods.
Consumers don’t necessarily give up on a favorite food completely when prices go up, said Ryland Maltsbarger, an economist with IHS Agriculture. Instead, he said, some shoppers who really want a steak might first look to see if there is a cheaper steak available.
If that’s still too pricey, a beef lover might start making other tradeoffs, like serving hamburgers twice in one week instead of steak one night and hamburgers another, or buying smaller steaks.
“Now what I’m doing is buying turkey, because turkey is cheaper than beef.”
When food prices go up, low-income households are hit hardest because they’re forced to spend more of their disposable income on food. But economists say most families, even those with more financial flexibility, often make tradeoffs to keep their grocery bill from getting out of hand, or to counterbalance higher prices for things like gas or medical expenses.
Korey, 42, said she and her husband, a salesman in the oil and gas industry, want to provide what they consider a normal family life for their kids. That means buying decent clothes and shoes and being able to fund reasonable activities, like recreational baseball or a band trip.
But those things add up, and Korey said she realized that if she wanted to keep the family budget intact – and continue to put aside a bit for her kids’ college funds – she needed to start paying closer attention to rising food prices.
“When you want to be able to provide those things for your kids, it’s like, “Why do I want to pay $7 for orange juice?” she said.
Even at high-end grocers like Whole Foods, customers seem to be mindful of price shifts. The company told NBC News in an e-mail that customers shopping for proteins have lately been gravitating toward ground beef, chicken and lunch meats.
Michele Murray, senior executive director for integrated communications with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said it’s hard to predict when more beef will be available.
In response to higher prices, Murray said the trade group is seeing consumers buy more beef in bulk, choose more modestly priced ground beef and decrease portion sizes.
The amount of beef people are eating has decreased because there is less beef available, she said, but the trade group does not think interest in eating beef has waned.
Economists are predicting that prices for other food items will increase modestly this year as well. But so far at least they aren’t expecting an extremely dry winter in California to lead to vastly higher prices for fruits and vegetables, which are more easily obtained from overseas than items such as beef. That should be good news for produce lovers on a budget.
“We’ll see some impacts from the California drought, but it will probably be on specific items, and it will be mitigated by imports,” Maltsbarger said.


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Spiber has been developing plant-based artificial protein fiber material called Brewed Protein. The Japanese startup announced on Wednesday that it has secured 24.4 billion yen (about $218 million) in funding from investors including Carlyle, Fidelity International, Baillie Gifford, and the Japanese Government-backed Cool Japan Fund plus 10 billion yen (about $91 million) utilizing a value securitization structure.
The structure was arranged by Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities with participation from unnamed initial lender(s) and investor(s). For the startup, this follows their $240 million funding announced in January which was arranged by the same securities company with participation from The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ as the initial lender and a credit investor.
Spiber was founded in 2007 as a spin-off from the Institute for Advanced Biosciences at Keio University in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. Since its incorporating, the company has to date secured an estimated total amount of over 70 billion yen (about $6.4 million) in past rounds, and is reportedly valued at 133 billion yen ($1.2 billion).
Initially focused on spider silk which is said to be the strongest material on earth, the company had been developing a man-made synthetic fiber material called Qmonos. However, although the protein fibroin in spider silk is strong, it causes super shrinkage when wet, making it difficult to maintain the dimensional stability of products made from the material. Subsequently the startup succeeded to develop a protein fiber with high dimensional stability by removing the amino acid sequence features causing shrinkage from the fibroin gene, and rebranded Qmonos into Brewed Protein.
The new material is produced by microbial fermentation from plant-based sugars such as glucose and sucrose, which does not require any petroleum-derived material at all. It attracts huge attention because of many use cases: a microplastic-free and non-animal-derived material in the apparel industry, contributing to weight reduction in the logistics industry, a next-generation core material for artificial hair in the medical industry.
The biotech firm is currently working on a joint project with an undisclosed global apparel brand using Brewed Protein. In order to meet the brand’s demand, the firm is planning to launch its first mass-production plant in Rayong, Thailand by the end of this year, followed promptly by another plant in the U.S.
via PR Times