text:
(Augusta, Maine) Northland Enterprises, a commercial real estate development company based in Portland, reported today that although redevelopment of the former Kennebec Journal site is almost finished, the firm is hoping it can lure a locally-owned restaurant to the prime Western Avenue location, now called Journal Square.
“We’ve already turned down a national fast-food chain that wanted to grab the spot, because we heard folks would like to see a good dining option,” said Rex Bell, a founder and partner at Northland. “We’re holding out a little longer for a great restaurant concept because of feedback from the Augusta community. Maybe there’s a Maine chef out there who’s ready to make a splash.”
Northland acquired the former Kennebec Journal property in 2011. Today Journal Square leases space to a Goodwill store, a Men’s Warehouse, a Supercuts, a US Cellular retail store, and the regional headquarters for Bangor Savings Bank. Construction is now under way for a stand-alone Starbucks, which is expected to open this summer. Northland said the space, at 2,425 square feet, was specifically designed for a food user, and is the only lease opportunity remaining. It is centrally located in the project, between Supercuts and US Cellular. It has an outdoor patio, facing Western Avenue. Bell said anyone interested in leasing it should contact Conor Beliveau, via e-mail, at firstname.lastname@example.org, or Joe Porta of CBRE the Boulos Company at email@example.com.
Northland Enterprises has been managing and re-developing commercial real estate since 2001, in Maine communities and several others in the northeast Unites States. It is based in Portland, Maine. For more information visit www.NorthlandUS.com.


text:
- The Glasshouse is a private event space in Manhattan in New York City that will open in September of 2021.
- This new event venue will serve as the flagship venue for the company.
- The new Sales Director brings more than 20 years of experience in the event industry to his new post at this new location.
Ramsawack joins the management team of Jack Guttman, Alex Holiday and Megan Lerchenmuller to launch the company’s new flagship event space at 660 12th Avenue, New York City. The new waterfront Glasshouse joins the company’s 13-year-old Glasshouse Chelsea, offering event spaces.
Kevin Ramsawack brings more than 20 years of experience in the event industry from his long tenure at Neuman’s Kitchen special event and corporate caterers in New York and Philadelphia. Most recently Vice President of Sales and Events, Ramsawack was responsible for strategic planning and business development along with management of the company’s sales, service, and marketing teams.

domain: news


text:
Apple has publicly shared its intention to hold the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2021 June 7-11. Then we’ll see the technology’s next projects and, perhaps, the new Mac Pro computer with Apple Silicon.
Although the conference is traditionally dedicated to software, innovations for the various operating systems and platforms in Cupertino, it is certain that we can also get to know new products such as processors and even computers.
WWDC 2021 starts on June 7th
The conference will be mostly virtual, as a result of restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to devastate the world. Still, the company is expected to present several news from software to possibly new hardware.
Indeed, given the rumors, the Cupertino company is expected to demonstrate the capabilities of a new Apple Silicon. That is, a new processor developed by US technology. Your name is still omitted and may vary between M1x or M2.
In addition to the new generation of Apple processors, the company can reveal the new Mac Pro, the computer aimed at the most demanding. It will not only be a design statement, as the first platform for the new chip based on the ARM64 architecture.
Faced with these rumors, there are now several conceptual images that show us a possible new Mac Pro. More compact, but with the characteristic design, a creation of the publication staple.
The possible look of the Mac Pro with Apple processor
Digitally created images (renders) show us a very compact tower, but with the traditional elements. This size reduction is due to the use of the ARM platform, allowing to significantly compress the size of various components.
Thus, endowed with a new architecture, the Mac Pro would also be greatly reduced. The images show us a representation of what is possible to do with the new processors and components now that Apple has disengaged from Intel.
The result would be an advanced computer that would take up about half the current version. It would still maintain the build quality, ports,, and key connectivity, as well as take advantage of advances in performance.
More power, smaller size.
With the MacBook Pro and Air being the first to adopt the first Apple SILicon, the manufacturer has introduced a new standard for quality, performance, while reducing the size of components.
Then we saw this same formula being applied to the Mac mini and the new iMac. Now, we can have in the Mac Pro the introduction of a new format that combines greater processing power, greater energy efficiency,, and overall compression.
Everything suggests that the new Apple Silicon is a second-generation processor, leaving to know the exact molds of this processor. In fact, we can have an improved version of the current M1, a possible M1x, or a new processor, the M2.
We look forward to the new Apple Silicon, the M1x or M2
The concept shows us a familiar box in materials and cutouts for ventilation. By maintaining the design language, it would honor and keep up with today’s computers, while also maintaining the presence of several easy-access ports.
In fact, connectivity would be guaranteed here by the two Thunderbolt 3 ports, USB Type-C ports,, and, finally, a convenient mechanism for removing the top of the aluminum housing.
This thesis is also defended by leaker Jon Prosser. The prolific informant believes that the Mac Pro will be physically comparable to the Mac mini, with both computers taking up little space.
We are now waiting for the start of WWDC 2021, or for new leaks of information, to clear up any remaining doubts. Until then, we can contemplate this very realistic concept.


text:
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Standing next to piles of exquisitely hand-woven Persian carpets, Hossein Ghaseminia is confident his rugs, which cost up to $50,000, can see off cheaper Asian rivals and ride out threatened U.S. sanctions.
One of Iran’s best-known exports, Persian carpets made from silk, wool and cotton are traditionally by women in villages, who use natural dyes derived from plants to colour them in rich hues where red, brown and cream dominate.
“If we produce high-quality carpets people will continue to buy them,” said Ghaseminia, who has been more than four decades in the business which is one of Iran’s main export earners besides oil.
Selling outside Iran mainly to the United States and Germany, the Persian carpet is also deeply ingrained in the country’s national identity. Rugs adorn the floors of most homes and with prices for finer examples reaching many thousands of dollars, they are, for some people, an investment.
But a half-empty hall at the annual Persian Carpet Grand Exhibition last month showed the business facing tough challenges, both at home and abroad.
Drinking tea and talking shop in the midst of thousands of carpets from different parts of Iran, dealers in various types of rugs accused low-cost producers from India, Pakistan and China of copying elaborate Iranian designs.
While Iran remains ahead at the most expensive end of the market, its overall position in the $10 billion global industry – which also includes machine-made carpets – has slipped five places to number eight since 2001, with Belgium on top.
Trader Ata Erad said sales were better last year, but insisted there was no crisis.
“The carpet is part of life, as necessary as air and water,” Erad said, displaying both old and new wares.
“Carpets are like gold in Iran,” he added, proudly showing a 50-year-old specimen from the northwest, measuring 24 sq metres, which he said had trebled in value to nearly $70,000 in a year.
But other dealers said raw material and wage costs had risen sharply, forcing them to hike prices: that has deterred some buyers.
“Business is not good,” Ali Mohammad Zadeh said in the stand of his family firm laden with rugs with traditional motifs including different flowers and vines, animals including birds and deer, and geometrical patterns.
Unlike previous years, wealthy buyers from Iran’s Arab neighbours and elsewhere had not shown up, he said: “We have not even made enough money to pay for the rent. It would have been better to stay in the bazaar.”
U.S. SANCTIONS THREAT
Potentially making matters worse is a threat of renewed U.S. sanctions, which would directly affect a big market.
As part of U.S. efforts to pressure the Islamic Republic to halt its sensitive nuclear work, proposed new legislation would reimpose a total ban on Iranian imports.
The bill, sponsored by California Democrat Tom Lantos, would reverse a “goodwill gesture” by former President Bill Clinton in 2000 that allowed in rugs, and certain other goods, from Iran.
The draft, which won overwhelming approval from a congressional committee in June, would also force President George W. Bush to impose sanctions on energy firms dealing with Iran. The measure still needs approval by the U.S. Congress.
Iran’s carpet exports amounted to $635 million in 2005, according to the latest figures from the state-owned Iran Carpet Company. Most are top-notch hand-woven products.
But Jalal Eddin Bassam, managing director of the Iran Carpet Company, insisted U.S. buyers would be able to circumvent any import ban.
He said past experience indicated such punitive measures would not have a major negative impact on an industry which boasts a tradition dating back 2,500 years and, directly or indirectly, employs 1.4 million people in Iran.
The Persian carpet would “find its way” into the United States, he said at company headquarters in downtown Tehran.
“People prefer to buy expensive Persian carpets rather than cheap Indian or Pakistani carpets in America,” he said.
During previous sanctions customers bought Iranian carpets elsewhere before taking them home to the United States.
“They do it — we don’t do it — we don’t do anything wrong,” Bassam said.
In July his firm unveiled what it said was the world’s largest hand-woven carpet which, at 5,600 sq metres, was designed for a large mosque in the United Arab Emirates.
Containing more than 2 billion knots, it took weavers two years to make and is reportedly valued at $5.8 million.
People at the fair scoffed at the idea of rugs which are not made by hand from natural materials and dyes.
“Machine-made carpets are an insult to the Persian carpet. I hate them,” one dealer said.
And for some carpet buyers at least, money does not seem to be an obstacle: “They are not expensive if you think of the amount of work that has been put into them,” said Nasrin Moghaddam, looking for a new rug together with her young son.


