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Elon Musk, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, may disagree with US Senator Bernie Sanders on paying taxes, but he is not afraid to give generously. Musk reacted to a tweet from researcher Eli David in October 2021, who tweeted a screengrab of a news item with the headline “2 percent of Elon Musk’s fortune could eliminate global hunger, says the director of UN Food Scarcity Organization.”
“If WFP (Global Food Programme) can articulate on this Twitter thread precisely how $6 billion would cure world hunger, I will sell Tesla shares right now and do it,” the SpaceX founder responded. Musk seems to have kept his promise. According to Forbes, the 50-year-old industrialist revealed on Monday that in November he gave more than $5 billion worth of Tesla stock to an unnamed charity. This transaction took place only weeks after he committed to selling 10% of his stock in the firm.
According to Forbes, Musk transferred the 5,044,000 Tesla shares—worth more than $5.4 billion at the time—over the course of ten days in November, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The transfer was defined as a “bona fide donation” to charity in the filing, although it did not specify which organization got the shares. WFP Executive Director David Beasley described a strategy on Twitter and tagged Musk shortly after Musk’s post asking the WFP to explain the use of funding to eliminate global hunger.
“This hunger crisis is urgent, unprecedented, and preventable,” Beasley stated in one of the tweets. You asked for a transparent strategy and open books, Elon Musk. It’s here. We’re eager to speak with you, as well as anybody else who is committed to saving lives. To avoid hunger in 2022, the request is $6.6 billion.”
However, it should be emphasized that Musk’s massive stock transfer occurred in order to offset a multibillion-dollar tax penalty that he would have suffered if he had opted to execute Tesla stock options worth $23 billion that are slated to expire in August 2022, according to Forbes. Musk polled his followers in November, asking whether he should sell 10% of his Tesla shares to offset claims of tax evasion. Yes was voted by over 58 percent of the 3.5 million votes. According to Forbes, Musk would need to sell 17 million shares, valued at about $15 billion as of Monday’s closing, to meet this objective, despite having previously sold over 9 million shares in November.
Tesla, led by Elon Musk, is poised to overtake the competition as the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer with only one more move
When Mr. Elon Musk was confronted with the actual world, he maintained his genuine essence. The guy never tried to be or become someone else for the sake of money or worldwide recognition, and he never changed for the stage. The SEC, Tesla’s board of directors, lawmakers, activists, investors, consumers, and other government agencies… Nobody could get this businessman to flinch. He is the person he is. Most significantly, he overcame all of the challenges that the business world threw at him.
No, this does not imply that Elon Musk is a saint or a savior. He’s a successful entrepreneur. He got into a struggle with a highly conservative industry and managed to get to the top by throwing all he had at it. Most of us will never be able to do this. It takes self-sacrifice, unwavering dedication, and a sharp sense of humor. Nobody can say no to laughing in the face of danger or defeat, after all.
While Elon Musk is the most well-known Tesla figure, we should also recognize others who assisted him in his undertakings, including the company’s original two co-founders. What this American EV manufacturer has accomplished is impossible to do on one’s own or with only a few partners and personnel. Everyone participates in the success of this now-global brand, from consumers and investors to adversaries and taxpayers. How this sharing is carried out… That’s a conversation for another time.
It’s difficult to explain this man’s effect on the car industry in such a short amount of time. We can only fathom what he’ll be able to do with SpaceX. At the very least, he has the potential to expand the scope of space exploration and solidify America’s worldwide leadership in this soon-to-be critical area. Let’s simply accept that he’s accomplished a lot and that we should be thankful he’s still alive. Nobody was harmed by a few memes and bitcoin tweets, and no one will be harmed by them in the future.
Tesla’s major marketing campaign
You may be wondering why this article on Tesla’s indisputable success began with praise for Elon Musk and the people who believed in him. It was done for a very simple reason: I read and witnessed how the media handled this guy before I became a journalist. He was teased, belittled, and accused of odd things, and he was constantly the center of attention for something strange. The general public seldom learned anything beneficial about Tesla’s CEO.
His business-minded intellect, on the other hand, never let him down. Tesla and its all-electric vehicles were mocked by traditional manufacturers. They began purchasing carbon credits from the same firm a few years later. Everyone now wants to beat or outperform Tesla. Indeed, the tables have turned.
While Ford’s F-series trucks may give it a chance to compete with Musk’s business, Europeans are falling behind. That might explain why Mercedes-Benz and BMW are already experimenting with hydrogen. They are afraid of what the EV war for resources would imply for their existence, not because they enjoy it. Tesla shines brightly once again since it has already determined what it wants to be.
We have learned that the electric vehicle manufacturer made a covert nickel agreement with a Brazilian mining business. This is a critical point. The demand for all-electric vehicles has exploded throughout the world, and Tesla wants to please its consumers everywhere. The likelihood of receiving additional orders increases as the number of delivery increases. Furthermore, Musk and his team were well aware that Russia, the world’s greatest nickel producer, could not be trusted. Natural gas has been turned into a weapon. Nothing will stop them from using the same techniques in the future on something comparable.
We also heard this month that Tesla is amassing cash “at a higher rate than its physical capacity to develop.” Remember when Tesla’s cashflow issues were all that was in the news?
For the time being, we know a few things: Musk is a terrific businessman and a strong leader, Tesla is doing well and fast expanding, its rivals are failing, and the company wants to accomplish much more than it can today. “Master Plan Part 3” is the third installment of the master plan.
There’s no use in guessing what Elon Musk is thinking or planning right now. “Scaling to extreme magnitude” sounds exciting and dangerous, but let’s stick to the facts and attempt to predict the next crucial step.
Tesla’s CEO may have said on Twitter that he is ready to take the firm to the next level, but here are the factors that will help it achieve so. It’s not a publicity stunt, a new automobile, or a new factory. This isn’t the most crucial thing.
Morgan Stanley’s auto and space research is led by Adam Jonas. According to his briefing on Tesla’s ambitions, we could expect a huge triumph for the electric vehicle era. Musk’s business will easily become the number one vehicle maker if this is done correctly. We’re on the same page if you’re thinking about the freshly sought stock split right now. Things are starting to fall into place, aren’t they?
According to Jonas, the “Master Plan Part 3” would feature a significant shift in the EV supply chain. “Those with the capacity to acquire the goods in the biggest volume and be assured supply,” he claims, with “unlimited cash” being a “critical factor.” To put it another way, if a company wants to prosper, it must be able to get raw materials quickly, readily, and at a reasonable cost. Tesla matches this criterion admirably and seems to be as prepared as ever to capture this opportunity.
You may recall Ford’s escapades in South America if you’ve been around longer than I have. The firm wanted to protect its own resources, so it put a lot of money into creating whole communities around mines or woods. Fordlandia was just a taste of what’s to come.
Blue Oval City arose, pushing for the production of electric vehicles without delays and at a low cost. Ford will benefit from the $11.4 billion investment as it pursues its goal of becoming an electric vehicle manufacturer. The company’s CEO even said that “we don’t have much time” and that the problem must be resolved as quickly as possible. And he was absolutely correct!
With the Brazilian agreement in place and lithium prices increasing, Tesla is now focused on securing its own battery raw materials, which is critical to long-term success.
Complete the task.
Elon Musk is on pace to become the person who signs the contract of the decade, with the finances available and a key partner who may be prepared to let go of its operations. Albemarle, the world’s biggest lithium producer, has already begun collaborating with Tesla. It will very certainly be urged to give in to the demands of the American automakers because it makes the greatest sense at this time. Why not team up with your most important client? You have nothing to lose! A deal like this would be unsurprising given how the American company operates these days. I’d even go so far as to suggest that it’s almost certainly already in the works.
Any EV producer with a reliable supply chain and low-cost raw materials will become an almost immediate champion. With mining and processing units on every continent except Africa, including Albemarle within Tesla’s business group is a no-brainer.
Albemarle now refuses to provide Tesla any more of its goods. It’s in the best interests of the company, like any other firm, to have a diverse consumer base. Musk’s firm, on the other hand, is working hard to assure its own success, so the lithium company might soon be a part of the worldwide change in personal transportation.
If Tesla succeeds in this, it will be invincible. It will not only provide lower-cost automobiles after getting far lower-cost raw materials for batteries, but it will also decide who gets the leftovers. It will be fascinating to see how the American automaker, as well as the whole industry, evolves.
However, you should keep in mind that this is unconfirmed. This deal may go a place, or it may not even reach the stage of discussion. If this scenario plays out as planned, be prepared for a war that will make autonomous driving and artificial intelligence the most desirable features for carmakers. Tesla has already collected enough data from its consumers, and it continues to do so every day. Elon Musk will almost certainly get his long-awaited crown, which will look great on Tesla. He was never one for bravado in the first place.


