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A significant percentage (90%) of ecommerce startups end in failure within the first 120 days, says new research by Marketingsignals.
The analysis polled 1,253 ecommerce startups owners in the UK to understand the reasons behind the industry’s lack of growth.
According to the research, 37% of the polled ecommerce entrepreneur said that their failure could be attributed to an inability to compete or deliver online marketing, with 35% saying a lack of online visibility was the main factor.
Further research found that the same proportion of respondents (35%) felt failure was down to them being too small to compete or there being no market for their products and services, whilst 32% reported that it was due to them running out of cash.
Completing the top five reasons for failure, was price and cost issues, with 29% of failed startup owners claiming this was the reason why they folded.
When further quizzed on the reasons why their online startup business failed, 23% said that it was due to being outcompeted, whilst 19% blamed retail giants such as Amazon for dominating a large share of the consumer online retail market.
On the other hand, 6% felt that their business collapsed due to their lack of customer service, whilst 14% felt it was due to the poor team they’d built around themselves.
Completing the top ten reasons why ecommerce startups fail was product mistiming, with 11% of startup owners claiming that the reason why their business failed was due to “the right product, wrong time.”
“It’s clear to see that having an online presence and being visible on search engines is a key area e-commerce startup need to focus on to ensure they succeed.”
“As nine in ten online startups fail within their first 120 days of businesses, it’s incredibly important that business owners put provisions firmly in place well before launching – this must include bulletproof search visibility and online marketing strategy, as well as ensuring there is a market for their product offering. A targeted, strategic approach to digital marketing is vital to the success of any online business in this day and age, only more so for small businesses who are just starting out. Many tools can be used to increase their brand awareness and search visibility in their first few days and weeks, where consumer trust and loyalty hasn’t yet been established.”
– Gareth Hoyle, managing director at Marketingsignals.com


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Want a lobster? Go get it! In fact, why not buy like, seven of them? Do it, really — Maine’s fisherfolk will thank you. Warm weather and good conservation techniques have primed Maine’s waters for a glut of lobster unlike anything the fishing population has seen. It could turn out to be a record lobster harvest — but with this kind of glut, where are all those lobsters going to go?
Because of the super warm conditions, soft-shell lobsters hit the market a month early in June. And because there were so many of them, it’s turned into an overabundance, reports the New York Times. In other words, too much of a good thing is actually possible in this case.
Once restaurants and grocery stores have their fill of lobster, the prices fishermen receive for them keeps dipping, to where it’s now at a 40-year low. That makes it difficult for lobstermen to cover the costs of heading out to collect those lobsters, and when they do, they work hard at bringing in as many as they can to try and at least sell a high volume to get more money.
It’s gotten so rough, some lobstermen have stayed off the water for days at a time to protest low prices and try and ease the lobster glut. That didn’t work, and many couldn’t afford to keep from fishing for too long.
For the lobster-loving consumer, these low prices are usually passed on when they’re bought live at supermarkets. But since most people seem to like going out to restaurants for their lobster and not deal with all the muss and fuss of lowering the little guys into their boiling, watery graves, savings aren’t as common at many seafood joints.
So if consumers aren’t really saving on the whole, and lobstermen are having to work harder to make enough money… does anybody win? No one is really sure, prompting the lobstermen and state officials to try and come up with new markets and new lobster recipes to get this glut moving.
But if you usually avoid the live lobster tank because of high prices, now might be the time to squelch your fear of cooking lobster at home and take a cruise by the tank.
And now, we dance:
In Maine, More Lobsters Than They Know What to Do With [New York Times]

domain: news


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Co. Kildare becomes GMO-free zone
Tuesday October 24, 2006 20:39 by Michael O'Callaghan - GM-free Ireland Network mail at gmfreeireland dot org + 353 (0)404 43885
Cross party support for local farmers and food producers
DUBLIN, 24 October 2006 – Kildare became the ninth county on the island of Ireland to declare itself a GMO-free zone. The decision was taken by the elected County Councillors at a meeting yesterday.
Map of GMO-free zones in Ireland
DUBLIN, 24 October 2006 – Kildare became the ninth county on the island of Ireland to declare itself a GMO-free zone . The decision was taken by the elected County Councillors at a meeting yesterday.
The Motion states “that this County Council takes all possible measures necessary to promote and maintain Kildare as a genetically modified crop-free zone, in order to protect the interests of farmers and to encourage development of our valuable agricultural industry”.
The motion was tabled by Mary Glennon, Independent Councillor for the Naas area, and was passed unanimously by elected representatives from all the political parties, with two abstentions.
Cllr. Glennon said “Kildare’s bloodstock, farm, food and tourist sectors have great economic importance and must be protected from any contamination by GM crops . Our alarm bells went off when the world largest chemicals company, BASF, attempted to conduct an experiment with 450,000 GMO potatoes in Co. Meath earlier this year. We are absolutely delighted at the cross-party support for this motion to protect current and future generations of farmers and consumers from the threat of GM crops in Co. Kildare.”
BASF’s attempt to release the GMO potatoes led to massive opposition including a ban on GM crops in Co. Meath .
Eddie Punch, General Secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association (ICSA) said he welcomed Kildare’s GMO-free regulation as a pragmatic response to the future of conventional agriculture in the area. “If Irish farmers are to compete, the secret must be to be able to differentiate our product – to sell a different product which has specific characteristics that are attractive to the people that want them. The vast majority of EU consumers do not want to eat food containing GM ingredients. The whole island of Ireland should become a GMO-free zone, in order to supply the consumers of Europe with the GM-free product they desire.”
A spokesperson from the Kildare branch of the Irish Farmers Association said the local IFA was also pleased by the motion.
Chef Olivier Pauloin-Valory, from Les Olives restaurant in Naas, said “This is a delicious decision. As a member of Euro-toques, which represents Europe’s 3,000 leading chefs, I refuse to serve any GM food to my customers. The future of the restaurant business in this country depends on keeping our food safe and free of all GM ingredients.” .
A survey of tourists visiting this country now underway by Fáilte Ireland found that 92 per cent of foreign visitors perceive Ireland as a “clean green” destination, 62 per cent associate Irish food products with natural and local production, and 46 per cent have negative perceptions of GM crops.
Local organic farmer Nick Cullen, from Ballysax, who suggested the motion to Kildare Co. Council, said the GMO free motion will help protect his constitutional right to earn a livelihood, because he would be forced out of business if his crops became contaminated by GM pollen if anyone was stupid enough to try growing GM crops nearby . Mr. Cullen also arranged for local landowners to place GMO-free zone signs along the main access road to the recent Ryder Cup which brought thousands of foreign visitors to Kildare last month .
Kildare Co. Council’s decision came as EU member states voted yesterday to require mandatory testing of all rice imports from the United States for genetically modified material before allowing them to enter the EU. Illegal GM rice which escaped from open air field trials six years ago has since been found to have contaminated food supplies in 15 EU countries, Russia, Japan and the Middle East, leading to a collapse of American rice prices on the commodity markets, a virtual shut down of US rice exports to the EU, and massive economic losses for contaminated farmers and food exporters in the USA.
Eight European countries have total or near total bans on GM seeds and crops and livestock, as do 175 regional governments, 3,500 local authorities and 1,000 smaller areas across 22 EU member states. These include most of Britain’s Celtic fringe from the Highlands of Scotland through Wales and Cornwall.
Unlike most EU countries, the Irish and UK governments still do not recognise the right of Local Authorities to prohibit GMO crops, and are poised to allow their “co-existence” with conventional and organic farming on this island following public consultations that have been described as totally undemocratic by stakeholder groups in Ireland and the UK . Evidence from contamination incidents in 40 countries shows that “co-existence” inevitably leads to contamination . GM crops can not be recalled after their release, and according to the official EU report on the subject, they may cause up to 40% higher production costs for EU farmers.  Moreover there is no market for GM-labelled food in Europe .
GM-free Ireland Network spokesman Michael O’Callaghan said that since our governments are failing in their duty to protect our security from the economic, health and environmental threats of GM food and farming, it is imperative for County and Town Councils North and South of the border to specifically prohibit the release of any GMO seeds, crops, trees, fish and livestock in their areas as soon as possible . GM-free Ireland also advises Local Authorities to join the Assembly of European Regions to empower the latter to lobby on their behalf for a new EU Directive that recognises the democratic legal right of local areas to have the final say on whether to allow GM crops in their areas .
“Ireland’s best economic interest is to declare the whole of this island a GMO-free zone” he said, “but since this government is in bed with the WTO and the agbiotech corporations on this issue, its up to citizens and their local elected representatives to take the lead at the County level to protect the interests of our farmers and consumers.”
Coordinator, GM-free Ireland Network:
Tel: + 353 (0)404 43885
Mobile: + 353 (0)87 799 4761
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Irish GMO-free zones now include 9 counties (Cavan, Clare, Fermanagh, Kildare, Kerry, Meath, Roscommon, Monaghan, and Westmeath), 9 towns (Bantry, Bray, Derry, Galway City, Letterkenny, Navan, Newry, Mourne, & Clonakilty) and 1,000 smaller areas. See detailed national and county maps at http://www.gmfreeireland.org/map .
2. See proceedings of the Green Ireland Conference on branding for food, farming and tourism at
3. See http://www.gmfreeireland.org/potato . The world's largest chemicals company BASF gave up its plans for a controversial patented GMO potato experiment in Co. Meath this year, and may cancel it altogether. BASF said it made the decision because of the conditions imposed in the provisional consent given by the Environmental Protection Agency on 8 May. These included obligations for the company to reduce the risk of cross-contamination of neighbouring farmers and wildlife, and to pay the costs of an independent monitoring of health and environmental impacts. BASF complained that such conditions had not been imposed for similar experiments in Sweden.
Days later, BASF CEO Hans Kast, who also chairs the biotech lobby Europa-Bio, announced that all the European countries which oppose GM food and crops should "get out of the EU"!
The cancellation may also have been influenced by nationwide opposition from more than 100 farm and food industry groups, resistance by TDs from all the parties, two motions passed unanimously by Meath Co. Council, and the threat of further legal action on planning and constitutional grounds.
4. ICSA is the first Irish conventional farmers group with a clearly defined policy to conserve Ireland's GM-free farming status. The speech by Eddie Punch at the Green Ireland Conference should be mandatory reading for all Irish farmers and food producers concerned about the competitive advantage of Ireland's green image, and the undemocratic way that farm policies are being determined by bureaucrats in the European Commission and the World Trade Organisation. See http://www.gmfreeireland.org/conference/trans/epunch.php
5. See Euro-Toques Ireland web site: http://www.eurotoquesirl.org
6. EU and Irish laws forbid organic farmers and food producers from using any GM ingredients.
7. See “Organic farmer seeking to raise awareness of dangers of GM food”, Leinster Leader, 5 October 2006.
8. Friends of the Earth Europe has published information online about all the reported rice contamination cases over the last two months: http://www.foeeurope.org/GMOs/rice_contamination.htm
See also GM-free Ireland press releases for September / October 2006 at http://www.gmfreeireland.org/press
9. For maps and details of GMO-free zones in Europe see http://www.gmofree-europe.org
10. For details of Irish plans for “co-existence” of GM crops see http://www.gmfreeireland.org/coexistence
11. See the international GM Contamination Register at http://www.gmcontaminationregister.org
See also “Impossible coexistence: Seven years of GMOs have contaminated organic and conventional maize: an examination of the cases in Catalonia and Aragon”. Published by Greenpeace International, 4 April 2006 (928 KB PDF file): http://www.gmreeireland.org/coexistence/Greenpeace/impo...e.pdf
12. “Scenarios for co-existence of genetically modified, conventional and organic crops in European agriculture” published by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, May 2002. Download as 1 MB PDF file:
(Note that Ireland's Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Barry McSweeney, was accused by Greenpeace of attempting to suppress the publication of this report because of its disappointing conclusions for the biotech industry, whilst he was CEO of the Joint Research Centre.)
13. “No Market for GM-labelled Food in Europe”, Greenpeace, January 2005. This detailed report shows that the EU market for GM labelled food products is virtually closed. Europe's top 30 retailers and top 30 food & drink producers have policies and non-GM commitments which reveal a massive international food industry rejection of GM ingredients. This cuts across the industry from food and drink manufacturers to retailers, and includes everything from snacks and ready meals to pet food and beer. The combined total food and drink sales of the 49 companies with a stated non-GM policy in their main market or throughout the EU (27 retailers and 22 food and drink producers) amounts to € 646 billion, more than 60% of the total € 1,069 billion European food and drink sales. Irish food companies doing business internationally need to implement a non-GM policy without delay. Download report (2MB PDF file): http://www.gmfreeireland.org/downloads/NoMarketForGMFoo...d.pdf
14. The GM-free Ireland Network recommends that GMO-free zone motions by Irish County, City and Town Councils be worded as follows:
(a) to protect the interests of landowners, farmers, food producers, consumers and future generations by prohibiting the release of GMO seeds, crops, trees, insects, crustaceans, fish, poultry and livestock in [insert name of county];
(b) to exclude Local Authority funding for the procurement of food containing GM ingredients in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, canteens etc.; and
(c) to prevent the transportation, storage, and use of live GMO seeds, crops, trees, insects, crustaceans, fish, poultry and livestock on its land, water, and airspace (including GMO seeds and crops approved only for animal feed or biofuel).
Because the Government will dismiss such motions, also ask your County, Town council or Regional Authority to join the Assembly of European Regions (http://www.a-e-r.org) which will lobby on your behalf for a new EC Directive that recognises the democratic right of local authorities to have the final say on whether GM crops may be grown in their area.
15. The proposed EU Directive should also include strict liability provisions for GMO contamination, and take into account not only economic but also ecological aspects of growing GM crops. See the briefing “Time to change European policy on GMOs in agriculture” issued to the EC Commissioners on 17 March 2005 by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), European Community of Consumer Cooperatives (EURO COOP), Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE), Greenpeace European Unit, and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) EU Group. Download as 924K PDF file:


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Unfair Bilateral Trade: Kenya Vs China
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is either too ambitious in setting its targets or it is not doing its work as expected.
In the financial year between July 2016 and March 2017, KRA had a target of Ksh. 1.05 trillion. By July, 2017 KRA had just raised Ksh. 984 billion. This was an under performance by Ksh. 65.9 billion.
The following reasons were given for the failure to reaching the set target:
- Shortfalls in collection of income tax
- Lower than expected collection of Imports Declaration Fee and Investment Income
The matters are compounded by the fact that public debt has been increasing at a fast rate. By March, 2017 it had reached the Ksh. 4 trillion mark.
This is a general observation for most non-resource intensive countries such as Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Benin, Mozambique, Senegal, Togo and Cape Verde.
A few days ago, Kenyan government wrote a formal request to the Chinese Exim Bank for a loan to be used in extending Standard Gauge railway line from Naivasha to Kisumu.
Kenya will receive Ksh. 370 billion for this purpose. This will push the total cost to Ksh. 847 billion. Already phase I has gobbled up Ksh. 477 billion.
Bilateral Trade Skewed in favor of China
Kenya is in a trading relationship which has triggered hot debates on whether it is mutually beneficial.
A dig into data shows that China exported good and services to Kenya valued at Ksh. 320 billion while Kenya exported to China good valued at Ksh. 8.4 billion. This is what makes Aly-Khan Satchu to say that we need to rethink our bilateral trade with China.
China is actually over-benefiting from this kind of arrangement. We expect more from China considering that the country has 1.3 billion people hence a ready market for Kenya’s consumer goods.
We cannot continue tolerating raw deals from our bilateral partners.
Titanium takes up 95 percent of the total exports from Kenya. This is a shame who who ever is representing us in arguing these trade deals.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics points out that China purchased titanium from Kenya worth Ksh. 5.3 billion during the first 10 months of 2016.
The other exports during the same period were as listed below:
- Tea – Ksh. 139 million
- Coffee – Ksh. 73 million
- Vegetable – Ksh. 2.3 million
The above information shows that if we stop exporting titanium to China, then the other exports are negligent. They buy our titanium to use it as an alloy in manufacturing jet engines among other great products.
If we are continue being bilateral trading partners, then China must do something. Maybe formulating something similar to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa). The gap is enormous and needs to be bridged ASAP!
An alternative is to encourage our Kenyan government to embrace manufacturing. We must stop importing what we can produce locally.
I agree with Dr. XN Iraki from University of Nairobi that in order to address the existing trade imbalance, some protectionism will be in order.
Protectionism is defined as
“an economic policy where government regulations are used to protect local industries.”
We now demand to be liberated from:
- second-hand clothing (mitumba)
- dumping of low quality electronic goods
- Chinese smoked, dried and salted fish (we’ve enough here at home)
- cheap tires – in the first half of 2015, we imported tires worth Ksh. 2.5 billion which led to the closing up of Sameer Africa.
- protect us from cement whose import has increased 10 times despite us producing the same here in Kenya.
The low prices of Chinese goods is associated with the government incentives and lower energy costs in Beijing.
Those are not the only imports which as killing our local industries. Chinese cuisine and language are filtrating our culture fast


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Three new directors join the firm
Alan Gundle has been appointed as the new managing director of Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL). He was previously director of gum and candy r&d for Kraft Foods in Switzerland.
Gundle has more than 20 years’ experience of r&d in the food industry, and lists the invention of Kenco Millicano among his notable achievements. He said: ‘RSSL is a great business, with a deserved reputation for great science. I'm personally convinced of the benefits of research and the added value that science can bring to the food and pharma industry. The recent major investment in RSSL is going to continue and I see a great future for the business.’
In addition, Mike Day has joined RSSL as commercial director. He was previously managing director at Plasticon, and brings experience from a range of industries including plastics and packaging consulting. He has also held senior positions in the Forensic Science Service and QinetiQ.
In a third new appointment, Peter Clarke has become associate director Speciality Sciences, a globally strategic and operational role for RSSL focused on delivering services in investigative analysis, microscopy, product and ingredient innovation, DNA and protein, and training.
Clarke previously held r&d roles at Kraft Foods, most recently as associate director of Global Process Research.