text:
The food industry has many large, mature categories, but the competitive landscape is far from static. Food marketers and retailers are constantly strategizing how to profit from the hottest market segments, update their product lines and service offerings, and reel in the most lucrative consumers.
In 2019, meat substitutes and alternatives remain a focus for many start-ups and major food companies alike, as they compete for an edge in the emerging category of lab-based meats.
Food product marketers are also finely attuned to the preferences of affluent American consumers — who spend more than $100 billion on food purchases a year — and are more likely to favor natural and organic products. The desire for clean-label products also crosses over into the breakfast category, where health and wellness is a key concern for a growing number of consumers.
Another huge trend to watch is the rise of food e-commerce in regions across the globe. More and more consumers are embracing an entirely different kind of grocery shopping experience.
To learn more about these trends, check out the article below, which features insights from recent reports by Packaged Facts, a leading market research firm and division of MarketResearch.com.
1. Major Food Companies Invest in Meat Substitutes
With an increasing number of consumers opting for plant-based foods, the meat substitutes and alternatives market has moved well beyond traditional veggie burgers and bean burgers. Food brands such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger feature plant-based burgers that rival the taste, texture, and juice of beef.
The concept of lab-grown or cultured meat — which is created by in vitro cultivation of animal cells — is garnering plenty of attention. Tyson and Cargill, as well as Bill Gates and Richard Branson, have all invested in start-up Memphis Meats, a food technology company based in Berkeley, California, working to grow cultured, cell-based meat.
Packaged Facts estimates retail sales of meat substitutes in the U.S. at about $1 billion. However, meat substitutes aren’t the only way food companies seek a competitive edge. Products that offer premium organic ingredients, grass-fed, free-range, and locally raised animals can also stand out.
Find Out More → U.S. Food Market Outlook 2019 uncovers new product trends, marketing strategies, and key opportunities for future growth in 14 food categories.
2. Wealthy Americans Purchase More Natural and Organic
Given the high prices of natural and organic foods, it may come as no surprise that wealthy consumers are more likely than non-affluent shoppers to eat more natural and organic foods. Wealthy Americans are also more likely to shop at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, farmer’s markets, or specialty and gourmet outlets.
Affluent shoppers are a key consumer segment for the food industry; collectively, they spend 74% more than less affluent households on food purchases each year.
Grocery stores that are looking to attract affluent consumers should reflect the values of the natural channel by showcasing products that are fair trade, local, sustainable, and humane. Another way to attract affluent consumers is to offer brands that fit the affluent consumer mindset — with a philanthropic image and products with ingredients that are characterized as pure, real, honest, authentic, fresh, and safe.
“Since affluent food shoppers are far more likely to buy organic fresh and frozen foods, stores need to provide a full range of options in this category,” says David Sprinkle.
Find Out More → Affluent Food Shoppers explores the food shopping and buying patterns of affluent food shoppers, who are defined as those with a household income above $150,000 or more.
3. Spotlight on Better-for-You Breakfast Products
Buzzwords like “organic,” “natural,” “wholegrain,” “non-GMO,” and “all-natural” are increasingly important for packaged breakfast foods as well. However, consumers define “healthy” in a variety of ways.
According to David Sprinkle, research director and publisher of Packaged Facts, more and more Americans adhere to diets that cut out gluten, dairy, and other allergens, while others embrace vegetarianism and veganism. Sugar is another ingredient that many consumers want to reduce or eliminate — which is common in many packaged breakfast foods such as cereal and pastries.
“Ultimately, finding future success in the breakfast market will require greater innovation that combines consumer focus on healthier food options with their need for portability and on-the-go breakfast products,” Sprinkle says.
Find Out More → Breakfast: Retail Product Trends and Opportunities in the U.S., 2nd Edition covers consumer usage patterns, marketing strategies, and market innovation. Data sources include proprietary consumer surveys.
4. Global Food E-Commerce Sales Surge Higher
Although plant-based trends and health and wellness factors play a big role in product innovation, the overall customer shopping experience is also transforming as well.
Increasingly, consumers are flocking to buy groceries online. Global food e-commerce sales are expected to nearly triple through 2023, reaching $321 billion, according to data from Packaged Facts.
Expanding internet access and smartphone penetration are primary growth drivers in emerging food e-commerce markets. Countries with technologically developed and large urban centers boast the highest e-grocery spending, including click-and-collect services and home delivery.
In 2018, more than 75% of food e-commerce revenues were concentrated in the top five markets: China, the U.S., Japan, the U.K., and South Korea. The Asia/Pacific region is projected to make up the majority of absolute market growth, mostly due to the fast-growing Chinese market.
Find Out More → Global Food E-Commerce covers the scope, size, and growth of the global food e-commerce market including key trends in major regions and national markets.
About Packaged Facts: Packaged Facts publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, and pet products and services. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased at our company website and are also available through MarketResearch.com.


text:
A rise in Brits choosing to vacation closer to home this summer boosted sales at Halfords, as the weaker pound meant more holidaymakers swapped sun-loungers for sleeping bags.
The cycling and motor accessories retailer saw revenue rise 4.8pc in the 20 weeks to Aug 18, with a 1.4pc dip in autocentre sales having been offset by a solid retail performance.
The FTSE 250-listed firm said "strong growth" in sales of camping equipment, roof boxes and cycle carriers was behind the rise, citing increased demand for 'staycations' in the UK.
Data released by the National Caravan Council last month showed Brits took a record number of domestic breaks in the first four months of 2017, at 14.4m, up 3pc...
Start a 30-day free trial for unlimited access to Premium articles
- Unlimited access to Premium articles
- Subscriber-only events and experiences
- Cancel any time
Free for 30 days
then only £2 per week
Save 25% with an annual subscription
Just £75 per year


text:
Ayr United have launched their new kit for next season ... and once again strip is the operative word as the club painted their new design on topless models.
The Honest Men's marketing of new strips has drawn criticism in recent years.
But this time they've at least made an effort to relieve sexism accusations by including a topless male model in their launch this year.
The League One leaders will be sponsored by coingeek.com, owned by Calvin Ayre who is also the man behind previous sponsors Bodog.
Sponsorship money will be paid in Bitcoin Cash in what is a world first.
Ayr's commercial manager Graeme Miller told our sister paper the Ayrshire Post: “We were initially approached to see whether we could accept sponsorship payment in BCH.
“It was a big learning curve for us but we are very happy to be the first club to accept not just payment by BCH but also to promote the cryptocurrency to a wider audience.”


text:
The Pushing the Envelope blog recently described some of the barriers that have prevented the Postal Service from optimizing its network of retail facilities. This week we’d like your thoughts on the factors the Postal Service should consider in developing a retail network for the future. If the Postal Service were to rebuild its retail network from scratch — focusing on today’s consumer behaviors and needs — would it look as it does now? Today, there are about 32,000 brick and mortar postal-operated retail facilities.
It’s not only travelers that have to deal with delays at the airport. Seems inbound international mail does, too.
But the U.S. Postal Service isn’t necessarily at fault when inbound international mail is delayed. While on a plane and even after it’s unloaded but not yet tendered to the...Read More


text:
The father of modern taxonomy beats Shakespeare, Jesus and Napoleon as the most influential person in history, according to Wikipedia PageRank figures.
Acer Chairman J.T. Wang says his company wants "to be realistic" about the operating system -- and has not yet decided to launch a device running the software.
Each year, the publication releases its list of the most influential people in the world, and once again, technology bigwigs are among the pack leaders.
The former U.S. vice president and Apple board member extolls Tim Cook's performance as CEO following the death of legendary Steve Jobs.
The San Francisco startup, founded by former ReadWriteWeb reporter Marshall Kirkpatrick, helps media and PR companies discover who can most amplify their message.
The late Apple co-founder's name appears on a list of "the trailblazers, visionaries and cultural ambassadors who defined a nation."
VC Fred Wilson says Google, Bing, Facebook, and Twitter should warn people when they try to log in at known pirate sites: "We don't need legislation."
Steve Jobs has been named the most influential man in gaming, and the iPhone the most influential device in video game history.
The top few may be easy to name, but how would you round out the field? Read our picks and then decide for yourself.
Whether they were victors or flops, each of these 10 services taught important lessons about the power of and problems with digital music.


text:
The Honorable Edith Ramirez,
Federal Trade Commission
Dear Chairwoman Ramirez,
Over the past several months retailers around the country have increasingly been exploring technologies that use a shopper’s unique cell phone ID to follow their movements throughout shopping centers and individual stores. The technology allows shoppers to be tracked throughout a store, allowing a retailer to acquire information about shoppers without their permission. Retailers do not ever receive affirmative consent from the consumer for this type of tracking, and the only options for a consumer to not be tracked are to turn off their phone’s Wi-Fi, or to leave the phone at home.
Geophysical location data about a person is obviously highly sensitive; however, retailers are collecting this information anonymously without consent. I would ask that the Federal Trade Commission investigate this practice, and clarify that it is an unfair or deceptive trade practice to fail to notify shoppers that their movements are being tracked in a store or to give them an opportunity to opt out of this type of tracking before it begins. As these technologies become more widespread, it is imperative that we protect our consumers from unknowingly giving out information they do not desire to.
I look forward to hearing from you on this important issue.
Senator Charles E. Schumer
SOURCE: Senator Schumer
Well, it’s a step in the right direction, but why not require opt-in consent instead of just permitting opt-out?