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With the long awaited release of the Yeezy Boost 380 'Alien' just around the corner, we've now rounded up absolutely everything we know so far about Kanye West's latest silhouette. First spotted back in summer, it was rumoured to be the third generation of the Yeezy Boost 350 line, but it later became its own thing.
Featuring a completely reworked Primeknit upper, the 'Alien' bears a striking resemblance to various other adidas sneakers such as the Ultra Boost Uncaged. Like the most recent 350 V2 releases, a mesh portion shoots across the side panel so sneakerheads can flex their socks with ease. However, this feature also appears on the medials too, and also acts as the lacing system, resulting in a pretty sleek and streamlined look that's sure to turn heads.
In terms of the pattern, we're not entirely sure if this is unique to this particular colourway or if it will be a running motif across the entire line-up, but it does seem to pay homage to the glitch effect that was first seen on the 'Turtle Dove' back in 2015. If you look closely enough, you'll also see it on the Boost, albeit it quite subtly.
Speaking of which, this is the first Boost unit to be encapsulated in a smooth midsole like this. On previous samples, this was dipped in a clean cream hue, but in the retail pair it's actually got a slightly green tint to it that adds to the alien look and feel. This is lined with a rubber outsole for durable traction with every step.
In terms of stock numbers, we don't have solid quantities just yet but according to Yeezy Mafia, these will be extremely limited. This has yet to be clarified, but it's safe to assume that these will be a pretty hard cop.
Now for that all-important release date. While the 'Alien' hasn't been officially confirmed, adidas tend to unveil things like this at the very last minute. That being said, we know that it'll drop on November 16th - just ten days from now! Two other colourways have also been leaked for 2020, including 'Mist' and 'Supcol', and here's everything we know so far about them!
Will you be copping the Yeezy Boost 380 'Alien'? Could this be Kanye's best sneaker to date? Let us know what you're thinking, and make sure you keep it locked at The Sole Supplier and we'll let you know as soon as more news comes in!

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Feb 7, 2021
With the emergence of COVID-19, measures to reduce the spread of the virus such as: social distancing, working from home and minimizing physical touch, have been put in place by most governments and consequently, this has led to the adoption of cashless payment systems. According to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), since March 2020, the country has witnessed a rapid increase in mobile and digital payments with the monthly volume of Person-to-person transactions increasing by 87.0% to hit Kshs 684.5 bn. On 28th December 2020, CBK circulated the draft Kenya National Payment System Vision and Strategy 2021-2025, a strategy document which sets out the vision and strategic initiatives for the National Payment System for the next five years (2021-2025) for comments from the public up to 29th January 2021. This move by the Central Bank is aimed at beefing up regulations around digital payment services, which include mobile money. The regulator’s main objective is to formulate and implement policies that best promote the establishment, regulation and supervision of efficient and effective payment, clearing and settlement systems.
In our previous weekly on FinTech amid COVID-19, we briefly discussed how the FinTech industry has been affected by the pandemic and concluded that the pandemic had hastened the trend towards digitization of financial services. It was clear that the trend towards greater digitalization of financial services is here to stay, and that to build inclusive societies and address rising inequalities during and after the ongoing crisis, there needs to be concerted efforts to close the digital divide across and within countries to reap the benefits of digital financial services.
This week, we will focus on mobile payment platforms where we will look at:
Section I: The Evolution of Mobile Payments
Payment systems have existed for a while and have been evolving, in the 20th Century we saw the invention of credit card payments. The most recent developments in the payments industry is the use of mobile phones to transact, the first being PayPal in 1998, followed by the idea of digital wallets whose popularity has grown quite fast. Mobile phones can do so much more today than they could about 10 years ago, and due to their near-universal presence, the adoption of mobile payment platforms comes as no surprise. Aside from this, the pandemic has certainly accelerated the adoption of mobile payments and according to a study done by Juniper Research on alternative payments and the evolving e-commerce landscape, e-commerce payments are forecasted to reach USD 3.1 tn in 2025, from the USD 2.1 tn recorded in 2020.
In Africa, mobile payment platforms are becoming more common and there has been significant investment into the industry due to its growth potential with more than USD 50.0 bn having been put into the industry since 2010. The huge investment in Africa is due to the huge opportunity that has been brought about by the positive demographics, for example, according to a report by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), the number of unique mobile subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa as at the end of 2019 was 477 mn subscribers, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% over the next five years to 614.0 mn subscribers. Africa still has a lot of unbanked population estimated at 66.0% as at 2019, and therefore there is still significant room to improve on financial services penetration.
Closer home, the central government has been instrumental in the development of payment platforms which started with the modernization program in 2005, which led to the establishment of the Kenya Electronic Payment and Settlement System (KEPSS) or the Kenya RTGS system. This was meant to help resolve several weaknesses that the system suffered such as; the limited interoperability and coordination across payment infrastructure where there was limited sharing of information. In 2007, through the Central Bank of Kenya’s facilitation, mobile money was introduced in the country through the birth of M-PESA, which has been instrumental in the development of the industry to a global level. The amount of cash transacted has continued to increase growing at a CAGR of 20.2% over the last 10 years with Safaricom having a market share 98.8%. The progress made in mobile money can be seen from the below graph which highlights the growth of transaction values over the past 10 years:
Source: Central Bank of Kenya
As a result of the increasing importance of mobile payment platforms, the Central Bank is set to tighten oversight of mobile money in a bid to curb the increased risks of fraud or cybercrime that could lead to a potential loss of clients’ funds.
Section II: Current Regulation around Mobile Payment Platforms in Kenya
The first National Payment System (NPS) framework in Kenya was developed in 2004 with the main objective being modernizing the existing payment system and providing a basis for a new legal and regulatory framework, which would later enable the development of the NPS Act, 2011 and NPS Regulation, 2014. Back then, some of the challenges had been; (i) the lack of a real-time settlement system, (ii) lack of trust on cheque payments especially for high values, and, (iii) the lack of coordinated public awareness among key stakeholders.
In 2003, only two out of every ten Kenyans had access to prudentially regulated financial service. Today, that number stands at eight out of every ten Kenyans, providing not only a means of holding monetary value but also a safe way of transmitting it. The NPS has improved and comprises of payment service providers (PSPs), clearing and settlement participants and users (individuals, businesses, corporate and government institutions), who interact based on rules and procedures that govern different parts of the payments system.
Following the continued advancement in financial and digital inclusion, the dominance of cash, even in low-value transactions, is reducing although at a slow pace. Below is a graph highlighting the trend since 2010:
Source: Central Bank of Kenya
It is important to note that there have been some significant developments in the payments system over the past 5 years, particularly in the growth of digital payments where, in 2013, government-to-person (G2P) payments was launched, (e-Citizen). This has enabled a range of public services to be offered online and paid for through mobile money. Despite the progress, one of the areas of concern is the pricing of payment services which are quite high sometimes or too complex to understand, leading users to lose trust. The government is keen to change the narrative and intends to gradually roll out pricing principles such as those introduced in December 2020 across the payment ecosystem.
The CBK is still aware of the fact that a significant part of the population still finds it hard to access the NPS and this is one of the main motivations behind the draft Kenya National Payment System Vision and Strategy 2021-2025. According to the document, the foundational element of the payment system is the legal and regulatory framework as outlined in the NPC Act of 2011, and the NPS Regulation of 2014. For example, the Kenya RTGS system (Kenya Electronic Payment and Settlement System - KEPSS) has its own set of rules that govern how the participants relate with each other. Some of the strategic objectives from the CBK document include;
Based on the ongoing discussions around the NPS vision and strategy 2021-2025, Central Bank intends to review the NPS Act, 2011 and Regulations, 2014 to make the laws future-proof. This will ultimately pave way for the development of any further guidelines and give the regulator (CBK) the necessary powers for enhanced oversite of the payments system. In our view, the initiative by the CBK is very timely and it will go a long way in helping them achieve their goal of enhancing the country’s leadership in digital payments. Enhanced regulation around this area will bring clarity in terms of the rules to be followed and fast track the development of the industry.
Section III: Factors driving the Growth of Mobile Payment Platforms and their Benefits
One of the main factors that has driven the growth of mobile payment platforms over the past year is the pandemic, as people now prefer using mobile or card payments as opposed to traditional cash transactions in line with the social distancing restrictions that were introduced. Further to this, governments have been advocating for the same in a bid to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Aside from this, transitioning into a cashless economy is a topic that has been on our minds for a few years now. The factors that have supported the growth of mobile payment platforms include:
During the advent of the coronavirus, the CBK announced and rapidly implemented several emergency measures to support the financial sector in its role of financing the economy. The government did so to encourage the use of contactless modes of payment, to prevent the spread of the virus through handling banknotes. Consequently, a significant increase in the use of mobile money was noted during the period the measures were in place; person-to-person transactions increased by 87.0% between February and October 2020.
Benefits of mobile payment platforms:
Some of the major benefits of using mobile payments include:
Section IV: Conclusion
In conclusion, mobile payment platforms in the country have grown significantly mainly supported by the increasing number of mobile phone users, coupled with the rapid growth in ecommerce where businesses make use of the same platforms for ease of transacting. The move by the government to set up the National Payment Service Vision and Strategy 2021-2025 is a step in the right direction, given the collaborative approach the CBK has taken by including both industry experts and other stakeholders. This means that for mobile payments, there will be: (i) increased regulation where we might see changes like the possible rationalization of transaction fees and other charges related to mobile transactions. This will ultimately improve the quality of services that users will be receiving and help provide financial services to the unbanked population in the country.
We recommend that the government provide incentives to help encourage service providers to participate to encourage competition in the sector where M-PESA controls more than 95.0% of the market.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are those of the writers where particulars are not warranted. This publication is meant for general information only and is not a warranty, representation, advice or solicitation of any nature. Readers are advised in all circumstances to seek the advice of a registered investment advisor.