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TCL has unveiled two new concepts foldable devices similar to the Samsung Fold. This device has three folds, unlike the Galaxy Fold which has only two folds. The devices are concepts proposed by the company and can be some changes in the final product.
One of the devices TCL has shown has two folds and that can be folded twice to use as a normal smartphone, but when unfolded the phone can be used as a tablet. Like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, this device will only feature one extra fold which will make the device even wider than the Samsung Galaxy Fold while unfolded.
Another concept device that was showcased has a slightly different idea than any other device in the market. This phone can be used as a normal-sized smartphone and also as a full-sized tablet also without a folding mechanism.
This device will have a flexible folding screen which will be rolled at a side of the phone inside it. While using normally the phone has a screen size like an ordinary smartphone, then there is a separate mechanism that will slide out a portion from the side of the device and the flexible screen will get rolled out making it a full-sized tablet with a perfect screen.
The rolling and sliding mechanism will be controlled from within the device as showcased by the brand. This is a very amazing idea of getting a bigger screen, now this will fix the complaint issues regarding the creases in the folding devices.
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HERO... AND ZERO: Unilever CEO's Paul Polman made capital out of Brexit but Conviviality chief's news of a £30m tax bill won't please shareholders
Paul Polman, Unilever CEO
Paul Polman, chief executive, Unilever
The Unilever boss was an arch Remainer, but he made capital out of the Brexit issue when he announced the consumer giant’s new headquarters would be in Rotterdam.
He also maintained London was a highly attractive place to invest.
... AND ZERO
Diana Hunter, Conviviality CEO
Diana Hunter, chief executive, Conviviality
The Conviviality chief was forced to cancel the drinks wholesaler’s dividend after revealing it must pay an unexpected £30million tax demand by the end of the month and issued a second profit warning in less than a week.
How convivial will shareholders be feeling towards her right now?
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Forty nine years after the original Ford Mustang debuted, the 2015 Ford Mustang has officially been unveiled and it has certainly been worth the long wait! This official release follows months of spy shots, as well as recent teaser videos and leaks.
As recent leaked images showed, the 2015 Ford Mustang features a thoroughly updated design to the outgoing model while still remaining true to the Mustang’s heritage. The updated fastback design adds a real sense of aggression to the new Mustang and overall, the design is much more fluid and sleek than the outgoing car which features less curves and a squarer front end.
Some of the key new design features include a wider stance with a lower roof, wider rear renders and a wider track, three dimensional three-bar taillights with sequential turn signals as well as a brand new front fascia and redesigned front grille.
Under the hood, the 2015 Ford Mustang is available with three engines consisting of an upgraded 3.7-liter V6, a brand new 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine and a more powerful 5.0-liter V8 powerplant. The new EcoBoost engine features direct injection, variable cam timing and a turbocharger to help deliver more than 305 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. By comparison, the 3.7-liter V6 pumps out “at least” 300 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. The top-of-the-line 5.0-liter V8 found in the new Mustang GT produces more than 420 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. All of these engines can be mated to an updated manual transmission as well as a reworked automatic featuring steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.
While these updates are important, the changes to improve the new Mustang’s handling are arguably even more important. For the first time, the 2015 Ford Mustang features all-new independent rear and front suspension systems with a new subframe up front helping to stiffen the structure while also reducing weight and ultimately improving handling.
When discussing the brand new Ford Mustang, the car’s chief engineer Dave Pericak said, “From day one, we knew if we were going to build a new Mustang, we had to do it right. We built a new Mustang from the ground up that is quicker, better-looking, more refined and more efficient, without losing any of the raw appeal that people have associated with Mustang for half a century.”


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by Sameer Bhalla Founder, CEO at HealthIntel Services Private Limited (HSPL)
2016-17 has been tenure of prolific significance, as India saw a plethora of reforms, set to change how the market functions. Amongst the lot, GST is the single biggest tax reform which all industries are witnessing today. Yet, there is a great deal of ambiguity surrounding it as its impact on various industries like pharmaceutical industry is unknown today, creating a lot of uncertainty in the whole supply chain. To comprehend the impact of GST, we need to get grips on the intricate spectrum of pharmaceutical supply chain. On one end is pharmaceutical product manufacturers, contract and API manufacturers and the marketing companies which market product across the country while on the other hand are Carrying and Forwarding Agents(C&F), distributors/wholesalers and retailers.
There are two key things that have changed are the manufacturing price- many raw materials for API and products have moved from 5% VAT bracket to 12% GST bracket and a lot of medicine salts/compounds have moved from 5% to 12% GST bracket. Also there are a lot of food and medicine supplements which have moved from 12.5%-15% to 18 and 28% brackets, marking a record hike in price. For this, we need to understand the margins at which the supply chain operates. The C&F agent operates at 4-6% margin on MRP, distributor wholesaler operates at 7-8% margin on MRP and retailers at 20% margin on medicines.
As the GST sets in, pharmaceutical companies have to pay more in manufacturing cost as raw material cost has goes up by 7% and hence the MRP of the product need to be changed to absorb that impact. While speaking about the overall impact of GST to end consumer, as manufacturing cost is between 10-15% of product MRP, the GST impact to the end consumer is less than 1% by cutting C&F cost, yet paying higher GST on finished product, the total net impact resulting to almost 4% to the end consumer. Thus in the coming days we can expect MRP on medicines revised by 5%, as pharmaceutical companies decide to pass the complete burden to the end consumer. Government has taken steps in ensuring drug price controlled medicines and also capping MRPs of certain salts/compounds, resulting in a loss of 2-3% by pharmaceutical manufacturers and marketing companies losing.
From a perspective of wholesalers and retailers, margins are not going to drop on an immediate basis and stability in supplies is to be seen soon. The bigger issue lies in the inventory they are holding on which new GST norms will apply goods were previously purchased on respective VAT rates. Here distributors and retailers are set to lose overall 3-4% on total inventory.
To sum it up, pharmaceutical industry in India is over USD 100 billion and at any point of time 15-18% hold in the inventory section. So, even a 3-4% loss in overall value chain on 15 billion dollars accumulates to USD 600 million losses for the industry, a lump sum amount. With time, we will see the fullest impact of GST and take steps accordingly.
It is illegal to buy and sell blood in India, blood banks charge a processing fee to prepare and run various blood product checks. The most common offence observed across banks was overcharging for grouping and cross-matching of blood —the official rate, if grouping/cross-matching is done through automation is Rs 280, and semi-automation is Rs 120. Yet, banks charged anywhere between Rs 300 and Rs 1,400; many hospitals charged based on the category of the room the patient was admitted in.
The acquisition marks the entry of the group in the state of Haryana. The upcoming integrated healthcare complex located on the Golf Course Road at Gurugram would be commissioned in a span of 24 months.