text:
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Digital Currency Monetary Authority (DCMA) is introducing a global, regulatory-compliant framework for broader banking and financial services adoption of cryptocurrencies and digital assets.
The DCMA leadership team has been working with governments and central banks on blockchain and digital currency cryptography since 2013. Their work has been featured by the European Commission, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum.
The vision of the DCMA was born from a meeting with the Banque Populaire de China (PBOC) in 2018. Darrell Hubbardfounding member of the DCMA, was invited to beijing meet with the PBOC to discuss the future of digital currencies and aspects of their digital yuan project.
Since then, the DCMA has been invited to review, participate and collaborate with central banks around the world in their research and development of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) from advanced economies, such as the European Central Bank, to emerging markets. , such as the central bank of Ghana.
When the Biden administration released its Executive Order on Digital Assets, the US Treasury requested and met with the DCMA to discuss a digital asset guidance framework for the banking industry.
As stated in the first line of the Bitcoin whitepaper, Bitcoin was not designed to operate within regulated financial institutions. Now that central banks are exploring the adoption of cryptocurrency and digital assets, a new wave of crypto cash technology must evolve to meet the demands of banks.
For example, the global banking industry recognizes two forms of legal cash, regulated electronic money and physical money that can be exchanged hand-to-hand outside of the banking system.
The Bitcoin version of e-cash has not gained much popularity in retail and commercial banking because it cryptographically does not represent either legal form of societal cash.
Universal Monetary Unit, a subsidiary of the DCMA, released the Crypto 2.0 standards and protocol in conjunction with major central banks. The framework is monetized through the Unicoin network and is only available to governments, regulated banks and licensed Fintech companies.
Unicoin is a globally decentralized digital financial services network. In the same way that you need an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to access the Internet, you need a Financial Service Provider (FSP) to access the Unicoin network. Unicoin, a cryptocurrency store of value, is a semi-decentralized network with monetary policies and will be governed by central bank members of the DCMA.
Unicoin was first introduced to the global stage in 2020 when it won Innovation of the Year during Hong Kong Blockchain Week alongside Yubi, one of the fintech digital banking projects from DCMA.
The DCMA aims to launch the Unicoin network first with central banks and their member banks in India, Africaand China.
The First Global Crypto 2.0 Digital Banking Summit is hosted by the DCMA on July 28, 2022 at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi. Various officials from the Ministry of Finance and experts from the finance sectors in India Will be present.
The following week, the African Union assisted the DCMA in showcasing Crypto 2.0 at the 2022 Special Meeting of Governors of the Association of African Central Banks (ABCA) in Banjul, Gambia.
BitMart has expressed interest in being the first cryptocurrency exchange to list Unicoin. The DCMA plans to list Unicoin on crypto exchanges in the coming months.
To learn more about DCMA, Crypto 2.0 and Unicoin, visit https://unicoin.dcma.io
Monetary authority of digital currency.
SOURCE Digital Currency Monetary Authority


text:
Chinese regulators fined food delivery giant Meituan 3.44 billion yuan ($534 million) for violating the country’s anti-monopoly regulations, the latest fine in Beijing’s campaign to clampdown on the country’s internet companies.
The State Administration for Market Regulation levied the fine, which equates to 3% of the company’s domestic revenue for 2020 because it had been engaging in antitrust practices known as “er xuan yi,” which means choose one out of two, since 2018, according to a statement issued by the regulator on Friday.
Meituan forced merchants to do business exclusively on its platform by asking for deposits and charging different rates, SAMR said. Regulators also ordered the company to return 1.3 billion yuan in deposits to merchants that were charged to guarantee they wouldn’t use rival platforms.
A company spokesperson said Meituan would comply and accept the fine “with sincerity.”
“Meituan will take this lesson to heart, operate in accordance with the law, and consciously work to ensure fair competition in the industries we operate in,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
Ke Yan, head of research at Singapore-based DZT Research, said the amount was within expectations. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba had been hit with a record fine of $2.8 billion in April, which is about 4% of its 2019 domestic revenues. Meituan’s fine removes a key overhang for investors and allows the company to move forward, Ke said.
Still, it comes at a time when the company is faced with deepening losses from investments in various new businesses, such as grocery delivery and community group-buying. Meituan said it lost 3.4 billion yuan for the quarter ended June 30—marking its third straight quarter of losing money—compared to a profit of 2.2 billion yuan for the same period a year ago.
In the meantime, the company’s billionaire founder Wang Xing has vowed to improve the working conditions of its delivery riders. The company was told in July to ensure its workers are paid above minimum wage, get basic social insurance and a relaxation in delivery deadlines. China has launched a slew of regulatory actions against Meituan and others to tighten its grip over the country’s long free-running internet sector. President Xi Jinping also plans to achieve “common prosperity” by helping low-income communities and reducing the widening wealth gap.


text:
FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (KTRK) -- A man and a woman scammed an Alvin woman out of $25,000 in a "pigeon drop scam," according to Friendswood police.
The victim, 71, was shopping at an H-E-B in Friendswood around 1 p.m. on April 25 when a man had a brief conversation with her. After their chat, a woman approached the victim and told her about a purse she claimed to have discovered in the H-E-B parking lot.
The female suspect showed the victim a large amount of money inside the purse and asked what she should do. The victim suggested the suspect turn the purse in to customer service at the grocery store. The suspect said she worked at a nearby AT&T store, and convinced the victim to go there instead.
Both suspects and the victim headed to the AT&T store to speak with the female suspect's "boss" regarding the recovered purse and cash. The victim waited for the female suspect to return while parked behind the AT&T store.
Once she returned, she said that the purse contained $97,000 in cash and a $75,000 bond. The three individuals discussed a "finder's keepers" law, and the victim was persuaded to withdraw $25,000 from her bank in Alvin.
They returned to the AT&T store where the victim parked, the suspects took the $25,000 to the other side of the store, and never returned.
The suspects are identified as John Ford, 70, of Jackson, Mississippi, and Tiffany Butler, 39, of Clinton, Mississippi. They've both been charged with felony theft from the elderly. Warrants have been issued for their arrest. Anyone with information should contact the Friendswood Police Department at 281-996-3300.
SEE ALSO: How a 73-year-old grandma outwitted a scam artist


text:
The common definition of a recession in the UK is when the economy shrinks for two quarters in a row. So if the Gross Domestic Product (GDP, more on that in another article but it is basically how many goods and services UK workers have made during that time) shrank from January to March, and then again from April to June, then the UK would be considered to be in a recession. So it is always a bit of a measure of what has happened in the past, as it is looking back at months that have already happened.
If we think of Suzy’s Lemonade Stand as a representation of the economy. Imagine if in the October to December quarter of the year she made and sold 200 cups of delicious lemonade, she was very happy! Then sadly over the New Year a few of her neighbours lost their jobs so they could only afford to buy Lemonade from Suzy occasionally. Because of this she only sold 180 cups of her Lemonade in the January to March quarter, then only 150 cups in the April to June quarter of the year. Times are tough all around, and the amount of Lemonade she made and sold has been going down. If this happens to the whole of the UK, then we can say the UK is in recession.
Post a Comment


text:
May 29, 2020, 6:41 pm150 ptsSince the beginning of March, federal food and drug regulators have issued warning letters to 64 companies for selling products under claims that they will prevent, treat, mitigate diagnose or cure COVID-19, including eight to CBD companies. FDA continues prowl for COVID-19 product claims with…
Trending Today on NewsBudz
NewsBudz is a marijuana and medical cannabis news app. The site delivers a daily feed of the latest cannabis news. We aggregate over 30 of the web's best sources for news about marijuana, hemp and legalization to keep you informed.
Stay on top of the latest news headlines, trends and developments worldwide around recreational and medical marijuana. Sit back and relax, while you read learn and share. On the web or your mobile device, NewsBudz is your cannabis news stream.