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(Reuters) - Texas Instruments Inc (TXN.O) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter chip sales as customers in a broad array of industries replenished depleted inventories.
TI shares rose more than 3.4 percent in late trade on Monday after the maker of chips for a broad array of manufacturers in everything from consumer electronics to industrial equipment said
it saw a December demand improvement that continued in January.
After shaving back their stocks of chips since around mid-year, TI’s clients began speeding up orders last month because demand from the consumers and businesses that buy their products was not as light as they had feared.
“We think our customers have reached a point where their (inventory) numbers were extremely lean,” Chief Financial Officer Kevin March told Reuters.
TI said it would hire new workers in some factories this quarter to cope with increasing demand. But it also plans to close older factories — one in Texas and another in Japan — in the next 18 months to cut costs.
TI’s outlook for the current quarter was not very strong due to a drop off in sales in a wireless business it is shuttering. But analysts were still encouraged by the fourth quarter.
“Everybody feared we’d end the holiday season with abysmal sales. The reality is that end-demand is better than TI customers had originally feared,” said Williams Financial analyst Cody Acree. “We’re not calling for great growth but we’re not heading into the abyss.”
Before TI issued results, upbeat forecasts by smaller rivals Linear Technology LLTC.O and Xilinx (XLNX.O) last week had already made investors optimistic that a drawdown of chip inventories in the broader market may be ending.
Much of the chip industry has been in a funk since mid-2011, when manufacturers began to cut orders of new product and use up existing inventories due to jitters about a gloomy economy.
Also on Monday, European chipmaker STMicroelectronics (STM.PA) suggested that customers had resumed buying chips after depleting their stocks.
TI reported a fourth-quarter profit of $298 million, or 25 cents per share, compared with $942 million, or 78 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.
Revenue fell to $3.42 billion from $3.53 billion, but above Wall Street’s expectations of $3.25 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
TI had warned December 8 that chip demand was weak, forecasting quarterly earnings per share in a range of 21 to 25 cents on revenue of $3.19 billion to $3.33 billion.
But March said that orders started to improve right away after the December warning.
TI’s forecast for first-quarter revenue in a range of $3.02 billion to $3.28 billion was much weaker than Wall Street expectations for $3.47 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
March blamed TI’s weak revenue guidance for the current quarter primarily on a decline in its baseband chip segment, which it plans to shutter by the end of this year.
Revenue from the baseband business, whose main customer is Nokia NOK1V.HE, will fall to about $75 million this quarter from $279 million in the fourth quarter, March said.
Excluding the decline in baseband revenue, he said TI’s first-quarter revenue would have fallen 2 percent from the fourth quarter, compared with the more typical sequential decline of 4 percent.
The Dallas-based chip maker also said it would incur charges of about $215 million from the closure of a factory in Hiji, Japan, and another in Houston, Texas, in the next 18 months.
It already shouldered just over half the cost of the closures in the fourth quarter and expected the rest to hit in the next several quarters.
But once the closures are complete, TI said they would cut annual costs by about $100 million.
TI shares were up more than 3.4 percent at $34.34 in after-hours trading on Monday, compared with their Nasdaq closing price of $33.19.
Additional reporting by Noel Randewich in San Francisco, Editing by Steve Orlofsky, Matthew Lewis, Bernard Orr and Lisa Shumaker


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Amazon Web Services made a clear entrance into the no-code space last week when it launched its Honeycode platform, an application building solution geared toward business users without programming skills.
The tool uses a visual application builder centered around a spreadsheet that lets users spin up applications to track data and workflows in an enterprise setting. Currently in a beta phase, Amazon will let customers build applications with up to 20 users for free.
The AWS solution entered a market packed with competitors. The low- and no-code space is home to 200 vendors, according to a 2019 Gartner report. To stand out, AWS is narrowing its approach, aiming for workers in line of business roles, not technical staff.
The sweet spot for Honeycode users are business analysts or program managers who currently use spreadsheets to track deliverables, and who often turn to IT or outsourced developers to ask for custom programs, according to AWS VP Larry Augustin.
"There are lots of people who have those business problems," Augustin told CIO Dive. "There are not enough developers to build custom solutions for them. We hear this from our customers all the time."
But two analysts consulted by CIO Dive contend Amazon's solution isn't ready to compete in the mature low-code space. After evaluating the platform, both cited challenges in usability and the heft of its capabilities.
"It feels like a prototype," said John Bratincevic, senior analyst at Forrester, in an interview with CIO Dive. "I'm surprised they released it as it stands. It needs a lot of polish. They were going for 'intuitive' but it's actually pretty unintuitive."
Honeycode is following a pattern familiar to Amazon: releasing a tool that will quickly be iterated upon, according to Bratincevic.
But AWS needs to "iterate on it quick," he said. "How you get the spreadsheet to act like a database is very obtuse, and then how you layer on the [user interface] is definitely unintuitive."
A trial balloon
With Honeycode, AWS is entering a low-code and digital process automation market that's set to double revenues in the next four years, soaring from $7 billion in projected revenue in 2020, to $14.5 billion in 2024, according to Forrester projections.
But compared to tools already available on the market, Honeycode feels "very lightweight," said Jason Wong, research vice president at Gartner, in an interview with CIO Dive.
"It's probably a trial balloon for them to see what types of usage and adoption they get," said Wong. Though AWS is connected to the developer community, this marks a foray into the citizen developer audience.
Outside of developer rooms, the low-code space attracts business users with its graphic interface, letting teams infuse more efficient processes to their daily workflow through clicks instead of lines of code.
"This is for teams to use Honeycode to get more efficient with their business processes and their productivity," said Meera Vaidyanathan, director of product management for Amazon Honeycode at AWS, in an interview with CIO Dive. "As with any first version product, we're looking forward to learning from customer feedback."
Regardless of industry, CIOs are reevaluating their plans for the rest of the year as the pandemic unfolds. Reassessment includes looking closely at which tools they adopt, a decision dependent on the efficiency the platforms can deliver.
AWS isn't hoping Honeycode can be "all things to all people," Augustin said. Instead, it's centering its approach on providing value to line-of-business workers based on the spreadsheet framework they're already familiar with.
At least in concept, Honeycode received praise from Patrick Moorhead, founder, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.
"This is a big announcement by [AWS]," said Moorhead in a tweet. "Demand for no code, low code, RPA is rising given the huge demand for apps and the lack of programmers. The notion is if you can create a pivot table or Excel macro, you can use these tools."
But lacking a widely adopted bundle of office efficiency tools, which Microsoft and Google already have, widespread adoption may prove difficult for Honeycode.
With its acquisition of no-code platform AppSheet, Google shut down its low-code platform, App Maker, in January. Microsoft's Power Apps and Power Automate platforms are expected to reach half of the developer audience this year, Forrester predicted at the end of 2019.
"There are a bunch of other vendors out there with more mature products," said Wong. "If they're competing with Microsoft or Google, those products have the benefit of being attached to G-suite and Office 365. They can use that as a Trojan horse, as leverage."
To attract a wider contingent of the citizen developer audience, the tool will need to enhance the way the user interface (UI) designer connects to the spreadsheet component, Bratincevic said.
"It feels like there's a spreadsheet imitation but it's not quite a spreadsheet," Bratincevic said. How the UI builder relates back to the data sources it draws from can be confusing.
"The pieces are good," he said. "But they have to come together so they're greater than the sum of the parts."
What comes next is listening intently to user feedback on Honeycode, said Vaidyanathan. "I spend quite a bit of my day looking at the forum and what people are saying," she said. "We're just going to be listening to all of this feedback and starting to react to it as quickly as we can."


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We are already in the middle of April and May is coming around soon.
It will soon be earnings season again for companies.
A few of the REITs, such as CapitaLand Mall Trust (SGX: C38U), have opted to stick with quarterly reporting.
Other prominent REITs, such as Frasers Centrepoint Trust (SGX: J69U) and Mapletree Commercial Trust (SGX: N2IU), will be reporting its half-year 2020 and full-year 2020 earnings respectively, in due course.
By now, hardly any companies or REITs can claim to be immune from the pernicious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are four key aspects to watch out for when REITs report their earnings.
The occupancy rate is a key operating metric for a REIT. This metric tells investors what the level of vacancy is throughout the REIT’s properties.
For hospitality REITs, this metric is of particular importance as COVID-19 has hit the hotel industry hard.
Many hotels have reported sharp plunges in room occupancy all around the world.
A low occupancy rate means that the REIT is unable to generate enough rental income. By implication, that could mean that the REIT’s distribution per unit (DPU) will be reduced.
For retail, commercial and industrial REITs, a declining occupancy rate (compared on a year on year basis) implies that more tenants may be giving up their leases due to an inability to generate sufficient cash flows.
In short, a lower occupancy rate (i.e. higher vacancy rate) does not bode well for a REIT.
Rental reversion describes the change in the average rental rates the REIT is achieving across all its tenants.
Positive rental reversion implies that tenants are paying more than they did a year ago.
The pandemic has depressed demand for office, industrial and retail space.
Higher vacancy rates will push up the total supply of available space.
Based on the law of supply and demand, rental rates should, therefore, come down as supply surges.
Investors should look for signs of negative rental reversion, as well as the magnitude of such reversions.
Distribution per unit
For income-driven investors, DPU is one of the most important aspects to scrutinise.
A sharp drop in rental revenue would flow down to lower distributable income.
As REITs have to pay out at least 90% of their earnings as dividends, lower income levels will lead to lower payouts for unitholders.
A precedent has already been set. SPH REIT (SGX: SK6U) had slashed its DPU by nearly 80% in early April.
Other REITs are almost certain to follow suit.
The question now is the magnitude of the DPU cut, and how long this will persist.
Commentary on future prospects
Finally, investors should keep an eye out for the management discussion and analysis (MD&A) section of each earnings release.
Most REITs include a press release and presentation slides along with their financial statements.
The MD&A should cover the COVID-19 impact on the REIT, the current state of the industry, and management’s view on how long the challenges will persist.
These facts will provide investors with a clearer picture on the scale of the problems and how management is taking actions to mitigate their impact.
Get Smart: Monitor the health of your REITs
It is the responsibility of each investor to monitor the underlying health of the REITs within their portfolio.
Though REITs are viewed as stable, income-generating securities, they are not immune to downturns caused by economic crises and pandemics.
COVID-19 has been unprecedented in its impact and there is no recent history to compare with.
Investors, therefore, need to be vigilant in assessing how each REIT is impacted.
With share prices battered to multi-year lows, many attractive investment opportunities have emerged. In a special FREE report, we show you 3 stocks that we think will be suitable for our portfolio. Simply click here to scoop up your FREE copy… before the next stock market rally.
Disclaimer: Royston Yang does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned.