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Photo by: Bloomberg
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is confident the US will reverse its decision to suspend some of South Africa’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) benefits before the restrictions are implemented by the end of the year.
Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies said on Friday that, while the “warning” was being taken “very seriously”, South Africa was “tantalisingly” close to resolving the final few issues, which included issues around salmonella and an exit clause for the agreements, that had resulted in the impending suspension of the duty-free treatment of its agricultural products.
Davies assured that the country was committed to implementing the agreement reached in Paris in June, despite the US taking a hardline stance to force South Africa into compliance or face termination from the pact meant to bolster trade with emerging economies.
On Thursday, US President Barack Obama said that, within 60 days, duty-free benefits on all Agoa-eligible agricultural goods would be suspended and that South Africa had until March 1, 2016, to prove to the Western powerhouse that it complied fully with the Agoa eligibility criteria or the benefits would be further limited, held in suspension with an extension into other Agoa-agreed products, or terminated altogether.
“I have determined that South Africa is not making continual progress toward the agreed elimination of longstanding barriers to US trade and investment,” Obama said in a statement.
Agoa’s current eligibility criteria required that beneficiary countries eliminated or were actively working toward eliminating barriers to US trade; however, a number of issues, particularly around sanitary and phytosanitary, surrounding US poultry, beef and pork, had risked South Africa’s continued participation in Agoa.
The loss of benefits had been widely estimated to potentially cost South Africa more than $7-million across several of the affected sectors, with the suspension affecting around R2.4-billion of yearly agricultural exports.
Wine, macadamia nuts and citrus were expected to feel the biggest impact should the suspension move ahead – a move which could cost the Western Cape alone up to 85 000 jobs, the Democratic Alliance (DA) noted.
The Western Cape agriculture sector relied heavily on the trade of citrus fruits and contributed roughly 70% to the total agricultural exports of South Africa, Western Cape Economic Opportunities, Tourism and Agriculture spokesperson Beverley Schäfer said.
“Missing this trade opportunity will have a damning impact on our regional economy,” she said.
Western Cape Economic Opportunities Minister Alan Winde painted a bleaker picture, pointing out that the jobs of 289 000 in the wine industry – 167 000 based in the Western Cape – would be on the line should the suspension go ahead.
Last year, under the Agoa programme, the Western Cape exported R1.47-billion of goods to the US – wine and citrus exports accounted for R719-million.
The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) echoed the sentiments that the trade balance between South Africa and the US would be hit hard and the loss of revenue as a result would negatively impact an already suffering industry.
“South Africa has been given a lifeline in that US Trade Representative Michael Froman has said South Africa could still avoid the suspension, if it met benchmarks to eliminate barriers. However, if we fail to meet the requirements within the next two months we will lose the benefits,” Sacci warned.
However, Davies stood firm in his view that South Africa had been visibly making continual progress and that the country had complied with “all undertakings” to open its market to the US poultry industry.
South Africa had abandoned antidumping duties to a threshold of 65 000 t/y of US chicken imports into South Africa and resolved to resume imports – without duties – by the end of December after a ban nearly a year ago owing to fears of the impact of an Avian flu outbreak in the US.
South Africa’s veterinary (vets) experts, which have been driving the negotiations, continually engaged their US counterparts during the past few months on the drafting of the necessary trade and animal health protocols for the three meats under contestation.
“Significant progress has been made in this regard and the work is almost complete,” Davies said of the negotiations that were partly facilitated by the DTI, adding that the issues around animal health were “very complex” and that a balance needed to be struck between opening up trade and mitigating animal health.
Further, a ban on boned beef from several countries that had had Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy had been lifted, including the US. in June, while the animal health authorities of both governments were locked in technical work to ensure safe trade regarding at least three pork-linked diseases, namely Trichinella, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome and Aujesky.
“South African vets have made significant progress and have been able to approve a list of pork cuts. South Africa has submitted a draft pork health certificate to the US. South Africa remains ready to address any other concerns of the US,” Davies noted, believing that the impasse would be resolved “well within” the 60-day deadline.
He assured that the outstanding issues would be discussed with a view to finalising the technical issues at a bilateral meeting scheduled for Friday.


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Screenshot from Fashion Industry Broadcast’s YouTube video
To be a Victoria’s Secret Angel and walk the same runway that helped to launch the careers of past Angel’s like Tyra Banks, Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum, Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel has always been a dream for aspiring models all over the world.
Well the world’s most watched lingerie fashion show recently took place in Paris on the 30th of November and the fresh, new faces who walked the runway for the first time included the likes of Bella Hadid, Kiwi Georgia Fowler and Irina Shayk among others. Fashion Industry Broadcast has the scoop on the 18 new Victoria’s Secret Angels and as expected they were all drop dead gorgeous.
Check out the video below courtesy of Fashion Industry Broadcast:


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Japanese superstars MAN WITH A MISSION have released the video for ‘Hey Now’, taken from their new album Chasing the Horizon, out now via Century Media.
Featuring footage from their recent headline touring, the video sees the band thrilling fans with their electrifying brand of rap-rock and feral energy. The track is taken from their brand new album Chasing the Horizon. The album is the wolf collective’s fifth in their native Japan, but their first new album to be released worldwide and it has received great critical acclaim.
The album features the previously released singles ‘Take Me Under’, ‘Winding Road’, ‘Freak It! feat. TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA’, ‘My Hero’, ‘Dead End In Tokyo’, ‘Find You’, ‘Dog Days’ and ‘2045’, which have clocked up multi-million streams across YouTube and Spotify. The international physical ‘World Edition’ also features exclusive special bonus tracks including ‘Mr. Bad Mouth’, ‘The Anthem’ and ‘Brave It Out’.


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Asia Bizz: Bangalore-based retail and commercial bank ING Vysya announced on March 20, 2012 that it has increased the short term deposit interest rates by 0.25 percent to ten percent. The move has been taken so as to promote its Active Deposit Scheme.
In a press release in India, the bank said, “The bank will now offer 10 per cent special rate to deposit holders (for 366 days) as against 9.75 per cent earlier, to promote its successful Active Deposit Scheme.”
The statement added that customers will get higher returns under the Active Deposit Scheme linked to their normal savings or current accounts. The scheme is useful for customers who have surplus funds, on which they would like to earn higher returns but at the same time need the security of instant liquidity.


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The Gruffalo and The Very Hungry Caterpillar among favourite reads says new Childwise research.
A new report from Childwise has found that the average spend on books for preschoolers is now £7 a month, up from £6 last year.
Children are also making more regular trips to the library, while The Gruffalo is the favourite book for preschoolers, following a new research question this year asking parents which children’s titles their preschoolers enjoy most.
“Spending on books has been boosted by parents of under-twos with the average spend among this group increasing by a pound to £7. Spending peaks early before dropping back for all other age categories,” said Jenny Ehren, research manager at Childwise. “Two out of five parents continue to spend less than £10 a month while around a third pay out more than this on books.
“More than a quarter of parents do not spend any money on books at all in an average month period.”
Julia Donaldson tops the list of favourite preschool authors, while Eric Carle, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is also held in high regard.
Other favourite books include anything Peppa Pig related, Disney branded books, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Thomas the Tank Engine.
Research shows that around three quarters of preschool children read bedtime stories regularly, or even all the time, with their parents. Increasing numbers are also listening to stories or audio books using a tablet device, with a quarter of preschoolers now doing this.
The number of children going to the library frequently has also risen this year to one in three.


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- About Us
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March 30th, 2009
A glut of silicon threatens First Solar -- and other low-cost panel makers. A year agao, refined silicon for solar cells cost 450 bucks a kilo on the spot market. You can have it today for closer to 100 and if you wait a month it may be cheaper still. Thanks to the workings of international capitalism, the 90% margins available in last year's market spurred silicon-factory expansions around the planet. But the new supply arrived just as end-market demand for solar panels got eclipsed by faltering government incentives, lower oil prices and the world financial freeze.
Cheaper solar silicon is of course a great thing for the planet's living creatures. But solar companies and investors who planned for silicon that was scarce and high-priced must adjust their business models for a glut that looms larger than most anyone expected. New government subsidies will help in the U.S. and in China, which energized solar stocks last week with a plan to help China's struggling photovoltaic industry. Lower prices will also stimulate sales volumes as solar panels become cost-competitive with fossil-fueled power. The question is whether solar energy's volume producers will end up resembling the high-margined Intel or the profitless memory-chip makers. "An industry with 30 suppliers would be a nightmare," says analyst Dan Ries of the brokerage firm Collins Stewart. The "flash-memory market managed to be a nightmare with just 2½ suppliers."
|Related News Press|
News and information
Argon is not the 'dope' for metallic hydrogen March 24th, 2017
Promising results obtained with a new electrocatalyst that reduces the need for platinum: Researchers from Aalto University have succeeded in manufacturing electrocatalysts used for storing electric energy with one-hundredth of the amount of platinum that is usually needed March 24th, 2017
Dual-function nanorod LEDs could make multifunctional displays February 11th, 2017
NREL research pinpoints promise of polycrystalline perovskites February 8th, 2017
ANU invention to inspire new night-vision specs December 7th, 2016


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2016 brings new Cyberthreats.
As smartphones and tablets gained explosive growth, cybercriminals were busy at work and security experts around the globe warn there is more to come this year.
Smart devices are the new must have items and are the target for fraud. Android devices are the biggest target for hackers because the majority of smartphones are Android based. It’s likely that products running iOS – meaning Apple products – will also fall victim.
Hackers go where the action is, and they’ll increasingly find ways to attack us through our phones and social media. There are Facebook and Twitter apps for the Android, Apple, and Kindle platforms which hackers use to get personal information, and install rogue programs to wreak havoc on your devices.
While the new year and beyond could bring cyberthreats closer to the average person, you can minimize your exposure by installing an antivirus program for your Android and keeping it updated. Also, resist the temptation to open every email and text that comes your way. Back up your devices and install new updates to programs and the Operating System itself when they become available.
For more information on how to harden your security on smart devices as well as computers and networks, please consult a systems engineer at Vero Beach Computer Repair.