text:
In a recent blog post we reported that an Idaho bill to slap on a 6% car rental tax was defeated. Citing California’s California Travel and Tourism Commission assessment that tacks several dollars on the ordinary costs of a rental car, consumers have been urged to be aware of added fees (some that are unavoidable) and some that maybe aren’t what they seem. It is possible to steer clear of car rental mark-ups, thus saving money during your vacation, business travel or even local car rental.
Local taxes, higher rates, more fees and a maze of rules and exclusions make car rentals an expensive proposition for consumers, vacationers and business travelers. When you’re navigating car rentals, search many companies for the cheapest price. There’s no single Web site that always has the best deals and no car category that’s always cheapest. Booking your car weeks or even months in advance allows you to hedge against price increases and best of all, you are not locked into rates (be sure to check penalty clauses, if any, for cancellation.)
State and local governments have targeted car rental-car drivers and could be adding up to 40% more on your bill. For instance, Los Angeles International and New York’s John F. Kennedy, now charge an airport concession and customer facility fee. Then in California you can add a couple more dollars for California Tourism Commission assessment, which pays for millions of dollars of advertsing, web sites, commericials and marketing that tourists get to pay for the privilege of visiting the golden state. In Boston rental car drivers pay a $10 fee to fund the city’s convention center. LAX’s fees include $10 for an airport facility that hasn’t been built yet and that won’t be built for years to come.
Government agencies have been able to add these charges with impunity because they’re levied on rental-car drivers who don’t live or vote in the area. A bill has introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to curb future tax increases on rental cars wouldn’t repeal or reduce current fees, however.
How much does the same car cost to rent in U.S. cities you may visit? A 2-day midsize rental cost + Additional charges and Here’s what you pay in a breakdown:
Atlanta $59.98 + $24.88 for additional fees and licenses that include: vehicle licensing, $2.50; airport concession, $6.66; customer facility, $8; tax, $7.72
Boston $111.98 + $33.70 for Vehicle licensing, $4.24; airport concession, $12.43; convention center and parking recovery, $10.60; tax, $6.43
Chicago $63.98+ $14.27 for Motor vehicle licensing tax, $2.75; tax, $11.52
Dallas $49.98+ $35.43 for Busing cost recovery, $7.36; airport concession, $5.55; customer facility charge, $11.38; tax, $11.14
Denver $75.98+ $23.55 for Airport concession, $8.43; facility use, $3.40; tax, $11.72
Los Angeles $97.98+ $32.31 for Airport concession, $10.88; customer facility, $10; CA Tourism Commission assessment, $2.45; tax, $8.98
Miami $81.98+ $26.29 for Customer facility charge, $7.12; airport concession, $8.03; rental surcharge, $4.06; tax, $7.08
New York (JFK) $263.98+ $68.53 for Airport concession, $29.30; tax, $39.23


text:
Extra, extra! Read all about it! Daily Paper and Nigerian brand Wekafore have joined forces to present a one-of-a-kind capsule. The Afro-futuristic collection is titled ‘The Spirit Don’t Die’ and was created to exalt African heritage and to shed light on a Nigerian musician and activist, Fela Kuti. Kuti is known to be the pioneer of Afrobeat and for his outspoken activism on politics. “Like Fela, the pieces are very punk, very psychedelic and very African at the same time,” said Wekaforé Maniu Jibril, founder of Wekafore.
Wekafore was founded in 2013 as a testament to the dreams of Jibril’s grandfather, a tailor who spent his life in the village and never got the chance to see fashion in the city life. Since the brand’s debut, Jibril has been committed to increasing Africa’s representation in fashion. Daily Paper is another fashion brand fueled by the rich heritage of Africa, so it made perfect sense for the two brands to team up. Together, they amplify their celebration of the motherland and form a new generation of African designers.
The limited collection offers an assortment of bold pieces honoring Africa’s past while simultaneously providing a vision for the future. An outline of Fela Kuti is lasered on black denim, and printed on a matching hoodie and T-shirt. And to represent the Nigerian musician’s punk era, there are flared pants, a mesh turtleneck and a slip dress printed with painted faces that reference African culture.
To add a pop of color, Daily Paper and Wekafore designed two pieces in a red acid-wash hue, which represents modern Lagos, Nigeria. The hoodie and T-shirt also feature a print of the name’s collection and an all-seeing eye—we are living for all of the afro-futurism vibes!
The Daily Paper x Wekafore collection will be available on dailypaperclothing.com and in-store across Daily Paper flagship stores in Amsterdam, London and New York on Oct. 15.


text:
NEW DELHI (Agency): The Government of Nagaland within the ambit of Nagaland Prohibition of Gambling and Promotion and Regulation of Games of Skill Rules Act 2016 has issued the coveted skill gaming license to WYZ Games India Private Limited, after a thorough examination of the business practices and the vision of the company. The company, which hosts skill-based games of poker and rummy on its website http://www.pokabunga.com, has offices in Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
Founded by IIM Alumni and noted Investment Bankers, Pokabunga.com is committed to bringing a world-class gaming experience to its users, and in promoting the rising sport of poker in India. The founders believe that a poker boom, similar to the one in the west between 2003 and 2006, is imminent in the country.
A pioneer in online real money gaming in India, Pokabunga offers its patrons an unmatched gaming experience in online poker and rummy. Since a lot of companies have entered the fledgling online poker industry of India, the doors have opened for poker enthusiasts to test their skills on premium platforms such as Pokabunga. With a home-grown software, Pokabunga is the first website in the country to have a network model in Poker, and the only one in the world to have a network model in Rummy. The website offers different variants of poker such as Texas Hold ’em and Pot Limit Omaha. Pokabunga has proved to be one of the fastest growing websites in the online skill-based gaming industry of India, and by being amongst the first companies in the country to get the license, it has now taken a giant leap in the direction of creating new milestones in the Indian online skill gaming industry. This move therefore further amplifies the website’s status as the frontrunner in the Indian online skill-based gaming industry.
Gaurav Gaggar, Director of WYZ Games India Private Limited, confirmed the development and commented as follows, “Yes, we have received a license for poker right now and intend to get for the bouquet of games soon. This is a game changer for India as it allows serious and ethical companies to cater to clients as differentiated from other fly by night operators. Clients and other stake holders of the industry gain with more transparency. Regulation ensures player protection and relative safety for payment gateways. Over all a historic move for skill-based gaming industry in India. Exciting times.” By leapfrogging the others in getting the Nagaland Skill Gaming License, the company certainly has taken a lead over its competitors by demonstrating its strong intent.


text:
BENTONVILLE, Ark. – World's largest retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on Tuesday said it will no longer accept debit cards linked to a Visa International network after the company more than doubled the fees it charges retailers.
Beginning Oct. 13, Wal-Mart said it will no longer accept Interlink-serviced debit cards because fees for each transaction were raised 125 percent, to 45 cents from 20 cents.
Wal-Mart opted to sever its ties with Interlink because it would have to pass the increased fees along to its customers in the form of higher prices, a Wal-Mart spokesman said.
``This is an outrageous action by Interlink and Visa,'' Mike Cook, assistant treasurer for Wal-Mart, said in a statement.
Officials from Visa could not immediately be reached for comment.
Less than 10 percent of the 350 million debit-card transactions Wal-Mart processes each year is handled by the Interlink network, Wal-Mart said.
The retail giant said Visa offered it a $32 million incentive to accept the higher fees, which it turned down.


text:
By Donald Wittkowski
Along with buying their hoagies, soft pretzels and smoothies, Wawa customers will be able to do something else this summer – catch a shuttle to Sea Isle City.
The Wawa store on Route 9 in Ocean View is going to be one of the stops for new shuttle service connecting the Ocean View Resort campground with Sea Isle starting July 1 and running through Aug. 14, it was announced Monday.
Operated by the Sea Isle Jitney Association, the 13-passenger shuttles will run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. The cost is $2 one way, or $4 round trip.
Having a shuttle stop at a busy Wawa store is seen as a big boost for the Sea Isle Chamber of Commerce’s campaign to bring more visitors to town to spend their money at the city’s bars, restaurants and retail shops.
The Monday-through-Wednesday schedule was selected for the shuttle’s first summer of operation because business normally is slower in Sea Isle early in the week before picking up on the weekends.
The shuttle is seen as a way of drawing campers from the nearby Ocean View Resort into Sea Isle to help fill in the gaps in business early in the week. Ocean View Resort is the largest campground in New Jersey and offers a large potential pool of customers for Sea Isle’s business community.
Ocean View Resort has as many as 3,500 campers and 700 full-time families staying there during the height of the busy summer vacation season, owner Scott Turner said in an earlier interview.
The shuttle will save campground guests from the hassles of driving to Sea Isle, hunting for parking and possibly fighting traffic on the way back to Ocean View Resort in the summer tourism season.
The Sea Isle Chamber of Commerce and Ocean View Resort are kicking in $3,000 each to subsidize the shuttle service, which was originally announced in May. However, the new stop at the Wawa store in Ocean View was announced Monday.
Dave Berry, president of the Jitney Association, said Wawa contacted him about the possibility of being added as a stop after hearing of the campground shuttle.
“They’re all in because they know they’re going to get extra business from customers on their way home,” Berry said of the benefits to Wawa.
He noted it is not hard to imagine the shuttle passengers asking the jitney drivers, “Can you wait for us until we grab a sandwich?”
The shuttle will originate at the front entrance to the Ocean View Resort on Route 9 in Dennis Township. The next stop will be at the Wawa. Shuttle riders should be aware that there will be no areas at Wawa set aside for them to park their cars.
When it arrives in Sea Isle, the shuttle will stop at the city’s Welcome Center on John F. Kennedy Boulevard, close to the restaurants and other attractions in the historic Fish Alley neighborhood.
There will be another stop in the downtown business district on JFK Boulevard. Once they are in town, shuttle riders will be able to connect to other jitney routes around Sea Isle or to neighboring Strathmere.
The Chamber of Commerce and the Jitney Association hope to build up the shuttle service in coming years by adding more campgrounds.
“Next season, I’m sure other campgrounds will join the shuttle,” Berry said.
There were discussions with other campgrounds about the possibility of running the shuttles on a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule this summer. Those campgrounds, however, did not want to kick in the $5,000 subsidy they would have each had to pay to operate shuttles on the weekends.