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Plant-Based Diets Gain Popularity as a Prominent Nutrition Trend
A growing number of individuals embrace plant-based diets for health and environmental reasons.
03/07/2023; 09.41 AM | Lucknow, India
In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in dietary preferences, with more people opting for plant-based diets. This trend, fueled by health-conscious individuals and environmental concerns, is reshaping the way we approach nutrition and food choices.
A surge in scientific research supporting the health benefits of plant-based diets has contributed to their rising popularity. Studies have shown that a well-planned plant-based diet can provide essential nutrients, promote weight management, lower the risk of chronic diseases, and improve overall well-being. Additionally, plant-based diets are often associated with reduced environmental impact, making them an attractive choice for those seeking sustainable lifestyle practices.
The increasing availability of plant-based food options in grocery stores, restaurants, and food delivery services has further facilitated the adoption of this dietary approach. From plant-based meat alternatives to dairy-free milk alternatives, individuals now have a wide range of choices to support their plant-based lifestyle.
Leading nutritionists and dietitians emphasize the importance of proper planning and balanced nutrition when following a plant-based diet. They highlight the significance of incorporating a variety of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, to ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Dr. Jessica Patel, a registered dietitian, commented, “Plant-based diets can provide numerous health benefits when planned appropriately. They are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that support overall well-being. However, it’s important to be mindful of nutrient adequacy and consider consulting a healthcare professional or registered dietitian to ensure a well-balanced plant-based diet.”
As the popularity of plant-based diets continues to grow, it has prompted food companies and culinary experts to develop innovative plant-based recipes and products. This expanding market offers a wider array of options for individuals embracing plant-based lifestyles, making it easier than ever to enjoy delicious and nutritious plant-powered meals.
The adoption of plant-based diets not only benefits individual health but also contributes to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly food system. By reducing reliance on animal products and embracing plant-centric meals, individuals can play a role in mitigating climate change and promoting a greener future.
As the interest in plant-based diets intensifies, ongoing research and scientific advancements will continue to shed light on their potential health benefits and impact on the planet. Stay tuned for more updates and insights into the world of plant-based nutrition as we navigate this evolving dietary landscape.


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WASHINGTON – U.S. wholesalers pared back inventories for the seventh consecutive month in December even as sales declined, the government said Friday.
The Commerce Department said stocks of unsold goods on wholesaler's shelves fell 0.6 percent in December to $288.2 billion after falling a revised 1.3 percent in November. The dip in inventory levels was roughly in line with the 0.5 percent decline forecast by economists in a Reuters poll.
Sales also dropped in December, dipping 0.4 percent to $222.7 billion after being unchanged in November.
The stock to sales ratio, which measures how long it would take to deplete inventories at the current sales pace, declined slightly to 1.29 months compared to 1.30 months in November.


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Op-Ed: Fentanyl pill producers used to mimic other pharmaceuticals, now they don’t have to
Kai Riemenschneider, founder and CEO of Fentanyl-maker Dendreon (dwnr.com) Kai Riemenschneider
The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a massive transformation because of its long-term viability—and now drugmakers have to deal with new regulatory challenges brought on by fentanyl and other new opioids.
Fentanyl and other potent synthetic opioids like it are being manufactured by drug manufacturers all over the country, and are increasingly being sold in state pharmacies.
“People are now coming in and using these products and then moving out once they are out of stock,” said Kai Riemenschneider, founder and CEO of Dendreon—a drug company based in San Francisco, California.
Riemenschneider told MarketWatch that his company uses a simple solution to counteract these opioid-related problems: Dendreon sells a prescription solution dubbed “FiberFlex.”
Riemenschneider told MarketWatch that Dendreon sells fiber-based products online and through pharmacies, which then can be delivered to the patient.
The idea behind Dendreon’s product is to help patients maintain consistent, regular doses of prescription medications, while also having the option to purchase an over-the-counter drug to manage pain or other symptoms.
But Riemenschneider said, “We hope people won’t need to go to the doctor to address symptoms. And if that does become necessary, we will have a solution.”
The opioid crisis has been a big problem for the pharmaceutical industry in recent years.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid, so strong in its effects that it can be fatal.
In 2016, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a “red book” warning of the increased dangers of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. It’s now illegal to sell these drugs over the internet.
But while the U.S. was trying to address the issue of fentanyl, fentanyl was coming to America in other ways—through counterfeit pills


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World Retail Congress 2012
The 2012 World Retail Congress brought together senior executives from many of the world's largest retailers. Internationalisation emerged as a theme this year as retailers look to emerging markets for growth.
A recent focus by retailers on growing their footprints through e-commerce and new stores has come at the expense of product, J Crew CEO Mickey Drexler and Arcadia Group owner Sir Philip Green said last night (21 September) at the World Retail Congress.
J Crew CEO Mickey Drexler today (20 September) confirmed that the US fashion retailer plans to open its first UK store in London store next year.
The degree to which retailers tailor their offer to local markets emerged as a key theme at the Wold Retail Congress yesterday (19 September) - and it seems there are as many different strategies as there are retailers.
The global retail industry is looking to London over the next three days as senior executives converge on the city to discuss the issues facing the sector at the World Retail Congress.
- Under Armour on track with new UAS sportswear line
- Myanmar garment exports surged 20% in 2015
- Unravelling cotton's supply and demand challenges
- EU trade ministers push on TTIP and Canada pacts
- Why synthetic fibres are a safe bet for the future
- US retailers urge action on Hanjin Shipping crisis
- Zara launches eco-friendly Join Life collection
- Brexit may hit suppliers with UK duty-free access
- Adidas unveils first Speedfactory running shoe
- Bangladesh calls for US duty-free apparel access
- Too Many Standards
- Apparel (GLOBAL) - Industry Report
- Southeast Asia strategic sourcing review – a focus on Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar
- Ralph Lauren Corporation : Retailing - Company Profile, SWOT & Financial Analysis
- Central America strategic sourcing review - a focus on Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras


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Business Media for Canadian Retailers
Canadian Cannabis News
Every other Tuesday morning, this digital newsletter features a recap of the Canadian industry’s hottest news and trends that are relevant to cannabis retailers.
Demographics by Job Level
Sponsored ContentDisplay your message as news in a sponsored article, which will link to a page on CannabisRetailer.ca.
“Keep up the great work! What you’re doing with Cannabis Retailer is informative and valuable.”- Cory Waldron, CEO, Mood Cannabis Co.