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Hours after PM’s subsidy announcement, utility stores increase prices of oil and ghee
Hours after PM Imran Khan’s relief subsidy announcement, utility stores increase prices of oil and ghee!
PM Imran Khan announced an Rs120bn subsidy package for 20m most vulnerable families of the country on Wednesday.
However, soon after PM’s address to the nation about giving subsidy on ghee ended, the utility stores issued notification of increasing ghee and oil prices.
According to the notification, the cooking oil of different brands has been increased up to Rs65 per liter at Utility Stores, while the price of ghee has been increased up to Rs53 per kg, with an immediate effect.
It may be recalled that prices of ghee and cooking oil of various brands were increased at Utility Stores a few days ago as well.
As being reported the prices of ghee have been increased by Rs53 per kg and cooking oils by Rs65 per liter.
The new prices of various brands of ghee and cooking oil are:
- Eva Ghee has gone up from Rs335 to Rs383 per kg,
- Dalda Ghee 393 per kg,
- Talu ghee Rs368 per kg,
- Habib Ghee Rs 390 per kg,
- Meezan Ghee Rs 377 per kg
- Dalda Cooking Oil has gone up to Rs400 per litre
- EVA Cooking Oil from Rs347 to Rs410 per litre
- Habib Oil Rs398 per litre.
Earlier PM Imran Khan in his televised address to the nation announced an Rs120-billion relief package for the most vulnerable segments of the population.
As per the announcement citizens will be able to avail of a 30% discount on three basic edible items, including ghee, wheat, and pulses, under targeted subsidy for six months


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After security research firm Corellium this week announced it is launching a new initiative that will “support independent public research into the security and privacy of mobile applications,” and one of the initiative’s first projects will be Apple’s recently announced CSAM detection plans, Apple on Tuesday filed to appeal a copyright case the company brought against Corellium in 2019 which was reportedly settled this week.
Corellium sells tools to allow security researchers access to a “virtual” software-based version of the iPhone. In its suit, Apple alleged Corellium violated copyrights to its iOS operating system.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, said that the on-device nature of Apple’s CSAM detection method, compared to others such as Google who complete the process in the cloud, allows security researchers to validate the company’s claim that the database of CSAM images is not wrongly altered.
Security researchers are constantly able to introspect what’s happening in Apple’s software, so if any changes were made that were to expand the scope of this in some way — in a way that we had committed to not doing — there’s verifiability, they can spot that that’s happening.
Corellium’s new initiative, called the “Corellium Open Security Initiative,” aims to put Federighi’s claim to the test. As part of the initiative, Corellium will award security researchers a $5,000 grant and free access to the Corellium platform for an entire year to allow for research.
MacDailyNews Take: So, in the space of a few days:
- Apple settles with Corellium.
- Apple announces backdoors are coming to the company’s formerly privacy-centric products, ostensibly to check users devices for CSAM.
- Corellium announces a way for researchers to validate Apple’s claims, the Corellium Open Security Initiative.
- Apple appeals the Corellium copyright case.
So much for the settlement, we guess?
This begs the question: What, if anything, doesn’t Apple want Corellium and Open Security Initiative security researchers to examine?


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Three Students Each Receive $3,350 Scholarships to Pursue Studies in Jewelry Making & Design
As part of its efforts to provide pathways for the next generation of professional jewelry makers and designers, the MJSA Education Foundation recently awarded a total of over $10,000 in scholarship funding to three students preparing for promising careers.
$3,350 scholarship, including $2,500 in support from the Providence Jewelers Club
Pursuing a diploma of excellence in jewelry making and repair from North Bennet Street School in Boston. Anticipated graduation date: February 2024.
Pursuing an Associate in Applied Science degree in jewelry design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Anticipated graduation date: May 2023.
Pursuing a diploma in jewelry design and technology from the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California. Anticipated graduation date: May 2023.


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How to convince your C-suite to invest in AI and web3 during a recession
With recessionary budget cuts, how are marketers balancing their innovation spend and justifying it to C-suite? We take a look as part of The Drum’s latest Deep Dive.
Budget don't need to be at odds with excitement about new tech
According to the IPA’s latest Bellwether report, 60.5% of marketers expect their budgets to stay the same or be cut in 2023/2024, while 39.5% expect increases. Meanwhile, AI and machine learning budgets typically range from 15-35% of marketing budgets and brands are allocating 5-15% on web3.
So are budget cuts at odds with excitement over new tech? For 20Something’s strategy partner Fran Docx, investing in tech during a recession will future-proof a brand. “The market won’t stay still during a recession and not investing can make recovery slow and painful,” she argues.
According to Docx, the “cost of tech in a recession is cheaper”. The layoffs from tech giants mean that independent companies can now compete for talent, while acquiring a specialist company or team might have a lower valuation when times are lean, she explains.
Docx adds that tech investment in a recession can also help “generate new revenue streams and support business development”. She points to Elon Musk’s ”big bet with his recent investment in solar city and launch of Tesla Energy,” saying: ”Soon he will provide both the cars, the infrastructure and the energy they are run on.”
The difficult thing about rolling out new AI, however, isn’t the technology itself, says CreativeX chief executive and founder Anastasia Leng. Leng, who has helped behemoths such as Diageo, Nestle and Mondelez integrate AI-generated creative data into their business, says “soft management changes” are needed to convince an entire organization to work differently. “It’s always much more of a psychological hurdle than anything else,” she says, especially when the word ’AI’ is involved.
According to Leng, the savings made by adopting tech solutions like AI can actually “liberate” budgets to be reinvested into marketing. She draws reference to CreativeX’s work with Diageo that halved the drinks company’s cost per acquisition for online ads. On Diageo’s latest investor cal,l the company said the savings would be plugged back into advertising. “So, in a time of economic constraint, it’s just found a lot more coins under the couch cushion that we can use to drive more effectiveness,” Lens says.
There’s a perception that marketers are the cost center and not a revenue driver, Leng adds. “The fact that Diageo was able to achieve such results and get to a place where it’s getting more investment during a time where budgets are really tight just shows how important marketing is to driving growth.”
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So how should marketers convince C-suite?
It’s all about the business case says Nicole Yershon, founder of the NYC Collective. Marketers need to be providing the C-suite with a comprehensive understanding of the benefits, risks and potential of AI, machine learning and web3 technologies, she says. ”Employ curious people and build new relationships with new partners.”
Here is Yershon’s advice for getting the C-suite onboard...
1. Demonstrate ROI: ”Present case studies and success stories from brands in similar industries that have effectively integrated AI, machine learning and web3 technologies into their marketing strategies. Focus on the return on investment (ROI) and long-term benefits of these technologies, such as cost savings, increased efficiency and improved customer engagement.”
2. Educate about the technology: ”Break down complex concepts related to AI, machine learning and web3 into digestible and relatable information. Help C-suite executives understand the potential of these technologies and how they can be harnessed to drive the company's marketing objectives.”
3. Address concerns and risks: ”Discuss the potential risks and challenges associated with adopting these technologies, such as data privacy, security and potential bias in AI algorithms. Propose strategies to mitigate these risks and ensure responsible technology use.”
4. Propose a phased approach: ”Suggest a staged integration of these technologies into the marketing strategy, starting with pilot projects and gradually scaling up based on the results. This approach will allow the company to test and learn, minimizing the risks and financial commitments.”
5. Highlight competitive advantages: ”Emphasize the growing competition in the market and the need to stay ahead of the curve by adopting innovative technologies. Show how investing in AI, machine learning and web3 can provide a competitive edge and help the company stand out in the crowded marketplace.”
6. Partnerships and Collaborations: ”Build the right partnerships, which means someone in the organization needs to be out there seeing who is doing interesting work, with interesting tech and introduce it to their own organization and their clients.”
For more on the latest happenings in AI, web3 and other cutting-edge technologies, check out The Drum’s latest Deep Dive – AI to Web3: the Tech Takeover. And don’t forget to sign up for The Emerging Tech Briefing newsletter.


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So much for wearing pajamas back in the office.
As workers around the country return to the office due to decreasing cases of the coronavirus, the latest sign that life is getting back to normal comes with workers leaving their comfy sweats at home and gearing up with new work clothes as the workforce shifts its focus back to business casual.
Is business casual back?
The Wall Street Journal reported that shoppers are returning to stores — and retailers are seeing booms that predate the pandemic.
While athleisure was all the rage as Americans worked remotely during the pandemic, LL Bean said pants with buttons and zippers have started to outsell drawstrings or elastic waistband models. Similarly, Saks Fifth Avenue reported that dresses, blouses and sandals are flying off the shelves at levels that date back to spring 2019, according to the report.
“The fact that sales came back so strongly, so quickly before reopened speaks to the need for people to dress up as they get out there and socialize,” offices Michael Stitt, Haggar Clothing CEO, said via WSJ.
Hagger Clothing said that workers at its distribution center are putting in extra work to meet the demand of trousers and blazers at both its department stores and other retailers.
Levi Strauss & Co. — one of the best companies to work for right now — said shoppers are targeting “mom jeans,” trading slimmer cuts for more comfort, the paper reported.
What will office style look like moving forward?
It’ll be interesting to see what people will wear as offices around the country begin reopening. Americans gained a lot of weight during quarantine, and many wonder what companies will require from its employees in terms of fashion.
It’s been widely speculated that the days of business casual are no more since the biggest priority for many is making sure their employees feel comfortable and safe working in the office, which may even include working with people who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Wall Street, a demand for pandemic comfort has infiltrated what was once a bastion of the old-school suit and tie. Reuters reported that a worker at a hedge fund recently had his first in-person meeting since the pandemic and opted to wear athletic pants, in what he deemed “business comfortable.”
“It was very casual and I went in Lulus,” the worker said, referring to Lululemon.
One in three workers said they would pass up an extra $5,000 for a more relaxed dress code at work. Perhaps workers won’t have to forgo extra cash in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.