text:
The Unified Payment Interface (UPI) saw an 85% growth in the total transaction volumes taking place between August and September 2017, according to data published by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The NPCI is a company owned by Indian banks and owns and operates payments systems such as UPI and IMPS.
The total number of transactions in September were around 589% higher than they were at the end of January 2017. The amount transacted increased by 28% to Rs 5,293 crores over August 2017. The amount transacted in September 2017 was 212% higher than what it was in January 2017. In September, the number of transactions and amount transacted occurred per day as a result both were at their highest peak, though average amount per transaction has been decreasing since, March 2017.
1. UPI transactions have been growing since March 2017, though if you take into account number of transactions per day, there wasn’t a decline in February 2017 either.
2. The number of transactions grew by 14.2 million in September 2017 whereas the total amount transacted increased by, up by Rs 1,166 crores. In the August 2017, volume had increased by only 5 million and amount transacted had grown Rs 715.8 crores.
3. The average amount per transaction declined by Rs 765 to Rs 1,720 for September 2017, it has been trending down, with an increase in the number of transactions. Even then, it has been remained above of Rs 1,500 mark.
4. The number of banks on UPI increased to 57 in September 2017.


text:
Our Client TelCann LTD, has signed a substantial agreement with Canonic.
29 December 2020
Our Client, TelCann LTD, a licensed medical cannabis cultivator, has signed a substantial agreement with Canonic, a company focused on developing medical cannabis products. The agreement will allow Canonic to develop its medical cannabis products, Precise and MetaYield, here in Israel.
For further reading >> click here


text:
Certain 16-ounce jars of Smucker's peanut butter are being recalled over salmonella fears, the Ohio-based company announced.
"No illnesses related to this issue have been reported and the product is being recalled out of an abundance of caution for consumer safety," the J.M.
Smucker Company said in a press release.
Some 3,000 jars are being removed from stores, plus another 16,000 are being recalled that never left warehouses, the company says. A routine sampling of products revealed the possibility of salmonella contamination.
Affected jars of Natural Peanut Butter Chunky have "Best if used by" dates of August 3, 2012 and August 4, 2012, plus production codes 1307004 and 1308004. Consumers with these products are advised to discard the jar and call Smucker's at 1-888-550-9555 for a replacement coupon.
The product was distributed in Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
Symptoms of salmonella include fever, cramps and diarrhea that can last for several days. Hospitalization may be required for older people and those with compromised immune systems.


text:
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named 66 vehicles to its Top Safety Picks for 2011 list. The Top Safety Pick awards recognize vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, rollover and rear crashes. Vehicles named Top Safety Picks have to earn a "good" rating in all these tests. Other ratings include acceptable, marginal and poor.
Top Safety Pick vehicles also must have available electronic stability control. For 2011, 40 cars, 25 SUVs and one minivan earned the accolade. Last year, the IIHS made it harder to earn a Top Safety Pick award by requiring that all qualifying vehicles earn a good rating for performance in a roof strength test to assess protection in a rollover crash. None of the small pickups the IIHS tested qualified for this year’s award, and large pickups haven’t been tested yet.
"In just a year, automakers have more than doubled the number of vehicles that meet the criteria for Top Safety Pick," says Adrian Lund, the Institute’s president. "That gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV – from economy to luxury models – plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms. In fact, every major automaker has at least one winning model this year."
For 2011, Hyundai/Kia and Volkswagen/Audi each have nine vehicles on the Top Safety Picks list.
The IIHS says that 92 percent of 2011 model-year cars, 94 percent of SUVs and 56 percent of pickup trucks have standard head and torso side airbags. Electronic stability control is standard on 92 percent of cars, 100 percent of SUVs, and 72 percent of pickup trucks.


text:
From sorghum pilau, to millet ugali and groundnut uji, there is no shortage of tantalising dishes that can be made from these nutritious crops. But many Kenyans do not consume them regularly, until they are in poor health and the doctor advises them to do so.
A new Sh470 million campaign now seeks to return these “traditional foods” like sorghum, millet, pigeon peas and groundnuts back to dinner tables.
Dr Moses Siambi, Eastern and Southern Africa director for International Crop Research Institute for the semi-arid tropics (Icrisat), an international research centre says the ‘big three’ crops, namely, maize, wheat and rice are locally and globally dominant in terms of research, consumption, infrastructure and trade. He however adds that sorghum, millet and legumes have limited investments, and are perceived to be for the poor.
“It is for this reason that we have launched the smart food campaign to create awareness. These drought tolerant crops - sorghum, millet, pigeon pea and groundnuts-are under-recognised yet they have high nutritional value, are resilience under extreme weather and have multiple untapped uses,” Siambi notes.
The campaign will start in January 2016 and will run for three years at a costs of $4.6 million (about Sh470 million). It will target about 45,000 farmers in Busia, Siaya, Keiyo Marakwet, Makueni, Kitui and Tharaka Nithi. “A lot of this money will go into making variety seed available to farmers in these counties,” he says.
Siambi also says the campaign seeks to increase production and demand for the nutri-resilient crops thus benefiting the farmer and consumer.
“It will also change the image of and increase awareness about the crops, their value, use and preparation. We will support farmers to produce more to meet the demand through increasing availability of high quality seed as well as training farmers and seed companies to produce the seeds,” he said during the 2015 Kenya Science Journalists Congress in Nairobi last week.
He adds that the smart foods campaign is keen to promote adoption of improved varieties of the crops, work with women and the youth to increase household consumption thus enhancing nutrition.
“We also hope to streamline the marketing of the crops and link farmers to lucrative markets so as to increase household incomes. Work with food processors to develop ready to eat, trendy food products and conduct marketing advertising for their products highlighting the nutritional values of sorghum and millets,” Siambi says.
According to research, sorghum in Africa and Asia is mainly used as food and more recently as poultry feed while in the United States and Australia it is used to feed cattle.
Millet production is only about two per cent of the world cereal production but it is an important staple food crop in semi-arid regions. But it is generally limited to fields with low soil fertility and poor rainfall conditions.
Asia and Africa account for about 95 per cent of the total millet production in the world, with Asia accounting for 40 per cent mainly in India and China. Africa accounts for 55 per cent of total production in Kenya, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.
“We are hoping that this will be of help to many people, health wise and that it will also create a new avenue for entrepreneurship. We want farmers who are producing these crops to derive livelihoods out of them by providing varieties that have more production. This will also release the pressure on maize and make use of the dry areas,” he adds.
As the campaign goes forward, he says they will work with millers to ensure there are genuine products in the shops for the consumers.
The Smart Food campaign is also hoping to link up with the food industry mainly hotels in the local areas where people are producing the crop.
“These foods have very good nutritional values and people should consume them and not wait until a doctor tells them so. They are good for your health and will also help the farmers in the marginal areas to make a living by selling the surplus to pay for school fees and to pay for all the other necessities that they require. Let us not wait until a foreign NGO comes up and starts promoting them and then we buy,” he advises.


text:
A FILTHY noodle processing factory in Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, is the latest outlet ordered to close by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for violating health and safety regulations.
Officers from the DBKL Health and Environment Department found dirty floors and signs of rat infestation within the premises.
Employees too were found not adhering to food hygiene standards.
Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Dahlan said the officers found packaged noodles left on dirty floors.
“The factory has to close for 14 days and has been ordered to clean up, ” he said.
The closure order was issued under Section 11 of the Food Act 1983.
Previously, DBKL ordered closures of a tofu and yong tau foo factory for similar offences.
The tofu factory was shut permanently for its disgusting conditions and it was discovered that the business had been operating without a licence from the time it was set up in 1989.


text:
ComplexCon returns to Long Beach Nov. 6 - 7 with hosts J. Balvin and Kristen Noel Crawley, performances by A$AP Rocky and Turnstile, and more shopping and drops.
Secure your spot while tickets last!
Earlier today, at the 3DS conference in Japan, Nintendo announced that Kid Icarus Uprising would not be released until 2012. Pit's next adventure was originally supposed to be a 3DS launch title, but massive delays are putting it's release almost a full year behind schedule. Hopefully, the extra time pays off and fans are treated to a well-polished sequel when it finally does release.
Other big titles slated for 2012 include: Mario Tennis, Luigi's Mansion 2, Paper Mario, and Animal Crossing. For those of you who can't wait that long, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 now have U.S. release dates of November 12 and December 4 respectively.