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Tags: Home sales
New home sales rose 2.3 percent over March in April to a seasonally-adjusted rate of 454,000, the highest it’s been since the summer of 2008, our sister site, Equipment World, reported. Though new home sales increased 29 percent year-over-year in April, ...
At its press conference at the Mid-America Trucking Show, Mack introduced it’s “Pedigree Powertrain”, an integrated powertrain with engine, transmission and axles. Pedigree-spec’d trucks will be adorned with a gold Bulldog hood ornament. “Components designed to work together ...
Sales of newly built, single-family homes slowed 1.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 313,000 units in February, according to data jointly released by HUD and the U.S. Commerce Department today."While many builders are seeing more traffic through ...
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PROTON’S ongoing efforts to improve its brand image and sales performance in Australia received a boost this week with the launch of the Suprima S small hatchback, priced from $21,790 driveaway ahead of its official showroom arrival on January 1, 2014.
The bullish Malaysian car-maker is determined to shed its budget image and move further upmarket in a bid to improve its tiny 0.1 per cent share of Australia’s new-vehicle market, with the Suprima S entering the biggest and arguably most competitive segment.
The $21,790 driveaway price is for the base GX variant matched with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), but by early next year the entry level for the all-new small-car range will drop to $19,790 driveaway with the arrival of a manual version.
Likewise, the GXR range-topper is priced at $26,590 driveaway at launch for the CVT auto, with a manual variant set to arrive a few months after with a $24,990 d/a sticker price.
Rather than introducing another cut-price, cheap-and-cheerful model, Proton has packed the five-door Suprima S with a generous standard features list and says its new contender is the best-equipped Proton ever sold in Australia.
Standard safety features alone run to six airbags, electronic stability and traction control, ABS brakes with EBD, anti-whiplash front head restraints and ‘active hazard lights’.
Proton Cars Australia general manager of sales and marketing Billy Falconer said the company was not necessarily targeting competitors at the lower end of the small-car segment, but was instead focusing on the segment as a whole.
“Basically anyone selling here is a competitor (and) we are not saying any one of those are the ones we are directly competing with,” he said. “We are looking at all those brands and all those vehicles on offer in those segments and we have done a lot of analysis on all the competitors in those segments.
“It is about lifting the brand image away from that ‘cheap and nasty’ and I guess some of the lower brands out there that we want to move away from.”
While the mechanically related Preve sedan that launched earlier this year is currently being pushed with a $15,990 driveaway price and has less standard gear, Proton’s pricing puts it in the same league as mainstream small-car rivals including the market-leading Toyota Corolla (from $19,990), Nissan Pulsar hatch (from $18,990), Holden Cruze (from $19,490) and Kia Cerato (from $19,990), all excluding on-road costs.
Proton executives at this week’s launch event did not reveal sales targets, but hopes are high for the stylish hatchback and the Malaysian brand is no doubt hoping to shift more units than the Preve has managed since its launch at the start of this year (222 registrations to the end of October).
The Malaysian brand collaborated with Italdesign Giugiaro in designing the Preve and this style has been retained for the Suprima S hatch. In fact, the front two thirds of the car is mostly Preve, with additional touches such as a black honeycomb grille and LED daytime running lights (a first for a Malaysian car) differentiating it from its more budget-friendly booted twin.
The rear end is a completely new design, and the car features a new 16-inch (GX) or 17-inch (GXR) seven-spoke alloy wheel design.
Proton is leveraging its ownership of British sportscar-maker Lotus in promoting the Suprima S, and as GoAuto has reported, the new model is the first in Proton’s line-up since the Satria GTi of the 1990s to overtly feature handling development by Lotus.
Power comes from a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 103kW at 5000rpm and 205Nm of torque from 2000-4000rpm. The ‘ProTronic’ CVT has seven ‘ratios’, while the forthcoming manual is a six-speed unit.
This is a significant improvement over the naturally aspirated unit under the bonnet of the Preve, which produces 80kW and 150Nm, and is about on par with the 103kW/200Nm Cruze’s smaller-capacity 1.4-litre turbo unit, and the 103kW/173Nm 1.8-litre naturally aspirated engine in the Corolla.
Proton claims the Suprima can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 190km/h, while fuel consumption comes in at 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres on the official combined cycle.
Fuel use for the turbocharged Suprima S is naturally a bit thirstier than the atmo Preve, which has official figures of 7.2L/100km for the manual and 8.0 for the CVT. It also consumes more than the 1.4-litre Cruze turbo that sips 6.4L/100km in manual guise and 6.9L/100km with an auto.
The vehicle architecture is shared with the Preve sedan, along with major chassis hard points such as the suspension configuration comprising MacPherson struts up front and a multilink arrangement at the rear.
Lotus ride and handling has been developed especially for the Suprima S and Proton says it makes for an “agile chassis” that delivers an “incomparable driving experience and enjoyment behind the wheel every time”.
The point is pushed further with the inclusion of a ‘Lotus Ride and Handling’ badge on the rear of the car.
Both the GX and GXR carry standard features such as front and rear foglights, daytime running lights, a rear spoiler, Bluetooth phone and audio, USB and auxiliary jack and steering-wheel phone and audio controls.
Shelling out the additional $4800 for the much more generously equipped GXR adds front parking sensors, a reversing camera, infotainment system with seven-inch touchscreen, satellite navigation and DVD player, paddle shifters, cruise control, push-button start, automatic climate control air-conditioning, automatic headlights and wipers, hill-hold assist and leather trim.
Proton is still to provide an official cargo capacity for the Suprima S, saying only that it has “plenty” of usable luggage space behind the 60/40 split-fold rear seats.
In a move to further distance itself from its less-than-stellar safety record, Proton is heavily promoting the safety credentials of the Suprima S. Along with the aforementioned standard safety equipment, the vehicle was recently awarded a five-star crash-test rating from Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
Proton says its ‘Reinforced Safety Structure’ frame developed specifically for the Preve and Suprima S was the key to its top crash-test rating.
To sweeten the deal, the Malaysian brand is offering an impressive five-year/150,000km warranty, roadside assistance over the warranty period, a five-year/75,000km free servicing deal and a seven-year anti-corrosion warranty.


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South Korean fab equipment firm Hanmi Semiconductor said on Monday that it has completed a new factory to manufacture dual-chuck saw used in chip packaging.
The factory was built at an industrial park at Incheon and will manufacture Hanmi’s dual-chuck saws, called Micro Saw by the company.
The new factory was built on 6,581 meter-square of space and is three stories tall.
The building houses 40 work bays, a large cleanroom, an advanced measuring room and the latest packaging system. It will be able to handle chip assembly, testing and supply.
Hanmi said it has spent 59 billion won for the past two years on the new factory and other facility expansions.
It now has four factories on 40,773 meter-square of space which it calls its own fab equipment cluster.
The company said it now has the capacity to manufacture 1,320 units of fab equipment per year, which equals around 600 billion won in sales per year.
This was the largest capacity in the world for a chip backend company, Hanmi claimed.
The company said it will be able to react to rising demand from assembly and testing companies that are, in turn, benefiting from the high demand for semiconductors and TSMC’s increased spending in its foundry operation.


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It’s time for baseball fans to think ahead to spring and summer. Hartford Yard Goats tickets went on sale this morning.
You can buy tickets in person at the Click It or Ticket Box Office at Dunkin’ Donuts Park.
A Look at the Yard Goats' Mascots Chompers and Chew Chew
The first 50 fans to buy tickets in person will receive a $25 Dunkin’ gift card.
Starting at noon, you can order tickets over the phone and online at www.yardgoatsbaseball.com.
The home opener will be on Thursday, April 11 at 7:05 p.m. The Yard Goats will host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Opening Day 2018: Hartford Yard Goats Fans Flock to Dunkin' Donuts Stadium
“We are excited to announce that our individual game tickets will be available for our fans on February 8th, the earliest we’ve had them on sale,” Yard Goats General Manager Mike Abramson said in a statement. “Yard Goats fans are the best and most loyal fans in baseball, and we can’t wait to see them this season!”


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Iowa State's Seneca Wallace returns to Ames as entrepreneur
Former Iowa State University quarterback Seneca Wallace is coming back to Ames. This time he’ll trade the football field for the restaurant business.
Wallace plans to open a fast-casual chicken wing restaurant call Wingstop next spring.
“This brand has been expanding globally, but the Midwest has not been tapped into,” said Wallace, who lives in Dallas, Texas.
The Ames Wingstop is expected to be built in an Ames strip mall at 703 S. Duff Ave. The 2-year-old center also houses HuHot Mongolian Grill and Firehouse Subs.
Building owner Dean Hunziker said Wingstop will be a good addition to the retail center.
“It is a growth franchise that I have heard is first class,” he said.
Wingstop’s simple menu includes chicken wings, french fries and a few other sides, including rolls, coleslaw, potato salad and veggies, like carrots and celery. Customers are encouraged to order online, but they can also order at the counter. The Ames store will seat about 50 people.
There are two other Wingstop stores in Iowa: one in Dubuque and the other in Cedar Rapids. Wallace said his franchise agreement calls for four more stores. He is looking in the Des Moines area for locations.
Wallace said he became interested in Wingstop after investigating other franchise businesses. He was familiar with the brand, which is based in Dallas. Former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman was once a spokesman and investor in Wingstop and recommended the business to Wallace.
Wallace threw for 4,164 yards and led the Cyclones to a 14-12 record during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. His dramatic touchdown run against Texas Tech in 2002, dubbed "The Run," drew widespread attention and cemented his ISU legacy.
He when on to play professional football with the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers.
Since leaving football in 2013, he has been living and coaching in Dallas.
Running a restaurant “will be a whole new experience for me,” he said. He does not plan to move back to Iowa, but will hire a management team to operate the Wingstop.