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Not like he needs it, but Floyd Mayweather just bought EVEN MORE insane jewelry ... dropping $685,000 in a fancy NYC jewelry shop ... TMZ Sports has learned.
Mayweather just walked out of Pristine Jewelers with several members of his Money Team crew.
Our sources tell us ... Mayweather bought more than a dozen pieces of jewelry for himself and his posse.
Mayweather had hit up the store Thursday and talked about his spending plans with the store owners -- before returning on Friday afternoon to purchase the goods.
It's not the first time Floyd's gone on a high-priced jewelry spree ... he spent more than $500k on a bling run back in May.


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Nintendo Partners With Vans for Licensed Shoes, Shirts, Backpacks, and More
Nintendo brings on another licensing partner.
In February this year, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima said licensing deals are critical to helping the company bring in more consumers. This is because, he said, "the proportion of young consumers who are first experiencing games on our systems has been falling."
Now, Nintendo has announced a new partnership with Vans for a collection of officially licensed footwear, apparel, and accessories featuring artwork from games like Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, Donkey Kong, and The Legend of Zelda.
There are also designs based on the NES system. The new line of Vans items will go on sale this coming Friday, June 3. Everything will be available in adult and children's sizes.
You can see some of the shoes in the picture above, while Polygon has a gallery of pictures for the other items, including shirts, hats, and backpacks.
Nintendo also has a partnership with Converse for its line of Mario shoes.
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email firstname.lastname@example.org


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Arizona Is Getting a New Retro-chic Hotel This Spring — and It's an Instagrammer's Dream Come True
Since the 1950s, the Egyptian Motor Hotel has been an iconic mainstay of Phoenix's arts district, right on Grand Avenue, noted for its oversized neon size and Egyptian-themed décor. Now, the retro hotel is getting new life when it reopens this spring, retaining all its midcentury charm, but upgraded with modern amenities.
The 49 rooms, which used to have spring mattresses on its coin-operated vibrating beds, now feature all-new technology, including Marshall Bluetooth speakers, smart TVs, and fast (and free) Wi-Fi. Accommodations range from offering bunk beds to king-size beds, and select rooms even have acoustic guitars.
The rooms will form a v-shape around the hotel's 250-seat outdoor entertainment venue called Egyptian Live, which will feature live entertainment from musicians, magicians, comedians, and other acts, along with a cocktail bar open nightly. Those staying at the hotel will have the best seats in the house, as the stage is viewable from their balconies.
Also on-site will be outdoor games including giant Jenga, foosball, corn hole, and submarine races in the pool. An outdoor mural painted by local artists is also in the works.
"We are delighted to open the Egyptian and become an intrinsic and active contributor to Grand Avenue's eclectic and creative corridor," Gene Kornota, a representative from the hotel's management company Rebel Hospitality, told Travel + Leisure.
"The independent spirit and creativity that exude from this community are in perfect harmony with the ethos of the Egyptian, and it's what inspired us to create a destination that could seamlessly become an integral part of downtown Phoenix's epicenter for innovators, artists, and creators," Kornata added.
But the highlight for local food lovers will be the first permanent, brick-and-mortar location of food truck Chilte, serving up artisanal Mexican cuisine from chef Lawrence Smith, who will be on the Feb. 22 episode of the Food Network's Chopped.
"We're still pinching ourselves to make sure we aren't in a dream," Chilte co-founder Aseret Arroyo said in a statement released to T+L. "At Chilte, food serves as a source of connection to each other and our communities. It's a universal language that brings us all together. We're ecstatic to showcase our creativity at the Egyptian."
The restaurant will feature new items, including a mole flight with three different mole sauces inspired by the chef's travels to Mexico, and an elote cheesecake, with Mexican street corn, Mezcal, chili, fruit, corn, and queso.
There is not an official reopening date for the Egyptian, but you can follow their progress, and book a stay when reservations go live, here.


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Supply Chain Matters alerts readers to growing speculation that the Trump Administration is seeking to impose tariffs on upwards of $30-$60 billion of Chinese imports. Such tariff actions should trike immediate alarm bells for technology and other industry supply chains.
Controlling Supply Chain Costs
President Donald Trump today announced his intention to impose steep global tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports, contrary to counsel from some trade advisors. Such an action could likely have an added cost impact for many U.S. manufacturers and their associated inbound component costs that have relied on imports of steel and aluminum.
A Supply Chain Matters Guest Blog Contributed by Zycus Inc.- Top Four Challenges for Chief Procurement Officers in 2018.
Supply Chain Matters continues with coverage of 2018 Oracle Modern Supply Chain Experience Conference. Part Teo highlights the first full day of conference sessions.
On an annual basis, the Ferrari Consulting and Research Group provides a series of supply chain management predictions for the coming year. The Supply Chain Matters blog unveils the first five 2018 Predictions for Industry and Global Supply Chains.
General Electric is embarking on a broad corporate restructuring. Supply Chain matters focuses on technology and supply chain challenges for GE Digital and GE Aviation business units as well as the Predix IoT and Industrial Internet enablement platform.


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The new king has secured the throne.
It’s a one-stop shop to beat the cops.
Evolution Marketplace already crossed the threshold to become the largest online black market of all time last month. But now, it’s beating the rest of the Dark Net markets with a staggering share of the pie.
Evolution now offers over half of all products on sale on Dark Net markets, ranging from credit cards to weapons and nearly half of all the drugs you can buy anonymously, according to a new study from the Digital Citizens Alliance. A month ago, the market only accounted for a third of all Dark Net sales.
This kind of dominance of the Dark Net marketplace hasn’t been seen in over a year, when the original Silk Road reigned supreme. Of course, that ended in handcuffs, and trial is set to begin next month.
While the rest of the Dark Net has plateaued in size or even shrunk slightly, Evolution’s growth has been rapid. Launched in early 2014, the market has listed 32% more products just since the FBI shut down Silk Road 2 in Nov. Over the past two months, its growth is at 71 percent. Since April, Evolution has seen explosive 500 percent growth.
It now features 26,840 total products on sale, the vast majority of which are illegal around the entire world.
“Evolution Marketplace is a much different animal than Silk Road,” Digital Citizens Alliance Research Director Dan Palumbo said in a release he emailed to the Daily Dot. True to its name, Evolution is willing to to push the boundaries of what it sells, Palumbo said:
They sell weapons, stolen credit cards, and more nefarious items that were forbidden on both versions of Silk Road. Silk Road sold a lot of dangerous things, but operators drew the line at their version of ‘victimless crimes,’ i.e. no child pornography, weapons, or identity theft. Now, four of the top five DarkNet Marketplaces sell weapons while three of the top five sell stolen financial data. This is a darker DarkNet. It speaks to the challenge facing law enforcement as they knock one set of bad actors offline, another comes along with bigger and bolder intentions.
Since authorities seized Silk Road and over a dozen other markets in Nov., five new anonymous markets have come online. At most, however, they’re medium-sized, and they don’t compete on the same tier as Evolution.
“It is a victory for the FBI to take down a large group of markets at once and see the numbers go down, but we have to see what happens as the new, and existing, markets continue to adapt to a new landscape,” Palumbo continued. “We should remember that after the first version of Silk Road went down in 2013, the traffic was up by more than 30 percent just six months later. This is a persistent crowd and they will keep looking for ways to evade law enforcement.”
Illustration by Max Fleishman
This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Evolution had already displaced the Silk Road as the Dark Net’s largest marketplace.
Patrick Howell O'Neill is a notable cybersecurity reporter whose work has focused on the dark net, national security, and law enforcement. A former senior writer at the Daily Dot, O'Neill joined CyberScoop in October 2016. I am a cybersecurity journalist at CyberScoop. I cover the security industry, national security and law enforcement.