text:
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Just as the fashion industry was beginning to find its feet after Covid-19′s turmoil, the later months of 2022 seem determined to throw brands and retailers off course again. Deteriorating macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions have weighed heavily on the industry in the second half of the year and continue to leave fashion executives on edge as they look towards 2023.
However, much of the industry is entering this difficult period with strong foundations, having experienced impressive growth in 2021 and in the first half of 2022. As economies around the world began lifting restrictions in 2021 after enduring the pandemic’s devastation, the fashion industry benefitted from a burst of pent-up consumer demand, despite some challenges remaining, like supply chain disruptions. Global industry revenues in 2021 grew 21 percent year on year, while the average EBITA margin close to doubled, growing 6 percentage points. The industry continued its strong performance in early 2022, with 13 percent revenue growth in the first half of the year.
More than 50 percent of the companies tracked by the McKinsey Global Fashion Index contributed to the industry’s total economic profit in 2021, compared to just 32 percent in 2020. The proportion of value destroyers (companies generating negative economic profit) has thus fallen to its lowest since 2013. Our roster of fashion “Super Winners” — the top 20 listed companies by economic profit — comprises many of the usual suspects from the luxury and sportswear categories, while players in the discount segment have also climbed up the list.
But some of these gains were chipped away as 2022 progressed. The war in Ukraine, which started in February, triggered a string of events, including an escalating energy crisis across Europe. Troublesome inflation in many major economies led central banks to roll out back-to-back interest rate hikes, ending a lengthy period of ultra-low and even negative rates, in a bid to temper rising prices and help steer economies away from recession.
Looking ahead to 2023, the drivers contributing to a broad state of global fragility are top of mind for fashion executives. In the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2023 Survey, 85 percent of fashion executives predict inflation will continue to challenge the market next year. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions, specifically around the ongoing war in Ukraine, have disrupted supply chains and created an energy crisis that 58 percent of executives also believe will weaken the fashion market.
In aggregate, McKinsey expects global fashion sales growth of 5 percent to 10 percent for luxury, and negative 2 percent to positive 3 percent for the rest of the industry in 2023, while the dichotomies that previously defined the fashion business are expected to return. Beyond the differences between luxury and players from other segments, regional differences will be pronounced. The US economy, despite the slowdown, is expected to be more robust than other major global economies — Covid-19 outbreaks and precautions continue in China, while Europe suffers from an energy crisis and a weakened euro against a strong US dollar.
Against this backdrop, the world map for industry growth is shifting. Markets that once showed solid growth potential are now facing a wider range of risks than they once did, ranging from extreme weather conditions to political or social unrest. Other regions such as the Middle East may become new havens of growth, requiring brands to further localise designs, marketing and merchandising to attract new customers. But as fashion executives assess what the new regional realities mean for their businesses, their scenario planning will need to factor in more than financial risks and opportunities.
Fashion companies will need to rethink their operations. Many will update their organisational structures, introducing new roles or elevating existing ones to target key growth opportunities and respond more effectively to risk. Brands may also choose to see the next year as a time to team up with manufacturing partners to sharpen their supply chain strategies. This may involve nearshoring to better respond to fast-shifting consumer demand or leaning more heavily on data analytics and technology to manage inventory efficiently.
Distribution channel mixes are also ripe for reassessment. As e-commerce growth normalises after its pandemic boom, the sheen has started to wear off the direct-to-consumer digital model that propelled many brands over the past decade. As lockdown restrictions lifted, shoppers have made it clear that although they still value online channels — particularly within luxury, where online DTC and third-party platforms will continue to drive growth — shoppers also want brick-and-mortar experiences. Brands will also need to factor in the continued return of international travel to pre-pandemic rates, which will be buoyed by a strong US dollar. Wholesale and physical retail have a new role in revamping customer journeys, requiring brands to look beyond tier-one cities to be physically closer to consumers.
Brands will have to work hard to remain attractive to consumers, given the tough economic environment. Consumer behaviours in 2023 will depend greatly on household incomes. While higher-income households will be less affected by economic pressures and look likely to continue shopping for luxury goods, as in previous downturns, lower-income households will likely cut back or even eliminate discretionary spending, including apparel. Some will trade down, pivoting to value retailers, marked-down items and off-price channels while eschewing full price, premium and mass brands.
All this elevates the importance of brands’ marketing strategies. Brands should use the year ahead to innovate their digital marketing. Budgets will shift to alternative channels that could generate better return on investment than paid social media ads, such retail media networks, while building stronger brand communities. This will feed into distribution channels, as brands will need to seek higher margins and gather more first-party customer data.
Executives are bracing for a tough 2023; leading brands will deploy realistic but bold strategies that combine careful cost control with strategic investments in skills growth.
How brands manage and communicate about issues that are important to consumers will also be critical. Consider sustainability. New and emerging regulations along with heightened consumer awareness of fashion’s contribution to the climate crisis mean that brands will need to be hyper-vigilant about how they talk about their sustainability-related initiatives and achievements to ensure they are not “greenwashing,” which could potentially lead to reputational damage or costly fines.
Brands that effectively navigate industry challenges in 2023 will be better positioned to seize consumer trends. Coming out of the pandemic, formal dress codes remain disrupted, pushing brands to rethink office and special occasion attire. Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly shopping across gender categories, and brands that can adapt their merchandising strategies accordingly will be able to strengthen their relationships with a wider range of consumers.
Executives are bracing for a tough 2023; leading brands will deploy realistic but bold strategies that combine careful cost control with strategic investments in skills growth. Those that recognise that growth will be unpredictable or muted, but still charge forward with investments in innovation throughout their organisations, will find they are in a stronger position to accelerate their businesses when the uncertainty and fragility subside.
The 10 fashion industry themes that will set the agenda in 2023:
1. Global Fragility
Amid the highest inflation in a generation, rising geopolitical tensions, climate crises and sinking consumer confidence in anticipation of an economic downturn, the global economy is in a volatile state. Fashion brands will need careful planning to navigate the many uncertainties and recessionary risks that lie ahead in 2023.
2. Regional Realities
Understanding where to invest globally has never been easy but rising geopolitical uncertainty and uneven post-pandemic economic recoveries, among other factors, will likely make it even more challenging in 2023. Brands can re-evaluate regional growth priorities and hone their strategies so they are more tailored to the geographies in which they operate.
3. Two-Track Spending
Consumers may be impacted differently by the potential economic turbulence in 2023. Depending on factors including disposable income levels, some will postpone or curtail discretionary purchases; others will seek out bargains, increasing demand for resale, rental and off-price. Fashion executives should adapt their business models to protect customer loyalty and avoid diluting their brands.
4. Fluid Fashion
Gender-fluid fashion is gaining greater traction amid changing consumer attitudes towards gender identity and expression. For many brands and retailers, the blurring of the lines between menswear and womenswear will require rethinking their product design, marketing, and in-store and digital shopping experiences.
5. Formalwear Reinvented
Formal attire is taking on new definitions as shoppers rethink how they dress for work, weddings and other special occasions. While offices and events will likely become more casual, special occasions may be dominated by statement-making outfits that consumers rent or buy to stand out when they do decide to dress up.
6. DTC Reckoning
Though brands across price segments and categories have embraced digital direct-to-consumer channels, mounting digital marketing costs and e-commerce readjustments have put the viability of the DTC model into question. To grow, brands will likely need to diversify their channel mix, including wholesale and third-party marketplaces, alongside DTC.
7. Tackling Greenwashing
As the industry continues to grapple with its damaging environmental and social impact, consumers, regulators and other stakeholders may increasingly scrutinise how brands communicate about their sustainability credentials. If brands are to avoid “greenwashing,” they must show that they are making meaningful and credible change while abiding by emerging regulatory requirements.
8. Future-Proofing Manufacturing
Continued disruptions in supply chains are a catalyst for a reconfiguration of global production. Textile manufacturers can create new supply chain models based around vertical integration, nearshoring and small-batch production, enabled by enhanced digitisation.
9. Digital Marketing Reloaded
Recent data rules are spurring a new chapter for digital marketing as customer targeting becomes less effective and more costly. Brands will embrace creative campaigns and new channels such as retail media networks and the metaverse to achieve greater ROI on marketing spend and gather valuable first-party data that can be leveraged to deepen customer relationships.
10. Organisation Overhaul
Successful execution of strategies in 2023 will in part hinge on a company’s alignment around key functions. Fashion executives need a new vision for what the organisation of the future will require, focusing on attracting and retaining top talent, as well as elevating teams and critical C-suite roles to execute on priorities like sustainability and digital acceleration.
© 2021 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.


text:
Is iPod losing its luster? At least in the UK, the Scotsman writes, the Little MP3 Player That Could is beginning to garner some negative vibe.
Why? Quality issues, mainly, the article says. What's more, the recent revelations over the working conditions at Foxconn hasn't necessary endeared Apple to Generation Next.
The evidence? A YouGov brand awareness survey index, which has seen a fall in popularity in Apple's brand. The index for quality has fallen the most, according to the survey.
Unsurprisingly, Apple denies a quality problem. Indeed, big guns like iPod Marketing VP Greg Joswiak says that iPod has a first-year failure rate of 5%, whereas many companies, such as cell phone makers, have failure rates of up to 30%.
Joswiak blames perceptions about low quality on mishandling of iPods. He notes it's a complex piece of electronics, which can be broken if dropped.
Analysis: Mere FUD? Or is iPod on a downward slide? If iPods were really falling in popularity by degrees, wouldn't we expect to see commensurate gains in market share by rival MP3 players? That hasn't happened yet, not by a long shot.
- Microsoft announces Office 2015, releases Updated Outlook
- Trent Reznor working on project for Apple
- Seth Rogan expected to play Woz in upcoming Steve Jobs movie
- Tim Cook on being gay
- Twelve South bring BookArc stand to Mac Pro
- Walgreens and Apple Pay
- Fitbit bring out three new fitness wristband
- Apple Pay sparks rift between merchants and credit cards
- Podcast: End of Macworld Expo? Mac Hack, Jobs movie + more
- Tool and guides emerge to upgrade older Macs for Yosemite Continuity/Handoff
- Google Inbox
- Memory upgrades for new 5K iMac from Other World Computing
- Dropbox adds iPhone 6/6+, Touch ID support
- Video: How to charge your iPhone 6 faster
- Apple announces iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3
- Apple announces new iMac with 5K display
- OS X Yosemite launches
- Apple updates Mac mini
- Apple Pay goes live October 20
- HBO plans to launch stand-alone streaming service next year
- Macworld/iWorld called off for 2015
- Podcast - Apple Event, iOS 8 Adoption + More
- New Apple event set for October 16th
- Fitbit says not working on iOS 8 Health integration
- 1Password Update for iOS 8 Bugs
Browse and search for more articles