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While Apple Embraces India, Google Turns Its Back
Bangalore: While Apple, the makers of some most desirable gadgets in the world, is quietly picking up its pace with the country, its rival Google tries to ignore India. The last two years saw Google launching 6 Nexus Smartphones and tablets with its hardware partners out of which only one made its way to India reports TOI.
Nexus devices which primarily compete with iPhones and iPads are considered best in their class. Gaurav Shukla, the editor of androidOS.in also states the same as the device price ($299 for basic model) has an incredible value for money. But even after 50 days of its availability in the U.S., it is yet to reach India and for Smartphone enthusiasts, it may become a big issue because Nexus devices are the only ones which provide a pure ‘Android experience’.
Avoiding questions regarding the availability of Nexus, Google recently told Times of India that they were making wider reaches for their products, but there were no new announcements till now.
The staunch in number of Nexus devices may have halted its availability. This may be due to the lack of Google’s integration with its hardware partners. Other reasons could be such that Asus and Samsung have their own devices and tend to be cautious of Nexus devices even if they partner with Google for the programme.
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The Chevy Volt, General Motors' pride and great hope for the future, has entered the pre-production phase, with engineers assembling a vehicle that looks identical to the design that is planned to be coming off the assembly line late this year. After months and years of waiting, GM's launch of the first mainstream electric vehicle is almost at hand.
GM Executive Director for Research and Development Dr. Alan Taub, speaking at a conference at the North Carolina Solar Center at NCSU, says that he believes the Volt will be integral to GM's turnaround. He stated, "The key is to be ready when the market rebounds with technologies and vehicles that people got to have. We really think the Volt represents the next generation in propulsion technology around what we are calling the reinvention of the vehicle. It's going to be electrified drive. It's going to be connected to the world through electronics."
The new pre-production models will be play a critical role in preparing for the vehicles deployment. They will be used as integration models, tweaking minor parameters to help lower wind resistance. They will also be battered and bruised to make sure the vehicle is road-worthy.
Previous "test drives" by the press in "Volts" were not really a Chevy Volt -- rather, they were a similarly designed Chevy Malibu or Cruze-based test mule. The current production marks the first Volt of the finalized design to be produced. The cars are being built at the Technical Center in Detroit, MI. It takes two weeks for engineers to hand-assemble one of the cars.
GM spokesman Rob Peterson cheered the news, stating, "The purpose for the integration vehicle builds is two-fold. First, they validate our production design, vehicle safety and performance capabilities. Just as important, the build activity provides valuable insight into the final vehicle assembly process to ensure a high-level of build quality and manufacturing efficiency when production begins in November 2010."
By mid-July, GM will have ramped up the pre-production to a rate of 10 vehicles per week. GM will have a fleet of 80 pre-production Volts by the fall. The Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly will start mass producing pre-production models next spring, providing "several hundred" vehicles to invade showrooms across the country.
Automotive industry experts say that vehicles like the Volt face a tough road ahead, but may offer solutions to critical environmental and national security problems. States, Anne Tazewell, of the North Carolina Solar Center at NCSU, "There are a lot of variables, and one is our will to continue investing in this. We have an environmental imperative and we really do have an economic imperative because of our reliance on imported oil. But we're also kind of battling the more immediate economic situation.”


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CHESTERTON | The perfect weather on Saturday brought out hundreds, if not more, to the 11th annual European Market in downtown Chesterton.
Heather Ennis, executive director of the Duneland Chamber of Commerce which operates the event, said it was wonderful to be back again this year.
“This is such a community and it’s a great chance for our vendors to see each other again, getting back together after a long winter. They truly respect and care about each other, said Ennis.
This year the market boasts more vendors than in any past year, said Allyson Baughman, director of marketing for the chamber.
“We have 93 vendors out here today and we had to expand the market into Thomas Park and down 3rd Street. Last year we had 12 vendors sign up for the entire season and this year we have 44,” Baughman said.
For Michelle Zandstra, sales manager for Marilyn’s Bakery of Hobart, the market has been a success since day one when they first began participating.
“It’s local, it’s close, and everyone loves our products so we like to please them. Our most popular pies are our apple, cherry, berry berry, caramel apple,” said Zandstra who notes that seasonal pies are added as the market goes along, like rhubarb pie in a week or two.
Bea Fontecchio, manager of Bit of Swiss, a Michigan vendor that offers pastries, said that they too have been coming since day one, but it was about more than just the product.
“The people here are just wonderful. They’re very friendly and sure they love our pastries, but it just feels like family,” Fontecchio said.
Other vendors offered salsas, homemade soaps, crafts, barbecue, photography, fused glass jewelry, first-edition books, pet snacks and supplies, herbs and plants, honey, pierogi, pizzas, curries, coffee and even fresh saltwater shrimp.
The market runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday in downtown Chesterton through the end of October.


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24 April 2018
Long A-Class saloon for China only
It's a long-wheelbase version of the new generation A-Class saloon, designed and built for China preferences for more rear room. The standard wheelbase hatchback A-Class will be reaching first customers in Europe in May, and a standard saloon will come in the second half of the year.
The car will feature the latest driving assistance and connectivity functions rolled out already in many Mercedes-Benz models from the S-Class to the new Sprinter van.
China is the biggest individual market for Mercedes-Benz and Smart cars, and 430,000 of the 610,000 sold last year were manufactured locally.


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On a cricket high
Starting February 19, India is going to see heightened cricketing frenzy for 90 days as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 takes off, followed by the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, after a six-day gap.business Updated: Jan 30, 2011 22:04 IST
Starting February 19, India is going to see heightened cricketing frenzy for 90 days as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 takes off, followed by the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, after a six-day gap.
The frenzy will be enhanced by brands associating with the two major cricketing events and are going all out to create massive cricket surround noise. Every sponsor on the Cricket World Cup is talking “360-degree” brand activity.ICC itself has a high decibel advertising campaign, taglined "The Cup That Counts" on TV; a Cricket World Cup song, "De Ghuma Ke"; and a CSR initiative with UNAIDS for schools across India. The Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2011 ‘tightrope’ ad is already on TV.
Sponsor Pepsi, besides the TV advertising taglined “Change the Game” — with Dhoni’s ‘helicopter shot’ and Harbajan Singh’s ‘doosra’ ads on air and another three to come up — has a high decibel contest, “Pepsi Change the Game 11”, that will take 11 winners to live CWC matches. MTV is covering the contest and will broadcast it like a reality show.
Every major CWC sponsor is holding contests that will culminate in winners being taken for live matches.
Abhijit Avasthi, national creative director, Ogilvy & Mather, the agency that has created ICC’s ad campaign, observed: “Brand activity has probably not reached this kind of scale before.”
On those brands associating with both CWC 2011 and IPL4, he said, “They are both different media opportunities. CWC, played every four years, is about more serious cricket; IPL is like a snack — a lot more entertaining.”
Pepsi is going to be present on both cricketing events, though “as its official sponsors, our campaign riding on CWC is our largest this year. The game of cricket has changed dramatically in recent years, become more innovative, unorthodox. Our campaign is aimed at expressing this change and inspiring India’s youth to make change happen,” said Sandeep Singh Arora, EVP marketing, cola, PepsiCo India.
Another brand associating with both cricket events is LG, with LG Mobile being CWC’s mobile sponsor.
“IPL for LG is a potent media vehicle. Our association with IPL is as sponsors on television broadcast. The ICC sponsorship gives us the platform to engage directly with audiences at the highest level of the game. Therefore, the strategy is to get media share of voice with one, and big consumer engagement with the other,” said LK Gupta, CMO, LG India.
He added: “Our focus on activation during CWC 2011 is not linked only to product sales, but more to creating a bridge between the brand and potential consumers. The emphasis is on engagement, driven through advertising, extensive ground activation and use of the digital medium as a key building block.”
Giriraj Bagri, VP marketing, India and South Asia, Castrol, a major ICC sponsor, said, “We are spending 25-30% of our annual ad budget on CWC 2011. We already have Castrol Index with real-time indices on castrolcricket.com, a strategic property.”
He says that between 2010 and 2015, 50-60 million new car and motorbike owners will get added on in India. “92% of Indian males are involved with cricket in some form or other, and it is a favoured pastime for 48% of the Indian population,” said Bagri. Castrol has launched a contest, “Castrol World Cup Ka Hero”. Sachin Tendulkar is its endorser.
Broadcasting and production partner for CWC 2011, ESPN Star Sports, is going all out to make the event huge on TV. Aloke Malik, MD, ESPN Software India, said, “From our perspective, major highlights include 3G mobile streaming of live matches, a new Decision Review System, and production of CWC 2011 in HD format.”
The online partner for CWC 2011, Yahoo!, is “mapping cricket experiences around our products,” said Nitin Mathur, senior director - marketing, Yahoo India.
Published reports say that brand spends on both cricket events could exceed Rs 3,000 crore. While media agencies’ estimates for ESPN Star Sports and SET MAX (IPL’s broadcaster), are more conservative, market sources estimate that ESPN will rake in around Rs 750 crore, and SET MAX Rs 800-850 crore.
Media agency Mind-share’s Jai Lala, principal partner – exchange, said, “Ad budgets have doubled since 2007.
Involved’ media (the internet) offer brands consumer interaction opportunities. But activation-based efforts can happen only before the tournaments. Once the tournaments begin, live viewing, dominated by TV, will prevail.”
He expects a 15-20% TV viewership drop during IPL4 due to the fatigue factor, “but IPL4 will remain the number one viewed event in 2011 in India.”


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3D Creator on Sony Xperia XZ can now post directly to Facebook
3D Facebook Posts with new Update.
One of the standout features of the Sony Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact handsets we reviewed last year was the quick, accurate and very flexible 3D Creator. It easily allowed you to create a 3D model of almost anything or anyone and, well, that was about it.
It had great potential and we were interested to see where this technology would go to make it more useful or mainstream. From today, a new update to 3D Creator means that users can share their 3D scans directly to their Facebook friends using Facebook’s interactive 3D post format, so anyone who sees the post will be able to rotate, spin, pinch and zoom in directly from the Facebook News Feed - opening up a whole new world of possibilities for 3D sharing.
Artists or business might post a 3D Scan of their wares, hairdressers could have a 3D Scan of hairstyles they offer. It gives businesses more opportunities for customers to get a good look at their wares from the comfort of their own homes.
This was made possible by Facebook rolling out support for the industry-standard glTF 2.0 file format for Facebook 3D posts. With glTF 2.0 compliance comes support for textures, lighting, and realistic rendering techniques — so from rough to shiny, metallic to soft, beautifully detailed 3D art can now come alive on Facebook.
3D creation is no longer just for professionals – 3D Creator by Sony has made it accessible to everyone, the application will be updated through Google Play.