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CLOTHING chain, Truworths says a difficult business climate that has unsettled the economy may continue troubling the markets in 2021, driven by slipping demand and a blazing liquidity crisis.
BY SHAME MAKOSHORI
These drawbacks pushed Truworths into a slowdown during the year ended July 31, 2020 with inflation-adjusted revenues sliding to $165,3 million, from $177,8 million in 2019. Post tax profits slowed to $9,3 million in 2020, from $23,4 million previously, defying tax credits earned during the period.
Chief executive officer Temba Ndebele said gross margin remained flat while higher operating expenses and lower finance income pushed pre-tax profit margins 5,8% down.
Revenues were also knocked by credit restrictions by the group, which operates some of the best known credit-granting brands on the market-Truworths MAN and Topics.
Number 1 Stores is also part of the Truworths group.
Big manufacturers and retailers across the markets have reported similar trends, which analysts predict may not fizzle out unless spending power is restored.
But the Zimbabwean market has failed to ride out of a series of crises since the time bond notes came into circulation in 2016.
“The short-to-medium term environment is expected to remain constrained (because of) diminished consumer purchasing power due to income growth not matching the devaluation of the Zimbabwe dollar, persistent Zimbabwe dollar liquidity shortages, COVID-19, which has resulted in virtual working on some of our customer base leading to a shift in the merchandise assortments and international supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19,” Ndebele said in a note accompanying the financial statements.
“Product availability was constrained during the reporting period due to foreign currency unavailability and pricing constraints. This has since improved with the introduction of the foreign exchange auction by the central bank. Due to hyperinflationary conditions, the business has had to conservatively and judiciously grant of credit, as a result, the number of active accounts decreased. The tenure of credit period was reduced and monthly interest charges were reduced upwards. The doubtful debt provision as a percentage of gross debtors was 13,5% compared to 15,2% in the prior period,” he said.
Truworths held back a dividend payout to prepare the group for potential headwinds.
Extensive power blackout, foreign currency and fuel shortages also haunted Zimbabwe’s fragile industries before COVID-19 emerged.
The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed firm blamed the blanket lockdown imposed by government from March to limit spread of COVID-19, which tore through the world from January, closing economies and wreaking havoc on businesses.
Ndebele warned that COVID-19, together with the rapid disruption of international supply chains, would be among the biggest hurdles to recovery.
He spoke as recovery remained tepid in Truworths’ key central Harare outlets since government lifted most COVID-19 restrictions about two months ago.
On Friday, analysts at Morgan&Co blamed an overflow of secondhand imports for the slowdown at Truworths.
“We note that the substitute market has already begun cannibalising Truworth’s market in Zimbabwe through cheap imports from the region that have become pervasive in the country,” Morgan&Co said in an advisory paper on Friday.
“Performance of the formal apparel market is likely to remain subdued because of low disposable incomes viz-a-viz the high income elasticity of clothes and fashion accessories,” said the paper.


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PS5 cloud streaming service leaves beta testers wanting more
One beta tester shared their experience on ResetEra, stating that they tested the game God of War: Ragnarok at 2160p without any hitches. .
Sony is reportedly introducing its cloud streaming beta to some PS Plus Premium subscribers. The feature, announced in June, is set to support PS Plus catalog titles, game trials, and specific digital PS5 titles.
This new feature will potentially change everything for PlayStation owners, eliminating the need for lengthy downloads that consume valuable storage space.
An email from PlayStation to a selected tester, which surfaced on Reddit, expressed excitement over the unveiling of the PS5 cloud streaming.
The email emphasized the importance of the tester’s contribution to the beta testing period, which operates on exclusive invite codes that cannot be shared with other users.
It also hinted at potential changes to the features before the official launch of cloud streaming.
One beta tester, ArashiGames, shared their experience on ResetEra, stating that they tested the game God of War: Ragnarok at 2160p without any hitches.
They also noted the availability of resolution options ranging from 720p to 2160p for that particular title and mentioned that the game Returnal streamed in 4K.
According to the tester, a new section in the PS+ menu is dedicated to streaming PS5 games, which load in just a few seconds. They listed Horizon Forbidden West, Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Death Stranding, among others, as streaming options.
The ability to support 4K resolution could give PlayStation a competitive edge over Xbox Cloud Gaming, which currently tops at 1080p resolution and 60fps.
In addition, Sony is working on “Project Q,” a streaming handheld device with an 8-inch, 1080p screen and a 60Hz refresh rate.
While the device is confirmed to use Remote Play, streaming directly from a console rather than the cloud, it could also support cloud streaming.
The device is slated for a release later this year, though the price remains undisclosed. The game streaming feature will be exclusive to PS Plus Premium members.
This service, priced at $18 per month, already supports cloud gaming for PS4, PS3, and select classic titles, allowing games to be streamed to PS5, PS4, or PC.
- Two new Pixel tablet accessories are still in the pipeline
- Leaked Google Pixel 8 Pro ad showcases “Audio Magic Eraser”
- Google Pixel 8 series will stick to 128GB base storage, says leak
- Pixel Watch 2 leak hints at a lighter build, new Fitbit features
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.


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Two separate restaurants will fill the 6,000-square-foot space that was home to Redondo Beach’s Chez Melange.
“We gutted it and reconfigured it with the city and got two restaurants in the same space,” said John Kulacki, who is behind both new eateries with business partner Michael Bakert.
Table Manners, a modern American comfort food restaurant, opened its doors on Feb. 17, almost a year after Chez Melange closed at the location. The second restaurant, seafood spot Perfect Storm, will open once indoor dining is allowed.
“It is a complete scratch kitchen. We’re making our own cheese, we’re making our own ketchup, we’re making our own everything. We’re grinding our own beef for burgers,” Kulacki said, referring to Table Manners.
Currently, Table Manners is open for dinner starting at 4 p.m. but plans call for lunch to come online by the first week in March followed by weekend brunch.
It has a 46-seat patio and a 36-seat parklet is now being constructed just outside the restaurant’s front doors. The interior has 54 seats.
On the menu are dishes including dry-aged burgers and entrees such as roasted half chicken and a spicy salmon marinated in Habanero sauce.
There are also shared plates including Japanese sweet potato tater tots mixed with mozzarella, seared shrimp deglazed with gin, oysters and a sweet and sour calamari dish.
When Perfect Storm opens, it will have 80 seats and a rotating menu focusing on seafood.
“We’re going to change the style of seafood every couple of months. We’ll have a Baja seafood type thing; we’ll have a Peruvian seafood type thing. We’re going to be changing the menu to represent seafood throughout the world,” Kulacki said.
Where: 1611 S. Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 4-9 p.m. Sunday
Information: 424-946-9001 or tablemannersredondobeach.com
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated how many years Chez Melange was at the location.


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Podcast: Defying Preservatives ‘Fearmongering’ May Be Industry's Best Bet
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
With many cosmetic companies choosing to phase out use of traditional preservatives due to pressure from retailers and NGOs, formulators are resorting to alternatives that may not be as effective, among other drawbacks. Cosmetic chemist, author and blogger Perry Romanowski questioned the trend in an interview with "The Rose Sheet," suggesting that while standing by traditional preservatives can be bad for PR in the short term, most consumers' purchasing decisions tend not to be affected.
You may also be interested in...
Society of Cosmetics Chemists VP Perry Romanowski discusses Lush Cosmetics’ “self-preserving” product approach, which the company says enables it to avoid use of synthetic preservatives. While the strategy may resonate with consumers wary of parabens and other traditional preservative options, it’s also costly, labor-intensive and potentially risky.
Mega-retailer Target announces plans to achieve full ingredient transparency and eliminate “unwanted” but much-used preservatives and other chemicals from beauty and personal-care products on its shelves by 2020. The new strategy is “ambitious,” it says, but Target plans to invest up to $5m to support green chemistry innovation, working closely with supply-chain partners to find solutions.
The Green Chemistry and Commerce Council will kick off a competition in September to incentivize and propel development of new preservatives for use in the personal-care and household product spaces. Winners will have the opportunity to partner with chemical suppliers, while industry overall stands to gain new solutions for its rapidly depleting preservative palette.


text: Dell has partnered with Baidu to develop a smartphone that will run on Baidu’s own new OS – Yi OS. Dell’s partnership with Baidu seems interesting news as Baidu currently dominates the Chinese market. Also, 80 percent of Chinese Android phones have the Baidu search engine on them. There is no news on availability and prices yet. Baidu Yi OS is somewhat based on Android and will have its own offerings like apps, cloud storage, music download, maps and online search.