text:
Henry Miller: How a pet store employee became a heroic fighter against invasive species
Talk about an unsung hero.
An as-yet-undisclosed employee at a Seattle PetCo store is being credited with alerting officials about a potential ecological disaster.
The employee discovered zebra mussels, an invasive scourge in multiple states and hundreds of water bodies in the U.S., in packages of “Betta Buddy Marimo Ball,” a decorative moss that is marketed for home aquariums.
“I think every state in the union, the (Oregon) Invasive Species Council included, would give him the Eagle Eye Award; you couldn’t ask for a better thing,” said Rick Boatner, the Invasive Species Program supervisor for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Eagle Eye is one of six awards given out by the council for invasive prevention.
“We believe that they originally came from the Ukraine area, and came into the (U.S.) through California, Florida and New York,” Boatner said about shipments of the Betta Buddy Marimo Ball. “As of Friday evening (March 5), we knew of 23 states, and we’re guessing that all 49 states received them in the United States.”
The mussel-contaminated plants apparently slipped undetected past the federal monitoring agency, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, because they arrived in the packaging as veligers, a microscopic larval stage of the mussels.
“That’s kind of the working theory,” Boatner said. “And then they developed into the settler stage in the packaging, because what we’re seeing is these are super small.
“I mean ‘in God we trust’ on a penny, these things would fit between the s and the t.”
It didn’t take long after the story broke for it to go viral online.
“Through social media, this thing went nuts,” Boatner said. “I’ve gotten calls from as far away as New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Alaska informing me that they bought the product."
Oregon Fish and Wildlife immediately mobilized, he added.
“We did statewide with all of our agency people either contacting pet stores or visiting various pet stores around the state,” Boatner said. “And they’re all being very cooperative in pulling the product, so that’s very good.”
Similarly, the federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is checking into the distribution and supply chain, he added.
It’s the internet sales that still what give him the heebie-jeebies, Boatner said.
“We’re also seeing that it’s also being sold through Amazon and other things, so it’s huge,” he said. “That’s still my No. 1 headache on prohibited species in Oregon, because you can order it online, and it’s on your doorstep the next day.”
Fallout from the discovery of the zebra mussel-infested moss will include expanded surveys of potential infection sites.
“We’re going to have to start monitoring what I call dump sites, you know, where people dump their aquariums, generally like a city park or water bodies for mussels, which wasn’t on our radar as a concern before,” Boatner said.
Even if the mussels are dead, they can leave DNA in a lake, pond or stream that can trigger a positive test for the bivalves.
“That’s my next concern,” he said. “And that will cost several thousand dollars just to confirm that it’s a false positive test.
“And, again, that’s in water bodies that we weren’t ever expecting to ever have to test.”
If you have potentially infected plants, here’s how safely get rid of them:
Either freeze or boil the moss ball before disposing of it in the trash.
Do not flush it down the toilet, dispose of it in a storm drain or use it as mulch.
For an aquarium, remove the fish, then use one cup of household bleach per gallon of water and let stand in the tank for 10 minutes before disposing of water down a sink or toilet.
Use the same bleach solution to disinfect filters, gravel and structures before disposing of the cleaning solution down the toilet.
MOST OLD-TIMER FISHING/HUNTING STORIES: “I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” - Mark Twain
Contact Henry Miller via email at firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
When we think about accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, there are a few techniques that could work. These include discounts on taxes like stamp duty and registration, a straight-up discount on the purchase price, or to lead by example and have Governments start transitioning their fleet to EVs.
The New South Wales Government has elected progress the latter option, with the announcement that they’re not only meeting but beating their EV target set back in 2019.
The NSW Government’s Future Transport 2056 strategy is a 40-year strategy that plans to deliver customer-focused, technology-driven services to improve the productivity, liveability and sustainability of communities across the state.
We often accuse our politicians of being short-sighted and taking decisions that benefit them in an election cycle, rather than benefiting the community over the long term. This is an example of a Government doing the right thing and something they should be commended for. Naturally, the dollars need to continue flowing over successive Governments for this plan to become a reality.
The first of 3 key actions listed in the strategy was a commitment to target at least 10% of the purchased or leased passenger vehicles be electric or hybrid vehicles by 2021.
NSW Government has already achieved this target and we’re only halfway through 2020. Instead of resting on that achievement, the NSW Government has announced they are increasing that goal to 30%.
Each year, around 3,000 vehicles are added or replaced in the NSW Government fleet. This means 30% would see around 900 vehicles being EV or hybrid. While I wish all 30% was going to be EVs, the Government is committing to around 300 being Electric Vehicles.
What’s almost more important than the sheer number of EVs, is the impact these will have on society’s awareness of electric vehicles. These 300 vehicles will be used by hundreds of people and those friends and family of Government employees will be engaged in conversations about EVs, ultimately helping spread the message of the benefits.
While the up-front purchase price remains higher than ICE vehicles today, the substantially lower running costs and almost no maintenance costs will reduce the overall total cost of ownership.
In the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Net Zero Plan for 2020 – 2030, it estimates that switching to an electric vehicle can save $1300 on fuel and $300 on maintenance a year.
By encouraging vehicle fleet procurers to buy electric vehicles, their bulk purchasing power will incentivise importers to sell a greater range of electric vehicle models.
This means the NSW electric vehicle market will become increasingly competitive and lower cost.
Co-funding fleets with the private or local government sector will bring a substantial number of new electric vehicles into New South Wales.
These vehicles are typically resold to the second-hand market after three to five years, giving NSW drivers more electric vehicle options at a lower cost.
While the specific cars haven’t been confirmed, it’s expected they’ll be largely made up of lower-cost (starting A$53k), mid-range EVs like the Hyundai Kona or Ioniq EV. So no, the Government isn’t buying a bunch of Teslas.
With a growth in electric vehicles, it’s also important to consider an increase in demand for electric charging infrastructure. Thankfully the strategy also targets co-investment in fast-charging infrastructure.
While Australian’s have done a great job of adopting rooftop solar, we lag behind the rest of the world in terms of EV adoption. I would love to see the Federal Government create progressive policy like this that encourages more people to migrate to electric vehicles.
Via The Driven.


text:
RYFF uses video game technology to introduce dynamic brand placement into film and TV broadcasts.
Twenty-two days into the new year and we have our first major LA Tech acquisition of 2019. Live television streaming platform Pluto TV has been acquired by media giant Viacom for $340M in cash. “Since our launch less than five years ago, and particularly over the past year, Pluto TV has enjoyed explosive growth and […]
As the playoffs are in full swing, everyone is littering their speech with baseball apologies, “We are only at the bottom of the first inning for all these technologies,” declared Pano Anthos at last week’s RoboLab forum. When illustrating his point, Anthos deconstructed one of XRC Labs‘ portfolio companies which utilizes computer vision to identify store merchandise. “Right […]


text:
CL&P and UI customers to see rates decrease
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) approved on Monday reduced generation rates for residential and business customers of Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) and United Illuminating (UI).
The changes, which take effect January 1, 2012, include:
• CL&P’s residential generation rate will decrease about 1.2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), from the current rate of 9.482 cents/kWh to 8.279 cents/kWh. The generation cost for a CL&P residential customer using 750 k/h would decrease by about $9 a month.
• UI’s residential generation rate will decrease 1.8 cents/kWh from the current rate of 10.616 cents/kWh to 8.727 cents/kWh. The generation cost for a UI residential customer using 750 kWh would decrease by about $13.50 a month.
Similar reductions will be applied to generation rates for business customers taking standard service from the state’s two largest electric utility companies. CL&P business customers will see a reduction of about 1.4 cents/kWh while UI's business customers will see a reduction of about 1.8 cents/kWh.
The generation rate, which recovers the cost to generate electricity at power plants, makes up more than 50 percent of the monthly electric bill for most residential users.
Other charges on electric bills that recover the cost to deliver electricity, which will be adjusted by the PURA for 2012 in December, include distribution and public benefit charges. Delivery costs also include transmission charges, which are set by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Approximately 53 percent of the Connecticut’s 1.5 million residential customers take standard service generation from CL&P and UI. The remaining residential customers have opted to have their electricity provided by other approved electric suppliers, which can further reduce generation rates for consumers.
Even though CL&P and UI’s generation charges are being reduced, consumers are advised to consider all available generation offers to obtain the most suitable and cost effective plan for their household.
Helpful information about choosing an electric supplier can be found at www.ctenergyinfo.com.
PURA officials noted that generation charges have steadily declined since 2006 when the cost to generate electricity dramatically increased. Officials say the latest reductions are attributable to the ability of CL&P and UI to purchase power at lower cost due to the decline in natural gas prices and to a decrease in congestion fees.