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时间：2023-12-05 03:04:21 来源：网络整理 编辑：재무
LG Group affiliates, including the country's leading home appliance maker, LG Electronics, are
LG Group affiliates, including the country's leading home appliance maker, LG Electronics, are preparing grand promotional events to celebrate the first championship win of its baseball team, the LG Twins, in 29 years.
The Twins defeated the KT Wiz 6-2 in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, claiming the best-of-seven series 4-1 on Monday, for their first championship since 1994.
"I am really grateful to the fans who have shown unchanging love and support for the LG Twins, waiting the long time of 29 years,” LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo said after the game. Koo watched the game wearing the team's signature shiny jacket.
“I would also like to thank and congratulate the proud players and the staff for impressing us every moment.”
LG Electronics said it is preparing to launch a grand sales promotion event, to offer its home appliances and IT gadgets at special prices. The company said it is discussing the details and will soon make an announcement.
LG Uplus Corp., South Korea's No. 3 mobile carrier, and LG Household and Health Care, a major consumer goods company selling cosmetics, beverages and household goods, also said they are preparing promotional events.
LG Electronics already launched a lottery event to cheer for the LG Twins in September, to give out autographed Twins jackets and uniforms as well as fried chicken coupons to its customers.
It was in 1990 when LG acquired MBC Blue Dragon, a Seoul club that was launched in 1982, and changed the name to the LG Twins. LG's team won the Korean Series championship in its first year in 1990, and again in 1994.
Then-Chairman Koo Bon-moo, who owned the baseball team and had much affection for it, bought a Rolex watch in 1998 -- four years after the team's second championship -- for the team to give to its next Korean Series MVP winner.
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|Cowboys lose close contest to Marauders|
|Written by Staci Gasser|
|Wednesday, 23 January 2013 00:00|
The two most heated rivals in the Verde Valley clashed on the court for the first of two meetings this season, and the battle all came down to the very end.
The Camp Verde Cowboys [7-16] and the Mingus Union Marauders [9-12] literally went shot-for-shot in their game at Camp Verde on Thursday, Jan. 17, in a fan-filled gymnasium. The game could have gone either way as the adrenaline of the players pumped up the crowd, but the Marauders took a lead in the final minutes that the Cowboys just couldn’t catch up to.
“We played extremely hard. I was very proud of my boys for that,” Cowboys Head Coach Dan Wall said. “It was a battle. We’ve been working on it and talking about it at practice and that was our No. 1 thing — to take care of the basketball and play as hard as we possibly could. I feel like my boys left it on the court.
“They played their hearts out. I couldn’t be more proud of my boys.”
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Jan. 23, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
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Barnet F.C has announced that over 700 season tickets have been sold as part of the early bird promotion
‘The cheapest ticket in town’. That’s how London’s Evening Standard described it and 700 Bees fans seem to agree as Barnet doubled the season ticket figures they normally get.
Speaking to the Barnet F.C official website, Chairman Tony Kleanthous said: ‘Although short of our target, this is a great achievement and more than doubles our usual total’
What do you think of Barnet’s early bird initiative? Does it represent value for money? Leave your comments below!


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Gold, Silver Price Drop: Gold and silver prices are falling ahead of Diwali. Today, Monday, the price of gold has fallen to around Rs 60,000. If the price of gold continues to fall like this, then those who buy jewelery this Diwali will benefit. Let’s take a look at the price of 10 grams of gold on Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) today…
What is the price of gold and silver in multi commodity exchange?
On Monday, November 6, 2023, both gold and silver prices on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) declined. Gold futures on December 5, 2023 fell by Rs 218 or 0.36 per cent to Rs 60,802 per 10 gram on MCX. At the close of the previous session, gold was trading at Tk 61,020 per 10 grams.
Meanwhile, silver futures on December 5, 2023 rose by Tk 80 or 0.11 per cent to trade at Tk 72,252 per kg at the MCX from the previous price of Tk 72,172.
Besides, gold price was Rs 61,075 per 10 grams on Friday, according to rates published by the India Bullion and Jewelers Association.
The world market has also reduced the price of gold and silver
The prices of gold and silver are also falling in the world market. Gold is trading at $1,900 an ounce on the Comox. In addition, the price of silver touched 23.26 dollars per ounce.
What is the price of gold and silver today in any major city of the country?
• In New Delhi on Monday, 22 carat gold was traded at Tk 56,500 per 10 grams and silver at Tk 75,200 per kg.
• In Mumbai, 22 carat gold was traded at Rs 56,250 per 10 grams and silver at Rs 75,200 per kg on Monday.
• In Kolkata today, the price of 22 carat gold per 10 grams is Tk 56,250 and the price of silver is Tk 75,200 per kg.
• In Chennai on Monday, 22 carat gold was traded at Rs 57,000 per 10 grams and silver at Rs 78,200 per kg.


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Q: Is it true that wine contains anti-aging properties?—Kim, Baltimore
A: The short answer is we don't know yet. There's plenty of evidence suggesting that moderate wine consumption has health benefits, but anti-aging properties are trickier to prove. Scientists have turned to resveratrol, an anti-inflammatory polyphenol found in red wine, to help understand if wine could stop or reverse aging in humans.
"Several studies have demonstrated that resveratrol has the potential to neutralize or inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation," said Dr. Stephanie S. Trovato, assistant professor of dermatology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. ROS refers to cells that undergo accumulation of oxidative damage which is associated with aging. Trovato adds that studies involving mice have suggested that resveratrol may protect skin from photo-aging (aging related to sun exposure). But it's still too early to tell for humans.
"While the evidence on the potential anti-aging benefits of resveratrol is promising, prospective trials with resveratrol are needed in order to better classify the potential benefits in humans," Travato said.
Consult your physician before incorporating wine as part of a healthy lifestyle.—Shawn Zylberberg


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Drive against non-standard helmets in January
Mysuru: Even as the Union Ministry of Road Transport is planning to ban production and sale of non-ISI mark helmets as part of the government’s efforts to reduce road fatalities, the Mysuru City Traffic Police will soon launch a crackdown on the use of non-ISI certified helmets by motorists.
A special drive will be launched from January 1 and the helmet rule will be implemented 100 percent, both for the rider and the pillion. Though the Motor Vehicles Act mandates riders to wear only ISI-mark helmets, it is not being enforced and cheap and sub-standard helmet business is thriving in the city. Statistics say that two-wheelers account for the highest share in total road accidents.
Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, DCP (Crime and Traffic) Dr. Vikram V. Amathe said the Police have noticed that helmets without the ISI mark were being sold at shops, the sale of which has been banned under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
“There was a proposal before us to ban the use of duplicate helmets as soon as the helmet rule for riders and pillion came into force. We are just implementing the rule now. While an ISI-marked helmet is available for Rs. 600 to Rs. 1,500, non-ISI marked helmets are available for just Rs. 100,” he said.
He said motorists wear non-standard helmets just to evade fines levied for not wearing a helmet. “People must understand that these helmets provide no protection in case of an accident. We had raided a couple of companies that manufacture such helmets and had destroyed their stocks. Still, the use of such helmets is widespread and this will be curbed,” the DCP added.
Non-standard helmets are sold at places including Chamaraja Double Road, Ashoka Road, Hunsur Road, near Akashavani Circle and other roadside make-shift stalls. “Both Civil and Traffic Police will raid such shops and seize the helmets and ensure that there is 100 percent implementation. From January, we will launch the helmet drive where we will stop and levy fine. We will force them to buy good quality helmets and only then vehicles will be released,” Dr. Vikram Amathe said.


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Galaxy Note 7 Recall
After the catastrophic debacle of Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the Korean company is doing anything in its power to restore back some of the lost reputation. Just days after the news that Samsung is shutting down Note 7, we have a couple of reports and rumors regarding another Samsung premium phone, the Galaxy S8.
Samsung Galaxy S8?
One of the things rumored so far is that there will be two versions of the S8. And that is good news, since there were previous rumors that Samsung will release only one version of the S8. But as with the previous, S7 models, Samsung will release a 5.1 inch phone with curved Super AMOLED display, and another version with a 5.5 inch display. The latter will come with the long awaited 4K display that Samsung promised for the Note 7.
Regarding the display, it is still unknown whether there will be e flat display model, or the two models will be available only with curved display. But one thing is sure, we will get a smaller, and a larger display model.
Some of the other rumored features of the Samsung Galaxy S8 include dual-camera system, Snapdragon 830 processor or Exynos 8895 processor, and a new voice assistant. Up until now, Samsung used S Voice to serve as the de facto artificial intelligence assistant. However, with the purchase of Viv Labs, Samsung is probably going to get another voice assistant for the S8.
Samsung just recently purchased the innovative company that is an expert in the field of artificial intelligence. The goal is to bring the products of Viv Labs to Galaxy phones, with the S8 probably serving as the pilot product.
Viv Labs was co-founded by Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyner, the latter serving as the developer of Siri. With the purchase of Viv Labs, Samsung is entering a brand new world with Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google’s Assistant. Speaking of Google, the company just released the new virtual assistant called simply Assistant, which will debut on the new Pixel phone. But it looks like Assistant is not going to make its way to all Android phones, at least if Samsung is considered.
Galaxy S8 Release Date
The Samsung Galaxy S8 will debut in March, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. There were rumors that Samsung might launch and release the flagship phone earlier to quickly repair the damage of Note 7, but those were dismissed.