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(REUTERS) - British luxury brand Burberry said exceptional demand from tourists and local shoppers in London for its bags and fashions over Christmas helped it to report a better-than-expected 3 per cent rise in quarterly sales.
Tourists have been taking advantage of a drop in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote in June to buy luxury goods in the British capital rather than other European cities.
Known for its British-made trenchcoats, Burberry said comparable sales in its home market, which make up about 10 per cent of its total, rose by 40 per cent in the three months to the end of December.
Sales are thought to also have been boosted by wealthy Britons buying at home, rather than going on shopping trips to the continent.
Christopher Bailey, chief creative and chief executive officer, said the group had seen “strong demand for new products”.
Bailey will relinquish the chief executive part of his dual role to Italian Marco Gobbetti, previously at Celine, in July.
Gobbetti starts work at Burberry in Asia next week, however, and he will have a new chief financial officer, Julie Brown, at his side as he works to bring Burberry’s sales performance to the levels of rivals such as LVMH.
Burberry, which reportedly received an approach from US rival Coach last year, said retail revenue increased by 4 per cent on an underlying basis to £735 million (S$1.3 billion).
It said it expected pretax profit to be in line with market expectations, which stand at about £440 million .
Its financial year runs until the end of March.
CHALLENGE FOR MANAGEMENT
Shares in Burberry, which have increased 24 per cent in the last six months helped by the weaker pound, were trading up 1.9 per cent at 1,624 pence by 1130 GMT.
Citi, which rates Burberry as “neutral”, said festive trading was “solid”, with sales 3 per cent above its forecasts.
Its analysts said they appreciated the group’s cost saving initiatives and return to comparable sales growth, but management changes meant there were risks to successfully implementing its strategy.
Burberry said on Wednesday that an efficiency plan, based on simpler ranges and focusing on areas of weakness like bags as well as improving customer service, was already working.
Its “Banner”, “Buckle Tote” and “Bridle” bags were highlights of the season, investor relations director Charlotte Cowley said, as was its latest runway collection.
She said comparable sales in Asia-Pacific had returned to growth, helped by mainland China, where a campaign fronted by actor and singer Kris Wu was a hit.
There was also improvement in Hong Kong, although sales continued to decline, she said, while demand was uneven in the Americas


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Apple's WWDC event may be held June 5-94
In the past, Apple has used the Moscone West facility as a location for their popular WWDC event. The calendar listing is for an unnamed event with the tag of convention/tradeshow. Apple is not mentioned anywhere, but the timing and the location make sense.
WWDC is where Apple makes huge announcements, such as new versions of their popular iPhone. That has been the case for the last few years, so it is safe to assume that the iPhone 5, or whatever they decide to call it will be unveiled during this event. Tell us what you think in the comments below.
source: Into Mobile


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Top stories on just-style this week...
Among the most-read stories on just-style this week was news that uniforms worn by American athletes at the 2014 Olympics will be made in the US, a look at the real wage cost of clothing, and plans by Adidas to close its company-owned Chinese apparel factory.
US: 2014 Olympic uniforms to be made in the US
Ralph Lauren Corp has pledged that uniforms worn by American athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games will be made in the US, following a row over this year's outfits being manufactured in China.
Comment: Why it is all about the cost of labour!
It is well-known that sourcing decisions are not simply based on labour costs. But a comment piece on just-style earlier this month has prompted Doug Miller, Professor (Emeritus) of Worker Rights in Fashion, to hit back with his own analysis of the real wage cost of clothing - and what he believes is the gross undervaluation of garment assembly.
CHINA: Adidas to shut Chinese apparel factory
Sportswear giant Adidas has confirmed it will close its only company-owned Chinese apparel factory in October, as part of moves to give the firm a more consistent sourcing structure.
UK: Apparel conference to focus on 'Made in the UK'
The feasibility of reviving the UK manufacturing sector and moving garment production back to the country will be the focus of a major industry conference taking place later this year.
UK: Clothing prices drag on June inflation level
UK inflation fell to 2.4% in June, the lowest level since November 2009, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today (17 July).
An interactive databank with intelligence on the major apparel sourcing countries
- How M&S plans to revamp its clothing business
- The difference between compliance and safety?
- Footwear to see "significant" gains from TPP
- Yarn-forward rules weigh on Vietnam TPP potential
- Is China really going through a slump?
- Gap accused of rights violations in supply chain
- US Q1 in brief – Guess, Burlington Stores, Sears
- M&S to see "departure" of sourcing chiefs?
- Adidas Speedfactory eyes large-scale production
- H&M, Inditex and Nike rated supply chain leaders


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Mobile operators preparing mobile wallet offerings will face potentially stiff competition from financial institutions, after UK quango the Payments Council announced plans to launch an industry-wide mobile payment service.
UK operator Vodafone has added its opted-in subscribers to advertising and commerce joint venture Weve, joining rivals EE and O2. With the addition of one million Vodafone subscriber details, Weve now has a database of more than 15 million UK subscribers.
Whilst UK mobile operators have yet to fully unveil their plans for a mobile wallet joint venture, dubbed Project Oscar (Weve), the UK’s Payments Council has been quietly working with leading banks and payment networks to roll out a nationwide mobile payments service next year in which the operators appear to have zero input.
The m -commerce joint venture between UK operators Everything Everywhere, O2 and Vodafone; Weve (formerly Project Oscar)is going down the outsourcing route to grow quickly. The JV will outsource HR, payroll and recruitment functions to HR outsourcing specialist plusHR.


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OpConnect said that its EV charging stations will accept the Wright Express fleet cards. “This is important because authenticating electric vehicle charging stations with the Wright Express card is a mandatory requirement for Federal fleets,” said Mike Dixon, president of Go EV, OpConnect’s exclusive national distributor. With this development, the OpConnect charging stations can now be more easily integrated into a large number of both public and private fleet vehicle operations. “We designed the OpConnect EV charging network to be open for a wide variety of access and payment methods and this is another application of that design. Wright Express is one of the most widely accepted fleet cards so it was an obvious choice to partner with them for this development,” said Dexter Turner, OpConnect CEO.
“Wright Express is excited about adding our card acceptance to the OpConnect charging network,” said David Maxsimic, executive vice president of Wright Express’ sales and marketing. “Our government and commercial fleet card customers will expand their need for card acceptance at EV charging stations and other alternative fuel locations now and even more so in the future.” According to Maxsimic, “Those locations that accept our cards now will win more of our customer business in the future.”


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Western Union remission. It sounds like a disease. Or a scam. In fact, it’s neither. The Western Union remission process allows victims who sent money to a scammer via Western Union to file for a refund. Victims shouldn’t get overly excited though. This is a settlement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Western Union, not a case of a company developing a guilty conscience because they aided and abetted wire fraud. Here are a few things you need to know about the process.
The bottom line
Business is all about profits. Western Union made a ton of money off of people scammers instructed to wire money to help stranded relatives, make purchases, pay tax penalties, etc. On the flip side, government regulations and agencies such as the DOJ try to keep businesses from profiting unfairly. For years, Western Union profited while consumers lost.
With all that said, consumers need to realize that in all likelihood they will not get back everything they lost. There is a settlement pool of $586 million from which victims will be paid. Victims will receive compensation based on how many consumers file claims and the amounts of those claims.
The fine print in the deal
Aiding and abetting wire fraud are serious charges. That’s why the DOJ, the Federal Trade Commission, and the US Postal Inspection Service became involved. It’s also the reason Western Union probably agreed to the settlement. It was cheaper for them to cop to a deal than it was to fight in court. With that said, there are limitations to the Western Union remission.
- Victims must file a claim by February 12, 2018 to be eligible for compensation. Online claim forms are available at kccsecure.com.
- The fraud must have occurred between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017.
- Claims must be verified by the Department of Justice.
- It may take a year to process payments.
Why the Western Union remission settlement came about
The Federal Trade Commission’s complaint against Western Union accused the company of ignoring consumer complaints and not taking action against a small number of Western Union agents who were facilitating fraud. For example, less than 1% of the Western Union agents in Mexico accounted for over 80% of the fraud claims.
In the United States and Canada, authorities arrested thirty-nine agents for mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. That number more than triples in other countries. A few agents were directly involved in scams, yet Western Union did nothing to stop them.
- If you were affected, file a claim. You may have received a form in the mail from Gilardi & Co., LLC. If not, file online at kccsecure.com.
- Learn more by visiting the FTC website page for the settlement.
- If you have additional questions, you can email the administrator at firstname.lastname@example.org or call at 1-844-319-2124.
Did you like this scam tip? Check out another popular topic, Five tips to avoid four Amazon email scams.


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OpenGate Capital LLC announced today it signed an agreement to acquire Zodiac Recreational from Zodiac Marine & Pool.
OpenGate, a Los Angeles-based private investment and acquisition firm with offices in Paris and Brazil, is expected to complete the transaction within 90 days, subject to customary closing conditions, according to a statement.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Zodiac Marine & Pool is divesting Zodiac Recreational as part of an ongoing strategy to refocus its business in the military, professional and clean water industries. Zodiac Recreational manufactures RIBs, tenders, inflatables, life rafts and related accessories. Its three brand names are Zodiac, Bombard and Avon.
“After putting the operations of this world famous brand into a better position, we are very pleased with the decision to divest this business to OpenGate Capital, a firm we describe as good parents,” Zodiac Marine & Pool CEO Yves Dominioni said in a statement.
OpenGate Capital’s European partners Robert Lezec and Julien Lagrèze are leading the transaction and will work with Zodiac Recreational’s existing management team to strengthen operational and financial fundamentals, as well as drive expansion across Europe and into other markets around the world.
“We are extremely honored to have the trust and faith of Zodiac Marine & Pool,” OpenGate Capital founder and CEO Andrew Nikou said in a statement. “The Zodiac family of brands is iconic in its representation of quality, safety and reliability. We couldn’t be more pleased to mark our first marine industry acquisition with Zodiac, the ultimate symbol of performance.”