text:
British media said the United States, after first comprehensive measures of the energy consumed by playing games, found that the carbon emissions from playing games were equivalent to Sri Lanka’s total annual carbon footprint, or 24 million tons of carbon dioxide. Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California say the culprit is the pursuit of higher-quality graphics, instead playing games on 4K monitors and televisions, as well as streaming games.
The team studied the energy consumption of 26 gaming systems, including all of the game consoles released by several major video game giants over the past 15 years, as well as personal computers and streaming devices such as Apple TV, the report said.
They asked California’s 20 testers to conduct dozens of tests on 37 popular games to detect differences between systems and how people play the game. The team put the results across the United States from 134 million installed gaming systems in the United States.
The results show that cloud-based games , similar to Google’s Stadia cloud gaming platform to be launched next week , are by far the most energy-hungry games available over the Internet than downloading games or playing games online . This is due to the power consumed by network streaming data.
According to the average price of U.S. energy, electricity costs vary widely, from $5 to $1,000 a year. The game consumes a total of 34 terawatt hours a year, or 2.4% of U.S. household electricity consumption. Carbon emissions vary widely depending on the energy structure of the local grid.
Reported that the style of online games does not seem to determine its energy consumption.
The report also said that future energy consumption and carbon emissions in the future will depend on which platforms will prevail: more use of gaming consoles rather than personal computers will reduce energy consumption.
Matthew Marsden, of Lancaster University, said the impact on the environment could be greater because the study did not take into account the impact of the study.
“I think one possibility in the future is that players who expect to experience ‘play anywhere’ are more likely to turn to cloud gaming services and end up with a higher energy footprint because it involves energy consumption in the data center and network infrastructure,” he said. “


text:
In a significant development for the tech industry, Samsung has reportedly chosen not to replace Google with Bing as the default search engine on its mobile devices, as revealed by a recent report from the Wall Street Journal. This decision deals a blow to Microsoft, which had been actively seeking to secure default search agreements previously held by Google, with the aim of boosting traffic to its search engine, Bing. Despite Microsoft’s efforts to enhance Bing through the integration of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools developed in collaboration with OpenAI, the search engine’s market share has seen only marginal growth. Consequently, Microsoft has been pursuing potential deals with prominent entities such as Samsung, Apple, and Mozilla, in its pursuit of expanding Bing’s market presence.
Citing concerns over potential repercussions on stock value and the extensive partnership between Samsung and Google, the Korean tech giant has opted to halt its evaluation of the Google agreement, according to the WSJ report. While Samsung has been exploring alternative options for default search engines, it appears the potential risks associated with a search engine switch have taken precedence in the decision-making process.
Microsoft has been fervently striving to disrupt Google’s longstanding dominance in the search engine arena. To bolster Bing’s capabilities, the company made a substantial investment in OpenAI, resulting in the integration of cutting-edge AI tools into the search engine. Despite these technological advancements, Bing’s market share has experienced only marginal growth, compelling Microsoft to seek out alternative pathways for expansion.
In its pursuit of partnerships, Microsoft has set its sights on major players in the tech industry. Samsung, renowned for its global market reach and significant smartphone sales, presented a valuable opportunity for Microsoft to tap into a vast user base. However, Samsung’s decision to suspend the review of the Google deal showcases the complex dynamics at play when evaluating potential partnerships, considering the far-reaching consequences that such decisions may have.
For Samsung, a potential switch in default search engines could have far-reaching implications, extending beyond the immediate effect on user experience. The Wall Street Journal‘s report suggests that Samsung’s concerns primarily revolve around potential negative consequences on stock value and the extensive partnership shared with Google. It is vital for Samsung to maintain a harmonious relationship with Google, as collaboration in various areas, including mobile software integration, promotes the smooth functioning of Samsung devices and enhances user satisfaction.
Google’s enduring prominence as the industry leader in search engines has allowed the company to forge strategic alliances with numerous tech giants. The partnership between Samsung and Google encompasses a wide range of aspects, from software integration to revenue sharing through the inclusion of Google’s services on Samsung devices. Disrupting this symbiotic relationship could not only affect Samsung’s financial stability but also disrupt the overall user experience.


text:
Kisumu city will next week host a three-day expo to promote tourism in the Western circuit. The exhibition, which is sponsored by the Lake Victoria Tourism Association in collaboration with the Tourism ministry and City Council of Kisumu to the tune of Sh3 million, will be held between May 3 and 5 at Kisumu’s The Vic Hotel.
Association chairman Daniel Okumu, who was accompanied by patron Abdulqadir Omar and secretary general Anthony Ochieng’, said the expo whose theme is,”Come and Experience the glamour of the Western Kenya Tourism Circuit”, will showcase the region’s enormous and unexploited cultural and ecotourism enormous potential. “The tourism and travel expo of Western Kenya is reminiscent of Russell Conwell’s classic, Acres of Diamond. It will bring out the enormous potential that exists in Western Kenya, which remains unexploited, by articulating and representing innovative thinking outside the subsistence farming box,” said Okumu.
He said the expo offers diversity from the traditional safari and beach destination, which is one of the objectives of the Tourism Diversification and Subsistence Development programme 2002. Okumu said several participants including the Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustee, Kenya Tourism Board, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Utalii College, ministry and the public among others will attend the expo. “The expo promises a long overdue package including a showcase on cruise on Lake Victoria, ultimate forest experience in Kakamega forest and the rare birding experience there,” said Omar.
He said the region boasts of rich cultural sites such as the Chitambwe ruins, the Elijah Masinde shrine, the cave elephants at Mt Elgon, Kit Mikayi’s weeping stone, Thimlich Ohinga, Got Ramogi, Simbi Nyaima, Webuye falls, Lake Kanyaboli, Ruma National Park, Mt Elgon National Park, Saiwa Swamp and the Shinyalu gardens among others, for visitors to sample.


text:
By Paul Hayes
MELBOURNE, VIC: Australian discount retailer Clive Peeters announced this morning that it has entered into a trading halt pending the outcome of discussions with financiers.
The company said it anticipates the halt to remain in place until it makes an announcement at the commencement of normal trading on Friday 21 May.
News of the discussions with financiers comes little more than two weeks after the troubled whitegoods retailer significantly reduced its latest sales forecast in the wake of five consecutive interest rate rises and post-stimulus consumer belt tightening.
In its report for the half year ended 31 December 2009, Clive Peeters said it was expecting to post an unaudited net operating loss of $4.5 million for the three months January to March 2010.
To rub salt in the wounds, in addition to the falling sales figures being experienced by most local retailers, Clive Peeters was faced with the added burden of $20 million fraud at the hands of a trusted employee.
After a peak of 70 cents in October last year, the negative results saw the company’s shares plummet to 10.5 cents on 7 May, before rallying slightly to close at 15 cents last night.
Clive Peeters managing director, Greg Smith, was unavailable for comment about the trading halt when contacted by Current.com.au, but any comments will be posted as they come to hand.


text:
Shares in debt-stricken Yellow Pages owner plummet as bankers prepare to seize control
Shares in Yellow Pages publisher Hibu have plunged 28 per cent after it emerged lenders were poised to take control of the debt-laden business.
Hibu, which employs more than 13,000 staff and publishes a range of directories, has been severely hit by competition from the internet and hamstrung by massive debts.
Lenders to Hibu - until recently called Yell - have reportedly formed a committee to represent the views of creditors as the company undertakes its second financial restructuring in a year.
Shares woe: A gaggle of banks is poised to move in on the owner of Yellow Pages
The shake-up is likely to see a large chunk of debts erased in return for control being handed to lenders.
Shareholders, who have seen the stock slide from 600p five years ago to 0.86p in early trading today, will probably be wiped out under the move.
Hibu lenders and bondholders, who are understood to number about 400, include Royal Bank of Scotland, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank.
People cited as close to the situation said the group had lined up U.S. restructuring specialist Houlihan Lokey and law firm Linklaters as advisers.
Hibu has attempted to reinvent itself with not only a name change but an increasing focus on digital operations as it looks to offset the pressure on its printed directories.
It has rolled out eMarketplace, which provides small businesses with the infrastructure to sell online without having to set up their own website.
Hibu said on Friday that it had been successful in persuading lenders to waive debt covenant tests while it attempted to address its position.
The company has reduced its borrowings from £3billion four years ago but interest charges on the debt have continued to eat into profits.
And the company swung to a £1.4billion loss last year due to a giant write-off on the value of its acquisitions.
Stock watch: Hibu shares have taken a battering as it struggles with internet competition and heavy debts
Most watched Money videos
- Renault show off AIR4 retro drone version of Renault 4 without wheels
- Bitcoin and crypto demystified: Part one
- New Nissan concept car uses same powertrain as family-designed SUV
- Citroen unveil doorless beach buggy designed for adventure
- A look into the extremely rare 1962 Ferrari 268 SP classic car
- Incredible Lewis Hamilton's GP winning McLaren sold at auction
- Nissan creates electric Newbird using battery from a Leaf EV
- Kia creates an electrical storm with all new battery-powered EV6 GT
- Britishvolt gigafactory to come up in Blyth after £1.7bn funding
- Renault Zoe scores zero stars in crash tests after airbag removed
- Bitcoin and crypto demystified: Part two
- Rare 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione sold for £5.6million