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The South Florida Business Journal is reporting that the Miami-based operator of 100 Montaditos Florida locations, which owns and operates 14 stores throughout the state, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
According to the site, the company owes $11,564 to Sysco South Florida, along with undisclosed amounts of money to various landlords. No official word on the next steps for the chain, but a bankruptcy analyst told the Buisness Journal that, "expect to see either a sale of the U.S. operations or have them use bankruptcy to restructure unprofitable leases, close money-losing stores and continue on with a smaller, more profitable store base."
The brand operates more than 300 franchised restaurants throughout the world but the bankruptcy filing only applies to the Florida locations. [South Florida Business Journal]


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Cruise line operators are concerned that the Port of Vancouver’s (PoV) 2014 decision to close Ballantyne Pier to cruise ships has left them with less room to increase traffic.
The move surprised cruise-sector executives, said Greg Wirtz, who is president of Cruise Lines International Association, North West & Canada, and speaks on behalf of cruise line members.
He called the port’s move to close Ballantyne Pier “a self-inflicted wound” because it reduces capacity and funnels all cruise passengers to a single terminal at Canada Place to offload luggage and clear customs.
Were the two cruise ship berths at Ballantyne Pier operational, Wirtz said the city would have more flexibility to accommodate the cruise ship industry and less congestion in its downtown core.
“It’s not just the cruise lines that are hurt,” he said.
“It’s the local industry stakeholders – the companies that supply cruise lines and provide services, such as taxi companies. Those companies are hurt by a reduction in capacity.”
Vancouver’s cruise industry hit a high of 1,060,383 passengers in 2002, when Seattle welcomed 244,905. Seattle’s cruise passenger count has risen steadily since then, and the Washington state city this year is on pace to welcome more than one million cruise passengers for the first time.
Vancouver’s 2017 passenger count is projected to total 841,000.
Peter Xotta, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s vice-president of planning and operations, defended the port’s decision to close Ballantyne Pier to cruise ships and said that the pier is now being used year-round to increase the port’s capacity for containers.
He noted that Ballantyne has always been a peripheral cruise ship terminal and that its two berths accommodated a combined nine cruise ship calls in 2014, while Canada Place’s three berths hosted 237.
(Chart source: Port of Vancouver, Port of Seattle)
A bigger concern for Wirtz, however, is whether the port has a plan to accommodate cruise lines once larger ships start replacing the current fleet.
PoV followed up its Ballantyne decision by sending infographics to cruise lines clarifying overhead-clearance buffers under the Lions Gate Bridge.
While Xotta stressed to Business in Vancouver that size restrictions for ships to pass under the bridge using a two-metre safety buffer have not changed, Wirtz said it is new information.
Adding to the lack of clarity for cruise lines is that the PoV was not able to provide BIV with the height of the tallest possible cruise ship that is able to pass under the Lions Gate Bridge’s centre span at low tide. The tallest ship at high tide could be a maximum of 57.4 meters.
“At some point, cruise lines are going to want to upgrade the ships that they’ve got in Vancouver to bigger ships,” Wirtz said.
“Chances are those ships will be too big to get into Vancouver.”
Royal Caribbean International (NYSE:RCL) already operates an Alaskan cruise ship that is too large to get under the Lions Gate Bridge.
While its 16-year-old, 2,100-passenger Radiance of the Seas sails out of Canada Place, its 17-year-old, 3,250-passenger Explorer of the Seas operates out of Seattle because it is too large for Vancouver’s infrastructure.
Royal Caribbean’s largest ship – the year-old, 5,450-passenger Harmony of the Seas – operates in the Caribbean. The cruise line has an even larger, 5,497-passenger ship on order for delivery next year.
Xotta acknowledged that cruise lines are buying larger ships and that, in the future, it is possible that a smaller percentage of cruise lines’ ships will be able to sail under the Lions Gate Bridge.
(Image: The Port of Vancouver in 2017 is set to receive calls from 33 ships that are part of 15 different cruise lines | Port of Vancouver)
“We’ve initiated work, call it a pre-feasibility assessment, of alternative locations for cruise ship terminals,” he said.
The port has hired a consultant to produce a report outlining options if the allowable clearance under the Lions Gate Bridge starts to significantly hurt Vancouver’s cruise ship business.
Xotta declined to name the consultant.
Options include raising the bridge and building a new cruise ship terminal elsewhere in Metro Vancouver. Both choices would be expensive.
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie and Delta Mayor Lois Jackson told BIV that it is too early to speculate about whether their communities would be chosen as a site for a future terminal, yet neither was opposed to the idea.
Meanwhile, Toran Savjord, senior project manager of Newport Beach, a planned 100-acre waterfront development project in Squamish, believes that Squamish would make a great place for a cruise ship terminal even though it is more than an hour’s drive from Vancouver.
“We’re 40 minutes away from Whistler,” he said.
“We have a world-renowned gondola. Squamish was named one of the top  places to see in the New York Times and voted one of the most beautiful fiords in North America.”
However, Wirtz agreed with tourism advocates, such as Tourism Vancouver CEO Ty Speer, that tourists want to visit downtown Vancouver and not a terminal elsewhere in the region.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that it is a better experience to land and be able to immediately enjoy an amazing city,” said Speer.
“You don’t get that if you look at other options, like Tsawwassen. No offence but that’s nothing but a terminal facility.”•


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Locally manufactured car sales has exhibited the growth of 20 percent during August 2018 to 17,662 units as compared with 22,095 units in the same month of the last year, according to latest numbers released by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA).
Auto sector analysts attributed this fall to Eid holidays, restriction on non-filers from purchasing new cars, uptick in car prices and high base effect.
However, they believe economic slowdown, rising interest rates and arrival of new players would play crucial role as new customers may wait for new upcoming models. In the 1300cc and above category, sales displayed a decline of 12 percent YoY / 17 percent MoM to 8,028 units in Aug’18 amid 25 percent MoM drop in sales of Civic/City. In 1,000cc category, dispatches fell by 4 percent YoY and 14 percent MoM due to religious holidays. In the below 1,000cc category, Mehran sales registered massive decline of 33 percent YoY and 42 percent MoM to 2,318 units, we believe launch of new United Bravo (800cc car) which is equipped with more features and also price competitive led sales decline. In LCVs+4×4 category, total sales stood at 3,486 units, down by 30 percent YoY and 9 percent MoM due to economic slowdown.


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Buzzer wants to reinvent live sports consumption
Buzzer, a mobile technology platform that wants to connect fans through live sports while helping existing media rights holders maximize value, has raised $4 million in seed funding, Axios has learned.
How it works: Buzzer's vision is to aggregate sports rights, sending fans personalized notifications to make it easy to pop into a live game — either through their existing subscription or micropayments.
- Subscription: Fans can potentially authenticate their various subscriptions (cable, YouTubeTV, ESPN+, NBA League Pass, etc.)
- Micropayments: If fans don't have the subscription required, they can quickly make a micropayment starting at $0.99 to buy only and exactly what they want to watch.
- Investors: Lerer Hippeau and Sapphire Sport led the round, and the cap table also includes Sofi CEO Anthony Noto and former TimeWarner CEO Richard Parsons, among others.
- Founder/CEO: Bo Han came up with the idea for Buzzer after spending over seven years leading sports partnerships and media licensing at Twitter.
The big picture: The sports media business is built around live games. But with so many young, cord-cutting fans choosing instead to snack on highlights and social media content, the industry is in desperate need of innovation.
- Buzzer wants to bring Gen Z back into the fold by essentially building a notifications-based layer on top of the current ecosystem that helps fans more easily jump into live action.
- "We all have those moments of panic where we hear about a close game, and consequently scramble to find the nearest TV," says Han. "This is what Buzzer is aiming to solve: simplifying access to ephemeral live moments in sports."
Between the lines: The key to Buzzer's success will be convincing leagues and the companies that pay millions of dollars to distribute their content that it will complement what's already out there, rather than disrupt the entire landscape.
- Buzzer believes it can help cable companies and other rights holders retain customers by giving them more chances to feel the value of that subscription.
- And even users who opt for micropayments could grow tired of repeatedly paying $0.99, and ultimately buy a monthly cable or streaming subscription as a result.
The bottom line: Live games are monetized, but inaccessible to many cord-cutters. Highlights are not easily monetized, but accessible to all. Buzzer wants to create a third category somewhere in the middle called "short-form live."
"Twitter is the ultimate sports bar. What I noticed, however, is that it's often like being inside of that sports bar, but not having control of the remote. Our mission is to provide all sports fans unmatched access to live action anytime, anywhere — and bring people together in the process."— Bo Han, Buzzer founder/CEO


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This year’s Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas was the biggest yet. Record crowds converged onto the Paris Convention Center (or La Centre Du Convention) for the annual show.
In fact, the crowd got so big, it was almost impossible to move around. The following photos will give you an idea on just how big the world’s biggest affiliate trade show is. If you want to know what it feels like to be a sardine, come to Affiliate Summit on opening day!


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CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce has released a new directory to help minority and women entrepreneurs.
Based on the chamber’s expenditure data last year, 40%of funding went to small businesses while only 8% of that small businesses funding went to Black-owned businesses.
Now the chamber is calling on large businesses and customers to show more support this year with their dollars.
“Our job is to promote support and grow businesses in this community,” said Sharon Scott, the chamber’s executive director. “And if we can’t find them, then we really can’t grow them.”
If you want to join the directory, you must fill out the form.
Chamber membership is required but there are some scholarships available to help pay for the fees.
To be included in the 2021 Annual Manual, the form must be completed by Feb. 15.
Any submissions after that deadline will be added to the online directory.